News Roundup: Biden’s Average Approval Rating Drops to New Low amid Inflation, Immigration Worries

BY JACK CROWE

October 25, 2021

Good morning and welcome to the News Editor's Roundup, a weekly newsletter that will ensure you're up to date on the developments in politics, business, and culture that will shape the week's news cycle — as well as those that might escape mainstream attention.

Biden's Average Approval Rating Drops to New Low amid Inflation, Immigration Worries

Amid growing public concerns over inflation and immigration, President Biden's average job approval rating has slumped to a new low.

As of late October, 43.4 percent of Americans approve of Biden's job performance while 50.7 percent disapprove, according to FiveThirtyEight's polling average. A Trafalgar poll conducted October 19-21 came up with the bleakest number for Biden, with just 39 percent of respondents approving of his performance. Fox News, meanwhile, placed the president at a more optimistic 46 percent in its poll conducted October 16-19.

Border Patrol Detains Record 1.66 Million Illegal Immigrants in 2021 Fiscal Year

Border Patrol agents detained about 1.66 million illegal immigrants at the southern border for the fiscal year ending in September, the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year, data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed on Friday.

The previous high of 1.64 million detentions was recorded in 2000.

Additionally, agents encountered 192,001 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in September alone, after encountering 209,840 migrants in August and 213,593 in July.

National School Boards Association Apologizes for Letter Comparing Parents to Terrorists

The National School Boards Association has apologized for a letter that called on the Biden administration to investigate whether alleged threats against school-board members constituted domestic terrorism.

The NSBA Board of Directors apologized in a memorandum to members on Friday. The initial letter, sent on September 29, asked the administration to investigate whether alleged threats to school-board members, over masking policies and "propaganda purporting the false inclusion of critical race theory" in lessons, necessitated federal investigation.

"As you all know, there has been extensive media and other attention recently around our letter to President Biden regarding threats and acts of violence against school board members," the memorandum states. "On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for this letter. . . . There was no justification for some of the language included in this letter."

Obama Campaigns alongside McAuliffe in Final Stretch of Virginia Governor Race

Former president Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail Saturday to rally support for Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in the final stretch of the close race against Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin.

The polls have tightened in recent weeks, projecting a tie of 46 percent to 46 percent among registered voters with a margin of error of 3 percent in either direction, according to a recent Monmouth University poll. A boost in voter engagement for Youngkin, amid the Loudoun County school board scandal and a reinvigorated debate over parents' role in public education, is likely responsible for the erosion in McAuliffe's lead from last month.

Hawley Calls for Merrick Garland to Resign over FBI School-Board Memo

Republican Senator Josh Hawley has called for U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland's resignation over the Justice Department memorandum directing the FBI and federal law enforcement to probe and potentially prosecute "harassment" and "threats" leveled by parents against school board members.

"Merrick Garland mobilized the FBI to intimidate parents without legal basis and, we now know, premised on misinformation he didn't bother to verify. It was a dangerous abuse of authority that has badly compromised the Justice Dept's integrity and Garland's. He should resign," Hawley tweeted Friday.

Massive Migrant Caravan Begins Journey to U.S. from Mexico

Barely a month after over ten thousand Haitian migrants flooded Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming border personnel, a large migrant caravan has set off from from Mexico and begun its journey to the U.S, where many are expected to seek entry and settlement.

Carrying banners, a huge procession of migrants was seen marching from Tapachula, Mexico, using a rope to stay together so "no one falls behind" as the caravan embarks North, journalist Ali Bradley reported. Some of the signs had President Biden's name written on them, Fox News reported.

Many migrants reportedly told Bradley that they are leaving Central America for the U.S. to pursue "the American Dream."

Youngkin Promises to Ban CRT in Schools if Elected Virginia Governor

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin said Saturday that he will ban critical race theory from schools on his first day in office if he is elected governor of Virginia.

"We all know education starts with curriculum," Youngkin said at a rally on Saturday. "We will teach all history, the good and the bad."

"America has fabulous chapters and it's the greatest country in the world, but we also have some important chapters in our history, we must teach them," Youngkin said.

He added that if he becomes governor, children will not be taught "to view everything through a lens of race."

"We know in our hearts it's wrong," Youngkin said. "Dr. Martin Luther King implored us to judge one another based on the content of our character and not the color of our skin. Therefore, on day one, I will ban critical race theory in our schools."