Michigan U.S. House candidate Curtis Hertel Jr., a Democrat, was caught on video telling a voter that Americans “owe a debt” to illegal immigrants, adding that he has no “interest in deporting anybody.” The video, obtained by the conservative outlet The Midwesterner, showed Hertel discussing his immigration policy with voters. Hertel was speaking to voters at a meet-and-greet in South Lyon, Michigan, on October 3, according to information about the event reviewed by The Daily Wire. “I’ve said, for example, in the past that we should respect those that have tried to come here because even if they haven’t done it legally, we owe a debt,” Hertel said in the video that was posted by The Midwesterner. “Like, they took the risk for their family, and there’s nothing more American than that.” Asked if he would “work with Republicans” on pushing for deportations, Hertel replied, “No, I don’t have an interest in deporting anybody.” In a Midwesterner exclusive, Michigan congressional candidate Curtis Hertel, Jr. was caught on video saying Americans owe “a debt” to illegal immigrants and, “I don’t have an interest in deporting anybody.” pic.twitter.com/N5w5sZAnQ2 — The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) October 25, 2024 During his campaign, Hertel has attempted to position himself as a Democrat who is willing to work with Republicans and bragged that “when Democrats are weak on border security, I called them out.” Hertel is running against Republican Iraq War veteran Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th House District, a seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is running for Senate. Barrett blasted his Democrat opponent after The Midwesterner’s video of Hertel spread on social media. “On TV @CurtisHertelJr says he will stand up to his party and secure the border, but in private he says we owe a debt to illegal immigrants and will not deport anyone!” Barrett posted on X on Friday. Senior Trump campaign adviser Tim Murtaugh added, “This is shocking. Disqualifying for anyone running for Congress. @tombarrettmi7 is the obvious choice to help Donald Trump fix the economy, secure the border, and Make America Great Again, again. Michigan-7 is a key race that may decide control of the House.” A spokesman for Hertel’s campaign told The Daily Wire in a statement that the video of the Democratic candidate’s comments is “deceptively spliced and edited.” “This deceptively spliced and edited video does not change the fact that Curtis is committed to securing the border and called on President Biden to take stronger, unilateral action. Nor does it change the fact that Tom Barrett opposed the bipartisan border deal that was endorsed by the Border Patrol union because he would rather play politics with this issue than solve it,” said Hertel campaign spokesman Sam Kwait-Spitzer. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28 Earlier this year, Hertel sent a letter to President Joe Biden about “communities facing challenges related to the fentanyl crisis and the accommodation of asylum seekers.” The bipartisan border bill that was negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) was strongly rejected by a majority of Republican lawmakers and former President Donald Trump, who argued that the bill would not adequately stop the record number of migrants illegally crossing the border under the Biden-Harris administration. The swing district House race in Michigan is an important election for both parties. Republicans currently hold control of the House with an eight-seat majority over Democrats.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are reportedly conducting a second wave of airstrikes against military sites in Iran during the early morning hours on Saturday. A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that a “second wave” of strikes was happening as Israel’s response to Iran’s ballistic missile barrage earlier this month is unfolding in multiple stages. A source with direct knowledge of Israel’s operations told ABC News that the strike against Iran was expected to be just a one-night event. An official with knowledge of Israel’s planning told The Washington Post that the strikes were expected to continue for another several hours and were focused on targeting “military assets, particularly missile manufacturing facilities and aerial defense sites.” Iran has claimed that it successfully repelled the attack and that the explosions that its citizens have heard and felt were from its defense systems firing at Israeli war planes. However, there is no proof to validate their claims and Israeli officials have said that there have been no casualties or planes damaged in the strikes. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28 The attacks are intended to establish deterrence against further Iranian aggression after the Islamic regime has launched two direct missile attacks against Israel this year, the first time it has ever directly attacked Israel. The attacks, coming in at least two waves, are considerably more extensive than Israel’s pointed retaliation against Iran for its first direct strike against Israel in April. Israel’s April strike was a show of force that eliminated radar batteries for an anti-missile system, but it didn’t succeed in dissuading Iran from launching more than 180 ballistic missiles against Israel on October 1, prompting Israeli leaders to intensify their latest response plans. Dalia Dassa Kaye, former director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation, said that the strikes appeared to have offered Iran an offramp instead of forcing the conflict to escalate. “From what we know now, this is the best case scenario in terms of keeping this round contained, given Israel seems to have limited its strikes to military targets rather than nuclear or oil infrastructure,” Kaye told The Journal. “This gives Iran an exit ramp if it’s looking for one. But we’re still in a different place because Israel and Iran are now in a direct and open conflict.” Iran claiming that it repelled the attacks and minimizing claims of any damage happening was viewed as a key signal by experts of Iran’s intent to not respond to Israel because it does not wish to invoke an even more intense response. “If we hear Iranian officials downplaying the success of Israel’s strikes, it could be a signal that they are looking for an excuse to avoid further retaliation,” said Michael Singh, a former senior director for the Middle East at the U.S. National Security Council. The airstrikes appear to have hit multiple locations throughout Tehran, including the eastern, western, and southern parts of the city, according to The New York Times. In the east, there are military bases and secretive military sites, and in the west is the headquarters for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the report said. The Times added that explosions also were happening near Imam Khomeini international airport, which is in the southern part of the city. The Times said residents also reported hearing explosions in Isfahan, hundreds of miles south of Tehran; Mashhad, hundreds of miles east of Tehran; and Kurdistan Province, a couple hundred miles west of Tehran.

Legendary bassist Phil Lesh, one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead, died Friday at the age of 84.  “Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of The Grateful Dead, passed peacefully this morning,” a statement on a post on Instagram on his account read. “He was surrounded by his family and full of love.” “Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love,” the statement added. “We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.” Lesh founded the Dead in 1965 alongside frontman Jerry Garcia,  Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Bobby Weir, and Bill Kreutzmann. He played with the band for the entirety of its 30 year career. Lesh not only helped craft the unique sound that “Deadheads” came to love, but also heloed write some of the group’s most memorable songs, including “Dark Star,” “St. Stephen,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Truckin’,” and “Box of Rain,” the last of which he also sang.  Born in Berkley, California in 1940, Lesh had a love of music from a very young age. He was classically trained in both the violin and trumpet before finding his calling as a rock bassist, the Associated Press noted. Fans of the band would often be treated to jazz-infused jam sessions between Garcia and Lesh at Dead shows. “It’s always fluid, we just pretty much figure it out on the fly,” Lesh said. “You can’t set those things in stone in the rehearsal room.” In 1994, Lesh and the Dead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band dissolved a year later following Garcia’s death in 1995.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Phil Lesh (@phillesh) Lesh’s passing comes just days after the charitable organization MusicCares announced it would honor the Grateful Dead’s original members as its 2025 Persons of the Year. “This honor is truly a testament to the legacy of the music, which has always been bigger than us — it’s about the connection between us, the crew, and all those who’ve been on this long strange trip,” Kreutzmann, Weir, Lesh, and drummer Mickey Hart said in a joint statement Wednesday. “It’s not just about what we create, but about making sure the people behind it, behind us every night, the ones who quietly make it all happen, get the support they need to keep going, no matter what life throws at them.” Lesh beat prostate cancer in 2006, and bladder cancer nine years later. He is survived by his wife, Jill, and their sons, Brian and Grahame. Related: Legendary Performer Kris Kristofferson Dead At 88

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