WEATHER ALERT
Former aide and consultant close to U.S. Rep. Cuellar plead guilty and agree to aid investigation
Read full article: Former aide and consultant close to U.S. Rep. Cuellar plead guilty and agree to aid investigationA top former aide to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and a political and business consultant have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to help the Democratic congressman from Texas launder more than $200,000 in bribes and to assist prosecutors in a federal criminal investigation.
Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas vows to continue his bid for an 11th term despite bribery indictment
Read full article: Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas vows to continue his bid for an 11th term despite bribery indictmentDemocratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife have been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges in connection with a federal probe into their ties with the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
Democratic US Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife are indicted over ties to Azerbaijan
Read full article: Democratic US Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife are indicted over ties to AzerbaijanDemocratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife have been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges in connection with a federal probe into their ties with the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
Secret Service agents protecting Biden's granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUV
Read full article: Secret Service agents protecting Biden's granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUVSecret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in Washington.
Biden's movable wall is criticized by environmentalists and those who want more border security
Read full article: Biden's movable wall is criticized by environmentalists and those who want more border securityThe Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.
US Rep. Cuellar of Texas is back at work after being carjacked by 3 armed attackers near the Capitol
Read full article: US Rep. Cuellar of Texas is back at work after being carjacked by 3 armed attackers near the CapitolU.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas is back at work after being carjacked by three armed attackers less than a mile from the Capitol.
US plans for more migrant releases when asylum limits end
Read full article: US plans for more migrant releases when asylum limits endThe Department of Homeland Security says more migrants may be released into the United States to pursue immigration cases when Trump-era asylum restrictions end next week.
US official: Migrants who died cleared inland checkpoint
Read full article: US official: Migrants who died cleared inland checkpointA U.S. official says the tractor-trailer at the center of a disastrous human-smuggling attempt that left 53 people dead had passed through an inland U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint with migrants inside earlier in its journey.
EXPLAINER: Heat, humidity a perilous mix in migrant deaths
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Heat, humidity a perilous mix in migrant deathsAn expert says the combination of heat and humidity would have quickly created life-threatening conditions inside the packed, un-airconditioned tractor-trailer where dozens of migrants were found dead this week.
51 migrants die after trailer abandoned in San Antonio heat
Read full article: 51 migrants die after trailer abandoned in San Antonio heatDesperate families of migrants from Mexico and Central America are seeking word of their loved ones as authorities begin identifying 51 people who died after being abandoned in a tractor-trailer without air conditioning in the sweltering Texas heat.
Cuellar, Cisneros runoff in Texas is too close to call
Read full article: Cuellar, Cisneros runoff in Texas is too close to callThe Texas primary runoff between Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, was too close to call Wednesday, more than a week after the election.
Trump rebuked with stinging losses in Georgia GOP contests
Read full article: Trump rebuked with stinging losses in Georgia GOP contestsGov. Brian Kemp of Georgia has easily dispatched Donald Trump’s hand-picked challenger in a Republican primary that demonstrated the limits of the former president and his conspiracy-fueled politics in a critical swing state.
Greene, McBath win US House races; Cuellar in tight runoff
Read full article: Greene, McBath win US House races; Cuellar in tight runoffOne of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress was facing his toughest primary challenge yet in Tuesday's runoff, while a staunch gun safety advocate ousted her House colleague in a fierce member-on-member congressional primary in suburban Atlanta.
2022 midterms: What to watch in Georgia, Texas, elsewhere
Read full article: 2022 midterms: What to watch in Georgia, Texas, elsewhereGeorgia takes center stage in Tuesday’s primary elections as Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger try to fight back challengers endorsed by Donald Trump.
House leaders stick with Rep. Cuellar despite abortion stand
Read full article: House leaders stick with Rep. Cuellar despite abortion standJust a day after Democrats recommitted to protecting abortion rights, a U.S. House leader on Wednesday campaigned in Texas alongside Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress.
Biden risks progressives, Blacks with pivot to the center
Read full article: Biden risks progressives, Blacks with pivot to the centerPresident Joe Biden is signaling an election year shift to the center to help protect fragile Democratic majorities in Congress, even as key voices across his party’s sprawling political coalition threaten revolt.
House Dems plan budget vote next week, defying moderates
Read full article: House Dems plan budget vote next week, defying moderatesTop Democrats are planning House votes next week on a budget resolution that would clear a path for future passage of the party's ambitious plans for social and environment programs.
On border tour, Harris cites 'progress' in 'tough' situation
Read full article: On border tour, Harris cites 'progress' in 'tough' situationVice President Kamala Harris says the Biden administration has made progress tackling a migration spike that’s drawn fire from Republicans and made fellow Democrats uncomfortable.
US to keep migrant families in hotels as amid rush for space
Read full article: US to keep migrant families in hotels as amid rush for spaceMigrant families will be held at hotels in the Phoenix area in response to a growing number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, another step in the Biden’s administration rush to set up temporary space.
EXPLAINER: Why is media access at the border an issue?
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Why is media access at the border an issue?WHY HAS MEDIA ACCESS BEEN BLOCKED? The Associated Press, for example, has asked Homeland Security officials for access to Border Patrol facilities at least seven times, without a response. Some of them aren't coming from the professional media but from people with special access. The customs locations are considered much more crowded, and journalists have still not been allowed access to them. He says: “It is more important than ever that journalists be allowed the necessary access to report accurately and independently on the border patrol's response.”___David Bauder is the media writer for The Associated Press, based in New York.
Photos of migrant detention highlight Biden's border secrecy
Read full article: Photos of migrant detention highlight Biden's border secrecyThe photos were released by Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat from the border city of Laredo. The photos from Donna show some of the same detention areas as in the images released by Cuellar. The following year, hundreds of families and children detained at one West Texas border station went days without adequate food, water or soap. The AP has also petitioned Psaki to open border facilities. The newly published photos released by Cuellar’s office show groups of children crowded together inside the partitions.
Photos of migrant detention highlight Biden's border secrecy
Read full article: Photos of migrant detention highlight Biden's border secrecyPresident Joe Biden's administration faces mounting criticism for refusing to allow outside observers into facilities where it is detaining thousands of immigrant children. Cuellar said he released the photos in part because the administration has refused media access to the Donna tent. The following year, hundreds of families and children detained at one West Texas border station went days without adequate food, water, or soap. The AP has also petitioned Psaki to open border facilities. But lawyers who have interviewed children detained at Donna say some can go days without being allowed outside.
Divided House passes bill to help Dreamer immigrants get citizenship
Read full article: Divided House passes bill to help Dreamer immigrants get citizenshipNine House Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the Dreamers measure but 30 GOP lawmakers backed the farm workers bill, giving it a more bipartisan hue. “These immigrant communities strengthen, enrich and ennoble our nation, and they must be allowed to stay.”Neither House measure would directly affect those trying to enter from Mexico. AdMaine Rep. Jared Golden's vote against the farm workers measure made him the only Democrat to oppose either bill. The Dreamer bill would grant conditional legal status for 10 years to many immigrants up to age 18 who were brought into the U.S. illegally before this year. The other bill would let immigrant farm workers who've worked in the country illegally over the past two years get certified agriculture worker status.
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
Read full article: House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate oddsBut it faces an all-but-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate and is unlikely to become law. Ad“I’ve heard Democrats argue that it’s the unions that built the middle class,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the senior Republican on the House labor panel. And what this bill does is take away their freedom.”Labor unions have long been a bedrock of Democratic support. “This far-reaching legislation is nothing more than an union boss wish list,” said Foxx, who led Republican debate on the bill. Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good excoriated the bill, saying it would effectively “funnel money to Democrats” by allowing unions to collect additional dues.
House OKs George Floyd Act as Democrats avoid 'defund' clash
Read full article: House OKs George Floyd Act as Democrats avoid 'defund' clashScott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – House Democrats passed the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, avoiding a potential clash with moderates in their own party who were wary of reigniting the “defund the police” debate they say hurt them during last fall's election. Approved 220-212 late Wednesday, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is named for the man whose killing by police in Minnesota last Memorial Day sparked demonstrations nationwide. “We want to feel safe when we encounter law enforcement. “Our law enforcement officers need more funding not less,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. Another possible point of contention is provisions easing standards for prosecution of law enforcement officers accused of wrongdoing.
With Biden's backing, Dems revive bill to overhaul policing
Read full article: With Biden's backing, Dems revive bill to overhaul policingHouse Democrats are hustling to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing. The bill would ban chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement and create national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability. “Our law enforcement officers need more funding not less,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said during Wednesday's debate. AdPolice unions and other law enforcement groups have argued that, without such legal protections, fear of lawsuits will stop people from becoming police officers — even though the measure permits such suits only against law enforcement agencies, rather than all public employees. California Rep. Karen Bass, who authored the bill, understands the challenge some House members face in supporting it.
Democrats consider piecemeal approach to immigration reform
Read full article: Democrats consider piecemeal approach to immigration reform(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – After decades of failed attempts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden are signaling openness to a piece-by-piece approach. They unveiled a broad bill Thursday that would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million people living in the country without legal status. “Even though I support full, comprehensive immigration reform, I’m ready to move on piecemeal, because I don’t want to end up with good intentions on my hands and not have anything,” said Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin has said that any final Senate bill likely “will not reach the same levels” as Biden’s proposal. But multiple immigration organizations said administration officials had signaled in recent conversations that they were open to a multilevel approach in which lawmakers would press forward on the comprehensive bill while also pursuing individual pieces.
How Democrats came up short in bid to expand House majority
Read full article: How Democrats came up short in bid to expand House majority"It's the Trump factor," Nearmyer said about how Democrats lost House seats. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)MONROE, Iowa – This swath of southeast Iowa isn't supposed to be a nailbiter for Democrats. Instead, it appears Democrats made a serious miscalculation in assuming their antipathy toward Trump would fuel victories across the country. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports the party's House candidates, is beginning a “deep dive” examination into what happened. Voters for months watched Republican ads featuring unrest with narrators ominously attacking Democrats as anti-police, often with little response.
Low expections in Mexico as US election approaches
Read full article: Low expections in Mexico as US election approachesFILE - In this June 23, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump tours a section of the border wall in San Luis, Ariz. During his 2016 primary run, Trump sought to mark his ground as a hard-line immigration enforcer who would build a great, great wall on our southern border. Nearly four years later, Trump still has work to do completing his wall and much that has been completed has been paid by U.S. taxpayers despite promises otherwise. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Low expections in Mexico as US election approaches
Read full article: Low expections in Mexico as US election approachesFor example, when Mexico was on the brink of defaulting on treaty obligations governing water-sharing this month, the Trump administration provided a graceful exit. Trump made Mexico an immigration waiting room for the U.S. and some say effectively pushed the U.S. frontier south for immigrants. Thousands of asylum seekers were forced to wait out their cases in Mexican border cities before the pandemic allowed the U.S. to effectively suspend its asylum system at the border. Mexico might expect greater recognition of shared responsibility from a Biden administration, but Mexico’s own security strategy has been difficult to decipher. The Trump administration has focused on deporting undocumented immigrants and narrowing the path to legal entry.
US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waits
Read full article: US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waitsCars wait in line to enter the United States at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Tijuana, Mexico. A Trump administration crackdown on nonessential travel coming from Mexico amid the coronavirus pandemic has created massive bottlenecks at the border, with drivers reporting waits of up to 10 hours to get into the U.S. (AP Photo/Elliot Spagat)
US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waits
Read full article: US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waitsCars wait in line to enter the United States at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Tijuana, Mexico. Waits soared across the border last weekend, with California crossings hit hardest. The measures dont apply on the Canadian border, which is also subject to the nonessential travel ban. We need people to think twice about nonessential travel and to ask themselves if the travel is worth risking their lives and the lives of others, CBP spokesman Rusty Payne said. Christopher Landau, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said many people are crossing the border to visit family, shop or dine out.
US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waits
Read full article: US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waitsCars wait in line to enter the United States at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Tijuana, Mexico. A Trump administration crackdown on nonessential travel coming from Mexico amid the coronavirus pandemic has created massive bottlenecks at the border, with drivers reporting waits of up to 10 hours to get into the U.S. (AP Photo/Elliot Spagat)
US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waits
Read full article: US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waitsCars wait in line to enter the United States at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Tijuana, Mexico. Waits soared across the border last weekend, with California crossings hit hardest. The measures dont apply on the Canadian border, which is also subject to the nonessential travel ban. We need people to think twice about nonessential travel and to ask themselves if the travel is worth risking their lives and the lives of others, CBP spokesman Rusty Payne said. Christopher Landau, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said many people are crossing the border to visit family, shop or dine out.
How Sanders is helping keep the progressive movement strong
Read full article: How Sanders is helping keep the progressive movement strongFILE - In this Feb. 25, 2020 file photo, Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and former Vice President Joe Biden, talk before a Democratic presidential primary debate in Charleston, S.C. Sanders, who will speak at the Democratic National Convention Monday, was the last primary challenger standing against Biden. He retains the partys largest cohesive constituency in a progressive base unwavering in its support. Most importantly, young people in this country, whether theyre Black or white or Latino, Native American, Asian American, young people strongly support the progressive agenda.The progressive movement is still far from the driving force of the Democratic Party. One example is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who will help nominate Sanders at the convention and is widely seen as his successor in leading progressives.
Progressives say primary wins latest sign of momentum shift
Read full article: Progressives say primary wins latest sign of momentum shiftFILE - In this March 6, 2020 file photo, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speaks at a campaign rally in Detroit. Her opponent in the primary was Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. Y'all, we about to change the world.Beyond signaling momentum, the victories are giving progressives confidence about two upcoming tests. Next week, squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota will face a challenge from a well-funded opponent, Antone Melton-Meaux. In March, Marie Newman knocked off Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, an abortion opponent who compared progressive Democrats to a tea party of the left."
Tables turned, Ocasio-Cortez plays defense in primary fight
Read full article: Tables turned, Ocasio-Cortez plays defense in primary fightOcasio-Cortez began airing a TV spot this week that underlines the importance of turnout in what's likely to be a low-turnout primary. Caruso-Cabrera has cast Ocasio-Cortez as a divisive elitist who ignores the district, which also covers parts of the Bronx. Caruso-Cabrera said that after Congress approved the coronavirus bill and the pandemic was ravaging New York, Ocasio-Cortez stayed in a luxury apartment in D.C. with a Whole Foods in the lobby." Caruso-Cabrera, 51, has vulnerabilities in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. The organization tangled with Ocasio-Cortez in a Texas primary in March, when she backed an unsuccessful liberal challenger to pro-business Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
Ocasio-Cortez endorses challenger of House Dem chairman
Read full article: Ocasio-Cortez endorses challenger of House Dem chairmanWASHINGTON Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed the Democratic primary challenger of a veteran House committee chairman whose New York district is adjacent to her own, the progressive freshman's latest challenge to party leaders. That meant Ocasio-Cortez was trying to topple fellow Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel, 73, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Engel is in his 16th House term and represents a district from parts of the Bronx and Westchester, next door to Ocasio-Cortez' home base of the Bronx and Queens. She called Bowman, who is African American, a profound community leader. Engel's district has mostly black and Hispanic voters. Ocasio-Cortezs move also meant she was defying House Democratic leaders, who have stood behind party incumbents facing primary challengers.
Ocasio-Cortez backs challenger of House Democratic chairman
Read full article: Ocasio-Cortez backs challenger of House Democratic chairmanWASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed the Democratic primary challenger of a veteran House committee chairman and fellow New Yorker in her latest challenge to party leaders. Ocasio-Cortez's support for Bowman puts her in direct opposition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who as a party leader backs incumbents when they face primary foes. This moment requires renewed and revitalized leadership across the country AND at the ballot box, Ocasio-Cortez, 30, tweeted as she lent her support to Bowman. She called Bowman, who is African American, a profound community leader. The solidly Democratic district represented by Engel, who is white, has mostly black and Hispanic voters. Marie Newman defeated Rep. Daniel Lipinski in an Illinois district south of Chicago, but Jessica Cisneros lost to Rep. Henry Cuellar in south Texas.