Tag: GOP

Congress passes $70B for DHS — funding ICE immigration enforcement for rest of Trump’s term

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ICE police officer wearing uniform and tactical vest with crossed arms

WASHINGTON — Congress has finally passed a $70 billion funding bill for federal immigration enforcement on Tuesday, putting to rest a four-month fight over the fate of President Trump’s mass deportations agenda. House Republicans, in a party-line vote of 214-212, approved the spending for the Department of Homeland Security after the Senate had passed the measure last Friday. Democrats were universally opposed and joined in that opposition by Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), who recently left the GOP.

“With today’s vote, House and Senate Republicans have officially ended the third Democrat government shutdown of this Congress,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a statement. “And here’s the end result of Democrats’ record-setting obstruction: CBP and ICE will now be funded for the remainder of President Trump’s term and Democrats will have no ability to defund these agencies in the 119th or 120th Congresses.” DHS had been unfunded mostly from mid-February to April, with some immigration enforcement-focused agencies still requiring funding after that.

The measure now moves to Trump’s desk for his signature. Republicans had quibbled over including provisions for $1 billion for beefed up security at Trump’s White House ballroom, as well as a potential prohibition against using any funds for a $1.776 billion judgment fund to compensate perceived victims of “weaponized” prosecutions. Neither item was tucked into the bill after weeks of deliberations — despite some GOP senators offering amendments to do away with the fund — and the legislation was passed by a simple majority in both chambers through a process known as budget reconciliation. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was the only Republican to oppose it.

Democrats in the upper chamber had delayed passage for three months before that, refusing to back an earlier spending measure in January in protest of federal immigration officers’ fatal shootings of two Americans in Minneapolis. The Secure America Act provides more than $9.5 billion in funding to help hire and pay Border Patrol agents; nearly $3.5 billion for new border surveillance technologies and efforts to combat fentanyl or other drug trafficking; and almost $7.5 billion for retaining more Homeland Security Investigations agents. The spending allows both Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border

Protection to be fully funded through 2029, with an extra $2.5 billion for other Department of Homeland Security programs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Democrats had opposed the DHS funding after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, who were fatally shot while protesting a surge of federal officers to the Twin Cities for deportations. The Democrats had pressed for universal body cameras — a concession that border czar Tom Homan said was already being implemented — as well as for ICE and CBP officers to go maskless and be forced to obtain judicial warrants for arrests

Source: Congress passes $70B for DHS — funding ICE immigration enforcement for rest of Trump’s term

Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
Psalm 25:4

Harnessing Discipline for Spiritual Growth

The pain of discipline may sting today, but we are reminded that endurance turns today’s struggle into tomorrow’s strength, producing a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who refuse to quit. 💪📖🔥…

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What Do You Do When Your New Truck Tells You No?

What happens when your new truck decides you’re not allowed to drive it? Modern trucks and SUVs are becoming rolling computers, packed with driver monitoring systems, advanced driver assistance technology, software-controlled features, and…

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Bears out of Middlebury tree

A mama bear and her two cubs are out of a tree after being stuck for 2 days. The Middlebury Police Department says a mama bear and her two cubs are stuck in…

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House passes pro-union bill after 20 Republicans defy party, in latest move to bypass GOP leadership

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Washington — House Democrats, with the help of several Republicans, bypassed GOP leadership on Tuesday to force a successful vote on legislation that would accelerate negotiations on newly-formed unions’ first collective bargaining agreements.  The legislation, titled the Faster Labor Contracts Act, was introduced in September by Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey. It passed in a 230 to 193 vote, with 20 Republicans voting in favor.  In late April, Norcross launched a discharge petition, seeking to bring the bill to the floor.

The procedural maneuver allows members to circumvent leadership and force a floor vote on legislation if they secure a majority support — 218 signatures. The petition hit the threshold within a month, with seven Republicans signing on.  Norcross’ discharge petition is the seventh this session to hit the threshold, a sign of discontent with GOP leadership.  The measure would amend the National Labor Relations Act and require employers to begin contract negotiations with newly-certified unions within 10 days of receiving a written request. It also sets a timeline for mediation and lays out next steps if no agreement is reached after 90 days. 

“Right now, employers can delay negotiations on first contracts for years,” Norcross said in a statement in April, adding that his bill “will force employers to act in good faith and come to the negotiating table quickly.”  During debate on the bill, GOP Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan argued the measure would fast-track “government intrusion into private workplaces” and erode “workers’ rights faster than we have ever seen before.”  “It is the latest attempt to put workers under the thumb of the federal bureaucrats,” Walberg said, referring to the arbitration process laid out in the bill. 

Source: House passes pro-union bill after 20 Republicans defy party, in latest move to bypass GOP leadership – CBS News

With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2

Hunted for Following Jesus

In some communities, Muslims who leave Islam to follow Christ face rejection, threats, violence, and even death because of their faith. For Muslim-background believers, choosing to…

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Republicans Investigate Foreign Influence Ties To American Universities

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daffodil international university building in dhaka

A group of congressional Republicans are investigating foreign entities aligned with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allegedly attempting to influence and infiltrate American universities, the Daily Caller exclusively learned. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy and some GOP colleagues are looking into nine universities over alleged foreign ties to the CCP, according to a series of letters obtained exclusively by the Caller. Cassidy is joined by Republican Indiana Sen. Jim Banks and Republican Michigan Reps. Tim Walberg and John Moolenaar.

Source: EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Investigate Foreign Influence Ties To American Universities | The Daily Caller

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

Hurricane slams South, leaving outages, 4 deaths

Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias was moving northeast through central Alabama near Birmingham on Saturday after roaring ashore as a Category 2 hurricane late Friday evening near Destin, Florida, with winds of about 105 mph, causing at least four deaths. Trees and power lines were down in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, creating dangerous conditions and forcing…

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Northeast Philadelphia residents frustrated by ongoing rat problem: “You can’t live like this”

Residents in several lower Northeast Philadelphia neighborhoods say a growing rat problem is disrupting daily life, damaging property and raising health concerns. Now, City Council is calling for a more aggressive response. Residents in Oxford Circle, Castor Gardens and Summerdale said rats have become difficult to control in recent months, despite efforts to keep the…

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Black bear attacks man, dog in northern Minnesota

A man and a his dog were attacked by a black bear outside their northern Minnesota home on Monday. The Minnesota DNR tells Bring Me The News that the incident happened in the early hours of Monday at a home in Solway Township when a man let his dogs out of the house. A short…

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Coyote decoys help keep geese out of Royal Athletic Park

The City of Victoria’s ­ongoing battle with large flocks of ­Canada geese damaging the field at Royal Athletic Park has gone to the dogs. In a bid to protect the playing surface, the city’s parks ­department has for the last few weeks been using a pair of coyote decoys to scare geese from the pitch.…

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Bus driver removed after stopping to rescue injured kitten

Some Harford County parents are speaking out after their children’s longtime school bus driver was removed from her route after allegedly allowing a student to get off the bus to rescue an injured kitten. Cynthia Morgan, who drove students in the district for 11 years, told CBS News Baltimore she is devastated by the decision.…

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Did grizzly bears once roam the Texas South Plains?

Did Grizzly Bears once roam the South Plains? Did the largest predator and the most feared animal in North America ever inhabit the Llano Estacado? Historians and biologists have mixed opinions on the subject. No written accounts from the settlement period mention one, no stories describe an encounter with ursus arctos horribilius, which surely would…

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Powerful earthquake shakes Panama

A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 has struck Panama, according to the US Geological Survey. Local media are reporting structural damage in some parts of the country. Some casualties are possible and extensive damage is probable, the USGS said. Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has called for calm and instructed the minister…

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Somalians Turn Minnesota Into War Zone

Peaceful Minnesota has become a terrifying scene for its residents. Minnesota nice has become a deceitful badge of horror. The saftey they once had is gone. Source: Somalians Turn Minnesota into a Warzone

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French student protesters say they’re just getting started

After a heavy-handed response to the student protests sweeping France, the government has changed tack. It has banned police from using stun grenades after a student’s hand was blown off earlier in the week and there are promises to listen more to protesters’ demands. But with hundreds of schools still facing blockade and calls for…

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Plague in Russia?

Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her contacts and introduce new disease-control measures at local hospitals have raised concerns among people who fear they’re not being told the full story. The woman was a lab…

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Isaias becomes first hurricane of 2026 Atlantic season, threatens northern Gulf Coast. See maps, forecast path.

Hurricane Isaias was intensifying early Thursday and is expected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday, threatening parts of Mississippi, Alabama and the western part of the Florida Panhandle. It became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season after strengthening from a tropical storm late Wednesday night. A hurricane warning…

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US Bases Get New Shield: Pentagon Picks 4 Directed-Energy Weapons For Anti-Drone Pilot

The US military is moving directed-energy weapons from demonstrations towards operational testing at American bases, selecting four systems for a new homeland counter-drone pilot. The Pentagon said the weapons chosen are AeroVironment’s Palletized High-Energy Laser, Epirus’ Leonidas high-powered microwave, Kord’s Firefly high-energy laser and Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System. The programme is being run by…

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Social media captures Southern California squirrels “splooting” in midst of sweltering heat wave

With sweltering heat still lingering over Southern California, many social media users have started capturing an adorable phenomenon sweeping across the region’s squirrel population — splooting.  Splooting, also called pancaking, is when a squirrel or animal lies flat on its stomach and spreads its legs to cool down.  “They’re just trying to keep cool in…

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Russian plague scare — what we know so far

Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her contacts and introduce new disease-control measures at local hospitals have raised concerns among people who fear they’re not being told the full story. The woman was a lab…

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Kemp expands fuel relief for Georgia farmers and truckers

Georgia is giving truckers and farmers more time and flexibility as high fuel costs continue to strain their budgets. Gov. Brian Kemp has extended the state’s motor fuel tax suspension through Nov. 5 and temporarily waived state penalties for using off-road “dyed” diesel in vehicles traveling on public roads. The changes are part of an…

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