March 1 top stories
It is March 1. Here are today’s top stories.
Biden and Trump’s dueling visits to southern border
The political rivals, President Biden and former President Trump, went to the southern border in Texas on the same day Thursday to draw attention to immigration and border security, now the leading issue for voters.
Biden, delivering remarks in Brownsville, called on Trump to join him in asking Congress to pass wide-ranging border security legislation negotiated by a team of Democratic and Republican senators, which the House GOP rejected at Trump’s urging.
Trump, speaking roughly the same time 325 miles away in Eagle Pass, showed no interest in working with Biden, or the Democrats for that matter. He hurled insults at his successor, charging that Biden is solely responsible for the immigration crisis and unable to deal with it effectively.
Their competing stops come just eight months before the November election and as polls show Americans are deeply concerned about the situation along the border.
A Gallup Poll released this week showed that, for the first time since the last decade, Americans now believe immigration to be the most important issue facing the United States. A separate survey earlier in February by the Pew Research Center showed 80% of Americans believe the government is doing a bad job dealing with the large number of migrants at the border.
More than 100 killed waiting for food in Gaza
Multiple sources reported that calls are growing for an investigation into one of the worst single tragedies to occur during Israel’s war with Hamas after scores of Palestinians were killed trying to access food aid in Gaza City on Thursday.
At least 112 people were killed and 750 injured in an incident where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops used live fire as hungry and desperate Palestinian civilians were gathering around food aid trucks.
What happened? According to eyewitnesses, a convoy of at least 18 food trucks arrived at around 4:30 am on Thursday morning, sent by countries in the region including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Civilians swarmed around the newly arrived aid trucks in the hope of getting food, and Israeli forces soon started shooting. The aid trucks tried to escape the area, accidentally ramming others and causing further deaths and injuries.
The majority of the casualties occurred as a result of people being rammed by aid trucks trying to escape Israeli fire.
What is Israel saying? In its first comments, the IDF said the incident began when Palestinians attempted to loot the trucks. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling. Later on Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson claimed that a group of Palestinians approached Israeli forces, who then opened fire on the Palestinians.
Navalny funeral draws huge crowds despite arrest fears
The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was being held this Friday morning in Moscow, an event seen by many as representing a struggle between the country’s marginalized protest movement and President Putin’s will to silence it.
The Kremlin has warned Russians against unauthorized memorials for Navalny. Their spokesperson, Peskov, said Friday he has “nothing” to say to Navalny’s family. After Navalny’s death, more than 400 people were detained at makeshift memorials across Russia. His widow, Yulia, said this week she is concerned about possible arrests of funeral mourners.
Thousands of mourners greeted Navalny’s coffin with applause and chants amid heavy security at the church and cemetery where he will be buried.
A deal to free Navalny was in the works before his death, and his allies have said the timing was no coincidence.
The funeral was being live-streamed, allowing those to follow the event online. His parents and relatives as well as a number of foreign diplomats, including the U.S. ambassador, were seen at the event.
Navalny was laid to rest at a Moscow cemetery–Borisovsky exactly two weeks after his death was announced by Russia’s prison service.
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Congress averts government shutdown
The Senate approved a stopgap funding bill Thursday night for President Biden’s signature, thwarting a partial government shutdown on Saturday and buying more time to finalize a half dozen spending bill that congressional leaders aim to pass next week.
The stopgap bill, which passed, provides funding for some federal government agencies to keep running through March 8 and others through March 22.
They are still working on an agreement to fund the rest of the government before the deadline dates. One of the congressional leaders said “We are genuinely close. And if bipartisan cooperation prevails, I am very confident we can, at long last – wrap up our FY24 bills. It is full speed ahead.”
See the report about a Kansas City Chiefs superfan’s crime spree from Alex.
Kansas City Chiefs superfan pleads guilty to bank robbery
Thanks, Callie. I have a bizarre and shocking story about a 29-year-old Kansas City Chiefs superfan. His name is Xaviar M. Babudar and he is well known for going to Chiefs games while dressed up in a head-to-toe wolf suit with Chiefs attire. He had the nickname of “ChiefsAholic.”
On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to robbing 11 banks and credit unions in seven states in 2022 and 2023. His method of robbing banks was to wear a ski mask and give a written note to bank tellers demanding money and indicating he had a firearm. He then tried to conceal the stolen money by using it to gamble online and at casinos.
He was arrested once but after he was released on bond, he cut his ankle monitor and fled. He placed bets with a casino that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be the MVP at the 2023 Super Bowl and that the Chiefs would win that game. Both bets won and he got a payout of $100,000, which he used to buy a vehicle and continue robbing more banks.
He was arrested again in July 2023 in California and now he is facing up to 50 years in federal prison at his sentencing date, which is scheduled for this July. He is also ordered to pay over $500,000 in restitution.
A federal prosecutor said “the odds caught up with him.”
Thanks for that report. That is all the news stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light!
Biden and Trump’s dueling visits to southern border:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/29/biden-trump-border-speech/
More than 100 killed waiting for food in Gaza:
Navalny funeral draws huge crowds despite arrest fears:
https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/navalny-funeral-moscow-russia-03-01-24/index.html
Congress averts government shutdown:
Kansas City Chiefs superfan pleads guilty to bank robbery
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/us/chiefsaholic-bank-robbery-laundering-guilty-plea/index.html
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/kc-chiefs-superfan-pleads-guilty-bank-robbery-money-laundering