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Surge at Southern Border: Migrants Are Fleeing From More Than 100 Countries

Currents News Staff

Mass migration is landing at the U.S. doorstep. With conditions getting worse in their countries of origin, migrants are arriving in droves and arrive relieved as they cross the border.

In this part of the border, U.S. authorities arrest up to 1,000 migrants daily. The influx is an alarming trend made even more difficult by the nationalities of the people crossing the border.

Yuma border patrol chief Chris Clem described the situation as dynamic.

“We were having countries from Mexico, Central America, things that we could process and you know, take the biometric data and put them in removal proceedings and or return them back to Mexico,” said Chief Chris. “The countries were receiving now, those nationalities are flying in arriving to the border, and you know, they’re having to be processed and there’s just so many of them that it is posing a challenge to the workforce.”

Authorities can turn back migrants at the southwest border back to Mexico or their home countries under a Trump-era pandemic rule, known as Title 42, but it doesn’t apply to everyone.

Coupled with frosty relations with countries like Venezuela and Cuba, it keeps the U.S. from removing certain people. That means they might be released while going through immigration proceedings.

“We continue to evolve with technology and resources not only for our agents, but also for the overall mission, the form of surveillance systems,” said Chief Chris. “And then we continue to add to the processing and the humane care of the migrants in custody–wraparound medical services, food contracts to make sure that we’ve got plenty of food and to be able to take care of those in custody.”

The pace of people journeying north presents a steep challenge for President Biden who spoke with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador last week.

“One of those is migration at historic levels throughout our hemisphere like us,” said Biden. “Mexico has become a top destination of migrants.”

Uvalde Report Reveals Lack of Command in School Shooting Response

Currents News Staff

It was chaos and confusion. The mayor of Uvalde released new police body camera footage shedding light on those first panicked moments inside Robb Elementary.

Critical moments tick by as urgency fades away. Officers don’t confront the gunman and look confused and delayed, thinking there are no children inside. But soon after, in a nearby classroom, police help students and teachers escape.

“Kids coming out, kids coming out,” they shout.

Outside the classroom with the gunman, officers try to plead with him and are unaware that children may still be inside the classroom and actively in danger.

“Sir if you can hear me,” officers say, “please put your gun down. we don’t want anyone else hurt.”

A scathing 77-page report finds systemic failures by the nearly 400 officers from various agencies who responded.

“They failed to move forward in the threat of danger,” said Jimmy Perdue, the President of the Texas Police Chiefs Association, “to secure the scene to take care of the attacker and to save as many kids as possible.”

The report reveals an overall “lackadaisical approach” by law enforcement with “egregious poor-decision making.”

Investigators didn’t find any single person culpable of acting maliciously, but noted a repeated lack of a clear command.

“But at least in their final moments, they could have comforted them, to let them know they’re with them,” said Jesus Rizo, a family member of Cazares who spoke at the Uvalde council meeting. “But they did the total opposite of that. They stood there as people bled out.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 7/15/22

The kids of Brooklyn are getting in on the action to carry their own Giglio — for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Pope Francis makes history by selecting three women to join the Vatican body that oversees the selection of new bishops.

The House votes on a pair of bills meant to protect access to abortion.

Scientists are astounded at the new images of God’s creation — thanks to NASA’s latest technology.

Historic 19th Century Beer Cave Rediscovered in Iowa

Currents News Staff

Craft breweries get a lot of buzz these days, but more than 150 years ago, a beer cave was built in Winterset, Iowa. Only now is its history being discovered.

The stone building was once the first brewery in Madison County. In the mid-1800s, the way to keep beer cool was going underground – in a beer cave. While some locals had heard about it – the buried beer room had been lost for decades.

“I believe it’s about 12 foot by maybe 20 foot,” said Chuck Johnson, “beautiful arch ceiling.”

Chuck Johnson says a crew recently found the cave while working on some power lines – though they didn’t know what it was.

“When we poked our head in and the arched ceiling there isn’t a flaw in it,” said Chuck. “It’s just like it was brand new.”

There was even talk they’d found part of the underground railroad. But the Madison County Historical Society had a pretty good idea what it was from the start. Jared McDonald shows us a County atlas from 1875.

“This is union township,” said Jared, “which is where the beer cave is located. And we’re looking right there at the brewery by M Schroeder.”

Morris Schroeder’s Brewery had been quite divisive in a town with a very active temperance movement. This newspaper article from 1873 writes: “there is much complaint about the disturbances happening at the brewery.” It even notes a stabbing – and on the Sabbath.

“He was basically ran out because of the brewery,” said Morris. “His beer because they didn’t want it in the community anymore.”

For now – the beer cave is buried – but light imaging radar will eventually scan it. Madison County will then decide how best to preserve it.

Catholic Psychologist: Chronic Teen Trauma Is a ‘Terrible Problem’ That Leads to Gun Violence

Currents News Staff

With mass shootings and the explosion of gun violence occurring nationwide, there’s a push for tougher gun control laws. One clinical psychologist from Catholic Social Services says some of the main causes are teens in the U.S. enduring chronic trauma, violence and poverty.

James Black, the Director of the Youth Services Division of Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia joined Currents News to discuss the alarming trend and what role the Church has in alleviating the suffering.

To read the full article with James Black in The Tablet, click here: “Teen Trauma, Impaired Brain Development Seen as Factors in Gun Violence”

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday, 7/14/22

The director of a pregnancy center explains to Senate lawmakers how her pro-life work is worth the risk of any potential attacks.

How violence, trauma and poverty is having an effect on teens who turn to gun violence. We’ll speak with a clinical psychologist from Catholic Social Services.

A fourth vaccine is approved for COVID-19 — why it may be a more ethical choice for Catholics.

Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Become Targets For Attacks and Arson After Roe Ruling

Currents News Staff

Pregnancy care centers from coast to coast are being targeted for violent attacks.

Heidi Matzke is the Executive Director of Alternatives Pregnancy Center in California. She spoke to members of the U.S. Senate claiming that misinformation stemming from the Roe v. Wade decision is leading to attacks on pregnancy centers like hers.

“We have been forced to hire security because of threats of violence,” said Matzke.

Heidi also shared an image of a man with a machete at her center’s door right before they opened for the day. A security guard was able to derail that attack but it still rattled the facility. Meanwhile in the wake of overturning Roe v. Wade, pro-abortion advocates are now looking to the House.

That’s where a bill allowing pregnant women to cross state lines to obtain an abortion is expected to be up for a vote. The bill is an attempt to preempt any states who might try to prevent abortion tourism now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

The vote in the House could come down as soon as Friday.

 

FDA Authorizes Protein-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Novavax

Currents News Staff

You could soon have access to a fourth kind of COVID-19 vaccine. A version from Novavax now has FDA Emergency Use Authorization. The CDC is expected to recommend it as soon as this month.

“The virus continues to evolve very quickly,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid Response Coordinator. “We have to constantly be updating our response.”

It’s unlike the other three vaccines because it uses protein fragments to teach the body how to fight COVID.

If you’re vaccinated against Hepatitis B or whooping cough, you’ve probably already had a vaccine that works like this. The latest variants weren’t around when Novavax developed its vaccine.

But, the company says it appears to have a broad immune system response to the BA.5 Omicron offshoot. That’s good news because it’s the dominant variant right now and the most contagious one yet.

“There’s fatigue, sore throat, headache,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN Medical Analyst, “Anecdotally we’re seeing this more with B-5.”

Experts say getting vaccinated is your best protection against severe illness. If you haven’t gotten boosted this year, you might want to reconsider.

“Immunity against infection wanes pretty quickly,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “And it goes way, way down.”

Meanwhile, drug companies are trying to update existing vaccines for whatever comes next.