- A trip to the Southern border will not change anything, according to President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Trump gave a televised speech over border security at the advice of his advisers Bill Shine and Kellyanne Conway, as well as White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Tuesday’s televised speech addressed border security, and the president framed the situation at the Southern border as a national threat that a border wall would solve. According to CNN, Trump stopped short of declaring a national emergency, an option he had floated to fund the wall without congressional approval.
- A Saudi woman has been granted refugee status by the United Nations. Rahaf Mohammed Al-Qunun captivated the world with several tweets claiming she was being abused by her family. According to NPR, Al-Qunun’s family was abusive even more so since she renounced Islam. While on vacation with her family, she slipped away and tried flying to Australia through Thailand. At the Thai airport, she was stopped by Saudi officials who confiscated her passport and planned on sending her back to Saudi Arabia. Al-Qunun barricaded herself in the hotel to prevent having to return back to her family. With the help of friends in Australia, Sweden and Canada, Al-Qunun’s story was heard through Twitter as well as a plea to be given asylum. The Associated Press cited Thailand Immigration Police chief said her father denied the narrative his daughter put forward. It is reported that he said he did not abuse Al-Qunun physically or try to marry her off as she had alleged. Australian officials have hinted that the request for asylum is likely to succeed for Al-Qunun. “If she is found to be a refugee, then we will give very, very, very serious consideration to a humanitarian visa,” Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt told the Australian Broadcasting Network.
- North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un departed Beijing on Wednesday, marking an end to his surprise visit to the Chinese capital. This has marked Kim’s fourth visit to China and third to the capital since March of last year. China is North Korea’s only real ally internationally and is Pyongyang’s biggest trading partner by some margin. According to CNN, Chinese Foreign Minister said the two countries were making “joint efforts to uphold peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.” Analysts speculate that Kim is using the trip to improve relations between China and North Korea as well as remind the Trump administration the country has more potential allies than South Korea and the United States. The visit comes as the U.S. and China concluded meetings in Beijing on Wednesday to bring an end to the trade war between them.
- President Donald Trump once again threatened to cut off federal funds for fighting wildfires in California. The president tweeted billions of dollars are sent to the state to combat forest fires that could be managed with proper forest management. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, responded that Trump’s threat “insults the memory of scores of Americans who perished in wildfires last year and thousands more who lost their homes.” According to USA Today, Trump has threatened before to order the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cut off money for California fires, but the administration has not published an order. State officials have argued the president does not understand the issues involved in dealing with fires. The president of California Professional Firefighters cited the damage in and around Paradise, Calif., and has said people are just starting to rebuild their lives. He also said Trump is wrong to blame the fires on state forest management.
- A Kentucky woman is under investigation after a video surfaced showing her dragging a 9-year-old student with autism down the hall by his wrists. She has been terminated from her job and is facing a charge of fourth-degree assault of a victim younger than the age of 12. According to the Huffington Post, the incident was recorded by security cameras reportedly in Wurtland Elementary School in October. The suspect dragged the student down multiple hallways. Police have measured the distance that appears in the video and estimates it to be roughly 60 feet. The former teacher defended herself in front of a three-member review board and said the boy was being disruptive and had threatened another student as well as refused to walk. She reported;y said he was “enjoying sliding down the hall and being the center of attention.” The Kentucky Education Standards Board has been notified of the incident. It is unsure if it will revoke the teacher’s teaching license.
Gathered by Jenna Holley, TMN