Lansing, Michigan rescinds 'sanctuary' status after criticism from businesses

The city council in Lansing, Mich. voted Wednesday to rescind its decsion to deem itself a "sanctuary" city for illegal immigrants after concerns from the businesses that the status would draw unwelcome attention to the city.
The term "sanctuary city" generally refers to jurisdictions that do not cooperate with U.S. immigration officials. Under Lansing city policy, police don't ask for people's immigration status, except as required by U.S. or Michigan law or a court order.
Council members voted 5-2 to reverse last week's 6-0 vote to give the city "sanctuary" status. Immigration advocates in the crowd called called council members "spineless" and said "you're all losing your seats."
The dispute comes as several cities are battling President Donald Trump's promised crackdown on places that block cooperation between their police departments and U.S. immigration authorities. The Trump administration has warned that sanctuary cities could lose federal money for refusing to cooperate with immigration authorities.
After last week's vote, council members received a letter from the Lansing Regional Chamber and Michigan Chamber of Commerce urging them to remove references to "sanctuary city" from its resolution.
"Lansing is a diverse community, rich with history and culture. It's what makes our city a welcoming destination to live, work and thrive," the business groups' letter says. "Recent actions of City Council, whether intended or not, have placed an unnecessary target on the City of Lansing while jeopardizing millions of dollars in federal funding that impacts the city budget."
"The term 'sanctuary' in the resolution has become very problematic and distracting — so distracting in my opinion that's it's taken away from the intent of our resolution, which is to protect individuals," said Councilwoman Judi Brown Clarke. "It's basically a 'don't ask' policy, which was outlined by the mayor's executive order and what we had in our policy complements that."
That was already the policy in Lansing before last week's vote, but Lansing called itself a "welcoming city," rather than a "sanctuary city." Neither the welcoming city resolution nor the sanctuary city resolution called for Lansing to prohibit workers from providing information on a person's immigration status with U.S. immigration officials — a ban that's at the heart of some urban sanctuary cities disagreements with the Trump administration.
Mayor Virg Bernero has said he is confident Lansing's policies don't violate federal law, but "we are also prepared to take legal action to protect the prerogatives and powers of local government and local law enforcement."
Michigan Chamber President and CEO Richard Studley said the group's members want city officials "to stop wasting time on costly political statements and focus on real economic issues."
"I have no problem with the earlier resolution that affirmed the city's status as a welcoming city," Studley said. "The challenge is with the language declaring the city a 'sanctuary city' — adopted hastily with little debate. I think that it is easily misinterpreted or misunderstood."
The issue also has touched off debate in the Republican-controlled Michigan Legislature, which is considering banning local governments from enacting or enforcing rules that limit communication and cooperation with federal officials concerning people's immigration status. Similar legislation died in the last session.
Clarke believes that the term "sanctuary" could be getting in the way of helping constituents.
"I think ultimately what we learned is ... we thought we could define what 'sanctuary city' meant, and in actuality it has its own negative connotation," she said. "The only way to take that away is to take that word away."

Trump says China took 'big step' in sending coal ships back to North Korea

President Trump: I will work to enhance NATO

President Trump said Wednesday that China took a “big step” in easing tensions between the two nations by turning away North Korean coal ships the day before and returning them to their home port of Nampo.
At a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday, Trump described his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as one with “good chemistry” and praised China’s apparent commitment to banning coal imports from North Korea.
“We have a very big problem in North Korea and as I said, I really think that China is going to try very hard, and has already started—a lot of the coal boats have already been turned back—you saw that yesterday and today—they’ve been turned back,” Trump said.
“The vast amount of coal coming out of North Korea going to China, they’ve turned back the boats—that’s a big step and there are many other steps I know about so we’ll see what happens, it may be effective, it may not be effective—if it’s not effective, we will be effective—I can promise you that.”
Reuters first reported the North Korean ship movement Tuesday. According to Reuters, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on February 26—cutting off the country’s most important export product—after repeated missile tests from the isolated nation that drew criticism from around the globe.
A senior defense official told Fox News on Wednesday that the Reuters report was “credible.”
While the White House said it would not comment on the Reuters report, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told Fox News that all UN Member States are required to implement sanctions resolutions in good faith, and that the U.S. “expects them to do so.”
“Full implementation of this resolution will demonstrate global consensus in imposing stronger sanctions on North Korea’s sources of revenue for its UN-proscribed nuclear, ballistic missile, and proliferation programs,” Toner said in an email to Fox News.
The report also suggested that China’s ban of North Korean coal could be beneficial to the U.S. economy, if the U.S. makes up the difference and considers selling coal to China.
According to Reuters data, there was no U.S. coking coal exported to China between late 2014 and 2016, but shipments rose to over 400,000 tons by late February, amid Trump’s repeated commitment to restoring the U.S. coal industry and rolling back Obama-era coal regulations.
Under the Obama administration, the coal mining industry lost approximately 36,400 jobs, and between 2009 and 2015, the number of coal mines in the U.S. declined by 554, leaving 853 mines in the U.S.  by 2015, down from the 1,407 in 2009.
Last month, the president signed an executive order to “end the war on coal” and lift the ban on federal leasing for coal production, as well as the “job-killing restrictions” on the production of clean coal and other energy sources.
“We’re going to have clean coal—really clean coal,” Trump said at the signing of the Executive Order to Create Energy Independence.”

North Korea preparing for sixth nuclear test, monitoring group says

North Korea may soon conduct its sixth nuclear test in the face of the United States' decision to move a carrier group toward the region.
Satellite imagery shows activity at the Punggye-ri testing site, analysts from 38 North, a U.S. research institute that monitors North Korea, wrote on its website Wednesday.
Foreign journalists inside the country were told to prepare for a "big and important event" Thursday, Reuters reported.
The analysts added that there was movement around one of the portals and in the main administrative area of the site as well as personnel seen at the command center.
South Korean officials downplayed any news signs that a test was coming, Bloomberg reported. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Roh Jae-cheon told reporters that Seoul saw no signs that North Korea was preparing any sort of provocative actions. Officials added that Pyongyang has maintained such readiness that it could conduct a missile test without warning, according to Reuters.
Chinese President Xi Jingping told Trump in a phone call Wednesday that he wants a peaceful solution to ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and would be willing to work with Washington on the matter.
"China insists on realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula ... and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with the American side over the issue on the peninsula," Xi was quoted as saying by state media.
Trump had warned North Korea Tuesday that he vowed to get Kim Jong –Un’s regime under control with or without China’s help.
Meanwhile, North Korea said Monday it would “hold the U.S. wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences” if there was any further military action after the USS Carl Vinson arrives in the area of the Korean Peninsula.

Mexican Border Crossing Cartoons

Sessions: 'The border is not open. Please don't come'

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Fox News' "Hannity" Tuesday night that the Trump administration is trying to send a strong message to anyone thinking of trying to enter America illegally.
"The border is not open. Please don't come." Sessions said in an interview with host Sean Hannity. "You will be apprehended if you do come and you will be deported promptly. If you’re a criminal, you will be prosecuted, and if you assault our officers, we’re going to come at you [like] a ton of bricks."
Sessions said President Trump's rhetoric was having an effect, citing a recent Department of Homeland Security report indicating that fewer people are attempting to cross America's southern border illegally.
ARRESTS AT MEXICO BORDER REACH LOWEST LEVEL SINCE 2000
"I knew strong Presidential leadership, unlike the wishy-washy-ness we’ve seen in the past, would impact the flow, but not as much as we’ve seen already," Sessions said. "The numbers are down 70 percent since President Obama left office. So it’s really a remarkable achievement."
The attorney general spoke after wrapping up a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, where he urged federal prosecutors to focus on immigration-related crimes, such as human trafficking.
Sessions also responded to reports that GOP lawmakers were dropping funds for Trump's proposed border wall from a spending bill being prepared for later this month.
SESSIONS VOWS TO CONFRONT CARTELS, GANGS ON VISIT TO US-MEXICO BORDER
"I believe he will get funding for the wall. I can’t imagine Congress to deny him that," said Sessions, before adding, "It doesn’t have to be every foot of the entire 1,700-mile border ... But a wall, a barrier, multiplies the ability of our border patrol and customs officers to be effective ... So, this is the way to go."

Republican holds on in closely-watched Kansas special House election

Kansas state Treasurer Ron Estes held off a stronger-than-expected challenge from Democratic civil rights attorney James Thompson Tuesday night as the GOP won the first special congressional election since President Trump's inauguration.
The election was held to fill the House seat vacated by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a former three-term representative of Kansas' 4th district.
Estes won 53 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Thompson. The Republican's margin of victory was just over 8,000 votes. By contrast, Pompeo won re-election in November by 31 percentage points and 85,000 votes.
In a speech to supporters in Wichita, Thompson vowed that he would run for the seat again in 2018 and argued that the result was evidence that no Republican district is safe.
The race had been closely watched nationally for signs of a backlash against Republicans or waning support from Trump voters in a reliably GOP district. Trump won 60 percent of the votes cast in the 17-county congressional district this past November.
The president himself entered the fray Monday with a recorded get-out-the-vote call on Estes' behalf and tweeted his support on Tuesday morning.
Other nationally known Republicans pitched in over the final days of the race. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas campaigned for Estes Monday in Wichita, while Vice President Mike Pence also recorded a get-out-the-vote call. The National Republican Congressional Committee spent roughly $90,000 in last-minute TV and digital ads.
Thompson reckoned that the high-profile support for Estes helped push him over the top, and claimed he could have won had national Democrats rallied to him sooner. Readers of the liberal blog Daily Kos donated more than $200,000 to Thompson in the final days of the race. Thompson was also backed by Our Revolution, the group that grew out of Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.
"You fight," Thompson said when asked what the results should show Democrats. "You play every game."
All those GOP calls prompted Charlene Health, a 52-year-old homemaker and Republican in Belle Plaine, to cast a ballot for Estes.
"I wasn't even going to vote," she said as she left her polling site Tuesday morning. "I finally did. I realized this was important."
Alan Branum, 64, a retired construction worker is a Wichita Democrat who voted for Estes and plans to change his party affiliation to Republican since he leans more conservative. He thinks Trump has been been doing fine so far.

"I don't think it is fair people condemn him," he said of the president. "He hasn't been in long enough to make a judgment. People need to give him some time."
Estes supported Trump last year and backs the president's policies. He supports the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, backs funding for a wall on the border with Mexico, opposes funding for Planned Parenthood, and does not believe an independent investigation into Russian hacking of the election is needed.
Lucy Jones-Phillips, a 31-year-old insurance representative and Democrat, acknowledged she doesn't vote in every election, but said she voted for Thompson because she wanted to ensure supporters of Gov. Sam Brownback are not in office. She was especially upset when the Republican governor recently vetoed Medicaid expansion.
"I can't stand Brownback," she said as she left her polling site in Belle Plaine.
Thompson tried to tap into voter frustration with Brownback throughout the campaign, tying the state treasurer to the unpopular Republican governor. Thompson has called the Kansas congressional election more of a referendum on Brownback than on Trump.

But Thomas Hauser, 67, of Belle Plaine, a Republican who works in the information technology industry, said he crossed party lines in Tuesday's election to vote for Thompson. He also didn't vote for Trump in the last year's general election. Thompson appealed to Hauser in part because both men are ex-military but also because "I don't believe in the (GOP) line."
Republicans have represented the south-central Kansas district since 1994. The district has been hard hit by the downturn in the agricultural economy and the loss of hundreds of well-paying, blue-collar jobs in aircraft manufacturing plants.
With Estes' victory, Republicans are now defending three GOP-leaning seats in upcoming special elections in Georgia, Montana and South Carolina. Democrats are protecting a seat in a liberal California district.

North Korea decries US carrier dispatch as parliament meets

PYONGYANG, North Korea –  North Korea's parliament convened Tuesday amid heightened tensions on the divided peninsula, with the United States and South Korea conducting their biggest-ever military exercises and the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier heading to the area in a show of American strength.
North Korea vowed a tough response to any military moves that might follow the U.S. decision to send the carrier and its battle group to waters off the Korean Peninsula.
"We will hold the U.S. wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions," a spokesman for its Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The statement followed an assertion by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack carry a message for any nation operating outside of international norms. He didn't specify North Korea, but the context was clear enough.
"If you violate international agreements, if you fail to live up to commitments, if you become a threat to others, at some point a response is likely to be undertaken," Tillerson told ABC's "This Week."
Pyongyang is always extremely sensitive to the annual U.S.-South Korea war games, which it sees as an invasion rehearsal, and justifies its nuclear weapons as defensive in nature. It has significantly turned up the volume of its rhetoric that war could be on the horizon if it sees any signs of aggression from south of the Demilitarized Zone.
"This goes to prove that the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario," the North's statement said, referring to the country by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "If the U.S. dares opt for a military action, crying out for 'pre-emptive attack' ... the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S."
In Washington, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump has been very clear that it's "not tolerable" for North Korea to have nuclear-armed missiles.
"The last thing we want to see is a nuclear North Korea that threatens the coast of the United States, or, for that matter, any other country, or any other set of human beings," Spicer said at the Tuesday news briefing.
Trump spoke last week with China's President Xi Jinping about the "shared national interest" in stopping its close ally, North Korea, from having nuclear capabilities, Spicer said, adding that it would be helpful if China was more outspoken on the matter.
"He would welcome President Xi weighing in on this a little bit more," Spicer said.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump also said that he tried to persuade Xi to put pressure on North Korea in exchange for a good trade deal with the U.S.
"I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!" Trump tweeted.
In a second tweet he wrote: "North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A."
North Korea's parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, nominally the highest organ of government, opened Tuesday with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, taking the center seat.
Foreign media are not allowed to attend parliamentary sessions. Initial reports from state media said the meeting went through domestic issues, with Premier Pak Pong Ju making a speech about the latest five-year economic plan, which was announced last year. Another closely watched category on the official agenda is organizational issues, which can mean new appointments to senior positions.
Like other attendees, Kim Jong Un was shown on the North Korean news late Tuesday holding up his assembly membership card to vote on state business.
This year's meeting kicks off what are expected to be major celebrations, including a large-scale military parade and fireworks, to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader and "eternal president," and Kim Jong Un's late grandfather.
Though the details of the April 15 anniversary — known as the "Day of the Sun" — have not been officially confirmed, Pyongyang residents have been out every day diligently practicing in the city's squares and parks for the mass event.
The North Korean parliament is often dismissed as rubberstamp because it tends to approve, rather than formulate, policies and laws, but its role is a bit more complex than the facade and spectacle presented to the nation by state-run media.
For one thing, the regularity of its meetings — it usually meets once or twice a year — is, in itself, a sign of stability.
"The SPA gatherings completely undercut any analysis or prognostications that the country is going to collapse. If they failed to convene an SPA session, that would be an indication that there is a fundamental problem among DPRK elites," said Michael Madden, editor of the North Korea Leadership Watch website.
"If there was an existential problem with the (ruling) Workers' Party of Korea and the political culture, then they wouldn't be convening so many people at one time in Pyongyang," Madden said.

China's Xi tells Trump he wants peaceful solution to North Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Trump in a phone call Wednesday that Beijing is willing to work with Washington on ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, but wants to do so through peaceful means.
Xi told Trump that China insists on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson to the area and the conducting of the biggest-ever U.S.-South Korea military drills.
"China insists on realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula ... and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with the American side over the issue on the peninsula," Xi was quoted as saying by state media.
TRUMP WARNS CHINA ON NORTH KOREA: HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR ‘WE WILL’
The call came after Trump warned in a pair of tweets Tuesday that North Korea “is looking for trouble” and vowed to get Kim Jong-Un’s regime under control with or without China’s help.
“I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!” Trump tweeted.
He added in a second tweet: “North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.”
Trump and other U.S. officials have repeatedly called on China to leverage its status as North Korea's biggest economic partner and source of food and fuel aid to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
China has said that it is in full compliance with sanctions enacted under U.N. Security Council resolutions and in February, suspending imports of coal from North Korea — a key source of foreign currency for Kim.
However, Beijing also said it will not countenance measures that could bring about a collapse of the regime that could release a flood of refugees across its border, destabilize northeast Asia and result in a U.S.-friendly government taking power in Pyongyang.
North Korea has drawn U.S. ire recently following a series of ballistic missile tests. There is also fear the country’s nuclear program is progressing.
Pyongyang said Monday it would “hold the U.S. wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences” if there was any further military action after the USS Carl Vinson arrives in the area of the Korean Peninsula.
Adding to tensions, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that activity appeared to be taking place at a North Korean nuclear test site ahead of the April 15 anniversary of the communist country's founding.