The Biden administration is granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants. And Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington D.C. as Congress debates more funding for Ukraine. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Sept. 21, 2023.
White House granting temporary legal status to nearly 500,000 Venezuelan migrants
The Biden administration is offering deportation protections for Venezuelans already in the U.S., whether they are here legally or not. The announcement offers a new layer of security for roughly half a million Venezuelan migrants.
The migrants will receive work permits and protections from deportation just as a surge of migrants at the southern border largely consists of thousands of Venezuelans entering the U.S. daily.
Under Biden’s new order, Venezuela will receive Temporary Protected Status, meaning an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31, 2023, will not be forced to leave and can legally work for at least the next 18 months.
These protections do not apply to Venezuelans who have reached the U.S. after the end of July.
Cities like New York have been asking the government to grant migrants legal status as they struggle to find space for tens of thousands of migrants, many from Venezuela.
At the U.S.-Mexico border, a railway company shut down operations Wednesday, Sept. 20, after migrants were hopping trains to expedite their trip into the U.S.
Senate confirms Joints Chiefs chairman after monthslong standoff
The Senate has confirmed General Charles Q. Brown, known as CQ Brown, of the Air Force to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A vote was held on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and the confirmation passed with an overwhelming 83 to 11 vote.
While the military promotion was a bipartisan agreement. there’s been a partisan standoff between one Republican senator and Democrats that has prevented the promotions of hundreds of military members.
Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said he would withhold the promotions as long as the military upholds a policy to reimburse out-of-state travel for members seeking abortions.
Though Tuberville could expedite confirmations, the Senate still has the power to hold individual votes to promote military members. More votes are expected Thursday to confirm other high-ranking officers.
Zelenskyy in D.C. to meet with President Biden, Congress
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, a day after speaking to the U.N. Security Council. He is also expected to meet with lawmakers at Congress and at the Pentagon.
This will be Zelenskyy’s third time visiting the White House as he looks to shore up more support for Ukraine from the U.S. as the war with Russia goes on. Since the war began, no other country has provided more funding to Ukraine than the U.S. – more than $112 billion.
Republicans in Congress are expected to question Zelenskyy on how the money is being used. Biden is currently asking Congress to approve another $24 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Manhunt underway after murder suspect ‘mistakenly released’
Authorities say a murder suspect in Indiana was “mistakenly released” from a detention center nearly one week ago and is still on the run. The Marion County Sheriff’s office says a “clerical error” is to blame.
Law enforcement said the decision to keep it under wraps for nearly a week was part of a “tactical advantage,” saying they wanted to capitalize on the “quietness of the situation.” Two jail record clerks have been fired after the error went unnoticed for several hours.
Authorities say Mason, 28, called his girlfriend for a ride and walked freely on Sept. 13, just two days after being booked into jail. The girlfriend has been arrested and is being questioned by police.
The US Marshals Service, which was involved in the recent manhunt for a convicted murderer who escaped a Pennsylvania prison, is now helping in the search for Mason.
White House to provide free at-home COVID tests again
As we head into the fall and winter seasons, the Biden administration is once again offering free at-home COVID-19 tests, up to four per household. The kits can be ordered on covidtest.gov starting Sept. 25.
Though the tests are free to receive, federal officials say it will cost $600 million to roll out another year of the program.
COVID-19 cases have gradually increased in recent weeks, although significantly less than prior fall seasons. COVID-related deaths remain near all-time lows, according to the latest CDC data.
Bob Ross painting selling for nearly $10 million
A Bob Ross painting from the very first episode of his long-running PBS show “The Joy of Painting” is going on sale for $9.85 million at a Minneapolis gallery. Ross painted the work, titled “A Walk in the Woods,” in under 30 minutes during the 1983 premiere of his show, which would go on to run for 31 seasons.
The work was originally auctioned off to raise money for the PBS station in Virginia where the show was filmed. A volunteer at the station bought the painting for an undisclosed price, but the Minneapolis art dealer believes she paid around $100.
