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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Letters reveal public safety minister's support of suspected terror group ‘member'
Court documents reveal Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree wrote letters in support of an immigration application by a man who officials had already determined was a member of a terrorist organization. Jeff Semple has the latest.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top 3 races to watch in Arizona
Ahead of next year's elections, Arizona is gearing up for a special election this year and several key races in 2026. This head start is much needed in the Southwestern swing state, where the political landscape is extremely nuanced and every seat counts. On the one hand, six of the nine members of the U.S. House delegation from the Grand Canyon State are Republican. Meanwhile, Democrats control both the Senate seats as well as the offices of governor, attorney general and secretary of state. The state legislature is red by a razor-thin margin. Despite their political differences, both parties are running into similar problems, including a lack of support from the fractious state parties. High-level Republicans appear to be relying on Turning Point USA, an independent political organization that is loyal to President Donald Trump. Turning Point USA, headquartered in Phoenix, gained a reputation for driving voter turnout toward MAGA-aligned candidates. In 2024, this political advocacy organization reported turning out over 315,000 voters in Arizona alone. That's a big accomplishment in a state that has only about 324,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. When the Arizona Republican Party drew the line at election denialism in 2020 and 2022, Turning Point USA continued to support the likes of Kari Lake, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate and the governor's office and claimed the election was stolen both times. State Democrats, including Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes, are also making changes. In May, state Democratic Party Chair Robert Branscomb II, elected to office earlier this year, criticized top Democrats and accused Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of intimidation over staffing decisions. In response to the internal dysfunction, Branscomb was censured and an upcoming vote could see him removed from leadership. In the meantime, the top Democratic candidates are coordinating their fundraising and voter turnout efforts through the more organized Navajo County Democratic Party. The perpetually close margins in federal, statewide and local races and the never-ending talk of election security amps up the pressure on Arizona's wide range of candidates. As both parties prepare for an uphill battle, here are three races to watch. Democrats: The 7th District in Arizona is up for grabs at the special election this year after Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva died in March. He was 77. His daughter, Adelita Grijalva, is the Democratic frontrunner in the race. Daniel Hernandez, a Democrat, who helped save the life of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords during a shooting in Tucson in 2011, is also in the running. GOP: Three Latino American businessmen — Off-road vehicle entrepreneur Jimmy Rodriguez, painting company owner Daniel Butierez and restaurateur Jorge Rivas — are the Republicans vying for this deeply blue district. The trio overall supports Trump's crackdown on undocumented migration. What's at stake?: It will be a tough battle for the GOP candidates; this seat has never been held by a Republican since it was created in 2000. GOP: Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., kicked off his campaign for governor last month through an energized rally, hosted by Turning Point USA, which has as much influence in Arizona as the state party. He shares an endorsement from Trump with attorney Karrin Robson, who enjoys support from the Arizona Republican Party and has a much bigger war chest than Biggs'. Democrats: They are so far backing incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs, who's earned the nickname the 'Veto Queen' for setting and breaking her own veto records over the course of her term. Although she won against Kari Lake, who is now part of the Trump administration, Hobbs faces a tougher battle in 2026. Odds: So far, Hobbs hasn't said whether she will run for reelection. If Hobbs jumps into the race, her chances of winning are low. According to Sabato's Crystal Ball, from the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, the race, which has at least 13 other candidates, is a toss-up, despite Hobbs' incumbent status. Democrat: Attorney General Kris Mayes, the incumbent Democrat, is running for a second term. She is the first LGBTQ person and first mother to serve in this role. Those aren't the only notable headlines about her win — in 2022, she won by a narrow margin of 280 votes. If that race is any indication, the upcoming election, too, will be a tough battle, especially since Mayes isn't universally popular in the state. Republicans accuse her of using her position to target the right, like suing the federal government for the Department of Government Efficiency's cuts, a legal battle she lost. GOP: She faces opposition from Rodney Glassman, who previously ran as a Democrat in 2010, and Warren Petersen, the president of the Arizona Senate. Petersen doesn't have Trump's endorsement but he was invited to the White House when Trump signed the executive order to disallow trans athletes from participating in competitive girls and women's sports. He had fought for the passage of a similar bill — the Save Women's Sports Act — in the Arizona legislature. What's at stake?: In addition to standing up against 'woke' policies, Petersen promises to prioritize fighting against rising crime, fentanyl overdoses and human trafficking in lockstep with the Trump administration's border security agenda. He is the front-runner in the GOP primary. Meanwhile, wealthy ex-Democrat Glassman's track record has lost several races, including the bids for chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, Arizona Corporation Commission, Maricopa County assessor, and the Republican nomination for attorney general, as Phoenix New Times reported.

Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Former US Marine Corps reservist charged in Texas immigration detention center shooting
A former U.S. Marine Corps reservist has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with an attack at a Texas immigration detention center in which a police officer was shot in the neck, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Benjamin Hanil Song, 32, is the latest person charged in the Fourth of July assault in which attackers dressed in black military-style clothing opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. Song, from Dallas, was arrested after a weeklong search and has been charged with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, the office said in a statement. He is accused of purchasing four of the guns linked to the attack, it said. U.S. District Court records do not list names of attorneys representing Song or scheduled court appearances. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas did not immediately respond to an email asking whether Song has an attorney. The officer wounded in the attack has since been released from the hospital. Ten people, most of them from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, have previously been charged with attempted murder of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Another person has been charged with obstruction of justice for concealing evidence, while two others were charged with accessory after the fact for allegedly helping Song get away. If convicted, most of the defendants could face up to life imprisonment, while those charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact would face lesser penalties if convicted, according to federal prosecutors. The shooting took place as President Donald Trump 's administration ramps up deportations. The attackers initially set off fireworks and spray-painted vehicles and a guard structure, including the words 'Ice Pig,' according to a criminal complaint. This was 'designed to lure correctional officers outside the facility,' according to U.S. Attorney's Office. Correctional officers called 911 and an Alvarado police officer responded and someone in the woods opened fire. Another person across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at correctional officers who were unarmed after they walked out of the facility, according to the office's statement. After the group fled, sheriff's deputies stopped seven people about 300 yards (275 meters) from where the officer was shot, according to a criminal complaint. 'They were dressed in black, military-style clothing, some had on body armor, some were covered in mud, some were armed, and some had radios,' the complaint said. A sheriff's office detective also stopped a van leaving the area and found two AR-style rifles and a pistol, along with ballistic-style vests and a helmet, the complaint said. The driver, the only person in the van, said he had been at the detention center. He said he had met some people online and drove some of them to the detention center from Dallas to 'make some noise,' according to the complaint. Song's cellphone's location data shows it was near the detention center from about 11:30 p.m. on July 4 and throughout the day on July 5, according to a criminal complaint. 'Though Song escaped by hiding overnight after the attack, we were confident he would not remain hidden for long,' Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson said in a statement. 'The fourteen individuals who planned and participated in these heinous acts will be prosecuted, and we expect justice will be swift.'