Share this story

US creating a second military zone along the southern border

WASHINGTON (NYT) — The Pentagon is creating a second expanded military zone at the Mexican border, to be patrolled by U.S. soldiers, in the Trump administration’s latest step to militarize the boundary with Mexico to help stem the flow of migrants.

ADVERTISING

The military’s Northern Command said in a statement Thursday evening that it was establishing a narrow strip of land along the southern border of Texas that will become part of Fort Bliss, near El Paso. The strip will be about 63 miles long.

Last month, the Pentagon created a 60-foot-wide strip of land along 200 miles of the border between New Mexico and Mexico, effectively turning it into part of a U.S. military base there.

Migrants entering the newly designated military installations, or national defense areas, will be considered to be trespassing and can be temporarily detained by U.S. troops until Border Patrol agents arrive, military officials said.

The new Pentagon directives expand a military presence that has increased steadily along the Mexican border in recent months, even as crossings have already dropped precipitously during the Trump administration.

The Pentagon has sent nearly 8,000 active-duty troops to the border, as well as spy planes in the skies and Navy warships offshore, to comply with President Donald Trump’s order in January to increase the military’s role in stemming the flow of migrants into the United States.

Armed infantry and support troops from the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson in Colorado — one of the Army’s most seasoned combat units — make up a major portion of the ground force in what the Pentagon calls Joint Task Force-Southern Border.

In an uncertain economy, McDonald’s sees spending decline

(NYT) — Even value meals aren’t enough to get anxious consumers to spend. Despite efforts to entice customers to its restaurants, McDonald’s saw its sales slip in the first three months of the year.

Global same-store sales dipped 1% for the quarter ending March 30, driven by a 3.6% decline in the United States, McDonald’s reported Thursday. That’s a big change from a year ago, when U.S. same-store sales rose 2.5%.

The restaurant giant said revenue fell 3% to $6 billion in the quarter. Net income also declined 3% to $1.9 billion.

McDonald’s is a closely watched barometer for consumer spending and sentiment, especially among lower-income consumers, and the company’s financial results pointed to jittery customers.

“Consumers today are grappling with uncertainty,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a news release, adding that he believed the company had the ability to navigate “even the toughest of market conditions and gain market share.”

Investors and Wall Street analysts have also been closely monitoring consumer-oriented companies with a significant presence in international markets for any signs of anti-American sentiment amid some of President Donald Trump’s policies, including tariffs.

McDonald’s, which is one of the most recognized American brands, said its international operated markets segment, which includes Canada and much of Europe, saw same-store sales decline by 1% from a year earlier. Last year, that segment grew 2.7% in the quarter. McDonald’s said the slide in sales was mostly driven by negative sales in Britain.