House Republicans hammer Biden as illegal immigrant is linked to Michigan woman’s murder
House Republicans are heaping criticism on President Biden’s border policies again after an illegal immigrant was accused of killing a 25-year-old woman in Michigan. “Biden’s open border policies are costing lives in [Michigan]. TODAY, he could implement border measures, or use the authority that he already has,” Rep. John James, R-Mich., wrote on X. “When is enough, enough?” Brandon Ortiz-Vite, who is currently behind bars at a jail in Kent County, Michigan, is being charged with murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon and felony use of a firearm after the body of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia was discovered on U.S. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids and identified by investigators. The pair had been in a romantic relationship at the time of the killing, police said. NEW YORK CITY BEGINS GIVING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS PREPAID DEBIT CARDS AS PART OF $53 MILLION PILOT PROGRAM In a statement to Fox News Digital, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson confirmed that Ortiz-Vite was in the country illegally at the time of Garcia’s death and that he was previously deported to Mexico in 2020. It comes after the death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus. Riley’s suspected killer, from Venezuela, arrived in the U.S. illegally. Officials said they did not know each other. “An illegal migrant has been charged with murdering 25-year-old Ruby Garcia from Michigan. The murderer, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, had been deported then re-entered our country illegally. Under Biden, innocent lives are being cut short by people here illegally. Enough is enough,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chairman of the House Republicans’ campaign arm. GOP SENATOR OUTRAGED BY WEEKLY REPORTS OF MIGRANT ARRIVALS RELEASED BY DHS Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., wrote on X, “Laken Riley, Ruby Garcia… How many more innocent Americans have to die before Joe Biden closes the border?” Another lawmaker, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., sounded off, “An illegal alien was charged in the carjacking and murder of a 25-year-old Michigan woman. Joe Biden’s open border policies continue to kill innocent Americans.” Republicans have blamed Biden’s border policies for fueling the current migrant crisis, accusing him of rolling back stricter Trump administration-era rules and refusing to enforce existing immigration laws. The Biden administration in turn has accused the GOP of withholding funding the White House has requested to add more resources at the U.S.-Mexico border – though Republicans argue more funding is meaningless without policy upheaval. LAKEN RILEY FUNERAL IN GEORGIA COMMEMORATES NURSING STUDENT ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT A recent string of highly-publicized and unrelated crimes involving illegal immigrants has fueled the GOP’s outrage, including an attack on police officers in New York City. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Republicans top Dems on key factor motivating voter turnout for Biden-Trump rematch: poll
A new national poll indicates that Republicans are more enthusiastic about former President Trump returning to the White House than Democrats are about President Biden serving another four years in office. But Trump stirs more anger and fear from Democrats than Biden does from Republicans, according to the findings in an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. Fifty-four percent of Republicans questioned in the poll said “excited” describes how they would feel about a second Trump term as president. Only four in 10 Democrats said the same thing about a Biden victory in November’s presidential election rematch between the White House incumbent and his predecessor. TRUMP LEADS BIDEN BY DOUBLE DIGITS IN THIS DEEP RED STRONGHOLD: POLL The poll also indicates that seven in 10 Democrats used the words “angry” or “fearful” to describe how they would feel if Trump won the presidential election. Fifty-six percent of Republicans said the same thing about Biden if he were to defeat Trump for a second straight time. LATEST GOP PRIMARY RESULTS SPOTLIGHT THAT ‘THIS IS TRUMP’S PARTY‘ In a race that polls indicate will be extremely close, both excitement and dislike of the two major candidates will likely be crucial motivating factors in firing up the Democratic and Republican bases. The poll was conducted March 21-25, with 1,282 adults nationwide questioned using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. With just over seven months to go until Election Day on Nov. 5, Trump enjoys the early edge in public opinion polling – both in most national surveys and in many of the polls in five of the six key battleground states where Biden narrowly topped Trump to win the White House in 2020. But in another key metric – fundraising – Biden currently enjoys the upper hand. The Biden-Trump rematch offers up stark contrasts when it comes to their style and demeanor, and on where they stand on key issues, such as the economy, health care and entitlements, immigration, abortion, foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, and America’s overseas role going forward. CAN TRUMP LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD WITH BIDEN IN 2024 FUNDRAISING FIGHT? The 81-year-old Biden, who four years ago made history as the oldest American ever elected president, will continue to face questions about his mental and physical durability, even his recent vigorous State of the Union address. The president also needs to show that he can energize younger voters, progressives, and Black and Latino Americans, who are all key parts of the Democratic base. Biden is also facing primary ballot box protests – materializing in “uncommitted” votes – over his support for Israel in its war in Gaza against Hamas. The former president is also dealing with plenty of problems. Trump, who last year made history as the first president or former president to face criminal charges, now faces four major trials and a total of 91 indictments – including federal cases on his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and on handling classified documents. There’s also a massive civil fraud judgment that Trump is appealing. He will have to juggle his appearances in court with his time on the campaign trail. The 77-year-old Trump will also need to court the sizable block of Republican voters who backed Nikki Haley in the GOP nomination race. The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor was Trump’s last remaining rival before she ended her White House campaign earlier this month. Haley’s support is shining a spotlight on Trump’s weakness with suburban and highly educated voters. Complicating matters further – the presidential rematch between Biden and Trump won’t be a two-candidate race. Democratic-turned-Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is working to place his name on state ballots across the country. Kennedy, a longtime environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic who’s a scion of the famous Kennedy political dynasty, is grabbing double-digits in many general election polls. Green Party candidate Jill Stein and progressive independent candidate Cornell West are polling in the single digits. And the centrist group No Labels is moving ahead with plans to potentially launch a third-party “unity” presidential ticket. While third-party and independent candidates didn’t play much of a role in the 2020 presidential election, they did in the 2016 showdown between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. And they may again in 2024. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub
Delhi HC to hear tomorrow, PIL seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal from CM post
The bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday.
Transportation Sec Buttigieg says gov’t must ‘tear down’ barriers to rebuild Baltimore bridge
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told “America’s Newsroom” on Wednesday that “we got to make sure that funding is not an obstacle” and that “we tear down any administrative barriers” to get the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore rebuilt as soon as possible. Buttigieg made the comment as divers are currently in the frigid waters of the Patapsco River searching for the remains of six construction workers who are presumed dead following Tuesday’s collapse, which was caused by a cargo ship striking a pillar of the bridge. “We’ve got to make sure that funding is not an obstacle, and we got to make sure that we tear down any administrative barriers, too. And that’s going to require a lot of work,” Buttigieg said. “We’re going to do everything we can as a department that does not require an act of Congress. But we’re also going to engage Congress because we will likely need their help to make sure some of the funding is in place.” “That bridge took five years to build. We don’t yet have an estimate on how long it will take to rebuild,” he added. “So the president made it very clear that every tool [in] the federal government needs to be available to Governor Wes Moore as the state of Maryland leads the work on both the bridge and the port.” LIVE UPDATES: BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE AND RECOVERY MISSION Buttigieg described the Port of Baltimore near where the bridge collapsed as the “biggest vehicle handling port in the United States” that also handles a lot of farm equipment. “We also have to prepare for the supply chain implications of this. The bridge itself carried about 30,000 vehicles a day,” he said. “There are tunnels that work as alternatives, but there’s going to be some impacts on traffic.” DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT 6 PRESUMED DEAD IN BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE AS HARROWING AUDIO IS RELEASED Buttigieg called the impact on shipping operations at the port a “major concern.” “One thing that’s important to understand is the way that the flow of cargo ships is handled is very different from something like air traffic control, where if, say, a runway goes out or there’s a problem with an airport and planes have to divert, there is a single authority telling those planes what to do and where to go,” he told “America’s Newsroom.” “It doesn’t work that way with ocean shipping. You’ve got different shippers, different ports, different terminals, different cargo owners. They’re under no requirement to talk to each other. But we’ve been using the relationships and some of the tools we have at the Department of Transportation to make sure that coordination does happen,” Buttigieg added. “There’s no question that if the investigation determines that any private party or parties are responsible, they will be held accountable. But that can’t be something that we’re just waiting around for,” the transportation secretary also said. “We’ve got to make sure that we work now, today to get this bridge back up and to get this port back open.”
Comer rejects Democrats’ demand for hearing on ‘influence peddling’ by Jared Kushner
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is rejecting the latest attempt by Democrats to shift scrutiny onto former President Trump’s inner circle. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee, led a letter to Comer on Tuesday calling for a hearing into allegations of “apparent influence peddling and quid pro quo deals” by Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser, Jared Kushner. Comer told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Kushner’s business was “legitimate” and dismissed the request as a bid to “shield President Biden from oversight.” AOC TAKES HEAT OVER ‘RICO IS NOT A CRIME’ COMMENT IN BIDEN IMPEACHMENT PROBE HEARING It comes as the House Oversight Committee’s GOP majority conducts an impeachment inquiry into President Biden over accusations he used his former position as vice president to enrich himself and his family, particularly through foreign business deals. Both the president and the White House have denied wrongdoing. “Unlike the Bidens, Jared Kushner has a legitimate business and has a career as a business executive that predates Donald Trump’s political career,” Comer told Fox News Digital. “Democrats’ latest letter is part of their playbook to shield President Biden from oversight. The House Oversight Committee will continue to investigate President Biden’s abuse of public office and hold the Bidens accountable for their corruption.” FBI INFORMANT CHARGED WITH GIVING FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN IN 2020 Raskin and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., wrote to Comer, “This Committee cannot claim to be ‘investigating foreign nationals’ attempts to target and coerce high-ranking U.S. officials’ family members by providing money or other benefits in exchange for certain actions’ while continuing to ignore these matters. We therefore urge you to work with us to finally investigate Mr. Kushner’s receipt of billions of dollars from foreign governments in deals that appear to be quid pro quos for actions he undertook as senior White House adviser in Donald Trump’s Administration.” They also accused Comer of having “allowed Mr. Kushner to repeatedly ignore and defy these requests,” citing Democrats’ repeated urging to subpoena Kushner and his firm. TRUMP HOLDS EDGE OVER BIDEN IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE POLL At the heart of Raskin and Garcia’s latest letter is a New York Times report from earlier this month that claims Kushner is in the final stages of major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia. The report also noted that those deals are coming to fruition while Trump seeks a second term in office. Kushner told the outlet he was “excited” and “working hard” to close the deals. Democrats’ attention to Kushner’s foreign business ties comes as impeachment investigators focus on the president’s son Hunter Biden and his foreign business dealings in Ukraine and China.
How Eagle Pass became the centerpiece of Abbott’s efforts to secure the border
Eagle Pass, Texas, has been one of the hot spots of the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border – as well as the epicenter of a broader stalemate between Texas and the Biden administration over how to handle the crisis, which has led to multiple high-profile battles in the nation’s highest courts. Drone footage taken by Fox News on Tuesday showed a relatively quiet scene at the crossing point, where Mexico is a stone’s throw away. The presence of the crisis remains, however, with Texas having set up razor wire and shipping containers along the border and National Guardsmen patrolling the area. BIDEN, TEXAS FEUD OVER ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW AS MIGRANTS RUSH BORDER: WHAT TO KNOW Texas and the Biden administration have feuded over how to handle border security since the start of the crisis. Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021, which surged resources and personnel to the border, in response to what he claimed was a lack of action from the Biden administration to handle the then-surging crisis. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT SOUTHERN BORDER HIT NEW FEBRUARY RECORD HIGH Abbott’s administration began building a border wall, constructed razor wire along the Rio Grande, set up floating buoys in the river and deployed the National Guard. In December, Abbott signed an anti-illegal immigration law that would allow police to arrest illegal immigrants and for judges to order them deported. Those efforts led to legal battles with the administration. Texas sued the administration for cutting the razor wire to allow migrants deeper into the interior, while the administration sued over the presence of the buoys in the Rio Grande. In January, those tensions boiled over when Texas seized Shelby Park, a key staging area in Eagle Pass, and Border Patrol was denied entry to the area. Abbott said Texas has a right to “self-defense” against what he has called federal inaction in the face of a migrant “invasion.” MEXICO SLAMS TEXAS OVER IMMIGRATION LAW, WON’T ACCEPT REPATRIATIONS FROM STATE AFTER SCOTUS RULING “[President Biden’s] actions have caused an unprecedented invasion that we must defend against,” Abbott said. The administration has said Texas’ actions impede upon federal enforcement of immigration law and make the areas less safe for migrants and Border Patrol. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Whether it is leaving migrants on the side of the road in the dead of winter, installing razor wire to make Border Patrol’s job more dangerous, promoting extreme and unconstitutional laws like S.B. 4, or his latest actions in Eagle Pass, Governor Abbott has repeatedly proven that he is not interested in solutions and only seeks to politicize the border,” the White House said in a statement during the Shelby Pass drama. The anti-illegal immigration law was back in the courts this month, when the Supreme Court briefly allowed the law to go back into effect before kicking it back to the Fifth Circuit – which then blocked it again amid ongoing arguments on the merits. Separately, there were a record-high number of migrant encounters in February, suggesting that numbers could be similar or even higher than those seen last year.
Videos of malnourished children show Gaza’s forced starvation crisis
NewsFeed Starvation is getting worse in north Gaza where 31% of children under the age of 2 are suffering from acute malnutrition, a percentage which has doubled since January. Published On 27 Mar 202427 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Japan pulls red mould supplement pill linked to deaths and hospitalisations
Kobayashi company recalls supplement brands with ‘benikoji’ ingredient after kidney complaints by customers. Japan has ordered the recall of health supplements believed to have killed two people and hospitalised more than 100. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical recalled three brands containing red yeast rice, or “benikoji”. The Osaka-based drugmaker said on Wednesday that it was investigating a suspected link between the products and ill effects on kidneys. Benikoji contains Monascus purpureus, a red mould that is also used as a food colouring. “Beni koji choleste help” and two other products are billed as helping to lower cholesterol. “The total number of suspected deaths [is now] two” while “106 cases of potentially linked hospitalisation also came to light,” government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. In addition to Kobayashi’s supplements, more than 40 products from other companies containing benikoji, including miso paste, crackers and a vinegar dressing, have been recalled, a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official said. Health Minister Keizo Takemi said on Tuesday that the government has instructed Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to “promptly provide information”. The ministry has also “instructed local authorities nationwide to collect information on health damage”, he said as he offered condolences to those affected. Kobayashi is investigating the issue. The recalled products could be purchased over the counter without a prescription. Apologising, the company issued a statement calling on purchasers not to use the supplements “Please stop taking our products, and please do not use them in the future,” it said. The ministry official warned there could be more victims in the days ahead and called on all people to avoid benikoji. Those with health problems, like weak kidneys, could be especially vulnerable, he said. All the products were made in Japan although it is unclear if any of the raw materials were imported. A recall of imported health supplements has happened before, but this is the first major recall of a domestically produced supplement, according to Japanese media reports. Medical studies describe red yeast rice as an alternative to statins for lowering high cholesterol but also warn of a risk of organ damage depending on its chemical makeup. Adblock test (Why?)
Human rights crisis in El Salvador ‘deepening’: Amnesty
Rights group says President Nayib Bukele has reduced gang violence by replacing it with state violence. As El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele embarks on his second term in office, an international rights group has warned that his war on gangs has created a spiralling human rights crisis. As of February 2024, Bukele’s draconian two-year campaign, which has seen the authorities detain about 78,000 people, has caused 235 deaths in state custody, said Amnesty International on Wednesday. Citing a local rights group, it also reported 327 cases of enforced disappearances. “Reducing gang violence by replacing it with state violence cannot be a success,” said Amnesty’s Americas director Ana Piquer in a statement. The Salvadoran government had adopted “disproportionate measures”, she said, denying, minimising and concealing human rights violations. Bukele launched his war on gangs in March 2022, slashing homicides to the lowest rate in three decades after imposing a state of emergency that suspended the need for arrest warrants and the right to a fair trial, among other civil liberties. Prison overcrowding currently stands at 148 percent, according to Amnesty. After Bukele consolidated power in a landslide win in February’s election, the rights group warned the situation looks set to worsen. “If this course is not corrected, the instrumentalization of the criminal process and the establishment of a policy of torture in the prison system could persist,” it said. On Tuesday, Minister of Justice and Security Gustavo Villatoro pledged there would be no let-up in the government’s campaign against the gangs, and promised to “eradicate this endemic evil”. “This war against these terrorists will continue,” he said on state television. Piquer said that Bukele had created a “false illusion” that he had found “the magic formula to solve the very complex problems of violence and criminality in a seemingly simple way”. She described the international community’s response as “timid”. “The international community must respond in a robust, articulate and forceful manner, condemning any model of public security that is based on human rights violations,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
No interim relief for CM Arvind Kejriwal from Delhi HC in excise policy case
The court has issued notice to ED on plea moved by CM Kejriwal raising issues of legality and validity regarding the arrest and remand.