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January 2017

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 25, 2017 7 Comments
President Donald Trump will address a few executive orders from the Department of Homeland Security, including a wall on the border with Mexico, immigration, CIA black sites, and declaring the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. It's his first visit with DHS Secretary John Kelly. We have a live feed after the jump. I will provide tweets and updates as it goes.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 25, 2017 17 Comments
Over the course of the general election campaign, Hollywood's celebrities donated money, time, and sometimes questionable talent to elect Hillary Clinton as President. After Donald Trump's victory, there were a stream of celebrity videos deriding the electoral college, trying to sway electors from formalizing the Nov. 8th results, patting themselves on the back for surviving, and dramatically swearing the Oath to the U.S. Constitution. All of this drama has had zero net effect... so far. As Donald Trump reviews how to effectively cut the bloated U.S. budget, it is being reported that he is weighing approval of elimination of two cultural institutions that have been are the bane of many conservatives (or those who enjoy art with class, taste, and dignity).

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 25, 2017 20 Comments
President Donald Trump will sign a bunch of executive orders today over national security issues, including a wall along the border of America and Mexico and policy against sanctuary cities. Trump will visit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he will sign all the orders. Trump made immigration the cornerstone of his campaign, often talking about a wall along the border and stopping Syrian refugees from entering the country. According to the Associated Press, one person in the administration said the proposals "included a ban on entry to the U.S. for at least 30 days from countries including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, though the person cautioned the details could still change."

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 25, 2017 48 Comments
I asserted that the most rogue agency under the Obama Administration was the Environmental Protection Agency. I think President Trump, who is focused on reducing America's regulatory burden, agrees. Not even a week into his presidency, it appears that Trump has put a freeze on spending for that agency.
President Donald Trump's administration has ordered ordered a freeze on some Environmental Protection Agency grants and contracts to states, as the department braces for more dramatic changes going forward.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on January 25, 2017 30 Comments
Question for Cokie Roberts: how many refugees admitted into the US during WWII went on to commit mass-murder terrorist acts in our country? The question arises because on today's Morning Joe, Cokie contended that shutting out Syrian refugees would be like "shutting the Jews out during World War II." Roberts made her remark in the context of claiming that the plans President Trump has announced are "extremely dangerous for the United States of America."

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 25, 2017 14 Comments
A funny thing happened on the internet Tuesday night. The left wing sports site Deadspin, a creation of the now defunct Gawker, tried to mess with Senator Ted Cruz and got owned. Big league. Here are the basic facts from CNN:
Univision's Deadspin tells Sen. Ted Cruz to 'eat s---' Deadspin, which is owned by Hispanic media giant Univision Communications, sent a tweet on Tuesday night telling the Texas senator to "go eat shit." Univision spokesperson Rosemary Mercedes did not comment. Deadspin previously drew scrutiny in 2013 for telling Donald Trump "go f--- yourself." At that time, Deadspin was owned by Gawker Media. It was acquired by Univision last year.

Posted by AACONS on January 24, 2017 12 Comments
On January 20, 2017, at 11:51 am ET, Donald Trump delivered his first speech as American president. With several former presidents -- including the first Black president, Barack Obama -- reportedly squirming uncomfortably behind him, President Trump spoke to the thousands gathered in attendance with these words, delivered the most pro-African American inaugural address in recent history:
Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 24, 2017 33 Comments
Donald Trump repeatedly promised to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital, Jerusalem. That promise was made not only during the campaign, but after the election. In response, the Palestinians did what they always do -- internationalize the conflict coupled with threats of violence. Numerous high officials in the Palestinian Authority issued increasingly vitriolic threats and attempts to turn the Embassy move into an act against Islam. We explored these threats and strategy in prior posts: In light of these threats, I asked Will Trump capitulate to Palestinian threats over U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem?:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 24, 2017 17 Comments
President Trump's "America First" Inauguration speech has been parodied in a comedy video from the Netherlands. A news satire show, Zondag Met Lubach, released a fake tourism advertisement aimed at Trump. It's worth watching past the trite, Trump-bashing introduction in Dutch for the hilarity that then ensures in English (the very best language).

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 24, 2017 10 Comments
The Trumps may be considering a goldendoodle named Patton as the official White House pet, but the Pences have no such dilemma. Vice President Pence and family brought their furry entourage to the Imperial City earlier this month. The Pences have two cats, Oreo and Pickle, and a bunny named Marlon Bundo.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 24, 2017 7 Comments
Monday, President Trump's pen was very busy signing 3 executive orders, withdrawing the U.S. from the Trans Pacific Partnership, defunding International Planned Parenthood, and freezing the hiring of federal workers. His phone was also very busy. He made a supportive call to Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, indicating essentially military aide would continue to support the regional fight against Islamic extremist terrorists.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that Trump and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi discussed ways to deepen the bilateral relationship between the two countries, fight terrorism and boost Egypt's struggling economy. ...Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. military aid.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on January 24, 2017 5 Comments
Nearly a month after the Berlin Christmas market attack that killed 12 people and injuring 48 others, local authorities are moving in to close a Berlin mosque linked to the assailant. Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri, who drove a lorry loaded with 20 tonnes of steel beams into a busy Christmas market, had frequented the inner-city mosque. According to German intelligence agency, the "Fussilat Mosque" is known to be a popular hangout for ISIS sympathisers. As far as last month's terrorist attack goes, Merkel government and local authorities have a lot to answer for. More than 40 German agencies "worked" on Amri's case before he carried out the massacre in Berlin. Security agencies failed to stop the Tunisian-born terrorist despite having him on their radar for years. The known ISIS-sympathiser received welfare payments and was allowed to stay in the country despite a deportation order. And despite a EU-wide manhunt, Amri evaded authorities -- travelling through 5 countries in 5 days -- before he was killed by the Italian police in a shootout.
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