FBI captures neo-Nazi gang leader
WASHINGTON — The FBI arrested the leader of a violent California neo-Nazi gang on a federal conspiracy charge after he fled the country earlier this month.
Robert Rundo, 28, of Huntington Beach, Calif., is being held at the federal jail in Los Angeles. He was charged in a criminal complaint that was unsealed Tuesday.
Mr. Rundo apparently crossed into Mexico two weeks ago from California and then made his way to Central America. He was later brought back to the United States, where he was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport, according to two people familiar with the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
He is the founder of the Rise Above Movement, a neo-Nazi gang based in Southern California whose members were involved in violent activity at protests throughout California in 2017. He and three other Californians associated with the group — Robert Boman, 25, Tyler Laube, 22, and Aaron Eason, 38 — were charged with inciting riots, according to court documents. Mr. Boman and Mr. Laube were arrested on Tuesday morning in Southern California. The FBI said it was still searching for Mr. Eason.
Tax-cut vote ‘unlikely’
WASHINGTON — Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Wednesday that it’s “highly unlikely” the Senate would vote after the election on President Donald Trump’s new proposal for a 10 percent middle-class tax cut.
Mr. Hatch said it would require “monumental effort” for the Senate to pass any such proposal. He added, “I’ve seen miracles happen before.”
Mr. Hatch also told reporters on Capitol Hill that he had few details of the proposal, which his committee would be charged with shepherding. Mr. Trump’s idea took lawmakers by surprise when the president first discussed it over the weekend.
Asked if there actually is such a proposal, Mr. Hatch said, “I think there will be.”
Mr. Hatch’s comments underscored the chaotic nature of Mr. Trump’s approach to announcing a proposal that would be a major — and costly — change to the nation’s tax code.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday suggested Republicans would soon unveil a non-binding “resolution” that would put lawmakers on record in favor of a future 10 percent middle class tax cut. The resolution could be rolled out as soon as this week, but Congress is gone until the middle of November and could not vote on it before then.
Schumer: Trump lying
WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday bluntly accused President Donald Trump of lying after he asserted yet again — in the face of multiple actions to the contrary — that Republicans would protect people with preexisting health conditions while Democrats would not.
The rebuke from the top Democrat in the Senate came after the second tweet in a week from Mr. Trump with misleading information on an issue that Democrats see working to their advantage in the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
“Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not! Vote Republican,” Mr. Trump said in his tweet.
Mr. Schumer responded in a series of tweets, starting with: “Good morning, America. This is a lie.”
The sparring comes as Republicans seek to square their steadfast opposition to the Affordable Care Act, the landmark 2010 law pushed by then-President Barack Obama, with the popularity of some of its key provisions, including protections for pre-existing conditions.