Donald Trump freezes Barack Obama’s $221 million payment to the Palestinian Authority
A couple of days ago we learned that, in a final slap in the face to Israel, Barack Obama freed up $221 million to the Palestinian Authority just hours before leaving office. The money has not yet been sent and today Donald Trump froze the funds pending further review by the State Department.
Here is more:
The State Department is reviewing a last-minute decision by former Secretary of State John Kerry to send $221 million dollars to the Palestinians late last week over the objections of congressional Republicans.
The department said Tuesday it would look at the payment, one of the Obama administration’s final acts in office, and might make adjustments to ensure it comports with the Trump administration’s priorities.
Kerry formally notified Congress that State would release the money Friday morning, just hours before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Donald Trump takes Executive Actions on immigration
The problem with working days and blogging at night is that by the time I have a chance to write just about everything has already been said about the news of the day and today is another example. By now you have heard that Donald Trump has taken Executive Action on immigration, fulfilling more campaign promises.
Here is more:
President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered construction of a U.S.-Mexican border wall and punishment for cities shielding illegal immigrants while mulling restoring a CIA secret detention program as he launched broad but divisive plans to reshape U.S. immigration and national security policy.
“We are in the middle of a crisis on our southern border: The unprecedented surge of illegal migrants from Central America is harming both Mexico and the United States,” Trump said, adding: “A nation without borders is not a nation.”
The Trump regime temporarily suspends EPA grants and contracts
It had already been reported that Donald Trump put a temporary halt on Federal agency hirings and now it is being reported in this story that he has ordered the EPA to halt issuing Federal grants and contracts to give him time to review them. Here is more:
The Washington Post reported that incoming EPA administration officials sent an email Friday to employees of the Office of Acquisition Management to temporarily suspend “all contract and grant awards.”
Myron Ebell, who oversaw the EPA transition for the Trump administration, said the move is not unlike what other administrations have done.
“They’re trying to freeze things to make sure nothing happens they don’t want to have happen, so any regulations going forward, contracts, grants, hires, they want to make sure to look at them first,” Ebell told ProPublica on Monday. “This may be a little wider than some previous administrations, but it’s very similar to what others have done.”
I am sure the left is going to claim this proves Donald Trump wants dirty air and water but as you can see this is nothing that has not been done by previous regimes. This is the same EPA, of course, which polluted the Animas River in 2015 but the left loves to ignore that little tidbit. Perhaps if Donald Trump had been President in 2015 this accident would not have occurred…
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Donald Trump revives the Keystone and Dakota pipelines
After many months of delay the Keystone pipeline project is back on for now because earlier today Donald Trump gave it the green light–he also put the Dakota pipeline project back in gear after Barack Obama stalled it.
Here is more:
Trump signed an executive order on the Keystone XL pipeline. “We’ll see if we can get that pipeline built,” the president said as he signed the order. “A lot of jobs, 28,000 jobs, great construction jobs.” Next, he signed an order to expedite the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). A State Department report put the total number of jobs at 42,100 — but this large number counts jobs only indirectly related to the project, which would employ about 3,900 annual workers for two years and 50 long-term employees. It would boost U.S. domestic product by $3.4 billion.
“This is about streamlining the incredibly cumbersome, long, horrible permitting process and reducing regulatory burdens for domestic manufacturing,” Trump explained, as he signed two more executive orders, mandating the use of American-manufactured pipes and expediting environmental reviews and approvals for “critical infrastructure.”
As you can see above he also signed an order mandating the use of American made pipes for the projects. This is not the end of the story however because the projects are still undergoing environmental reviews and could be turned down, but at least we are now looking at finally getting an answer free from the politics which have delayed these projects. This is a step in the right direction.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
This slipped under the radar Friday morning while all eyes were focused on the inaugural festivities: in one of his final moves as President, Barack Obama sent the Palistinian Authority $221 million that had been blocked by the Congress.
Here is more:
Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority that GOP members of Congress had been blocking.
A State Department official and several congressional aides said the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning. The official said former Secretary of State John Kerry had informed some lawmakers of the move shortly before he left the State Department for the last time Thursday. The aides said written notification dated Jan. 20 was sent to Congress just hours before Donald Trump took the oath of office.
One last slap in the face to Israel on his way out the door…
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Donald Trump kills the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Donald Trump has made good on another campaign promise when today he killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Here is more:
President Donald J. Trump killed the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) once and for all on Monday, signing an executive order officially withdrawing from the trade deal negotiations.
As President Trump signed the executive action killing the TPP, he announced for the cameras in the oval office that it was a “great thing for the American worker, what we just did.”
Trump campaigned heavily against TPP, so it’s only fitting he’d crush it once and for all on his first business day as President of the United States.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership was always a contentious issue which at times made for strange bedfellows: While it drew consternation from many Republican voters it had the support of the Republican establishment. They went so far as to grant Barack Obama fast-track authority even though they had been complaining for years the President was assuming too much power. Meanwhile Democrats such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders opposed to deal. It is going to be interesting to see how Donald Trump’s most vocal critic, the Senator from Massachusetts, responds to this. Most likely she is just going to keep quiet to protect her image.
I have to admit I think Donald Trump is off to a good start.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Sunday, January 22nd open thread: ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’
Here is the open thread for Sunday, January 22nd. Please feel free to post links to interesting articles and to discuss whatever issues arise during the course of the day. Nothing is off-topic here.
Last week we discussed 9 stories, did you miss any of them? If so there is an easy way to make sure it does not happen again. I understand that all of you are busy and cannot always find the time to check the blog for updates so why not subscribe to America’s Watchtower and receive email updates whenever I write a new post? That is the easiest way to follow the blog to ensure you never miss another post.
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Last week I shared a song by an obscure Boston band Lauri and I saw live a few times back in the day so I thought I would continue the Boston theme again this week with a band which is probably a little less obscure. The Lemonheads had a little bit of success nationally, most notably with their cover of Mrs. Robinson but they did have a couple of other semi-successful songs. Here is what is probably their second most known song, it is entitled “It’s a Shame About Ray” and this version was recorded live on David Letterman many years ago.
frui diem
Donald Trump orders regulatory freeze on all government agencies until further notice
One of Donald Trump’s first actions as President, if not the first action, was to sign an Executive Order which he claims will lessen the burdens of Obamacare. To me this was nothing more than a symbolic gesture much like Barack Obama’s Executive Order which was supposed to close GITMO.
Shortly thereafter Donald Trump issued what amounts to a cease and desist order on all government agencies preventing them from issuing any more regulations for the time being. Here is more:
President Trump took a series of executive actions minutes after the inaugural parade concluded Friday evening, one of which was to place a regulatory freeze on all federal agencies until his administration provides further notice.
“The Trump administration will send a letter to all executive agencies tonight to immediately abide by a regulatory freeze,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters around 7:15 p.m. ET.
This was a central issue of Donald Trump’s campaign and it looks as if he is making good on it:
One of Donald Trump’s first acts as President was to sign an Executive Order (here we go again with the Executive Orders) directing agencies to “ease the burdens” of Obamacare related costs by seeing what they could do to cut back on burdensome regulations. Here is more:
Trump says in the order that he will be seeking “prompt repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. Pending full repeal, however, he will “take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act.” He also says the executive order will give individual states “more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.”
The executive order continues:
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.
Here is part of what Politico had to say:
Video: Hillary Clinton catches Bill Clinton staring at Ivanka Trump
This could be fake news but this video claims that Hillary Clinton caught Bill Clinton staring at Ivanka Trump, he certainly appears to mouth “Ivanka” in the video. Notice how he peeps at Hillary and then turns his gaze back to the object of his apparent affection.
In a way it reminds me of when Bill Clinton was laughing it up at Ron Brown’s funeral until he realized the cameras were on him, this is one of my all time favorite video clips:
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
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