The Intercept – by Ryan Grim, Glen Greenwald

WHEN EACH NEW CONGRESS is gaveled into session, the chambers attach symbolic importance to the first piece of legislation to be considered. For that reason, it bears the lofty designation of H.R.1 in the House, and S.1 in the Senate.

In the newly controlled Democratic House, H.R.1 – meant to signal the new majority’s priorities – is an anti-corruption bill that combines election and campaign finance reform, strengthening of voting rights, and matching public funds for small-dollar candidates. In the new 2017 Senate, the GOP-controlled S.1 was a bill, called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” that, among other provisions, cut various forms of corporate taxes.   Continue reading “U.S. Senate’s First Bill, In Midst Of Shutdown, Is A Bipartisan Defense Of The Israeli Government From Boycotts”

Breitbart – by John Binder

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is releasing from custody more than 2,000 border-crossing adults and the children they arrived with over the course of a few weeks.

A DHS official confirmed to Breitbart News that the U.S. Border Patrol and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is releasing more than 2,000 family units caught at the U.S.-Mexico border, citing a lack of detention space.   Continue reading “DHS Releases Over 2K Border-Crossing Adults, Children into U.S.”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

While most Americans thought they wouldn’t be affected by the partial government shutdown, anyone with a federal tax refund coming to them will have to wait until the stalemate is over, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As one of the agencies which now lacks funding, the IRS and the US tax collector are operating with roughly 1/8 of their usual staff under a shutdown plan it’s operating under outside the tax-filing season.    Continue reading “IRS Won’t Issue Refunds During Shutdown: That Could Be A Problem”

NBC News

The family of a Massachusetts bodybuilder who died after police used a Taser on him as he allegedly attacked a Tinder date with a knife said he had been undergoing mental health treatment.

Erick Stelzer died Thursday after police responding to a domestic disturbance call found him “actively assaulting” a woman with a knife and shocked him with a stun gun in order to free her, according to the Cohasset Police Department.   Continue reading “Bodybuilder who stabbed Tinder date before dying in police custody was getting mental health treatment”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

As the partial government shutdown approaches its tenth day, President Trump fired off a few Monday morning tweets from the Oval Office, calling out Democrats for their changing stance on border security over the last decade.

“I’m in the Oval Office. Democrats, come back from vacation now and give us the votes necessary for Border Security, including the Wall,” Trump tweeted, adding “You voted yes in 2006 and 2013. One more yes, but with me in office, I’ll get it built, and Fast!”  Continue reading “Trump Taunts Hypocritical Democrats Over Border Security Flip-Flop”

CBS News

The incoming congresswoman of the Texas border city of El Paso is warning of an imminent “crisis”  as local officials and charities scramble to accommodate at least 1,600 migrants dropped off there by federal authorities in recent days.

Representative-elect Veronica Escobar, a Democrat, told CBS News, “We have these teams coming in to play in our Sun Bowl this weekend and the hotels are booked,” referring to the college football game El Paso has hosted since 1935. “We’re facing a real crisis coming up … to find places for all of these (migrant) families.”   Continue reading “El Paso may face “crisis” housing migrants due to Sun Bowl, incoming congresswoman warns”

Vox – by Dara Lind

Hundreds, or even thousands, of migrant families are set to be released from government detention along the US-Mexico border over the next several days. But while the mass release of families may cheer critics of the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrant families, the government’s new plan will probably lead to hundreds of families getting dropped off en masse at bus stations — literally out in the cold.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency that’s generally responsible for immigrant detention, has already started mass releases of hundreds of families a day.  Continue reading “Trump administration to release hundreds of immigrant families from detention”

The San Diego Union Tribune

Another migrant caravan — with estimates of as many as 15,000 participants — is preparing to leave Honduras on January 15, according to migrant rights advocates and Spanish-language media.

“They say they are even bigger and stronger than the last caravan,” said Irma Garrido, a member of the migrant advocacy group Reactiva Tijuana Foundation.   Continue reading “Another, bigger migrant caravan is set to leave from Honduras next month”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says that the United States will take “extraordinary” protective measures when it comes to immigrant children in custody, after a second Guatemalan child died in custody.

Neilsen will travel later this week to the US-Mexico border to observe medical screenings and conditions at Border Patrol stations, according to AFP.   Continue reading “US Will Take “Extraordinary” Measures To Protect Migrant Children After Second Death”

The Sacramento Bee

Stanislaus County detectives were searching a farmhouse about 12 miles south of Merced on Thursday afternoon in connection with the shooting death of a Newman Police Department corporal.

Sgt. Tom Letras said it is one of several locations being searched as part of the investigation into the death of Cpl. Ronil Singh early Wednesday morning.   Continue reading “Detectives conducting search near Merced for suspect in death of Newman corporal”

JTA

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel is going into the medical marijuana export business — if its Cabinet agrees.

The Knesset has passed legislation that would have Israel join the Netherlands and Canada as nations allowing the legal export of medical cannabis.   Continue reading “Israeli lawmakers legalize export of medical marijuana”

KFOX 14

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — About 518 migrants are expected to be released by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday, according to the Annunciation House.

That makes more than 1,000 migrants released in the past three days.   Continue reading “About 500 migrants released by ICE Wednesday, over 1,000 released past few days”

CBS News

One-hundred-eighty-six more migrants were released in downtown El Paso, Texas by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Christmas Day, reports the CBS affiliate there, KDBC-TV. That came after approximately 400 were released in the southwest Texas city in the two days before Christmas.

Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who represents El Paso, said he’d been told some 500 more would be released there Wednesday.   Continue reading “ICE drops off almost 200 more migrants in El Paso”

Free Thought Project – by Matt Agorist

Honolulu, HI — To “celebrate” Christmas Eve, the Waikiki Police Department is planning to remove all of the city’s homeless population in a massive sweep. The action has prompted backlash from the community as well as the ACLU.

During the early morning hours, from 3:00 to 5:30 a.m. offices will sweep the town and forcibly remove all tents, gear, and people from the streets.   Continue reading “To “Celebrate” Christmas, Police to Forcibly Remove City’s Entire Homeless Population”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Update: With everyone suddenly freaking out over whether (and why) Mnuchin really made the kind of “liquidity test” call to bank CEOs that was reserved for the depth of the financial crisis, moments ago Mnuchin himself tweeted out details of his Sunday call (from Cabo), the gist of which is that Mnuchin was checking bank liquidity levels for “loans and other market operations” with the CEOs of the 6 largest banks, and even more importantly, on Monday Mnuchin will hold a call with the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, better known as the Plunge Protection Team.  Continue reading “Mnuchin Called Bank CEOs To Check Liquidity, Calm Markets; Has Monday Call With Plunge Protection Team”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

When the White House said it was looking into “other ways” to fund Trump’s promised border wall after caving to the Democrats, maybe this is what they were talking about.

Shortly after the president decided he actually didn’t want a partial government shutdown and agreed to find a compromise with Democrats to keep the government funded through the holidays, military veteran and triple amputee Brian Kolfage launched a GoFundMe to try and raise money for the wall privately. Continue reading “‘Build The Wall’ GoFundMe Page Raises $1 Million In Two Days”