INTERNACIONAL
WATCH: California Dems rally around healthcare for illegal immigrants during fiery debate
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Every Democrat asked during this week’s California gubernatorial debate said they supported providing healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants, a position they took moments after candidates spent several minutes warning that California’s healthcare system is already too expensive and straining families, businesses and the state budget.
«We had a broken immigration system, and now you want to victimize the people who are working here and making the state run,» Democratic candidate and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said when asked if he supported giving coverage to illegal immigrants after the current California governor, Gavin Newsom, cut it to help reduce the state’s ballooning deficit.
Katie Porter, a former California congresswoman and fellow Democratic candidate for California governor, was asked point-blank about the cost concerns related to providing illegal immigrants with free healthcare coverage.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE COSTS IN BLUE STATE TRIGGERS INTENSE BUDGET DEBATE
Democratic candidates Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco and Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra participate in a California gubernatorial debate at the East Los Angeles College Auditorium in Monterey Park, Calif., May 5, 2026. Seven candidates for California governor are participating in the third televised debate, ahead of the June 2, 2026, primary elections. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
«We can’t afford to have people who are sick, who are making the rest of us sick,» Porter responded to the cost question before her Republican opponent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, interjected, «They shouldn’t be here,» leading Porter to pause and give him a look of bewilderment.
«When anyone doesn’t have care, the rest of us are at risk when people don’t get vaccinations,» Porter continued. «When they don’t go to the doctor, they wind up in the emergency room. They cause longer lines for the rest of us. They make our health care system — they push it to the brink.»
«Immigrants, whether documented or not, work hard. They pay taxes, and sometimes they get injured on the job or their children get sick,» former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said when asked if he supported the measure.
NEWSOM SIGNS $2.8B BAILOUT FOR HEALTHCARE PROGRAM OVERRUN BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
The Trump administration expanded efforts to prevent illegal immigrants from getting public health benefits. (Getty/iStock)
«It would be foolish to tell a family that they don’t have access to the pediatrician or the family doc or not be able to use the community health center where it wouldn’t cost us so much to give them help access to good health care,» Becerra continued.
«Instead, what will happen is that child will get so ill that they will have to take that child to the hospital. And what door do they enter? The most expensive door in the health care system? The emergency room door. Why do that and spend so much money when you can do it up front?»
The remaining Democratic Party candidates on the stage, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, were not directly asked whether they supported providing healthcare to illegal immigrants in the state, nor did they indicate their stances during other portions of the debate that discussed healthcare.
«The actual way we deal with healthcare in this state is to at least stop spending $20 billion a year on free healthcare for illegal immigrants who shouldn’t even be in the country in the first place,» Republican candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton said during debate about how to reform the state’s healthcare system.
LAWMAKERS REVEAL WHETHER AMERICANS SHOULD PICK UP THE MEDICAID TAB FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton participate in the California gubernatorial candidate debate Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Laure Andrillon)
«When are we going to draw the line at any other crime? It’s illegal. They enter the country illegally, we’re not going to incentivize them to come here to take more of the resources that regular Californians aren’t getting,» Bianco added.
Before defending taxpayer-funded healthcare access for illegal immigrants, several of the Democratic candidates were already locked in a fight over who was more committed to government-run healthcare.
Steyer said he supports single payer «absolutely,» while Becerra said California should «try to get to a Medicare for all program.» Porter repeatedly pressed Becerra to be more explicit, asking whether he supported «California having its own state-run single-payer system.»
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But the push for expanded coverage came as candidates also acknowledged the cost problem. Steyer said healthcare is «eating up our budget» and «eating up every single family,» while Villaraigosa warned a state-run single-payer system would carry a roughly $500 billion price tag and require approval from the federal government.
«It’s pie in the sky,» Villaraigosa said.
health care executive, tom steyer, immigration, illegal immigrants, california
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio previewed a high-profile trip to Rome from the White House briefing room Tuesday, delivering sharp warnings to Iran and flashing easy command of the podium that drew praise from conservative allies online.
«The trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage, and other secretaries of State have done that in the past,» Rubio said at the White House press conference on Tuesday of his trip to Italy.
The briefing came two days before Rubio is set to visit the Vatican and Italy for meetings amid heightened tensions between President Donald Trump, Pope Leo and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the U.S.-Iran conflict. Rubio used the briefing to defend the administration’s posture toward Tehran, downplay the timing of the Italy visit and signal that Washington is not backing off its pressure campaign.
RUBIO TO VISIT ITALY, VATICAN AMID TROOP DRAWDOWN CALL, TENSION WITH TRUMP, POPE LEO: REPORTS
Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks out to speak to reporters at the James Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House in Washington on May 5, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
«The message to Iran … these guys are facing real catastrophic destruction to their economy, generational destruction to their economy, generational destruction to the wealth of their country imposed on themselves by the actions that they’re taking,» said Rubio of Iran on Tuesday.
«They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they’re going,» Rubio quipped, referencing Ice Cube’s rap song, «Check Yo Self.»
Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to meet with Pope Leo on Thursday morning, at a time when the pontiff has criticized the Trump administration’s Middle East peacemaking efforts.
RUBIO OVERHAULING ‘BLOATED’ STATE DEPARTMENT IN SWEEPING REFORM
«There has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,» the pope said in April. «There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.»
Rubio emphasized that the move to give military support to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz near Iran is a «defensive operation,» saying the US will only fire if fired upon. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
RUBIO’S TRUMP ADMIN JUGGLING ACT GROWS AS MEME-WORTHY ROLE LIST BECOMES REALITY
The comments were seemingly in reference to one of Trump’s Truth Social posts, where he wrote, «A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!»
Trump told reporters on Wednesday in the Oval Office he only has one message for the Pope.
«I can tell you this, that as far as the Pope is concerned, and it’s very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don’t make him happy, Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. And he seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot, because if that happened, the entire world would be hostage. And we’re not going to let that happen,» he said.
The Vatican announced it will not participate in President Trump’s Gaza recovery board. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
TRUMP MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM GIORGIA MELONI AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO RESORT
Rubio will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been distancing herself from the U.S. amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict.
The meeting comes as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on NATO allies to align with the U.S. against Iran, including ordering the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany — a drawdown expected to unfold over the next six to 12 months.
Rubio will travel to Italy on Wednesday for meetings with Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Meloni said Tuesday she would not support any effort to reduce the U.S. military presence in Italy, drawing a contrast with Trump’s broader push to reposition American forces in Europe.
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Italy remains a key U.S. security hub in Europe, hosting nearly 13,000 active-duty American troops across six bases as of the end of 2025.
Rubio heads to his high-profile meetings fresh off of social media commenters and conservative leaders applauding how well he stepped in for Karoline Leavitt behind the podium after she took maternity leave late last month. The secretary joked with reporters, fielded questions in multiple languages and delivered pointed warnings to Iran, giving supporters a glimpse of the presence he will likely carry into the Rome trip.
«Marco Rubio is showing the nation & the world what we’ve known about him for decades,» said Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez on X. «Rubio is one of the most eloquent, articulate, & incredibly capable statesmen of our times.»
«President Trump made an EXCELLENT choice in him. He proves it every single day,» he added.
white house, war with iran, iran, state department, marco rubio, italy, pope leo xiv
INTERNACIONAL
Líderes de ASEAN se reúnen en Filipinas para preparar un plan regional ante la crisis energética por la guerra en Irán
Los líderes de la Asociación de Naciones del Sudeste Asiático (ASEAN) se reúnen este jueves y viernes en la ciudad filipina de Cebú para una cumbre centrada en la seguridad energética, el abastecimiento de alimentos y la protección de trabajadores migrantes afectados por la guerra en Medio Oriente, en medio de crecientes preocupaciones por el impacto económico regional del conflicto.
El presidente filipino, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., anfitrión del encuentro, prometió una cumbre “minimalista” y enfocada en asuntos económicos vinculados a la guerra en Medio Oriente. “Lo que realmente necesitamos en este momento es que los líderes hablen sobre… cómo podemos ayudarnos mutuamente”, afirmó Marcos al rechazar rumores sobre una eventual cancelación de la reunión por la crisis internacional.
Según un borrador de declaración al que accedió The Associated Press, los gobernantes del bloque planean emitir un plan de contingencia que respaldará “el derecho internacional”, “la soberanía” y “la libertad de navegación”, en un mensaje que podría interpretarse como una crítica indirecta a Estados Unidos, Israel e Irán por el impacto global de la guerra.
“El sudeste asiático mantendrá mercados abiertos, transparentes y previsibles, así como rutas marítimas seguras y abiertas, y garantizará la libertad de navegación, el tránsito seguro, sin obstáculos y continuo, de buques y aeronaves en estrechos utilizados para la navegación internacional”, señala el borrador.
La declaración también subraya la necesidad de preservar “el flujo sin trabas de bienes esenciales, incluidos alimentos, energía e insumos clave, de conformidad con el derecho internacional, en particular la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar de 1982”.
El conflicto en Medio Oriente y las tensiones en el estrecho de Ormuz dominan la agenda de la cumbre debido al riesgo de interrupciones en el suministro energético y comercial. Marcos declaró en marzo una emergencia energética nacional y advirtió sobre las consecuencias económicas de una crisis prolongada.
El Banco Asiático de Desarrollo advirtió en marzo que las interrupciones persistentes en el suministro de petróleo y gas desde Medio Oriente podrían frenar el crecimiento económico e impulsar la inflación en Asia y el Pacífico, regiones altamente dependientes de esos recursos energéticos.
Los líderes de ASEAN también evaluarán medidas concretas para reforzar la resiliencia regional. El plan de contingencia incluye la posible ratificación este año de un acuerdo que permitiría compartir combustible de forma coordinada durante emergencias, además de avanzar en el diseño de una red eléctrica regional y diversificar las fuentes de petróleo crudo.
El documento propone además promover el uso de vehículos eléctricos y estudiar nuevas tecnologías energéticas, incluida la energía nuclear con fines civiles. Asimismo, contempla la creación de “un posible protocolo de comunicación y coordinación de crisis de la ASEAN para garantizar una respuesta regional coherente, oportuna y coordinada ante las crisis”.
La seguridad de los trabajadores migrantes también figura entre las prioridades de la reunión. Más de un millón de trabajadores y marinos mercantes del sudeste asiático permanecen en Medio Oriente. Varios ciudadanos de la región murieron durante los actuales combates, incluidos dos filipinos, mientras miles fueron evacuados o regresaron a sus países.
La ASEAN, integrada por Filipinas, Brunei, Camboya, Indonesia, Laos, Malasia, Myanmar, Singapur, Tailandia y Vietnam, incorporó formalmente a Timor Oriental como miembro pleno en octubre del año pasado.
Además de la crisis en Medio Oriente, el bloque afronta tensiones internas, entre ellas la guerra civil en Myanmar y las disputas territoriales en el mar de China Meridional.
Myanmar continúa excluido formalmente de las cumbres de alto nivel desde el golpe militar de 2021 que desencadenó una guerra civil y una represión contra la oposición. Sin embargo, algunos países del bloque analizan una posible flexibilización de esa política tras las recientes decisiones de la junta militar.
El líder militar Min Aung Hlaing, quien asumió recientemente la presidencia del país tras unas elecciones organizadas por el régimen, sostuvo que su gobierno trabajará para “restaurar las relaciones normales” con ASEAN. La junta también trasladó de prisión a arresto domiciliario a la líder democrática Aung San Suu Kyi, de 80 años.
El gobierno filipino elogió esa decisión y solicitó que un enviado especial del bloque obtenga “breve acceso” a Suu Kyi.
El canciller tailandés, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, declaró en enero que Bangkok propuso una estrategia de “compromiso calibrado” con el nuevo gobierno de Myanmar y expresó su esperanza de que las elecciones representen “el comienzo de la transición”. Por su parte, la ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de Filipinas, Theresa Lazaro, afirmó entonces que “un buen número” de países del bloque comparte una visión “pragmática” sobre Myanmar.
La cumbre también prevé una declaración sobre cooperación marítima, aunque no se espera un acuerdo definitivo sobre el Código de Conducta del mar de China Meridional, negociado entre ASEAN y China desde hace más de dos décadas.
Brunei, Malasia, Filipinas y Vietnam mantienen reclamaciones territoriales en esa vía marítima estratégica, mientras China reivindica casi la totalidad del área pese a un fallo internacional que determinó que esa posición carece de base legal.
Filipinas, que protagonizó repetidos incidentes marítimos con embarcaciones chinas, manifestó en febrero su intención de concluir este año las negociaciones del código de conducta durante su presidencia rotativa de ASEAN. Sin embargo, las conversaciones permanecen estancadas por desacuerdos sobre el alcance, la aplicación y el carácter jurídico del eventual pacto.
(Con información de AFP y AP)
International,Relations,Asia / Pacific,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy
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