Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Wednesday that he had no recollection of his fellow Democratic Party colleagues referring to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles as «peaceful.»

«What do Democrats mean when they say the riots in L.A. are peaceful?» Durbin was asked by a reporter outside the Capitol. 

«I never heard them say that,» Durbin responded, leading the reporter to ask Durbin whether he condemned the ongoing anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, which some have said amount to riots.

«I condemn violence, whether it’s in the Capitol or in L.A.,» Durbin shot back before being ushered away out of earshot. 

CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO DENY LA RIOT ‘CHAOS’ FOR ‘POLITICAL GAIN,’ SHERIFF SAYS

The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate may not have heard any of his fellow party members use the word «peaceful» in their descriptions of the ongoing chaos in Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean they have not.

«A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the President of the United States is sowing chaos,» Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on Sunday’s «Meet the Press» on NBC. 

Just the day before, President Donald Trump called on thousands of National Guard troops to go to Los Angeles to help quell the ongoing chaos, which has included attacks on law enforcement, property damage and looting.

«The vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful,» Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on MSNBC. «They’re passionate.»

SEN. CORY BOOKER CALLS LOS ANGELES RIOTS ‘PEACEFUL,’ SLAMS TRUMP FOR DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD

Rep. Nanette Barragán, a Democrat who represents California’s 44th Congressional District, said on CNN’s «State of the Union» program on Sunday that «We are having an administration that’s targeting peaceful protests.»

Conservative critics also fired back after former Vice President Kamala Harris referred to the ongoing chaos as «overwhelmingly peaceful.»

«The country really dodged a bullet in November,» Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X in response to Harris’ social media post. In another post, Benson added, «Their official position is that they’re appalled by what’s happening in Los Angeles…because of Trump and ICE, not the violent rioters. In its current form, this party cannot be salvaged.»

DOZENS OF ANTI-ICE RIOTERS ARRESTED IN LA AS TRUMP SENDS IN NATIONAL GUARD TO QUELL VIOLENCE

Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got heat for describing the situation in Los Angeles as «peaceful.»

«California Governor Newsom didn’t request the National Guard be deployed to his state following peaceful demonstrations. Trump sent them anyway. It’s the first time in 60 years a president has made that choice,» Clinton posted on X. «Trump’s goal isn’t to keep Californians safe. His goal is to cause chaos, because chaos is good for Trump.»

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was brutally mocked on social media for her post on the L.A. riots. (Getty Images)

While there were initially examples of some peaceful protests at the start of this nearly weeklong chaos, by the start of the weekend, property destruction and violence broke out and devolved into a situation that became increasingly violent over the next few days. Several officers were injured during the riot, which included rocks and other projectiles thrown at them, and dozens of people were arrested related to the protests and rioting.

Looting has also been an issue, as has property damage, and on Tuesday evening Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass instituted a citywide curfew.

In a rare intraparty dissent, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized his own party this week for failing to adequately condemn the violence in Los Angeles.

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«This is anarchy and true chaos,» the Pennsylvania Democrat said in a Monday post on X alongside a picture of cars that had been destroyed by fire. «My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings and assaulting law enforcement.»

«I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations and immigration,» Fetterman added. «But this is not that.»

El Gobierno de Estados Unidos está reduciendo al mínimo la presencia de personas no esenciales en Medio Oriente debido al potencial de disturbios regionales. Ocurre poco después de una fuerte advertencia que lanzó Irán: aseguró que tiene acceso a «todas» las bases estadounidenses en la región.

El Departamento de Estado confirmó este miércoles que retirará personal hasta dejar solo un destacamento indispensable en su embajada en la capital de Irak, Bagdad, ante el incremento de la tensión y los cruces de amenazas entre Estados Unidos e Irán por sus desacuerdos en las negociaciones nucleares.

Se trata de una nueva señal de alerta, aunque su impacto inmediato es limitado: la embajada estadounidense en Irak ya estaba operando con personal limitado.

«El presidente Trump se compromete a mantener la seguridad de los estadounidenses, tanto dentro como fuera del país. En consonancia con este compromiso, evaluamos constantemente la situación del personal en todas nuestras embajadas. Con base en nuestro último análisis, decidimos reducir la presencia de nuestra Misión en Irak«, explicó el Departamento de Estado en un comunicado.

La cancillería estadounidense también está autorizando la salida de personal no esencial y miembros de la familia de Bahréin y Kuwait. Por otra parte, el secretario de Defensa Pete Hegseth también “ha autorizado la salida voluntaria de los dependientes militares de ubicaciones” en toda la región, dijo el Comando Central en un comunicado. El comando “está monitoreando la creciente tensión en Medio Oriente”.

La portavoz de la Casa Blanca, Anna Kelly, confirmó las medidas.

La decisión de Washington llega después de que el ministro de Defensa iraní, Aziz Nasirzadeh, afirmara este mismo miércoles que atacará “todas” la bases de Estados Unidos en Medio Oriente en caso de que fracasen las negociaciones nucleares y el país persa sea atacado, como ha amenazado con hacer el presidente Donald Trump.

“Si se nos impone un conflicto, las bajas del oponente ciertamente serán más que las nuestras, y en ese caso, Estados Unidos debe abandonar la región, porque todas sus bases están a nuestro alcance”, manifestó el funcionario iraní, y agregó: “Tenemos acceso a ellas, y las atacaremos a todas en los países anfitriones sin dudarlo”.

El Consejo Supremo de Seguridad Nacional de Irán también amenazó el lunes con atacar instalaciones nucleares “escondidas” de Israel en caso de ser atacado.

Irán y Estados Unidos mantienen negociaciones para alcanzar un acuerdo acerca del programa nuclear iraní que comenzaron el 12 de abril y cuya sexta ronda está prevista para este fin de semana en Omán, según dos funcionarios estadounidenses, que hablaron con Associated Press bajo condición de anonimato. Sin embargo, esos funcionarios dijeron que parecía cada vez más improbable que las conversaciones se llevaran a cabo.

Estados Unidos busca limitar el programa nuclear de Irán a cambio del levantamiento de sanciones económicas que Estados Unidos ha impuesto a la República Islámica. Irán insiste en que su programa nuclear es pacífico.

Las conversaciones se producen en medio de importantes desacuerdos sobre la capacidad de los ayatolás para enriquecer uranio, ya que Washington insiste en que Teherán no solo no debe poder fabricar bombas nucleares, sino quedar desprovisto también de la capacidad para procesar combustible atómico.

Trump ha insistido en sus amenazas militares contra el país persa en caso de no llegar a un acuerdo, mientras que Israel ha llamado a atacar las instalaciones nucleares iraníes para evitar que obtenga armas atómicas.

El mandatario estadounidense dijo que cada vez está «menos confiado» en poder llegar a un acuerdo con los iraníes. «Parece que están retrasando, y creo que eso es una pena. Estoy menos confiado ahora de lo que habría estado hace un par de meses. Algo les pasó», dijo en el podcast Pod Force One, grabado el lunes.

Por su parte, la misión de Irán ante la ONU publicó en las redes sociales que “las amenazas de fuerza abrumadora no cambiarán los hechos”. “Irán no busca un arma nuclear, y el militarismo estadounidense solo alimenta la inestabilidad”, escribió la misión iraní.

Con información de AP y EFE

The Japanese government recently announced it will no longer allow foreigners into the country who have outstanding medical bills from prior visits.

Officials decided on the new policy Friday during a meeting of relevant ministers, according to a report from The Japan Times.

Foreigners who stay in the country for more than three months will also need to join Japan’s national healthcare program, kokumin kenkō hoken, which could impact exchange students who are not enrolled, according to the report.

TRUMP SUSPENDS FOREIGN STUDENT VISAS AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY AMID NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

Fox News Digital previously reported Japan set a tourism goal of 60 million visitors by 2030 after a record-breaking year in 2025.

With an increase in travelers, the Japan Times reported politicians were scrambling to find a solution to unpaid medical bills and premiums that were falling on taxpayers.

Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s prime minister and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), attends the party’s annual convention in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.  (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

JUDGE TO BLOCK TRUMP ADMIN’S HARVARD FOREIGN STUDENTS BAN

«If our current systems are unable to address the realities of globalization and fail to dispel public anxiety, then drastic reforms must be undertaken,» Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reportedly said during the meeting.

A Health Ministry survey found just over 60 percent of foreign residents required to pay the premium complied, which falls below the 93 percent including Japanese citizens.

Ishiba added the country will consider the rights of travelers, so they won’t be «isolated in our country,» but noted «strict measures» would be taken against anyone who is noncompliant.

TOPSHOT – US President Donald Trump shakes hands with with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 7, 2025.  (Getty Images)

STATE DEPARTMENT NOW SCRUTINIZING ALL VISA HOLDERS ASSOCIATED WITH HARVARD

Companies who employ foreign workers, but fail to cover social welfare premiums, will be banned from offering employment to travelers, according to the report.

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It is unclear when the new policy will go into effect.