Texas to bus immigrants to Washington D.C. 

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that Texas would begin busing and flying undocumented immigrants from the border to Washington D.C., according to the Washington Post. This came in an effort to decrease immigration from the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Both parties worried about a crisis at the border once the immigration restrictions from COVID-19 were relaxed; however, critics of Abbott said he is using flashy politics over effective solutions. 

“He uses human beings as political pinatas to score political points six months before his election,” said Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. 

Abbott said busing would help local officials “whose communities are being overwhelmed” by the influx of immigrants. He later said sending the immigrants to the nation’s capital was giving federal leaders a taste of their own medicine. 

China struggles with new COVID-19-related shutdown 

People in China have been confined to their homes because of another COVID-19 outbreak. In Shanghai, residents found that food is in short supply, according to AP News. 

Despite the news reports, which said food is available, many online grocers sold out very quickly. Some residents received packages of meat and vegetables from the government, but they still had to ration their portions. 

“We read on the news there is [food], but we just can’t buy it,” said Zhang Yu, whose household of eight has had to cut back to noodles for lunch and didn’t receive government supplies. “As soon as you go to the grocery shopping app, it says today’s orders are filled.” Yu starts shopping online at 7 a.m.

The situation in Shanghai highlights the human and economic costs of China’s “zero-COVID” strategy, which plans to isolate every person infected with the virus. Originally, Shanghai shut down districts for four days to test residents, but it turned into an indefinite citywide shutdown after cases spiked. 

Officials say Shanghai has enough food, but deputy mayor Chen Tong said getting the food “the last 100 meters” to households is the issue. The quick shutdown left residents unprepared.

“I can’t get anything for two or three days in a row,” said Gregory Gao, an operations specialist for an automaker who lives alone in the Yangpu district. 

“The government told us at the beginning this would last four days,” said Yu. “Many people were not prepared.” 

Two men arrested for attempting to influence Secret Service agents

U.S. officials arrested two men who spent thousands of dollars to influence Secret Service agents, according to BBC News. Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36, were accused of posing as employees of the Department of Homeland Security. 

The FBI said the two men planned to get closer to four agents, one of whom served close to first lady Jill Biden. They bought the agents “rent-free apartments, iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat-screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator and law enforcement paraphernalia,” according to the affidavit filed with a U.S. district court. 

The two were investigated after a U.S. Postal Service official responded to a report of an assault on a delivery worker. Residents told the inspector that Ali and Taherzadeh identified themselves as DHS special agents, claiming to be special police in undercover investigations. 

The inspector passed his findings on to the DHS, who informed the FBI. The two men will appear in court on Thursday in Washington. 

Michigan governor sues to protect abortion rights

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked a Michigan court to recognize a right to abortion under the state constitution if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to allow states to ban abortions earlier in pregnancy, according to AP news.  

She sued in Oakland County to overturn a 176-year-old ban in the state that would be enforced if the Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated. “It was important for us to take action now, to ensure that women and providers across the state of Michigan know whether abortions will still be available,” said the governor. 

Whitmer sued hoping the Michigan Supreme Court would overturn a 1931 law that made abortion illegal until the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalized the practice nationwide. If her effort is denied, Michigan could have a near-total ban on abortions where cases of rape and incest are not exceptions. 

Whitmer’s call to repeal the law has not progressed in the state legislature.