President Donald Trump has met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. It's the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years and one that could mark a turning point for the region as Syria struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation. The meeting marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family, and for its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.
President Trump has met with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first such encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years. See more on Salem News Channel.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making his first appearance as health secretary before the powerful Senate health committee. Kennedy is expected to face intense scrutiny Wednesday about the thousands of jobs he’s eliminated at the Department of Health and Human Services, the steep cuts he’s made to vaccination campaigns and his response to a measles outbreak that’s sickened 1,000 people. Kennedy will speak about the agency’s budget request for the year, which includes a $500 million boost for his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to promote nutrition and healthier lifestyles. The proposed budget also makes deep cuts, including to infectious disease prevention, maternal health and preschool programs.
Government data shows U.S. retail egg prices have declined for the first time since October. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs fell to $5.12 in April after reaching a record $6.23 in March, according to the Consumer Price Index released on Tuesday. The average price of eggs of all sizes fell 12.7%, which was the steepest monthly decline since March 1984. Still, U.S. egg prices remain near record highs as a persistent outbreak of bird flu continues to wipe out egg-laying hens. April's store price was 79% higher than a year earlier, when the retail price averaged $2.86 per dozen.
U.S. officials unveiled an indictment Tuesday against two alleged Mexican drug cartel leaders on narco-terrorism charges.
The indictment comes after the Trump administration in February designated the Sinaloa Cartel and seven other Latin American crime organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations,” upping its pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and on anyone aiding them. President Donald Trump called for the designation in an executive order on Jan. 20, the day he took office in his second term.
The “foreign terrorist organization” label is unusual because it deploys a terrorist designation normally reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State group that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels.
“If you act like a terrorist, you shouldn’t be surprised if you are charged as one,” said Adam Gordon, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California.
Those charged were described as key leaders of the Beltrán Leyva Organization, according to the indictment. The organization is one of a number of warring criminal groups that once formed part of the Sinaloa Cartel and have since split off and warred for territory and power, fueling bloodshed in large swathes of Mexico.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, were also charged with providing material support of terrorism in connection with the trafficking of massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States, according to court documents. Five other high-ranking members were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering.
All remain fugitives, officials said.
The father and son have overseen “one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world," Gordon said. The organization is accused of trafficking tens of thousands of kilograms (pounds) of fentanyl into the United States.
Mexican authorities in December raided multiple sites controlled by the father and son that resulted in the world's largest seizure of fentanyl, totaling 1,500 kilograms (more than 1.65 tons), according to court documents.
The group is also known for its violence, engaging in shootouts, kidnappings, torture and murders and targeting officials. It controls the drug trade in various parts of Central America and in many areas of Mexico – including in the border city of Tijuana, across from San Diego, according to the indictment.
The elder Pedro is paralyzed after being shot by a rival cartel member. His group has been one of the top distributors of cocaine and now fentanyl since 2006, Gordon said.
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