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Showing posts from December, 2022

Jan. 6 committee withdraws Trump subpoena, citing investigation's 'imminent end'

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Trump's subpoena by the House Jan. 6 committee has been formally withdrawn The House Jan. 6 committee has formally withdrawn its subpoena of former President Donald Trump as the investigation comes to an end days before the next Congress, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.  The chairman of the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, informed Trump's lawyers of the decision in a letter on Wednesday -- citing the "imminent end" of the panel's work. "As you may know, the select committee has concluded its hearings, released its final report and will very soon reach its end," Thompson, D-Miss., wrote. "In light of the imminent end of our investigation , the select committee can no longer pursue the specific information covered by the subpoena ." MORE: Jan. 6 final report reveals new details, calls for Trump to be barred from office The committee subpoenaed Trump in October, ordering him to turn over documents by Nov. 4 and to appear for on

House Republicans prepare to counter Democrats' priorities with new bills

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Republicans, once they takeover the House, plan to bring to the floor bills on abortion, immigration and more. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise sent a letter to his colleagues Friday outlining the party's legislative agenda once it takes over the chamber in the new year. Scalise, who has been elected to become the next House majority leader, laid out a handful of bills that will be brought to the floor in the first two weeks of the next Congress -- many of which would counter the work done by Democrats over the past four years. "The American people spoke on November 8th and decided it was time for a new direction," Scalise wrote. MORE: How governable would a Republican House majority be? "The last two years have been tough on hard-working families as they have grappled with drastic increases in the cost of living, safety concerns with violent crime skyrocketing in our communities, soaring gas and home heating prices, and a worsening crisis at our Southern border

More parts of George Santos' background contradict, including details of mom's death

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More discrepancies are coming to the forefront, adding to the already long list of lies New York Rep.-Elect Geroge Santos has said about his life. More discrepancies are emerging about New York Rep.-elect George Santos' background, adding to a growing list of fabrications and exaggerations that the incoming congressman has told about his life -- some of which have drawn the attention of prosecutors. In addition to having falsely said he attended Baruch College, which he has since admitted, another part of his Education has now been challenged. On an archived version of his 2020 congressional website, Santos said he went to the elite private school Horace Mann in New York City but did not graduate due to financial difficulties for his family. He said he went on to obtain his GED. But a spokesperson for the school on Thursday confirmed to ABC News -- and other outlets -- that he never attended Horace Mann. An attorney for Santos, Joseph Murray, initially pushed back on scrutiny of h

Prosecutors looking at George Santos amid lies, questions about his wealth

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Federal prosecutors have started looking into public filings by congressman-elect George Santos amid questions about the source of his wealth Federal prosecutors have started looking into public filings by congressman-elect George Santos amid questions about the source of his wealth , sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The sources were careful not to characterize this as a formal investigation and stressed that prosecutors, at this stage, are only looking at publicly available filings. An attorney for Santos referred ABC News to his press team, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, which encompasses New York's 3rd Congressional District in Queens and Nassau County that Santos will represent, declined to comment. In 2020 when he first ran for Congress, Santos listed no assets and a salary of $55,000 in his personal financial disclosure report filed as a House cand

What you can do if your flight is canceled

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During a chaotic winter travel season, many travelers are left wondering what their rights are during extreme flight delays and cancellations. The nation's airports have been mired by holiday travel chaos, as several major airlines have cancelled or severely delayed thousands of flights nationwide due to dangerous weather conditions, staffing issues and system meltdowns. Many travelers are left wondering what their rights are during extreme flight delays and cancellations. On Tuesday afternoon, data from Flight Aware showed that nearly 3,000 flights had been canceled within, into or out of the U.S., while more than 3,500 had been delayed, after a rough Monday for flying. Southwest Airlines alone canceled at least 70% of its flights Monday and 62% on Tuesday and Wednesday. What are your rights? Under federal law, consumers are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel. Consumers are also entitled to a refu

DEA seized enough fentanyl to kill every American in 2022

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The Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday said it has seized more than 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl this year. The Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday said it has seized more than 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl this year, as the country continues to struggle with an epidemic of drug overdose deaths. The seizures include 50.6 million pills laced with the ultra-deadly synthetic opioid and 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, the DEA said. “These seizures – enough deadly doses of fentanyl to kill every American – reflect the DEA’s unwavering commitment to protect Americans and save lives, by tenaciously pursuing those responsible for the trafficking of fentanyl across the United States," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement Friday. MORE: DEA warns about fentanyl being sold to kids Rainbow Fentanyl on display. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)/Flickr Due to its potency, fentanyl is more easily transported across borders and often laced with

White House denounces migrants being bused to VP's home on freezing Christmas Eve

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Three buses arrived Saturday outside Vice President Kamala Harris' residence at the Naval Observatory The White House on Sunday said a politically motivated "stunt" led to migrants being bused in subfreezing temperatures to Washington, D.C., the night before. Three buses arrived Saturday outside Vice President Kamala Harris' residence at the Naval Observatory, ABC affiliate WJLA reported. Temperatures in Washington on Saturday night were in the teens, according to the National Weather Service. It wasn't clear who had transported the migrant s. But Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, have for months been periodically sending migrant s to Democratic-led areas of the country in protest of federal immigration policies, they have said. Tatiana Laborde, managing director of the nonprofit SAMU First Response, which assists migrants making asylum claims in the U.S., told The Associated Press that her group brought the migrants to a local

NY attorney general looking at controversy over congressman-elect's background

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New York Rep.-elect George Santos on Thursday said he plans to address a mounting controversy over discrepancies in his biography New York Rep.-elect George Santos on Thursday said he plans to address a mounting controversy over discrepancies in his biography, including where he claims to have worked and gone to school. "I have my story to tell and it will be told next week," Santos tweeted, addressing the people of his district. "I want to assure everyone that I will address your questions and that I remain committed to deliver the results I campaigned on; Public safety, Inflation, Education & more," he continued. Also on Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James' office said she was now looking into a number of issues raised about Santos. The matter has not advanced to an investigation but is rather characterized as a review of the claims raised in news reports and by Santos' political opponents. The attorney general has a particular interes

Title 42 actually contributes to increased migration numbers, data suggests

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What is the real impact of Title 42 and how could it contribute to record border crossings? Authorities at the southern border have been arresting, detaining and removing migrants at the border more times in the past year than ever before in U.S. history. Much of that work has been done under the Title 42 public Health order, implemented in the early days of COVID-19, which allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants without opportunities to apply for asylum. While Republicans have insisted Title 42 should remain in place as a means of handling the record numbers , mounting evidence indicates the protocols actually contribute to that very issue. MORE: Title 42 on hold after Roberts grants temporary stay in states' appeal to keep restriction Over the past several years, a groundswell of migration has built up throughout Central and South America with many people waiting for the end of pandemic-era restrictions like Title 42. Legal battles between mostly GOP-led states, the federal