As Reunion Deadline Day Unfolds, What About the 900 'Ineligible' Parents?
*By Conor White*
The U.S. government may be on track to meet Thursday's deadline to reunite families separated at the southern borderーbut one Politico reporter reminded Cheddar that doesn't apply to everyone.
In an interview Thursday, Dan Diamond praised the government's efforts over a relatively short period, but said there are nine hundred parents that have been deemed 'ineligible'ーmeaning they have a criminal record, preexisting health problem, or have already been deported. Diamond cautioned that some may never seen their children again.
Another major wrinkle in the plan: Diamond said the costs of getting some 2,500 immigrant children to their parents will be felt for quite a while. The Health Department, he said, has resorted to siphoning from its broader funds.
"\[The Department has spent\] tens of millions of dollars just in the past few months on housing kids that have been separated at the border, caring for them, and now putting the families back together."
Officials may also have to answer for a [new Politico report](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/25/deported-migrants-leaving-children-behind-712088) that says 75 percent of migrant parents were never given a choice between taking their children with them or leaving them behind in the States, contradicting what the Trump administrationーincluding Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsenーhas claimed.
"That's very concerning from a human perspective," Diamond said, "but also creates major logistical challenges, because now the government has to track down parents who have been deported and ask them, 'Do you want your kid brought to you in a foreign country?' How will these parents be put back together with their kids?"
"So \[there's been\] a lot of progressーbut \[also\] very real questions about what happens to the entire population of migrant parents and kids."
For full interview [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjExNTg=).
Americans continue to feel the pain at the pump as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, joined Cheddar News to discuss how prices are being affected by the war and how much worse it could potentially get for drivers. "It's obviously a fluid situation. In one field today, I might feel differently in a half hour. But for now, I think we could see the national average realistically go somewhere into the mid $4 range, maybe $4.40 to $4.65 based on what we're seeing," he said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to evacuate civilians from the port city of Mariupol.
Gasoline prices are pushing even farther above $4 a gallon, the highest price that American motorists have faced since July 2008, as calls grow to ban imports of Russian oil.
Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at ICAP, believes a lot of the bad news regarding the fighting in Ukraine and Fed is already priced into the market and looming uncertainty factored into Friday's movement. However, he also believes the upcoming Fed decision will be good news for Wall Street.
News of Russian forces taking control of a Ukrainian after artillery bombardment of a nuclear power plant raised concerns this week. Nuclear policy expert and Quincy Institute Distinguished Fellow Joe Cirincione joined Cheddar News to discuss the implications for a potential disaster. “I’m with the director general of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He says that he is extremely concerned, and that this Russian attack is a severe risk and that Russia clearly violated the fundamental principle of preserving the integrity of nuclear power plants," Cirincione said.
Amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, major businesses from BP to Big Tech like Apple have been pausing their business dealings with the invading nation. Brian Walker, chief strategy officer at commerce software company Bloomreach, joined Cheddar News to discuss how some companies are showing support for Ukraine and what this could mean for consumers. "Whether it be impacts on energy or operational costs, shipping and logistics, or frankly impacts on the financial services industry, these will have long term implications on retail prices," he said.
About 678,000 jobs were created in February, hundreds of thousands more than predicted, according to the latest Labor Department report, showing a broad economic recovery despite inflation woes. Heather Boushey, member of the Council of Economic Advisers for President Biden, joined Cheddar News to talk about the employment figures. "This really shows that the economy is now more resilient because of the tools that we have in place," Boushey said. "So I'm optimistic that we'll be able to weather future storms."
Ramit Varma, Independent candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, joins Cheddar News to discuss the race and how he plans to tackle critical issues in the California city.
