Trump wants immigration policy change
WASHINGTON — For the third time this week, President Donald Trump on Friday signaled support for immigration policy changes that would make it easier for seasonal farm workers to enter the United States.
Mr. Trump pleaded in a Friday morning tweet for someone to inform House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “’big donors’ in wine country that people working on farms (grapes) will have easy access in!”
That came after he floated on Monday what his aides have called for in recent months, a rare break with his own hardline immigration stance in remarks to a farmers group.
In that speech, the president said he would like to “actually make it easier for them to help the farmers because you need these people.”
“A lot of people don’t understand this. You need people to help you with the farms,” he said Monday. “I’m not going to rule that out.”
The president repeated a version of that during Thursday remarks at the Pentagon.
Journalist arrested
An American-born journalist who works for an Iranian state-run television channel was arrested in the United States as a material witness in an undisclosed investigation, according to a federal court order unsealed Friday.
The journalist, Marzieh Hashemi, was arrested at the St. Louis airport Sunday and was transferred by the FBI to Washington, according to Press TV, where she works as an anchor.
U.S. officials had not confirmed her detention until Friday, when Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered some details about her arrest unsealed.
The court order said that Ms. Hashemi, 59, had been arrested on a material witness warrant and was not accused of any crime. She had made two court appearances, it said, and U.S. authorities expected her to be released after “her testimony before a grand jury investigating violations of U.S. criminal law.”
Election official ousted
Susan Bucher, supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County, Fla., was suspended Friday by the state’s new governor, Ron DeSantis, after problems in her county contributed to chaos during the state’s midterm election recount.
In an executive order, Mr. DeSantis said Ms. Bucher had demonstrated incompetence and neglect of duty, resulting in systemic problems that prevented Palm Beach County from completing a statemandated recount until Dec. 26.
Mr. DeSantis appointed Wendy Sartory Link, a West Palm Beach lawyer and Republican, to replace Ms. Bucher, a Democrat who was halfway through a four-year term.
Ms. Bucher did not respond to an email request for comment.