Arlington National Cemetery employee who was ‘abruptly pushed aside’ at Trump visit won’t press charges: Army
The U.S. Army says a staff member was “abruptly pushed aside” during a ceremony attended by former President Trump and his campaign during a Monday ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, but that the campaign member will not face charges. The incident took place at a ceremony honoring the 13 U.S. soldiers who were killed in an attack on the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Army confirmed reports of an altercation between at least one Trump campaign official and a cemetery staff member. “Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside,” the Army said in a statement. “Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed,” the statement continued. REPUBLICANS SLAM HARRIS FOR BEING ‘LAST PERSON IN THE ROOM’ WHEN BIDEN MADE CALL TO EVACUATE AFGHANISTAN “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve,” the Army added. The cemetery has a long-standing federal ban on the use of its property by any political campaigns, and cemetery staff had warned that campaign staff could not use the event to take photographs or video. ‘YOU’RE FIRED’: TRUMP VOWS PINK SLIPS ON DAY 1 FOR EVERY OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR ‘AFGHANISTAN CALAMITY’ Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung argued that the staffer who blocked the campaign photographers appeared to be having a “mental health episode.” He also specified that the campaign was granted approval to bring a photographer. 38 DAYS: VP REFUSES TO REVEAL POLICY POSITIONS “The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and, for whatever reason, an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” he said. Trump attended the event at the invitation of relatives of the fallen soldiers, who thanked him for his attendance in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to the president for taking the time to honor our children and for standing alongside us in our grief, offering his unwavering support during such a difficult time,” five of the family members wrote after the event. “His compassion and respect meant more than words can express.”
El Paso on high alert as dangerous Venezuelan gang described as ‘MS-13 on steroids’ surges into US
The Mexican border state of Chihuahua is on alert for members of a violent Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua, or TdA, after receiving reports that members of the gang were moving through the state to cross into the U.S. near El Paso, Texas. Chihuahua Secretary of Public Safety Gilberto Loya warned Monday that Mexican authorities have seen a large number of individuals they believe are members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, or TdA, operating in the state and passing through to cross the U.S. border with Mexico near El Paso, according to a report from the Latin Times. The report comes after the Treasury Department in July sanctioned TdA as a transnational criminal organization, noting that the gang has committed human trafficking, extortion, money laundering and drug trafficking that pose a “deadly criminal threat” across the Western Hemisphere. VIDEO SHOWS ARMED GANG AT TROUBLED COLORADO APARTMENT BUILDING BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER BY MIGRANTS “Tren de Aragua leverages its transnational networks to traffic people, especially migrant women and girls, across borders for sex trafficking and debt bondage,” the Treasury Department said in a statement at the time. “Tren de Aragua members often kill them and publicize their deaths as a threat to others.” U.S. officials warned earlier this month that the gang, which originated in Aragua, Venezuela, is infiltrating the United States, while Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas., has described TdA as “MS-13 on steroids.” “They’re extremely aggressive. It’s not as if they’re a passive group, or they want to quietly go about things,” Gonzales said in a phone interview with Fox News Digital earlier this month. “They’re coming from Venezuela, one of the most war-torn countries over the last decade. So, they’re battle-hardened in many ways. And they’ve made this trek from there to here. But they are also becoming … more organized and more brazen.” VENEZUELAN GANG TREN DE ARAGUA GIVES ‘GREEN LIGHT’ TO MEMBERS TO ATTACK COPS: OFFICIALS Members of the gang are suspected of being behind a recent video that captured a group of men armed with handguns and rifles bursting through the doors of an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, that residents say has been overrun by gang activity. “This is organized. They patrol the property with guns visibly, like they’re not trying to hide them. There’s no repercussion. These are ghosts,” said one resident who spoke with Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity. The gang has been seen dealing drugs from the apartment building, another resident told Fox News Digital, while Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky told Fox News Digital that “without a doubt that there is sex trafficking now going on” when it comes to TdA’s activities in the city. In Mexico, Loya said that the group has been responsible for multiple homicides in Central Mexico and that it is his hope the border state can get out in front of the problem. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We have detected – thanks to collaboration with the United States – that a large number of people who belong to Tren de Aragua have passed through Chihuahua,” Loya said, according to a translation by Border Report. “Seeing what is going on in (Central Mexico), we want to be ahead of the curve here in Chihuahua.” Neither the White House nor U.S. Customs and Border Patrol immediately responded to Fox News Digital requests for comment. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
Thousands of migrant kids missing according to watchdog report, GOP senator slams DHS: ‘reckless disregard’
FIRST ON FOX: A top Republican senator, who has been challenging the Biden administration for years on the subject of missing migrant children, is slamming what she says is a “reckless disregard” after a watchdog revealed that officials have lost track of tens of thousands of migrant children. “I write today to express my grave concern regarding a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that found severe mismanagement with respect to the safety and well-being of unaccompanied migrant children (UCs). Specifically, on your department’s watch, tens of thousands of migrant children are now missing—leaving them highly vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation. This, unfortunately, is just the latest failure of the Biden-Harris border crisis that continues to unfold,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Her letter comes after the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General sent a report to Congress finding that over the past five years, more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children [UCs] did not show for immigration court hearings, and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not account for the location of all of those who did not appear. ICE LOST TRACK OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT KIDS, DHS INSPECTOR GENERAL FINDS “During our ongoing audit to assess ICE’s ability to monitor the location and status of UCs who were released or transferred from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), we learned ICE transferred more than 448,000 UCs to HHS from fiscal years 2019 to 2023,” the internal watchdog reported. “However, ICE was not able to account for the location of all UCs who were released by HHS and did not appear as scheduled in immigration court. ICE reported more than 32,000 UCs failed to appear for their immigration court hearings from FYs 2019 to 2023,” it said, The numbers could be even worse than documented — according to the watchdog’s findings, approximately 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children have not yet been marked for removal proceedings, because ICE has routinely failed to schedule immigration court dates and serve notices. HHS CHIEF ‘UNFAMILIAR’ WITH REPORTS THAT AGENCY CAN’T CONTACT 85,000 UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT KIDS Blackburn, in her letter, noted her prior grillings of HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on a prior report that HHS has lost track of around 85,000 migrant children. “I have inquired for more information from Secretary Becerra—to no avail—about that unconscionable failure,” she said. “The American people, and the families of these hundreds of thousands of children, deserve answers about your reckless disregard for the well-being of the children in your care and what your department is doing to address these failures.” Blackburn asked the officials what steps they are taking to resolve the issues raised in the report, and whether ICE has a reliable means of monitoring the location of unaccompanied minors. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Responding to the report itself, an ICE spokesperson said that it is committed to the protection and well-being of children, but while it concurs with the IG’s recommendations, “we are concerned that the report’s findings are misleading and may be misconstrued because they fail to acknowledge key facts.” “In general, ICE does not issue Notices to Appear (NTAs) to unaccompanied children until after they have been placed with sponsors who have been vetted by HHS. This gives them time to get settled in their new surroundings and provides them with an opportunity to consult with legal counsel. Unaccompanied children are entitled to certain procedural protections under our laws and, in many cases, may be eligible for immigration relief with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), instead of in the immigration court system,” they said. ICE will currently file an NTA 120s days after they are issued, unless they are released from HHS care to a vetted sponsor prior to that time. Doing so, ICE says, allows them to seek legal representation and immigration relief and prevents further backlog in the immigration system. “If they are ineligible for relief, USCIS will issue an NTA. Since last year, ICE has taken steps to automate information sharing related to unaccompanied children’s attendance at immigration court proceedings. We will continue to improve these procedures and implement the OIG’s recommendations,” they added. Fox News’ Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.
Trump calls for ‘fair but tough interview’ ahead of Harris’ first campaign sitdown: ‘It will expose her’
SAVANNAH, GA. – Former President Trump is weighing in – in advance – on 2024 election rival Vice President Kamala Harris’ first interview since replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ national ticket. Trump, in a social media post on Thursday morning, called for CNN to conduct a “fair but tough interview” of Harris and if that occurs, the former president argued “it will expose her as being totally inept and ill-suited for the job of President.” Harris has been riding a wave of energy, enthusiasm and momentum in both polling and fundraising since succeeding her boss as their party’s presidential nominee nearly six weeks ago. But she’s refrained from holding a news conference or sitting for a major interview – until now,. THIS STATE MAY DECIDE THE 2024 SHOWDOWN BETWEEN HARRIS AND TRUMP And that’s brought continuous incoming fire from Trump, GOP running mate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, their campaign, and allied Republicans. NEW FOX NEWS POLL NUMBERS IN FOUR KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES “She can’t answer questions,” Trump charged earlier this week as he took questions from reporters during a stop in northern Virginia.” Why doesn’t she do something like I’m doing right now?” And he claimed that the vice president “can’t talk. We can’t have another dummy as a president.” Vance, on the campaign trail, has repeatedly argued that the vice president “is running a basement campaign where she refuses to go before the free press and actually answer their questions.” Firing back, the Harris campaign has charged that the GOP ticket is “ducking and dodging questions.” “Trump Is Stumped and Vance Dances: GOP Ticket Dodges and Lies Through Every Question from Reporters,” read the title of an email Monday from the Harris campaign to reporters. THIS POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR SAYS HIS STATE’S A MUST WIN FOR TRUMP Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will sit down with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday afternoon, before the vice president headlines what’s expected to be a large rally in Savannah, an historic coastal city in southeastern Georgia, a crucial battleground state. CNN has said the interview will be televised hours later in prime time. “The Vice President of the United States has mustered enough stamina after 40 days to finally sit down for a joint interview to finally have a conversation with reporters to lay out what we hope to be her vision for America,” Trump campaign senior adviser Corey Lewandowski told reporters hours before the interview. “It is no coincidence though that Kamala and Tim’s first interview is transpiring on the Thursday before a long weekend because we know their desire, even though the interview hasn’t occurred yet, is to bury the news of how disastrous their polices are going to be on this great country,” Lewandowski claimed. In advance of the interview, Trump and his allies have been laying out the questions they want to see CNN ask Harris. At the top of the list – they urge that the vice president be asked about why she’s changed her positions over the past few years on key issues, including border security, immigration and crime. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Come quickly…’: Audio clips of phone calls from RG Kar Hospital to victim’s father spark fresh controversy
The caller reportedly dialled the victim’s parents from the same number thrice within a span of around 30 minutes asking for their urgent presence at the facility.
Odessa is still healing five years after a mass shooting
“It’s like time passes, but it also freezes,” said Rosie Granados, whose twin sister was killed during the shooting.
Gujarat rains: IMD predicts extremely heavy rainfall in Saurashtra, Kutch, several other regions till…; check forecast
“The deep depression lies 60km northwest of Bhuj, 80km northeast of Naliya. It is moving at the speed of 3km/hr. Given this system, Saurashtra and Kutch are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall.
Pakistan formally invites PM Modi to Islamabad for SCO meeting
The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.
Harris campaign ‘internal worries about cohesiveness’ surface: report
Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is reportedly riddled with “internal worries about cohesiveness,” as those loyal to the vice president and former Obama staffers come together to form an “at times unwieldy” team working on what not long ago had been President Biden’s re-election campaign. The main architect of Biden’s campaign messaging, Mike Donilon, has gone back to the White House, but Harris has kept most of Biden’s other campaign staffers, Axios reported, citing six people involved in the campaign. The vice president also has tapped her own staffers and prominent aides from former President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, resulting in a “Frankenstein” team with competing power centers. It contrasts with Biden’s insular campaign team that had a few longtime aides calling the shots. The Harris team’s attempt to avoid making Biden staffers feel cast aside has resulted in confusion about who is in charge, according to the report. One person involved told Axios there isn’t “as much tension at the very, very top, where the question is more: ‘Who is the first among equals with the vice president?’” HERITAGE RIPS HARRIS’ ‘DANGEROUSLY LIBERAL’ POLICY RECORD WITH NEW WEBSITE, 6-FIGURE OUTREACH TO INDEPENDENTS “The entanglement of these different entities has led to many people feeling a real lack of role clarity,” another person involved in the campaign told Axios, citing more confusion “two or three rungs down.” Biden’s campaign had parted ways with prominent election lawyer Marc Elias over his strategy last year. Harris has brought Elias, who is close to former Obama administration Attorney General Eric Holder, back to work on her campaign to help vet vice presidential running mates and now focus on Democrats’ recount strategy. The short timetable of just 68 days until Election Day seems to have deterred major tension, the report says. RFK JR. CANNOT REMOVE NAME FROM BALLOTS IN 2 KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES “It’s just a mad dash,” one person involved told Axios. “Things are colliding occasionally, but it’s not malicious.” Some of the Biden campaign aides told Axios they thought the former Obama staffers had been second-guessing their moves for months, as some were involved in pushing Biden to exit the race. Though some on Biden’s team believe Harris is more electable than the president after his June debate performance against former President Trump, and welcome the “burst of enthusiasm,” some are disappointed they have to defend Harris for her past progressive stances on “Medicare-for-all” and banning fracking. Her positions on those issues, along with those of other Democrats, in part contributed to Biden’s 2020 nomination win. Instead of changing the makeup of Biden’s campaign team, Axios noted, the vice president instead shifted her messaging from Biden’s focus on “democracy” to Harris’ new push for “freedom” and “future.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
Stefanik says Harris joint interview with Walz is ‘offensive to all women’
House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is joining the wave of critics going after Vice President Kamala Harris for holding her first 2024 campaign interview alongside her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “It is absolutely unacceptable that the first and ONLY interview from Kamala Harris, the anointed Democrat nominee for President of the United States, is done jointly with Tim Walz,” Stefanik said on Thursday. “It is offensive to ALL women that Kamala has refused to sit for a solo interview when she is running to be commander-in-chief.” KAMALA HARRIS GRANTS FIRST INTERVIEW TO CNN AFTER WEEKS OF AVOIDING PRESS, TO BE JOINED BY TIM WALZ Harris and Walz are sitting down with CNN host Dana Bash for a pre-taped interview Thursday set to air at 9 p.m. ET. It will be both of their first interviews since becoming the Democrats’ presidential ticket. It will be Harris’ first formal interview since replacing President Biden at the top of the ticket 39 days ago. It comes after growing pressure on Harris to participate in an unscripted, on-the-record media event or press conference – something she has not done since becoming the nominee, save for a notable but brief gaggle with reporters earlier this month. Republicans have seized on her decision to have her first sit-down alongside Walz, arguing it shows Harris is not capable of defending her platform on her own. CNN ANCHOR: DID HARRIS ‘WAIT TOO LONG’ TO SCHEDULE HER FIRST INTERVIEW? Stefanik also accused the media of complicity, continuing her statement, “The Democrats’ stenographers in the mainstream media just blindly regurgitate the talking points provided to them directly by the Kamala Harris campaign.” “Kamala Harris and her entire campaign is an affront to the American people,” she said. Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt responded to Stefanik’s statement, saying, “For at least 20 years, every ticket, Republican and Democrat, sat for a joint interview. The only exception was when Donald Trump walked out of his joint interview four years ago with 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl, because he couldn’t handle her holding him accountable on his extreme, unpopular record.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for a response. AP PANNED FOR SAYING HARRIS IS ‘HAVING IT BOTH WAYS’ AS A SITTING VP, CHANGE CANDIDATE: ‘YOU’RE LETTING HER’ Meanwhile, some journalists are also skeptical of the campaign’s decision. Former CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller wrote on X, “Should CNN have insisted on a one-on-one interview with Harris and turned down a joint interview with Harris and Walz? Too tough to walk away from. But first question to Harris ought to be why [she] couldn’t appear solo.” It’s not unusual for presidential candidates and their running mates to do joint interviews – a fact that Harris allies have repeatedly utilized in her defense. Politico Playbook quoted a campaign official who responded to the uproar with a list of joint interviews by a presidential ticket going back two decades, telling the outlet, “Obviously she will do solo interviews, too.”