Page 262 – Texas Weekly Online

Rep. Cory Mills denies wrongdoing as police investigate alleged ‘assault’

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., has denied any wrongdoing in connection with an alleged assault in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Fox News has learned. The Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it was called to the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue, Southwest, at around 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday for the report of an assault. The incident is understood to have taken place inside his residence. The MPD said it is conducting an active criminal investigation and did not provide any further details about the incident. A spokesperson for Mills, a former Army combat veteran and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Intelligence, released a statement to Fox News Digital stating that the Congressman denies any wrongdoing. “This week, law enforcement was asked to resolve a private matter at Congressman Mills’ residence,” the spokesperson said. “Congressman Mills vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and is confident any investigation will clear this matter quickly.” MPD said that once its leadership became aware of the matter, there was an immediate review of its initial response to ensure all procedures were followed. MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is currently investigating this matter, the department said. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was asked about the incident at a press briefing on Friday and said she is aware of the report. “I can confirm that there is an internal investigation on making sure that all of our members did what they were supposed to do, according to MPD policy, so I can confirm that,” Bowser said. “But I can’t speak to anything about the police report.” This is a developing story and will be updated.

Trump admin turns tables on policy ‘exploited’ by Biden DHS to shield more Haitians from deportations

The Trump administration has canceled an extension of deportation protections for migrants from Haiti implemented by the Biden administration, opening the door for them to be removed from the country sooner. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she has vacated a decision by the Biden administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals by 18 months in June of last year. “President Trump and I are returning TPS to its original status: temporary,” Noem said in a statement. TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN It now means that instead of ending in February 2026, TPS protections will end in August. TPS grants protection from deportation and allows work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to be returned. Republicans have been skeptical of the program, saying it has been used too broadly, with 17 countries designated by the end of the Biden administration. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE In a release, DHS said TPS has been “exploited and abused” and noted that Haiti had been designated for TPS since 2010. More than 520,000 Haitians were estimated to be eligible for TPS protection in July. “Biden and Mayorkas attempted to tie the hands of the Trump administration by extending Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status by 18 months—far longer than justified or necessary,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “We are returning integrity to the TPS system, which has been abused and exploited by illegal aliens for decades. President Trump and Secretary Noem are returning TPS to its original status: temporary.” NOEM MAKES AGGRESSIVE NEW MOVE TO RAMP UP ARRESTS, DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Migration from Haiti was under scrutiny in 2024 as the Trump campaign drew attention to massive amounts of Haitian migration under the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV), when 30,000 migrants were allowed in each month. At that point, if eligible, they could not be removed after their parole expired due to TPS. It affected a number of towns, including Springfield, Ohio, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania. The TPS move comes after Noem first revoked a TPS extension for Venezuelan migrants and then revoked TPS status for 300,000 nationals altogether. The administration has also largely ended the use of parole to allow migrants into the U.S. President Donald Trump stopped the use of the CBP One app to allow in migrants at ports of entry, as well as the CHNV program. Fox News Digital reported this week that the administration has paused applications for CHNV and two other parole programs, citing national security and fraud concerns.

‘Deeply saddened’: MEA responds to Nepali student’s death at Odisha’s KIIT

Following the death of a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences.

Kash Patel lays out FBI’s top two priorities in letter to subordinates

Ahead of his swearing-in as FBI director on Friday, Kash Patel laid out his top priorities for the agency in a letter to subordinates obtained by Fox News Digital, vowing to bolster the bureau’s resources and “rebuild the American people’s trust in the FBI.” “I am honored to have been nominated and confirmed as your new Director,” Patel wrote to colleagues. “While I’m new to the Bureau’s ranks, I’ve spent my career in government service and the past decade in national security, working shoulder to shoulder with the FBI and many of its partners throughout the law enforcement and intelligence communities. My commitment has always been — and always will be — to pursuing justice and upholding the rule of law, and I look forward to continuing that commitment alongside all of you.” Patel also reiterated that keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad, is a “no-fail mission” that the FBI must continue to support in the coming months. FBI NOMINEE KASH PATEL CONFIRMED IN NARROW SENATE VOTE The letter continued, “As I take on this new role, my priorities for our organization are twofold. First is to provide you with the tools and resources you need to keep our communities safe. This will include streamlining our operations at Headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation and collaborating even more closely with our essential partners in state and local law enforcement. “Second is to ensure we rebuild the American people’s trust in the FBI. We’ll do that by committing ourselves to full transparency with the people’s representatives in Congress and by upholding the highest standards in all that we do, ensuring rigorous obedience to the Constitution and a single standard of justice for all.” “I know that you, the dedicated men and women of the FBI, are courageous warriors of justice,” he wrote. “I will always have your backs, because you have the backs of the American people. I look forward to serving with you in the years to come.” TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL PICKS UP SUPPORT FROM KEY GOP SENATOR Patel – nominated by President Donald Trump – was confirmed as the ninth FBI director in a narrow Senate vote on Thursday, succeeding former Director Christopher Wray. He is set to be sworn in on Friday afternoon. During the first Trump administration, Patel worked as a deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism. He played a key part in missions to take down high-ranking al Qaeda and ISIS leaders, including planning the operation that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in these positions. Patel also contributed to efforts to capture some of the most-wanted terrorists and bring them to the U.S. for prosecution. 4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING Patel was the principal deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), where he helped with the transition of leadership between acting DNI Ric Grenell and John Ratcliffe prior to his role as deputy to Trump and on the National Security Council. He also focused on intelligence related to counter-narcotics and transnational threats. Prior to ODNI, Patel served as national security advisor and senior counsel for counterterrorism on the House Intelligence Committee. There, he led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, exposing FISA abuse and illegal surveillance of Americans, including Trump campaign members. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Yogi govt gears up for final Mahashivratri bath at Mahakumbh Mela, check details here

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has intensified preparations for the last major bath of Maha Shivratri, scheduled for February 26, at the ongoing Mahakumbh.

Join us March 4 for a conversation on blockchain technology and Texas’ future economy

We’ll learn more about the technology’s sustainability, its impact on the grid, and what the industry needs from Texas.

Joint Chiefs chairman heads to US-Mexico border to review troops

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. CQ Brown is visiting the U.S.-Mexico border to assess the military’s progress in fortifying sections of the wall, the Associated Press reported on Friday. The Defense Department deployed 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border just two days after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. More servicemembers were sent to the border earlier this month. There are approximately 9,200 U.S. troops on the border, 4,200 of whom were deployed under federal orders, according to the Associated Press. The other 5,000 are National Guard troops. TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT DECLARES TREN DE ARAGUA, MS-13, MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS The Trump administration on Wednesday designated eight gangs and cartels, including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel and MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations. This move expands the U.S. government’s ability to crack down on criminal organizations operating in its territory. In a public notice on the matter, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that there was a “sufficient factual basis” under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue the designations. On Wednesday, U.S. NORTHCOM Commander Gen. Gregory M. Guillot and Mexican Secretary of National Defense Gen. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo spoke about coordinating along the border and signed a mutual agreement on cooperative activities, the Defense Department announced. NOEM MAKES AGGRESSIVE NEW MOVE TO RAMP UP ARRESTS, DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The agreement allegedly calls for an increase in information sharing and improved communications methods, as well as a call for Mexico and the U.S. to respect each other’s sovereignty. Troop deployments and wall fortifications are parts of Trump’s crackdown on the southern border. Earlier this month, the Trump administration began sending flights of illegal immigrants to the Guantánamo Bay detention facilities in Cuba. Around 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens” could be held in the base that once housed hundreds of prisoners, only 15 of whom were left before Trump began sending migrants there.

Caesars Palace, MLB stadium, an ice cream truck: DOGE reveals how schools spent billions in COVID-relief funds

Schools spent hundreds of billions of COVID-relief funds on expenses that had “little” impact on students, such as Las Vegas hotel rooms and the purchase of an ice cream truck, according to the Trump administration’s cost-cutting department. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk to purge wasteful government spending, revealed on Thursday that schools have spent nearly $200 billion in COVID-relief funds “with little oversight or impact on students.” Granite Public Schools in Utah spent their COVID-relief funds on $86,000 in hotel rooms at Caesars Palace, a ritzy Las Vegas Casino, while Santa Ana Unified spent $393,000 to rent out a Major League Baseball stadium, according to a report by Parents Defending Education and shared by DOGE. The cost-cutting department also revealed that schools spent $60,000 of COVID-relief funds on swimming pool passes, while a California district used its funds to purchase an ice cream truck. DOGE PUTS DEI ON CHOPPING BLOCK WITH TERMINATION OF OVER $370M IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS “All of this money was drawn with zero documentation,” DOGE wrote in a post on X. DOGE highlighted that the Trump administration is implementing more thorough requirements for dishing out the $4 billion left from the funds, requiring that all grantees must “provide receipts for every purchase before funding is released.” WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS While the Trump administration reworks the Department of Education’s issuing of funds, the revelations about where money has been spent have sparked outrage from local leaders and education groups across the country. “Recall those school board meetings when the ruling elites of Covidstan branded mothers as selfish disruptors simply for challenging their interpretation of “The Science” and scrutinizing how they allocated ESSER Funds? Never let them forget that we were right about everything,” Moms for Liberty said in response to the findings. Will O’Neil, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, called the funds being spent on renting the MLB stadium “an absolute joke.” “This is outrageous,” wrote the Republican Party of Bexar County. DOGE has taken specific aim at cutting spending by the Department of Education (DoEd), slashing $370 million in taxpayer dollars being spent on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) just last week. The department terminated 70 DEI training grants within the department, including one that funded training for teachers to “engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection to confront their own biases and racism, and develop asset-based anti-racist mindsets,” DOGE said.

AG Bondi says violent anti-Israel student protesters in US on visas ‘need to be kicked out’

Attorney General Pam Bondi said anti-Israel student protesters who are in the United States on visas and threatening American students “need to be kicked out of the country.” “All of our students deserve to be safe,” Bondi said on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, D.C., while joining the stage with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and radio show host Ben Ferguson on a live podcast of the “Verdict with Ted Cruz” podcast. “First of all, these students who are here on visas, who are threatening our American students, need to be kicked out of this country.” “Amen,” Cruz responded to Bondi. Bondi, who was sworn in as the nation’s 87th attorney general Feb. 5, added that carrying out the rule of law as the nation’s top cop is “pretty basic.” VP JD VANCE SPEAKS ON ‘FUNDAMENTAL GOAL’ OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT CPAC ADDRESS Bondi added that the anti-Israel college protests that rocked the U.S. were anything but “peaceful protests.” “When I was just a citizen, before I had this job … I’m watching these — but these aren’t peaceful protests. We all believe in peaceful protest. Oh. I’m sorry, unless you’re a liberal, and you don’t want a parent to quietly pray outside an abortion clinic, or you’re a Catholic, or a parent at a school board, they’re going to call you a domestic terrorist,” she said, adding that the anti-Israel protests were “violent.” Agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide in 2024 to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they did not feel safe on some campuses. Protesters on Columbia University’s campus in New York City, for example, took over the school’s Hamilton Hall, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale worked to clear spiraling student encampments where protesters demanded their elite schools completely divest from Israel. ELON MUSK MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT CPAC Terrorist organization Hamas launched a war in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses in the form of protests, menacing graffiti and students reporting that they felt as if it was “open season for Jews on our campuses.” The protests heightened to the point that Jewish students at some schools, including Columbia, were warned to leave campus for their own safety. ‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS Bondi added, in her conversation with Cruz and Ferguson, that after her 15 days as attorney general, the “volume of how bad” and politicized the Department of Justice had become under former President Joe Biden “concerned” her “the most.” “What concerned me the most? It’s the volume of how bad it was, and it still is. We’re working on it. It’s day by day by day, but we’ve got a team of great people. And on day one, I issued 14 executive orders. And number one is the weaponization ends. And it ends now. And that’s what we do,” she said. Overall, however, Bondi said that “a lot” of DOJ employees have remarked to her that they are grateful for her leadership, arguing that the majority of employees want “to fight crime.” “The majority of the people are great people, who went to law school, became prosecutors, became law enforcement agents to fight crime,” she said.

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