Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and we have some very compelling stories to share with you today. Here’s what’s going on.
The Republican National Committee is asking the Supreme Court to reinstate part of Arizona’s voting laws, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has canceled his appearance at a very important venue, and the Texas governor has issued an order regarding the medical costs of illegal immigrants. Also, a Chinese American scholar was found guilty of spying right here in the United States, and a joint U.S. law enforcement operation has led to the arrests of a large number of fugitives in Maryland.
RNC Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Arizona’s Citizenship Check Voting Laws
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has requested the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate an Arizona law requiring voters to prove their U.S. citizenship for the upcoming presidential election. The RNC filed an emergency relief application on Aug. 8, seeking to overturn a lower court’s decision that put the law on hold.In 2022, the Arizona Legislature passed voting laws that require voters in the state to provide proof of citizenship or residency, such as a birth certificate, to be eligible to vote. The laws also mandate that counties conduct citizenship checks and remove noncitizens from the rolls.
A district judge blocked part of the laws in 2023, saying that federal laws take priority over state laws for proving citizenship to vote. Later, a three-judge panel paused that decision. In July this year, another panel of judges agreed to reinstate some parts of the laws but refused a request from Republicans to make election officials check records from the Social Security Administration and other databases to confirm citizenship for people who do not provide proof.
The RNC argues that the decisions of the courts violate the Purcell principle, which prohibits federal courts from interfering with enforcement of state election laws with an election impending. Republicans are asking for the court to rule on the issue by Aug. 22.
Voting rights groups have filed lawsuits to block the laws, saying the measures are discriminatory, confusing, and unnecessary, among other things.
According to current Arizona law, voters must be U.S. citizens, Arizona residents, and at least 18 years old. The RNC says that requiring proof of citizenship is fundamental to preserving the integrity of the U.S. elections, particularly the presidential election.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a recent statement that noncitizen voting is illegal and that Republicans are “taking every possible action to ensure American elections are decided solely by Americans.”
RFK Jr. Cancels Iowa State Fair Appearance Citing Increased Security Concerns
Almost a month after former President Donald Trump was shot and injured at an open rally in Pennsylvania, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled his appearance at the Iowa State Fair due to security concerns.Kennedy announced his candidacy in April 2023 and was initially denied Secret Service protection five times by the Department of Homeland Security. That protection was quickly authorized following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump during the Pennsylvania rally.
Kennedy has not held his own campaign rallies since receiving Secret Service protection. He did speak, though, at the Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville last month. He has also held press briefings and made podcast appearances as he strives to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Kennedy’s campaign told The Epoch Times that more events will be scheduled in the upcoming weeks.
Kennedy previously alleged that it was a “political” decision to deny his repeated requests for Secret Service protection. He told The Epoch Times in April after a campaign stop in Iowa that he’s worried about the safety of his family and the safety of bystanders if there happens to be a more serious incident.
Kennedy has faced security threats himself, with armed men attempting to confront him last year. At that time, an armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal was arrested at one of Kennedy’s events, and another man was apprehended after trying to break into his home. Despite these challenges, Kennedy remains determined to continue his campaign.
Abbott Orders Texas Hospitals to Report Health Care Costs for Illegal Immigrants
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order earlier this week requiring hospitals in the state to collect data on illegal immigrants receiving medical services and report the costs to seek reimbursement from the federal government.The order requires Texas hospitals to track inpatient discharges, emergency visits, and costs incurred by illegal immigrants starting Nov. 1 of this year. Hospitals will need to report the information to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) by March 1, 2025, and continue reporting data on a quarterly basis. Under the executive order, hospitals must inform patients that their immigration status will not affect patient care.
Annually, the HHSC will be required to report to state leaders the preceding year’s costs for medical care provided to illegal immigrants, starting Jan. 1, 2026. Meanwhile, the Texas Hospital Association is reviewing the order. It says that “right now, hospitals don’t ask about patient immigration status as a condition of treatment,” adding that “hospitals are required by law to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of ability to pay or status.”
Additionally, Texas has seen a 74 percent drop in illegal border crossings since launching Operation Lone Star in 2021. State authorities have deployed floating border barriers, installed wire fencing, and used the Texas National Guard to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
Abbott has criticized President Joe Biden’s recent executive actions on illegal immigration, saying that the new border policy is going to “actually attract and invite even more people to cross the border illegally.”
According to a White House fact sheet published on June 4, the executive orders will bar illegal immigrants from receiving asylum when border officials deem illegal border crossings are at “high levels.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has recorded over 1.44 million encounters with individuals attempting to enter the United States as of June this year.
Chinese American Posing as Pro-Democracy Activist Is Convicted of Spying for China
Wang Shujun, a 75-year-old U.S. citizen, posed as a critic of the Chinese Communist Party while actually spying on pro-democracy activists for China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). He was found guilty on four counts and faces up to 25 years in prison.Wang was initially arrested in March 2022, and four MSS officials who were also charged remain at large.
Wang’s case reveals the Chinese regime’s ongoing efforts to silence and intimidate dissidents living overseas. Last year, the FBI arrested two men on charges of operating a secret police station in New York City in coordination with the regime’s Ministry of Public Security.
Since at least 2006, Wang has operated under the direction of the four MSS officials and has gathered information on individuals and groups deemed subversive by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including Hong Kong protesters and activists from Taiwan, Uyghur, and Tibetan communities.
To communicate with his handlers, Wang took trips to China, communicated with them via the Chinese messaging app WeChat, and compiled information he collected into email “diaries” that were accessible by the MSS. In one entry, Wang shared his “analysis” of potential protests during CCP leader Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to the United States.
Law enforcement recovered 163 diary entries written by Wang to the four MSS officials, who are based in two different regions in China.
Upon Wang’s return from China in 2019, U.S. officials found him in possession of a black address book containing contact details of CCP officials, including the four MSS agents. Wang’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9 next year.
US Marshals Arrest Over 230 Fugitives, Including Rapists and Murderers, in Maryland Operation
Operation Silver Shield, which was a 90-day interagency effort by the U.S. Marshals Service, resulted in the arrest of 232 fugitives in Maryland, including those wanted for serious crimes like rape and murder.This program ran from May through August this year, targeting non-compliant sex offenders and violent crime fugitives. Law enforcement also seized seven firearms and rescued four missing children.
Dozens of federal, state, and local agencies participated in the operation.
One of these agencies, which is called the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, has partnership agreements with over 133 federal, state, and local agencies, and it has apprehended over 78,000 fugitives since its establishment in 2004.
Operation Silver Shield, focusing on missing children and high-risk offenders, built on past efforts like “Operation We Will Find You,” which recovered 225 missing children in 2023.
Support from legislation, such as the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, has bolstered the Marshals’ ability to address these critical cases. The U.S. Marshals, in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, have successfully recovered over 3,100 missing children since 2015.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Saturday edition (the weekend edition) of The Epoch Times News Brief.
Between mowing the lawn, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and everything else you do on the weekend, thanks for sharing some time with us today, and please tell your friends, family, and co-workers to join the News Brief family as well.
*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Roger Caras, who once said: “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
Roger Caras was an American naturalist, animal welfare activist, and so much more.
Coincidentally, today is also National Spoil Your Dog Day and it’s also National S’mores Day. A s’more is a toasted marshmallow with a slab of chocolate between two graham crackers.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The News Brief program is written by Sharon Reardon, with production assistance from Clare and a variety of highly talented behind-the-scenes folks working very hard to bring this program to you each day.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your summer Saturday, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. Let’s all continue to watch out for one another, have a superb day today, and bye for now.
