Southwest
Oklahoma schools chief bills Kamala Harris $474M for education costs, citing illegal immigration
Oklahoma’s top elected education official sent a “demand letter” to Vice President Kamala Harris that essentially served as an invoice for what the illegal immigration crisis under her tenure overseeing the border has cost Sooner State schools.
“As the statewide elected Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Oklahoma and the Executive Officer of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), it is my duty to ensure that the resources allocated to our public schools are counted for and used in the most effective manner possible for the benefit of Oklahoma students’ education,” Ryan Walters wrote to Harris.
In August, Walters tasked the department to work with school districts to calculate the financial impact borne by taxpayers on illegal immigrant minors. That analysis resulted in an estimate of $474.9 million, which he demanded of Harris in the letter.
“This demand amount is, by necessity, an estimate because only your administration knows the true number of illegal immigrants crossing this nation’s borders and the actual costs of illegal immigration,” he said, calling for Harris to conduct a potentially more accurate accounting of the costs incurred by Oklahoma schools.
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“Under your supervision, the costs in education due to illegal immigration have risen astronomically. Your failed oversight and efforts are a direct cause of the current crises Oklahoma and other states now face. Oklahoma taxpayers, schools, teachers, and parents should not bear the burden of your failings. They deserve better,” Walters said.
In a Tuesday interview, Walters said the border crisis is “crippling” Oklahoma schools, and that paying for these minors’ education is the “largest unfunded mandate in the country.”
He said Oklahoma has been the first state to both calculate the education costs of the border crisis and to actually bill the Biden-Harris administration for the fiscal disparity.
In August, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order directing hospitals to collect cost information in a similar fashion, for patients “not lawfully present in the United States.”
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“Since she’s been the border czar, she’s failed our country,” Walters said. “Open borders has had an impact on every aspect of society, but it has overrun our schools, decimated our families. And it is absolutely time to hold them accountable for that.”
Walters said he invites other states to follow suit and calculate the real costs of illegal immigration, to show the true effects of the crisis on the country.
Harris’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
When asked if he expects a response or a remittance, Walters said the administration has long been “unresponsive to the needs of all Americans.”
“I know that they’ve magically pretended like they’ve cared about it here in the last 60 days of their campaign. But the reality is, as you’ve seen story after story, data point after data point, and they’ve ignored them,” he said.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Armed robbers hit couple in broad daylight on high-end Beverly Hills street
Two people were hospitalized after a broad daylight armed robbery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills Sunday, police confirmed to KTLA.
Officers with the Beverly Hills Police Department responded to the 400 block of North Rodeo Drive, at the intersection of Brighton Way just before 1:30 p.m. on reports of the incident.
According to a BHPD news release, a man and a woman were waiting outside a boutique when they were approached by four suspects, one of whom pulled out a gun during a physical altercation between the victims and the suspects.
“During the altercation, the suspects forcibly took two designer handbags – one from each victim – containing cash and cellphones,” police said. “One cellphone was recovered nearby. The suspects also attempted to steal the male victim’s jewelry but were unsuccessful.”
In video of a portion of the incident obtained by KTLA, four suspects all wearing dark clothing and hooded sweatshirts can be seen running from the scene. At least one of the suspects has an item, possibly one of the handbags, in his hands.
The crew was last seen running up Rodeo Drive and ducking into an alleyway.
It is unclear if anyone was injured, but the male victim was seen on the ground as the victim and another person knelt over him, one of which was yelling for help.
Medical personnel with the Beverly Hills Fire Department responded to the incident, but authorities said the man and woman sought their own medical attention at a local hospital.
Their conditions were not immediately available.
An investigation into the robbery remains ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact BHPD at 310-285-2125. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.com.
Southwest
'Canary in the coal mine': Dallas mayor explains Trump's 'gift' to GOP after he switched parties
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson spent over a decade in office as a Democrat before making a significant political shift.
Just over a year ago, he announced his decision to join the Republican Party.
Johnson wrote in a Fox News op-ed that his switch should have been a wake-up call for Democrats ahead of the 2024 election.
“It turns out I was kind of a canary in the coal mine, right? I didn’t think I was going to be some anomaly that everyone needed to worry about,” Johnson told “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones, Wednesday.
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“I thought I was going to be a harbinger of things to come. And it turns out, that was exactly right.”
Dallas is a predominantly blue area, voting for President Joe Biden in 2020 by over half. With Johnson’s change, Dallas became the largest U.S. city led by a Republican mayor.
He joined Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker as one of only two Republican mayors leading a major Texas city. Johnson attributes this to a broader realignment in cultural dynamics across the country, a change he credits to President-elect Trump.
“Donald Trump has given the Republican Party a gift,” Johnson explained. “He has caused parts of the Democratic coalition, that people thought would never, ever consider voting Republican, to do exactly that.”
One of the key factors behind Trump’s resounding victory in 2024 was his surge in support from minority groups, particularly Hispanic voters. In Texas, Republicans experienced a 28% increase in Latino support compared to the 2020 election.
Trump also made inroads with Black voters and young voters, significantly narrowing traditional Democratic advantages.
“I think now is an opportunity for the Republican Party to double down on his message,” said Johnson, describing Trump’s focus as one aimed at revitalizing U.S. cities.
“An agenda for urban America. That is what these groups are hoping that’s going to happen now,” Johnson explained.
“They believe that Donald Trump, our president-elect, can actually deliver on the promise of making our cities great again. And he can, and I think he will.”
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According to Fox News’ voter analysis of the 2024 election, Republican voters were most driven by concerns over the economy, immigration, and crime — issues Johnson argues have been neglected under Democratic leadership.
“All the things that people have been asking for generations from our cities that have under Democratic leadership … failed to deliver on those things.”
A vocal advocate for law enforcement funding, lower taxes, and a pro-business environment, Johnson has made his policy priorities clear and says he’d like to help the president-elect enact his agenda over the next four years.
“The Republican Party shouldn’t give up on our cities. We need to actually invest in them and focus on them. And I think that’s what he’s going to do and I want to help him do that.”
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Los Angeles, Ca
Authorities searching for at-risk missing teen last seen in Lancaster
Authorities in Los Angeles County are searching for a teenage girl they say could be at risk.
According to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, 13-year-old Aleah Ashley Salgado was last seen at 11 p.m. Friday night on the 3000 block of East Avenue H-2 in Lancaster.
Authorities say her family is concerned for her well being.
Salgado was described as Hispanic, 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds, with long black wavy hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, grey sweatpants and black shoes.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lancaster Station at 661-948-8466.
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