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Harris visits crucial border state as immigration record sparks scrutiny: A timeline

Harris visits crucial border state as immigration record sparks scrutiny: A timeline

Vice President Kamala Harris heads to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday, the first time she has been to the border since a visit to El Paso in 2021 and coming on the heels of her campaign being dogged by her past on the subject of illegal immigration. Harris has faced frequent attacks from her Republican opponent, former President Trump, and the Border Patrol Union who argue that she is weak on border security, an issue that many Republicans see as the vice president’s political Achilles’ heel. “After years of not just ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala is finally headed down to the border,” the National Border Patrol Council said in a statement. “This is nothing more than for her to check the box, but what it is in reality, is a slap in the face towards the men and women that put their lives on the line every day, and also a slap in the face to the American public. Where has she been?” HARRIS HEADS TO SOUTHERN BORDER LOOKING TO FLIP SCRIPT ON IMMIGRATION CRITICISMS  Harris’ campaign has pointed to her past as a prosecutor, taking on transnational criminal gangs, and says she is the candidate to secure the border as she backs a bipartisan funding bill.  But Harris has a lengthy history on immigration at the national level. Harris, as a California senator, was on the far-left of the Democratic Party on immigration, and in 2018 she pushed her colleagues in the Senate to reject a request by the Trump administration for more funding for immigration detention beds and Border Patrol agents. In a letter to senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2018, Harris and other senators called for them to “reject President Trump’s FY 19 funding request for a costly and ineffective border wall, new Border Patrol agents, and a large increase in U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and detention beds.” “We urge you to reduce funding for the administration’s reckless immigration enforcement operations that are tearing families apart and harming our economy.” HARRIS LEANS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AND TRUMP RELISHES THE FIGHT She also grilled Ronald Vitiello, who was former President Trump’s nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whether he was “aware of the perception” of parallels between ICE and the KKK. “Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?” she asked again. In recently revealed footage, Harris is seen at a rally chanting “Up, up with education, down, down with deportation” at a rally which also featured now-disgraced actor Jussie Smollett. Harris launched a bid for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2019. Her campaign included a promise to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) by executive order, which gives protection to illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors.  She said that she would eliminate age requirements on applications and use parole authority to create a “parole in place” program to put those illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship.  Also she promised to shield illegal immigrant parents of American citizens and green card holders from deportation by executive order. Overall, her plan was predicted to protect over six million illegal immigrants from deportation. Harris became vice president in 2021 and the administration immediately rolled back a number of Trump-era initiatives and attempted to place a moratorium on deportations.  Migrant numbers skyrocketed, and Biden told reporters in March that Harris would be put in charge of tackling root causes, issues like climate change, poverty and violence that the administration believes was driving migrants north. It quickly led to Harris being dubbed by media outlets and Republicans as the “border czar.” The White House rejected that title, but it has stuck with her ever since and made her a figurehead along with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the crisis. After the assignment by Biden, and with numbers skyrocketing through subsequent months to record highs, Harris immediately came under pressure to visit the border as the White House said her role was more diplomatic than related to the border directly. She instead went to Mexico and Guatemala and had a stern message for migrants that upset immigrant activists. “Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders,” she said. “If you come to our border, you will be turned back.” The pressure kept rising for her to go to the U.S. border. “You haven’t been to the border,” NBC’s Lester Holt told her, after she claimed she had been to the border. “And I haven’t been to Europe,” Harris quipped. Later that month, she went to the border in El Paso, Texas, where she received a briefing and toured a processing center while meeting with advocates and providers. Harris would largely be unseen through the rest of 2021 and 2022 on the root causes strategy, although a private sector initiative to draw investment to tackle those root causes would continue.  In June 2022, she traveled to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and met with other leaders to discuss ways to handle the crisis. During that summit, she announced that $3.2 billion in commitments from private sector companies had been secured. She also came under fire for declaring the border was secure despite the ongoing crisis and mass releases into the interior. “The border is secure, but we also have a broken immigration system, in particular over the last four years before we came in, and it needs to be fixed,” Harris said on NBC. Harris made few appearances in 2023 relating to the border crisis, although her private investment strategy continued to bring in additional commitments from companies. But the crisis did not stay out of the news, and 2023 broke new records for enormous amounts of migrant encounters and a number

Netanyahu attacks UN as “anti-Israel Flat Earth Society”

Netanyahu attacks UN as “anti-Israel Flat Earth Society”

NewsFeed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the United Nations as an “antisemitic swamp” and an “anti-Israel Flat Earth Society” during his address to the UN General Assembly, defending his government’s bombardment of both Gaza and Lebanon. Published On 27 Sep 202427 Sep 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

NYC mayor Adams to be arraigned on federal corruption charges

NYC mayor Adams to be arraigned on federal corruption charges

Eric Adams says he will fight charges stemming from alleged illegal campaign contributions from Turkish sources. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has arrived at the federal court in Manhattan, where he is set to be arraigned on corruption charges stemming from alleged bribes taken from Turkish diplomats and businesspeople. The court appearance on Friday comes three days after a grand jury moved to indict Adams, a former police officer. The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, said Adams received campaign funding and luxury travel perks – including rooms at opulent hotels and meals at high-end restaurants – in exchange for pressuring city officials to allow Turkey’s new 36-storey consulate to open despite safety concerns. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Adams pledged to fight the charges and said he would not respond to calls from some of his fellow Democrats to step down as the top elected official in the largest city in the US, with a population of 8 million people. “I will continue to do my job as mayor,” he said. Prosecutors allege the scheme in question dates back to 2014, when Adams became Brooklyn borough president. The alleged illegal campaign contributions later helped finance his 2021 campaign for mayor. He faces five criminal charges and could face decades in prison if found guilty. Among those calling for Adams to resign is US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York’s 14th congressional district. New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference outside Gracie Mansion [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo] House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, two influential Democrats from New York, have stopped short of joining that appeal. For her part, New York Governor Kathy Hochul – who has the power to remove Adams from office through a complicated process – said in a statement she would “review my options and obligations as the Governor of New York”. “I expect the Mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well-served by their leaders,” Hochul said. Hiding campaign funds The indictment alleged Adams hid campaign contributions from Turkish sources by funnelling them through US citizens. That allowed him to receive an additional $10m in public matching for his campaign. US law forbids foreign contributions to American political campaigns. Adams also repeatedly accepted free flights from a Turkish airline, worth tens of thousands of dollars, while staying at luxury hotels at far below market rate. Meanwhile, Adams, at the behest of a Turkish diplomat, pressured city safety inspectors to allow Turkey’s new consulate to open in time for a September 2021 visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the indictment said. That came even though the building would have failed a fire inspection at the time, the indictment said. Amid the pressure campaign from Adams, a senior Fire Department official told a subordinate he would lose his job if he did not allow the consulate to open, according to prosecutors. Adblock test (Why?)

As leader race looms, John Thune takes Senate map by storm to boost GOP candidates

As leader race looms, John Thune takes Senate map by storm to boost GOP candidates

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is blitzing through battleground states in the lead-up to the election, helping boost Republicans in their quest to take the Senate majority as he simultaneously vies to be their next leader.  The Senate is in recess for the month of October and won’t be back until after the election, but Thune doesn’t seem to be slowing down in the meantime. This weekend, the minority whip will be in Nevada for events with Senate candidate Sam Brown, who is taking on vulnerable Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., a source shared with Fox News Digital.  Afterward, he’s heading to New York City to raise money for Brown, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick, and Michigan Senate candidate former Rep. Mike Rogers, as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). KAMALA HARRIS ISN’T ALONE: VULNERABLE DEMS WANT CURRENT FILIBUSTER GONE Later in the month, the source told Fox News Digital that Thune would be joining McCormick in Pennsylvania, Senate candidate Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., in Indiana and Senate candidate Tim Sheehy in Montana.  He also has an array of events lined up with several senators who aren’t up for re-election as he looks to lock down more support in the GOP conference.  “It’s an insider’s game,” said Ron Bonjean, a former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference told Fox News Digital of the leader race.  “John Thune is playing the inside game while showing enthusiasm—showing public enthusiasm by going to the states.” “They’re going to remember that Thune was there over the last few weeks before the election,” said Bonjean, who was a spokesman for Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott when he was majority leader. “Money is important, but showing up matters. And if you can do both, that really can do wonders . . . for racking up Senate votes.” SENATE PASSES FUNDING BILL WITHOUT SAVE ACT, AVOIDING POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN Thune is one of three announced leader candidates, alongside Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.  Cornyn has established himself as a prolific fundraiser during his tenure, a factor that is certain to play into the race, given outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s reputation as a fundraising behemoth.  A source familiar with the Texas Republican’s political operation told Fox News Digital, “Sen. Cornyn plans to visit multiple battleground states across the country to campaign with candidates over the October recess and raise valuable hard dollars as he’s done for the last two decades, totaling more than $400 million since 2002.”  His all-time fundraising is something he’s looked to emphasize in recent days, sending his donor network a letter this week highlighting the data and further specifying that he has brought in $500,000 for 33 different Republican senators and candidates over the years and even raised over $1 million each for four senators. This cycle, Cornyn has brought in $26 million for Republicans, $11.8 million specifically for the NRSC. He notably served as NRSC chair twice and was lauded for his leadership in the role.  JOHN CORNYN FLEXES FUNDRAISING CHOPS AS BATTLE TO SUCCEED MITCH MCCONNELL RAMPS UP Thune has raised over $29 million this cycle, and a source familiar shared with Fox News Digital that the South Dakota senator expects to hit $30 million during his October travels.  Recently, he announced a record-breaking $4 million transfer to the NRSC to assist with competitive races. Thune was the previous record-holder, with a prior $2 million transfer. According to the source, the minority whip’s lifetime transfers to the GOP campaign arm now exceed $9 million. The leader hopeful has been the most active senator with the NRSC this cycle, second only to NRSC Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont. At a recent fundraiser with former president Trump’s campaign in Washington, D.C., Thune brought in $2 million, which was half of the night’s entire fundraising haul, a source familiar with the matter revealed.  The source also detailed that the minority whip has so far headlined or is scheduled to headline nearly 200 events this cycle for either Republican candidates and the NRSC.  Thune has been on the road the most out of the leader candidates ahead of the election, doing a similar battleground blitz during the Senate’s August recess. However, Cornyn has been keeping busy in his state of Texas, known for its fundraising potential.  “Texas has a huge concentration of wealthy donors with conservative values,” one national GOP strategist said. JOE MANCHIN SAYS HE WON’T ENDORSE HARRIS OVER SUPPORT FOR ELIMINATING FILIBUSTER Cornyn has attended a series of in-state fundraisers alongside the Trump-Vance campaign and has additionally made trips to Ohio and Pennsylvania to raise money for Moreno and McCormick. The Texas Republican has been a longtime fundraiser for his colleagues, ramping up his giving roughly around 2008.  Scott faces the disadvantage of being currently in-cycle for his own re-election. As Florida endures a hurricane turned tropical storm, the senator is understood to be spending his time focusing on the storm and his constituents’ safety.  Afterward, Scott is expected to spend the bulk of his time campaigning for his re-election bid in-state, with less ability to travel the country than his out-of-cycle counterparts.  Notably, Thune is the only candidate thus far with public endorsements from colleagues, with the backing of both Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.

Vulnerable Dem senator ripped for votes on key 2024 Rust Belt issue: ‘Lockstep’ with Harris

Vulnerable Dem senator ripped for votes on key 2024 Rust Belt issue: ‘Lockstep’ with Harris

As fracking continues to be a key issue in many of the Rust Belt swing states that could decide the 2024 presidential election, incumbent Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is facing increased criticism from his GOP opponent for previously held positions on the matter. In 2021, Brown was one of 43 senators to vote against a bill to “establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting the Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating rules or guidance that bans hydraulic fracturing in the United States.” Brown also voted no on a motion in the Senate in 2022 giving states “sole authority” to permit and enforce fracking regulations. While speaking to CNN in 2020, Brown suggested that most of the fracking jobs in Ohio go to “out of state” workers and that “there just aren’t that many jobs in fracking or, unfortunately, even coal in Ohio now” when answering a question about his level of concern about Ohio workers losing their jobs in the fracking industry.  VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR IGNORING QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S PUSH TO ‘BAN’ GAS-POWERED CARS Some estimates have suggested that fracking supports over 300,000 jobs in Ohio and contributed $55 billion to the state’s economy in 2021.  When confronted by Fox News reporter Hillary Vaughn on the issue of fracking and VP Harris backing away from her position to ban fracking, Brown declined to call Harris out for changing positions and said he believes in an “all of the above strategy.” VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR FLIP-FLOPS ON SUPPLYING ENERGY TO CHINA IN MIDDLE OF RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN Brown, who has been criticized for supporting the Biden administration’s policies nearly 100% of the time according to the VoteView database maintained by UCLA political scientists, has bucked the Biden administration on certain issues related to climate change. However, his critics say he is more in line with the progressive “Green New Deal,” than he is the oil and gas industry in Ohio.  “Sherrod Brown is in lockstep with San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris on all of her radical policies, including a complete ban on fracking. Brown and Harris would rather rely on our adversaries for energy instead of using our resources here at home,” Brown’s GOP opponent, businessman Bernie Moreno, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “In November, Ohioans will reject their radical, anti-energy agenda.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Brown campaign spokesperson said the senator “supports fracking” when it’s “done right.” “Bernie Moreno is lying and trying to distract from his long record only looking out for himself — from refusing to pay his employees the overtime they were owed and shredding the evidence to get out of it to selling the Chinese-made Buick Envision, which shipped Ohio jobs overseas,” the spokesperson said.  “Sherrod has been clear that he supports fracking and shale development when it’s done right and supports Ohio workers, has led legislation to connect Ohio workers with jobs in the shale and fracking industry, and has stood up to his own party to protect Ohio jobs.”   The campaign also pointed to a 2012 press release where Brown said, “Shale development has tremendous potential to bring new economic development and new jobs to our state. Not only do we have to protect our public safety and health, but we must make sure that these new jobs are going to Ohioans—not out-of-staters.” The Ohio Senate race will be one of the most highly watched in the country as Republicans view the Buckeye State as a prime location to take back control of the Senate in a state that Trump won by eight points in 2020. The Cook Political report ranks the race as a “toss up.”