Zakia Jafri, who filed cases seeking a probe into the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2002 Guarat riots, passed away at Ahmedabad today.
She was the widow of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who along with 68 other persons were killed in the Gulberg housing society during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Zakia Jafri pursued a legal battle seeking an investigation against the high state functionaries alleging a larger conspiracy behind the riots. After the Magistrate court rejected her protest petition against the clean chit given by the SIT to 63 persons, including the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other officials, she approached the Gujarat High Court. The High Court accepted the SIT’s closure report in 2017, following which she approached the Supreme Court.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed Jafri’s petition and accepted the SIT’s clean chit to the high state functionaries. The Supreme Court also made certain controversial remarks against Jafri’s co-petitioner Teesta Setalvad, pursuant to which Setalvad was arrested by the Gujarat Police in a freshly registered case alleging fabrication of evidence. Setalvad was later granted bail by the Supreme Court.
About the passing of Zakia Jafri, Setalvad wrote in ‘X’ : “Zakia Appa a compassionate leader of the human rights community passed away just 30 minutes ago!Her visionary presence will be missed by the nation family friends & world! Tanveernhai, Nishrin, Duraiyaappa, grandkids we are with you! Rest in Power and Peace Zakia appa!”
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Zakia Jafri’s passing. Zakia was a courageous and determined woman who fought tirelessly for justice in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots. Her husband, former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, was among the many victims of the violence that swept through the state in 2002.
Zakia’s legal battle against top politicians, including the then chief minister Narendra Modi, was a landmark case in India’s legal history. She was relentless in her pursuit of accountability and justice for the victims of the riots, despite facing numerous challenges and threats along the way.
Zakia’s unwavering spirit and determination to seek justice for her husband and all those affected by the riots will always be remembered. Her legacy will continue to inspire others to stand up for what is right and fight against injustice.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Zakia’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. May she rest in peace knowing that her fight for justice will never be forgotten.
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Zakia Jafri, Gujarat riots, legal battle, human rights activist, Zakia Jafri death, Zakia Jafri news, Indian judicial system, Zakia Jafri legacy, social justice warrior, Gujarat riots justice, Zakia Jafri life story.
#Zakia #Jafri #Fought #Legal #Battle #Gujarat #Riots #Cases #Passes
Ben Vaughn
Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner Chappell Music Nashville, passed away this morning (Jan. 30).
Vaughn spent over a decade at the helm of the company, overseeing all creative and commercial activities across A&R, administration, business development, finance and human resources. Vaughn also worked with staff songwriters, while actively engaging in songwriter advocacy and rights protection initiatives.
The news was sent to the Warner Music Group staff by Warner Chappell leaders Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall. The full memo, obtained by MusicRow, is below.
Vaughn’s full obituary will be updated soon.
To everyone at WMG,
It is with broken hearts that we share the unthinkable news that Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, passed away this morning. Our deepest condolences are with his family and many friends.
Ben has led our Nashville team since 2012, and we know that many of you around the world got to know him over the years. Anyone who had the pleasure of working with him will be as shocked and saddened as we are.
First and foremost, Ben was an extraordinary human being. He met everyone with enthusiasm, warmth, and generosity. His smile was huge, and his sense of humor was infectious.
He was always a passionate advocate of songwriters and a topflight music publisher. The Nashville community has lost one of its greatest champions, and he will be profoundly missed by so many across our company and the entire industry.
We are planning to visit the Nashville team very soon and thank you all for helping support them through this awful tragedy.
With love,
Guy & Carianne
LB Cantrell is Editor/Director of Operations at MusicRow magazine, where she oversees, manages and executes all company operations. LB oversees all MusicRow-related content, including the publication’s six annual print issues and online news. She is a Georgia native and a graduate of the Recording Industry Management program at Middle Tennessee State University.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Warner Chappell Nashville President & CEO, Ben Vaughn. Vaughn, who had been with the company for over 20 years, passed away suddenly yesterday evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Vaughn was a beloved figure in the country music industry and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Rest in peace, Ben Vaughn.
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Warner Chappell Nashville, Ben Vaughn, CEO, President, Passes Away, Music Industry, Nashville, Country Music, Warner Music Group, Tribute, Remembering Ben Vaughn.
#BREAKING #Warner #Chappell #Nashville #President #CEO #Ben #Vaughn #Passes
Gerard Butler has enjoyed a strong career in Hollywood, and his most recent release has only made him more prominent. The actor first rose to prominence with the role of Count Dracula in the vampire film Dracula 2000. Later, leading roles in the movies The Phantom of the Opera (2004) and P.S. I Love You (2007) helped establish him as a romantic lead. Yet, he truly earned global recognition by playing King Leonidas in Zack Snyder’s historical action epic 300. This kick-started Butler’s status as an action star and a nearly two-decade career as an icon of the genre.
Butler has appeared in multiple blockbuster productions through the years, including the Has Fallen movie franchise, and disaster movies such as Geostorm. He has appeared in a slew of box office successes, with his highest-grossing movies being the animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, as well as 300, Tomorrow Never Dies, Geostorm, and The Ugly Truth. Butler has begun producing many of his movies, and 2025 looks set to be an especially big year for Butler. He has three films scheduled for release, while an action sequel is currently making waves at the box office.
Written and directed by Christian Gudegast, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is the follow-up to the 2018 action crime film, starring Butler (Big Nick) and O’Shea Jackson Jr (Donnie Wilson). The two stars reprised their roles for the follow-up, which Butler also produced. The sequel sees Big Nick follow Donnie to Europe to team up with him for a robbery with even bigger stakes. Released on January 10, 2025, in the United States, the film will be looking to surpass the original movie’s total of $80.5 million, which would be about $100 million after accounting for inflation.
January is a notoriously quiet period for the box office, and many films will struggle to perform well.
Per reports in Deadline, the movie has closed in on an important domestic milestone, passing the $30 million mark at the domestic box office. The movie has taken a total of $31.6 million domestically, and hopes will be high that it can cross the $50 million mark before it runs out of steam. That is enough to keep pace with the original movie’s run, so it is progressing in a relatively strong fashion in a slow month. Still, these figures do not account for inflation, which has risen significantly in the years since 2018.
When Den of Thieves first released in 2018, it was in an entirely different market. In the seven years between the movies, Hollywood has changed significantly. The SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes delayed the production of countless movies and shows for months, which hurt studios and changed audience expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic also made audiences far more wary of theaters. While a few choice movies have seen success, including Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Barbie (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024), the box office remains tumultuous. Even the Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled to regain momentum after the pandemic.
The rise of Netflix, Prime Video, and other streaming platforms has driven many of these changes, as well.
It has not all been bad news, however. Movies have begun to see immense success on streaming platforms. With that in mind, it is no surprise that Butler’s sequel did not improve on the original’s performance. Viewers may be waiting to see it come to streaming. Additionally, January is a notoriously quiet period for the box office, and many films will struggle to perform well. This month, especially, has been extremely slow, as the weekend box office is being led by Mark Wahlberg’s Flight Risk, a movie that earned just $12 million in its 3-day opener.
While Den of Thieves 2: Pantera does not have a high benchmark for success, the movie could at least break even theatrically. While its recent milestone is far behind the $100 million total it needs to achieve a profit, it only applies to domestic income. This franchise does have a strong North American lean, but any ticket sales overseas still improve its chances of reaching that coveted $100 million total. Besides, it will still have the opportunity to attempt to reach success through streaming platforms in the coming months. After surpassing its predecessor on Rotten Tomatoes, it has good chances:
|
Title |
Tomatometer Score |
Popcornmeter Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Den of Thieves (2018) |
41% |
63% |
|
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025) |
61% |
79% |
Den of Thieves 2 has a strong cast and is already an established intellectual property, which is essential in this new media landscape. After all, of the top 10 2024 box office releases, not a single one was an original property. As a sequel, Pantera has the opportunity to capture audiences who may not be willing to take risks with movies anymore. That could help achieve more success long-term. I would expect the movie to perform much better when it hits streaming platforms, and the movies could wind up becoming a cult franchise for Butler.
Source: Deadline
January 10, 2025
144 minutes
Christian Gudegast
Christian Gudegast
Gerard Butler’s latest action-packed film has achieved a major feat at the domestic box office in just three weeks since its release. The movie, which has been garnering praise for its high-octane thrills and Butler’s intense performance, has crossed a significant milestone in terms of box office earnings.
Fans of the Scottish actor have been flocking to theaters to catch the film, which has been receiving positive reviews for its non-stop action and gripping storyline. Butler’s star power and on-screen charisma have undoubtedly contributed to the movie’s success, as audiences have been thrilled by his portrayal of a tough-as-nails hero facing insurmountable odds.
With this latest achievement, Gerard Butler has once again proven himself as a force to be reckoned with in the action movie genre. His new film has struck a chord with audiences and is sure to leave a lasting impact on the box office charts for weeks to come. Congratulations to Gerard Butler and the entire cast and crew on this impressive milestone!
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Gerard Butler, action movie, box office milestone, domestic box office, theaters, new release, success, Hollywood, actor, film industry, record-breaking, blockbuster, entertainment, movie news
#Gerard #Butlers #Action #Movie #Passes #Major #Domestic #Box #Office #Milestone #Weeks #Theaters
Spoiler Space offers thoughts on, and a place to discuss, the plot points we can’t disclose in our official review. Fair warning: This article features plot details of Wolf Man.
Of all the Universal monsters, The Wolf Man is perhaps the saddest. A man, aware of his own ticking-clock monstrosity, fights fruitlessly against the inevitable in order to protect those around him. Director George Waggner and writer Curt Siodmak made their Gothic tragedy in 1941, putting the oafish lug Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) through the wringer with plenty of mythology and the subtext of Nazism’s transformation of seemingly everyday people. But what Leigh Whannell’s update Wolf Man inverts is The Wolf Man’s tragic relationship between father and son.
In The Wolf Man, Claude Rains (the Invisible Man himself) plays Larry’s loving, loaded father John. He’s a practical, science-oriented man of means, who lives in a Welsh castle and has just lost his eldest son in a hunting accident. When Chaney’s hyper-American goober stumbles back home, their relationship is strained but filled with potential…until Larry slays, and is bitten by, a werewolf. As evidence mounts that local deaths are due to the nighttime escapades of an infected Larry, the son becomes more and more fearful while the father (and a local posse of sensible authority figures) dismisses lycanthropy as nothing more than a psychological affliction suffered, if at all, by the underclasses. That said, John is notably protective of his boy, all but covering up the initial killing as an accident.
This makes it all the more painful when, at the film’s climactic conclusion, John must beat his own son to death with a silver-headed cane. This scene, beyond feeling weighty due to Chaney’s relationship with his own famous and monster-playing father, visually echoes the film’s first kill, where Larry initially slays the werewolf and is bitten in the process. It’s brutal, sad, and a smack in the face of futile parental protectiveness.
Wolf Man, too, is more of a bummer than anything else. But its version of this origin story leans further into dismantling that idea of protectiveness. Blake (Christopher Abbott) and his family return to his father’s Oregon farm after the missing dad is declared dead. The opening scene, a prologue to the story at hand, ends its werewolf encounter with Blake’s dad (Sam Jaeger) radioing his neighbor (and fellow father) about the creature they ran into. The implication is that the two dads are off a-hunting to ensure the safety of their children…which makes it all the more obvious who the werewolf who eventually infects Blake is.
Yes, Blake’s dad gets werewolfed while trying to keep his kid safe, then werewolfs his kid in turn. Generational trauma! Though the rest of Wolf Man muddles its way through this theme—Blake doesn’t get turned as a direct result of trying to protect his daughter, nor does his daughter ever seem under threat of being victim to his emotional or monstrous afflictions—the family dynamic is ever-present. When Wolf Man rolls out its werewolf fight between wolf-Blake and his dad, it’s not a “Hell yeah, werewolf fight!” moment. Instead, it’s got just as much pain as The Wolf Man’s ending, as two men who imperfectly cared for one another struggle to the death—this time as a direct result of one’s protective instincts.
Neither Wolf Man nor The Wolf Man has much to offer in way of resolution or reassurance. These endings are bleak, their losses painful, the aims of its characters ultimately reasonable. Chaney spent the rest of his Wolf Man movies searching for a cure (and getting into crossover hijinks). Blake finds a cure in the barrel of a gun, his desire to protect his family culminating in a moment of sacrifice. And yet, since he’s blown away right in front of his young daughter, it’s clear that the scars will live on. That’s an inevitability of parenting, even if most aren’t monsters.
Wolf Man, the classic horror film from 1941, has long been known for its iconic portrayal of a man cursed to transform into a werewolf under the full moon. But now, a new film is set to take the story in a bold new direction.
Titled “Wolf Man: Legacy of the Curse,” this upcoming movie will explore the aftermath of the original film’s events and the impact of the curse on future generations. In this new installment, the cursed protagonist must grapple with not only his own transformation but also the responsibility of passing on the curse to another unsuspecting victim.
Director Sarah Johnson promises a fresh take on the classic tale, delving deeper into the psychological and emotional toll of the curse. “We wanted to explore the idea of inherited trauma and the burden of passing on pain to others,” she explains. “The curse of the Wolf Man is not just physical but emotional as well, and we wanted to delve into the complex dynamics of that.”
Fans of the original film can expect to see familiar themes of identity, morality, and the struggle between human and beast, but with a modern twist. “We’re not just retelling the same story,” says Johnson. “We’re building on the foundation laid by the original film and taking it in a new, more nuanced direction.”
“Wolf Man: Legacy of the Curse” is set to hit theaters next fall, and fans of classic horror are eagerly anticipating this new chapter in the saga of the cursed werewolf. Get ready to howl at the moon once again, as the pain of the Wolf Man’s curse is passed on to a new generation.
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#Wolf #Man #passes #pain #predecessor
LANSING, Mich. (WJRT) – State lawmakers cleared the first major hurdle to prevent changes to Michigan’s minimum wage and paid time off.
The changes initially came about due to a Supreme Court decision back in July. That decision paving the way for the state’s minimum wage to increase to $15/hour by 2028, as well as the phasing out of the tipped minimum wage and allowing for all Michiganders to earn paid sick time.
House Republicans have halting these changes this their top priority in the new legislative term. Last month, they walked off the job because Democrats would not act on the bills during the lame duck period at the end of the year.
When they took over the House this year, they made them the first two bills introduced, and now, the first two bills passed by the House.
“The legislation before us strikes a balance. It retains the current tip credit, ensuring that servers can continue to thrive with the system they want,” said Rep. Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar). “It responsibly raises the minimum wage over time, and adjusts the earned sick leave mandate to better reflect the realities of small business.”
The two bills were passed with some bipartisan support. House Bill 4001 was approved 63-41, while House Bill 4002 was approved 67-38.
The first of the two bills would slow the normal minimum wage’s increase to $15 per hour by 2029 and keep the tipped minimum wage at 38% of the minimum wage.
At the same time, House Bill 4002 would ensure that paid sick leave requirements only apply to employers with more than 50 workers.
“The servers, the restaurants, and their clientele they cannot afford for the legislature to not act,” said Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland).
Despite the bipartisan support, Democrats raised some concerns that the bills were overturning the will of the people. They say the changes to paid time off in particular would prevent the vast majority of Michiganders from being able to take advantage.
“Right now, more than 1.7 million Michiganders lack access to even one hour of paid sick time. (…) This bill will worsen the crisis by reducing protections for thousands more workers,” said Rep. Tonya Myers Phillips (D-Detroit).
House Democrats attempted to find a compromise by offering over a dozen amendments across both bills that would keep things closer to the Supreme Court decision.
“Big money stakeholders have tried to scare workers into believing their tips will go away if their wage is raised. This is simply not true. In California, tipped workers make 16.50 an hour and they still have the highest tipping rate in the country at 23 percent,” said Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing).
Amendments included expanding the on-ramp to increasing the minimum wage and implementing paid time off for small businesses, as well as strengthening the language to make it harder for employees to no-call, no-show without consequences.
The latter was indicated to be a major problem by businesses when the bill was in committee, but all proposed amendments were quickly shot down.
“Those of us in this chamber are legislators. We make the law, not our current activist Supreme Court. Our job today is to do the will of the people of Michigan and not that of an out of state advocacy organization that is disconnected with the workers in the state of Michigan,” said Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown Township).
This fight is far from over. Now the bills go to the Senate, who has already introduced a completely different version of the same package.
Meanwhile if no action is taken, the high court’s decision goes into effect on February 21.
In a recent development, the House has passed bills aimed at reversing a court decision that overturned the tipped minimum wage and earned sick time laws in certain states. This decision, which has been met with backlash from workers and advocates alike, has sparked a heated debate over the rights and protections of employees in the service industry.
The bills, which were approved by a narrow margin, seek to reinstate the tipped minimum wage and earned sick time laws that were previously in place. Supporters of the bills argue that these protections are crucial for the well-being and financial stability of workers, especially in industries where employees rely heavily on tips to make ends meet.
Opponents, however, have voiced concerns over the potential impact on businesses, particularly small businesses, which may struggle to comply with the reinstated laws. They argue that the court decision was a necessary step in providing relief to struggling businesses during challenging economic times.
As the debate continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how these bills will ultimately impact workers, businesses, and the overall economy. Stay tuned for further updates on this contentious issue.
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#House #passes #bills #reverse #court #decision #tipped #minimum #wage #earned #sick #time #Politics
One of Chicago P.D.’s finest is going through a challenging time.
In a heartfelt January 20 Instagram post, One Chicago fan favorite Tracy Spiridakos broke the news to her fans that her dog, Nala, had died a week earlier. The social media post included a lengthy photo carousel of the pup, who has been in Spiridakos’ life for over a decade, as well as some beautiful words written by the 36-year-old:
“Last week we had to say goodbye to our beloved Nala,” Spiridakos captioned. “We are gutted. I can’t even begin to tell you how special she was. She has been my companion for over 12 years, my best friend and the highlight of every day I was fortunate enough to spend with her. There will never be another Nala. I will forever be grateful to have been loved by her. “
The actress, who brought Detective Hailey Upton to life for eight unforgettable years, and her pup definitely made the most out of their remaining time together — the duo has been nearly inseparable.
RELATED: The Chicago P.D. Cast Didn’t Forget Tracy Spiridakos After 1st Episode without Upton
(The final few photos in the carousel show how little Nala was when she came into the star’s life and are just too cute!)
From Spiridakos making Nala the star of her own photo shoot to allowing the adorable Rottweiler to crash the Chicago P.D. set to simply enjoying a game of fetch together, the two were a team to be reckoned with over the years.
Fans and friends alike took to Spiridakos’ Instagram comment section to offer condolences, support, and their own memories of Nala, and we’re sure Spiridakos appreciated every last comment.
Nala’s passing has also impacted other people in Spiridakos’ life, like her former P.D. co-star Jesse Lee Soffer, who was also featured in Spirdakos’ dedication post. In fact, just over a month ago, Soffer shared a wonderful photo of Nala on his Instagram, calling her his “best buddy.”
Nala will be missed by all.
Spiridakos’ time on Chicago P.D. concluded in Season 11 when her character left Chicago for good to pursue a new career opportunity.
RELATED: Elias Koteas Hugs Tracy Spiridakos In New Pics from His Secret Return to Set
As viewers could imagine, deciding to leave the show after so many years was difficult for the talented actress, as she explained to NBC Insider in May 2024.
“It was a really hard decision, and I don’t know that there’s ever a right time,” she said. “I think I’ve been on the show for just over seven years, like seven and a half-ish years, and I was just wanting to switch it up and kind of see what else was out there. That was really it. I’m so close with everybody. With our producers, [showrunner] Gwen, our writers, our cast, our crew. It was a really difficult and emotional time, for sure.”
I am saddened to share that Tracy Spiridakos, best known for her role on Chicago P.D., recently announced the passing of her beloved dog, Nala. Spiridakos took to social media to share the heartbreaking news with her fans and followers.
Nala had been a constant companion to Spiridakos for many years, providing love, comfort, and companionship. The bond between them was evident in the photos and videos that Spiridakos shared on her social media accounts.
Losing a pet is never easy, and our hearts go out to Tracy Spiridakos during this difficult time. Nala may be gone, but she will always hold a special place in Spiridakos’ heart and the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
Rest in peace, sweet Nala. You will be deeply missed.
Tags:
Chicago P.D., Tracy Spiridakos, Nala, dog, pet loss, RIP, celebrity pet, Chicago P.D. cast, Tracy Spiridakos news
#Chicago #P.D #Alum #Tracy #Spiridakos #Dog #Nala #Passes
The House passed an amended version of the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday on a vote of 263-156, teeing up major immigration reform at the start of President Donald Trump’s second administration. Forty-six Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, breaking with Democratic leadership.
The bill, which was expected to pass two weeks after it initially passed the bill, will now go to Trump’s desk and symbolically will become the first measure he signs into law of his second administration.
The updated measure, which cleared the Senate with some Democratic support on Tuesday, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants for theft-related crimes and includes amendments from Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst that expanded the scope of offenses that trigger detention.
Supporters of former President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump hold images of Laken Riley before he speaks at a “Get Out the Vote” rally in Rome, Ga., March 9, 2024.
Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images
The death of Riley, a 22-year-old woman who was murdered by Jose Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant, on Feb. 22, 2024, fueled the immigration debate in the United States and became a lightning rod issue for Trump on the campaign trail. Ibarra had illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 but was allowed to stay in the U.S. while his case was ongoing, and he had been charged with misdemeanor shoplifting while living in Georgia.
The legislation will require immigration officers to detain undocumented immigrants who are suspected of minor criminal offenses, including shoplifting. It also grants power to attorneys general to sue the federal government if they can show their states are being harmed over failure to implement national immigration policies, as well as allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to citizens allegedly due to illegal immigration.
The bill, a major Republican-driven initiative, originally cleared the House on a vote of 264-159 on Jan. 7, with 48 Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill. The amended version then passed the Senate, the first bill to pass in the chamber this session, on Tuesday on a vote of 64-35, with support from 12 Democrats, which resulted in the new bill going back to the House for final approval.
“Illegal migrants shouldn’t be here in the first place,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said on the Senate floor leading up to a vote on the bill. “Everybody knows that it is against the law to enter the United States without our permission. Even so, if they come here violating our law, they hurt and kill an American, the federal government must prioritize their detention and deportation.”
Cornyn’s amendment, which adds assault of a law enforcement officer to the list of crimes that would mandate detention of an undocumented migrant, passed with substantial Democratic support, 70-25.
The bill previously passed the House in the last Congress but was not taken up in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson responds to a question from the news media during a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 22, 2025.
Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“Chuck Schumer made it clear that in a Democrat Senate, they had no desire to stand up for women who were assaulted by people here illegally,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said ahead of the vote Wednesday. “Joe Biden would not have signed that bill, but now with John Thune, you have the same House majority, but you now have a willing partner in the Senate that actually wants to confront real problems facing families so that you don’t have more Laken Riley, you don’t have more murders of innocent people because of an open border.”
ICE estimated enforcement of the bill will cost close to $27 billion in its first year, according to a document obtained by ABC News, up from a previous estimate of $3.2 billion.
ICE has said a lack of cooperation from local and state law enforcement officials may make their jobs more difficult and that going after people for property crimes might prevent them from targeting “more egregious offenders.”
After a recent review of immigrants in their nondetained docket, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations found about 110,000 people with offenses referenced in the act, the document said. That’s up from its original count of over 60,000.
To enforce the law, ICE would need to expand detention capacity to 151,500 beds. It is currently only funded to have 41,500 beds.
A Border Patrol agent makes his way towards a group of migrants waiting to apply for asylum between two border walls separating Mexico and the United States, Jan. 21, 2025, in San Diego.
Gregory Bull/AP
“Full implementation would be impossible for ICE to execute within existing resources,” the document noted.
“This bill comes with an astronomical price tag and will create more problems than it solves,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat. “It will make our immigration system more chaotic and our country less safe. Under this bill, people charged with serious crimes will be released because detention centers will be forced to detain a child who stole a pack of gum from a gas station instead.”
On Tuesday, 13 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Thune committing to working with Republicans in “good faith” toward providing the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to pass certain immigration and border security measures.
“We can solve big challenges when we work together, and there is much work to do to improve border security, protect Dreamers and farmworkers, and fix our immigration system to better reflect the needs of our country and our modern economy,” the Democrats wrote. “These issues require bipartisan cooperation and we stand ready to work with you to develop meaningful and long-lasting solutions to these important issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long under both Democratic and Republican-controlled government.”
Of the 13 who signed the letter, 10 voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act. Those votes were necessary in helping that bill hit the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
ABC News’ John Parkinson contributed to this report.
The House of Representatives has just passed the Laken Riley Act, a bill that is set to pave the way for a major crackdown on immigration in the United States. The act, named after a young girl tragically killed by an undocumented immigrant, aims to tighten border security, increase penalties for illegal immigration, and streamline the deportation process.
Supporters of the act argue that it is necessary to protect American citizens and ensure the safety of our communities. They believe that cracking down on illegal immigration will help reduce crime and ensure that those who come to the U.S. do so legally.
However, critics of the Laken Riley Act argue that it is overly harsh and will unfairly target immigrants, including those seeking asylum or refuge. They worry that the act will further divide communities and harm families who have come to the U.S. seeking a better life.
The passage of the Laken Riley Act sets the stage for a contentious debate in the Senate, where lawmakers will have to decide whether to support or reject the bill. As the immigration crackdown looms, the future of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. hangs in the balance. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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#House #passes #Laken #Riley #Act #teeing #immigration #crackdown
President Donald Trump’s threat to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement isn’t reached to end the war in Ukraine is likely fall on deaf ears in the Kremlin as virtually all Russian products are already prohibited from import into the United States and the country has faced many U.S. and European sanctions since the invasion began nearly three years ago.
In a post to his Truth Social site Wednesday, Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “settle now and stop this ridiculous war.”
He said he had no desire to hurt Russia and has a good relationship with Putin, but warned of penalties if the war isn’t stopped soon.
“If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
The problem with the threat is that other than a small amount of fertilizer, animal feed and machinery, Russia currently exports almost no goods to the U.S. And, Russia is one of the world’s most heavily sanctioned nations. Many of those sanctions relate to Russia’s Feb. 2022 invasion of Ukraine and were imposed by the Biden administration, but others predate Biden and some were imposed during Trump’s first term in office.
It’s official! Congress has just passed the Laken Riley Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at combating cyberbullying and online harassment. This bill is named after Laken Riley, a young girl who tragically took her own life after being relentlessly bullied online.
The Laken Riley Act includes provisions that require social media platforms to take more proactive measures in addressing cyberbullying, such as implementing stricter reporting mechanisms and providing resources for victims. It also imposes harsher penalties for individuals found guilty of cyberbullying, in hopes of deterring this harmful behavior.
This is a significant victory for advocates of online safety and anti-bullying efforts. And the best part? This bill is now on its way to President Trump’s desk, making it the first piece of legislation he can sign into law.
Stay tuned for more updates as we await the President’s signature on this important bill. Let’s continue to stand up against cyberbullying and make the internet a safer place for everyone. #LakenRileyAct #StopCyberbullying
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WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House on Wednesday passed the Laken Riley Act, a strict immigration detention measure named for a 22-year-old Georgia nursing school student who was murdered last year by an undocumented immigrant.
The legislation, aimed at clamping down on people in the U.S. illegally who commit nonviolent crimes like theft, is expected to be the first bill President Donald Trump signs into law after returning to the White House this week.
The House vote was 263-156, with 46 Democrats joining all Republicans in support of the measure. The bill passed the Senate on Monday by a vote of 64-35, winning 12 Democratic votes. Among them were Sens. Gary Peters, of Michigan; Jon Ossoff, of Georgia; Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire; and Mark Warner, of Virginia, all up for face re-election in 2026.
In November, Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan citizen who was in the United States illegally, was found guilty of kidnapping, assaulting and murdering Riley while she was out for a jog near the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump and Republicans highlighted that Ibarra had been cited for shoplifting by a Georgia police department, but that Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not issue a detainer for him and he was not taken into custody.
The Laken Riley Act, written by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., would require ICE to take custody of and detain undocumented immigrants who are charged, arrested or convicted of committing acts of “burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.”
An earlier version of the bill passed the House by a vote of 264-159, with 48 Democrats supporting it. Last year, the GOP-controlled House passed the bill, but it was ignored by the Democratic-led Senate and President Joe Biden never said if he supported it.
“You now have a willing partner in the Senate that actually wants to confront real problems facing families, so that you don’t have more Laken Rileys,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters before the vote.
“You don’t have more murders of innocent people because of an open border. President Trump has already taken action to start reversing that open border,” he added.
The Senate adopted two amendments to add to the list of acts that trigger mandatory detention of unauthorized migrants: one from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that includes assault of a police officer, and another from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, that includes acts causing death or bodily harm to an individual.
Passage of the Laken Riley Act comes in the midst of a heated debate among Democrats about how to deal with the issue of immigration after their bruising 2024 election defeat — and how to handle Trump’s plans for mass deportation.
Pro-immigration activists have blasted the bill as a scheme to rip away due process for migrants and upend the system, and some Democrats called it an unfunded mandate that will cost billions. Other Democrats in competitive districts and states backed it, seeking to show support for aggressive immigration enforcement.
The politics of the issue have shifted to the right. According to NBC News exit polls, immigration ranked as the fourth-biggest concern among voters in the 2024 election, and those Americans voted for Trump over Democratic rival Kamala Harris 89% to 9%. Trump also gained significant ground among Latino voters generally and won Latino men outright, exit polls showed.
Addressing the divide in the party over the bill, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told reporters: “Members will vote their districts. Members have to balance … their love for this country with the job that they have to do for their constituents. We expect them to do both in the votes that they make.”
“The Democratic Caucus believes in a safe and secure border,” Aguilar continued. “We believe in order at the border and a fix to our broken immigration system. We also believe in ensuring the public safety of our communities.”
Democrats who opposed the Laken Riley Act argued that the legislation was too draconian.
“Laken Riley casts out a net to cuff, arrest and deport people who have committed minor offenses. In that sense, it is not a good thing,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the new chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told NBC News.
“Any discussion that should be had here around the issue of border security, around the issue of immigration,” he said, “should include something on Dreamers, farm workers and families.”
Laken Riley’s father, Jason Riley, told NBC News in an interview that he was grateful for the lawmakers who supported the legislation, which he said he believed has “helped change things politically.”
“I think it turned out to be a good thing,” he said Wednesday. He added that he hates that her killing “became such a national story” and put the family in the spotlight, but that he understood “why it became so politically charged.”
“We’re very happy with the way things have turned out,” he said.
The House of Representatives has just passed the Laken Riley Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at improving mental health care access for veterans and active-duty service members. This bill is named after Laken Riley, a veteran who tragically took her own life after struggling to receive the mental health care she desperately needed.
The Laken Riley Act includes provisions to increase funding for mental health services within the Department of Veterans Affairs, improve suicide prevention programs, and expand access to telehealth services for those in need. This bipartisan bill has been hailed as a crucial step towards addressing the mental health crisis facing our military community.
With its passage in the House, the Laken Riley Act now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. Supporters of the bill are hopeful that the President will swiftly sign this important legislation into law, signaling a commitment to supporting our veterans and service members in their time of need.
Stay tuned for updates on the Laken Riley Act as it moves through the legislative process and potentially becomes law. This is a significant moment in the fight for better mental health care for those who have served our country, and we must continue to advocate for their well-being.
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CNN
—
The House voted on Wednesday to pass a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes, handing an early legislative win to President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, who chose to bring up the measure as their first bill of the new Congress.
The bill – called the Laken Riley Act – will next go to the White House to be signed into law after the Senate approved the measure earlier in the week. The House vote was 263 to 156 with 46 Democrats voting in favor.
Republicans made the legislation a top priority after winning the House, Senate and White House, but the bill would not have been able to advance to final passage in the Senate without support from key Democrats as Republicans control only a narrow majority.
Passage of the bill comes as Trump has vowed to make an immigration crackdown a centerpiece of his agenda, and it gives Republicans a legislative achievement within the first week of the president’s return to the White House. But the bill faces major obstacles to implementation as federal officials have warned lawmakers that existing resources are insufficient to execute the law.
The fact that the bill won significant support from Democrats signals a notable shift for the party in the aftermath of Trump’s presidential win as Democrats from competitive states and districts say the party must do more to address voter concerns over immigration.
The legislation exposed a rift within the party, however, as some Democrats called it a common-sense measure while others argued itthreatens to undermine civil liberties, due process and public safety.
The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented migrants who are in the US unlawfully or without legal status if they have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or have admitted to certain criminal offenses, including theft and burglary. The Senate adopted amendments to expand the list of criminal offenses covered under the bill to include assault on law enforcement officers and crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
The legislation is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year old Georgia student who was killed last year while out for a run. An undocumented migrant from Venezuela was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in the case that reignited a national debate over immigration and crime.
One controversial but under the radar provision of the legislation would give state attorneys general the authority to sue in federal court over the decisions by federal officials, including immigration judges, to release certain immigrants from detention. They could also sue to force the State Department to impose visa sanctions against countries that refuse to accept nationals that are eligible for deportation.
Democrats opposed to the legislation have argued that it would undermine public safety by allowing courts to second guess legitimate decisions made by law enforcement officers serving on the front lines and could undercut US foreign policy by giving state attorney generals and federal judges overly expansive power with respect to blocking visas.
While the bill has now been passed out of Congress, there are hurdles ahead for its implementation.
The Laken Riley Act will require a ramp-up period and a boost in funding, Immigration and Customs Enforcement privately warned lawmakers in recent weeks.
“Full implementation would be impossible for ICE to execute within existing resources,” the agency said in a memo to lawmakers this month that was obtained by CNN.
The agency said that its initial cost estimate of $3.2 billion to execute on the act “does not represent the full cost of implementation.”
ICE is funded for 41,500 detention beds. As of early December, there were more than 39,000 people in ICE custody, according to the agency.
ICE estimated it would need an additional 110,000 beds to support the population of people the new act covers, far exceeding its current inventory.
“If additional resources are provided, a ramp-up period would be needed due to implementation challenges such as hiring, detention bed availability, and contracting/ acquisition timelines,” the memo said.
Trump has moved quickly after being sworn in on Monday to take a series of sweeping immigration executive actions that included declaring a national emergency at the US southern border and kicking off the process to end birthright citizenship, a move that has already prompted legal challenge.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.
In a historic moment for the Trump administration, Congress has passed a bill that will increase funding for immigrant detention centers. This marks the first major legislative win for President Trump in his ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
The bill, known as the Immigrant Detention Funding Act, allocates $4.6 billion in funding to expand and improve detention facilities along the southern border. This includes funding for additional beds, medical services, and security measures to address the ongoing crisis of overcrowding and poor conditions in existing detention centers.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to combat the influx of migrants crossing the border and provide sufficient resources to enforce immigration laws. However, critics have raised concerns about the treatment of detainees and the lack of oversight in these facilities.
Despite the controversy surrounding the bill, its passage represents a significant victory for the Trump administration and its hardline stance on immigration. It remains to be seen how this funding will be implemented and whether it will effectively address the challenges facing immigrant detention centers.
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