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Number of Refugees Entering the U.S. Drops

New statistics show a major drop in the number of refugees admitted into the U.S. under President Trump, when compared to the Obama Administration.
Data released from the Department of Homeland Security Friday shows the number of admitted refugees dropped by nearly 50%.
13,000 came to the U.S. during President Trump’s first 3 months in office, but 25,000 entered during the last months of the Obama Administration.
And when compared to the same period last year, the number of arrivals in the first months of the Trump Administration dropped by 12%.

ObamaCare Battle: Pro-Trump group previewing attack ads on GOP Senator Heller

The pro-Trump super PAC that vowed an ad campaign against Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller within hours of him on Friday opposing the GOP’s ObamaCare overhaul bill previewed its attack Saturday on social media.
“Why did @SenDeanHeller lie to voters about #RepealAndReplace? He’s now with @NancyPelosi. NOT GOOD! #HellerVotesYes,” tweeted America First Policies, run by former President Trump and Vice President Pence campaign staffers.
The group has bought $1 million worth of traditional ads (typically TV and radio) and is expected to start running them next week in Nevada, in addition to a digital ad campaign.
Heller is one of five GOP senators opposing the bill. The chamber has 52 GOP senators. Leaders of the GOP-controlled chamber need 51 votes to pass their ObamaCare bill. That means a maximum of two can defect, and that would require Pence to cast the deciding vote in what would be a 50-50 tie with Senate Democrats.
Heller is up for re-election in 2018 and is considered one of the most vulnerable GOP senators.
"Obamacare is collapsing. This is a crisis for the American people. There is no excuse for any Republican or Democrat to oppose the Senate health care bill outright," group President Brian Walsh said Friday. "Senator Heller ... appears to be heading down a path with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the radical left."
The other GOP senators who oppose the bill are Sens. Ted Cruz, Texas; Ron Johnson, Wisconsin; Mike Lee, Utah; and Rand Paul, Kentucky.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., released the bill Thursday, which awaits a financial analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and a floor vote by as early as next week.
“This bill currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer.” Heller said Friday. “In this form, I will not support it.”

Chaffetz: Justice watchdog also looking at Lynch's role in FBI's Clinton email probe

Utah GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of House oversight committee, said Saturday that the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office, in addition to a Senate panel, is looking into whether former Attorney General Loretta Lynch tried to squash the FBI’s Hillary Clinton email investigation.
“This is really a pivotal moment,” said Chaffetz on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends," amid three probes into whether President Trump’s presidential team colluded with Russia during the 2016 White House race that have slowed Washington Republicans’ legislative agenda.
Chaffetz said agency Inspector General Michael Horowitz “has been diving into this” and is expected to release a comprehensive report on Lynch and her oversight on the now-closed FBI email investigations in “the first part of next year.”
Horowitz could not be reached Saturday for comment.
The FBI opened and closed two investigations amid the 2016 presidential campaigns on whether Clinton, the Democratic nominee, gave away classified information or broke laws as secretary of State by sending or receiving emails on an unsecured server.
In June 2016, in the heat of the presidential campaign, Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, talked privately to Lynch while their planes were on the tarmac in a Phoenix airport, sparking questions about whether Clinton appealed to her for help.
The issue essentially died when Trump defeated Clinton but resurfaced a few weeks ago when former FBI Director James Comey testified on Capitol Hill that he was uncomfortable with the tarmac meeting.
He said Lynch “directed me not to call it an investigation and call it a matter -- which confused me."
Chaffetz, who is officially resigning next week from Congress, said Saturday the remark “evidently sparked a series of events” for Comey.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, in a bipartisan announcement, formally asked Lynch and others Friday to respond to allegations of “political interference” in the FBI email probe.
They have until July 6 to comply with the request.
The Senate inquiry was also prompted by news reports that raised questions about whether Lynch tried to stifle the investigation.
Among them is a New York Times story in April that is based in part on a hacked and unconfirmed electronic documents obtained by the FBI in which a Democratic operative expressed confidence Lynch would keep the Clinton probe from going too far.

Turkey’s Erdogan says Arab demands on Qatar unlawful

President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed calls for Turkey to close a military base in Qatar and said a wider list of demands issued by four Arab states was an unlawful intervention against the Gulf emirate’s sovereignty.
In his strongest statement of support for Qatar in the nearly three-week-old crisis centered on the Gulf state, Erdogan said the call to withdraw Turkish forces was disrespectful and that Doha – which described the demands as unreasonable – was taking the right approach.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a boycott on June 5 on Qatar and issued 13 demands including closing Al Jazeera television, curbing relations with Iran, shutting the Turkish base and paying reparations.
Doha said it was reviewing the list, but said it was not reasonable or actionable.
“We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands,” Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. “…This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country.”
The demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatar’s interventionist foreign policy which has incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as threats to their dynastic rule.
Both Qatar and Turkey, whose ruling AK Party has its roots in Islamist politics, backed a Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt before it was overthrown in 2013. The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian.
Bahrain’s state news agency on Sunday confirmed the demands set out by un-named Gulf officials on Friday, including that Qatar close the Turkish base, end military cooperation with Ankara inside Qatar and stop supporting militant groups.
“The demands aim to achieve regional countries’ stability, stand firmly against foreign interference and stop support for terrorist organizations,” it said.
“NO PULLOUT”
Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbors cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha.
Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armored vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5, and Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that further reinforcements would be beneficial.
“The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf’s security,” he said. “Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda.”
Hurriyet newspaper said last week a joint exercise by Turkish and Qatari forces was expected following the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which started on Sunday, and the number of Turkish soldiers sent to the Gulf state could eventually reach 1,000. An air force contingent was also envisaged, it said.
Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia, but never received a clear answer.
“If Saudi Arabia wants us to have base there, a step toward this also can be taken,” he told reporters. “I made this offer to the king himself and they said they will consider this.”
“They did not come back to us since that day and even though they still didn’t come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey”.
Speaking outside the Istanbul mosque after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned program despite feeling briefly unwell.
“I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes,” he said.

White House to Focus on Energy This Week

June 24, 2017
Washington, D.C.- Emerald Robinson, Political Correspondent
“Energy week” will be the theme this upcoming week for the White House, following on the heels of “tech week” during which President Trump met with Silicon Valley leaders to discuss transforming government technology.
“Energy week” is expected to kick of with an event at the White House on Wednesday that will include many cabinet secretaries. If the Administration remains true to the format of the previous theme weeks, more insight into the President’s intended energy policies can be expected.
Heritage Foundation’s economic expert Steve Moore advised President Trump regarding economic issues during his campaign and feels confident about the future of U.S. energy policy under this administration.
“Energy is huge and Donald Trump is fully on board with that,” said Moore. In addition, he applauded the President for pulling out of the Paris Agreement saying that it “was a shakedown of the United States taxpayer.”
According to Moore, certain policies could result in the United States becoming the energy capital of the world due to its wealth of oil, natural gas, and coal. He added that the U.S. could be selling oil instead of importing it.
It appears that the Administration echoes this view on energy based on the America First Energy Plan detailed on the White House website, which states that the Trump Administration is “committed to clean coal technology” and will “embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans.”