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UN says 122,600 Afghans in need of aid after severe floods

A U.N. humanitarian agency says recent flooding in Afghanistan has left more than 122,600 people in need of assistance.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement late on Tuesday that the flooding has affected 14 out of the country's 34 provinces. Thousands of houses have been destroyed or damaged.

Heavy snowfall across Afghanistan this winter had cut off many areas, raising fears of severe floods in the spring. So far this year, 63 people have died as heavy rains and flooding swept away their homes.

Abdul Ahaad Walizada, police spokesman in western Herat province, says at least 13 people, including women and children, died there.

Source: Fox News World

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Explainer: How Sisi’s backers are planning to change Egypt’s constitution

FILE PHOTO: Egyptian President al-Sisi attends a signing ceremony following a meeting with Russian President Putin in Sochi
FILE PHOTO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a signing ceremony following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia October 17, 2018. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

February 22, 2019

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s parliament is debating proposed constitutional changes that could allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to stay in power until 2034 and tighten his control over the judiciary.

The proposals, submitted by Sisi supporters in parliament, have divided the country of nearly 100 million people, the most populous in the Arab world.

Supporters say the changes will allow the president to finalize economic reforms and major development projects. Opponents argue they will entrench authoritarian rule and further empower Egypt’s military.

WHAT ARE THE KEY CHANGES BEING CONSIDERED?

One central proposal would amend article 140 of the constitution to extend the presidential term to six years from four. It retains a two-term limit but includes a clause that would allow Sisi, whose second term expires in 2022, to seek two new six-year terms.

The president would have more control over the appointment of judges and the public prosecutor.

Lawmakers have also proposed introducing the post of vice president, allowing the head of state to appoint one or more deputies.

A second parliamentary chamber known as the Council of Senators would be added. The president would appoint one-third of its members.

Article 200 of the constitution would be amended to give the military a duty to protect “the constitution and democracy and the fundamental makeup of the country and its civil nature.”

WHO IS BEHIND THE CHANGES?

The amendments were initiated by the pro-government parliamentary bloc Support Egypt. Under the current constitution, which was approved by referendum in 2014, amendments may be introduced to parliament at the request of a fifth of the assembly’s 596 members, or by the president.

Parliament speaker Ali Abdelaal has sought to distance Sisi from the plan, saying it was purely a parliamentary initiative and that Sisi may choose not to run in 2022.

But the proposed changes are widely seen as driven by Sisi, his close entourage, and security and intelligence agencies who hold real power in Egypt. They follow months of speculation that the presidency was preparing to push constitutional changes through a pliant parliament.

WHAT DO SUPPORTERS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES SAY?

Supporters argue that Sisi came to power with a huge mandate after mass protests against Islamist President Mohamed Mursi’s one year in office.

They say Sisi helped stabilize the country after three years of turmoil following the 2011 uprising, and has presided over economic reforms that put the country on the mend.

With macro economic indicators improving, Sisi supporters say he deserves more time to build on the reforms.

WHO OPPOSES THE CHANGES AND WHY?

A handful of leftist and liberal members of parliament in the so-called 25-30 opposition bloc oppose the changes. But thousands of ordinary Egyptians, including lawyers, judges, actors, engineers, doctors and journalists have also signed a petition against them circulating on social media. As of Feb. 18, organizers said more than 21,500 had signed.

Critics say that while article 226 of the constitution stipulates that article 140 can be amended, it clearly states that such changes can only be made to reinforce civic rights rather than weakening them, as critics contend these proposals would.

“This assembly has no right to amend articles related to the presidential election or rights, freedoms and equality except to provide more guarantees,” Ahmed al-Tantawi, a member of the 25-30 bloc, said.

Opponents argue that a central promise of the Jan. 25, 2011 uprising, when mass protests prompted former President Hosni Mubarak to step down, is at risk: the principle of the peaceful handover of power.

Ahmed Galal, a former finance minister, said the amendments represented a return to the system that kept Mubarak in power for three decades.

“Isn’t the principle of the transfer of power a precious goal in itself?” Galal wrote in a column published in Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.

Many Egyptians also worry that the amendments give the president powers to appoint judges and the public prosecutor, thrust the armed forces into political life by formally assigning them a role in protecting democracy, and establish further curbs on freedom of expression.

Opponents say Sisi, first elected president in 2014 and reelected last year in a vote in which the only other candidate was an ardent Sisi supporter, has overseen the worst period of political repression in Egypt’s modern history and that his economic reforms are not benefiting average Egyptians.

HOW DO WESTERN POWERS VIEW THE CHANGES?

The United States and its Western allies have not publicly commented on the changes, which they see as an internal Egyptian matter. But they maintain that the stability of Egypt is crucial for the security and stability of the Middle East.

During a regional tour last month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo showered Sisi with praise as a key ally in the fight against terrorism.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in Cairo last month that “things haven’t gone in the right direction since 2017,” pointing out that bloggers, journalists were in prison.

“Because of that, Egypt’s image can find itself suffering,” he said.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

After two days of heated discussions on Feb. 14, parliament passed the amendments in principle by an overwhelming majority of 485 votes against 14. Nearly 100 MPs were absent.

The head of parliament’s legislative and constitution committee, Bahaa Abu Shaqqa, said proposals and suggestions from outside parliament would be collected for one month, with two weeks of parliamentary discussions to follow, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Then parliament will hold a second, final vote.

If approved, the proposals will be put to a referendum expected by the middle of this year, possibly before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that starts in May.

(Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Robin Pomeroy)

Source: OANN

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Bloomberg mocks apologizing Dems while explaining why he passed on 2020

In some of his most revealing comments on why he decided against running for president, moderate former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg cited his age -- but also took aim at the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

"To start a four-year job, or maybe an eight-year job, at age 79 may not be the smartest thing to do. But if I think if I thought I could win, I would have,” the 77-year-old billionaire media mogul explained.

SCHULTZ SAYS NO ROOM FOR CENTRISTS IN EITHER MAJOR PARTY

“I just couldn't see a path to where I could get the nomination,” Bloomberg said Thursday while speaking at the Bermuda Executive Forum in New York City. “It's just not going to happen on a national level for somebody like me starting where I am unless I was willing to change all my views and go on what CNN called 'an apology tour.'”

While he’s poured millions of his own money into combating climate change and battling gun violence, the Democrat turned Republican turned independent who last year re-registered as a Democrat suggested that he was simply more moderate than the ever-growing field of 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, many of whom are increasingly moving to the left.

Pointing to 76-year-old former Vice President Joe Biden, who’s likely to jump into the White House race next month, Bloomberg said, "Joe Biden went out and apologized for being male, over 50, white.”

“He apologized for the one piece of legislation which is actually a pretty good anti-crime bill, which if the liberals ever read it, most of the things they like would be in that bill. They should have loved that. But they didn't even bother to read it. You're anti-crime, you must be anti-populist,” Bloomberg added as he took a shot at progressives.

IT'S BIDEN, SANDERS, HARRIS, AND O'ROURKE IN 2020 POLL

And he also jabbed at former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, who last week declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination and quickly raised an eye-popping $6.1 million in his first 24 hours as a candidate.

"And so everybody else, Beto, whatever his name is, he's apologized for being born,” said Bloomberg, which brought laughter from the audience. “I mean, I don't mean to be unkind. And a lot of people love him and say he's a smart guy, and some day if he wins I'd certainly support him."

O'Rourke has recently apologized for joking that his wife raised their kids "sometimes with my help," and also has accepted criticism that he's enjoyed white privilege.

Bloomberg seriously considered launching a presidential bid, and earlier this year he made campaign-style swings through the early voting primary and caucus states. But he announced on March 5 that he would not run for the White House.

Source: Fox News Politics

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‘Bomb cyclone’ snow, wind making travel dangerous in Midwest

Heavy snow and strong winds hammered parts of the central U.S. on Thursday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of people and creating hazardous travel conditions a day after pummeling Colorado.

The spring blizzard — the second "bomb cyclone" storm system to hit the region in a month — left behind hundreds of canceled flights at Denver International Airport, along with wintertime temperatures and snarled traffic before blanketing parts of South Dakota in as much as 18 inches (45.7 centimeters) of snow.

Hundreds of schools canceled classes in Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota, where the governor closed state offices in much of the state for a second day Thursday because of dangerous road conditions.

The Minnesota State Patrol said it had responded to more than 200 crashes statewide since Wednesday, while the National Guard stood ready to rescue any stranded motorists. In Nebraska, the State Patrol sent additional troopers into the state's panhandle, and several highways were closed.

Whiteout conditions were reported in western Nebraska and northwest Kansas, while blizzard conditions were expected to linger into early Friday in Minnesota.

A "bomb cyclone" is a weather phenomenon that entails a rapid drop in air pressure and a storm strengthening explosively. Mike Connelly, a weather service meteorologist in Aberdeen, South Dakota, said this week's storm system drew up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it moved out of the Rocky Mountains.

Connelly said that could translate into as much as 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snow in parts of South Dakota and Minnesota, and make the snowfall "historic."

"This time of year (in) the central, southern Plains, you get severe weather — thunderstorms and tornadoes. Unfortunately in the Dakotas, we get feet of snow," he said.

Nearly 40,000 homes and business were without power across Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa early Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us. The main culprit was snow and ice accumulating on power lines, along with strong winds, said Matt Lindstrom, spokesman for Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy.

In southwest Minnesota, the National Weather Service said there could be half an inch of ice accumulations and winds up to 50 mph (80.46 kph).

The system also created hazardous wildfire conditions in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. An unusual but not rare weather phenomenon known as "thunder snow" — snow accompanied by thunder and lightning — was reported Wednesday in central South Dakota.

In addition to the immediate impacts, the storm threatened to swell rivers in the Midwest that flooded after March's drenching, which caused billions of dollars in flood damage in Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota. Forecasters aren't expecting similar flooding this time around thanks to the absence of a wet snowpack on frozen ground.

But even moderate rises in the Missouri River will push more water ianto drenched Fremont County in southwestern Iowa, Emergency Manager Mike Crecelius said. Last month's flooding swamped 455 houses and thousands of acres of farmland in his region.

"The problem is that we're not getting any time for the water to recede and things to dry out, so the levees can't be fixed; houses can't be fixed; crops can't be planted," he said.

___

Nicholson reported from Bismarck, North Dakota. Associated Press writers contributing to this report include Bob Moen in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Nelson Lampe in Omaha, Nebraska; and Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee.

Source: Fox News National

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New Mexico father beat daughter, 5, to death after she refused to do homework: cops

A New Mexico father said he went into a blind rage and beat his five-year-old daughter to death last Thursday because she refused to do her homework, a criminal complaint reportedly said.

Brandon Reynolds, 36, allegedly told investigators, that he was “triggered” by his daughter’s refusal to do her homework, and began beating her, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Albuquerque’s KOAT. He said he blacked out during the beating, the complaint reportedly said.

Reynolds called first responders around 1 a.m. on Friday after noticing that his daughter barely had a heartbeat and her breathing was shallow, KQRE reported. An Albuquerque Police Department spokesman told reporters on Friday that rescuers noticed signs of trauma on the girl and called the police.

TEXAS DAD LEFT IN COMA AFTER BRUTAL ATTACK WHILE PROTECTING DAUGHTER FROM BOYFRIEND: COPS

There were blood stains on the living room carpet and wall and the girl was covered with bruises, according to the complaint. The girl was transferred to the University of New Mexico hospital where she was pronounced dead, the complaint said.

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Reynolds was charged with intentional child abuse resulting in the death of a child and is in custody at the Albuquerque Metropolitan Detention Center, police said.

Source: Fox News National

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As Brexit stalls, supporters protest betrayal of their dream

With Britain's departure from the European Union likely to be put on hold, some Brexit supporters fear their dream is dying.

Hard-core Brexiteers led by former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage are setting out on a two-week "Leave Means Leave" march between northern England and London, accusing politicians of "betraying the will of the people."

It's due to end at Parliament on March 29, the day the U.K. was supposed to leave.

Protesters plan to set out Saturday from Sunderland, which is 270 miles (434 kilometers) north of London that voted by 61-39 percent in 2016 to leave the EU.

Almost three years later, U.K. lawmakers remain deadlocked over the government's Brexit deal. Parliament voted this week to seek to delay Britain's departure until at least June 30.

Source: Fox News World

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Sen. Scott Rejects Schumer Argument: I Helped Puerto Rico

Sen. Rick Scott Wednesday rejected claims from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that he was siding with President Donald Trump on disaster relief for Puerto Rico, rather than with those who are still struggling after Hurricane Maria devastated the island territory.

"That's not true what he said," the Florida Republican and former governor told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "The first time, I talked (about) $600 million for food and nutrition money to Puerto Rico."

Scott added that when he looks at Schumer, D-NY, he sees a person who hates Trump.

"I did well with Puerto Ricans and he acts like he cares,"  Scott said of Schumer. "When Maria hit, did he go to Puerto Rico and say what do you need? No. I went there eight times. Did he open up relief centers in New York? No. I opened two in Florida to help them."

Further, Scott said that as governor, he also waived regulations so children could get into Florida's schools and their parents could get jobs.

"This is him saying he wants to care so it hurts Republicans because we actually do care about Puerto Rico," said Scott.

The senator also weighed in on Attorney General William Barr's ruling that some illegal immigrants facing deportation must be held without bond as their cases play out, saying it's important that the United States enforce its laws.

"I have been to the border," said Scott. "The border agents are frustrated. They need more people, more technology, some barriers."

Source: NewsMax Politics

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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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