Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 18, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba www.theparkway.ca Independent Living Suites with Services Make The Parkway YOUR NEW HOME WE ARE LOCATED AT 85 & 95 PAGET STREET (off of Sterling Lyon Parkway) 204-487-8500 • Breakfast and Dinner Included • Transportation to Planned Outings and Appointments • In-Suite Washer and Dryer • Planned Recreation Programs • Light Weekly Housekeeping • Full Kitchen with Fridge, Microwave and Stove • Daily Garbage Pick Up and Security Check • Spacious Suites with Balconies • Cafe Open Daily for Lunch • Exercise Room, Library, Billiards Room and Arts & Craft Room • Heat, Hydro and Water Included • Indoor Parking Available DON’T MISS OUT SECURE YOUR SPOT ON OUR WAITLIST! A16 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM WASHINGTON — U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed trade, fentanyl and TikTok in a phone call Friday, just days before Trump heads back to the White House. He has vowed to impose tar- iffs and other measures on the United States’ biggest rival. Despite that, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pushed for improved ties, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. The call came the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court backed a law banning TikTok unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company. “We both attach great importance to interaction, hope for a good start of the China-U.S. relationship during the new U.S. presidency and are willing to secure greater progress in China-U.S. relations from a new starting point,” Xi said in the call. Trump confirmed on his Truth Social platform that he had spoken with Xi, saying “the call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A.” They talked about trade, fentanyl, TikTok and more, he said. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!” Trump wrote. His tran- sition team pointed to the social media post when asked for more details on the call. The past few days have shown a warmer side of the U.S.- China relationship, which is expected to be one of the main focuses of Trump’s second term. In his campaign, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by as much as 60 per cent and later pledged an additional 10 per cent hike over allegations China has failed to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. Experts believe that Trump would expand controls on products sold to China, too. But they also have pointed to Trump vowing to “save TikTok” even though he tried to ban the social media platform the last time he was in the White House. Just hours before the call, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Vice-President Han Zheng would attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony as Xi’s special represent- ative. Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi in De- cember, but no head of state has attended a U.S. president’s inauguration in the past. Trump in the past has praised his relationship with Xi and suggested China could help mediate international crises such as the war in Ukraine. Beijing and Washington, however, have been locked in a tense economic competition since Trump’s first term, when relations shifted toward a more contentious rivalry. President Joe Biden also has imposed limits on the sale of advanced technology and slapped high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and solar cells. In the phone call Friday, Xi told Trump that differences are inevitable between the two powers, but the key lies with “respecting each other’s core interests and major concerns and finding a proper solution,” according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Trump said in a December interview on Meet the Press that he had been communicating with Xi since he won the November election. Trump in the interview said he has “a very good relationship” with China’s leader. He said they did not discuss Taiwan but other issues. — The Associated Press W ASHINGTON — U.S. presi- dent-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weath- er, upending months of meticulous planning for a massive outdoor event with crowds sprawling down the Na- tional Mall. “The weather forecast for Washing- ton, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe re- cord lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.” The Rotunda is prepared as an al- ternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather. The swearing-in was last moved in- doors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Mon- day’s forecast calls for the lowest In- auguration Day temperatures since that day. Outgoing President Joe Biden, mem- bers of Congress and some other digni- taries and notable guests will be able to view the ceremony from inside the Capitol Rotunda. But even if they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder packing the Rotunda as in 1985, many will be forced to watch the swearing-in from elsewhere. Alternate plans were being devised to accommodate as many guests as possible. More than 250,000 guests are ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds and tens of thousands more were expected to be in general admission areas or to line the inaugural parade route from the Cap- itol to the White House. Trump said some supporters would be able to watch the ceremony from Washington’s Capital One Arena on Monday, a day after he plans to hold a rally there. He said he would visit the arena, which has a capacity of about 20,000, after his swearing-in, and host a modified inaugural parade there. Trump said other inaugural events, including the Sunday rally and his participation in three official inaugur- al balls on Monday night, would take place as scheduled. The U.S. Secret Service, which leads the security planning for the inaugura- tion, said it was working with organiz- ers to “adapt” its plans for the event due to the scheduling changes. The National Weather Service is pre- dicting the temperature to be around 22 F (-6 C at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Reagan’s second in- auguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 F (-14 Celsius). Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in was 28F (-2 C). “The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honour the request of the president-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda,” a spokesperson said Friday. The committee said that with the shift indoors, the “vast majority” of ticketed guests will no longer be able to attend in person. “While we know this is difficult for many attendees, we strongly suggest people who are in Washington for the event attend other indoor events at in- door venues of their choice to watch the inauguration,” the committee said. The Presidential Inaugural Commit- tee is expected to be designating places to watch and will provide additional in- formation. The Capitol Rotunda was one of the areas breached during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by supporters of Trump trying to block the certification of his 2020 loss to Biden. The temporary in- augural platform, where Trump was to have been sworn-in outdoors, was the site of some of the most violent clashes between rioters and police officers try- ing to protect the Capitol complex. Earlier Friday, Trump’s inaugural committee announced that, like his first inauguration, Trump would take the oath of office on a family Bible given to him by his mother as well as the Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861. Vice- president-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on a family Bible given to him by his maternal great-grandmother. — The Associated Press NEWS I WORLD SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2025 MORRY GASH / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Workers build a stage in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington Friday, for the 60th Presidential Inauguration, which was moved indoors from the west front of the U.S. Capitol (below) because of cold temperatures expected on Monday. Trump’s swearing-in moving inside Capitol rotunda due to cold weather ZEKE MILLER Trump and Chinese leader talk trade, fentanyl, TikTok DIDI TANG Migrant detention bill could be Trump’s first law to sign STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON — The Senate is head- ing toward a final vote on legislation that would give states the power to challenge federal immigration policies and require federal authorities to detain migrants ac- cused of theft and violent crimes, setting a new tone on immigration as Donald Trump enters the White House. Newly in the majority, Senate Repub- licans have made the so-called Laken Riley Act — named after a Georgia stu- dent who was killed last year by a Vene- zuelan man — a top priority, potentially making it the first bill Trump signs as president. On Friday, it cleared a key procedural hurdle 61-35, with 10 Democrats voting with Republicans to advance it to a final vote. The Senate is set to vote on final passage Monday after Trump’s inaug- uration, but the House will also need to take up changes made to the bill. Democrats, who last year allowed similar legislation to languish, initially supported opening debate on the bill, signalling a new willingness to consid- er crackdowns on illegal immigration following their election losses. However, most voted against advancing the bill to a final vote after they were unable to make significant changes to the legislation. “The American people are rightly concerned about the illegal immigra- tion crisis in this country, and they sent a clear message in November that they want to see it addressed,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, who described the bill as “the first of many” on the topic. In the early days of the new Congress, Republicans have dared Democrats to join them in efforts to restrict illegal immigration and deport migrants who are tied to crimes. In several cases, they have. Most Senate Democrats voted to advance the Laken Riley Act last week as they bartered for changes to the bill. In the House, all Republicans, as well as 48 Democrats, voted to pass a similar version of the bill this month. And this week, 61 Democrats also voted for a separate bill to require deportation and block entry into the U.S. for foreign na- tionals who are convicted of physical or sexual abuse. The votes have given Republicans some early wins as they enjoy a trifecta of power across the House, Senate and White House, though the bills have most- ly retread on policy where federal au- thorities already have discretion to act. Once Trump enters office and at- tempts to set up large-scale deportation operations, congressional Republicans will face intense pressure to pay for his priorities while also balancing their pledges to tame budget deficits and con- cerns about the economic, as well as humanitarian, impacts of mass deporta- tions. The Laken Riley Act does not have any new funding for immigration officials, but Democratic staff on the Senate Ap- propriations Committee estimate the bill would cost $83 billion over the next three years, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. Republicans pushed back on that fig- ure. At the same time, they are debating how to pass a major funding package through a process known as reconcilia- tion that would allow the Trump admin- istration to spend up to $100 billion on border and immigration enforcement. Democrats, meanwhile, are searching for a path forward on their approach to immigration. The party is divided be- tween those who now prioritize restric- tions on illegal immigration and those who argue the party should also cham- pion help for migrants who are already here or who are seeking relief from vio- lence or persecution in their home coun- tries. “We Democrats want to see our broken immigration system fixed,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schu- mer, D-N.Y., who supported negotiations on the bill but voted against its advance Friday. He pointed to Democrats working with Republicans on a larger bill last year that would have clamped down on the asylum process. That legislation was rejected by Republicans after Trump came out in opposition to it, but Schumer said he would still “stand ready” to work with the GOP on border security and im- migration. “I think we have to prove that we’re the only party serious about border sec- urity,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Con- necticut Democrat. He criticized the Laken Riley Act because it would require immigration authorities to give priority to detaining migrants accused or convicted of crimes like shoplifting, but potentially force authorities to release others convicted of more serious crimes. Murphy said it would just “make the system more con- voluted and more chaotic.” — The Associated Press ;