New York

Happening Today: Immigration, Cesar Sayoc, HealthCare.gov, Chris Cornell, Tiffany Haddish

What to Know

  • Trump said he plans to sign an order next week that could lead to the large-scale detention of migrants crossing the southern border
  • The federal website where consumers can get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act was up and running after a slow start
  • Family members of Chris Cornell are suing a doctor they say overprescribed drugs to the rock singer, leading to his death

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Trump Pledges Asylum Crackdown, Tent Cities; Is it Legal?

President Trump said he plans to sign an order next week that could lead to the large-scale detention of migrants crossing the southern border and bar anyone caught crossing illegally from claiming asylum — two legally dubious proposals that mark his latest election-season barrage against illegal immigration. Trump also said he had told the U.S. military mobilizing at the southwest border that if U.S. troops face rock-throwing migrants, they should react as though the rocks were "rifles." "This is an invasion," Trump declared, as he has previously on a subject that has been shown to resonate strongly with his base of Republican supporters. He made his comments at the White House in a rambling, campaign-style speech that was billed as a response to caravans of migrants traveling slowly by foot toward the U.S. border. But Trump offered few details on how exactly he planned to overhaul an asylum system he claimed was plagued by "endemic abuse" that he said "makes a mockery of our immigration system." U.S. immigration laws make clear that migrants seeking asylum may do so either at or between border crossings. But Trump said he would limit that to official crossing points.

Pipe Bomb Suspect Due in Court for Bail, Removal Hearing

The Florida man accused of sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of President Trump is due in court for a bail hearing. Federal prosecutors contend that 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc should remain jailed until trial, given the magnitude of the charges and the strong evidence against him. Sayoc is accused of sending 15 improvised explosive devices to numerous Democrats, Trump critics and media outlets. None of the bombs exploded, and no one was injured. Still, Sayoc faces nearly 50 years in prison if convicted on five federal charges, which were filed in New York. The hearing also will deal with when Sayoc should be moved from Miami to New York to be prosecuted. Several package bombs were found in New York as well as other locations.

Federal Health Care Website Up and Running After Slow Start

The federal website where consumers can get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act was up and running after a slow start as sign-up season for 2019 opened days before the midterm elections. During early morning hours, people accessing the site were directed to a screen that said work was underway. A recording at the HealthCare.gov call center conveyed a similar message. Things seemed to be running normally a short time later. With health care a major issue in the elections, this sign-up season under the Trump administration is getting close scrutiny. In earlier years, technical problems with the site created major headaches for the Obama administration. Some Democrats cited HealthCare.gov's meltdown after its 2013 debut as one of the reasons they lost control of the Senate the following year.

Family of Singer Chris Cornell Sues Doctor Over His Death

Family members of Chris Cornell are suing a doctor they say overprescribed drugs to the rock singer, leading to his death. Cornell's widow, Vicky Cornell, and others sued in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Robert Koblin was negligent in prescribing the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam and other medication to the Soundgarden frontman from September 2015 until his death in May 2017 in Detroit. The suit says the doctor knew Cornell had substance abuse problems and didn't examine him during that time. Coroner's investigators ruled Cornell's death a suicide. The autopsy noted prescription drugs in his system but said they weren't a contributing cause. The lawsuit says the drugs caused erratic, impulsive behavior that led to Cornell's death. The doctor's office had no immediate comment.

Tiffany Haddish's Goal to Make 50 Movies by 50th Birthday

By the time Tiffany Haddish turns 50, she's hoping to have 50 movies to her credit. She's got 12 years and a few dozen films to achieve it. "That's the goal," she said recently and quickly followed it up with, "They're not all gonna be great." She insists her latest movie, "Nobody's Fool," out Friday and written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry, is one of the good ones. In the movie, Haddish and Tika Sumpter play sisters. Sumpter is the straight-laced one who makes all the right choices. Haddish is more a wild child. The movie begins with Haddish getting out of jail and they discover Sumpter's boyfriend is catfishing her. It's Perry's first R-rated comedy and he says he wrote Haddish's part with her in mind.

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