Another tragic death has underscored the consequences of lax immigration enforcement in Harris County, Texas. On December 1, 7-year-old Ivory Smith was killed by a drunk driver in northeast Houston. Her mother sustained serious injuries in the crash. The alleged driver, 41-year-old Venezuelan national Joel Enrique Gonzalez Chacin, was in the country illegally and had a prior criminal record. He now faces charges of intoxicated manslaughter.
Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders was awarded the Jabotinsky Prize for Liberty during his visit to Israel, where he affirmed his unwavering support for the Jewish state. Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana presented the award, commending Wilders for his decades-long advocacy against radical Islam and support for Israel’s sovereignty. Wilders met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and other senior officials during his diplomatic visit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified in court Tuesday, recounting how former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry boasted about the strength of U.S.-trained Afghan forces during the Obama administration. Netanyahu said Kerry used Afghanistan as an example to advocate for U.S. training and arming of Palestinian police forces, part of an effort to pressure Israel into concessions in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).
President Joe Biden issued 39 pardons and commuted nearly 1,500 sentences on Thursday, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in U.S. history. The move affects Americans convicted of non-violent crimes, with the White House citing rehabilitation and contributions to community safety as reasons for the clemency.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is weighing whether he should resign before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, according to a report from The Washington Times.
As President-elect Donald Trump signals renewed efforts to enforce mass deportations, recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program remain uncertain about their future.
Human rights activists, former corrections officials, and families of crime victims have called on President Biden to commute the sentences of all 40 federal death row inmates before leaving office.
Singer Jay-Z is strongly denying recent allegations that he assaulted a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000.
