Friday, December 16, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Fed Judge Rules On Biden's Border Crisis


A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn't order the policy reinstated. The impact on the program wasn't immediately clear. “It’s a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. “Texas wins again, for now.” The ruling could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.

➤U-S NOT READY FOR NEXT GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS: U.S. intelligence agencies are unprepared for the next global health crisis, a congressional panel concluded. They must improve their ability to analyze vast amounts of data to determine if a disease—undetected or concealed by foreign authorities—might be emerging, according to the House Intelligence Committee. The report, based on reviews of classified reports, criticized the early 2020 Covid-19 response by both the intelligence community and then-President Donald Trump. A spokeswoman for Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines declined to comment, and Trump’s representatives didn’t respond to a request for comment. Over in the Senate, lawmakers worked to wrap up plans for a vote on a $858 billion defense policy bill.

➤SENATE, HOUSE SEND SPENDING BILL TO BIDEN: The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday, sending the must-pass defense funding bill to President Joe Biden's desk. Senators voted 83 to 11 for the NDAA, with a top line that includes a $45 billion bump on the $813 billion total requested by Biden earlier this year. That additional sum came out to be funding increases for procurement; research, development, test and evaluation; operation and maintenance; military construction; and defense-related nuclear programs.

➤FTX CUSTOMERS OUT IN THE COLD:  Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest offers cold comfort to FTX customers. The crypto exchange’s new management has said it is working to recover as much as it can for stakeholders. The former CEO stole billions of dollars from clients in one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history, alleged prosecutors and regulators. A spokesman for Bankman-Fried, who was charged with criminal fraud and conspiracy. this week, said he’s “considering all of his legal options.”

➤RETAIL SPENDING DROPPED IN NOVEMBER: U.S. retail spending and manufacturing weakened in November, signs of a slowing economy as the Federal Reserve continues its battle against high inflation.  November retail sales fell 0.6% from the prior month for the biggest decline this year, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Budget-conscious shoppers pulled back sharply on holiday-related purchases, home projects and autos. Manufacturing output declined 0.6%, the first drop since June, the Fed said in a separate report.  The Fed on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate 0.5 percentage point to a 15-year high and signaled plans to continue lifting rates through the spring. Fed officials have increased rates at the fastest pace since the 1980s to cool the economy and bring down inflation, which is running near a 40-year high.


➤THE ASSASSINATION FILES:  Almost 50 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, the government is releasing a massive collection of files on the investigation that have been kept secret ever since. The truth was long ago buried under a mountain of conspiracy theories. One expert told CNN that he thinks the only secret in those files is that the president’s death could have been prevented. Larry Sabato, author of “The Kennedy Half Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy,” said: “The truth is that this assassination was preventable and could have been prevented and should have been prevented if the CIA and FBI were doing their jobs.”

➤NEW RUSSIAN ASSAULT FEARED: Ukraine’s leaders believe that Russia is planning a major ground offensive for early in the new year despite many recent setbacks in its military campaign, BBC News reports. Russia is known to be drafting and training some 200,000 Russians to serve in its armed forces, with more expected to be drafted soon. Both sides have ruled out a Christmas truce.


➤THREE SENTENCED IN PLOT TO KIDNAP GOVERNOR: Three men were sentenced to a minimum of seven to 12 years in prison yesterday for their role in a failed plot to kidnap and murder Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The men were members of a militia group that called itself the Wolverine Watchmen and helped train the ringleaders of the kidnapping plot. The two ringleaders will be sentenced later this month.


➤TRUMP SELLS DIGITAL TRADING CARDS DEPICTING SELF AS SUPERHERO: When former President Donald Trump said he would have an announcement to make yesterday, there was much speculation about the subject. His pick as vice presidential running mate, perhaps? No. He unveiled a series of digital trading cards with illustrations of himself dressed as a superhero, an astronaut, and a fighter pilot. He’s selling them at $99 each, with the proceeds going to him personally, not to his campaign. In his video sales pitch, he declared that he was the best president ever, “better than Lincoln, better than Washington.”

➤HARVARD’S NEW PRESIDENT BREAKS THE MOLD: The next president of Harvard University will be Dr. Claudine Gay, a dean and a scholar of democracy who also is the first Black person to head the prestigious college, which was founded in 1636. She is the second woman to get the job. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Dr. Gay earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford and her doctorate from Harvard. She has been on Harvard’s faculty since 2006.


🏈49ERS TAKE NFC WEST TITLE: David Purdy has surpassed expectations yet again. He led the San Francisco 49ers to a 21-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle. The win clinched the NFC West for the 49ers. It’s only Purdy’s second start since he replaced quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s on the injured list. In his first start, he led a blowout win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

🏀WARRIORS’ STEPHEN CURRY OUT INDEFINITELY: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is out indefinitely after injuring his shoulder during this week’s game against the Indiana Pacers. Reports are that he doesn’t need surgery and the best guess for his return is two to four weeks. The injury occurred in the third quarter as Curry reached for a steal. He was in obvious pain, so the Warriors called a timeout. Curry still logged 38 points, seven rebounds and seven assists before leaving the game. The Pacers won 125-119.

⚾CARLOS RODON GETS A BIG DEAL WITH THE NEW YORK YANKEES: Pitcher Carlos Rodón just signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the New York Yankees, according to ESPN. It’s a very big deal that was a long time coming for Rodón. He was the number three pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and is a two-time All-Star but he was sidelined from time to time by injuries while playing with the Chicago White Sox and the San Francisco Giants.

⚾BOXBERGER SIGNS WITH CUBS: The Chicago Cubs have signed reliever Brad Boxberger to a one-year deal for a reported $2.8 million. Boxberger is an 11-year veteran, most recently with the Milwaukee Brewers.

🏈RAVENS’ LAMAR JACKSON OUT FOR BROWNS GAME: The knee injury sustained Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson in Week 13 luckily wasn’t a season-ender, but he has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Backup Tyler Huntley, who just emerged from concussion protocol, is the likely starter.


➤STORM MOVES EAST AFTER BLANKETING UPPER MIDWEST: A storm system that dumped a foot or more of snow on the upper Midwest earlier this week has moved on to the Mid-Atlantic and New England states, bringing heavy snow and icy rain. Several inches of snow had already fallen on parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York last night. This is the same massive storm system that brought drenching rains, high winds and even tornadoes to parts of Louisiana on Tuesday. It has morphed into a nor’easter.




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