Politics

Republicans use World Cup to squeeze Dems on FISA extension

Published

3 hours ago

June 12, 2026

Republicans are pointing to the World Cup in their persistent bid to force Democrats to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Millions of visitors from foreign countries have already begun their pilgrimage to the tournament, which kicked off this week.

“Hosting the World Cup is akin to having 78 Super Bowls in 38 days — a massive undertaking from a national security perspective,” the Senate GOP wrote in a post on X Friday. “Senate Democrats still let FISA 702 expire, hindering our ability to stop potential terror attacks before they happen.”

The law is all but certain to expire today as Congress remains in uproar over Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence. Efforts to secure a short-term extension in the House and Senate both failed Thursday.

And if a terrorist attack happened at the World Cup? “It would be a lot of finger-pointing,” Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) told Blue Light News on Friday. “You should just pull out every stop right now to make sure that there are no problems.”

President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate the more palatable Jay Clayton for the full-time DNI job on Thursday, a choice that garnered immediate approval from Republican leadership.

Democrats, Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social, “are trying to take our national security hostage because of unrelated issues.”

But Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking member of the chamber’s Intelligence Committee, placed the blame for the stalemate squarely on Trump. Negotiations on a long-term extension were well on their way before Trump announced his Pulte pick.

“God forbid, as we move into the World Cup, that something would happen,” he told reporters Thursday. “But if something happens, it lies at the feet of the president.”

Young pushed back. The two-term senator disagreed with Trump’s call to tap Pulte for the interim nod, but he said Democrats are the ones passing up an opportunity to reauthorize the law.

“He could have also passed a 702 reauthorization that very night he uttered those words,” he said. “And he and others chose not to.”

Politics

FIFA does pregame land acknowledgment

Published

58 minutes ago

June 13, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

INGLEWOOD, California — FIFA paid tribute to California’s Native American tribes as part of the pregame festivities ahead of Friday’s match at SoFi Stadium, the tournament’s first in the United States.

So-called native land acknowledgments have become common in North America, especially on the West Coast of the United States and across Canada, but have faced criticism and ridicule as the “latest woke ritual,” as one Wall Street Journal commentary put it.

The prerecorded video that played as the stadium filled up with U.S. and Paraguay fans acknowledged the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians, among others, as “the original inhabitants of Los Angeles County.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s campaign-style efforts to win support from local political officials across the United States last year included visits with tribal leaders, POLITICO reported at the time.

Politics

Canada defends blocking Ghana’s Thomas Partey from entry

Published

1 hour ago

June 12, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

OTTAWA — The Canadian government defended its decision to ban Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey from entering the country as necessary for “maintaining the safety and security of Canadians.”

Partey has been charged with sexual assault and rape in the United Kingdom but has not been convicted of anything. He has pleaded guilty and is expected to stand trial in 2027.

“Under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible without a foreign conviction,” Matthew Krupovich of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told POLITCO in a written statement. “When there are reasonable grounds to believe an act that would trigger inadmissibility has been committed by an applicant, they can be deemed inadmissible to Canada.”

Ghana will play its opening World Cup match against Panama next Wednesday in Toronto. Partey entered the United States with Ghana’s team last week and has been present at the team’s training camp in Rhode Island. Ghana’s other two matches are scheduled to take place in the United States.

“Canada is proud to be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is working to facilitate a successful event while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians,” said Krupovich. “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws.”