Latest news with #PROTECTAct
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Reform the reform': Sheriff Baxter urges new laws to fix criminal justice, repeat offenders ‘chaos'
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — After several crimes across Monroe County in the past few months involving people who have been previously charged, News 8 sat down with Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter about changes he feels need to be made at the state level. RPD chief reflects on sanctuary city uproar Sheriff Baxter said there have been six massive reforms within the criminal justice systems within the past few years that has forced a lot of 'difficult change.' He said the reforms now make it harder to hold repeat offenders inside jails long enough to try and see why someone continues to commit crimes and wants to see more effective laws in place. Sheriff Baxter said with the massive reforms so close together, it can cause chaos in the criminal justice system. He told News 8 prosecutors, public defenders, and judges don't grasp the quick changes of reforms all the time, making it easier for those committing crime after crime. 'One [law] that I've been pushing for is bail reform. Bail reform needed to occur in New York state. Just like any other project you do once you do it, go back and see what you could do better. No perfect plan has ever been created,' Baxter said. And Sheriff Baxter has made that known. After 35-year-old Ruben Smith, known for prior felonies, was charged after police said he shot a 9-year-old inside a Henrietta gas station, Sheriff Baxter took to his podcast to explain why New York needs a clear standard for 'dangerous and repeat offenders.' He reiterated that message with News 8 this week. 'If you're just out there committing crime after crime you should go sit down. My father called it a timeout,' Sheriff Baxter said. 'Go take a timeout until we find out why you keep repeating those crimes. Intervene in that person's life and then get them out of jail as soon as possible. But at least do something.' Baxter also recounted a testimony given by a woman a few days ago after she called 911. 'She said, My boyfriend is on the way over and is going to burn down my house. He beat the deputy there and burned down the house,'' Sheriff Baxter said. 'Burned it down at the 3-year-old's bedroom window. Started the fire right there. We didn't get there in time but we did make the apprehension. We had to give him an appearance ticket. By New York State law, we had to give him an appearance ticket.' Because of New York's current laws, Baxter said he and many others are pushing the state for 'common sense adjustments to bail reform.' Alongside State Senator Pam Helming, the two have introduced the PROTECT Act, seeking to hold offenders accountable through a detailed risk assessment, which includes mental health evaluations. New bill aims to help judges detain violent offenders before trial 'Give us a standard that's really defined so judges can use it as an evaluation,' Sheriff Baxter said. Others who pushed for bail reform are also calling for reforms to the reform, Keelar Park Tenants Association President Luvene Ford said she cares because she feels people 'shouldn't have to worry about being home before dark because they're afraid to walk through the parking lot.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bipartisan senators introduce bill to give Trump new powers to stop Chinese investment
A bipartisan team of freshman senators who went through some of 2024's biggest battleground races are introducing a bill Wednesday to give President Donald Trump's administration the power to stop investments from Chinese companies in the U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., are sponsoring the Providing Rigorous Oversight Through Evaluation Of Concerning Transactions Act (or PROTECT Act), which would give the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States new authority to stop both entirely new foreign investment projects in the U.S. or foreign investments in existing facilities. The bill would 'require the review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States of greenfield and brownfield investments by foreign countries of concern.' The legislation comes after the White House, in a February memo, asked for Congress to 'strengthen' CFIUS' ability to 'restrict foreign adversary access to United States talent and operations in sensitive technologies (especially artificial intelligence).' In an interview, Moreno said Congress needs to give Trump 'maximum negotiating leverage' to deal with China, and that this legislation contributes to that goal. 'We all went through extremely expensive, extremely tough races," Moreno said of the trio of senators introducing the legislation. "And I think we're probably the most in tune with what voters are thinking right now." In a statement, Slotkin described the need for the legislation in national security terms, pointing to the importance of keeping 'sensitive American land' out of Chinese, Iranian or North Korean control. 'To address that risk, this bipartisan bill builds on my work in the U.S. House and gives more authority to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to examine a broader set of transactions,' she said. 'That means we can stop land purchases that pose an actual risk to our national security.' The senators introduced the legislation the same day that Trump's 104% total tariff on China went into effect, with the country retaliating with a new 84% tariff on U.S. imports. Moreno promoted Trump's actions and said the senators' legislation is part of a broader effort to counter China, describing tariffs as 'the beginning.' 'You had 50 years where China was allowed into the World Trade Organization, they were given most favored nation trading status, and there was a very naive or corrupt, depending on which individual you're talking about, view that this would be good for America,' Moreno said. 'It has been catastrophically bad. We've now created a monster.' Last week, Bloomberg reported that China took steps to restrict Chinese companies from investing in the U.S. following Trump's tariff announcement, according to people familiar with the move. 'Unfortunately, there's a strategic adversary, and we have to reset that relationship in a meaningful way,' he continued, adding, 'We don't want to go to war with China, that's not the goal here. But we have to stop being suckers, as President Trump talks about.' Trump's global tariffs went into effect on Wednesday, as some administration officials suggest there are deals to be made with trading partners while others have said nothing will change the direction of Trump's tariff agenda. 'Well that's going to be up to President Trump, certainly,' Moreno said. 'You hear from his public statements that he's willing and open to listen to proposals. But obviously, China is a separate situation where we have over $1 trillion in debt.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
09-04-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Bipartisan senators introduce bill to give Trump new powers to stop Chinese investment
A bipartisan team of freshman senators who went through some of 2024's biggest battleground races are introducing a bill Wednesday to give President Donald Trump's administration the power to stop investments from Chinese companies in the U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., are sponsoring the Providing Rigorous Oversight Through Evaluation Of Concerning Transactions Act (or PROTECT Act), which would give the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States new authority to stop both entirely new foreign investment projects in the U.S. or foreign investments in existing facilities. The bill would 'require the review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States of greenfield and brownfield investments by foreign countries of concern.' The legislation comes after the White House, in a February memo, asked for Congress to 'strengthen' CFIUS' ability to 'restrict foreign adversary access to United States talent and operations in sensitive technologies (especially artificial intelligence).' In an interview, Moreno said Congress needs to give Trump 'maximum negotiating leverage' to deal with China, and that this legislation contributes to that goal. 'We all went through extremely expensive, extremely tough races," Moreno said of the trio of senators introducing the legislation. "And I think we're probably the most in tune with what voters are thinking right now." In a statement, Slotkin described the need for the legislation in national security terms, pointing to the importance of keeping 'sensitive American land' out of Chinese, Iranian or North Korean control. 'To address that risk, this bipartisan bill builds on my work in the U.S. House and gives more authority to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to examine a broader set of transactions,' she said. 'That means we can stop land purchases that pose an actual risk to our national security.' The senators introduced the legislation the same day that Trump's 104% total tariff on China went into effect, with the country retaliating with a new 84% tariff on U.S. imports. Moreno promoted Trump's actions and said the senators' legislation is part of a broader effort to counter China, describing tariffs as 'the beginning.' 'You had 50 years where China was allowed into the World Trade Organization, they were given most favored nation trading status, and there was a very naive or corrupt, depending on which individual you're talking about, view that this would be good for America,' Moreno said. 'It has been catastrophically bad. We've now created a monster.' 'Unfortunately, there's a strategic adversary, and we have to reset that relationship in a meaningful way,' he continued, adding, 'We don't want to go to war with China, that's not the goal here. But we have to stop being suckers, as President Trump talks about.' Trump's global tariffs went into effect on Wednesday, as some administration officials suggest there are deals to be made with trading partners while others have said nothing will change the direction of Trump's tariff agenda. 'Well that's going to be up to President Trump, certainly,' Moreno said. 'You hear from his public statements that he's willing and open to listen to proposals. But obviously, China is a separate situation where we have over $1 trillion in debt.'
