Obama supporters have finally decided that overuse of executive orders is a bad thing. Too bad for them that many of Trump’s executive orders merely undo Obama’s executive orders. Trump finally adopted Obama’s policy of Federal intervention where local police fail, though, Obama probably never thought of it happening where it is most needed, such as his own backyard in Chicago.
Trump was elected in response to Obama. Obama’s policies, mostly by mere executive order, not only couldn’t last, they backfired. Anti-Trumpists still have not learned the important lesson of life: good or bad, right or left, whatever you build needs to last. If Trump harms America, Obama supporters have no one to thank but their own president who rolled out the red carpet for Trump as much as Bush rolled out the red carpet for Obama. The cycle only seems to continue with very few people getting wise to what’s going on.
All that “Russia interfered” jazz morphed into Democrats calling for investigations of voter fraud, which is likely to indite both parties. But, we can’t know how much voter fraud there truly was since asking for photo ID at an election isn’t legal, thanks to the same Democrats who are asking for an investigation. That makes no sense, except in Washington.
The elephant in the living room is the golden brick highway paved to today’s crisis. A Hawaiian Congresswoman told CNN that Obama was funding ISIS in Syria? Trump’s “ban” only affects people coming from seven countries that Obama’s DHS and US Congress decided sponsor terrorism—Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen—these countries were not chosen by Trump, but under Obama. Trump’s order only names Syria, based on what Syrian refugees have done in other places they have gone to.
A federal judge made a very small exception to Trump’s sweeping executive oder: people with pre-approved papers who arrived on airplanes won’t be sent back immediately. This action affects very few people and confronts none of Trump’s campaign principles. Affected green card holders will be allowed to leave the US and return, but need to visit a US consular first. Protests against Trump’s orders are mounting. Some saw the judge’s order as victory against Trump’s goals.
A Sheriff in Travis County, Texas has refused to cooperate with the State’s requests, which are mainly aimed at not releasing people who entered the country illegally and are sought by US Immigration after they are arrested and in custody for a local crime. Travis County receives just shy of $2M from the State in law-enforcement grants, but the Sheriff says that she has neither the priority nor the authority to comply with the requests from Federal and State governments to hand over sought-after illegals already in her custody.
As fast as Trump wants to build his wall, he will have difficulty breaking Russia’s record in Berlin. Mexico’s president canceled his meeting with Trump once Trump Tweeted that paying for the wall was a requirement. President Neito told his people that “Mexico must protect its interests”, which, apparently, includes being able to cross into the US at non-border crossings. Building the wall would not change the number of entry points and, if anything, could create more entry points since patrolling the border would be easier. Canceling the meeting won’t change anything. A presidential candidate can skip out on one of an excessive number of televised presidential debates and still win the nomination and the election, but a sitting president can’t skip out on a meeting when his presence has been requested by a nation whom his own citizens are persistently entering illegally when that nation is about to rip up a trade agreement. The meeting with Trump was not going to negotiate whether Mexico will pay for the wall to contain its own people, but how Mexico will pay for the wall to contain its own people. By not attending, Mexico’s president is leaving that decision to President Donald J. Trump—which might have been exactly what Trump wanted in the first place. Now, Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim wants to step in.
From the Office of the United States Trade Representative:
Mexico is currently our 3rd largest goods trading partner with $531 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2015. Goods exports totaled $236 billion; goods imports totaled $295 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Mexico was $58 billion in 2015.
The story compares to the rich, old uncle who told his nephew, “No, you’re gonna pay for the repairs to my barn you burned down or you might as well not even ask me to buy you another car.” The kid ran home to his daddy who said, “No, you are gonna’ talk with your uncle about his barn. I’m calling my brother and you’d better be here when I do.” By asking to step in to negotiate between the US and Mexico, Billionaire Carlos Slim has proven in Mexico what Trump proved in the US—people with actual business experience know more about getting things done than politicians. Maybe he wants to run for president in Mexico. Or, maybe he doesn’t want his own business empire to be at the mercy of a much younger president who can’t hold two candles to the adults in the room.
It seems that America isn’t the only country dealing with brats who complain all the time, repeat perfectly what they hear on TV, but can’t put a roof over their own heads. There’s nothing wrong with not having money, as long as you don’t lecture the people who do.
US back in rally mode, lifting S&P, Nasdaq to records | Yahoo – AFP
Full text of Trump’s executive order on 7-nation ban, refugee suspension | CNN
What Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration Does—and Doesn’t Do | The Atlantic
Donald Trump FULL Interview Hannity 1/26/17 | YouTube – Memes & Interviews
U.S. economy slows to 1.9% in 4th quarter, GDP shows | Market Watch
Trump’s Yuge Week One | Politico
Trump argument bolstered: Clinton received 800,000 votes from noncitizens, study finds | WA Times
Donald Trump signs order to ban Muslims, seeks to halve number of refugees entering US | Firstpost
Green card holders will need additional screening- White House | Yahoo – Reuters
Chaos, anger as Trump order halts some Muslim immigrants | Yahoo – Reuters
Trump Greets U.K.’s May as World Leaders Look For Cues | Bloomberg
Let’s stand together and halt eclipse of the West | UK Times
Shooting at Quebec City mosque, reports of multiple wounded | CBC News
Texas mosque destroyed in early-morning blaze; cause unknown | AP
Trump orders ISIS plan, talks with Putin and gives Bannon national security role | WA Post
Judge Block
US judge bars deportations under Trump travel ban | AP
Judge blocks deportation of detainees over Trump refugee order | The Hill
Meet the rookie federal judge who halted Trump’s refugee deportations — to save a Syrian | WA Post
Border agents defy courts on Trump travel ban, congressmen and lawyers say | Guardian
Customs agents ignore judge, enforce Trump’s travel ban: ACLU | NY Post
Mexico
Mexican president cancels meeting with Trump | CNN
Donald Trump signs executive order to build wall between Mexico and US | Independent
White House says Mexico border wall might be funded by tax on imports | WA Post
Inside Baseball Games
Behind closed doors, Republican lawmakers fret about how to repeal Obamacare | WA Post
Calexit backers can begin collecting signatures to qualify for 2018 ballot | Sacramento Bee
California campaign to secede gains momentum | Yahoho – AFP
California Could Cut Off Feds In Response To Trump Threats | CBS – 5 SF Bay
Texas Showdown: Governor, Sanctuary City Clash Over Immigration | Vocative
Sanctuary Sheriff Faces Removal From Office For Aiding Criminal Illegals | Info Wars
Expect More Conflict Between Cities and States | Pew
HE’S FIRED! Trump administration tells Border Patrol chief to pack his bags | Daily Mail
Congresswoman Returns From Syria With ‘Proof’ Obama Funded ISIS | Your News Wire
Obama Formally Approves Arming Terrorists in Syria | Global Research (Many citations, much opinion)
Prep stories from earlier in Trump’s first week
Mexico braced for confrontation with Trump team | Financial Times
Mexico ready to quit NAFTA if US talks fail | Yahoo – AFP
Trump Prepares Orders Aiming at Global Funding and Treaties | NY Times
Trump to move on border security, immigration enforcement | Yahoo – AP
Trump expected to order temporary ban on refugees | Yahoo – Reuters
Marches and Protests
217 arrests, 6 officer injuries during inauguration protests | USA Today
Pope warns against populism and ‘saviours’ like Hitler | Yahoo – AFP
…And says it’s too early to judge Trump.
Strange Weather
California storm causes flooding, triggers evacuations | AP
Severe storms in U.S. South kill at least 18 | Yahoo – Reuters
Big waves pounded NorCal coast Saturday: Record breakers in Monterey Bay | SF Gate
Two-mile crack is found in the Arizona desert | Daily Mail