![Asian American diplomats say discrimination holds them back as US competes with China](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170222175840-state-department-building-sign-photo-illustration-super-tease.jpg)
Asian American diplomats say discrimination holds them back as US competes with China
CNN
Thomas Wong graduated from West Point, joined the Army and deployed to combat zones for the United States, but when he became a diplomat, the State Department restricted the New Jersey native from serving in China, citing security concerns. "I felt like my loyalties were being questioned," he said, adding, "I'm convinced race was a factor in that decision."
US Rep. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat and former diplomat, had top-secret security clearance as a State Department adviser to Gen. David Petraeus in Afghanistan but was banned from working in or even on issues pertaining to Korea. "It felt like a very clear signal from the government and my workplace that they didn't trust me fully," the Boston-born Kim told CNN. It was, he said, "a painful and hurtful experience."![](/newspic/picid-6252001-20250211032809.jpg)
At least 1 dead and several injured after a private jet crashed into another upon arrival in Arizona
At least one person is dead and several injured after a midsized business jet crashed into another jet as it arrived at Scottsdale Municipal Airport in Arizona Monday afternoon.
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The Trump administration’s dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and its sweeping freeze on foreign assistance has made it more difficult to track potential misuse of US taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance, meaning it could end up unintentionally going to terrorist groups, according to a new report from the agency’s independent watchdog.
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California man finds 525-pound animal under his home after Los Angeles fires. The bear goes by Barry
A Southern California man returned home after evacuating last month’s devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires to discover an unexpected resident lurking beneath it.