Quantcast
Channel:
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 25628

HC Wake-Up Call: Gov Denying Passports to Citizens, Trump's Secret Anti-Marijuana Committee, & John McCain's Funeral

0
0

Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

US Government Is Denying Hispanic American Citizens Passports

The Washington Post published a bombshell report late Wednesday night, which revealed that the Trump administration is accusing hundreds, if not thousands, of Hispanic people who live in Texas of using fake birth certificates since they were babies. Most of the accused only discovered their citizenship was being challenged when they went to apply for passports, only to receive a letter from the State Department saying it doesn't believe they're an American citizen. Some of these passport applicants — who have official U.S. birth certificates — are even being jailed in immigration detention centers and threatened with deportation. 

The crackdown is the latest in a series of attempts from the Trump administration to reduce immigration into the US. However, this particular move by the State Department dates back to George W. Bush's time in office. During both his and Barack Obama's administrations, the department actively denied passports to people who were delivered by midwives in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, because a select few allegedly provided US birth certificates to babies who were actually born in Mexico. This supposedly began in 1950s and lasted through the 1990s. But as The Post points out, many of the midwives who admitted to providing fraudulent documents also delivered thousands of babies legally in the US. "It has proved nearly impossible to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate documents, all of them officially issued by the state of Texas decades ago,"The Post reported. 

The passport denials declined during the Obama administration, due in part to a 2009 settlement in a case brought forward by the American Civil Liberties Union. Now, the cases are skyrocketing. But the State Department maintains that it hasn't "changed policy or practice regarding the adjudication of passport applications." 

Trump Has A Secret Government Agency Dedicated To Fighting Marijuana

Under the the guise of the newly created "Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee," the White House recently instructed 14 different federal agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration to counteract any positive messages about marijuana, according to a BuzzFeed News report. The committee also sought data that demonstrated "the most significant negative trends" about marijuana and the "threats" it poses to the country. Documents revealed that the multi-agency committee actually complained about the how positively marijuana is generally seen, and began making efforts to change that.

"Staff believe that if the administration is to turn the tide on increasing marijuana use there is an urgent need to message the facts about the negative impacts of marijuana use, production, and trafficking on national health, safety, and security," read a summary of one meeting between the White House and nine departments. 

After BuzzFeed published its report, the Trump administration responded— but Lindsay Walters, the deputy White House press secretary, didn't exactly deny the committee's existence. Instead, she refused to discuss how the administration crafts policies.

Trump has previously claimed he would support efforts to protect state legalization of marijuana, but the new committee clearly shows differently. Currently, 30 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 8 states along with the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. 

Friends & Family Of John McCain Gather For Private Ceremony

John McCain's casket arrived at Arizona's state capitol on Wednesday, where the late senator's family members made their first appearance since he died on Saturday of brain cancer. They were joined by other family and friends for a private service, though more than 100 people gathered outside to wait for the public viewing, which took place afterward. McCain's casket was carried into the Arizona State Capitol Museum rotunda, where he'll lie in state before being brought to Washington, DC. 

The day would've marked McCain's 82nd birthday. Numerous people honored him in tributes, with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey giving a particularly moving speech. "John McCain was Arizona's favorite adopted son," Ducey said, adding that Arizona can't be imagined without the Grand Canyon, just like it can't be imagined with McCain either. "It's just not natural."

The ceremony was the first of many memorials to come, including a a service where former Vice President Joe Biden and others will give tributes to McCain. On Saturday, McCain's family will escort him along Pennsylvania Avenue to the Vietnam War Memorial. Afterward, there will be a service at the Washington National Cathedral, where McCain's children, George W. Bush and Barack Obama will all deliver remarks. 

What to look for...

Summer's not over yet — it's national beach day!


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 25628

Latest Images

Trending Articles



Latest Images