Hundreds of inmates flee after armed gangs storm Haiti’s main prison, leaving bodies behind

Hundreds of inmates flee after armed gangs storm Haiti’s main prison, leaving bodies behind

Hundreds of inmates have fled Haiti’s main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility overnight in an overnight explosion of violence that engulfed much of the capital. At least five people are dead. The jailbreak marks a new low in Haiti’s downward spiral of violence. It comes as gangs assert greater control in the capital, Port-au-Prince, while Prime Minister Ariel Henry is abroad trying to salvage support for a United Nations-backed security force. Authorities have yet to provide an account of what happened. The leader of a nonprofit that works in the prison says fewer than 100 of the nearly 4,000 inmates remain behind bars. Family members have rushed to check on loved ones.
Congressional leaders come out with 6 spending bills in a drive to avoid a partial shutdown

Congressional leaders come out with 6 spending bills in a drive to avoid a partial shutdown

Congressional leaders have come out with a package of six bills setting full-year spending levels for some federal agencies. The move Sunday is a step forward in a long overdue funding process beset by sharp political divisions between the two parties as well as infighting among House Republicans. The release of the text of legislation over the weekend is designed to meet the House’s rule to give lawmakers at least 72 hours to study the bill before voting on it. And it’s a promising sign that lawmakers will avoid a partial shutdown that would kick in at 12:01 a.m. Saturday for those agencies covered under the bill.