Cruz quizzes DHS on TSA screening of migrants boarding flights: ‘This is alarming’
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday wrote to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas seeking more information about the screening of migrants who have come through the border via the CBP One app and are seeking to board flights. “While Americans must present an acceptable form of identification to fly, or at least have their identities confirmed, TSA is permitting illegal aliens without ID to opt for an alternate identity verification process utilizing the…’CBP One’ app,” Cruz says in the letter to Mayorkas, saying the process “takes illegal aliens at their word” on certain data and allows them to obtain DHS documents and fly out of airports. “In effect, TSA is applying one standard for verifying the identities of American citizens, and another, weaker standard for ‘verifying’ the identities of illegal aliens. This is alarming.” The U.S. has been allowing around 1,600 migrants a day to be paroled into the U.S. through ports of entry using the CBP One app, which allows migrants to upload photographs and other information and schedule an appointment. TSA CHIEF SAYS ‘UNDER 1,000’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BOARD PLANES WITH WARRANTS AS ID Cruz, the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, says that even if they do not have a passport or other way to prove their identity, they can still be paroled into the U.S. He then says that if they try to fly out of an airport, “TSA may use his unverified name and date of birth in CBP One to verify his identity, even though the person may in fact be a terrorist or other criminal traveling under a fake identity.” Similarly, he says, ICE can use that data to issue a card to them under their name and date of birth. While officials have stressed the biometric and biographical vetting that takes place for migrants at the southern border, both those entering legally via ports of entry through parole and those encountered entering illegally between the ports, conservatives have raised questions about the ability to verify those identities if they have few or no documents. “When TSA later uses CBP One data to verify an illegal alien’s identity at an airport security checkpoint, the agency is merely comparing a live photograph or live answers to what the alien provided or told Border Patrol at the port of entry,” Cruz says. “They are not reviewing authenticated identity documents from an alien’s home country.” Cruz also notes that while verification for migrants is free, Americans have to pay for governmental IDs at DMVs or the State Department. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT BORDER SOAR PAST THE 200K MARK IN DECEMBER He is seeking documents and information relating to the use of “acceptable alternate identification” by TSA, the “special circumstances” under which alternative ID can be used, and what happens to migrants without those forms of ID. He also wants to know the “disparate cost burden” on American citizens related to illegal immigrants, and how many passengers screened by TSA on Nov. 26 went through an alternate identity verification process. It’s the latest concern raised by Republicans over migrants, both illegal immigrants and those paroled, getting on aircraft potentially with limited ID. Last year, TSA Administrator David Pekoske was grilled at a Senate hearing about a policy that allows illegal immigrants to use warrants – which represent civil immigration enforcement and are not criminal arrest warrants, as an alternative form of identification. He told lawmakers that “under 1,000” had been allowed to travel after presenting a warrant or deportation notice to TSA. TSA had previously said that, in the case of those who do not have acceptable forms of ID, TSA can accept certain DHS-issued forms, which are then validated via an alien identification number (A-number) and in turn checked against CBP databases, including the CBP One mobile application and TSA’s National Transportation Vetting Center (NTVC). Pekoske said the presentation of a warrant marked the beginning of a further verification process. “These individuals who have these arrest warrants, these arrest warrants were issued by Border Patrol or a customs officer, and they serve as a beginning of our identity verification process, so you can’t walk up to a checkpoint, wave that form and then go right through into screening,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment on Cruz’s letter.
Manchin to headline speaking series in key primary state that’s a must stop for presidential contenders
In a move that’s sure to spark more speculation about a potential 2024 presidential run, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia will return next month to the state that for a century has held the first presidential primary in the White House race. Manchin, who for months has openly flirted with making a third-party White House run next year, will return to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on Jan. 12 to headline Politics and Eggs, a must stop for potential and actual presidential contenders. The announcement of Manchin’s visit – by Saint Anselm College and the New England Council, which co-host Politics and Eggs – also noted that a new organization founded by the senator to “empower moderate voices around the country… is launching a listening tour in January starting in New Hampshire.” Manchin’s visit is sure to grab plenty of media coverage, as it comes three days before the Iowa caucuses kick off the Republican presidential nominating calendar and less than two weeks before New Hampshire’s primary, which is the second contest in the GOP schedule. MANCHIN: ‘I’D NEVER BE A SPOILER’ Manchin has plenty of fellow Democrats terrified that the moderate from West Virginia will unintentionally hand the White House over to former President Donald Trump if he runs. But Manchin dismisses such warnings, rejecting claims from fellow Democrats that a third party run would hurt President Biden’s chances of re-election in a likely rematch next year with Trump, who remains the commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination. DEMOCRATS WORRY ABOUT MANCHIN THROWING THE 2024 ELECTION TO TRUMP “I would never be a spoiler for anybody, and I don’t agree with… the analysis that they’ve come up with,” Manchin told Fox News’ host Brett Baier on “Special Report” last month. And he reiterated that “I would never be a spoiler” in an interview last week on Fox News’ “Hannity.” Manchin has said he worries that the 81-year-old Biden, saddled with deeply underwater approval ratings, isn’t up to the task of defeating Trump next year. And Manchin has repeatedly warned, “I believe that Donald Trump being elected again would destroy democracy as we know it.” WATCH: WHAT JOE MANCHIN SAID IN HIS FOX NEWS’ ‘SPECIAL REPORT’ INTERVIEW Manchin made national headlines last month by announcing that he wouldn’t seek re-election next year in the Senate, striking a major blow to the Democrats’ hopes of holding their razor-thin majority in the chamber in 2024. He also teased a potential third-party presidential campaign and in the ensuing days told NBC News that he’d “absolutely” consider a White House run and CBS News that there’s “plenty of time” to make a decision. In a CNN interview last weekend, he said, “There is no timeline,” on when he would make a decision. Manchin argues that national politics has increasingly become too polarized, leaving millions of voters in the middle of the ideological spectrum without much of a voice in the nation’s capital. And much of the speculation surrounding a possible Manchin national run focuses on No Labels, the influential centrist group that’s seriously mulling supporting a bipartisan, third-party presidential ticket, if Biden and Trump are the major party nominees in the 2024 election. The visit to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics next month will be Manchin’s second in less than a year. The former No Labels chair grabbed plenty of national attention in July as he served as honorary co-host of the group’s “Common Sense” town hall at the institute, where they unveiled their policy proposals. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Maine forced to delay vote on EV mandate amid widespread power outages
A top Maine state environmental agency delayed a highly-anticipated vote to approve a sweeping electric vehicle (EV) mandate amid a storm that caused widespread power outages. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) announced that it had indefinitely postponed the meeting, which was slated for Thursday afternoon, until further notice following the storm. Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who has pursued an aggressive green energy agenda, declared a state of emergency this week, an action that closed state government offices. “Governor Janet Mills declared a State of Civil Emergency for 14 Maine counties following a significant wind and rain storm that has left hundreds of thousands of people without power and that has caused significant flooding and infrastructure damage, including to town and state roadways,” the Maine BEP said in a statement. “In consideration of the challenges facing Maine citizens who may wish to participate in the upcoming Board meeting in Augusta, the Board is postponing its meeting scheduled for December 21, 2023,” the statement continued. NEW REPORT UNMASKS TRUE COSTS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATES: ‘REMAIN MORE EXPENSIVE’ Bill Hinkel, a spokesperson for BEP, said that the agency was actively working on the next steps for the delayed meeting. The devastating rain and windstorm swept across Maine on Monday, killing at least two men and leaving more than 400,000 residents without power. The storm forced businesses and schools to close as workers raced to restore power and clear roads. BEP, which is required to prevent, abate and control pollution in the state, voted in late October to approve the Advanced Clear Car Program, which would mimic regulations in California mandating that more than 40% of new car purchases in the state be electric by 2027 and 82% be electric by 2032. The agency was expected to finalize that mandate during the meeting on Thursday. The state proposal, though, has faced considerable bipartisan opposition from state lawmakers led by Republicans, but also from Rep. Jared Golden, a House Democrat. Golden noted this week that a strong storm would render electric vehicles useless, given their need for reliable electricity generation and supplies. BEIJING-BACKED GREEN ENERGY FIRM IS EXPANDING IN US, POSING SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY RISK: REPORT “In two days, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection will vote on proposed rules that would establish a California-style set of mandates forcing Maine auto dealers – and ultimately their customers – to purchase zero-emission vehicles,” Golden said Tuesday. “Earlier this year, I submitted testimony in opposition to such a mandate and have taken every opportunity in Congress to vote against policy that amounts to de facto electric vehicle mandates,” he added. “Forcing Mainers to purchase cars and trucks powered by electricity when our grid is insufficient, charging stations are few and far between, and a storm like yesterday’s would render 80% of cars useless is, to say the least, ill-advised.” State Republican leaders have repeatedly blasted the proposal, saying it was unrealistic and would only lead to higher consumer costs. “Extremists seem to think that only 6% of consumers want EVs because the government hasn’t forced them to buy one,” Maine state House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham said this month. “The truth is this plan isn’t feasible because of Maine’s geography and infrastructure. It is about freedom of consumer choice. I hope the BEP will abandon this horrible idea before it ruins the Maine economy.” BIDEN’S AMBITIOUS EV PLANS COULD MAKE US MORE DEPENDENT ON CHINESE SUPPLY CHAINS, EXPERTS WARN Maine state Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart noted that automakers are scaling back their EV production and that Connecticut recently abandoned its EV mandate proposal amid opposition. Meanwhile, critics of aggressive EV requirements have warned that the U.S. power grid is currently unequipped to handle the significantly increased demand and load that would be generated by widespread EV adoption. They have also argued that power outages, triggered by both storms and low supplies, could render large swaths of an electrified transportation sector useless. “The only way the electrification of the transportation sector and of home heating and cooling can work is if the utility sector continues to build natural-gas-fired plants and looks to building nuclear plants and perhaps building new coal plants because the grid in these states that are pushing these policies is already overloaded,” Myron Ebell, the director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment, previously told Fox News Digital. “As everybody moves to EVs, if it happens, the only way to do it is to find more baseload power and dispatchable power.” Mills’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As Democrats lean on Jan 6, critics argue Biden’s party is the real threat to democracy
Claims that former President Donald Trump and the GOP pose a grave “threat to democracy” have become a key Democrat talking point ahead of the 2024 elections, but several prominent Republicans and experts say it is really President Biden’s party that is working overtime to undermine the vote. To make their case, they point to Democrats’ efforts to keep Trump off the ballot, imprison him, stifle free speech on social media, and rewrite election laws while fighting measures designed to protect ballot integrity. Those ongoing efforts, they say, are a much bigger threat to democracy than the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot Biden and Democrats frequently cite. Biden summed up those efforts in a speech last year about saving the “soul of the nation” from Trump and his fellow Republicans, claiming they represented “an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” were “a threat to American democracy,” and “a clear and present danger” to all Americans. Most recently, Democrats have thrown their weight behind state-level legal efforts to prevent Trump from appearing on 2024 presidential ballots, including in Colorado, where the state Supreme Court ruled 4-3 earlier this week that the former president violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment when he “engaged in insurrection” concerning Jan. 6, and should be disqualified. TRUMP CALLS CLAIMS HE’S A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY A ‘HOAX,’ SAYS BIDEN IS THE REAL THREAT: ‘I WILL SAVE DEMOCRACY “Democrats cynically used the COVID-19 pandemic to radically undermine long-standing election laws on the fly and then started pushing for non-citizens to vote in U.S. elections,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News Digital. “Now the left is working to remove political opponents from the ballot in a shocking display of disregard for the American people’s right to choose their candidates.” “These attacks on the democratic process drive down voter confidence and trust in the electoral system. Meanwhile, the RNC and our partners are fighting to make sure the American people choose their presidential candidates, not the courts,” she said, adding that the RNC was trying to protect election integrity by fighting for policies to ensure only American citizens vote in elections. Legal expert and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley agreed, calling the Colorado court’s ruling “the most anti-democratic opinion in decades,” and arguing that Democrats’ claims about protecting democracy “would be more compelling if they were not supporting the effort to block voters from being able to vote for Trump and canceling primaries in states like Florida.” VETERANS SHAME DEMOCRAT IN TOP 2024 HOUSE RACE FOR WEARING ARMY UNIFORM DURING EVENT DESPITE NEVER SERVING “It is also difficult to claim the mantle of the defender of democracy when your party is actively fighting for the censorship and blacklisting of those with opposing views,” Turley added. “The best way to defend democracy is to practice it by supporting both the right to vote and to free speech in others, including those who hold opposing viewpoints.” Turley’s reference to censorship concerns accusations the Biden administration engaged in efforts to violate Americans’ First Amendment rights by working with Big Tech platforms to police controversial social media posts pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic and the president’s son, Hunter Biden. The Supreme Court agreed in October to review a court-ordered ban on certain communications between the Biden administration and Big Tech after state attorneys general from Missouri and Louisiana accused high-ranking government officials of working with social media companies “under the guise of combating misinformation.” COLORADO KICKING TRUMP OFF BALLOT SHOWS DEMOCRATS WAKE UP EVERY MORNING ACTING LIKE IT’S JANUARY 6: CONWAY Democrats challenging Biden for the party’s presidential nomination, including author Marianne Williamson, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and now-independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., all fault the Democratic National Committee for silencing them by refusing to hold primary debates. Prior to shifting to running as an independent, Kennedy also faced the wrath of his fellow Democrats at a July House hearing on the “weaponization” of the federal government intended to address censorship. Democrats on the committee unsuccessfully attempted to halt the hearing and instead use it to blast comments previously made by Kennedy that they said were anti-Asian and antisemitic. “This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing,” Kennedy said in response. Despite their actions, recent polling has shown Democrats hold an advantage in swing states when it comes to which party is most trusted on the issue of protecting democracy. FORMER TRUMP ADVISER KELLYANNE CONWAY LEADS CHARGE TO OVERHAUL GOP ABORTION STRATEGY, END DEMS’ 2024 ADVANTAGE According to Republican strategist Garrett Ventry, that advantage is attributed to Democrats’ “obsession” with talking about “threats to democracy” in place of issues where they fail to win over the American people, such as the economy, prices and jobs. “They know they can’t talk about those issues because the American people know that they’ve handled those in a very abysmal way. The border is wide open, inflation has been very high over the last couple of years, the economy is stagnant and people feel like their financial situation is worse,” he told Fox. “There is no greater threat to democracy in our republic than the Democrat Party,” Ventry said. “When Donald Trump was sworn into office, he never went after Hillary Clinton. He didn’t go after Barack Obama. He didn’t go after his political opponents. We didn’t have state attorneys general and state secretaries of state and district court judges trying to get Joe Biden off the ballot.” Ventry pointed to Biden’s Department of Justice targeting other individual Americans, including Catholic church-goers, parents attending school board meetings to express concern over what was being taught to their children, and lower-income Americans through the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents. BIDEN APPROVAL RATING SINKS TO ALL-TIME LOW IN NEW NATIONAL POLL “They’ve used every lever of government, whether it be the federal government, or state courts, to try to attack their political opponents here. And you’re not seeing Republicans do the same across the country,” he added. Former Sen.
That’s the American spirit: US trade negotiators block an EU tariff on bourbon, for now
Distillers of American whiskey and bourbon were close to drowning in their own whiskey river. Instead, they avoided a torrent of tariffs. The European Union was slated to slap a staggering 50 percent tariff on distilled spirits produced in the U.S. as of Jan. 1. But an emergency truce brokered by U.S. and European trade negotiators blocked what could have been a substantial upcharge to sell American distilled spirits to the EU. “Bourbon has actually been growing all over the world,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in an interview. “It used to be sort of a Southern, United States preference. But the whole industry has really picked up over the last five to 10 years. And Europe is a good market for us.” US AND EU POSTPONE TARIFFS ON WHISKEY AND BOURBON McConnell and bipartisan senators wrote several weeks ago to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, urging a solution before the tariff increase hit. “It’s a devastating potential impact on us,” warned McConnell. “Bourbon is a big deal in Kentucky. It employs thousands of people. If this tariff goes into effect, it will cost a lot of Kentucky jobs, both in the bourbon business and, for example, corn growers who supply corn to the bourbon.” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also signed the letter sent to Tai. “I’m from Kentucky. I have to be concerned about bourbon. We don’t want our bourbon to be tariffed. And so this is a lingering effect of the trade war,” said Paul. “It’s a multibillion-dollar industry now.” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was stunned to learn how much whiskey Catoctin Creek, a Virginia distillery about an hour outside of Washington, D.C., sells to the EU. UNION PACIFIC WARNS BORDER CROSSING CLOSING DUE TO MIGRANT CRISIS HURTS CROSS-BORDER TRADE AS CHRISTMAS NEARS “They said, ‘These tariffs are killing us.’ I said, ‘Wait a minute, I thought you guys sold whiskey right here.’ And they said, ‘Yeah. But about 40% of our product at that point is for export because people really like American whiskey. They like Virginia whiskey,’” said Kaine. Consider for a moment the impact of tariffs. U.S. bourbon staples like Jim Beam or Blanton’s are prominent in Europe. They come from big distillers in Kentucky (Buffalo Trace distills Blanton’s). But tariffs could inhibit boutique distillers from selling their whiskeys abroad. It may be hard to find something overseas like Brother Justus from the Twin Cities, Kings County from New York, or Northside from Cincinnati. One distillery that actively sells to the EU is Boulder Spirits in Boulder, Colorado. Alastair Brogan is the owner and master distiller. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Brogan has marketed his expressions to Europe. “We’re actually selling our single malt whiskey Boulder American into Scotland itself,” said Brogan. “American whiskeys have got a real foothold into Europe. Europeans are beginning to realize that there is more to whiskey than just Scotch.” Of course, Scotland is part of the U.K. And post-Brexit, the U.K. is no longer in the European Union. But Brogan echoed Kaine about Europeans discovering sweeter, woodier, vanilla expressions from the U.S. rather than malts produced in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. BIDEN MUST STEP IN TO STOP MASSIVE TARIFF HIKE ON US LIQUOR: LAWMAKERS But added tariffs would be a killer. “We built a market,” said Brogan. “But we can’t sustain 50 percent tariffs. So we would have to come out of the European market.” The tariff threat forced Brogan to tell his European distributor he wouldn’t reserve space for an upcoming shipment. “We’re focusing in other markets,” conceded Brogan. “So yeah. A few sleepless nights.” From a taste standpoint, Americans are used to enjoying smoky, peaty malts from Scotland’s “whisky isle” of Islay like Lagavulin and Caol Ila. The same with sweeter spirts from the Speyside region like Glenfiddich or Macallan. But it’s a treat when they stumble upon more obscure Scottish malts like Tormore, Bladnoch or Dailuaine. Those labels are hard to find in the U.S. But when Americans do, it’s a palette-altering experience. And for the same reason, Europeans are discovering they enjoy more obscure offerings, say from Boulder Spirits or Catoctin Creek. However, none of that happens without open trade. Massive tariffs tramp on that. Ken Troske is an economist who studies trade at the University of Kentucky. “I have plenty of bourbon myself,” said Troske. “I have whiskey from Tasmania, which is some of the best made in the world. And I had to go to Tasmania to purchase it. I’d love to get some in the United States.” Hence, the consumer impacts of tariffs — to say nothing of connoisseur blight — when it could be blithe. “Political leaders in recent years have just gotten, for lack of a better word, stupid about the benefits of trade,” said Troske. “How they would get hung up on something as small as moving distilled spirits around the world escapes me. Why? Why? That’s an easy fix.” The current “fix” is but an interim one. It blocks the whiskey and bourbon tariffs until after the inauguration of the next American president in January 2025. But distillers remind negotiators that they’re dealing with spirits that require aging. Straight bourbon is aged only two years. Most bourbons are aged three years or longer. Sometimes seven or eight years. Thus, any unpredictability makes it hard for distillers to gauge how much product they should make now — especially when the surcharge to Europe could hit in 2025. A crystal ball would help. But forecasting the distilled spirits market years in advance is nearly impossible. At least established tariffs would eliminate one variable. “What we’re really looking for is permanency,” said Brogan. “And having that, you (can) trade within the European Union and the U.S.” So, it may be a disappointment for Europeans just getting a taste for rare, exotic American whiskeys. But there could be an upside for American consumers. Withholding U.S. spirits from Europe could create a glut here at home. “That
Democrat charged in voter fraud scheme over dozens of absentee ballots
A Queens man was indicted this week for allegedly submitting 20 falsified absentee ballot applications for the Democratic primary in 2022, the county district attorney’s office announced. “Every vote has to count. Election integrity is the foundation of a viable, working democracy. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who threatens in any way to undermine that integrity. To investigate and prosecute anyone for voter fraud takes time and resources I am willing to commit,” Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a press release. The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Abdul Rahman of Queens’ Floral Park neighborhood, who could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty of 140 charges against him. Rahman is described by outlet the Gothamist as a man “active in Democrat and South Asian circles.” The District Attorney’s press release detailed that Rahman is accused of casting 20 ballots in August of 2022. Prosecutors said he had applied to collect 118 ballots for voters in the area, and gained approval for 32 of the 118 ballot applications. JESSE WATTERS: VOTER FRAUD NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, INVALIDATED AND PROSECUTED The district attorney’s office did not say which candidates received support from the ballots Rahman allegedly cast. FLORIDA OFFICIALS CHARGE WOMAN WITH FELONY FRAUD FOR VOTING IN TWO STATES DURING MULTIPLE ELECTIONS One man, identified by the office as Jordan Sandke, said he visited his polling station on August 23, 2022, to vote in the Democratic primary election, but was told that he could not vote, as he had requested an absentee ballot. Investigators were able to track down Sandke’s ballot application, which included his personal information and a signature and was dated August 1, 2022. Investigators also found that Rahman was listed as the authorized individual to pick up Sandke’s ballot, according to the DA’s office. “Sandke, however, had not filled out, signed or submitted the application, and said he had never met the defendant or authorized him to pick up an absentee ballot on his behalf,” the press release stated. Law enforcement officers later interviewed voters whose names and information were listed on the other ballot applications and learned that “none of them had themselves submitted the form, much less authorized Rahman to pick a ballot up for them,” according to the DA’s office. “The Board of Elections in the City of New York is proud to once again have identified and referred an election integrity issue to law enforcement,” Board of Elections Deputy Executive Director Vincent Ignizio said in the press release. IOWA ELECTED OFFICIAL’S WIFE CONVICTED OF VOTER FRAUD IN BALLOT-STUFFING SCHEME “Our government partners in the Queens District Attorney’s Office did an amazing job at investigating this case and bringing it to indictment. Protecting our democracy and the elections process is the responsibility of all Americans – and the Board is grateful to District Attorney Melinda Katz and her staff for all of their efforts in this investigation.” In all, Rahman is facing: 20 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree; 20 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree; 20 counts of falsifying business records in the second degree; 20 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree; 20 counts of illegal voting; and 20 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. Rahman faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to return to court on January 30, 2024. “I thank my Public Corruption Bureau and the Board of Elections for their important work on this case. The integrity of elections will be upheld in this borough,” the Queens DA added.
Could Israel’s war on Gaza cause a wider conflict?
Regional tensions are rising over the US-backed war. More than 20,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israel, armed and backed by the United States and European allies. More fighting nearby too: Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen among the groups involved. Could Israel’s war trigger a wider conflict? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests: Omar Rahman – fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He focuses on Palestine, Middle East geopolitics and American foreign policy in the region. Miko Peled – human rights activist and author of The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine, which is based on his experiences as the son of a former military governor of the Gaza Strip Elijah Magnier – military and political analyst who, as a former war correspondent, has covered more than 35 years of conflict in the Middle East and North Africa Adblock test (Why?)
Speaker Johnson urges Biden to use executive powers to crack down on border crisis
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is urging President Biden to use his executive authority to impose strict measures to combat the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S. southern border. “The wide-open border has caused unspeakable human tragedy for migrants and certainly for our own citizens. During FY2023, CBP seized ‘enough fentanyl to kill the entire U.S. population,’ and fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Countless children and adults have been victims of human trafficking and cartels have been emboldened and enriched,” Johnson wrote. “Local communities have been devastated and terrorists and dangerous criminals have entered illegally and dispersed across our country. We are now more vulnerable to a terrorist attack on our homeland than ever.” UNION PACIFIC WARNS BORDER CROSSING CLOSING DUE TO MIGRANT CRISIS HURTS CROSS-BORDER TRADE AS CHRISTMAS NEARS Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials warned this week that the thousands of migrants coming across the border daily was straining their resources to critical levels, as communities along the border continue to also be stretched thin. “All of this is the direct result of your administration’s policies,” Johnson wrote. “You have clearly undermined America’s sovereignty and security by ending the Remain in Mexico policy, reinstating catch-and-release, suspending asylum cooperative agreements with other nations, ignoring existing restraints on the abuse of parole, and halting border wall construction.” 5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED EVERY DAY INTO US, ADMIN OFFICIALS PRIVATELY TELL LAWMAKERS He called on Biden to impose an executive order empowering border agents to “turn back or detain all illegal aliens encountered between ports of entry,” as well as vastly narrowing parole authority for migrants. Johnson also demanded that Biden reinstate the Trump administration’s controversial Remain in Mexico policy, strengthen expedited removal processes and resume construction of the border wall. SOUTHERN BORDER HIT BY RECORD NUMBER OF MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS IN A SINGLE DAY AS THOUSANDS FLOOD INTO TEXAS Republicans in the House and Senate have forced the White House to the negotiating table on border security by holding up Biden’s $110 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other causes. The bill also includes funding for the border, but GOP lawmakers argued that the money is meaningless without significant policy changes. Johnson has maintained both in public and in private that House Republicans would not agree to Ukraine funding unless the Senate takes up their marquee border security bill known as H.R. 2. The White House did not immediately respond for comment to Johnson’s letter.
Angola to leave OPEC over disagreement on oil production quotas
Oil minister says the country ‘gains nothing’ from remaining in the group after disagreements emerge over production cuts. Angola says it will leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) over a disagreement regarding production quotas, a move that will bring the group down to 12 members. Speaking on public television on Thursday, Diamantino Azevedo, minister for mineral resources, petroleum and gas, said Angola, which produces about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day, is leaving OPEC because it was not serving the country’s interests. “We feel that … Angola currently gains nothing by remaining in the organisation and, in defence of its interests, decided to leave,” Azevedo was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the president’s office. Angola, which first joined OPEC in 2007, has struggled to meet production quotas over the past several years. The country is joining others, such as Qatar and Ecuador, that have left OPEC in the past decade. Questions about potential production cuts sought by leading oil producers such as Saudi Arabia have been a source of recent debate within the group. Without Angola, OPEC countries will produce about 27 million barrels of oil per day, about 27 percent of the global supply. But while Angola was a relatively small player in OPEC, the country’s departure has raised larger questions about the future of the organisation. Crude prices dropped by more than 1.5 percent after the announcement. “From an oil market supply perspective, the impact is minimal as oil production in Angola was on a downward trend and higher production would first require higher investments,” said Giovanni Staunovo, a commodity analyst with UBS. “However, prices still fell on concern of the unity of OPEC+ as a group, but there is no indication that more heavyweights within the alliance intend to follow the path of Angola.” Oil and gas make up about 90 percent of Angola’s exports and are a crucial economic lifeline for the country. Last month, Azevedo’s office protested against an OPEC decision to reduce its production quota for 2024, concerned that it would damage Angola’s ability to increase its output capacity. OPEC and its allies in OPEC+ have agreed to cut production to prop up oil prices. Angola’s production capacity peaked in 2008 at 2 million barrels per day but has dropped since due to ageing infrastructure. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s war on Gaza deadliest in modern history for journalists, CPJ says
The Committee to Protect Journalists says concentration of reporters killed in Gaza ‘unparalleled’ in the group’s history. As Israeli forces pound the Gaza Strip, journalists are being killed at a rate with no parallel in modern history, a press freedom watchdog says. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Thursday that 68 media workers have been killed in the 10 weeks of fighting – 61 of them Palestinian, four Israeli and three Lebanese. Among them is Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abudaqa, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike last week while reporting from a school in Khan Younis. “More journalists have been killed in the first 10 weeks of the Israel-Gaza war than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year,” the CPJ said in a statement. “More than half the deaths – 37 – occurred during the first month of the war, making it the deadliest single month ever documented by CPJ since it began recording journalist fatalities in 1992,” it added. The statement came as Palestinian reporters in Gaza continue to work under brutal conditions, facing constant bombardment, displacement and possible targeting by Israeli forces. The report drew attention to what CPJ called “an apparent pattern of targeting of journalists and their families by the Israeli military”, noting that it had recorded at least one instance in which a journalist was killed while wearing clearly marked press insignia with no fighting in the surrounding area. “The concentration of journalists killed in the Israel-Gaza war is unparalleled in CPJ’s history and underscores how grave the situation is for press on the ground,” CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg said. “Local Palestinian journalists continue to report from Gaza while living in fear for their lives.” The concentration of journalists killed in Gaza outpaces that of other conflict zones, such as Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, it said. The CPJ said Iraq was the only country to approach the current death toll in Gaza when in 2006, 56 journalists were killed in the wake of the United States invasion of the Gulf country three years earlier. Another Al Jazeera journalist, Wael Dahdouh, lost his wife, son, daughter and grandson in an Israeli bombing last month and was wounded in the attack that killed Abudaqa. Al Jazeera has said it will refer Abudaqa’s killing to the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating that the strike took place within a context of “recurrent attacks on the Network’s crews working and operating in the occupied Palestinian territories and instances of incitement against them”. Adblock test (Why?)