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| Trump reportedly promised to pardon CBP head if he violated immigration law – live | Trump reportedly promised to pardon CBP head if he violated immigration law – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A decision by the U.S. Justice Department not to fight to defend a federal law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) sends a “damaging message” to those working to end the practice, according to advocates, Reuters reports. | |
| Government lawyers said on Wednesday they would not appeal a decision by a Michigan federal judge who dismissed charges involving FGM as unconstitutional, ruling it was a state issue. Congress in 1996 outlawed FGM, a ritual that involves partial or total removal of external genitalia, which the World Health Organization has called “a grave violation of the human rights of girls and women.” | |
| Half a million girls and women in the United States have undergone or are at risk of undergoing FGM, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | |
| Lois Beckett here, picking up our Friday evening live coverage from the West Coast. | |
| It’s just past 5 pm now in Washington, DC, and reporters are standing by to see what this week’s Friday evening news dump might be. I’ll keep you updated... | |
| It’s 4:44 on Friday. Newsdump? | |
| Donald Trump threatened to ship immigrants detained at the border to so-called sanctuary cities to release them, as a way to stick it to Democrats who have opposed his immigration policies. “They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms,” he said. The threat came after news outlets reported that the White House pushed the idea months ago, but officials insisted it was briefly considered and then rejected. Trump apparently felt otherwise. | |
| Trump last week told Kevin McAleenan, then his Customs and Border Protection commissioner and now the acting Homeland Security secretary, that he would pardon him if he faced legal trouble for carrying out immigration policies that violate the law, CNN and the New York Times reported. | |
| The feud between fellow Indianans Pete Buttigieg and Mike Pence over religion and sexual orientation escalated, with Pence saying the South Bend mayor is attacking his Christian faith, and Buttigieg shooting back that he is only attacking bad policy. | |
| New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio responds to Donald Trump’s threat to send detained migrants to sanctuary cities. | New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio responds to Donald Trump’s threat to send detained migrants to sanctuary cities. |
| Cruelty is the only constant in @realDonaldTrump’s immigration policy. He's obsessed with creating crisis after crisis in a cynical ploy to turn us against our immigrant neighbors. It didn’t work before.It won't work now. | Cruelty is the only constant in @realDonaldTrump’s immigration policy. He's obsessed with creating crisis after crisis in a cynical ploy to turn us against our immigrant neighbors. It didn’t work before.It won't work now. |
| The House Oversight committee plans to subpoena Donald Trump’s account firm for the president’s financial records on Monday, the Washington Post reports. | The House Oversight committee plans to subpoena Donald Trump’s account firm for the president’s financial records on Monday, the Washington Post reports. |
| The committee will serve the subpoena on Mazars USA. Chairman Elijah Cummings has said the firm required what he called a “friendly subpoena” before they would turn over the requested documents. | The committee will serve the subpoena on Mazars USA. Chairman Elijah Cummings has said the firm required what he called a “friendly subpoena” before they would turn over the requested documents. |
| Stephen Moore, Donald Trump’s pick for the federal reserve board, has a history of self-described “radical” views, according to speeches and radio interviews reviewed by CNN. | Stephen Moore, Donald Trump’s pick for the federal reserve board, has a history of self-described “radical” views, according to speeches and radio interviews reviewed by CNN. |
| “I’m not even a big believer in democracy,” he said in a 2009 interview, and has often said capitalism is more important than democracy. | “I’m not even a big believer in democracy,” he said in a 2009 interview, and has often said capitalism is more important than democracy. |
| He has advocated for eliminating corporate and personal income taxes entirely, and called the constitutional amendment that created income taxes the “most evil” law passed in the 20th century. | He has advocated for eliminating corporate and personal income taxes entirely, and called the constitutional amendment that created income taxes the “most evil” law passed in the 20th century. |
| Susan Rice, the national security adviser under Barack Obama, will not run against Maine Senator Susan Collins next year. | Susan Rice, the national security adviser under Barack Obama, will not run against Maine Senator Susan Collins next year. |
| Rice said that “the timing really isn’t right for us,” the Associated Press reported. She had previously floated the idea of running against Collins, a moderate Republican, after the senator supported Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Rice lives in Washington DC but has family roots in Maine. | Rice said that “the timing really isn’t right for us,” the Associated Press reported. She had previously floated the idea of running against Collins, a moderate Republican, after the senator supported Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Rice lives in Washington DC but has family roots in Maine. |
| Donald Trump urged Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan to close the US-Mexico border last week, even after he had publicly backed off a threat to close it, the New York Times reports. | Donald Trump urged Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan to close the US-Mexico border last week, even after he had publicly backed off a threat to close it, the New York Times reports. |
| The Times also confirms an earlier report from CNN that Trump promised McAleenan a pardon should he be charged with breaking the law as a result of closing the border. He may or may not have been joking. | The Times also confirms an earlier report from CNN that Trump promised McAleenan a pardon should he be charged with breaking the law as a result of closing the border. He may or may not have been joking. |
| The Trump administration has declined to name anyone to a UN committee on racism, Politico reports. | The Trump administration has declined to name anyone to a UN committee on racism, Politico reports. |
| The White House intervened to to prevent the expected re-nomination of a human rights lawyer picked by former President Barack Obama for the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and instead let the deadline pass without naming anyone, a State Department official told Politico. “It cements the narrative that the Americans just don’t care about these kinds of things anymore,” the official said. | The White House intervened to to prevent the expected re-nomination of a human rights lawyer picked by former President Barack Obama for the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and instead let the deadline pass without naming anyone, a State Department official told Politico. “It cements the narrative that the Americans just don’t care about these kinds of things anymore,” the official said. |
| San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Donald Trump’s threat to flood sanctuary cities with migrants is not a “real idea or a real proposal” but rather “just another scare tactic.” | San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Donald Trump’s threat to flood sanctuary cities with migrants is not a “real idea or a real proposal” but rather “just another scare tactic.” |
| “We are proud to be a Sanctuary City and to continue to put forward proposals to support our immigrant communities,” she said. | “We are proud to be a Sanctuary City and to continue to put forward proposals to support our immigrant communities,” she said. |
| Donald Trump promised to pardon Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan if he were jailed for illegally blocking asylum seekers from entering the United States, CNN reports. | Donald Trump promised to pardon Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan if he were jailed for illegally blocking asylum seekers from entering the United States, CNN reports. |
| During a visit to Calexico, California last week, he told border agents to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country, which would be contrary to US law. He also told McAleenan he would give him a pardon if he faced charges for the policy, administration officials told CNN. | During a visit to Calexico, California last week, he told border agents to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country, which would be contrary to US law. He also told McAleenan he would give him a pardon if he faced charges for the policy, administration officials told CNN. |
| McAleenan has since been named acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. | McAleenan has since been named acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. |
| Donald Trump’s full remarks at the White House about his idea to floor sanctuary cities with migrants, via a pool reporter: | Donald Trump’s full remarks at the White House about his idea to floor sanctuary cities with migrants, via a pool reporter: |
| "I call them illegals."via WH pooler @cam_joseph pic.twitter.com/3NVyzT5gvS | "I call them illegals."via WH pooler @cam_joseph pic.twitter.com/3NVyzT5gvS |
| Donald Trump is using immigration as a “political drum” to rev up his supporters, Hillary Clinton said Friday at the Women of the World Summit. She went on: | Donald Trump is using immigration as a “political drum” to rev up his supporters, Hillary Clinton said Friday at the Women of the World Summit. She went on: |
| “If you really wanted to solve this problem, you would double, you would quadruple the number of immigration judges, you would hire more people, you would send them to the border. You would begin to organize a system so that people could be quickly processed in a legal and humane way. We would not be separating families and putting babies in cages. You know, we’re rather good at things if we decide if we want to do them. We would have enough decent humane housing, you would have people in a system — one of the worst things this administration has done is to separate those children and have no system. | “If you really wanted to solve this problem, you would double, you would quadruple the number of immigration judges, you would hire more people, you would send them to the border. You would begin to organize a system so that people could be quickly processed in a legal and humane way. We would not be separating families and putting babies in cages. You know, we’re rather good at things if we decide if we want to do them. We would have enough decent humane housing, you would have people in a system — one of the worst things this administration has done is to separate those children and have no system. |
| I would go to the big tech companies and say, okay, you’ve got 15 days, get me a system so that I can keep track of everyone. I’m not going to lose anyone. No baby, no older person. Everyone is going to be in the system, and we’re going to have enough judges. down there, we’re going to have decent housing conditions, and we’re going to start hearing those cases. That’s what someone who wanted to solve the problem would be doing as opposed to either denying or politicizing it and that is what I hope will eventually will be done.” | I would go to the big tech companies and say, okay, you’ve got 15 days, get me a system so that I can keep track of everyone. I’m not going to lose anyone. No baby, no older person. Everyone is going to be in the system, and we’re going to have enough judges. down there, we’re going to have decent housing conditions, and we’re going to start hearing those cases. That’s what someone who wanted to solve the problem would be doing as opposed to either denying or politicizing it and that is what I hope will eventually will be done.” |
| The man apprehended outside the White House set his jacket on fire and is being treated for injuries, according to CNN. | The man apprehended outside the White House set his jacket on fire and is being treated for injuries, according to CNN. |
| Secret service spokeswoman tells me a man set his jacket on fire in front of the White House. He is being treated for injuries. No threat to the President | Secret service spokeswoman tells me a man set his jacket on fire in front of the White House. He is being treated for injuries. No threat to the President |
| The Secret Service has apprehended a man who tried to set himself on fire outside the White House, according to reporters on the scene. | The Secret Service has apprehended a man who tried to set himself on fire outside the White House, according to reporters on the scene. |
| HAPPENING NOW: @SecretService just apprehended man who tried to set himself on fire outside @WhiteHouse agent tells us pic.twitter.com/GvPYEZ8Cnm | HAPPENING NOW: @SecretService just apprehended man who tried to set himself on fire outside @WhiteHouse agent tells us pic.twitter.com/GvPYEZ8Cnm |
| The whole area in front of the White House is now secured. Nobody coming in, and we aren’t allowed out. pic.twitter.com/NPMZD4jDeT | The whole area in front of the White House is now secured. Nobody coming in, and we aren’t allowed out. pic.twitter.com/NPMZD4jDeT |
| Donald Trump said Friday at the White House he is “strongly looking at” the possibility of shipping immigrant detainees to sanctuary cities. | Donald Trump said Friday at the White House he is “strongly looking at” the possibility of shipping immigrant detainees to sanctuary cities. |
| “We’ll give them to the sanctuary cities to take care of them, if that’s what they want,” he told reporters. “We’ll bring them to sanctuary City areas and let that particular area take care of it...We’ll give them a lot. We can give them an unlimited supply.” | “We’ll give them to the sanctuary cities to take care of them, if that’s what they want,” he told reporters. “We’ll bring them to sanctuary City areas and let that particular area take care of it...We’ll give them a lot. We can give them an unlimited supply.” |
| “They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms” https://t.co/N3cwdwHP9P | “They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms” https://t.co/N3cwdwHP9P |
| Beto O’Rourke compared Donald Trump to an “arsonist” who is worsening the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border. | Beto O’Rourke compared Donald Trump to an “arsonist” who is worsening the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border. |
| “Donald Trump is the arsonist who gets the credit for putting out the fire,” the former Texas congressman and Democratic presidential candidate told CNN. | “Donald Trump is the arsonist who gets the credit for putting out the fire,” the former Texas congressman and Democratic presidential candidate told CNN. |
| “What we need is someone who will not play games or politics with people’s lives or the security of this country but will invest in the smart decisions and policies like investing in Central America to stop the outflow before it even begins,” O’Rourke said. “We can try to address these problems at the US-Mexico border with walls or open arms, or we can address them in the countries of origin before they ever become a problem, and that’s what I want to do.” | “What we need is someone who will not play games or politics with people’s lives or the security of this country but will invest in the smart decisions and policies like investing in Central America to stop the outflow before it even begins,” O’Rourke said. “We can try to address these problems at the US-Mexico border with walls or open arms, or we can address them in the countries of origin before they ever become a problem, and that’s what I want to do.” |
| My colleague Lauren Aratani writes: | My colleague Lauren Aratani writes: |
| Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Women in the World summit in New York today, recalled dealing with Wikileaks’ disclosures when she was secretary of state: | Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Women in the World summit in New York today, recalled dealing with Wikileaks’ disclosures when she was secretary of state: |
| “ I do have a personal connection to this because this happened in 2010 what I was Secretary of State. So there was a great deal of military information, there was a great deal of state department, diplomatic information because part of the reason you have an ambassador in a country is to have pick up information and report it back to the state department. There were memos and what were cables that were very honest, very candid, describing leaders, and saying ‘We heard this, and we met about that’. It was useful information because if you’re trying to figure out how to deal with a country, you want to have that material. | “ I do have a personal connection to this because this happened in 2010 what I was Secretary of State. So there was a great deal of military information, there was a great deal of state department, diplomatic information because part of the reason you have an ambassador in a country is to have pick up information and report it back to the state department. There were memos and what were cables that were very honest, very candid, describing leaders, and saying ‘We heard this, and we met about that’. It was useful information because if you’re trying to figure out how to deal with a country, you want to have that material. |
| When all of this was exposed, we had to scramble like crazy. Because in that trove of material, there were names of people, people who had helped our embassy or our military in Afghanistan, human rights activists, people who were then, prisoners of conscience who were trying to convince the United States, meeting with our embassy personnel to help them. So there were names of people. I had to make the decision to try to remove people, get them out of danger, create identities for them to make sure they weren’t going to be hurt. So I take it seriously.” | When all of this was exposed, we had to scramble like crazy. Because in that trove of material, there were names of people, people who had helped our embassy or our military in Afghanistan, human rights activists, people who were then, prisoners of conscience who were trying to convince the United States, meeting with our embassy personnel to help them. So there were names of people. I had to make the decision to try to remove people, get them out of danger, create identities for them to make sure they weren’t going to be hurt. So I take it seriously.” |
| Clinton said “I don’t know” whether Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should also be indicted for his role in publishing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election. | Clinton said “I don’t know” whether Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should also be indicted for his role in publishing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election. |