Thursday morning news: September 28, 2023

Trump in Detroit » As seven Republican White House hopefuls squared off last night in California, former President Trump campaigned in a major swing state.

TRUMP: I’m thrilled to be back with the workers, UAW members, and proud patriots of the great state of Michigan.

Trump rallied supporters in suburban Detroit one day after President Biden spoke to striking autoworkers in the area, picketing outside of a GM plant.

Trump said Biden is not the pro-worker president he claims to be.

TRUMP: Now they want to go all-electric and put you all out of business. You know that, right?

The former president carried Michigan in 2016, but narrowly lost the state to Biden in 2020.

Budget talks » House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is racing to beat a Saturday deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown.

Members will likely hold a vote tomorrow on a bill that would buy more time for lawmakers to debate spending.

The temporary bill would largely keep current funding levels in place. But it would also cut federal spending by 8% from some agencies and strengthen border security.

McCarthy said all Republicans should be able to support that.

MCCARTHY: Remember what it is. This is a stopgap funding to keep government open and secure the border. I don’t know that anyone is opposed to that.

But even if it passes, President Biden and many Senate Democrats vow to block the House bill.

The Senate is working to craft its own funding bill … which would likely be dead on arrival in the House.

Menendez’s pleaded not guilty » New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal bribery charges. Both were released on bail.

Prosecutors accuse the couple of raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for political favors.

On Capitol Hill, a growing number of Democrats are calling on Menendez to step down. Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet:

BENNET: These allegations don’t bring credit to our institution and … he obviously is presumed innocent until he has his hearings. But that doesn’t mean he should stay here, and I don’t think he should.

Menendez escaped separate corruption charges in 2017 when his case ended in a mistrial.

Abbott on border » In New York City, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott slammed President Biden’s border policies. In a speech to the Manhattan Institute he said the president is not enforcing immigration laws already on the books.

ABBOTT: Joe Biden is knowingly and affirmatively abandoning the rule of law in the United States. That alone angers Americans. But also, it undermines who we are as a country.

The White House recently gave a green light to the state of New York to grant work permits to nearly a half-million Venezuelan migrants, many of whom entered the country illegally.

Abbott’s visit comes as New York City says it’s spending $10 million dollars a day to house migrants.

Target closures » Target is closing nine stores in four states because of rampant theft in major U.S. cities. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The company will shut down locations in New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, and Seattle. All five locations have seen a big spike in shoplifting and flash mob robberies.

Target employees will have the option to transfer to a different store. All nine locations will close late next month.

The announcement comes as the retail chain is still reeling from a boycott over its pro-LGBT activism.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Travis King » An American soldier who went AWOL after purposely sprinting across a border into North Korea is back in U.S. custody.

The Biden administration says Pyongyang handed him over without demanding anything in return.

State Dept. spokesman Matthew Miller:

MILLER: He was transported to the border between North Korea and China where he was met by our ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Nicholas Burns.

It’s unclear why North Korea opted to expel the private.

King was reportedly convicted of assault in South Korea and faced disciplinary action back in the United States.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Highlights from the second Republican debate. Plus, the ethics of killer drones.

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