Wednesday morning news: October 31, 2018

President says he’ll move to end birthright citizenship by exec order » President Trump said he plans to bring an end to so-called birthright citizenship with an executive order.

In an interview with Axios on HBO, the president said it’s “ridiculous” that babies born in the United States are automatically U.S. citizens even if they’re born to noncitizens. And he said after consulting with White House legal counsel, he believes changing that does not require a constitutional amendment.  

TRUMP: You can definitely do it with an act of Congress, but now they’re saying I can do it just with an executive order. 

But Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan is among those who say the president should not and cannot reverse birthright citizenship with the stroke of pen.

RYAN: You obviously cannot do that. You cannot end birthright citizenship with executive order. We didn’t like it when Obama tried changing immigration laws via executive action, and obviously as conservatives we believe in the Constitution. 

Congress passed the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in 1866 granting birthright citizenship. It reads, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the States wherein they reside.” 

Troops arrive/Trump says caravan migrants to stay in tents » About 800 troops arrived at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio Tuesday, a staging ground for what’s being called Operation Faithful Patriot. It’s the first wave of the more than 5,000 troops being moved to the border in the coming days to support the Border Patrol.

The deployment is intended to “harden” the border as a caravan of Central American migrants continues north through Mexico. President Trump remains adamant the caravan will not be allowed to cross the border. And he told Fox News that migrants claiming asylum will be held until their claims are decided in a U.S. court.  

TRUMP: We’re going to build tent cities. We’re going to put tents up all over the place. We’re not going to build structures and spend all of this hundreds of millions of dollars. We’re going to have tents. They’re going to be very nice, and they’re going to wait, and if they don’t get asylum, they get out. 

The caravan is still more than a thousand miles away from the U.S. border.

Trump visits site of Pittsburgh synagogue massacre » AUDIO: [Sound of funeral]

Funerals began Tuesday for the victims of Saturday’s massacre inside a Jewish synagogue.

President Trump and the first lady traveled to Pittsburgh to pay their respects. Their daughter Ivanka Trump and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also joined them.

They laid stones and white roses atop memorial markers for each of the 11 victims. The star-shaped markers are situated just outside of the Tree of Life Synagogue where the shooting occurred.

The president’s motorcade then drove to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he met with wounded survivors of the attack.

Search continues at Indonesia plane crash site » Indonesian authorities and rescue workers continue to search for human remains and clues after a commercial jet crashed Monday with nearly 200 people on board. WORLD Radio’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency on Tuesday said workers recovered 10 intact bodies and other remains. The agency also deployed ships and an underwater vehicle to search for the plane’s hull and flight recorder.

The Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft went down in the sea northeast of Jakarta 13 minutes after takeoff.

The plane had a technical problem on its last flight before the crash, but the airline said it had been resolved. One passenger who boarded the previous flight from Bali to Jakarta said the plane dropped suddenly less than 10 minutes after it took off, adding—quote—“That happened several times during the flight.” “We felt like in a roller coaster. Some passengers began to panic and vomit.”

A team of experts, including officials from Boeing are arriving in the country today to assist with the investigation.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Whitey Bulger dies » James “Whitey” Bulger was killed inside federal prison on Tuesday. Officials told the Associated Press the 89-year-old was slain by fellow inmates and his death is being investigated as a homicide.

Bulger was the murderous Boston gangster who also worked as an FBI informant. Federal agents ignored his criminal activity for years before eventually indicting him. Bulger fled after his FBI handler tipped him off and spent 16 years as one of America’s most wanted men.

Bulger led a largely Irish mob that ran loan-sharking, gambling, and drug rackets. He was the model for Jack Nicholson’s ruthless crime boss in the 2006 film, “The Departed.”

CDC confirms 10 new cases of mysterious Polio-like illness » The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 10 new cases of a mysterious Polio-like illness that paralyzes children. WORLD Radio’s Sarah Schweinsberg has more.

SARAH SCHWEINSBERG, REPORTER: The CDC describes Acute Flaccid Myelitis as a rare but serious condition that affects the nervous system. It seizes the area of the spinal cord called gray matter causing the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak.

The 10 new cases of AFM bring this year’s total to 72 in 24 different states.

Most people who contract the disease experience sudden arm or leg weakness, and a loss of muscle tone and reflexes. Some also have trouble moving their eyes, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, or slurred speech. The most severe symptom can be respiratory failure, requiring a breathing machine.

Doctors urge parents to be sure children’s vaccinations are up to date and teach them to wash their hands regularly.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Sarah Schweinsberg.

I’m Kent Covington. Straight ahead: A look at Washington’s role in religious liberty at home and around the world. That’s next on Washington Wednesday. This is The World and Everything in It.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) In this Oct. 27, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump pauses while speaking at a rally at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Ill. 

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