Friday, January 27, 2017
2 arrested in flag burning protest in Iowa
Officials arrest two people on Thursday after a group of protesters set several American flags on fire during a rally at an Iowa pedestrian mall.
Iowa City Press Citizen reported that the group was protesting “racial and social injustice” in Iowa City.
During the rally, a FedEx worker rushed to the scene, grabbing the flags and putting out the blaze with a fire extinguisher.
The delivery man told the Press Citizen that his actions were not connected to his FedEx employer.
Many took to Twitter to applaud the man’s actions, some referring to him as a “hero.”
Police arrested and charged 21-year-old Kelli Ebensberger and 23-year-old Paul Osgerby with violating the city’s public burn ordinance, which is considered a misdemeanor.
"When I see the flag, I see racial injustice," Paul Osgerby told the Press Citizen. "I see social injustice from Native American genocide to African-American slavery to failing to recognize women as citizens until the 20th century.”
The group reportedly did not have permits for the fire.
"It’s not for the content of what they were burning but rather for violating the city ordinance of open burning," Iowa City Police Sgt. Scott Gaarde said.
WQAD reported that protesters said their actions were protected under First Amendment rights.
Ebensberger and Osgerby are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 23.
Carlos Slim calls for rare press conference days after border wall announcement
Mexican president doubles down on refusing to pay for wall |
The focus of the press conference was not immediately clear, but a spokesman for Slim told Fortune that the billionaire will take reporters’ questions.
In November, Forbes called Slim the world’s “biggest billionaire loser” after Trump’s election, after his fortune plunged from 451.7 billion to an estimated $45.2 billion.
During the presidential campaign, Trump accused Slim—who supported Hillary Clinton-- of orchestrating negative coverage of him in the Times. At one point, the real estate mogul said Times reporters were "not journalists" but were "corporate lobbyists for Carlos Slim and Hillary Clinton."
The telecommunications magnate, who is one of the world's richest people, said that if Trump achieves his promises to expand the U.S. economy, create millions of jobs and lower middle-class taxes, it will be "fantastic" for Mexico by increasing U.S. consumption.
And Trump's promise for big spending on infrastructure projects would mean more jobs for Mexicans because there are not enough Americans to fill them, Slim said.
He added that Trump's tough talk toward Mexico should spur the country to refocus on investing in its own economy.
O'Reilly: Sanctuary Cities 'Promote Anarchy' & Trump Should Cut Their Funding
In his Talking Points Memo tonight, Bill O'Reilly slammed the pro-illegal immigration lobby's objections to President Donald Trump's executive actions.
On Wednesday, Trump signed two executive orders that cover a range of immigration enforcement measures, including starting the wall on the southern border and threatening sanctuary cities with a cut-off of funding.
O'Reilly said that "all hell is breaking loose," as many on the left simply do not want U.S. immigration laws enforced.
He pointed out that whether they oppose immigration laws for humanitarian, personal or political reasons, the fact is that it's up to Congress to change existing laws.
"You apply to come to the U.S.A., and your application is either accepted or rejected. If you simply show up with no papers, you're violating U.S. law," O'Reilly said. "So, there really isn't any legal argument here. It's all about theory and politics."
He said that "irresponsible" politicians like Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are ignoring federal law by operating sanctuary cities.
"So if these protesters and these loony mayors think that open borders and lax immigration enforcement are good things, they're idiots and deserve to be scorned," O'Reilly said.
"Breaking it down, sanctuary cities and counties promote anarchy. If the left doesn't like immigration law, petition Congress to change it. If the mayors refuse to obey federal law, President Trump should cut off federal funds immediately."
Trump spokesman says 20-percent tax on Mexican goods could fund wall
President Trump’s plan to make Mexico pay for the wall he intends to build on the southern border may have taken shape Thursday, when his spokesman suggested imposing a 20-percent import tax on Mexican goods.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned the possibility to reporters on Air Force One Thursday, as relations between Trump and his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto spiraled.
In this Nov. 10, 2016 file photo, workers raise a
taller fence along the Mexico-US border between the towns of Anapra,
Mexico and Sunland Park, New Mexico
(The Associated Press)
"If you tax that $50 billion at 20 percent of imports – which is by the way a practice that 160 other countries do – right now our country's policy is to tax exports and let imports flow freely in, which is ridiculous," he said. "By doing it that we can do $10 billion a year and easily pay for the wall just through that mechanism alone. That's really going to provide the funding."
The comments came on another packed day for the Trump administration, and a tumultuous one regarding immigration and Mexico policy. Sources confirmed that Mark Morgan has been removed as head of Border Patrol, in the wake of Trump's executive actions a day earlier boosting the agency and directing the construction of a wall.
In the wake of those orders, Nieto also canceled a scheduled meeting with Trump later this month.
Trump insisted throughout his successful campaign that not only would he build a wall to secure the border from illegal immigration and drugs, but that Mexico would pay for it. The oft-repeated pledge prompted speculation and even derision in the U.S., and outrage in Mexico. Nieto, while canceling the meeting, also insisted his nation will not fund the project, which could cost $12 billion or more.
Trump responded to Nieto by saying the meeting would be a waste of time, anyway, and tweeting that the U.S. is on the short end of the trading stick with Mexico.
Spicer raised the possibility of a tax after Trump told congressional Republicans that trade revenue from Mexico could finance the wall. That revenue would apparently be a component of a border tax plan that would be part of larger tax reforms.
Talk of a possible tax on U.S. imports from Mexico raised some eyebrows in Asia, where exports to the U.S. drive growth in many economies.
Japanese officials said on Friday they hoped to soon hold talks on trade with U.S. officials. Finance Minister Taro Aso said he hoped to explain the "reality of Japanese employment" in the U.S.
The Japanese government spokesman refused comment on the spat, but said Tokyo would watch for any impact on Japanese companies.
Mexico and the U.S. trade about $531 billion in goods and services each year, with the U.S. running a $58 million trade deficit with its third-biggest partner. Cars, heavy machinery and agricultural products form the bulk of U.S. imports from Mexico.
Imposing the tax would likely require renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has said he intends to do.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Pena Nieto reiterates Mexico will not pay for Trump's border wall
Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto Wednesday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order to build a wall on the border betwen the two countries, and reiterated that his country will not pay for it.
"I regret and reject the decision of the U.S. to build the wall," Pena Nieto said in a nationally televised address.
Pena Nieto did not directly mention whether he would still make a planned trip to Washington on Jan. 31, but said he would await reports from the high-level team of Mexican officials currently meeting with Trump administration officials in Washington.
"Based on the final report from the Mexican officials who are in Washington right now ... I will make decisions about what to do next," he said.
After talking tough about the wall, he held out an olive branch, saying "Mexico re-affirms its friendship with the people of the United States, and its willingness to reach agreements with its government."
TRUMP DRAFT ORDER REPORTEDLY WILL HALT REFUGEE PROCESSING FOR SYRIANS
The decision to possibly rethink the visit comes amid growing outrage in Mexico, and a sense among many that Pena Nieto has been too weak in the face of Trump's tough policy stance.
The senior official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press the administration "is considering" scrapping Pena Nieto's visit to the U.S. "That's what I can tell you."
It was not clear when a final decision may be made.
Trump's order came the same day Mexico's foreign relations and economy secretaries arrived in Washington, and its timing was seen by many in Mexico as a slap in the face.
Critics of Pena Nieto - whose approval ratings were just 12 percent in a recent survey, the lowest for any Mexican president in the polling era - have hammered him for his perceived weakness on Trump. Opposition politicians urged him Wednesday to call off the trip.
"The position is very clear," said Ricardo Anaya Cortes, president of the conservative opposition National Action Party. "Either one cancels the meeting with Donald Trump, or one attends it to say publicly and with absolute firmness that Mexico rejects the wall and we will not pay a single cent for it."
Trump has also promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Analyst Jorge Zepeda Patterson argued that Pena Nieto should keep the meeting as scheduled, saying Mexico should exhaust all possibilities for negotiating to minimize damage. He said Pena Nieto should try to reach an agreement that's enough to let Trump claim victory and then move on to another foil.
"Trump is more interested in boasting of an immediate success than an ambitious result. He is interested in appearances," Zepeda said.
The U.S. president has also promised to step up deportations. He launched his campaign with remarks calling immigrants crossing in illegally from Mexico criminals, drug dealers and "rapists." Trump added that "some" were presumably good people, but the comments nonetheless deeply offended many Mexicans.
Pena Nieto was roundly criticized after inviting candidate Trump to Mexico City last August and disappointed many of his countrymen by not publicly confronting Trump on the wall.
On Tuesday, ahead of their trip to Washington, the economy and foreign relations secretaries suggested that Mexico could leave NAFTA if negotiations with Washington are unsatisfactory - though that would not be the first choice.
Already Mexico is feeling the effects of the new tone from Washington. The Mexican peso has sharply devalued since Trump was elected, and several high-profile business ventures have been canceled amid threats to impose a border tax on goods made in Mexico and exported to the United States.
Hey illegals, start packing your bags!
Grab a shovel, America -- President Trump is about to build that wall.
The White House on Wednesday rolled out a series of executive actions on immigration and border security – designed to restore American sovereignty – an issue I address in my new book, “The Deplorables’ Guide to Making America Great Again.”
Among other things – President Trump announced a crackdown on sanctuary cities that harbor illegal aliens. He also plans to provide the Department of Homeland Security with more resources to fight illegal immigration.
And remember the Obama administration’s “catch and release” policies? Well, those days are now over.
In other words -- all of you illegals out there might want to pack a bag and catch the next Greyhound bus to Nuevo Laredo.
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The president also plans on temporarily suspending visas from countries that are loaded with radical Muslims – places like Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya.
“These executive orders will not make our nation any safer, rather it will make our nation more fearful and less welcoming, and such restrictions run contrary to (the) very founding principles of our nation,” Hassan Shibly, executive director of CAIR-Florida told CNN.
It’s no surprise that critics are enraged – accusing the administration of being xenophobic and Islamophobic. They seem to think we should roll out the red carpet for illegals at the expense of law-abiding Americans.
We are barely a week into the Trump presidency and he's already managed to dump TPP, engage pro-lifers, rattle Democrats and discombobulate the mainstream media.
I really like this guy.
I mean, the sheer scope of his immigration policies is incredible. He’s cracking down on sanctuary cities -- temporarily suspending visas from hotbeds of radical Islam and building a wall.
We’re going to build a wall, America! To be honest, there were moments during the presidential campaign when I wondered if the wall was some sort of metaphor. But no sir! By golly, he plans on building a great, big, larger-than-life, Trump signature wall.
Imagine that, folks -- a Republican president who does what he promised to do on the campaign trail. Never in all my life did I think I'd see that day.
All I can say is thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for keeping your word.
To be clear, the president's executive orders are not xenophobic or Islamophobic. They are not anti-Mexican or anti-refugee. Rather, President Trump's immigration and border security policies are pro-American. I know that must be a shocking concept – especially after the past eight years.
But President Trump promised to put America first -- and he's delivering on that promise.
To the nations of the world -- we are more than happy to welcome your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. But if it's all the same -- you can just keep the deadbeats and reprobates -- and the people who want to blow us up.
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