(WASHINGTON) — The Biden White House on Thursday condemned Republican governors who this week escalated their strategy of busing — and now flying — migrants to Democratic cities in protest of the administration’s border policies.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard late Wednesday evening, surprising state and local officials. Two buses sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott carrying roughly 100 migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Naval Observatory residence early Thursday morning.
DeSantis said the confrontational moves were a message to President Joe Biden and Harris to do their “damn job” and secure the border.
The White House and Democrats are calling the moves cruel, accusing the GOP leaders of creating “chaos.”
“There’s a legal way of doing this — for managing migrants,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Thursday’s briefing with reporters. “Republican governors interfering in that process and using migrants as political pawns is shameful, is reckless, and just plain wrong.”
Jean-Pierre criticized the governors for appearing to give no notice to leaders on the ground.
“The fact that Fox News and not the Department of Homeland Security, the city or local NGOs (non-governmental organizations) were alerted about a plan to leave migrants, including children, on the side of a busy D.C. street makes clear that this is just a cruel premeditated political stunt,” Jean-Pierre said.
Two buses carrying roughly 100 migrants were dropped off in front of Harris’ official Naval Observatory residence early Thursday morning. They were met by immigration advocates from the SAMU First Response, a humanitarian nonprofit foundation in Washington, which said the migrants are receiving food, clothing and hygiene care.
Tatiana Laborde, the managing director of SAMU, told ABC News the migrants were “extremely confused and disoriented ” when they landed on the sidewalk of the residential drop-off location.
Geoff Freeman, the director of Martha’s Vineyard airport, told ABC News in a phone call “nobody on the island was informed” of the planes’ arrivals.
“No local officials knew of this event until after it happened,” Freeman said.
Lack of coordination between communities regarding bussing of migrants “can wreak havoc and do harm, to individuals and those communities” said a Homeland Security spokesperson.
“That is the case here,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson explained migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border continue to be expelled under Title 42. Anyone not expelled under Title 42 are either given expedited removal proceedings or are issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge and monitored through ICE alternatives to detention. DHS continues to work closely with nonprofit organizations and local governments on efforts to facilitate voluntary migrant transportation, the spokesperson said.
“Failure to coordinate is irresponsible and creates unsafe conditions for vulnerable migrants as well as the receiving jurisdictions,” they added.
DeSantis said sending migrants to Democrat-led states was a response to their previous “virtue signaling” by declaring themselves sanctuary jurisdictions during former President Donald Trump’s years in office.
“We’re not a sanctuary state,” he said at Florida at a news conference.
Border state Republicans praised the migrant vans, arguing the crisis at the border is a problem that should be shouldered by the entire country.
“This is a national responsibility, it should be a national burden,” said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
Border crossings reached a peak in May as U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 239,416 migrants along the southern border — the largest number of migrants ever.
Encounters dropped slightly in June and July, but experts estimate the agency will cross 2 million apprehensions by the end of the fiscal year ending this month.
Harris was tapped by President Joe Biden last year to lead the administration’s effort to tackle challenges at the border and work with Central American countries to address the root causes of the problem. Republicans have long criticized Harris’s absence at the southern border since taking on the role.
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, tweeted: “If our “Border Czar” won’t visit the border, the border will visit her.” Several GOP members of Congress on Thursday posted similar sentiments on social media Thursday.
Harris declined to comment when asked by ABC News’ Justin Gomez if she had any reaction to the migrants that were dropped off in front of her residence.
The White House defended its immigration policies on Thursday while also acknowledging there’s more work to be done.
Jean-Pierre pointed to steps to advance border technology, add more immigration judges and provide record funding to the Department of Homeland Security as proof the administration is committed to fixing what she described as a “decimated” immigration system left behind by the Trump administration.
“We are fixing a broken system,” she told ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce when asked about the influx of migrants at the border. “It is not like turning the light switch on. It is going to take some time.”
Jean-Pierre said Republicans in Congress should instead focus on passing a long-term, comprehensive legislation to reform the immigration system.
“They deserve better than being left on the streets of D.C. or being left in Martha’s Vineyard,” the press secretary said of the migrants who’ve been transported. “They deserve a lot better than that.”
ABC News’ Allison Pecorin, Briana Stewart, Miles Cohen and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Robert Packer, the Jan. 6 rioter seen in photos wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt, to 75 days in prison.
Packer had previously pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of demonstrating inside the U.S. Capitol building.
The black-hooded sweatshirt Packer donned during the riot, prosecutors said, showed “Camp Auschwitz” and “Work Means Freedom” with a skull image on the front, and “STAFF” written on the back. Underneath his sweatshirt, he wore another Nazi-inspired t-shirt, they said.
The prosecution argued that although Packer did not post on social media, he broadcasted his beliefs on his clothes.
The defense countered that if Packer had short hair, no beard, and was wearing a different shirt, he might be viewed differently.
When Judge Carl Nichols asked why Packer was wearing the shirt, the defense said he “cannot explain” why he was wearing it, but that it was a “free speech” issue.
“I just don’t think it is appropriate to make him serve more time because he is wearing that shirt, because he is allowed to wear it,” his lawyer said.
Packer’s attorney further claimed Packer takes offense to being called a white supremacist, because he “does not see himself that way at all.”
In delivering his sentencing decision, Nichols said “although he did not carry a sign, he wore a distinctive and incredibly offensive shirt.”
The judge said he can infer Packer wore the shirt for a reason, although he does not know that reason, because Packer has not told the court.
While Packer was charged with a misdemeanor, the prosecution requested 75 days of incarceration, followed by three years of probation and 60 hours of community service.
The prosecution noted that Packer’s actions should be considered within the context of the violence of Jan. 6. Although he himself did not perpetuate any acts of violence, they said, the mob would not have succeeded in overwhelming the police, breaching the Capitol, and disrupting the proceedings without his actions, alongside others who did the same.
The judge stated that Packer’s presence, although not inherently violent, “prevents police from dealing with people who are.”
Prosecutors added that the sentencing should deter crime generally, “the most compelling reason to impose a sentence of incarceration.” Because the Jan. 6 rioters directly interfered with democracy, they said, “the gravity of these offenses demands deterrence.”
They said they were justified asking for prison time because Packer ignored police barricades, ignored police officers telling rioters to stop, watched assaults on police officers and Capitol property without leaving or trying to stop them, entered the speaker’s hallway and Statuary Hall, and has not expressed remorse for his actions.
“He was just walking around, looking, to me,” the defense countered. “He is as close to a bystander as you can get in this case.”
“He shouldn’t have stayed there for as long as he did; the question is does he need to go to jail for it,” his defense lawyer said.
Prosecutors added that Packer has been a “habitual criminal offender for 25 years with 21 convictions for mostly drunk driving, but also for larceny, drug possession, and forgery.” He was incarcerated for several previous offenses, they said.
The defense said that his record does not stem from an “evil mind” but a “disease” of alcoholism.
Packer did not make any comments to the court during his sentencing.
(NEW YORK) — The New York attorney general’s office rejected an offer this month to resolve a civil investigation into former President Donald Trump and his family real estate business, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
For more than three years, New York Attorney General Letitia James has been investigating whether Trump fraudulently adjusted the value of his assets to secure loans or tax breaks.
James had already said in court filings she has found evidence of possible fraud. The rejection of the Trump Organization’s settlement offer is a possible sign she intends to file a civil lawsuit which, if successful, could result in financial penalties or restrictions on the company’s ability to operate in New York.
A spokesperson for the AG’s declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News.
James had already said in court filings she has found evidence of possible fraud. The rejection of the Trump Organization’s settlement offer is a possible sign she intends to file a civil lawsuit which, if successful, could result in financial penalties or restrictions on the company’s ability to operate in New York.
A spokesperson for the AG’s declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News.
News of the rejected settlement offer was first reported by The New York Times.
Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, has called the investigation a politically motivated witch hunt. He repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition last month in James’ office.
In a January court filing, James accused Trump of misstating objective facts, overstating his liquidity, and failing to use fundamental techniques of asset valuation. The filing mentioned financial statements associated with seven different Trump properties, including 40 Wall Street, the apartment in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, and golf clubs in Scotland and in Westchester County, New York.
Last month, in a separate case, longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges of running a yearslong scheme to avoid paying taxes on nearly $2 million in income, including fringe benefits like rent, luxury cars and private school tuition for his grandchildren.
He also agreed to testify against the Trump Organization when the company goes on trial in connection with the alleged compensation scheme beginning in October. The plea agreement contains no requirement for him to cooperate in the related criminal case against Trump himself.
(EL DORADO, CA) –A wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes in California is now the largest in the state this year.
The Mosquito Fire has burned through nearly 64,000 acres and gutted 70 structures in El Dorado and Placer counties since it sparked on Sept. 6, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Of the structures that were destroyed, at least 25 have been single-occupancy residences, fire officials said.
The fast-moving fire has exploded by more than 15,000 acres since Monday and is just 20% contained, according to Cal Fire. It has now surpassed the McKinney Fire as the largest in the state in 2022.
The smoke is so intense that it has produced hazardous air quality in states farther north and east, such as Oregon and Wyoming, and it is billowing farther east toward the Midwest. Combined with other wildfires in the West, heavy smoke is causing poor air quality as far east as Billings, Montana, and moderate air quality as far east as Rapid City, South Dakota — and the smoke is expected to continuing traveling toward the East Coast.
This is not the first time smoke from wildfires in the West has traveled to cities more than 1,000 miles away.
Last year, smoke from more than 100 large wildfires from California to Montana drifted toward Denver and the Rocky Mountains.
However, humidity is on the rise for the majority of the area covered by the Mosquito Fire, which will assist firefighters in containing the blaze, fire officials said.
Nationwide, more than 6.7 million acres of land have burned this year, with most of the fires concentrated in the Northwest, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 43,000 of those fires were sparked by people, while just 6,341 were sparked by lightning, according to the agency.
Bone-dry landscapes as a result of a decades long megadrought in the West is exacerbating the fire danger, causing dehydrated vegetation to act as fuel for the flames.
(NEW YORK) — The New York City Parks Department has again rejected calls by members of the city council to terminate the Trump Organization’s license to operate a city-owned golf course in the Bronx.
Council members on Thursday called for the “immediate termination” of the Trump Organization’s license to operate the golf course at Ferry Point Park, a month before it’s scheduled to host a women’s tournament underwritten by Saudi Arabia.
City officials previously said they could not “unreasonably withhold approval” for the course to host the October event.
“The Trump-operated golf course hosting a golf tournament sponsored by the Saudi government just weeks after the 21st anniversary of this country’s most devastating event ever is insensitive to say the least,” Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said Thursday.
The tournament, part of the women’s Aramco Team Series, has close ties to the Saudi government but is separate from the LIV Golf tour that has poached players from the PGA Tour.
Council member Shekar Krishnan called the tournament “so offensive to the families of 9/11.”
But a New York City Parks Department representative said the city would continue to honor its contract with former President Donald Trump’s namesake company.
“As we’ve told Chair Krishnan and his colleagues in the City Council, ending the contract we inherited would require the city to pay up to tens of millions of dollars to the Trump Organization, an outcome no one wants,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “We agree with the chairman on the desired outcome to cancel both this tournament and the overarching license agreement, and hope in the future he seeks a productive partnership on the issue.”
In April, a New York state judge upheld Trump’s right to continue to operate the course after former Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to terminate Trump’s operating license following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Trump Organization called the effort to terminate the company’s operating license “nothing more than a political vendetta.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden will meet Friday at the White House with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, two American citizens who remain detained in Russia.
“The president wants to make sure their families know they remain front of mind and that his team is working on this every day,” said a senior administration official, who confirmed the meeting to ABC News.
The president will meet with Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and with Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth, who both spoke with Biden in July, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre detailed at a later briefing with reporters.
The Biden administration said in July that it had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia to have Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan returned to the U.S. but Jean-Pierre said no breakthroughs were expected at Biden’s meeting.
“So, while I would love to say that the purpose of this meeting is to inform the families that the Russians have accepted our offer, and we are bringing their loved ones home, that is not what we’re seeing in these negotiations at this time,” she said.
“Look, as we have said, the Russians should accept our offer. They should accept our offer today. We will keep working diligently until the day we get to share that good news,” she added.
Still Jean-Pierre said Biden wanted to let the families know they remain “front of mind” for the administration.
“So one of the things that the president wanted to — to make clear is and one of the reasons he’s — he is meeting with families is that he wanted to let them know that they remain front of mind and that his team is working on this every day on making sure that Brittney and Paul return home safely. One family member was already scheduled to be in town and the president wanted to meet with both of the families on the same day,” Jean-Pierre said.
Griner, the famous WNBA player, was arrested in February on drug charges and sentences to nine years in prison. Whelan, a corporate security executive, is currently serving a 16-year sentence for espionage charges that his family says are trumped up. The U.S. declared both to be wrongfully detained, a legal clarification that mobilizes federal resources to free Americans imprisoned abroad.
The talks between Washington and Moscow have been complicated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There have been few public signs of progress since Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a rare announcement in late July, revealed the U.S. had made the “substantial proposal” to secure the release of both Americans.
Sources told ABC News that offer included a prisoner swap that would exchange Viktor Bout — a convicted Russian arms dealer currently serving a 25-year sentence in a federal penitentiary in Illinois — for Griner and Whelan.
While U.S. officials say direct communication with the Kremlin continues at a regular clip, they acknowledge the slow pace is frustrating.
“Why this process has taken so long is a better question for Moscow,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday.
“I wouldn’t characterize the process as stalled, he said. “It certainly hasn’t moved with the speed we would like.”
Some observers speculate Russia will demand parity, demanding two prisoners for the American detainees. Others within the State Department have questioned whether the Kremlin is negotiating in good faith and genuinely interested in reaching an agreement.
As talks continue behind the scenes, the Biden administration has bristled at any outside influence. After former New Mexico governor and hostage negotiator Bill Richardson traveled to Moscow this week, officials warned such interference could jeopardize the delicate diplomacy underway.
“Our message is that private citizens should not be in Moscow at all right now and that private citizens cannot negotiate on behalf of the United States government,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday.
Richardson became involved in Griner’s case at her family’s request back in May and over many years has been involved in multiple successful efforts to free detained Americans.
“Of course, families are perfectly free to engage in to consult with outside voices, with outside entities,” Price said Wednesday. “But again, we want to make sure that any outside effort is fully and transparently coordinated with us.”
Price said the U.S. embassy is Moscow had not been involved in Richardson’s trip.
ABC News reached out to the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, but a spokesperson declined to comment or answer questions.
Anne, the only daughter of the queen and the late Prince Philip, was by her mother’s side as the queen’s coffin made its journey from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to Edinburgh and then to Buckingham Palace in London.
In Wednesday’s procession escorting the queen’s coffin from the palace to Westminster Hall, Anne, wearing military dress, was the only female member of the royal family to walk behind the coffin. She will do the same on Monday, when the queen’s state funeral is held at Westminster Abbey.
Anne, now 72, is 16th in line to the throne, even though she is the queen and Philip’s second-oldest child.
As a woman, Anne was leap-frogged in the line of succession by Andrew and Edward.
She was born decades before a law called the Succession to the Crown Act went into effect in 2013, ending the centuries-old practice of a younger son superseding an elder daughter in the line of succession.
As the princess royal, Anne also has a different title than the ones given to her brothers.
The title of princess royal is typically, but not automatically, bestowed to the eldest daughter of the monarch.
Anne, who was nearly 3 when her mom became queen, has carried the title for nearly her entire life, and she will continue to hold it after the queen’s death.
As the father of two sons, Charles will not bestow the title of princess royal during his reign.
Charles’ eldest son, Prince William, the heir to the throne, may choose to bestow the title on his only daughter, Princess Charlotte, when he becomes king.
Anne chose not to give her two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips Tindall, royal titles when they were born, an option she would have been given by the queen had she wished to do so.
“I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles,” she said. “So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Phillips and Tindall, whose father is Anne’s first husband, Mark Phillips, are the only two of the queen’s eight grandchildren to not have royal titles.
Tindall, a mother of three, shares a love of horses with the queen and Anne, who competed in equestrian for Great Britain in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Tindall competed in the same event at the 2012 London Olympics and won a silver medal, which was presented by Anne.
Phillips, the queen’s eldest grandchild, is a father of two.
He walked side by side with his cousins William and Prince Harry in Wednesday’s procession for the queen.
(TUPELO, MS) — A Mississippi man faces federal charges after allegedly stealing a plane and threatening to crash it into a Walmart earlier this month.
Cory Patterson, 29, was arrested by local authorities on Sept. 3 after the small plane landed in a field after circling over Tupelo for several hours. Tupelo police had warned residents early that morning that the plane’s pilot was threatening to intentionally crash into a Walmart.
Patterson, an unlicensed pilot, allegedly stole the small plane from the Tupelo Regional Airport, where he worked as an employee of Tupelo Aviation, police said.
He was charged on Sept. 3 with grand larceny and making terroristic threats by local authorities.
He was additionally charged in federal court on Monday with destruction of aircraft and threats involving the destruction of aircraft.
ABC News did not immediately receive a response from Patterson’s attorney to an email seeking comment on the federal charges.
According to the affidavit, Patterson had previously taken flying lessons and claimed to have watched YouTube videos to figure out how to fly.
He allegedly called 911 on his cellphone and “threatened to crash the airplane” into the Tupelo Walmart, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent.
When the 911 operator asked if it was intentional that he was about to crash the plane, Patterson reportedly responded, “Oh yeah,” the affidavit stated.
“When asked what his motive was, Patterson stated, ‘l just don’t want to live anymore and want to cause chaos while I’m at it,'” the affidavit continued.
Patterson reportedly told the 911 operator “he did not want to hurt anyone else,” according to the affidavit.
Police said that negotiators spoke to Patterson and were able to convince him to land the aircraft at Tupelo Regional Airport.
Patterson received “instruction” over the phone on how to land the plane from a professional pilot, the affidavit stated. Patterson was able to lower the landing gear and made an approach to the airport but aborted the landing, it stated.
He eventually crash-landed the plane — a Beechcraft King Air C-90 twin-engine aircraft — in a soybean field in Ripley, Mississippi, authorities said.
No one was harmed and only the pilot was on board the aircraft, police said.
An instructor pilot who saw the plane after it landed assessed that the aircraft was a “total loss” and would likely be sold for parts, according to the affidavit.
Patterson appeared in Oxford federal court on Wednesday and was remanded to U.S. Marshal custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing or psychiatric evaluation, court records show.
His attorney has filed a motion for a psychological exam, court records show.
(LONDON) — King Charles III wants to protect the planet for future generations — a passion he has highlighted throughout his decades as monarch-in-waiting.
Now, Charles ascends the throne as the longest-serving Prince of Wales in British history. And in those six decades, he not only voiced his concerns about the destructive processes that are harming the Earth but implemented sustainable, organic practices in his own homes.
“His mother took the crown at a very young age, and nobody knew what she stood for,” David Victor, a professor of innovation and public policy at the University of California at San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy and author of “Fixing the Climate: Strategies for an Uncertain World,” told ABC News. “Whereas he is taking the crown very late in age, and everybody knows what he stands for — and for a whole range of topics.”
Charles’ efforts have also included championing initiatives to engage businesses around conversations about sustainability and, most importantly, focusing on trying to find solutions that work, Bob Ward, policy and communications director at The London School of Economics and Political Science’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, told ABC News.
“He’s used his position to raise awareness — not just in the U.K., but around the world,” Ward said. “He has, for a long, long time, probably earlier than many politicians, understood the importance of this issue.”
Due to his “extensive background” on environment and sustainability issues, there is “no doubt” that the depth of Charles’ commitment to it runs deep, Alden Meyer, a senior associate working on U.S. and international climate policy and politics at E3G, a London-based think tank on climate policy, told ABC News.
Here is why experts say Charles III will be known as the United Kingdom’s first “climate king”:
King Charles III began his environmental activism long before words like “sustainable,” “organic” and “grass-fed” were trendy. In fact, much of the British public viewed his passion for the environment as an “oddity” when it first began, Ward said.
“He was talking about this before it was cool,” Meyer said.
One of the “most interesting” tidbits about Charles’ history of engagement with environmental issues is the push he has made around landscapes, especially surrounding managing landscapes and the role of natural, working land has in absorbing carbon, as well as the role architecture plays in absorbing carbon, Victor said.
Charles’ gardens at Highgrove House, the estate in Gloucestershire he purchased in 1980, are a prime example of his early commitment to sustainability. The grounds feature organically maintained gardens, including a kitchen garden, formal garden and wild garden, the latter which serves as a sustainable habitat for birds and wildlife. Solar panels have also been installed, and waste from the house is filtered through a natural sewage system.
By doing this, the king has moved the conversation surrounding sustainability from focusing solely on industrial emissions to how climate change is also embedded into the landscape, Victor said.
In 1989, Charles wrote the book “A Vision of Britain,” in which he argued that the traditional methods of architecture and aesthetics used in the past in Britain should be used more in the future. That vision resulted in an experimental planned community of 3,500 in Dorset, a county on England’s southwest coast, which implemented traditional approaches and techniques honed over thousands of years in the U.K.
The community, named Poundbury, generally uses the development principles of New Urbanism, a framework that emphasizes walkability in cities. Sustainable methods of transportation, such as walking, biking and public transit, are key to incorporating a sustainable lifestyle, climate experts say.
Charles’ commitment to mitigating climate change has even been evident in recent years and months. He has been especially vocal about the climate crisis in the past five years.
In June 2021, before the G-7 summit commenced in Cornwall, Charles urged businesses to tackle the climate emergency alongside government, adding that unlocking cash within the private sector was the key to winning the battle against global warming and biodiversity loss.
Charles remained outspoken in the lead-up to COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference that began converging in Glasgow, Scotland, in October.
Weeks before the conference began, Charles implored world leaders to do more than “just talk” at the climate summit, which was billed by environmentalists as one of the last chances to change the trajectory of global warming.
From Prince George’s Wood, an arboretum Charles has created in the gardens of his house on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, the-then Prince of Wales said it had taken “far too long” for the world to make the climate crisis a priority, adding that following his example of going meat- and fish-free two days a week and dairy-free one day a week could “reduce a lot of the pressure” on the collective carbon footprint.
The Prince of Wales Foundation and other entities and charities that Charles has been involved with have been deeply engaged, particularly in reaching out to the business community in the private sector and finance and encouraging them to step up their game, Meyer said.
Charles also attended a series of events at COP26, as did Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William and his wife, Catherine, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Charles’ passion even extends past the Earth’s own atmosphere. In July, the king-in-waiting called for an “Astro Carta” to establish sustainable space exploration, working with the Space Directorate of the U.K.’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to reduce emissions for future missions. That same month, he again urged for climate action as Europe experienced record-breaking heat waves, in which he described the temperatures as “alarming.”
Charles inherited his passion for conservation from his parents, and he has now passed it to his son and heir, Prince William, the new Prince of Wales, Ward said.
One of the most noted characteristics of Queen Elizabeth II was her love of dogs and horses, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was a “very strong voice” for wildlife, even serving as patron for the World Wildlife Fund for much of his time as a working royal. In the 1950s, Charles and Princess Anne were photographed while meeting famed biologist and natural historian David Attenborough, and Charles has maintained the relationship with the former BBC broadcaster — even awarding the 96-year-old his second knighthood earlier this year.
The notion of being environmentally conscious is a very “British trait,” Ward said, adding that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was the first major world leader to talk about climate change at the United Nations in 1989.
While the queen was also interested in these issues, Meyer does not believe her ambition matches the extent of her son, a monarch who is now “deeply engaged, committed and knowledgable,” Meyer said.
“Charles is coming from a family that is, has expressed, you know, and use their voice frequently about environmental issues,” Ward said. “And his views on the environment are very much shared by wider society in the U.K.”
When the U.K. hosted COP26, the queen urged world leaders attending the summit to “rise above the politics of the moment” to find solutions to mitigate climate change.
Charles seems to have passed down his enthusiasm for the environment to Prince William. As the new Prince of Wales, William is currently head of the Earthshot Prize, which aims to promote impactful approaches to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, and is currently a WildAid ambassador for sharks, rhinos and elephants, of which he has been especially vocal in his efforts to protect the species from extinction.
“Charles has created a legacy within his own family,” Ward said.
The sentiment even extended to the queen’s death. After some of the thousands of mourners began to leave Paddington Bears and marmalade sandwiches in honor of the skit the queen filmed for the Platinum Jubilee in June, the Royal Parks issued a statement requesting that well-wishers only leave organic or compostable material, as well as flowers sans plastic wrap, in “the interests of sustainability.”
“We would prefer visitors not to bring non-floral objects/artefacts such as teddy bears or balloons,” the statement read.
As Prince of Wales, Charles was permitted to be more vocal about his ardor for protecting the environment. But now that he is king, Charles may be required to rein in his enthusiasm, the experts said.
“I think he will be careful about what he says in public,” Ward said. “He will know that there are limits on what he could and should be saying.”
Charles will likely have the most impact within his own realms, especially since, unlike in the U.S., every major business in the United Kingdom already knows they need to be “serious” about pushing sustainable practices, Victor said.
“He’s already pushing an open door,” Victor said.
Still, there’s a possibility that prompts and nudges from Charles to do more for the environment will not be fruitful.
“The king doesn’t actually have a huge amount of impact on the economy,” Victor said. “And, if anything, the monarchy has been paying very special attention to not overreaching, overstepping its role [of] what is normally considered the function of government.”
The institution’s tendency to take a step back and remain silent may be reinforced for Charles, who ascended the throne as a less popular monarch than his mother, the experts said.
Still, Charles will have the ears of major players who can make a difference, such as corporate leaders and top members of the government, such as Prime Minister Liz Truss, with whom he will conduct weekly audiences.
“That’s an opportunity for the monarch to ask questions about government policy, make recommendations, do a little advocacy privately,” Meyer said. “But that’s very different than the kind of public role that he’s had in his foundations.”
In addition, Ward said he expects that Charles will continue to deliver subtle messages supporting environmentalism in his annual televised Christmas speech.
“I would imagine that King Charles will continue that tradition, where he will talk about issues that are of importance,” Ward said.
The United Kingdom got a new prime minister and monarch in a matter of days.
Charles will now be working with Truss, who does not have a great track record of promoting environmentally friendly policies, the experts said.
“You’ve got a new prime minister coming in who is probably less committed and passionate about this issue than the outgoing prime minister,” Meyer said, adding that while Boris Johnson was not deeply passionate about environmental issues when he first took office, that changed as the need for developed countries to whittle their emissions down to net-zero became clear.
In addition, the U.K. is still in the middle of Brexit and disconnecting from the European economy — at the same time, the West is disconnecting from the Chinese economy, Victor said.
This could be a hindrance to the climate fight, as having access to a global economy will be necessary to implement the best and lowest-cost technologies into industries, Victor added.
“What’s going to be particularly interesting is what Charles says and does with regard to Britain’s place in the world concerning its interaction with the economies of other countries in the role of Britain and cooperating with other countries,” Victor said.
The king has a long-standing appreciation of the importance of environmental issues and has a deeper connection to the environment than most, but that experience may be connected to his privilege, the experts said.
Charles will need to toe the line as he encourages the masses to live sustainably, especially since most are not afforded the wealth, influence and privilege to do so, they added.
While Charles was a pioneer in organic farming, he had the means to completely transform the overgrown land he purchased at Highgrove and employ top architects and gardeners to help him see his vision through, Victor said. In addition, the average person cannot transform their Aston Martin to run on biodiesel, let alone even own a luxury vehicle.
“That’s something you can do if you have a lot of land and a lot of money,” Victor said. “The bigger challenge for deep decarbonization and for managing landscape is what you do with the large fraction of the public that can’t afford to eat that way.”
Striking the right tone will be especially crucial as the U.K. reels from the energy crisis that resulted from the aftereffects of eliminating coal consumption combined with its dependence on Russian oil. Analysts are expecting a tough winter for the majority of residents in the United Kingdom as gas prices continue to skyrocket, sending the costs to heat homes even higher, Meyer said.
Still, Victor believes the world will underestimate Charles and his ability to encourage advances in the climate fight.
“It’s very hard to judge a public figure, especially a public figure who is an institution that requires you to be quiet,” he added.
(BISMARCK, ND) — In November, there won’t be a Democrat running against incumbent GOP Rep. Kelly Armstrong for North Dakota’s sole congressional seat. The former nominee, Mark Haugen, announced earlier this month that he would drop out of the race due to what he called pressure from top members of his party to make room for Cara Mund, a 28-year-old former Republican congressional intern and 2018 Miss America who last week officially qualified for the race as a pro-abortion access independent.
The details of Mund’s late bid were surprising for political observers, especially when big-name North Dakota Democrats suggested their candidate leave the race as she jumped in.
But it’s her candidacy, some of those same state Democrats say, that reflects a more important reality: After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the politics of abortion access have roiled races even in deeply conservative parts of the country — and abortion supporters appear increasingly galvanized while abortion opponents have seen some of their potential electoral victories, in Kansas and elsewhere, limited.
The big question is what will happen in November, when Democrats hope to protect their fragile majorities in the House and Senate from a resurgent GOP.
A victory for political newcomer Mund against the well-funded, two-term Armstrong — switching the seat from a Republican lawmaker to an independent — would be seen as a win, even as state Democrats insist they will have no role supporting her.
Armstrong, who opposes abortion, last won his seat with 69% of the vote.
“This cycle isn’t really the cycle for pro-life Democrats,” the state’s party chairman, Patrick Hart, told ABC News. “We had a long talk about viability, and in the end, Mark decided to drop out of the race.”
In early August, 59% of voters in historically Republican Kansas voted against an amendment that would strip abortion rights from the state constitution. And in Alaska, Mary Peltola — after also campaigning on abortion access — became the first Democrat in decades to win the state’s House seat over former governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
Then, in another special election — this one for New York’s 19th District, a longtime swing seat — Democrat Pat Ryan won after largely campaigning on a pro-abortion rights message against Republican Marc Molinaro.
“Really, as we look what happened in Kansas and Alaska — there is a lot of energy for women’s health,” Hart said. “And we’ll see what happens in North Dakota at the ballot box this fall.”
On Sept. 3, two months ahead of November’s midterms, Haugen had a jarring Saturday morning breakfast meeting with Hart.
A few hours later, Haugen said that he received a call from North Dakota’s former Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy. Shortly after that, he said, he was contacted by the state’s former Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad.
According to Haugen, all three suggested that he should drop out of the race. Pomeroy later told the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead that he “didn’t lean on him [Haugen]” to drop out, but noted that in their conversation, he wanted to “maximize the contrast with the incumbent.” (Conrad’s office did not respond to a request for comment.)
Haugen announced the next day that he would quit. Last week, Mund qualified to appear on the November ballot against Armstrong.
“They want to give a clear shot for Cara Mund to be able to go up against Kelly Armstrong in the race,” Haugen said in an interview with ABC News. “I could have stayed in the race, but I just didn’t see a viable path to victory now with much of my base kind of not there.”
Mund, with a nominal war chest and no party backing, would need to earn a wild-card victory.
She told ABC News that she’s never been contacted by leading state Democrats like Conrad, Hart or Pomeroy, and she has no expectations of an endorsement or financial backing from the state party.
Hart said Democrats do not plan on supporting Mund and do not plan on putting up another candidate in the race.
Other North Dakota Democrats are watching Mund with interest — but not yet open arms.
“I’m saddened because there will not be a Democratic-NPL (North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party) candidate on the ballot. If we are going to rebuild the two party system in Red States like North Dakota we need to run Democratic-NPL candidates. Plus, Mark has been a warrior for the Democratic-NPL brand and his willingness to take on a tough ‘red state’ race cannot be under appreciated,” former North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who has not endorsed Mund, said in a statement to ABC News.
But Heitkamp said that Mund “represents a new generation of leaders who do not want to be defined by allegiance to the two party system. This is ‘new generational energy” not only in North Dakota but nationwide.”
“Where I appreciate her position on reproductive health care, I will need to learn more about her position on Native American Rights, income and wealth disparity, health care and investment in education before I consider an endorsement.” Heitkamp said.
Haugen said his own conversations with some of North Dakota’s top Democrats featured mentions of Alaska and Kansas, where the party saw persuasive signs of how the issue of abortion was motivating voters even in deep-red states.
Haugen also said there was talk of Evan McMullin, a former GOP congressional staffer and supporter of abortion access running as an independent Senate candidate in Utah against Republican incumbent Mike Lee.
Utah Democrats have endorsed McMullin instead of putting up their own candidate.
In his conversations with others in his party, Haugen said, “They brought up the [Supreme Court’s] Dobbs decision, because I’m pro-life and what’s happened across the vote in Kansas recently.” Raising that issue surprised him, he said.
In July, the policy committee of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party voted down a resolution calling for the party to pull support from Haugen’s candidacy over his anti-abortion stance.
“It failed and failed miserably. So I thought this was over,” Haugen said.
Hart, though, said the party kept hearing about abortion from residents.
In traveling as the party chair over the past few months, Hart told ABC News, many constituents brought up Haugen’s support of the Supreme Court overturning Roe and North Dakota’s resulting “trigger” law, which would ban nearly all abortions in the state. (It’s currently being challenged in court.)
“I’ve been hearing a lot of questions about Mark’s viewpoint and really about the state party being a part of that,” Hart acknowledged.
In deeply conservative North Dakota, where the GOP has held the at-large House seat since 2011, Mund told ABC she sees a certain legislative data point as an inroad for her potential victory: on the ballot in 2014 was a constitutional amendment on personhood, defining it as at the time of conception.
That proposal was defeated by 64% of voters.
“I think there’s the silent majority that just didn’t feel empowered, it didn’t feel like we’ll be represented,” Mund said. “It’s still an uphill battle. But it’s not an impossible battle. And especially after Kansas, after Alaska, don’t be surprised if there’s a big ‘Roe-vember.'”
“At this point in time, there has to be someone on the ballot who who identifies with a woman’s right to choose,” Mund said. “And especially after Dobbs, it just felt like there was really no hope, when you have both the Democratic candidate and the GOP candidate as pro-life.”
Mund said she remembers where she was when the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision came out that reversed Roe after some five decades.
The Harvard Law School graduate — who met the 1,000-signature threshold for listing on the ballot on Sept. 8, two days after she turned in more than 2,600 signatures to the North Dakota secretary of state — was preparing for the bar exam at home in Bismarck.
“I think like a lot of us that were studying thought … now what happens on the bar exam when the Supreme Court has overturned precedent and everything we’ve studied for?” she said.
Mund took the North Dakota bar in July but said she had begun thinking about her bid for the House seat months earlier. Her aspirations of running for office began as she took a class in law school on campaigns and elections — but she never thought she’d jump in this cycle.
When the draft opinion of Dobbs was leaked in May, however, she started moving forward on her campaign.
Mund said she has identified as a Republican for most of her life. After attending Brown University as an undergraduate, she interned for GOP Sen. John Hoeven in 2016 — she said the longtime North Dakota Republican is still one of her political heroes. (Hoeven did not respond to a request for comment.)
Mund said she was mulling a staff job with Hoeven before she jumped into the Miss America pageant — another dream. She attended the 2018 State of the Union address as Hoeven’s guest, following her Miss America victory.
“Coming from a state like North Dakota that had never won, people were constantly underestimating me. And here we are in 2022 and they’re still underestimating me,” Mund said.
If elected, she’d be North Dakota’s first woman in the House.
When she entered the race, Mund said she’d initially thought she would caucus with Republicans. She now says that while she could still vote with the GOP, she isn’t sure she would be embraced by the party — referring to a state Republican rule which bars candidates who have run as independents from seeking the party’s endorsement for six years.
Mund also stressed that her abortion politics set her apart from Republicans.
“I worked for a Republican senator, I grew up with a lot of conservative values,” she said. “But being pro-choice, I knew that there was no way that the party would ever endorse me.”
But Mund’s opponent has hesitations about the independent’s sometimes cloudy ideological stances.
“Running as an independent is not the same as being moderate. The democratic leadership in North Dakota did not chase out their moderate candidate for a more moderate candidate,” Armstrong said in a statement to ABC News.
She said she admires outgoing Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s courage to challenge former President Donald Trump because “he’s not above the law.”
Mund, who is her own campaign manager, lacks robust fundraising mechanisms. “It would have been so much easier to go with a party. But I did not want a party to tell me what’s best for our people,” she said.
Heitkamp, the former senator, applauded her ambition despite their other differences. “Cara Mund is taking on the ‘Good Old Boys’ political establishment in North Dakota,” Heitkamp said in her statement. “She has proven herself to be someone who will call out the unfairness of institutions, whether it is in the political system or the Miss America world. She is very smart and very consistent in her beliefs.”
