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VP Harris outlines ‘orderly and secure’ immigration plan, rips Trump in first border stop since nomination

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VP Harris outlines ‘orderly and secure’ immigration plan, rips Trump in first border stop since nomination

DOUGLAS, Ariz. — Vice President Harris made her first appearance Friday at the southern border since becoming the Democratic nominee for president, and delivered a speech pledging to crack down on illegal immigration while blasting former President Trump.

Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years,” Harris told an enthusiastic crowd inside the gymnasium of the Cochise County College Douglas Campus located roughly two miles from the southern border. 

“We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum. While we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States. Our system must be orderly and secure.”

HARRIS VISITS CRUCIAL BORDER STATE AS IMMIGRATION RECORD SPARKS SCRUTINY: A TIMELINE

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris greets supporters during a campaign event at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Ariz., Friday.

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Harris, who touted her record as a border state attorney general, claimed that Trump “tanked” the “strongest border security bill we have seen in decades” earlier this year and argued that if it were law today, it would be producing “results” for the country.

“It is my pledge to you that as President of the United States I will bring it back up and proudly sign it into law,” she said.

Harris also pledged to “understand how solutions get formed” and to “reach across the aisle and I will embrace common sense approaches and new techniques to get the job done.”

“Because I know transnational gangs coming across the border, trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings could[n’t] care less who somebody voted for in the last election,” she said.

Harris added, “I will surge support to law enforcement agencies on the front lines, more personnel, more training and more technology, including 100 new inspection systems that can detect fentanyl hidden in vehicles.”

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Fentanyl was a common message in Harris’ speech, which she delivered after being introduced by Theresa Guerrero, whose son, Jacob, was killed by fentanyl poisoning at age 31.

“We will make sure that our ports of entry, including airports and seaports, have additional state-of-the-art technology to detect fentanyl and the chemical tools used to make it,” Harris said. “I will also double the resources for the Department of Justice to extradite and prosecute transnational criminal organizations and the cartels.”

Harris added, “The United States is a sovereign nation, and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and to enforce them. And I take that responsibility very seriously. We are also a nation of immigrants. The United States has been enriched by generations of people who have come from every corner of the world to contribute to our country and to become part of the American story.”

MARK CUBAN SPARS WITH RILEY GAINES OVER HARRIS’ HANDLING OF THE BORDER CRISIS

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris visits the U.S.-Mexico border with U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin in Douglas, Ariz., Friday.

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Harris claimed during her speech that Trump did “nothing” to fix our “broken immigration” system during his four years as president.

“He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges,” Harris said. “He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation. He did nothing to address an outdated asylum system and did not work with other governments in our hemisphere to deal with what clearly is also a regional challenge.

“He separated families. He ripped toddlers out of their mothers arms, put children in cages, and tried to end protections for Dreamers. He made the challenges at the border worse. And he is still. And he is still fanning the flames of fear and division. And let me be clear, that is not the work of a leader. That is not the work of a leader. And that is, in fact, I think we all believe an abdication of leadership.”

Harris signaled that she will find a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” who she said are “American in every way.”

Harris told the crowd she will work with Democrats and Republicans to fix the border issue and said she rejects the “false choice” between securing the border and “creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly, and humane.”

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“We can, and we must do both. We must do both.”

Shortly before the speech, Harris walked the southern border with two border patrol officials who the White House says briefed her on “their efforts to combat traffickers and transnational criminal organizations.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, in Walker, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Following that briefing, Harris traveled by motorcade to the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry in Douglas where she was briefed on efforts to stem the flow of fentanyl at the border. 

Harris’ speech outlining how she will tackle illegal immigration comes under the backdrop of millions of illegal immigrants overwhelming the southern border during her tenure as vice president, which has sparked frequent criticism from Trump, Republicans, and the Border Patrol union. 

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“After years of not just ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala is finally headed down to the border,” the National Border Patrol Council said in a statement leading up to Harris’ visit. “This is nothing more than for her to check the box, but what it is in reality, is a slap in the face towards the men and women that put their lives on the line every day, and also a slap in the face to the American public. Where has she been?”

BORDER-DISTRICT REPUBLICANS HAMMER HARRIS, DEMAND ‘AN APOLOGY’ OVER ‘PHOTO OP’ CAMPAIGN STOP IN ARIZONA

Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that at least 7.2 million illegal immigrants entered the United States under President Biden, an amount greater than the populations of 36 states.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris speaks at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Ariz., Friday. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Harris faced criticism just hours before her speech after Immigration and Customs Enforcement released data showing that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sex offenses and homicide convictions are currently loose on the streets in the U.S.

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Fox News polling released this week showed Trump with a 3 point lead in Arizona after Harris was in the lead by a point last month. 

The 3-point shift among registered voters is mainly due to movement among young voters, women and Hispanics.  

Polling has also shown that the vast majority of Americans believe the southern border is a “problem” after almost four years of the Biden-Harris administration and recent Fox News polling shows Americans trust Trump on the economy over Harris by 10 points.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Dana Blanton contributed to this report

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Los Angeles, Ca

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

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‘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.

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“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.”

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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.

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“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.”

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Los Angeles, Ca

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

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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.

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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.

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The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.

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Los Angeles, Ca

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

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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