Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of November 16, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to The Chad Hasty Show for these and many more topics from 8:30 to 11 am. Join The Chad Hasty today at the new location of the Pie Bar for breakfast from 8:30 to 11 am.

Chad Hasty, KFYO.com
Chad Hasty, KFYO.com
loading...

1. ACHIEVE Act (link)

Let the fight over immigration begin. Details about the GOP's alternative to the DREAM Act are starting to come out. According to the Daily Caller:

It appears similar to the conservative alternative to the Dream Act that Sen. Marco Rubio worked on last summer (before President Obama issued his executive order, effectively tabling the issue until after the election).

Essentially, the proposal involves several tiers: W-1 visa status would allow an immigrant to attend college or serve in the military (they have six years to get a degree). After doing so, they would be eligible to apply for a four-year nonimmigrant work visa (also can be used for graduate degrees.)

 

Next, applicants would be eligible to apply for a permanent visa (no welfare benefits.) Finally, after a set number of years, citizenship “could follow…”

Below are a few of the details being floated to be eligible for the W-1 visa:

- “Applicant must have lived in the U.S. for five year’s prior to the Act’s enactment”;

- Must have entered the country before age 14

- Must have good moral character

- “Applicant must not have committed a felony, must not have committed more than one misdemeanor with a jail term of more than 30 days, must not have committed a crime of moral turpitude, and must not have a final order of removal pending”‘

- Must have knowledge of the English language, U.S. history, “and of principles of U.S. government”

- Applicant must be 28 or younger at time of application (or 32 if they have a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college);

-  Must pay a $525 fee

- Must submit to a medical exam and a background check, submit biometric and biographic data, and register with the Selective Service.

 

Thoughts? This isn't a done deal, but it looks like this could be kicked around for a bit by leading Republicans including Marco Rubio.

2. Israel (link)

The world is watching the Middle East right now and in particular, the action in Israel. According to FOX News:

Israel moved closer to an all-out ground war with Hamas Thursday, as Israeli planes, tanks and gunboats pounded suspected militant positions in Gaza in retaliation for another day of Hamas rocket attacks that left at least three Israelis dead.

Israel began moving troops toward the Gaza Strip and authorized the call-up of reservists for a possible ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.

At least a dozen trucks carrying tanks and armored vehicles were seen late Thursday moving toward the border area, while buses ferried soldiers.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced that he had authorized the army to draft reserve forces for possible activity in Gaza. The army said as many as 30,000 troops could be drafted. Military officials said the moves were preparations for a possible ground operation, but no decision has been made on whether to enter Gaza.

Earlier, Tel Aviv residents say they heard an explosion following an air-raid alert across the city, raising fears of a Gaza rocket strike on Israel's commercial capital.

Israeli authorities were trying to determine where the rocket may have landed on Thursday. Eli Bean, the head of Israel's rescue service, says no injuries have been reported.

Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai says nothing landed on the ground, raising the possibility it fell in the sea.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Thursday that Israel could no longer stand repeated attacks on its southern towns. He said that Israel has "made it clear" it won't tolerate continued rocket fire on its civilians.

There are a lot of moving parts to watch here. Israel, Hamas, Syria, Iran, Egypt, and others. That list includes President Obama and the United States. What will U.S. reaction be?

3. GOP and Taxes (link)

Will Republicans give in when it comes to raising taxes? It's possible. According to FOX News:

Pressed on whether lawmakers can make a deal, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., strayed from the party line in an interview on FoxNews.com's "Power Play." She predicted a short-term deal to avoid the fiscal cliff and suggested tax rate hikes could be on the table next year.

"What I think you will see is a retention of the tax rates as they are for a year, with the promise that we will get into looking at all revenues -- and that could include tax rates," she said. "We will look at all -- the tax code in itself, and we will also look at spending cuts and entitlements."

Republican leaders -- those who will attend talks with President Obama and congressional Democrats on Friday -- have insisted that tax rates should not rise for anybody, though they're open to closing loopholes and deductions. Obama, meanwhile, has demanded that taxes go up for the top 2 percent of earners.

But while Capito showed some wiggle room Thursday, a group of Senate Democrats began to simply add to their wish list.

The senators, in a draft letter obtained by Fox News, urge Obama to do more than end the lower Bush-era tax rates for the top 2 percent of earners. They argued that for every dollar cut from the government's bloated budget, lawmakers should impose an additional dollar in tax hikes.

 

This has been a problem for years. Republicans may be willing to compromise, but Democrats believe compromising means Republicans should give in on everything.

Other Top Stories:

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11 am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO