Page 1730 – Texas Weekly Online

Uvalde shooting survivors’ families UPS, FedEx for shipping weapon used by gunman in school massacre

The lawsuit claims the companies shipped an enhanced trigger system that allowed the gunman to convert a firearm into a fully automatic or semi-automatic weapon.

1M illegal immigrants could be given ‘amnesty’ as Biden faces pressure from left wing

President Biden has hinted that more liberal moves on immigration could be coming in the weeks ahead, and reports suggest that, in response to left-wing pressure on the issue, he is considering a deportation shield for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. Last week, Biden announced an executive order to limit the ability of illegal immigrants to claim asylum at the southern border. While it was brushed off by Republicans as insufficient and has yet to have an impact on border numbers, it sparked liberal anger, drawing condemnation from some Democratic lawmakers and an immediate lawsuit threat from civil rights groups. Announcing the executive order, Biden appeared to anticipate the criticism from the left and teased moves to make the immigration system “more just.” THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS SNEAKING INTO US DAILY DESPITE BIDEN’S BORDER ORDER “Today, I have spoken about what we need to do to secure the border. In the weeks ahead — and I mean the weeks ahead — I will speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and more just,” he said on Tuesday. Multiple outlets have since reported that the White House is considering a “parole in place” move to apply for illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. Parole in place is already being used in one year increments for family members of U.S. military members and protects them from deportation and grants them a work permit. The New York Times reported that the program for spouses could include the ability for some spouses to gain a pathway to citizenship, but those details are still not clear. “As we have said before, the Administration continues to explore a series of policy options, and we remain committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News in response to the reports. Parole more broadly has been used by the Biden administration to admit over 1,500 a day via the ports of entry using the CBP One app, as well as 30,000 a month using parole processes for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Parole in place has been rumored as a potential move by the administration for months and has been directly called for by immigration advocates. FWD.us, an immigration advocacy group, estimates that there are approximately 1.1 million spouses of U.S. citizens living in the U.S. illegally, and the group says it would add $16 billion to the economy if they were made U.S. citizens. “Mr. Biden can rise to the moment by leveraging the parole power to fulfill his promise to keep families together,” Andrea Flores, a vice president for immigration policy and campaigns said in a Times op-ed. ‘IT IS INSULTING’: BIDEN BORDER ORDER TAKES HEAT FROM DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS The call itself comes after Biden has lobbied for years for a day one immigration bill that includes a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants as part of a broader immigration reform package. It has failed to get off the ground in Congress, where it has faced significant Republican opposition. A separate bipartisan bill unveiled in the Senate earlier this year has similarly gained administration support but has not gained enough support. An additional parole move would likely face fierce resistance from immigration hawks, who have accused Biden of using parole authority illegally and of putting illegal immigrants ahead of U.S. citizens. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has called any such move an “abuse” of parole authority to give “amnesty” to illegal immigrants. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “While these so-called mixed-status families may elicit sympathies, our immigration laws have a process for illegal alien spouses of U.S. citizens to follow to absolve their violations — a process the Biden Administration is ignoring to ease the burden on illegal aliens,” AFPI’s Robert Law said last month. “This parole scheme could also be a starting point to ‘parole in place’ even larger, less sympathetic classes of illegal aliens, which would frustrate efforts by a future America First administration to enforce U.S. immigration law and remove illegal aliens from the country,” he said. It is unclear what effect such a move could have on the upcoming election in November. Polling has shown Biden deeply underwater with voters on the issue of the crisis at the southern border, but his campaign may hope that a parole expansion will help him in key swing states like Arizona and Nevada.

Biden admin pushes to reopen immigrant detention center amid lingering COVID-era freeze

The Biden administration is calling on a federal judge to unfreeze an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, which has been largely empty due to a COVID-era order that has still not been lifted. The Department of Justice, in a filing last week, requested that the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Eastern Division lift a ban on new detainees at the facility in Adelanto, California. The facility in Adelanto, California, can house nearly 2,000 inmates but was blocked by a September 2020 court order in response to a lawsuit from immigrant activists calling for fewer inmates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fox News Digital reported in November that the facility was expected to close in December, but ICE then launched a 60-day task order to evaluate the effect of ongoing litigation, the costs of maintenance and the operational requirements. TAXPAYERS STILL ON HOOK FOR COVIC-SHUTTERED ICE FACILITY AMID OBJECTIONS BY BLUE STATE LAWMAKER The move suggested that, instead of closing the facility, ICE is trying to get it back open. But as it stands, the facility remains closed, even as other facilities both locally and across the country have re-opened and the U.S. has largely moved on from COVID. ICE extended the task order for another 60 days in January, and recently announced another extension that will extend the order until September. The task orders are implemented with GEO Group, which runs the facility and recently revealed that its contract generates $85 million in revenue per year. “The ability for the agency to remove individuals to their home countries, hold those in custody who require detention and are a public safety threat is directly dependent on location and availability of detention space,” ICE spokesperson Jenny Burke said in May announcing the evaluation’s extension. “ICE continues to modernize the immigration system as resources allow to realize cost efficiencies across the operational landscape.” The request this week by the DOJ would seek to keep some COVID restrictions in place, including separation, meaning the initial intake would see the population at fewer than 500 people. The DOJ argued that even without those measures in place, “the current nature of COVID-19 greatly mitigates concerns about detainee safety.” ICE EXTENDS EVALUATION OF CALIFORNIA DETENTION FACILITY LEFT LARGELY EMPTY SINCE 2020 It argues that the conditions for lifting the ban have been satisfied. “The Court should, therefore, lift the Intake Ban and permit Defendants to resume accepting new or transfer detainees at Adelanto, subject to all other existing orders of the Court.” The move was welcomed by Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., who has been pushing for months for the facility to be re-opened. “The Department of Justice’s decision to file a motion in court requesting that the Adelanto ICE Processing Center be fully reopened to hold and process new detainees is a welcome step to ensuring this facility is fully operational,” he said. “I hope the court will take the DOJ’s motion seriously and move swiftly to lift the intake prohibition and ensure the center is used for its intended purpose. It is time to end the failed policy of catch-and-release.” It comes the same week in which President Biden announced new executive action to curb the numbers coming across the border. The bar on asylum saw immediate criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.

Georgia Republican convicted in Jan. 6 riot walks out of House primary debate against ex-Trump admin official

Georgia Republican Chuck Hand, a congressional candidate convicted of a misdemeanor related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, walked out of a televised House primary runoff debate on Sunday. Hand, a construction superintendent and vice chair of the Taylor County Republican Party, is competing against fellow Republican Wayne Johnson, a former official in the U.S. Department of Education during the Trump administration, in a June 18 primary runoff election in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. The winner of the Republican nomination will take on 16-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Sanford Bishop in November. The debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club and hosted at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studio began Sunday with Johnson responding to a question from the panel about what economic policies he’d support in Congress that would help southwest Georgian families who are struggling financially. Johnson argued voters mindful of inflation and the cost of gas, groceries, insurance and housing were dissatisfied with President Biden and Bishop’s economics and were looking toward “Trump and Johnson economics,” before a second panelist then posed a question to Hand. The panelist asked Hand about his thoughts on House Republicans’ plan regarding a new farm bill and if he’d support a “controversial proposal to cut food aid for low-income Americans.” In response, Hand delivered a prepared statement. BALANCE OF POWER: MESSY GOP PRIMARIES COULD BOOST DEMOCRATS IN SWING STATE RACES “I’m Chuck Hand, lifelong resident of the 2nd district. I’ve worked side by side with the people of the 2nd district solving problems since 2018. I’ve only seen this man next to me come around when it’s election time wanting to run for office,” Hand said. “I’ve been wearing tires slam out in southwest Georgia meeting with voters and building relationships in our communities for years now. I’m not interested in debating the issues of the 2nd district with a man who doesn’t even reside in it – especially one who orchestrates attacks on my wife.” “I’m more concerned about beating Sanford Bishop, representing you and passing the America First agenda and putting Donald Trump back in the White House,” Hand said. “This race is very simple. It’s either 8th district money or 2nd district heart. The choice is yours. It’s the dollar versus the change. Now this is where I get back in my truck and head back to southwest Georgia because I got two races to win.” Hand then walked away from the podium and exited the stage. “You’re not staying?” asked anchor Donna Lowry. “You’re leaving, sir? OK.” “Wow, I don’t even know how to react,” Johnson said. Hand is one of at least four people convicted of Jan. 6-related offenses running for Congress this year, all as Republicans. He was sentenced to 20 days in federal prison and six months of probation. Hand refused to debate Johnson after Michael Nixon, who finished third in the four-way May 21 primary, gave a press conference last month endorsing Johnson. Nixon brought up a 2005 criminal trespass charge and a 2010 DUI charge against Hand, both of which were dismissed. At the press conference, Nixon also cited federal court documents to argue Hand’s participation in the Jan. 6 riot was more serious than Hand had claimed. Nixon claimed that Hand and his wife, Mandy Robinson-Hand, chairwoman of the Taylor County Republican Party, “bring with them to this race significant criminal backgrounds and a demonstration of financial irresponsibility.” “Most astounding is a felony conviction and multi-year sentencing for the unlawful trafficking of Opioids to people who live in Middle Georgia,” Nixon told reporters. “I believe that there is no telling of the emotional heartache and physical harm that has been caused to people by this unlawful and immoral behavior of trafficking of Opioids, which is recognized by all as having a devastating impact within our communities and upon our families.” GOVERNOR SAYS TRUMP COULD BECOME THE FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO WIN HIS STATE IN 20 YEARS The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Robinson-Hand served a year in prison and spent nine years on probation following a felony oxycodone conviction in 2008. She and her husband both pleaded guilty to “parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building,” a misdemeanor offense, related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Speaking to reporters afterward Sunday, Johnson said Hand’s exit from the debate stage is more proof that Hand isn’t fit to be the Republican nominee. “I would like to assume that Chuck Hand’s departure, the way in which he did it today, was his withdrawal from the race,” Johnson said, according to The Associated Press. “But it certainly should cause people to pause and think about why he did it and what he was trying to get by doing it.” After Hand walked out of the debate, he answered questions from reporters for nearly 20 minutes, saying he believed Johnson had helped orchestrate the attacks by Nixon. Hand was particularly critical that Nixon brought up the earlier conviction of his wife for illegal sale of oxycodone. “It’s perfectly fine to attack me as a candidate. I expect that. But to come out and publicly attack my wife, that’s a completely different situation,” Hand said. “My wife had paid her debt to society long before I ever met her.” He also attacked Johnson for not living in the bounds of the district, which isn’t required for congressional candidates. Johnson told reporters he lives just outside the district in Macon, saying he has invested in businesses in the district and would move to a house he owns in Plains, Jimmy Carter’s hometown, if elected. Johnson won almost 45% of the vote in the May 21 primary while Hand won almost 32%. Because no one won a majority, voters will decide the nominee in a runoff. Early in-person voting begins Monday ahead of the June 18 election. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jurors might believe Hunter Biden is guilty and vote to acquit him anyway

The jurors set to decide the fate of Hunter Biden might believe that the son of President Biden is guilty of the three felony firearm offenses he faces in a historic federal gun trial – and still vote to acquit him. Even if the prosecution ably proves its case surrounding Biden’s October 2018 purchase of a .38 revolver from a gun shop in Delaware – it is alleged that Biden lied on ATF Form 4473 when he ticked a box labeled “No” that asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances – the Biden family’s outsized influence in the state, the political leanings of jurors or a dismissive attitude toward the charges brought could lead the jury to acquit. HUNTER BIDEN ENTERS DAY 6 OF CRIMINAL TRIAL WITH POSSIBILITY OF TAKING THE STAND “The Bidens’ influence and their power in the state can’t be underestimated,” Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zack Smith told Fox News Digital. “But I think the sympathetic issue is the one that Hunter Biden’s legal team is focusing on.” Nearly all the jurors impaneled said during the selection process that they knew someone with substance abuse issues. Smith said it is likely that Biden’s defense team is hoping to play on those sympathies to convince jurors not to hold Biden responsible for checking the box. “Particularly, some of the jurors might have had family or friends struggling with substance abuse issues and have some sympathy for Hunter Biden and his substance abuse issues,” Smith said. Such a situation, in which the jury decides Biden knowingly checked the box but still does not find him guilty, is known as jury nullification. It occurs when jurors believe the prosecution has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt but vote to acquit a defendant anyway. ‘LIKE A SON’: FORMER TOP BIDEN ADVISER WITH DEEP BUSINESS TIES TO CHINA SPOTTED INSIDE HUNTER BIDEN GUN TRIAL Smith believes the prosecution has indeed proved its case. “Based on the charges that have been brought, and the evidence produced at trial, it certainly seems prosecutors have done their homework and done enough to convince the jury to convict Hunter Biden,” he said. Still, that does not mean the jury was always receptive to the facts. At points during the prosecution’s case, jurors were seen yawning, placing their heads in their hands and even briefly closing their eyes. The dueling narratives that could result in nullification were on full display during the selection process. Some jurors noted the high-profile trial was well discussed among residents in a state where President Biden served as a senator for 36 years and his other son, Beau Biden, served as attorney general for eight years. “This is Delaware. You can’t swing a cat without hearing something [about the case],” one male potential juror told the court. HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT TESTIFY IN HIS CRIMINAL GUN TRIAL Several potential jurors also freely discussed their personal connections to the scourge of substance abuse. Many of those picked for the jury, regardless of racial background, sex or age, said they have a relative who has struggled with drug addiction or alcoholism. Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The potential for jury nullification was seemingly hinted at by prosecutors on Monday afternoon as closing statements began. Referring directly to members of the Biden family – including first lady Jill Biden – seated behind Hunter Biden, prosecutor Leo Wise said, “people sitting in the gallery are not evidence,” and reminded jurors that nobody is above the law.

Biden admin weighs going around Israel to negotiate release of US hostages directly with Hamas: report

President Biden’s administration has held discussions about potentially negotiating with Hamas for the release of American hostages in Gaza, skirting around Israel’s involvement, according to a new report. Such discussions would only begin if the current cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas break down, NBC News reported. U.S. representatives would negotiate with Hamas through Qatari representatives, much as Israel’s own discussions have been taking place. The U.S. believes there are five American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas during its attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The U.S. is also seeking the remains of three U.S. citizens who were killed on that day. The U.S. has cautioned that it is unclear whether or how many of the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are still alive. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. BIDEN ADMIN SLAMMED FOR ‘DOUBLING DOWN’ ON ALLEGED GAZA REFUGEE PLANS The report comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken went to Egypt to launch an effort to increase pressure on Hamas and Israel to reach a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip and ensure that the war does not expand into Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based and is carrying out its own attacks against Israel. ATTACK ON US EMBASSY IN LEBANON FOILED, GUNMAN CAPTURED AFTER SHOOTOUT Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo and is scheduled to travel to Israel later on Monday, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Biden on May 31 outlined a three-phase cease-fire proposal from Israel that envisions the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as the reconstruction of Gaza. Netanyahu’s government is facing a precarious future after Israeli minister Benny Gantz announced his resignation from Netanyahu’s government this weekend. Blinken is expected to meet with Gantz on Tuesday, a senior State Department official said. NETANYAHU SAYS ISRAEL ‘PREPARED FOR VERY INTENSE ACTION’ AGAINST IRAN-BACK HEZBOLLAH AMID RISING TENSIONS The departure of Gantz’s centrist party will not pose an immediate threat to the government. Still, it could have a serious impact nonetheless, leaving Netanyahu reliant on hardliners with no end in sight to the war and a possible escalation in fighting with Hezbollah in the north. Cease-fire talks have intensified since Biden’s speech, and CIA Director William Burns met senior officials from mediators Qatar and Egypt on Wednesday in Doha to discuss the plan. Reuters contributed to this report

Calmosis, Bengaluru startup, at forefront of using medical cannabis in India, aims to enhance health, promote wellness

Calmosis offers a range of meticulously crafted elixirs infused with Ayurvedic herbs and other natural ingredients.

Weather update: Delhi-NCR witnesses above-average temperature, mercury shoots up to…

The weather office predicted mainly clear skies with heatwave conditions accompanied by gusty winds at speeds ranging from 25 to 35 km per hour during the day on Tuesday.

DEI initiatives, Pride Month, gender ideology targeted by House GOP in must-pass defense bill

House Republicans are eyeing this year’s must-pass defense policy bill as a vehicle to combat left-wing Biden administration policies on diversity, LGBTQ representation and gender ideology. More than 1,300 amendments have been offered to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal year 2025, annual legislation mapping out the Pentagon’s priorities as well as national security-related measures in the Department of Energy. Among them are at least 10 proposed amendments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the Pentagon. ANTI-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATORS SEEN ON VIDEO BRINGING PHILADELPHIA PRIDE PARADE TO A HALT Several of them are aimed at eliminating the department’s two principal diversity offices; the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, as well as their staff. A measure proposed by Reps. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., and Jim Banks, R-Ind., would ban U.S. service academies from using federal funds to create any DEI offices. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., submitted a broad initiative blocking any funding allocated by the NDAA to go toward DEI programs, offices or personnel. The House’s current NDAA text includes a provision to block Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from establishing a DEI-related committee or group for Pentagon-funded schools. DRAG QUEEN ORDERS CHILDREN TO CHANT ‘FREE PALESTINE’ DURING QUEER STORY HOUR AT MASSACHUSETTS ARTS CENTER Notably, a Democrat-led amendment by Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, was introduced to block that policy. The House Rules Committee, the final barrier for legislation before it’s considered chamber-wide, is taking up the NDAA on Tuesday. That sets up a mid-June House vote – coinciding with Pride Month, which is also under the House GOP’s microscope. Two separate amendments offered by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., addressed the monthlong pro-LGBTQ event. One would ban the use of federal funds for Pride Month celebrations or instruction within Pentagon-run schools, while the other would mandate that Austin produce a report comparing taxpayer dollars spent on Pride Month celebrations within the department compared to money spent on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. House Republicans have also introduced at least five amendments to block federal funding from supporting transgender surgeries and other gender-affirming care, including an amendment by Banks and Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., to block military reassignments if the request is based on a service member or relative seeking access to trans medical care. PROFESSORS CLAIM POINTING OUT HOW HAMAS BRUTALIZES LGBTQ PEOPLE IS ‘HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE’ Two more proposed amendments would ban materials promoting “radical gender ideology” in Pentagon-run schools. When asked for comment on the aforementioned topics in House Republicans’ amendment proposals, the Pentagon told Fox News Digital it did not comment on pending legislation. It is not immediately clear how many of these amendments will get a vote on the House floor. That is up for the House Rules Committee to weigh during their Tuesday afternoon meeting. However, it is highly unlikely that those culture war-related measures will get any Democratic support. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement last week urging Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to “reject attempts to add poison pills or partisan riders” before the NDAA is brought to the floor. “I urge Speaker Johnson to reject all attempts to politicize and weaponize the committee-passed defense bill and honor the long-held bipartisan traditions of the House Armed Services Committee when he brings the NDAA to the House floor next week,” Smith said.

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