The Next President of the United States

[TightEnd]

President Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

http://news.sky.com/story/president-trump-takes-us-out-of-trans-pacific-partnership-trade-deal-10740409?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

[TightEnd]

an interesting listen (probably a bit nerdy but still)

Podcast: Money talks

An Expert’s Guide to Trumponomics

a leading economist has issued stark warnings about the Trump era and its impact on the American and global economy.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2017/01/podcast-money-talks-1?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/

[TightEnd]

Read Draft Text Of Trump’s Executive Order Limiting Muslim Entry To The U.S.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/read-draft-text-trump-executive-order-muslim-entry_us_5888fe00e4b0024605fd591d?0lwdu2cbey5htzkt9

[TightEnd]

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

Trump signs order to begin Mexico border wall in immigration crackdown

Press secretary Chemical Ali Spicer repeats insistence ‘Mexico will pay’ for wall as Trump signs additional executive order to cut funding for ‘sanctuary cities’

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/25/donald-trump-sign-mexico-border-executive-order?CMP=twt_gu

[TightEnd]

this provoked this from the 2000-2006 Mexican President

it doesn't look like it should be real, but its from a verified account

Vicente Fox Quesada Verified account
@VicenteFoxQue

Sean Spicer, I've said this to @realDonaldTrump and now I'll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall. #FuckingWall


if you have a spare hour, that hashtag is an incredible read

[MintTrav]

.

[MintTrav]

Click to see full-size image.

The wall is a bit of a red herring. The border is 2,000 miles long and 700 miles of that is fenced. In spme sections, a 'virtual fence' is in operation, consisting of border patrols, cameras and drones. The rest of the border is mountain, desert or river. The Border Patrol has huge resources, employing 21,000 agents and, according to the ABC link below,  has 8,000 cameras, 11,000 underground sensors, 107 aircraft, 8 drones, 175 mobile surveillance units and 84 boats. Not all of this is devoted to the Southern border, but most of it is.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/700-miles-fencing-us-mexico-border-exist/story?id=45045054



A wall would be little different to a fence. The possibility of getting over or under it aren't much different, unless it is extraordinarily high, though the occasional possibility of going through the fence would be removed. The difficulties of building a wall in the mountains, desert and river are enormous and of ltitle marginal benefit, given the naural barriers these areas provide though, ultimately, it could be done if enough money was spent on it. One benefit may be that people no longer die attempting to cross the deserts. Both Trump and the objectors are knowingly making a big deal over something that won't change much.

The new Secretary of Homeland Security isn't a believer:

[Cf]

It's very strange seeing politics happen from twitter.

[MintTrav]

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

quite funny the idea that US consumers would pay for the wall


White House Sows Confusion About Plan for a 20% Import Tax

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/us/politics/mexico-wall-tax-trump.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

[TightEnd]

The State Department’s entire senior administrative team resigned

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2017/01/26/the-state-departments-entire-senior-management-team-just-resigned/?utm_term=.a3472124f2fc

[MintTrav]

John McCain U.S. Senator ~ Arizona

Press ReleasesHome  Press  Press Releases

Jan 25 2017STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON REPORTS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTING REVIEW OF INTERROGATION POLICIES

Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on reports that President Trump will sign an executive order directing a review of interrogation policies:

“The President can sign whatever executive orders he likes. But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America.

“On June 16, 2015, the United States Senate voted 78-21 to adopt an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 that reaffirmed the prohibition on torture by limiting interrogation techniques to those in the Army Field Manual. The Army Field Manual does not include waterboarding or other forms of enhanced interrogation. The law requires the field manual to be updated to ensure it ‘complies with the legal obligations of the United States and reflects current, evidence-based, best practices for interrogation that are designed to elicit reliable and voluntary statements and do not involve the use or threat of force.’ Furthermore, the law requires any revisions to the field manual be made available to the public 30 days prior to the date the revisions take effect.

“During both our personal conversations and his confirmation hearing, CIA Director Mike Pompeo repeatedly committed to me that he will comply with the law that applies the Army Field Manual’s interrogation requirements to all U.S. agencies, including the CIA. In response to written questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said he ‘support(s) using the Army Field Manual as the single standard for all U.S. military interrogations.’ I am confident these leaders will be true to their word.”

[TightEnd]

What each incoming US President said was the big problem facing US, 1789-2009

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/20/14328420/inauguration-speech-chart

Click to see full-size image.