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Beto O’Rourke talks immigration at formal campaign kickoff near southern border

2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke on Saturday formally launched his White House bid in his home state of Texas, and used an address in El Paso to focus in particular on the hot topic of immigration.

“If we truly believe we are a country of immigrants and asylum seekers and refugees, the very premise of our strength, success and our security, let us free every single Dreamer from any fear of deportation,” he said, referring to illegal immigrants who entered the country as children.

BETO O'ROURKE PICKING UP SUPPORT FROM PRIMARY RIVALS OUT OF THE GATE

O’Rourke, a former congressman who failed to oust Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2018 Texas Senate race, was speaking in his hometown of El Paso just blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border -- one of three rallies in the state. He spoke on a small stage in the city’s downtown, quickly moving through policy issues and pacing from one side to another while surrounded by sign language interpreters.

“This is our moment of truth, and we cannot be found wanting,” he told the crowd. “The challenges before us are the greatest of our lifetimes.”

His speech comes during a week in which Trump has said he is considering shutting the southern border due to Mexico’s alleged inaction to combat the increasing flows of illegal immigrants into the country, and weeks after Trump declared a national emergency at the border to free up more funding for a wall at the border.

But as Democrats have been increasingly taking more radical stances on issues such as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- with O’Rourke going so far as to call for existing barriers to be taken down -- the former congressman struck a more bipartisan tone in El Paso.

In line with his 2018 campaign, O’Rourke said there was a “golden opportunity” for Democrats to work with Republicans on “comprehensive immigration reform” and to “rewrite this country’s immigration laws in our own image, with our own values, and in the best traditions of the United States of America.”

BETO O'ROURKE, PETE BUTTIGIEG RISE IN NEW 2020 NATIONAL POLL

In his address, he touched on a number of issues, sometimes in rapid-fire succession. Those included more liberal positions such as the federal legalization of pot, combating climate change promising a new Voting Rights Act to “end gerrymandering,”  and “high quality universal health care.” In a nod to the city’s large Hispanic population, he spoke in Spanish for the last part of his address.

With a Democratic field that has increasingly embraced left-wing, once-fringe policies, it is far from clear how well O’Rourke’s more centrist political stances that allowed him to stay competitive in the red state of Texas will fare on the national stage.

So far though, initial polls are indicating his support is solid. A recent Quinnipiac University national poll showed O’Rourke in third place among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.

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While he formally kicked off his campaign on Saturday, O’Rourke announced his candidacy two weeks ago and attracted large crowds and lots of media buzz as he campaigned in all four of the early voting primary and caucus states. He also raised an eye-popping $6 million in his first 24 hours as a candidate.

O'Rourke was scheduled to speak later Saturday at the historically black Texas Southern University in Houston before an evening event near Austin's state Capitol.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Conservative Journalist Crashes Press Conference With Congressman TJ Cox & Jim Costa & Gets Kicked Out By Security

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Canada says reopening USMCA trade pact could be a ‘Pandora’s box’

FILE PHOTO: Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland takes part in a news conference in Washington
FILE PHOTO: Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland takes part in a news conference at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, U.S., August 31, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo

April 4, 2019

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday cautioned against the idea of reopening a new continental trade pact with the United States and Mexico, saying it could be a “Pandora’s box.”

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Politico this week that changes needed to be made to the text of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal to ensure its labor provisions could be enforced.

“When it comes to the issue of actually opening up the agreement, that’s where Canada’s view is, we’ve done our deal,” Freeland told reporters on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Washington when asked about Pelosi’s comments.

“This was a very intense negotiation. A lot of time, a lot of effort went into it, compromises were made on all sides, and we believe that people need to be very careful around opening up what could really be a Pandora’s box,” she added.

One part of the deal – which was signed last November after 15 months of sometimes rancorous negotiations – was a chapter designed to boost labor standards and wages in Mexico.

Democratic lawmakers say the pact must ensure workers in Mexico have the right to organize, a step that would require new Mexican labor laws.

“Canada has done its share, we have done our work, and now it’s up to each country to work on ratification,” said Freeland.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Source: OANN

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Ohio church apologizes after shocking video shows youth pastor asking kids to cut him in Easter lesson

A church in Pataskala, Ohio apologized after a disturbing video surfaced showing a youth pastor asking kids to spit on him, slap him, and then cut him with a steak knife in an Easter message gone wrong.

"The illustration went too far," Justin Ross, the lead pastor of Impact City Church, explained in a video on Facebook, "and it was inappropriate for the audience that we had, that was students."

THESE EASTER EGGS SHOW KIDS THE 'TRUE MEANING' OF THE HOLIDAY

Part-time youth pastor Jaddeaus Dempsey says he was trying to illustrate what happened to Jesus leading up to the crucifixion, so he asked the students to spit on him and they lined up and did so. Then to slap him, as several students expressed that it was "enough," but then he picked up a knife and asked them to cut him.

"Are you serious?" a student asked, as screams are heard in the background. Dempsey responded: "I'm very serious."

One kid, holding the knife, says, "I cannot do this," and hands the knife to another student.

CALIFORNIA EDUCATOR WARNS OF 'FAR-LEFT' AGENDA BEING PUSHED ON KIDS IN CLASSROOMS

The next student brought the knife to his back as "light" as he could.

Dempsey told him to bring blood so the student tried again, saying he could see blood. Then the video stops.

Many students were taking videos and posting them on social media. One of them was posted by Lola Hatfield, who called it "disturbing."

WARNING: DISTURBING VIDEO CONTENT

Mandy, one of the parents whose kid was handed a knife, told 10 WBNS she was "appalled."

"I was disturbed," she said. "It was disturbing."

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY GUNNED DOWN IN PARAGUAY

Mandy and her husband Josh rushed to pick up their son from the church and noticed he was upset and thought he was in trouble.

Josh told him he wasn't upset with him but "the things that happened here wasn't okay."

YOUNG BOY CREDITS THIS CHRISTIAN CHILDREN'S SHOW WITH SAVING HIM FROM SUICIDE

The lead pastor agreed, in a video apology, that the reactions to the incident were appropriate.

"Many of you were disgusted. Many of you were hurt by this. Many of you were very confused on why this would be taking place at a church and a youth event, and we agree," Ross said. "It was inappropriate for this audience and there's really no excuse for why it happened."

BOY WHO INSPIRED FAITH SURVIVAL STORY 'BREAKTHROUGH' SAYS 'GOD STILL DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE'

But he said the intent behind it, which was not seen on social media, is important to clear up.

"After Jaddeaus allowed them to spit on him, slap him, and cut him, he sat them down and explained to them about this guy named Jesus, who thousands of years ago, he was put on trial for a crime that he didn't commit, and he was beaten, he was broken, he was whipped, he was crucified, and he died as an innocent man."

The pastor explained that Jesus could've stopped it at any point but "chose to take the debt we call sin."

Jesus did it out of love, the pastor explained, adding that the youth pastor was trying to "share" in Jesus' pain.

MILLENNIALS CREATE BIBLE FOR THE INSTAGRAM GENERATION

Dempsey said some students felt bad and he told them it was completely his idea.

"It was completely my idea. Not Justin, not any of the other leaders, including my own wife, knew the illustration that I was about to perform," Dempsey said. "I crossed the line, and it was over the top and it was just not appropriate. It was in bad judgment. I'm so sorry for misrepresenting the community, the church, the parents, the students, anybody that I hurt. It was not my intention."

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The goal was to show the students how much Jesus loved them, the youth pastor explained.

"In no way do we condone that students or anyone else should spit on someone, should slap them, or use a weapon to harm anyone or harm themselves," Ross said, "and we have a lot to evaluate to ensure that a situation like this doesn't happen again."

Source: Fox News National

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Columbine memorial ceremony shines a light on community strength: a ‘senseless tragedy indelibly imprinted in our minds’

As the small suburban town of Littleton, Colo., gathered on Saturday to honor the 20-year anniversary of the notorious massacre at Columbine High, the message community leaders shared was one of remembrance, reflection, and ultimately forgiveness.

Ron Mitchell, principal at Columbine from 1986 to 1996, said he still struggles with what happened, adding that he never imagined that such a tragedy could take place at any school, no less his own.

“In some ways it is hard to believe that it's been 20 years and in other ways it feels like the senseless tragedy and loss of life occurred yesterday, as it is indelibly imprinted in our minds and hearts.”

Crosses with the names of the victims of the massacre at Columbine High School nearly 20 years ago stand along a picnic site in the park before a vigil at the memorial Friday, April 19, 2019, in Littleton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Crosses with the names of the victims of the massacre at Columbine High School nearly 20 years ago stand along a picnic site in the park before a vigil at the memorial Friday, April 19, 2019, in Littleton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Local Pastor James Hoxworth urged those in attendance not to forget the shooting, in which two students gunned down 13 people -- 12 students and a teacher -- and injured many more before killing themselves. He also urged the people on hand to reflect on the “good that has come out of so much pain”

“This community has refused to allow the tragedy to define us, and how this community has responded to tragedy is how we are defined,” Hoxworth said.

COLUMBINE SURVIVOR ION MOMENTS OF SHOOTING: ‘I COMPLETELY DISASSOCIATED’

“All of a sudden, life comes into crystal-clear focus and we reflect; the things that we thought we valued seemed to pale in comparison to what we truly value in this life.”

Scott Christy, the current principal, was presented with a 17th-century tea bowl by Japanese artist Makoto Fujimura. The bowl was broken once and repaired with gold, giving it the name “‘The River of Gold.”

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Fujimura said the change that came from the repair made the bowl “more beautiful” and “more valuable,” making it a fitting symbol of all that has emerged from that shooting back in 1999.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Secret Service reeling after sex scandals, social media embarrassments, director’s ousting

The Secret Service -- the agency charged with protecting America's most vital leaders, including the President -- is facing renewed scrutiny amid the controversy surrounding an agent inserting a thumb drive with apparent Chinese malware into a computer and the separate ouster of the outfit's director.

The malware incident, which occurred when an unidentified agent allegedly inserted a malicious thumb drive, found in the possession of a Chinese woman arrested at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club last month, into an agency computer -- that then began installing unwanted files.

SECRET SERVICE UNDER FIRE AFTER AGENT TESTIFIES AGENCY INSERTED MALICIOUS THUMB DRIVE INTO COMPUTER

The incident was confirmed by Secret Service agent Samuel Ivanovich’s testimony in the case of Yujing Zhang, 32, who was charged with unlawfully entering a restricted area and making false statements to federal law enforcement officers. Prosecutors said she isn’t accused of spying at this time, but noted there are "a lot of questions that remain to be answered."

“Assertions that U.S. Secret Service agents are incompetent to carry out forensic examinations on digital media (ie thumbdrives, laptops, cellphones, etc.) is outlandish and not rooted in fact.”

— Secret Service

Amid the criticism, the Secret Service issued a statement denying the incident and contradicting its own agent’s testimony.

“Assertions that U.S. Secret Service agents are incompetent to carry out forensic examinations on digital media (ie thumbdrives, laptops, cellphones, etc.) is outlandish and not rooted in fact,” a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement.

Beyond that, Director Randolph "Tex" Alles was ousted from his position by Trump this week as part of a larger shakeup of the Department of Homeland Security, the government arm to which the Secret Service reports.

But this isn’t the first time the Secret Service has come under fire for reportedly embarrassing -- or potentially harmful -- blunders.

Multiple breaches

Since Trump's election, there have been dozens of attempts by protesters or members of the so-called "resistance" to enter the White House and hurt the president. Some of the perpetrators have penetrated security rings and come dangerously close to White House officials.

Back in February, a man managed to breach a security perimeter after claiming he had an appointment with Trump to discuss the border wall, Green New Deal and his hope to “bring peace to the world.”

MAN CLAIMING APPOINTMENT WITH TRUMP STRIKES SECRET SERVICE OFFICER OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE, AUTHORITIES SAY

Christopher Henry Alexander Davis, 29, of Herndon, Va., reportedly engaged in a physical struggle with Secret Service officers after they tried to handcuff him. At one point, he “struck [the officer] with his right forearm to the left side of the [officer's] face and nose,” according to court records.

In March 2017, Jonathan Tuan Tran, 26, jumped over a White House fence while allegedly carrying two cans of mace -- including one inside his jacket pocket.

The man got so deep into the compound he was seen hiding behind one of the mansion’s column before being apprehended. He was able to freely roam around the compound for about 16 minutes before the Secret Service detained him.

SUSPECTED WHITE HOUSE FENCE JUMPER CHARGED WITH CARRYING 'DANGEROUS WEAPON,' SEEN BEHIND MANSION COLUMN

Trump was inside the building at the time of the breach. The Secret Service insisted the man had no hazardous materials, despite court records contradicting that statement.

Agent against Trump

The recent controversies involving the agency also include an anti-Trump agent who said she would rather go to jail than take a bullet for Trump.

Kerry O’Grady, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Denver district, was placed on paid leave about two years ago amid an investigation that unearthed her troubling comments on Social media.

O’Grady reportedly posted on Facebook in October, writing: "As a public servant for nearly 23 years, I struggle not to violate the Hatch Act."

She added: “So I keep quiet and skirt the median. To do otherwise can be a criminal offense for those in my position. Despite the fact that I am expected to take a bullet for both sides. But this world has changed and I have changed. And I would take jail time over a bullet or an endorsement for what I believe to be disaster to this country and the strong and amazing women and minorities who reside here. Hatch Act be damned. I am with Her."

SECRET SERVICE AGENT WHO SUGGESTED SHE WON’T TAKE BULLET FOR TRUMP ON PAID LEAVE, REPORT SAYS

She later retracted her comments and told the Washington Examiner she would indeed protect the president.

“It was an internal struggle for me but as soon as I put it up, I thought it was not the sentiment that I needed to share because I care very deeply about the mission,” she said.

She continued to be on a Secret Service payroll; though, she appears to no longer hold the top role within her department. She also reportedly helped to organize an anti-Trump Women’s March in Denver back in January.

Secret Service 'covers up' Russian spy hire

The Secret Service was also criticized after the agency hired a suspected Russian spy who went on to work at the U.S. embassy in Moscow for a decade before being dismissed in 2017 amid scrutiny from counter-intelligence officers

The Russian national, a woman, was hired by the Secret Service and came under suspicion in 2016 during a routine security sweep carried out by the State Department, according to sources quoted by the Guardian.

“The Secret Service is trying to hide the breach by firing [her]. The damage was already done but the senior management of the Secret Service did not conduct any internal investigation to assess the damage and to see if [she] recruited any other employees to provide her with more information.”

— A source

SUSPECTED RUSSIAN SPY WORKED IN US EMBASSY IN MOSCOW FOR A DECADE, REPORTS SAY

The woman was dismissed in 2017 after an investigation found she was regularly having unauthorized meetings with the FSB, the Russian intelligence agency.

“The Secret Service is trying to hide the breach by firing [her],” a source told the newspaper. “The damage was already done but the senior management of the Secret Service did not conduct any internal investigation to assess the damage and to see if [she] recruited any other employees to provide her with more information.”

Careless acts

An off-duty Secret Service agent who had been assigned to Vice President Mike Pence's security detail was arrested in 2017 in Maryland for allegedly soliciting a prostitute

Quincy Thomas Torregano, the agent, notified the Secret Service of his own arrest by local police and was suspended at the time for an internal investigation.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT ARRESTED, SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED HOTEL MEETING WITH PROSTITUTE

“The Secret Service is aware of an alleged incident involving an off-duty Secret Service employee,” The spokesman said, adding that the agency takes “allegations of criminal activity very seriously.”

The statement continued: “The employee’s security clearance and access to all Secret Service facilities has also been suspended. We are exploring the full range of disciplinary actions."

The outcome of the investigation remains unclear.

SECRET SERVICE LAPTOP STOLEN IN NEW YORK

Another agent, meanwhile, managed to lose a Secret Service laptop that contained “highly sensitive information such as floor plans and evacuation protocol for Trump Tower, compromising security.

The computer was stolen the agent’s vehicle parked in front of a New York residence.

“The U.S. Secret Service can confirm that an employee was the victim of a criminal act in which our Agency issued laptop computer was stolen,” the agency said in a statement in 2017. “An investigation is ongoing and the Secret Service is withholding additional comment until the facts are gathered.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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US consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in February

U.S. consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in February, pushed up slightly by higher gasoline and housing costs even as the prices for autos and clothing slumped.

The Labor Department says the consumer price index rose a modest 1.5 percent last month from a year ago. Inflation has been muted despite the solid job market, causing average hourly earnings — after being adjusted for consumer prices — to climb 1.9 percent in the past year. This marks the strongest inflation-adjusted wage growth since November 2015, an increase that would likely help consumer spending and economic growth.

Housing costs continue to outpace overall inflation, rising 3.4 percent from a year ago.

Excluding the volatile energy and food categories, core prices increased 0.1 percent in February and 2.1 percent from a year ago.

Source: Fox News National

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Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of
Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of “Avengers: Endgame” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake

April 26, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Marvel Studios superhero spectacle “Avengers: Endgame” hauled in a record $60 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices during its Thursday night debut, distributor Walt Disney Co said.

Global ticket sales for the film about Iron Man, Hulk and other popular characters reached $305 million for the first two days, Disney said.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Funeral of journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland April 24, 2019. Brian Lawless/Pool via REUTERS

April 26, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Britain in June.

“Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric,” Corbyn said in a statement.

He said maintaining the relationship with the United States did not require “the pomp and ceremony of a state visit” and he said he would welcome a meeting with Trump “to discuss all matters of interest.”

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Writing by William Schomberg)

Source: OANN

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Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli
Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli, Libya April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Hani Amara

April 26, 2019

By Ulf Laessing

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s U.N.-recognized government has budgeted up to 2 billion dinars ($1.43 billion) to cover costs of a three-week-old war for control of the capital, such as treatment for the wounded, to be funded without new borrowing, the economy minister said.

Ali Abdulaziz Issawi suggested the government hoped for business to continue more or less as usual despite the assault on Tripoli, in the country’s northwest, by forces tied to a parallel administration based in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Once Africa’s third largest producer of oil, Libya has been riven by factional conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the country now broadly split between eastern-based forces under Khalifa Haftar and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, in the west, under Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

Still, with Haftar’s Libyan National Army forces unable so far to pierce defenses in Tripoli’s southern suburbs, normal life and business activities continue in much of the capital and western coastal towns.

Issawi, in an interview with Reuters in his Tripoli office, also said Libya’s commercial ports and wheat imports were still functioning normally, although some roads have been blocked.

He said the Serraj government estimates it will spend up to 2 billion dinars extra on medical treatment for wounded, aid for displaced people and other “emergency” war costs.

He said this was not military spending but analysts believe that the sum will also cover expenditures such as pay for allied armed groups or food for fighters.

“We could actually spend less,” he added, in comments that gave the first insight into the economic impact of the fighting.

Issawi said the Tripoli government, which controls little territory beyond the greater capital region, would not incur new debt to fund the war costs, sticking to a plan to post a 2019 budget without a deficit.

Tripoli derives revenue largely from oil and natural gas production, interest-free loans from local banks to the central bank, and a 183 percent surcharge on foreign exchange transactions conducted at official rates.

But with centralized tax collection greatly diminished, public debt has piled up – to 68 billion dinars in the west, including unpaid state obligations such as social insurance.

Some analysts expect Serraj’s government will be forced to raise new debt if the war for control of Tripoli drags on.

With much of Libya dominated by armed factions that also act as security forces, the public wage bill for both the western and eastern administrations has soared as fighters have been made public employees in efforts to buy their loyalty.

The east has sold bonds worth 35 billion dinars outside the official financial system as the Tripoli central bank does not fund the parallel government apart from some wages.

Despite its limited reach, the Tripoli government still runs an annual budget of around 46.8 billion dinars, mainly for public salaries and fuel subsidies.

“This year we cannot finance via debt…we will not borrow (by agreement with the central bank),” Issawi said.

According to International Monetary Fund data, Libya’s central government debt-to-GDP ratio is 143 percent, making it one of the most heavily indebted in the world on that measure.

Issawi declined to say what parts of the budget would be trimmed to support the extra outlay for war costs.

However, with some 70 percent of the budget allocated to public wages, fuel subsidies and other welfare benefits, a portion devoted to infrastructure is most likely to be axed.

Widespread lawlessness has meant there have been no major infrastructural projects since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, leaving schools, hospitals and roads in acute need of restoration.

FOREX SURCHARGE

Issawi said the government planned to raise as much as 30 billion dinars by the end of 2019 from hard currency deals after imposing in September a 183 percent surcharge on commercial and private transactions done on the official rate of 1.4 to the U.S. dollar. That fee has effectively devalued the official rate to 3.9, much closer to the black market equivalent.

Some 17 billion dinars have been raised since then, with hard currency allocated for import credit letters now issued without delays, Issawi said. The forex fee has helped the government forecast a budget in the black for 2019.

Despite the narrowing spread between the two rates, the black market continues to thrive. Dozens of traders remained at their favorite spot behind the central bank headquarters in Tripoli when Reuters reporters visited it last week.

But traders said it could take time for the Serraj government to register the extra forex receipts as official banking channels were taking up to six months to approve import financing, keeping the black market in play for dealers.

Issawi said authorities planned to lower the forex fee from 183 percent, without saying when. The black market rate has dropped from 6 to around 4.1 since September but it has hardly moved of late as demand for black market cash remains high.

The Tripoli government has stopped subsidizing food and bread, which used to be cheaper than drinking water in Libya. Wheat imports are now being arranged by private traders and there are surplus stocks of flour at the moment, Issawi said.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing in Tripoli with additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., threatened possible jail time for White House officials refusing to comply with subpoenas to testify before the House Oversight Committee.

Connolly, a member of the House panel, made his comments during an interview on CNN on Thursday. He said that “if a subpoena is issued and you’re told you must testify, we will back that up.”

He added: “And we will use any and all power in our command to make sure it’s backed up — whether that’s a contempt citation, whether that’s going to court and getting that citation enforced, whether it’s fines, whether it’s possible incarceration.”

“We will go to the max to enforce the constitutional role of the legislative branch of government.”

His comments came after three officials have refused to comply with congressional requests to testify, CNN noted.

Trump told The Washington Post that his staff should not testify on Capitol Hill, explaining that the White House cooperated fully with special counsel Robert Mueller and “there is no reason to go any further, especially in Congress where it’s very partisan.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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“Outdated laws” need fixing to deal with the surge in illegal immigrant families crossing the U.S. border with Mexico, a top Border Patrol official said Friday.

Migrant families face no consequences if apprehended trying to cross the border illegally under present law, Border Patrol chief of Operations Brian Hastings claimed during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”

“We need a change in the current outdated laws that we’re dealing with for this current demographic and this crisis that we have,” he said.

Hastings said as of Thursday there have been 440,000 apprehensions along the southwest border. There were 396,000 apprehensions all of last year.

SOUTHERN BORDER AT ‘BREAKING POINT’ AFTER MORE THAN 76,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TRIED CROSSING IN FEBRUARY, OFFICIALS SAY

And those numbers continue to rise, he said.

Historically 70 to 90 percent of apprehensions at the border were quickly returned to Mexico, Hastings said.

Now, 83 percent of those apprehended have come from the Central American northern triangle which includes Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and of those 63 percent are “family units” and children who cannot be returned, he said.

“There are no consequences that we can apply to this group currently,” Hastings said. “We’re overwhelmed. If you look at agents there doing a tremendous job trying to deal with the flow.”

The law dictates children have to be released after 20 days of detention.

FLORIDA SHERIFF ON BORDER CRISIS AFTER MAJOR DRUG BUST: ‘IT MAKES ME ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says that has forced immigration officials to release entire families because “you don’t want to separate families.”

Recently, he said he is drafting legislation that would allow children to be detained for more than 20 days.

Hastings said agents are frustrated with the situation but are doing the best they can with the resources they have.

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“Up to 40 percent of our agents are processing at any given time,” he said. “That should say that in and of itself is pulling from those border security resources.”

Source: Fox News National

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