Jonathan Fahey is resigning as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a Department of Homeland Security official, only weeks after assuming the post. Fahey’s departure is the latest in a string of leadership changes at the Department of Homeland Security, and he is the most recent acting ICE director to step down.
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State officials are skeptical that President-elect Joe Biden can meet his goal of 100 million coronavirus shots in his first 100 days, with a week to go before his start date and a slew of unanswered questions still swirling around his plan. Multiple state officials and sources familiar with the Biden transition team’s outreach told
Continue ReadingMembers of Congress are starting to express fears about the vulnerable position last week’s violent breach of the US Capitol put them in, as well as concerns they have about their security going forward and some controversial new security measures. “I did not know if I was going to make it to the end of
Continue ReadingPresident-elect Joe Biden is expected to unveil a major Covid-19 relief package on Thursday and his advisers have recently told allies in Congress to expect a price tag in the ballpark of $2 trillion, according to two people briefed on the deliberations. The Biden team is taking a “shoot for the moon” approach with the
Continue Reading One week after the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol, federal law enforcement’s dragnet to arrest the violent trespassers kicked into high gear. Nearly a dozen new known defendants were arrested or charged across the country, and the Justice Department made clear it was throwing its weight behind pursuing major cases that may amount to
Continue ReadingChad Wolf, who resigned as Homeland Security acting secretary two days ago, said Wednesday that President Donald Trump bears some responsibility for the events at the US Capitol last week. “He’s the President. What he says matters,” Wolf said in an interview with CNN. “People listen to him — particularly supporters of his, I would
Continue ReadingRep. Peter Meijer, one of just 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump, explained his vote Wednesday evening as a step toward “accountability” following the President’s response to last week’s US Capitol insurrection. “I was in the House chamber when it was being attacked a week ago today. That was a moment
Continue Reading Klete Keller, who won five Olympic swimming medals, including two relay golds, was charged Wednesday for his alleged participation in the Capitol riot last week, according to court documents. Keller was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and
Continue ReadingMore than 20,000 National Guard members could be in the nation’s capital to help secure President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, as sources tell CNN that officials are considering raising the terrorism threat level and are worried about explosives being used in the capital city. The US Secret Service on Wednesday officially took charge of security for
Continue Reading The White House coronavirus task force again suggested the existence of “more transmissible” strains of Covid-19 and a “much more rapid” spread of the virus in its weekly reports to states, stressing the importance of “aggressive mitigation.” “This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and
Continue Reading President-elect Joe Biden will no longer take the Amtrak to Washington next week to be sworn in as president, two officials familiar with the planning tell CNN, a sudden change that comes amid dramatically heightened security surrounding the inauguration. A decision was made this week for Biden not to take the 90-minute ride from his
Continue ReadingThe decision to require members of Congress to walk through metal detectors in the wake of last week’s deadly siege has further inflamed tensions on Capitol Hill, at times prompting shouting matches between Republicans and Capitol Police. Members of both parties expressed frustration Tuesday night at the long lines ahead of the entrance to the
Continue ReadingThe vast majority of Democratic lawmakers are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment to the Constitution after his violent supporters breached the Capitol last Wednesday. A notable few have stayed mum, including President-elect Biden’s nominees who still hold their seats in Congress for the
Continue Reading On Monday, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump in his fight against the 2020 election results, received the Medal of Freedom from Trump. The next day, Jordan was back in Congress arguing that he never said the election was stolen. During a congressional debate Tuesday, Jordan claimed he never said
Continue Reading The Supreme Court’s action Tuesday limiting access to an abortion drug highlights its pattern of letting the Trump administration enforce highly charged priorities before legal challenges have been resolved. The conservative court majority swept aside a lower court injunction and reinstated a requirement that women prescribed mifepristone, to end a pregnancy in its early weeks,
Continue ReadingPresident-elect Joe Biden intends to nominate former US diplomat and longtime human rights advocate Samantha Power to lead the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the nation’s primary agency overseeing global US humanitarian aid. The Biden transition team also announced that the USAID administrator position will be elevated as a member of the National
Continue Reading A rioter who stormed the US Capitol last week wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase “Camp Auschwitz” was arrested Wednesday morning in Virginia, according to a law enforcement official. CNN was first to report that the man in the sweatshirt was identified as Robert Keith Packer of Virginia. A law enforcement official told CNN
Continue Reading Operation Warp Speed chief scientific adviser Moncef Slaoui has submitted his resignation at the request of the incoming Biden administration, a source with knowledge of the events tells CNN. Slaoui confirmed on CNBC Wednesday that he submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday to the Trump administration. He’ll stay on for 30 days to “ensure a
Continue Reading President-elect Joe Biden’s team is producing a celebrity-filled prime-time special for the night of his inauguration in lieu of the traditional celebrations, which have been significantly pared down due to the pandemic, a Presidential Inaugural Committee official confirms to CNN. The special, hosted by Tom Hanks, is set to air live on ABC, CBS, NBC,
Continue ReadingAmerica’s most senior military leaders condemned the violent invasion of the US Capitol last week and reminded service members of their obligation to support and defend the Constitution and reject extremism in a statement that underscored the unprecedented challenges facing the country in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection attempt by President Donald Trump’s
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