Brief Overview of America by The Epoch Times
President Joe Biden has reduced sentences for an additional 2,500 individuals, marking a historic number of pardons and commutations. This follows a previous round in December where 39 were pardoned and 1,500 had their sentences reduced, including Biden’s son Hunter. The clemencies primarily target those convicted of non-violent drug offenses with disproportionately long sentences, as stated by Biden.
Furthermore, President Biden announced the removal of communist Cuba from the US State-Sponsored Terrorism list on Jan. 14. This decision was made in response to international requests from allies such as Columbia, Brazil, the EU, Canada, and Chile, and is part of a deal to release anti-government protesters who were jailed in 2021.
Cuba was originally put on the list in 1982, removed in 2015 during President Barack Obama’s administration, and reinstated in 2021 by then-President Donald Trump over ties to the Colombian guerrilla group the National Liberation Army. Other nations on the list include North Korea, Iran, and Syria.
In addition, TikTok has garnered support from lawmakers amid the looming shutdown set for Jan. 19. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has requested a 90-day extension to the ban, with incoming President Donald Trump showing interest in keeping the platform operational. TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, had until Jan. 19 to sell its US operations to a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban due to national security concerns. Chinese law mandates organizations to aid in the Chinese Communist Party’s activities and national intelligence.
