Tuesday morning news: July 16, 2019

Trump admin announces new asylum rule » The Trump administration is putting a new asylum rule in place at the southern border. It could end asylum protections for many migrants trying to cross into the U.S. 

Under the rule, migrants will be ineligible for asylum if they failed to apply for protection from other countries they passed through. 

Ken Cuccinelli is acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He said the administration hopes the move will help restore order at the border with Mexico.

CUCCINELLI: What we hope to come from it is that the people claiming asylum at our southern border are legit. There are so many people clogging our legal and legitimate asylum claims with illegitimate asylum claims.

But critics of the move say it’s intended to dissuade all asylum claims. 

The rule is set to take effect Tuesday. Opponents have vowed to challenge it in court.

The rule includes exceptions for migrants who have previously been denied asylum in another country and for human trafficking victims.

President Trump doubles down on controversial remarks » President Trump is doubling down on controversial remarks he made on Sunday. 

He tweeted about—quoting here, “Progressive Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe.”

He said they should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” 

On Monday he expounded on his remarks. 

TRUMP: These are people that in my opinion hate our country. Now, you can say what you want, but get a list of all the statements they’ve made. And all I’m saying is if they’re not happy here, they can leave. 

The comments appeared to be aimed at Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Talib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley. But of those four, only Omar was born outside the U.S. All are American citizens.

Democrats roundly condemned Trump’s remarks as racist. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer…

SCHUMER: It’s one of the oldest and crudest tropes to malign non-white Americans. The president’s comments drip with racism.

A growing number of Republicans also denounced the comments, including the only black GOP House member. Texas Congressman Will Hurd called the tweets “racist and zenophic.” Most Republicans used softer language. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will comment on the matter today. 

James Fields Jr. sentenced to second life sentence » A judge in Virginia on Monday sentenced James Alex Fields Jr. to life plus 419 years in prison. The state sentence followed last month’s federal life sentence stemming from the 22-year-old’s actions at a 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fields drove his car into a group of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring two dozen others. 

Heyer’s mother, Susan Bro, said Sunday that Fields is “at least in the hands of justice.” 

BRO: Not only does the United States hold these actions to be quite serious with serious consequences, but also the state of Virginia is not tolerating them. And I think that message was sent loud and clear today. 

Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore followed a state jury’s recommendation in handing down the sentence. 

Effort to sanction same-sex marriage in Anglican church of Canada falls short » An effort within the Anglican Church of Canada to sanction same-sex marriage narrowly failed this week. The church’s governing body voted on the issue in Vancouver over the weekend.  

The motion to sanction same-sex marriage needed support from two-thirds of the church’s bishops, clergy, and laypeople. More than 70 percent of clergy and laypeople voted in favor of the motion as did 23 bishops. But 14 bishops voted against the change, narrowly upholding the Anglican Church of Canada’s definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. 

Joni Eareckson Tada cancer free » Joni Eareckson Tada says she is cancer-free after a second battle with the disease. WORLD Radio’s Kristen Flavin has that story. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The 69-year-old Christian author and advocate for people with disabilities announced the good news on her website. 

She said “The Lord was gracious and heard the desire of our hearts—last Friday’s PET scan shows that my second tumor that was removed last November … did not metastasize!”

She called the news miraculous given the aggressive nature of the cancer.

Tada became quadriplegic 51 years ago in a diving accident. Since then, she founded Joni and Friends, an international ministry to people with disabilities. Tada was WORLD’s Daniel of the Year in 2017. Last fall, doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer for a second time after an earlier bout of the illness in 2010.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Kristen Flavin.

(AP Photo/Steve Helber) James Alex Fields Jr., is led out of General District Court courthouse after his sentencing on state charges, Monday, July 15, 2019, in Charlottesville, Va. 

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