A Texas town has become the site where state officials face off with federal authorities over who will control international migration. Also in the news: Progressives say a new child tax credit doesn't go far enough for American families and what an apology from a tech CEO means. | |  |
Here is the news to know Thursday. |
Eagle Pass in the cross hairs of an Abbott-Biden border standoff |
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled federal agents could remove Texas' border wire. In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defied the court order, fueling a growing standoff over constitutional authority at the border. |
Eagle Pass, Texas is bracing for whatever's next as public city areas are overtaken with Abbott-sponsored border security initiatives and the White House scrambles to secure a legislative solution. |
| • | House Republicans are set to kill a border agreement senators have spent months negotiating. The president and his allies accuse GOP lawmakers of stonewalling bipartisan efforts. | | • | Biden's struck a new, harsher tone on immigration: His legislative solution would be the most stringent set of border reforms in U.S. history and includes new presidential authority to "shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed." | | • | Meanwhile, a militarized scene in Eagle Pass: The next move from the federal courts or the Biden Justice Department remains uncertain. But however the constitutional faceoff is resolved, the larger controversy has already transformed parts of Eagle Pass. | | Juanita Martinez, 67, stands outside Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, which has been taken over by Texas National Guard troops. Rick Jervis, USA TODAY |
Iran-backed militia to suspend attacks on US military in Mideast |
An Iraq-based, Iran-backed militant group announced it was suspending attacks on U.S. military installations in Iraq and Syria. The group is suspected of participating in the drone strike that killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan, after which President Joe Biden blamed Iran and swore the U.S. would "respond." Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, secretary-general of Kataib Hezbollah, said the militia's fighters would adopt a "temporary passive defense" and warned against "hostile American action." Biden says he holds Tehran responsible for arming the militant groups but added that the U.S. was not looking for a war with Iran. Read more |
What to know about the expanded child tax credit |
The House passed a sweeping, bipartisan tax bill this week that would expand the child tax credit for American families. The roughly $79 billion tax legislation passed Wednesday would not rise to the level of the boosted pandemic-era child tax credit, but would raise it to $1,900 per child in 2024. Progressive lawmakers said the bill doesn't go far enough, giving families "pennies" while including far greater tax breaks for businesses. The package faces a steep climb in the Senate, where Republicans are demanding the bill clear additional hurdles. Read more |
Mark Zuckerberg 'sorry' to families of exploited kids |
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO of Meta, which also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, faced critical Congressional questioning Wednesday in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing involving Big Tech and its impact on child exploitation. At one point, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told Zuckerberg that families of children and teens exploited on social networks were in attendance. Zuckerberg got out of his chair and turned and faced the crowd in attendance. "I'm sorry for everything you have all been through," he said. Read more | CEO and founder of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, apologized to families on January 31, 2024, at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for USA TODAY, Amanda Andrade-Rhoades-USA TODAY |
Russia and Ukraine swap POWs as war grinds on |
Russia and Ukraine said they have exchanged about 200 prisoners of war, despite tensions stemming from last week's crash of a military transport plane that Moscow claimed was carrying Ukrainian POWs and was shot down by Kyiv's forces. An investigation continues into the jet crash that killed all 74 people aboard, including a reported 65 Ukrainians, in Russia's Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border last week. Read more | Recently swapped Ukrainian prisoners of war covered in national flags hug each other after a prisoner exchange on the Ukrainian Russian border, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Danylo Pavlov, AP |
Photo of the day: Caitlin Clark is Big Ten's all-time leading scorer |
Iowa's Caitlin Clark scored 35 points (3 points over her season average) in Iowa's 110-74 win over Northwestern University Wednesday night. The 22-year-old senior is only 243 points shy of Pete Maravich's NCAA all-time scoring record, which has stood for five decades. Read more | Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes scores her 3,403 career point against the Northwestern Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena on January 31, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois. Michael Reaves, Getty Images |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | This 7-day newsletter course will help you be an informed voter before Nov. 5. | | | | | | |
