View online.

Biden, Trump travel to the border

Split screen moment: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both head to different parts of the U.S.-Mexico border for dueling appearances Thursday. It’s a sign immigration has become a focus in the 2024 presidential election, and that the front-runners want voters to side with them on the issue.
 
Hot spots: Biden will visit the Rio Grande Valley city of Brownsville, Texas. He plans to meet with border agents and discuss how he thinks bipartisan legislation is needed. Trump will make his way to Eagle Pass, Texas, about 325 miles from Brownsville, where he’s expected to attack the Biden administration’s approach to immigration. Speaking Monday in New York, Biden said he was going to the border Thursday and didn’t know “my good friend apparently is going” too. Trump said Biden is copying him by going to the border. “I finally found a way to get him down to the border,” Trump said. “We let it out that we’re going on Thursday … and all of a sudden, out of the blue, he announced he’s going.” The White House insists the president’s trip had been in the works before Trump’s visit was announced.
 
By the numbers: Illegal border crossings in the Rio Grande Valley, which includes Brownsville, have reportedly dropped, but it was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border for nine years. That’s until Del Rio, which includes Eagle Pass, overtook it in the 2022 budget year.
 
How voters feel: The share of voters concerned about immigration increased to 35% from 27% last year, according to an AP-NORC poll in January. Fifty-five percent of Republicans said the government should focus on immigration this year, while 22% of Democrats listed immigration as a priority.

Family fights for immigration reform 8 years after daughter’s death >

Crenshaw won’t accept ‘illegal immigrants just to own Biden’ >

San Diego County considers asking Biden to shut border down >

Smugglers using ‘cloned’ vehicles to elude authorities >

The killing of a Georgia nursing student is now at the center of the US immigration debate >

Supreme Court agrees to weigh Trump’s criminal immunity in historic case

What to know: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up the issue of whether former President Donald Trump can be criminally prosecuted for charges he worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The historic case tests the limits of presidential immunity. The move keeps Trump’s criminal trial proceedings on hold. The court is expected to hear arguments in late April. The announcement came as a judge in Illinois removed Trump from the state’s ballot under the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists from holding office, making the Prairie State the third to attempt to boot Trump from the ballot. Where the cases against Trump stand >

Firefighters try to corral Texas wildfires before weekend of high temperatures, winds

What to know: Wildfires scorched the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, including a blaze that grew into one of the largest in the state’s history. Thursday’s forecast of lower temperatures and a chance of rain may give firefighters a window to make progress before temperatures and winds are expected to pick up this weekend. While authorities haven’t said what started the fires, strong winds, unseasonably warm temperatures and dry grass have fed the fires. An 83-year-old grandmother is currently the only confirmed death, but investigators have yet to conduct a thorough search for possible victims.

Kellogg’s CEO criticized after suggesting ‘cereal for dinner’

Facing backlash: Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick is facing criticism after suggesting that cash-strapped households save money by eating cereal for dinner. Pilnick floated the idea last week during an interview with CNBC. His comments come on the heels of federal data showing Americans are spending more on food than they have in 30 years. Read the full report >

 WHAT WE’RE WATCHING 👀

We’re keeping an eye on these topics today. Make sure you tune in to our latest coverage and share your thoughts with us on social media!

• The trial of “Rust” movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering continues Thursday. Find a timeline of the case here >
• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will face Congress on Thursday to discuss his secret hospital stay. What to expect >
  

NEWS ACROSS AMERICA

Idaho halted the execution of Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S., after a failed attempt Wednesday. What to know >
 
New York City Mayor Eric Adams wants to change some of the city’s sanctuary laws by calling for migrants suspected of major crimes to be turned over to federal immigration officials. Why he wants to make the move >
 
Following the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw received a 37% raise last year, bringing his total compensation to $13.4 million even as the railroad struggled. The latest >
 
Border Patrol agents in Laredo, Texas, found 16 migrants “being harbored in deplorable conditions” in a stash house, the agency said. Read more >
 
An Oregon mother who prevented her daughter from receiving surgery for liver cancer and allegedly preferred to use CBD oil to treat her has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. Latest in the case >
 
The Virginia Senate chamber was engulfed in controversy Monday as state Sen. Danica Roem, the first transgender person to serve in the Virginia Legislature, walked out during a routine political exchange after being referred to by the lieutenant governor as “sir.” What to know >

Critically endangered horse species gets a newborn

It’s a win for wild horse conservation as herd managers along the Outer Banks celebrate a new foal. The newborn, Eros, is a Banker horse, a critically endangered species with only about 300 left in the world, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Read more >

Find a good news story each day in NewsNation’s Your Morning newsletter! Subscribe >