Connect with us

Southwest

Texas Dem's Senate ad features border wall he once blasted as 'racist'

Published

on

Texas Dem's Senate ad features border wall he once blasted as 'racist'

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Having trouble? Click here.

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, featured the southern border wall in a recent Senate campaign ad despite having previously claimed the wall proposed by former President Trump was “racist.” 

The Democrat was seen in a July campaign ad walking with law enforcement along a portion of the border wall as he hit Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for opposing a border measure backed by Democrats in the upper chamber. 

Advertisement

However, Allred has had a long history of opposing the border wall and other elements of Trump and Republicans’ efforts to secure the border. 

ROGERS ADDRESSES ABORTION AMID SLOTKIN ATTACKS: ‘MICHIGAN VOTERS HAVE ALREADY DECIDED’

Both Harris and Allred have used the border wall in campaign ads despite opposing it before. (Reuters)

In fact, at an event in 2018, Allred told attendees, “If they build that racist wall, my generation is the one that will tear it down. You’re not going to have a wall in this country.”

As a representative, he has voted against countless bills that would institute strict changes to address the crisis at the southern border. Most notably, he opposed the H.R. 2 Secure the Border Act, which had been advocated by House and Senate Republicans. The legislation is understood to propose the toughest crackdown on the southern border and illegal immigration in consideration.

Advertisement

GOP SENATOR PUSHES FOR GOOGLE SUBPOENAS OVER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SEARCH RESULTS

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas (Emil Lippe/Getty Images)

He also voted for a resolution to end the national emergency declaration that then-President Trump had made for the southern border and in favor of legislation that would limit the president’s ability to suspend or restrict the ability of illegal immigrants to enter the country, among other controversial measures. 

“Congressman Allred is laser focused on solutions supported by both parties to fix our broken immigration system and secure our border. Ted Cruz has been in the Senate 12 years and has nothing to show for it. He tanked bipartisan legislation that would secure our border. Lyin’ Ted only cares about himself, and Texans know he will never be part of a real solution,” Allred spokesperson Josh Stewart told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS DURING TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘I’M TALKING NOW’

Advertisement

Cruz is currently favored to win the Texas race. (Getty Images)

While the border bill in question was negotiated by bipartisan Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz, and James Lankford, R-Okla, Republicans have largely rejected the resulting bill and were vocal critics of the negotiations as they were taking place. 

After the long-awaited release of the negotiated bill this year, Republicans promptly rejected it. 

Some members of the Republican conference in the Senate have even said the measure would have made the current border crisis worse. 

While some have pointed to Trump’s opposition to the bill as the reason it did not succeed, one Senate Republican told Fox News Digital it would have failed either way. But they said they imagine Trump is happy to take credit. 

Advertisement

In the most recent procedural vote on the border bill, two of the three negotiators, Sinema and Lankford, voted it down. 

NRA BETS BIG ON MONTANA IN GUN RIGHTS PUSH AS TESTER TEETERS IN SENATE RACE

Harris also used the border wall in campaign ads. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Another Republican criticism of the bill has been that the president currently enjoys the authority to address many of the concerns at the border right now and doesn’t need additional congressional permission to fix the crisis. 

Allred is not the only Democrat who has apparently changed their tune on the border wall as concerns about illegal immigration surge. Vice President Harris, who is running as the Democrat nominee for president, has also used the Trump-era border wall in campaign advertisements portraying her as strong on the southern border. 

Advertisement

Trump’s campaign slammed Harris over this, with a spokesperson previously saying that statements that Harris now supports Trump’s border wall are “preposterous and false claim(s).”

A top political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, rated the Texas Senate race “likely Republican,” with Cruz boasting a significant advantage. However, given the Democrats’ relatively unfavorable Senate election map, the Texas and Florida Senate races are their best pickup opportunities.

Allred has spent far more on the race than Cruz so far, with millions more spent on past ad spending and on future reservations ahead of the election.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Los Angeles, Ca

‘Moana’ is a triumph for Pacific Islander representation on the big screen

Published

on

‘Moana’ is a triumph for Pacific Islander representation on the big screen

“Moana” has been called a box office flop, an unnecessary money grab by Walt Disney Studios, but what it hasn’t been called yet is a triumphant win for cultural representation on the big screen.

The live-action adaptation of the beloved 2016 animated movie “Moana” effectively bombed at the box office, making much less money than industry insiders anticipated.

While it failed to live up to the expectations of the box office and critics alike, the film did exceed the expectations of moviegoers of Pacific Island descent, and they’ve taken to social media to express just how much the movie means to them.

Moana is more than the main character’s name. It means ocean across several Pacific Islander languages.

This image released by Disney shows Catherine Laga’aia in a scene from “Moana.” (Disney via AP)

One user explained how this kind of representation is more than entertainment.

Advertisement

“When I watched ‘Moana,’ I couldn’t hold back my tears. I heard the language of my parents, the language of my people. I saw our traditional Samoan clothing, our weaving, our siva, our culture, our values. I saw my people. I saw me.”

Another user said seeing Pacific Islanders on the silver screen influenced her own artistry.

“Representation matters. As a sometimes-Female-Polynesian-filmmaker (depending on the day and my imposter syndrome), seeing our stories on a screen this big makes me dream a little bigger too.”

Even the film’s star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, spoke to the film’s representation in a recent Instagram post.

“I feel that our movie ‘Moana’ will always serve a bigger purpose than just a film – it’s representation. Our Polynesian culture showcased to the world, and embraced by the world – with love, humility, warrior spirit and MANA.”

Advertisement

That representation was taken as a serious responsibility by the actors and creative team behind the scenes of Disney’s latest live-action remake.

“We got chosen for a reason,” Rena Owen, who plays Gramma Tala in the film, explains.

“Every single one of us, whether that’s an actor, whether that’s a creative, whether that’s a crew person. We’re raised that way, we’re raised in villages and we’re raised… on our earth, with our sky father and our moana, that’s what we all have in common. So, we just had to be ourselves.”

Disney once again leaned on members of its Oceanic Cultural Trust, a group formed over a decade ago to ensure cultural accuracy for the first “Moana” movie.

The trust’s lead consultant, Dr. Grant Muāgututiʻa, spoke about the work that went into bringing Moana to life on screen.

Advertisement

“We have a big responsibility to our folks who are gonna be watching the film. We’re elated that the film crew and the filmmakers were really receptive to all of the input that we had and we’re really happy with the way it turned out.”

Dr. Muāgututiʻa is a linguist by trade, serving as Assistant Professor of Linguistics at California State University San Marcos. He told KTLA he was thrilled that people of Samoan descent can hear their language spoken in a major Disney film.

“The mountaintop scene where you can hear both Jon Tui, who plays Chief Tui, and Catherine Laga’aia, who plays Moana speaking Samoan. And then the Siva Tau scene, where Seiuli Dwayne Johnson also speaks Samoan. I think those are special moments that are new, especially for our people to see. They’re able to experience real islanders that are proud of their culture.”

“Moana” Choreographer and Cultural Trust member Tiana Nonosina Liufau agreed.

“Seeing an all-Pasifika cast, and hearing them, there’s a lot of Mana in that, hearing these words come out of their mouth, something audiences can trace back to their genealogy, that’s priceless. All worth it.”

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

Published

on

LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.

Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.

Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.

  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • A sinkhole opened up on a sidewalk in West Hollywood following a water main break
  • Aerial view of flooded Metro buses.
  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • Water floods out of an apartment in West Hollywood
  • A broken water main floods a parking garage in West Hollywood
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Residents stand with luggage and a dog at the entrance to an apartment parking garage as floodwaters from a water main break rush through a West Hollywood street.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • A broken water main floods the streets of West Hollywood

“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”

The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.

A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.

Advertisement

The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.

“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.

The two men appeared to be uninjured.

As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.

LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.

Advertisement

The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

Published

on

Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.

Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.

On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and Eric Washington are pictured in a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department bulletin. (LASD)

Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.

Advertisement

“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.

The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.

Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.

Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.

Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.

Advertisement

Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.

  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration

Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.

The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.

“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.

“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”

The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.

Advertisement

At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.

Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.

The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.

Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.

Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.

Advertisement

Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.

They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending