Monday morning news: March 11, 2024

Debate on border deadlock » The border crisis just may be the defining issue of this year’s general election. Multiple recent polls show it’s the top concern on the minds of voters.

President Biden and Democrats are laying blame for the border crisis at the feet of Republicans for rejecting a Senate border bill. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:

JEFFRIES: The only way forward is for House Republicans to put the bipartisan national security comprehensive bill on the floor for an up or down vote.

But GOP Sen. James Lankford, who helped write that very bill, is pushing back. He said of President Biden:

LANKFORD: He has tools right now to be able to make a significant difference. He’s choosing not to do those.

Lankford said President Biden took executive actions shortly after taking office to throw open the floodgates at the southern border.

Laken Riley » Donald Trump hit President Biden hard on the border crisis while campaigning in Georgia over the weekend.

He also met with the family of Laken Riley. She was the 22-year-old nursing student murdered last month. The suspect in that case was in the country illegally and was arrested at the southern border before being released inside the country.

TRUMP: Laken Riley would be alive today if Joe Biden had not wilfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States. To her family tonight, I promise you, I will demand justice for Laken.

Trump and other Republicans are also blasting Biden after he expressed regret for having used the term “illegal” to refer to Riley’s suspected murderer. He told MSNBC:

BIDEN: An undocumented person and I shouldn’t have used ‘illegal.’ I should have — it’s undocumented.

Trump’s campaign said, “He should be apologizing to the family as opposed to apologizing for the word that he used.”

Helicopter crash at southern border » A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in a helicopter crash over the U.S.-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday.

Two National Guard soldiers and one Border Patrol agent on board were killed when the chopper went down near Rio Grande City, Texas on Friday.

Video footage showed Mexican drug cartel members laughing near the scene of the crash. And Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez said Sunday:

GONZALEZ: I have long pushed to label cartels as terrorist organizations. Let’s take the gloves off, and let’s hold these criminals accountable.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

DOJ probe of Boeing Max Alaska Airlines blowout » The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the Boeing jetliner blowout that left a gaping hole on an Alaska Airlines plane in January.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines said, “In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation.” The airline added that it does believe the airline is the target of the probe.

Meantime, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday:

BUTTEGIEG: Boeing needs to cooperate in every respect, and the FAA has given them 90 days to show a comprehensive plan as to how they’re going to turn their quality issues around.

Boeing has provided U.S regulators with the names of the employees who were on that flight after the NTSB called out the company last week for failing to provide that information.

Senators on U.S.-Israel support / sea port » A U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza sailed toward the Mediterranean on Sunday. President Biden last week announced plans to increase aid deliveries to Palestinians by sea.

But remarks caught on a hot mic after the president’s State of the Union address also drew a lot of attention. Biden was heard saying he would be having a “come to Jesus” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And Biden said over the weekend:

BIDEN: He has a right to defend Israel, a right to continue to pursue Hamas. But he must, he must, he must, pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.

Biden again called for a cease-fire. But Hamas has rejected the terms of a proposed six-week pause in the fighting negotiated by the governments of the U.S. Egypt and Qatar.

U.S. Embassy in Haiti » The Pentagon says it has flown in forces to Haiti to beef up security at the U.S. Embassy there and to allow non-essential personnel to leave.

That comes amid a continued crisis with armed gangs overrunning the country.

Mohamed Irfaan Ali is chairman of CARICOM. That’s a group of 15 Caribbean nations, including Haiti. He’s calling a meeting of world leaders, including from the United States.

ALI: To urgently address this state of affairs and all other matters critical to the stabilization of security.

Haiti’s government is asking for an international security team to help restore order.

Oscars » Oppenheimer won big at last night’s academy awards. The R-rated historical drama won Best Picture.

AUDIO: I can perform this miracle. World War II would be over. Our boys would come home.

Christopher Nolan won Best Director for the same movie, and Cillian Murphy won Best Actor for Oppenheimer.

Emma Stone won Best Actress for her role in Poor Things.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: A gun case on Legal Docket. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat.

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