Shooting at Dallas ICE facility
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, a gunman opened fire inside an ICE detention facility in Dallas, killing one detainee and critically injuring two others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities identified the suspect as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, who friends described as ‘not interested in politics’ but has been labelled by the FBI as “anti-ICE.”
While the shooting initially appeared indiscriminate, investigators later suggested it was politically motivated after recovering remaining ammunition engraved with the phrase “ANTI-ICE” and a note left by Jahn saying, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP [armor piercing] rounds on that roof?’”
This pattern of behavior was previously seen from the shooter of Charlie Kirk, who engraved anti-fascist remarks onto his cartridges and wrote an alleged note proclaiming his intentions to “take out Kirk.”
In response to the recent shootings, Trump issued a statement on social media calling for an end to political violence, arguing “this violence is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to ‘Nazis.’”
Trump’s statement to the UN
The 80th United Nations assembly recently convened on Tuesday, Sept. 23, highlighting pressing global issues such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, international statements of recognition of Palestine as well as other significant issues regarding the world climate.
In President Donald Trump’s address to the UN, he questioned the summit leaders, “What is the purpose of the United Nations?” and said, “It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war. The only thing that solves war and wars is action.”
Trump went on further to claim that “in a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars,” briefly mentioning the Gaza War and the Russia-Ukraine and professing that he has “been working relentlessly, stopping the killing in Ukraine. I thought that would be—of the seven wars that I stopped.”
In the topic of global security, Trump raised concerns over the threat of creating biological weapons and the international safety violations it poses, with hopes of his administration initiating a “lead an international effort to enforce [the] Biological Weapons Convention.”
The majority of Trump’s speech revolved around a call for tighter border control, criticizing the UN of “not solving the problems it should—too often, it’s actually creating new problems for us to solve” in respect to international uncontrolled migration.
In his criticism, Trump reprimanded the UN, accusing them of “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders,” bringing to attention the aid given from the UN.to migrants moving to the West from developing and third world countries.
Migration and clean energy were two of the Trump’s main topics, contending the clean energy movement and claiming, “The carbon footprint is a hoax, made up by people with evil intentions, and they’re heading down a path of total destruction.” He further discussed how Europe’s actions regarding reducing the carbon footprint were “nonsense” and that those calling for reduced environmental pollution are a part of a “global warming hoax.”
Trump concluded his speech almost 57 minutes later, calling for the nations in attendance to “defend free speech and free expression. Let us protect religious liberty” and promising, “We’re going to make our countries better, safer, more beautiful. We’re going to take care of our people.”
Government shutdown looming
Amid political turmoil in Washington D.C., discussions of a potential government shutdown occurring within the next week have intensified. Disagreements have been occurring between congressional Republicans and Democrats, with both sides insisting on having the spending measure affirm their needs.
Democrats have been arguing the importance of addressing health care within the measure, while Republicans have been affirming the need for creating only a short-term measure, contending that the desires of the Democrats would only increase spending.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin claimed that “the president said really boldly, don’t even talk to Democrats…. that’s obviously his signal he wants a shutdown.”
There has been no leniency from either side, giving credence to the idea that mass federal firings and furloughs are around the corner.