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January 2018

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 22, 2018 64 Comments
Glad I was in the car much of the day, while all the theatrics were going on with unshutting down the government, which never really had been shut to begin with. The overwhelming after-assessment among the punditry is that Schumer was humiliated, had little to show for either the fight or the capitulation, and that Trump won. I think that assessment is generally correct.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 22, 2018 26 Comments
I reported this weekend on reports that the U.S. planned to move our Embassy from Tel Aviv, to Israel's capital Jerusalem, by the end of 2019. This timetable, which was faster than the 3-4 years previously discussed for building a new Embassy, was based on renovating the existing U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, the main location of which was built in 2010 and is actually larger than the Tel Aviv embassy.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 22, 2018 26 Comments
Today is an embarrassing day to be a Democrat. Senate Democrats wasted an entire grandstanding-filled weekend for a whole lotta nuthin. Rather than coming to an agreement with Senate Republicans and President Trump Friday, Democrats ended up accepting the deal (with nothing new in return) Monday.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on January 22, 2018 31 Comments
Newsweek's fall from respected publication to tabloid trash has been a remarkable and sad spectacle. Like many other print publications, Newsweek struggled with reduced circulation when online news became the preferred medium for news consumption. In 2012, Newsweek printed what was supposed to be its last edition.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 22, 2018 52 Comments
The Senate Democrats have reached a deal with the GOP majority to re-open the government after three days of a shutdown. From Politico:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) agreed to end the shutdown and fund the government through Feb. 8 while continuing to negotiate on immigration and spending matters. Without a broader deal, the Senate would take up legislation to protect hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants who are losing legal protections, as long as the government remains open.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 22, 2018 41 Comments
We have been following the construction and testing of the border wall prototypes that have been raised along the Mexico/US border in the San Diego area. The test phase conducted by teams of US Special forces has concluded, and it appears that the wall samples passed muster.
Recent assaults by tactical teams on prototypes of President Trump's proposed wall with Mexico indicate their imposing heights should stop border crossers, a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the rigorous assessment told the Associated Press.

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 22, 2018 16 Comments
Campus race hoaxes are common and are usually meant to serve a specific purpose. Sometimes, the hoax perpetrators are doing it as a preface to issuing demands. In other instances, it's meant to advance a political narrative. In a recent case at the University of Maryland, it appears to be the actions of an angry employee.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 21, 2018 56 Comments
As this post goes live, there are lots of rumors of some sort of "deal" between Democrat and Republican "moderates" to end the government funding impasse. The Democrats, and particularly Chuck Schumer, have talked themselves into a dead end of seeming to put the interests of illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens. That's not a viable political strategy, but it's the strategy Democrats chose by making continued government funding contingent on a DACA deal.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on January 21, 2018 51 Comments
Newly-released messages between two FBI agents who were then working on the Hillary Clinton email investigation show that they and possibly then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch knew in advance that no charges would be recommended by then-FBI Director James Comey.  The FBI has further admitted to "losing" five months worth of texts between these same FBI agents.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on January 21, 2018 24 Comments
As the #MeToo movement faces backlash from the left and backlash to the backlash from other elements of the left, Bill Maher wades into the controversy.  Maher, who is unafraid to say things that will be unpopular with his leftist audience, stated that he is "down with #MeToo, I’m not down with #MeCarthyism.” Maher notes that the #MeToo movement has developed into a McCarthy-like witch hunt that does not distinguish between degrees of offense or even between a joke and sexual harassment.  He labels them "distinction deniers."

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on January 21, 2018 8 Comments
During his presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump repeatedly spoke of his intent to support life should he be elected. This week he took another huge step in fulfilling this promise with his HHS's announcement of a new conscience and religious freedom division. Additionally, the HHS has announced that it will roll back another Obama era policy: HHS will no longer freeze out states that seek to defund Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.  Last year, the president signed a bill allowing states to defund Planned Parenthood.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on January 21, 2018 37 Comments
Just before Christmas, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that has set America's economy on a trajectory to prosperity and put wealth back in the hands of its citizens. The new rules also substantially reduced the country's corporate tax rate to 21 percent, down from a fairly hefty 35 percent. Now, a pair of California Grinches are offering a bill that would ultimately divert some of the federal savings back into Sacramento coffers.
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