APRIL 16, 2019
By Charlie Spiering
He told a group of reporters that he was “strongly looking at” the idea after visiting Texas and California and the border, where his administration was constructing new physical barriers.
“If they don’t agree, we might as well do what they always say they want. We’ll bring in the illegals … we’ll bring them to sanctuary city areas, and let that particular area take care of it,” Trump said. “Whether it’s a state or whatever it might be. California certainly is always saying they want more people in their statuary cities, well we’ll give them more people, we can give them a lot. We can give them an unlimited supply.”
The president commented on the border crisis after hosting an event at the White House to promote the growth of 5G networks.
Trump mocked Democrats for insisting that his administration let migrants and illegal immigrants in, rather than deporting them.
“They always seem to have open arms,” Trump said. “Let’s see if they have open arms.”
Trump said the “horrible old fashioned laws” made it impossible to detain illegals longer than 20 days, adding that the current asylum laws were “absolutely insane.”
Trump specifically referred to the Governor of California, who welcomed more refugees and illegals.
“We’ll give them to the Sanctuary cities to maybe take care of if that’s what they want,” he said.
APRIL 10, 2019
The decision further sparked a national conversation about the rights of Dreamers, as well as the legality of offering them in-state tuition benefits, which usually allow students attending college in their home states to pay far less than their peers from different states.
Citing US Code 1623, which states that anyone who is not legally a citizen cannot be entitled to any benefit that is denied to a citizen of the United States, some have questioned whether those here illegally should be offered in-state tuition rates that aren’t available to other students who are citizens. Currently, 18 states, offer some form of a pathway for in-state tuition to those living here illegally.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 18 states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington — offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students. Two more states — Oklahoma and Rhode Island — offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, pending approval from the Board of Regents.
So, what do college students think?
Is it fair for those who are here illegally to have access to in-state tuition? Campus Reform spoke to students all day at the University of Nevada- Las Vegas, and not one student said that doesn’t seem right.
“Why do they get to pay less when I’ve got to pay more?” one student said…
…while another added, “What do you get for living here all your life legally instead of coming here illegally? I just don’t think that’s fair.”
Another student echoed that sentiment, saying, “that’s disappointing because I did quite a bit to earn my college.”
WATCH:
By Hannah Leone
The man heard noises made by three male suspects who were trying to break through his front door shortly after 9 p.m. in the 2600 block of North Merrimac Avenue in the Belmont Central neighborhood, police said.
When the homeowner opened the door, he was faced with the three suspects, and saw one of them trying to break his screen door with the crowbar, police said.
The man fired a gun through the screen door, apparently hitting one of the suspects who limped away from the home, police said.
The other two suspects got into a red Dodge Caravan and left, police said.
No arrests had been made, and police said they had not identified the man who the homeowner shot.
The homeowner has a valid FOID card and is not currently facing any criminal charges, a police source said.
APRIL 9, 2019
This example of how the 2nd Amendment can stop violent crimes comes two days after Chicago police arrested 21 people in the same part of town.
Notice in the video below how those observing the scuffle from inside a McDonald’s do nothing to help and instead sit silently until the man shows his handgun, prompting the patrons to shriek in fear.
There is an irony here that shouldn’t be ignored.
The man being attacked is wearing some sort of security guard outfit, which is likely why he’s allowed to carry a weapon in the first place as Chicago has some of the most strict gun policies in the country.
Chicago also has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, but statistics show crime would drop if it were easier for law-abiding citizens like the man in the video to carry.
“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett released a music video in 2017 that featured a fake President Donald Trump, a noose and the words “alternative facts.”
WATCH:
Smollett’s video, titled “F.U.W.” for “F**ked Up World,” explored themes of perceived racial bias and human rights abuses from Dakota Access Pipeline and Standing Rock to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. (RELATED: Dueling Protests Over Jussie Smollett Case Rock Chicago)
The lyrics were clearly aimed at the fake Trump, who made an appearance early on:
Build a wall. You won’t keep us from loving each other.
Rewrite the law. You won’t keep us from loving each other.
Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist …
The actor, who claimed he was attacked in Chicago in late January, alleged that his attackers yelled, “This is MAGA country!” as they poured bleach on him and wrapped a noose around his neck. He later said on “Good Morning America” that he believed he had been targeted because of his activism “against 45.”
Police offered a different story, however, saying instead that there was evidence indicating that Smollett had possibly staged the attack himself. Investigators detailed a timeline of events and a series of communications between Smollett and the two Nigerian brothers who admitted to attacking him — but said that he had directed them to do so.
The charges against Smollett were dropped last week after he forfeited his $10,000 bond and agreed to do community service, but many were quick to voice displeasure with the decision. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel went so far as to call it “a whitewashing of justice.”
MARCH 29, 2019
Illinois is looking into a new tax on Internet streaming as well as raising its vehicle registration and gas taxes to almost the highest in the nation.
The state is buckling under a staggering $134 billion in over 650 unfunded pensions, mainly for police and fire departments.
A state bill entitled the Video Service Tax Modernization Act would impose taxes on Internet streaming such as Spotify and Netflix “for the privilege to witness, view, or otherwise enjoy the entertainment.”
The tax is similar to Chicago’s “amusement tax” forced on city residents back in November to watch Netflix and play Playstation games on-line, as previously reported.
“The legality of Chicago’s ‘Netflix tax’ is dubious,” statedIllinoisPolicy.org. “The Liberty Justice Center, the Illinois Policy Institute’s litigation partner, sued the city on behalf of streaming service customers in 2015, after the expansion of the tax to online services went into effect.”
“The Center argued expanding the tax to online services violates the 1998 Internet Tax Freedom Act, a federal law.”
This federal law prohibits states from enacting taxes against electronic commerce, meaning that Illinois’ proposed statewide law could be struck down.
Illinois is also considering hiking its gas and transportation taxes.
“Legislation introduced last week proposes the state’s first gas tax increase since 1990 and could raise an additional $2 billion in revenue each year, the Chicago Tribune reported,” read an article from the AP. “But it also would hike the electric-vehicle fee from $17.50 to $148, and increase truck registration fees by $100.”
“The fees for driver’s licenses would double under the proposal, from $30 to $60, while passenger vehicle registration would increase from $98 to $148.”
Two billion dollars is roughly only 1.5% of the amount needed to fund the state’s pension funds, however.
Additionally, another problem plagues Illinois: all these new taxes are motivating residents to flee the state.
Not only is Illinois within the top five states with the highest tax burdens, it’s also one of the top five states residents are moving out of.
In other words, if Illinois increases taxes, residents will move out, thus shrinking the tax revenues.
Smollett is nominated for the 2019 NAACP Image Awards, scheduled for Saturday. Six-time host and “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson told Variety on Wednesday that he hopes to see the controversial actor there.
“I hope he wins,” Anderson added. “I’m happy for him that the system worked for him in his favor because the system isn’t always fair, especially for people of color. So I’m glad it worked out for him.”
When asked whether or not Smollett would be in attendance at the award ceremony this year, representative Pamela Sharp told USA TODAY she did “not have that information as of now.”
This is the fourth consecutive year Smollett has been nominated in the Image Awards’ Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. He previously won in that category in 2017 and has also nabbed three different music-related Image Awards for his work on “Empire,” according to IMDb. He’s been in attendance for the last three award shows.
“It’s not my place or any other person’s place to judge him or what not, but I’m glad the he’s nominated,” Anderson concluded. “I hope he wins because I’d be interested to hear his speech.”
More: Jussie Smollett case timeline: Charges dropped against actor who went from victim to suspect
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