Former CNN host Don Lemon couldn’t hide his disbelief Thursday after Time Magazine named President-elect Donald Trump as its 2024 “Person of the Year.” This marks the second time Trump has received the honor, with the first occurring after his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton.
After more than a year of blaming Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for New York City’s migrant crisis, Mayor Eric Adams has reversed course, welcoming federal assistance to remove illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes. Adams made the announcement Thursday following a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan.
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.
