Good morning.
The US and China butted heads in extraordinary scenes at their first high-level talks of the Biden era, which took place in Alaska yesterday. The secretary of state, Antony Blinken, took aim at China’s human rights record as well as cyber-attacks on the US and “economic coercion of our allies”.
China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, hit back with a 15-minute speech accusing the US of using force and finances to “suppress other countries”. Yang also accused Washington of hypocrisy over human rights and democracy, referencing “deep-seated” problems with racism in the US and alleging that “many people within the United States actually have little confidence in the democracy of the United States”. He added:
The United States uses its military force and financial hegemony to carry out long-arm jurisdiction and suppress other countries. It abuses so-called notions of national security to obstruct normal trade exchanges, and incite some countries to attack China.
Canada has criticised China for trying one of its citizens in secret. Michael Spavor was detained with another Canadian more than two years ago on suspicion of espionage. A verdict in his trial has not yet been issued. China denied diplomats from nine countries access to the court. You can read more about the plight of the two men here.
Lawmakers said anti-Asian violence was at ‘crisis point’
Asian American lawmakers and community leaders said anti-Asian violence and discrimination had hit “a crisis point” after the shooting of at least six women of Asian descent in massage parlours in Atlanta this week.
What do we know about the shooter’s motivation? Police said the suspect in the shootings was asked specifically about racism and “gave no indicators” that it was a motivation. There are fears about a possible, and connected, anti-sex work motivation. While it is not clear if the victims provided sexual services or not, the suspect told police the venues were a “temptation he wanted to eliminate”.
Speaking at a long-scheduled hearing on anti-Asian discrimination, Democrat Grace Meng said the community had been “screaming out for help” for the last year.
There have been 3,800 reported incidents of anti-Asian violence in the past year, and 500 since the start of 2021, according to the anti-racism organisation Stop AAPI Hate. Most of the attacks were on women.
Police across the country increased foot patrols in Asian neighborhoods following the shootings, but not everyone feels it makes them safer. Vivian Ho speaks to residents in San Francisco about their response to the measures.
The House passed a bill to give ‘Dreamers’ a chance at citizenship
The House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday that would give undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship, including “Dreamers” – who came to the US as undocumented minors – and those who have fled war or natural disasters, both of whom have temporary protected status.
The bill could make 4.4 million people eligible for permanent residence in the US, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Nine Republicans crossed the aisle to support the measure.
The House also passed a bill that would give legal status to undocumented farmworkers. But the future of the bills doesn’t look too bright. Both these bills passed in 2019 too, and they must now go through an evenly split Senate where Republicans have vowed to block the proposals.
The US has its first Latino health secretary
The Senate confirmed Xavier Becerra as health and human services secretary yesterday at a time where the department is under unprecedented pressure owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Becerra is the first Latino to hold the role.
What is his background? A former California attorney general, Becerra has served in the House of Representatives for 26 years and is a member of Democratic leadership. But Republicans accused him of having too little experience in health issues for the role.
What will he do? Becerra will have a significant role in organising the coronavirus vaccine rollout, as well as an expansion of Obamacare.
Meanwhile, research has emerged suggesting that the afternoon may be the best time to get a coronavirus test. People may shed more coronavirus in the afternoons and be less likely to return false negative results, according to a study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
In other news …
Myanmar security forces killed eight people after they opened fire on demonstrators protesting against last month’s military coup, according to a local news outlet. The incident reportedly happened in the central town of Aungban on Friday, and would take the death toll to 220 since the coup.
Sexual harassment is “as pervasive as air” in New York’s statehouse in Albany, a number of female reporters have said, amid ongoing investigations into sexual misconduct claims against Governor Andrew Cuomo. Female journalists who covered New York politics said the alleged behavior was in keeping with what they experienced while reporting on his administration.
The newly appointed editor of Teen Vogue has resigned after anti-Asian and homophobic tweets she posted a decade ago resurfaced this month. The publisher Condé Nast said the move had been made “so as to not overshadow the important work happening at Teen Vogue”.
The actor Armie Hammer is under investigation for alleged sexual assault, Los Angeles police said yesterday, after a woman accused him of raping her in 2017.
Stat of the day: 12 Republicans voted against honoring Capitol police
Twelve Republicans voted against a resolution to honor Capitol police for their attempts to protect lawmakers during the Capitol attack on 6 January. Lawmakers including Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia cited issues with the wording of the honor, which described the attack as an insurrection.
Don’t miss this: is there a crisis at the US border?
The Texas governor has sent dozens of armed troops to fortify the US border, amid a rising number of people attempting to cross. Republicans are calling it an immigration crisis, while others say migration naturally fluctuates. Either way, the uptick started before Biden’s election, according to Customs and Border Protection figures. Nina Lakhani reports from the border, examining both sides of the argument.
Last Thing: Gucci launches digital shoes … yes, really
Gucci has launched a pair of shoes for just $17.99 – a steal compared with its usual prices. The reason? The shoes are virtual. They are available to buy from either the Gucci or Wanna AR apps, and can be worn by users in virtual worlds including VR Chat, a multiplayer online game.
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