NEWS AND OPINION:
Two presidents and one border: The arrival of President Biden and former President Donald Trump at the southern U.S. border at least provided the press with fodder for headlines. Here are a few samples from the last 24 hours:
“Trump and Biden collide in split-screen trips to the border with immigration in the spotlight” (NBC News); “Biden, Trump clash with dueling border visits” (The Hill); “Biden-Trump make dueling border visits as immigration dominates 2024 race” (CNN); “Biden, Trump visit border on same day judge blocks Texas immigration law” (CBS News); “Biden, Trump headed for border clash with immigration in 2024 spotlight” (ABC News); “Split screen: Biden, Trump and two very different border trips” (Axios); “The politics behind Trump and Biden’s dueling border stops” (The New York Times); and “Biden’s border visit lands on one of the least trafficked towns, while Trump is headed into the thick of it” (Fox News).
CAN NIKKI FIX IT?
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley‘s campaign did not hold back when it came to commenting on the comings and goings of both President Biden and former President Donald Trump on the southern U.S. border on Thursday.
“It’s fitting that it’s on Leap Year, considering the last time either one cared about the ongoing crisis was four years ago,” advised a written statement from the SFA Fund, a federal Super PAC working to support Ms. Haley’s candidacy.
“Despite promises to build the wall and make Mexico pay for it or just plain fall asleep at the wheel, Biden and Trump have both abandoned Americans when it comes to the southern border crisis,” the group said.
“As Biden and Trump both survey the scene at the southern border, here are two questions that should be asked of them: Why did it take Joe Biden nearly 14 months to visit the southern border for just the second time in his four-year presidency? Why did Donald Trump only build 52 miles of new primary border wall during the four years of his administration, especially when he had control of the House and Senate for two of those years?” the SFA Fund asked.
“Thankfully, Americans can count on Nikki Haley to do the job Joe Biden and Donald Trump failed to do. She’ll build the wall, fix the immigration process, and do what presidents past have refused to do. Bottom Line: Nikki Haley has a plan to do what Joe Biden and Donald Trump have failed to do – solve the southern border crisis,” the statement said.
ON THE RADAR
The Ronald Reagan Institute in the nation’s capital is the ideal setting for an upcoming discussion about “The Search for Reagan: The Appealing Intellectual Conservatism of Ronald Reagan,” written by presidential historian Craig Shirley.
The book presents a new portrait of the 40th president “through the prism of his ideas,” discussion organizers said.
“The Reagan he finds was a man of intelligence, morality, and curiosity. These traits helped him successfully navigate difficult challenges and earned him the admiration of a country that still ranks him among its finest presidents,” they said.
The book was published Feb. 13 by Post Hill Press, and marks Mr. Shirley’s sixth book on Reagan. The discussion is to take place Wednesday.
IVY-COVERED HALLS
Can a college town tax the students who attend school there? That is the question in Newark, Delaware.
“The University of Delaware owns nearly 35% of the untaxed property in Newark but is exempt from paying property taxes. City officials want to tax the university $50 per student, per semester,” the news organization Inside Higher Ed reported.
“Inflated employee health-care costs are behind the university’s hiring freeze and consideration of further ‘draconian measures’ to balance its budget. But Newark, which is home to some 31,000 residents, including 23,613 students, is facing its own budget challenges, including a projected $8 million revenue gap in 2025. The Newark City Council wants to levy up to a $50 per-student, per-semester tax on the university to help offset the shortage,” wrote Kathryn Palmer, an analyst for the publication.
“Students and administrators oppose the levy and argue that the university already pumps millions into Newark’s economy each year and the added tax would burden students. But local politicians say it’s time for the university, which is exempt from paying property taxes, to contribute to the rising costs of running the city,” she said.
“The tax is projected to generate $2 million to $2.4 million annually. But to become law, the proposal has to pass through the Delaware General Assembly, get the governor’s signature and then come back to the council for a final vote,” Ms. Palmer wrote.
So, it’s complicated.
“The University is not paying its fair share,” Corinth Ford, a member of the Newark City Council, told the publication.
“We did not levy a tax on UD students. We are charging a per capita amount to the university to offset the impact of the increasing student population on the City’s infrastructure, particularly police and fire services,” Ms. Ford said.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: The Nabisco Mansion, a classic Beaux-Arts house built of brick and sandstone in 1896 in St. Louis. Includes eight bedrooms, nine marble-embellished baths, grand living and dining rooms, formal parlor; 12,847 square feet. Intricate woodwork, Brazilian cherrywood floors, coffered ceilings, carved staircases, chandeliers and murals throughout. Seven fireplaces, spacious modern kitchen, butler’s pantry, sitting room, “medieval-style ballroom.” Outdoor pool, bluestone patios, outdoor fireplace, deck and pergola, four-car garage. Priced at $1.9 million through Sothebysrealty.com; enter 24005760 in the search function.
POLL DU JOUR
• 20% of U.S. adults say it is “extremely important” for the U.S. to provide aid to Ukraine’s military to fight Russia.
• 21% say it is “very important” to provide aid to Ukraine.
• 33% say it is “somewhat important” to provide aid to Ukraine.
• 13% say it is “not too important” to provide aid to Ukraine.
• 11% say it is “not important at all” to provide aid to Ukraine.
SOURCE: An Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 1,102 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 22-26.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.