The Border Patrol shut down a highway checkpoint in the El Paso sector as the number of illegal crossings in the area skyrockets. Photos sent to Straight Arrow News by a source in El Paso show a checkpoint in New Mexico blocked off and unstaffed.

The Border Patrol El Paso sector denied the shutdown was related to the ongoing immigration influx. A public information officer said any checkpoint closure would have been temporary due to a staffing issue or possibly weather related.

Regardless of the reason, retired Border Patrol agent William Jackson explained to Straight Arrow News how shutting down these checkpoints can impact border security.

“Removing agents from checkpoints will allow illegal drugs and dangerous criminals to enter into our country unimpeded; this will jeopardize the safety and security of our communities,” Jackson said. “Also, it would increase the opportunity for the most vulnerable of our society to be trafficked and would decrease their chances of being rescued from their captors.”

On Saturday, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser declared a state of emergency after previously resisting the move. Leeser said the city is expecting the number of immigrants arriving everyday to increase from 2,500 to as many as 6,000 once Title 42 ends Wednesday. According to a public database maintained by the city, 10,349 immigrants were released onto the city’s streets during the week of Dec. 11-17.

“I really believe that today our asylum-seekers are not safe as we have hundreds and hundreds on the streets and that’s not the way we want to treat people,” Leeser said at a news conference.

Leeser said he received assurances from Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, that the state will speak with him before imposing any new immigration orders. The city is requesting the state provide assistance with staffing, law enforcement and transportation.

Gov. Abbott warned it will be “chaos” if Title 42 ends. He is advocating to keep it in place.

“Whether it’s COVID or some other issue, when you have people coming across the globe without knowing at all what their health status is, that almost by definition is a public health risk. There’s every reason to keep that in place,” Gov. Abott told ABC’s This Week.

Title 42 is a pandemic era immigration order that allows certain immigrants to be deported almost immediately on public health grounds. The Department of Homeland Security estimates anywhere from 9 thousand to 14 thousand immigrants could cross illegally every single day as a result.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told city council members in an email that they should expect 1,000 asylum seekers to arrive on buses every week.

“We have diligently advocated for support from our Federal & State partners as we cannot continue to address this issue alone. We’ve already received more than 31,000 asylum seekers into our city, and currently have open 60 emergency shelters, four humanitarian relief centers, and two welcome centers,” Adams said in the email obtained by the New York Post.

On Friday, a DC Circuit Court refused to let a group of republican attorneys general intervene in the lawsuit that ended Title 42. The group of 19 attorneys general asked the appeals court to delay the end of Title 42 after a lower court found it to be unlawful.

In another example of partisanship, Democrats and Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released separate reports on COVID-19. The committee’s work is supposed to be nonpartisan, but the dueling reports highlight what each party has expressed concern about. For Democrats, their concerns are intelligence collection and how the Trump administration handled it. For Republicans, it’s COVID-19’s origins and the lab leak theory.

There are a few key takeaways from both reports. Democrats note the intelligence community’s focus on health security and pandemic warning was “inconsistent at best” before COVID-19. It found the intelligence community today is still not properly positioned to collect information regarding global health security or biological threats.

To fix this, the committee recommends a dedicated global health security center in the office of the director of national intelligence, investments in open source intelligence and better collaboration between the intelligence community and public health agencies.

The Democrat’s report pushed back on claims from the Trump administration that the intelligence community didn’t see far enough ahead. The report found they provided “increasingly dire” assessments of a looming pandemic in late January and early February of 2020, well before President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on March 13, 2020.

As per the lab leak theory, the Democrat’s report said they don’t have intelligence to reach a definitive conclusion.

“But while we do not know whether the virus was the result of a lab accident or natural transmission, one thing is clear — a future pandemic could result from either phenomenon and we need to prepare against both,” the report states.

The Republican report states the scientific community largely accepts that its feasible COVID-19 may have emerged from a lab-related event involving Chinese scientists experimenting with coronaviruses. They point to a world health organization advisory group and a publication in the medical journal “The Lancet” that states it’s a possibility.

They said the intelligence community downplayed the possibility of COVID-19 being connected to a Chinese bioweapons program because of input from outside experts who have conflicts of interest due to grant funding and professional entanglements.

There’s one important place where the reports converge, the intelligence community did not provide all the requested intel.

“The IC continues to obstruct the Committee’s oversight by engaging in a pattern of refusing to provide information,” The Republican report states. 

Republicans said they will work to release more information when they take the majority. They contend some information remains classified that would not harm national security if it was made public.

Electric vehicles have been getting a lot of attention in recent years with analysts believing half of U.S. car sales will be EVs by 2030. Ford’s F-150 Lightning just won the 2023 MotorTrend Truck of the Year, becoming the second EV to do so. The F-Series isn’t the only legacy model being electrified. Here are some iconic vehicles getting the EV treatment in this week’s Five for Friday.

#5: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is a departure from the look and style the brand is known for. The EV is a 4-door hatchback more reminiscent of a crossover SUV than a muscle car. The GT trim boasts 480 horsepower with a 260 mile range and starts at roughly $70,000. For purists, Ford recently unveiled its seventh generation Mustang, returning to its roots with a 5-liter V-8 engine that pushes 0-60 mph in 4 seconds.

#4: GMC Hummer EV

The Hummer was the pinnacle of vehicle excess earlier this century. After all, it was a consumer version of the military Humvee. But sales struggled as gas prices rose in 2008 and after the Great Recession hit, the Hummer eventually retired. But now it’s back as an EV pickup truck. The top-line trim offers 300 miles per charge, 1,000 horsepower and can go 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Those benefits will come at a cost of around $100,000.

#3: Porsche Taycan

The Porsche Taycan doesn’t bear the name of the German automaker’s classic models and that’s by design. But its design feels right in line with the 911. The top-of-the-line Taycan Turbo S goes 0-60 mph in fewer than three seconds, has a top speed of 160 mph and a range of 223 miles. The company says it’s the most aerodynamic Porsche ever produced. But there is a downside: the highest-end trim runs just under $200,000.

#2: Volkswagen ID. Buzz

The Volkswagen Bus is one of the most iconic vehicles to ever hit the road. It’s more of a lifestyle than a people mover. The EV version, known as the ID. Buzz, is following in those nostalgic tire tracks. The ID. Buzz is already being sold in the E.U. but won’t be available in North America until the 2024 model. The European model can get roughly 260 miles per charge but is limited to just 90 mph.

#1: Chevrolet Corvette: Electrified

Details are scarce on Chevy’s new electric Corvette other than its announcement by GM President Mark Reuss in April. Unlike Ford’s Mach-E, this Corvette actually looks like it belongs in the same sentence as the Stingray. Car and Driver expects sales to start with the 2024 or 2025 model with a projected price of $100,000.

The House of Representatives passed the Puerto Rico Status Act, a bill to give the island territory the chance to decide its own future. If fully approved and signed into law, it would set up a binding referendum on Nov. 5, 2023, in which Puerto Ricans would choose from among three options: statehood, independence, or sovereignty in free association with the United States.

“It is time Congress recognizes that Puerto Rico has no interest in being a colony. Just as we in the U.S. should have no interest in being a colonizing power in 2022,” Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., said.

The House passed the bill, 233-191, with the votes falling largely along party lines. Democrats contended it’s about the right to self-determination.

“For far too long, however, the people of Puerto Rico have been excluded from the full promise of American democracy and self-determination that our nation has always championed,” Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Republicans expressed displeasure that the bill was pushed through at the end of the year with little notice and insufficient time for consideration. They said it is poorly written and has no chance to become law this late in the Congress.

“If Puerto Ricans vote to become a sovereign or independent nation, this legislation tells them what they have to include in their new constitution, how they have to ratify their constitution, and how elections for government officers should take place. And my friends across the aisle want to talk about colonial power. What’s that sound like?” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said.

Whatever Puerto Ricans choose during a referendum, the U.S. government would help them transition on a pre-set timeline. For instance if they choose independence, there would be a constitutional convention within six months, and the resulting document would have to be ratified by the people.

Under sovereignty in free association, Puerto Rico would have its own constitution and leaders, and rule itself, but still have a small financial relationship with the U.S. and receive military support if necessary.

If they choose statehood, the president would be required to make a proclamation within a year. Puerto Rico’s governor would then set dates and requirements for elections for the state’s senators and representatives in Congress.

If Puerto Rico became a state it would have significant political ramifications. The island has no voting representation in congress, its residents can’t vote in presidential elections and it does not receive certain tax revenues assigned to states. The commonwealth has about the same population as Iowa, which has four representatives in the House, and six electoral votes in presidential elections.

Puerto Rico’s political status has been debated for years. In 2020, the territory voted in favor of statehood 52-47 percent. However, while that vote was official in Puerto Rico and called on its government to begin negotiations, it could not compel the U.S. government to accept the results. In 2017, another non-binding resolution was approved with 97% of the vote, but there was only 23% turnout.

In 2021, Puerto Rico’s governor advocated for statehood in a CBS News documentary.

“How come we are citizens of the most democratic nation in the world yet we do not vote for the president of that nation? How come we have no voting representation in Congress as American citizens,” Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, D, said. “It’s like geographic discrimination and it makes no sense. We’re not immigrants.”

But this bill does not appear to have enough time or support to get through Congress before the end of the session. So regardless of which way it ultimately goes, Pierluisi and his fellow citizens will have to wait.

Wes Moore is combat veteran and author who ran to replace Maryland’s popular, term-limited Republican Governor Larry Hogan. Moore won by 30 points.

“Everybody in the state needs to understand that we are going to focus on economics. That this is about how we are going to focus on pathways to work, wages, and wealth. For all Marylanders, and not just some,” Moore said.

Maryland’s minimum wage is set to increase to $15 an hour by 2025. Moore says he’ll make that adjustment happen sooner, in 2023, and look for ways to continue raising the minimum wage with inflation and the cost of living.

Moore’s plan to address the economy also involves investing in childhood education. He says he will expand free pre-K programs more quickly than the 10-year timeline that is already in place.

Additionally, Moore supports making abortion a constitutional right, after the state’s general assembly passed legislation expanding access to it.

Moore faced some controversy during the campaign when his Republican competitor accused him of mischaracterizing part of his life in his memoir, parts of which allude to a childhood in Baltimore. In reality, Moore was born in Takoma Park, Maryland and raised in the Bronx, New York. Moore said the confusion stemmed from a publisher mistake that was later corrected.

With a platform focused on Maryland’s economy, he will have to find room to address rising crime levels in the state. His strategy so far includes banning ghost guns, and funding for violence intervention and community policing programs.

There’s just one week left until the court-ordered end to Title 42 on Dec. 21. The pandemic-era policy allows the U.S. to deport immigrants who cross illegally almost immediately on public health grounds. When it ends, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has predicted there could be as many as 18,000 illegal crossings per day.

But there is a push to keep it in place. A bipartisan group of four Congressmen and Senators wrote to President Biden, urging him to do everything he can to keep Title 42 until Congress can act. A group of 19 Republican state attorneys general are asking an appeals court to delay its end by overruling the lower court that said it’s unlawful.

Now Fox News reports that the White House is trying to prepare for the expected immigrant influx by asking Congress for $4 billion – $2 billion for CBP and $2 billion for ICE. The funds would be used for migrant processing, transportation, and emergency food and shelter.

Over the last 18 months, the Biden administration set up mobile processing centers and added personnel. But the White House said if Republicans want more, they will have to pass it through Congress on a bipartisan basis.

“We know how to work with Republicans; Republicans know how to work with us. So why don’t they work with us on this particular issue that is important to – important to Americans across the country,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Tuesday’s press briefing.

But House Republicans are calling for DHS Secretary Mayorkas to be impeached. They held a press conference Tuesday as Mayorkas was in El Paso touring facilities and meeting with personnel.

“This isn’t about somebody who’s just not getting his job done. This is about a guy who is purposefully endangering the American people and migrants who seek to come here. And he’s doing so for crass political purposes, using them as pawns, nothing more,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said. “So you bet this is a high crime and misdemeanor, you bet he should be impeached.”

Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, announced his state will build more border wall starting next month after negotiations with private landowners. However, a wall on private property is built off the border line and does not stop people from getting into America, it only prevents immigrants from evading Border Patrol agents after they cross.

Maura Healey is the first woman governor of Massachusetts. Beyond making waves as the state’s first female governor, she also flipped the seat that a Republican held for two terms.

“I stand before you tonight, proud to be the first woman and the first gay person ever elected governor of Massachusetts,” Healy said after her win. 

Healey is a Democrat, and as the state attorney general, she sued the Trump administration more than 100 times.

Looking forward, she is responsible for appointing a new general manager of the MBTA, Boston’s public transportation system. It’s no secret the department has a poor safety and reliability record. A Federal Transit Administration report found the MBTA’s work on long-term projects has compromised day-to-day operations.

Healey said she will appoint an official to conduct a safety audit and standards. And according to Healey’s campaign, improvements in the transit system will also benefit the environment. 

Her agenda to address climate change includes electrifying all public transportation by 2040. Also, ending the sale of passenger vehicles and light duty trucks fueled by gas and diesel by 2035.

It’s not just about clean transportation, though. Healey hopes to “electrify everything” in the next 20 years by expanding clean energy production.

“I don’t want to give more power and control to big oil and fossil fuels. I want us to be strong here and energy independent,” she said.

She’s received pushback on the timeline, particularly from her opponent in the election, Republican Geoff Diehl. 

“We have to make a gradual transfer. I’m an eagle scout. I want a clean environment as well. But you’ve got to be rational in how you do it. And not put a plan in place that will bankrupt every household and drive out every manufacturing business in the state,” Diehl said. 

When it comes to the issue of unaffordable housing, Healey said she will hire a secretary of housing to oversee the growing production and preservation of housing. She also plans to protect abortion rights.

There are only 21 days until the 117th Congress ends and the 118th begins. The slate will be wiped clean, and they’ll start fresh with a new Republican majority in the House and a larger 51-49 Democratic majority in the Senate. 

As the clock winds down, Congress has a big to-do list, with items lawmakers must accomplish, and a few things they want to. Here’s a look at the list:

Government funding

The federal government runs out of money Friday at midnight, so the House and Senate are planning a weeklong continuing resolution to give negotiators more time. Ultimately they hope to pass an omnibus package before Christmas that will fund everything for an entire year.

“I expect an omnibus will contain priorities both sides want to see passed into law, including more funding for Ukraine and the Electoral Count Act,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

As Schumer mentioned, some expected additions include Ukraine aid, which the White House requested $37 billion for, and the Electoral Count Act, which clarifies that the vice president’s role in certifying elections is ministerial. It would change laws the Trump team tried using that ultimately led to the Jan. 6 riot.

There are also a number of tax provisions that are being considered. The White House wants an expanded child tax credit and is reportedly willing to add a work requirement to get it. Early in the administration the White House approved up to $3,600 for parents. 

There is also work being done to adjust corporate tax deductions regarding amortization, interest payments and depreciation costs. 

Defense funding

Lawmakers also have to approve the National Defense Authorization Act to set policy and provide funding for the military. This is expected to be approved on a bipartisan basis and signed by the president. It will give the defense department $858 billion next year, including a 4.6% pay raise for the troops and money to purchase weapons, naval vessels and aircraft. It will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for active duty troops but it does not reinstate those who already got kicked out.

“Our Democratic colleagues will not receive a goody bag of domestic spending in exchange for fulfilling their solemn duty,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said regarding defense funding and domestic spending.

Jan. 6 report

The Jan. 6 Investigative Committee is expected to release its final report during a public hearing Dec. 21. It will contain any criminal referrals the committee decides to make to the Justice Department. 

“So, if we do make referrals, we want to be very careful about how we do them. But I think we’re all certainly in agreement that there is evidence of criminality here and we want to make sure that the Justice Department is aware of that,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told CBS’s Face the Nation.

The report is expected to be eight chapters largely about Donald Trump and his legal team’s role before and during the riot. It will also contain appendices on subjects including law enforcement failures.  

Marijuana banking

Lawmakers want to pass the SAFE Banking act, which would open the federal banking system to marijuana distributors. Although recreational marijuana is legal in more than 20 states and medical use is allowed in another 17, it’s still illegal at the federal level. This bill would open up banks to distributors, and in turn, a lot of new investors. 

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is facing charges from multiple U.S. agencies after getting arrested Monday night in the Bahamas. Once considered crypto’s white knight, Bankman-Fried’s arrest and charges come one month after his cryptocurrency exchange filed for bankruptcy following a spectacular collapse.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday charged the fallen CEO in “orchestrating a scheme to defraud equity investors.”

“We allege that Sam Bankman-Fried built a house of cards on a foundation of deception while telling investors that it was one of the safest buildings in crypto,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said.

The charges

The SEC claims this was a years-long fraud that roped in more than $1.8 billion from investors and then illegally funneled those funds into Bankman-Fried’s privately-held hedge fund, Alameda Research.

Bankman-Fried “used Alameda as his personal piggy bank to buy luxury condominiums, support political campaigns, and make private investments, among other uses. None of this was disclosed to FTX equity investors or to the platform’s trading customers,” the complaint reads.

He is also facing parallel actions from the Justice Department’s Southern District of New York and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The Justice Department has filed eight counts of criminal charges on fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and violate campaign finance laws. The Southern District of New York filed the charges Friday and unsealed the document Tuesday, the morning following Bankman-Fried’s arrest.

Sam Bankman-Fried faces arraignment in the Bahamas and is expected to be extradited to the U.S. He has previously claimed in the media that he didn’t knowingly commit fraud.

The testimony

The founder was set to testify in front of the House Committee on Financial Services Tuesday prior to his arrest. A leaked draft of that testimony by Forbes opens with Bankman-Fried admitting he messed up – using profanity instead – but proceeds to blame outside parties for the fall of FTX Group.

He planned to testify that he was being ghosted by the new CEO John J. Ray III, that Ray and others are looking to profit with enormous fees from the bankruptcy filing, that FTX could still be solvent and that competitor Binance is behind a negative public relations campaign to bring down FTX.

With Bankman-Fred behind bars, Ray took the stand in front of the House committee’s investigation into the collapse of FTX, blasting the entire organization.

“The FTX group’s collapse appears to stem from absolute concentration of control in the hands of a small group of grossly inexperienced and unsophisticated individuals who failed to implement virtually any of the systems or controls that are necessary for a company entrusted with other people’s money or assets,” Ray testified.

The corporate restructuring expert has overseen many large bankruptcy cases, including the liquidation of Enron, but said sorting through FTX is worse.

“Literally, there’s no record keeping whatsoever,” Ray said. “Employees would communicate invoicing and expenses on Slack, which is essentially a way of communicating for chat rooms. They use QuickBooks, multibillion dollar company using QuickBooks…Nothing against QuickBooks, very nice tool, just not for a multibillion dollar company.”

As Congress and U.S. agencies investigate, Ray said it’ll take weeks or even months to secure assets lost in FTX.

International customers lawyer up

A group of non-U.S. customers affected by FTX has lawyered up with Eversheds Sutherland, which said it has established an ad hoc committee to protect users outside the U.S.

Attorneys are looking to create an official committee that would give international customers a say in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of FTX, laying claim to customer funds to prevent money from non-U.S. customer accounts being used to pay off creditors.

There was a time when Jim Pillen wore a Husker jersey. Now, this hog farmer and veterinarian is about to assume governorship in Nebraska where he won nearly 60% of the vote in the red state. 

Pillen won the GOP’s nomination even though former President Donald Trump had endorsed his competitor, Charles Herbster, in the primary.  Looking ahead, Pillen plans to support further restrictions on abortion and lower property taxes.

“Spending control is the best way to cut property taxes and keep them low. Our property tax problem will only be solved when government at every level treats nickels like manhole covers,” Pillen tweeted.

Pillen has also promoted a new school funding formula, which would spread the state’s money equally among students. He said each Nebraska public school student would get the same funding, so that students in smaller districts are not disadvantaged.

“We should never ever give up on a kid. As governor, I’ll reform education funding and stop the state from picking winners and losers,” Pillen said. 

This change would mean the larger districts lose extra money they currently get for serving the majority of students.

Aside from policy planning, Pillen is tasked with another decision. He will choose a replacement for Sen. Ben Sasse, who is resigning to become president of the University of Florida.