Border Talks, Vatican Verdict, and Historic Odors

Border Negotiations

Senate negotiators reportedly made progress over the weekend on a suite of border security measures, working under a self-imposed Sunday deadline to reach an agreement. Lawmakers have tied the package to a larger $110B deal that includes support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. 

The list of proposed policy changes has not been released; however, the White House signaled it would consider a new authority for expulsions at the border. The power would be similar to Title 42, which ended in May and allowed deportation of certain migrants (mostly single adults) without going through the formal asylum process during the COVID-19 pandemic (see previous write-up). 

More than 2 million border encounters were registered in FY2023, down slightly from the previous year but more than double FY2019 (the last full year before the pandemic). Under Title 42, more than 1 million migrants were expelled in FY2022—though more than 25% of encounters came from expelled migrants trying to cross the border again. See data here.

Vatican Verdict

Roman Catholic Cardinal Angelo Becciu was found guilty of three counts of embezzlement and sentenced to five and a half years in prison Saturday, the result of a two-year trial into his and nine others' financial crimes within the Vatican City state. The 75-year-old Italian is the first cardinal to be tried criminally by Vatican courts since the Vatican became an independent state in 1929. 

An initial investigation into a 2013 Vatican investment in an upscale London property, which did not target Becciu, revealed the Vatican lost millions by extortion and blackmail in the deal. The investigation surfaced separate revelations that Becciu, in his role atop the Vatican bureaucracy, embezzled six-figure sums to his brother's charity in Sardinia as well as to a Slovenian woman for her intelligence services. 

While Pope Francis announced the trial as an act of transparency within a traditionally opaque bureaucracy, critics claim his role as absolute monarch possibly favored the prosecution. Becciu and others are expected to appeal. 

Israel Eyes Hostage Talks

The head of Israel's Mossad spy agency reportedly met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani over the weekend, looking to renew a cease-fire deal that would see hostages held by Hamas in Gaza released. The talks came a day after the Israeli military killed three hostages after misidentifying them as Hamas militants. 

A previous cease-fire in late November—also mediated by Qatar—lasted seven days and saw 50 Israeli hostages and roughly 150 Palestinian prisoners released. Qatar has become a broker for talks due to its unique position as both a close US ally and a financial backer of Hamas. Around 115 remaining hostages are believed to be held by Hamas.

In related news, Israel revealed the presence of the largest tunnel found in Gaza to date. Reportedly wide enough to drive a car through, the passageway is said to surface near an Israeli military installation.

Separately, Israel allowed aid trucks to begin entering southern Gaza over the weekend while continuing its advance through the city of Khan Younis. See updates on the war here (w/maps).

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