Who President Trump might tap for the Supreme Court

Down to two:

A look at who President Trump might tap for the Supreme Court

Judge Neil Gorsuch, left, and Judge Thomas Hardiman, right. (AP)

By Bill Mears

Reliably conservative. Personable and engaging. A sharp legal mind.

The benchmarks President Trump is weighing for his Supreme Court nominee is now down to two leading contenders, according to sources close to the selection process.

Both are white males and federal appeals court judges appointed by President George W. Bush: Neil Gorsuch from Denver and Thomas Hardiman who has chambers in Pittsburgh.

A few other judges remain officially in the mix, but linger on the rims, as an intensified two-week selection process moves to a dramatic finish.

"I have made my decision pretty much in my mind, yes," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "That's subject to change at the last moment, but I think this will be a great choice."

Trump reiterated the name will be revealed Thursday, but sources say the president has privately kept one person in mind for some time. He has met with at least three candidates to replace the late Antonin Scalia, whose seat on the high court has been vacant nearly a year.

"There's a hope that if the president nominates someone who is extremely talented, strong intellectually and is in the mainstream of legal thought-- and all these people were are talking about are - that while there will be lots of debate and some disagreement, the Senate will ultimately confirm the nominee without a high degree of obstruction,” Leonard Leo, an adviser to Trump on the Supreme Court, told Fox News exclusively.

Sources caution against billing one finalist as a presumptive favorite, saying the decision is solely in the president's hand, which he has not revealed.

But supporters of several candidates continue to solicit White House officials, knowing last minute change-of-hearts can and do happen.

East Coast pedigree with a heartland touch

Gorsuch's name has been rising in recent weeks. His age (he turns 50 this summer, with the potential for a long tenure on the court), impeccable resume (Columbia/Harvard/Oxford and clerking for two Supreme Court justices), and creative legal writing are all seen as pluses.

The Colorado native received unanimous confirmation a decade ago to his current seat on the 10th Circuit U-S Court of Appeals.

An academic study from November comparing top court successors to Scalia -- based on judicial philosophy and textual approach-- put Gorsuch second among Trump's "List of 21" for his "Scalia-ness" props.

Gorsuch-- whose late mother was President Reagan's EPA administrator-- is praised (and tweaked) for an often conversational writing style-- using popular cultural references and grammatical contractions in explaining his views.

This 2012 gem on workplace injury liability: Carnival "haunted houses may be full of ghosts, goblins, and guillotines, but it's their more prosaic features that pose the real danger. Tyler Hodges found that out when an evening shift working the ticket booth ended with him plummeting down an elevator shaft. "

One concern for conservatives: he has never written an opinion dealing with the constitutional right to abortion, so his views there remain a wildcard.

But some legal scholars say Gorsuch's 2009 book questioning laws allowing assisted suicide makes parallels to a central question for anti-abortion supporters: the idea that intentional, legally-sanctioned ending of human life is wrong.

Former law clerks who spoke to Fox News on condition of anonymity cite his experience in the Bush Justice Department and, on the bench, a rigid adherence to "originalism"-- the judicial philosophy spearheaded by Scalia that judges should follow the Constitution's original text, not insert personal, evolving policy preferences.

His views on criminal law (including the death penalty), interstate commerce, and religious liberty match much of Scalia's jurisprudence.

Blue collar appeal

Judge Hardiman may have more humble personal roots, but his legal record is just as strong.

His supporters note he was the first in his family to attend college, and drove a taxi to finance his law school education. The fact he did not attend an Ivy League school (unlike every current member of the high court and Scalia) may appeal to Trump's stated populist sentiments.

Some commentators compare the 51-year-old avorably to Justice Samuel Alito in terms of personality and jurisprudence. Both served on the 3rd Circuit U-S Court of Appeals.

Among the issues the Massachusetts native has tackled include gun rights. In a ruling last year, he backed a decision that said non-violent felons enjoyed the right carry a weapon.

"Their crimes of conviction were nonviolent and that their personal circumstances are distinguishable from those of persons who do not enjoy Second Amendment rights because of their demonstrated proclivity for violence," he wrote, showing the measured, non-flashy language that is his trademark.

He also dissented in a court ruling upholding a New Jersey law that mandated potential gun owners show a "justifiable need" to carry a handgun in public. He said the constitutional right "to keep and bear arms" extends beyond the home for self-protection.

One more thing might appeal to President Trump: respect for the separation of powers.

"I have no hesitation in applying a law regardless of what I might think about it," Hardiman said during his 2006 Senate confirmation. "I think any good judge recognizes his or her place in our constitutional government, and that place is not to upset the will of the people as expressed through their elected representatives."

Senate support

If ideological "reliability" is the key presidential criteria to fill a high court vacancy, "confirmability" may be a close second, as the nominee must navigate a hyper-partisan Senate fueled by well-financed advocacy groups on both sides.

White House officials-- past and present-- typically do not publicly discuss the political calculus that goes into ensuring a successful confirmation. But privately, they admit weighing whether a future justice will be acceptable, with as little as controversy as possible-- the better to preserve political capital for other legislative and policy fights.

Legal advisers to President Barack Obama touted his "no drama" approach to most of his judicial picks.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan-- while carving clear liberal records-- have yet to display the sharp rhetorical elbows and bombastic charm Scalia employed for three decades on the court.

Conservatives are confident whoever is chosen, will ultimately prevail.

"A lot of the people who voted them in at the appellate level are still there, including people like [Democratic] senators [Dianne] Feinstein and [Charles] Schumer. People like then-senator Obama," Carrie Severino, chief counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network, said. "These are people who at the time of their confirmation had bipartisan support, and now should have even more so because they have such long and stellar records on the bench."

JCN will be launching a $10 million national ad campaign to gather public support for the nominee.

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce Trump's travel ban

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement early Sunday saying that they plan on continuing to “enforce all of the president’s executive orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people.”

The DHS said the court order would not affect the overall implementation of the White House order and the court order affected a small number of travelers who were inconvenienced by security procedures upon their return.

“The president’s executive orders remain in place—prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety,” the statement said.

A federal judge issued an emergency order Saturday night temporarily barring the U.S. from deporting people from nations subject to President Donald Trump's travel ban, saying travelers who had been detained had a strong argument that their legal rights had been violated.

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to the White House, said, "Nothing in the Brooklyn judge's order in anyway impedes or prevents the implementation of the president's executive order which remains in full, complete and total effect."

U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in New York issued the emergency order after lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union filed a court petition on behalf of people from seven predominantly Muslim nations who were detained at airports across the country as the ban took effect.

The order barred U.S. border agents from removing anyone who arrived in the U.S. with a valid visa from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It also covered anyone with an approved refugee application.

Homeland Security said the order affects a small amount of people traveling internationally.

The DHS said the order was the “first step towards reestablishing control over America's borders and national security.”

Trump’s travel ban sparked protests around the country at several international airports. Demonstrators ranged from a few dozen people to thousands.

Under Trump's order, it had appeared that an untold number of foreign-born U.S. residents now traveling outside the U.S. could be stuck overseas for at least 90 days even though they held permanent residency "green cards" or other visas. However, an official with the DHS said Saturday night that no green-card holders from the seven countries cited in Trump's order had been prevented from entering the U.S.

Trump billed his sweeping executive order as a necessary step to stop "radical Islamic terrorists" from coming to the U.S. It included a 90-day ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen and a 120-day suspension of the U.S. refugee program.

Trump's order also drew support from some Republican lawmakers who have urged more security measures for the refugee vetting program.

The DHS said in the statement that they “will faithfully execute the immigration laws, and we will treat all of those we encounter humanely and with professionalism.” They also added that they plan to ensure the safety of the American people by making sure those entering the U.S. pose no threat.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

"This is not a Muslim ban"

"This is not a Muslim ban"

President Trump took to Twitter on Sunday

 to respond to the international backlash against his recent immigration travel ban

Sunday's statement from the White House, in full:

"America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say. My policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months. The seven countries named in the Executive Order are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror. To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting. This is not about religion - this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order. We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days. I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria. My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help all those who are suffering.”

Chúc Tết - Trần Tế Xương

Chúc Tết

Trần Tế Xương

Lẳng lặng mà nghe nó chúc nhau,

Chúc nhau: Trăm tuổi bạc đầu râu.

Phen nầy ông quyết đi buôn cối,

Thiên hạ bao nhiêu đứa giã trầu.

Lẳng lặng mà nghe nó chúc giàu,

Trăm, nghìn, vạn, mớ để vào đâu.

Phen nầy ắt hẳn gà ăn bạc,

Đồng rụng, đồng rơi lọ phải cầu.

Lẳng lặng mà nghe nó chúc sang,

Đứa thì mua tước, đứa mua quan.

Phen nầy ông quyết đi buôn lộng,

Vừa bán, vừa la cũng đắt hàng.

Lẳng lặng mà nghe nó chúc con,

Sinh năm, đẻ bảy được vuông tròn.

Phố phường chật hẹp người đông đúc,

Bồng bế nhau lên nó ở non.

 

Chúc tết Việt gian Cộng Sản

• Việt Cộng chết hết và chết một cách thảm khốc.

• Thân Cộng (ăn cơm quốc gia thờ ma Cộng sản), VGCS chết hết và chết một cách thảm thương.

• Những kẻ đánh phá hoặc mạ lỵ những ngưòi chống Cộng để làm lợi cho Việt Cộng hay để gây chia rẽ hàng ngũ người Việt Quốc Gia, cũng chết hết và chết một cách thảm hại.

• Những đứa quên tư cách tỵ nạn Cộng Sản Việt Nam, những kẻ luồn trôn Việt Cộng, những tên việt kiều về ăn chơi nuôi sống Việt Cộng, đi máy bay sẽ nổ, đi tàu thì tàu chìm, đi bất cứ bằng phương tiện nào, sẽ chết và chết một cách thảm hại, chết tan xương nát thịt.

Ông Đồ - Vũ Đình Liên

Ông Đồ

Mỗi năm hoa đào nở

Lại thấy ông đồ già

Bầy mực tàu giấy đỏ

Bên phố đông người qua

Bao nhiêu người thuê viết

Tấm tắc ngợi khen tài

“Hoa tay thảo những nét

Như phượng múa rồng bay”

Nhưng mỗi năm mỗi vắng

Người thuê viết nay đâu ?

Giấy đỏ buồn không thắm

Mực đọng trong nghiên sầu

Ông đồ vẫn ngối đấy

Qua đường không ai hay

Lá vàng rơi trên giấy

Ngoài trời mưa bụi bay

Năm nay đào lại nở

Không thấy ông đồ xưa

Những người muôn năm cũ

Hồn ở đâu bây giờ ?

Vũ Đình Liên

I Won’t Take a Bullet For President Trump

Secret Service vets shocked at agent's claim she won't take a bullet for Trump

By Malia Zimmerman

A Denver-based Secret Service agent’s assertion that she would rather go to jail than take a bullet for President Trump left veterans of the commander-in-chief’s vaunted security detail stunned.

Gary Byrne, who guarded President Clinton and the Oval Office during a 12-year stint with the Secret Service, told Fox News Special Agent Kerry O’Grady’s revelation on Facebook was astonishing.

“It is unheard of and unbelievable that someone at her level would comment publicly on being unwilling to protect the president,” said Byrne, author of “Crisis of Character,” a book that came out during the presidential campaign that was highly critical of Hillary Clinton. “Everyone has their own personal political opinions, but this job is not personal. You take an oath to the country, not the person. You are protecting the office, and what makes the country great.”

Dan Emmett, a retired Secret Service agent and author of “Within Arms Length” and “I Am a Secret Service Agent,” said, "In my view, O'Grady can no longer function with any degree of credibility as an agent and should retire or be dismissed by the Secret Service."

He added, “Her stated refusal or unwillingness to do what all Secret Service agents have been willing and expected to do since 1902 when the Secret Service began protecting presidents presents the worst possible example for her agents as well as all young agents Service wide. She has at this point rendered herself completely irrelevant as an agent. Few will be willing to work for her or with her."

The Secret Service is reportedly "taking appropriate action" after news broke that O’Grady had made the comments in an October Facebook post. The agency did not say if O’Grady, who is in charge of the Denver office, could be disciplined or even fired, but her comments may be in violation of The Hatch Act. That 1939 law bars certain federal employees from engaging in political activity to promote fairness and nonpartisanship within the workplace. The Secret Service is among the agencies affected by the Hatch Act.

"As a public servant for nearly 23 years, I struggle not to violate the Hatch Act,” O’Grady wrote. “So I keep quiet and skirt the median. To do otherwise can be a criminal offense for those in my position. Despite the fact that I am expected to take a bullet for both sides. But this world has changed and I have changed. And I would take jail time over a bullet or an endorsement for what I believe to be disaster to this country and the strong and amazing women and minorities who reside here. Hatch Act be damned. I am with Her."

O'Grady told the Washington Examiner that she took down the posts after two or three days and that she would protect the president.

"It was an internal struggle for me but as soon as I put it up, I thought it was not the sentiment that I needed to share because I care very deeply about the mission," she said.

Byrne said simply retracting the statement is not enough.

“At her level, she is special agent in charge of Denver, she has a couple hundred people working under her including agents, technicians, and officers,” he said. “Her job is to run the office, but to provide the manpower if the President comes to Colorado.

If she made these comments just to her friends, that is personal. But if you state that publicly, like she did on Facebook, she should be removed from the position.

“I cannot tell you how bad that is,” he added.

Did You Know Donald Trump’s Sister

Did You Know Donald Trump’s Sister is a Federal Appeals Court Judge?

by Ronn Blitzer

President Donald Trump has been known by the American public for decades. First as an outspoken New York real estate tycoon, later as a reality TV star, and now as Commander-in-Chief. But despite his occasional disdain for the legal system, his sister Maryanne Trump Barry is actually a prestigious federal judge with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge Barry, a graduate of Hofstra Law School, began her career as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey, before President Ronald Reagan appointed her as a U.S. District Judge there. In 1999, she began her current role on the Third Circuit bench, after being appointed by President Bill Clinton.

In addition to sharing a family, not to mention a penchant for well-kept hair, Judge Barry and President Trump also seem to share a distaste for political correctness, particularly when it comes to how men interact with women. Judge Barry got some backlash for remarks she made about sexual harassment to the Interagency Committee on Women in Law Enforcement. “I stand second to none in condemning sexual harassment of women,” she insisted. “But what is happening is that every sexy joke of long ago, every flirtation, is being recalled by some women and revised and re-evaluated as sexual harassment. Many of these accusations are, in anybody’s book, frivolous.” Judge Barry claimed that such “frivolous” claims of harassment eliminate “any kind of playfulness and banter” between men and women. “Where has the laughter gone?” she asked.

Despite some similarities, however, Judge Barry does not share the same political views that the President has espoused in recent years. While President Trump has been touting himself as pro-life, Judge Barry has drawn criticism from the right for ruling in favor of abortion rights. Trump’s former rival Senator Ted Cruz even called her a “radical pro-abortion extremist.” In reality, her stance on abortion isn’t as controversial as that, being that the source of her opponents’ ire is a case where she voted against a New Jersey law that would ban “partial-birth” abortion because it was so vague that Barry felt it could be used to bar almost any abortion.

President Trump had once commented in jest that his sister would be a “phenomenal” Supreme Court justice. While this may be true, Judge Barry’s record does not appear to be as conservative as the jurists currently rumored to be on the President’s short list.

*
**

Maryanne Trump Barry
Attorney
Maryanne Trump Barry is an attorney and a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Her younger brother is Donald Trump, the current President of the United States. Wikipedia

Born: 5 April 1937 (age 79 years), Queens, New York City, New York, United States
Spouse: John J. Barry (m. 1982–2000)
Siblings: Donald Trump, Robert Trump, Elizabeth Trump Grau, Fred Trump, Jr.
Children: David Desmond
Education: Columbia University, Mount Holyoke College, Hofstra University, Maurice A. Deane School of Law
Parents: Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, Fred Trump

All of Trump’s executive actions so far

All of Trump’s executive actions so far

The new president is chipping away at Obama’s legacy, and he’s not waiting for Congress to do it.

By Aidan Quigley

President Donald Trump has spent his first days using his executive authority to rewrite American policy and undo a string of decisions made by former president Barack Obama. Here’s a running list of the new president’s executive actions:

1. Providing “relief” from the Affordable Care Act

Trump’s first executive order on Inauguration Day involved “minimizing the economic burden” of the Affordable Care Act. This order allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the heads of other departments and agencies to waive or delay the implementation of any ACA provisions that would impose a financial burden or any state or a regulatory burden on any individuals.

2. Freezing all regulations

Trump froze all pending regulations until they are approved directly by his administration or by an agency led by Trump appointees. The action, given in a memorandum from White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, delays all regulations with the exception of health, safety, financial or national security matters allowed by the Office of Management and Budget director.

3. Reinstating the “Mexico City” abortion policy

The president reinstated the so-called “Mexico City Policy”, which blocks the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund foreign non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortions. It was established by former president Ronald Reagan and has been rescinded by Democratic presidents and reinstated by Republican presidents ever since.

4. Scrapping the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Trump’s next executive action withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which former President Barack Obama negotiated with 11 other pacific nations. The deal was never ratified by the Senate, so it had not gone into effect. Instead, the Trump administration says it plans on negotiating bilateral deals with individual nations.

5. Freezing the federal workforce

Trump issued a presidential memorandum Tuesday that prohibits government agencies from hiring any new employees, effective as of noon on January 22. The order does not apply to military personnel and the head of any executive department may exempt positions that include national security or public safety responsibilities.

6 & 7. Advancing the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines

Trump’s next actions encouraged the construction of two controversial pipelines, the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline. The DAPL action instructs an expedited review and approval of the remaining construction and operation of the pipeline by the Army for Civil Works and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Keystone XL action invites TransCanada, the Canadian energy company behind the pipeline, to re-submit its application for a presidential permit to construct the pipeline. It also instructs the Secretary of State to reach a final determination within 60 days.

8. Expediting Environmental Reviews on Infrastructure Projects

On Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order to streamline environmental reviews of high-priority infrastructure projects. The action states that infrastructure projects in the U.S. “have been routinely and excessively delayed by agency processes and procedures.” The action instructs the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to create expedited procedures and deadlines for environmental reviews and approvals for high-priority infrastructure projects.

9. Promoting “Made-in-the-USA” pipelines

This memorandum instructs the Secretary of Commerce to create a plan for pipelines created, repaired or expanded in the United States to use materials and equipment produced in the country “to the maximum extent possible.” It establishes that all steel and metal used in such pipelines be completely produced in the United States, from the initial melting stage to the application of coatings.

10. Reviewing domestic manufacturing regulation

Trump issued an action that instructs the Secretary of Commerce to contact stakeholders to review the impact of Federal regulations on domestic manufacturing. After the review, the Secretary of Commerce is instructed to create a streamlined Federal permitting process for domestic manufacturers.

11. Increasing border security measures

Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that directed the secretary of homeland security to:

• Begin planning, designing and constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, including identify available federal funds and working with Congress for additional funding

• Construct and operate detention facilities near the border to make adjudicate asylum claims, subject to the availability of existing funding,

• Hire 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents, subject to the availability of existing funding,

• End “catch and release” policy

• Quantify all “sources of direct and indirect Federal aid or assistance to the Government of Mexico on an annual basis over the past five years”

• Take action to empower state and local law enforcement to act as immigration officers

12. Pursuit of undocumented immigrants

Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that directed the secretary of homeland security to:

• Prioritize certain undocumented immigrants for removal, including those with criminal convictions and those who have only been charged with a crime

•  Hire 10,000 additional immigration officers at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, subject to the availability of existing funding,

•  Prohibit federal funding, with the help of the attorney general, to “sanctuary” jurisdictions, where local officials have declined to help enforce federal immigration laws

• Reinstate the Secure Communities program, which was terminated in 2014 and enables state and local law enforcement to effectively act as immigration agents

• Sanction countries, with the help of the secretary of state, that refuse to accept the return of undocumented immigrants deported from the U.S.

•  Create a list, updated weekly, of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in sanctuary jurisdictions

•  Create an “Office for Victims of Crimes Committed by Removable Aliens” to “provide proactive, timely, adequate and professional services to victims of crimes committed by removable aliens and family members of such victims”

13. Reevaluating visa and refugee programs

Trump signed an executive order Friday evening making significant changes to the visa and refugee programs in the United States. It includes:

• Cuts the number of refugees allowed into the United States in fiscal 2017 from 110,000 to 50,000

• Suspends for 120 days the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which identifies and processes refugees for resettlement in the United States

• Suspends the entry of all “immigrants and nonimmigrants” from Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Libya for a period of 90 days. This may also apply to citizens of Libya, Yemen and Somalia depending on the interpretation.

• Bars all Syrian refugees for an indefinite period

• Directs the secretary of homeland security, the director of national intelligence and secretary of state to put together a list of countries that do not provide adequate information to vet potential entry of foreign nationals into the United States. Foreign nationals from those countries will be banned from entering the United States.

• Directs the secretary of state, the secretary of homeland security, the director of national intelligence, and the director of the FBI to implement uniform screening standards for all immigration programs

• Directs the secretary of homeland security, upon the resumption of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, to “prioritize refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual's country of nationality.”

• Directs the secretary of homeland security to implement a biometric entry-exit tracking system

• Grants state and local jurisdictions, whenever possible a “role in the process of determining the placement or settlement” of refugees

•  Suspend the Visa Interview Waiver Program, which allows certain people renewing their visas to skip an in-person interview

•  Directs the secretary of state to expand the Consular Fellows Program

14. Strengthening the military

The president on Friday issued a presidential memorandum directing the secretary of defense, James Mattis, to conduct a review on the military’s readiness in the next 30 days and develop a budget for fiscal 2018 capable of improving the “readiness conditions.” He also directed Mattis to complete a National Defense Strategy and to review the country’s nuclear capabilities and missile-defense capabilities

Trump signs new vetting

Trump signs new vetting measures to keep out 

‘radical Islamic terrorists’

President Donald Trump gestures after signing two executive actions at the Pentagon, as Vice-President Mike Pence, left, and Defence Secretary James Mattis look on. Picture: AP

Malcolm Turnbull is confident Donald Trump’s suspension of refugees introduced today will not scupper a deal he struck with Barack Obama for the US to accept asylum-seekers held on Nauru and Manus Island.

The Prime Minister is due to speak with the US President tomorrow morning Australian time.

“You will have seen the executive order that has been published today and we are very confident and satisfied that the arrangement, the existing arrangements will continue,” Mr Turnbull said today.

Mr Trump earlier today barred all refugees from entering the US for four months - and those from war-ravaged Syria indefinitely - declaring the ban necessary to prevent “radical Islamic terrorists” from entering the nation.

The order immediately suspended a program that last year resettled to the US about 85,000 people displaced by war, political oppression, hunger and religious prejudice.

Trump indefinitely blocked all those fleeing Syria, where a civil war has displaced millions of people, and imposed a 90-day ban on entry to the US from seven Muslim majority nations.

Australia

The President’s tough stance on refugees raised speculation he will scrap a deal with Australia to accept asylum-seekers held on Nauru and Manus Island, although his administration is yet to comment publicly on it.

Some of those people are from Syria, Iraq, and Iran.

Mr Turnbull brokered the deal last year with former US president Mr Obama.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the deal will stand.

“You will have seen the executive order that has been published today and we are very confident and satisfied that the arrangement, the existing arrangements will continue,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in Port Lincoln today.

The 9am AEDT call he is expecting tomorrow is one of a series to foreign leaders from the US President, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande also on the list.

“I have had a very good discussion with him shortly after the election when he was President-elect Trump,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in Port Lincoln. “We have a great deal to discuss.”

Australian tourists travelling to the US will largely not be affected by today’s executive order.

Australians, New Zealanders and citizens of 35 other countries allied with the US will still have the simple option of going online and applying for entry to the US if their travel is for business or pleasure and less than 90 days.

There were fears the order, titled The Protection of the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States, could scrap the visa waiver program and force Australians to sit for interviews at US consulates before departing, but that was not the case.

Reaction

The move was immediately condemned by Democrats, civil rights and aid groups.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said it would file a federal lawsuit on Monday challenging the constitutionality of the executive order.

“There is no evidence that refugees - the most thoroughly vetted of all people entering our nation - are a threat to national security,” said CAIR National Litigation Director Lena F. Masri. “This is an order that is based on bigotry, not reality.”

During the past budget year, the US accepted 84,995 refugees, including 12,587 people from Syria. President Barack Obama had set the refugee limit for this budget year at 110,000.

Trump, according to the executive order, plans to cut that to 50,000. Refugee processing was suspended in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks and restarted months later.

The President was applauded by Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said it was “time to re-evaluate and strengthen the visa-vetting process.”

Many Democrats cast the measures as un-American.

“Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight as a grand tradition of America, welcoming immigrants, that has existed since America was founded has been stomped upon,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

“Taking in immigrants and refugees is not only humanitarian but has also boosted our economy and created jobs decade after decade. This is one of the most backward and nasty executive orders that the president has issued.”

Legal rights groups were also furious.

“President Trump has cloaked what is a discriminatory ban against nationals of Muslim countries under the banner of national security,” said Greg Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Chen said the order will “severely cripple” the US refugee program, leaving desperate people in danger.

“This policy does not make us safer. It shows weakness and withdraws our nation from the position as global leader when so many refugees urgently need protection,” Chen said.

Trump’s order was signed on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which brought to mind the global effort to help refugees during World War II and its aftermath.

Joined earlier in the day at the White House by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump reaffirmed the United States’ “special relationship” with Great Britain.

But he was also asked about a more contentious issue: his recent statements that torture “does work” in prying information out of terror suspects.

Giving ground, he said his defence secretary’s opposition would override his own belief. Hours later he stood at the Pentagon as Mattis was sworn in as the military’s chief.

But Trump held firm on another controversy - trade and illegal immigration from Mexico.

He told reporters he had a “very good call” with Pena Nieto earlier in the day, but he reaffirmed his belief that Mexico has “outnegotiated and beat us to a pulp” on trade - and that would change.

“We’re no longer going to be the country that doesn’t know what it’s doing,” he declared a day after the Mexican leader canceled his visit to Washington in response to Trump’s plans to build a border wall and have Mexico pay for it.

AP, Reuters

Trump takes action to rebuild military

Trump takes action to rebuild military, start ‘extreme vetting’ at border

By S.A. Miller - The Washington Times

President Trump signed executive actions Friday to begin rebuilding the U.S. military and to initiate an “extreme vetting” program to root out radical Islamic terrorists attempting to enter the country, both measures making good on top campaign promises.

The president signed the documents in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes after a swearing-in ceremony for Defense Secretary James N. Mattis.

He said the moves to beef up the military and keep terrorists out of the homeland were aimed at ensuring the sacrifices of military fighting terrorism abroad were supported by the actions of the U.S. government.

“Our military strength will be questioned by no one and neither will our dedication to peace. We want peace,” Mr. Trump said.

In addition to the policy for providing more ships, planes and war-fighting resources, Mr. Trump is expected to direct Mr. Mattis to plan more aggressive strategies against the Islamic State, the terrorist army also known by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL.

Mr. Mattis, a retired four-star Marines Corps general, will have 30 days to present Mr. Trump with options for confronting ISIS.

The text of the directives were not immediately released, but drafts indicated the vetting will halt the flow of refugees into the U.S. and temporarily bar entrance by visitors from several predominately Muslim countries that are terrorist hotbeds.

The ban is expected to include exemptions for religious minorities in those countries that often face discrimination and brutality.

“I’m establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America,” said Mr. Trump. “We don’t want them here.”

The vetting measure immediately came under fire from Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocates.

Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Democrat, said it was “contrary to our values and our security.”

“It will mean turning away children fleeing barrel bombing in Syria, women and girls fleeing human rights violations in Sudan and Somalia, and brave people who risked their lives to work with our troops in Iraq,” he said. “Preventing these vulnerable people from resettling in the U.S. as refugees does nothing to make our nation safer.”

American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said: “‘Extreme vetting’ is just a euphemism for discriminating against Muslims.”

Although the vetting plan has provoked accusations of bigotry since it was first proposed during the presidential race, Mr. Trump said it was necessary to keep the battle against terrorism from America’s shores.

“We will never forget the lessons of 9/11 or the heroes who lost their lives at the Pentagon. They were the best of us,” said the president. “We will honor them not only with our words but with our actions.”

US New UN ambassador

New UN ambassador warns US will respond against unsupportive allies

Nikki Haley made the statements upon her arrival at the UN's headquarters in New York City.

The new US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has pledged to overhaul the world body and warned allies that if they do not support Washington, then she is "taking names" and will respond.

Ms Haley made brief remarks to reporters as she arrived at the world body's headquarters in New York to present her credentials to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.

"Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN and the way that we'll show value is to show our strength, show our voice, have the backs of our allies and make sure that our allies have our back as well," Ms Haley said.

"For those that don't have our back, we're taking names, we will make points to respond to that accordingly."

Ms Haley — who was South Carolina's Republican governor when President Donald Trump picked her for the post — has little foreign policy and no US federal government experience.

French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre and British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said they looked forward to working with Ms Haley.

The United States, Britain and France, along with Russia and China, are permanent veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council.

After her meeting with Mr Guterres, a US official said they had "a good and productive conversation about ways they can work together to reform the UN".

"Everything that's working, we're going to make it better, everything that's not working we're going to try and fix, and anything that seems to be obsolete and not necessary we're going to do away with," Ms Haley told reporters.

US the largest contributor to the UN

According to a draft executive order published by US media, Mr Trump wants a committee — including his secretary-of-state, attorney-general and director of national intelligence — to carry out a one-year review of US funding to international organisations with the aim of almost halving voluntary funding.

The United States is the largest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 per cent of the $5.4 billion core UN budget and 28 per cent of the $7.9 billion UN peacekeeping budget.

These are assessed contributions — agreed by the UN General Assembly — and not voluntary payments.

UN agencies, such as the UN Development Program, the children's agency UNICEF, the World Food Program and the UN Population Fund, are funded voluntarily.

Last year, Mr Trump took to Twitter to disparage the 193-member world body after the United States abstained in a December 23 UN Security Council vote, allowing the adoption of a resolution demanding an end to settlement building by US ally Israel.

Mr Trump, who had called on Barack Obama's administration to veto the resolution, warned that "things will be different" at the United Nations after he took office on January 20.

Source:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-28/new-us-un-envoy-warns-allies-back-us-or-well-take-names/8219532

Republicans Have a Warning for President Trump

Republicans Have a Warning for President Trump: Don't Play Nice With Russia

President Donald Trump looks on following a swearing-in ceremony for Defense Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon in Washington on Jan. 27, 2017. (Carlos Barria—Reuters)

Andrew Taylor / AP

(WASHINGTON) — A day ahead of President Donald Trump's weekend call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the fight within the Republican Party over the direction of U.S. policy toward Moscow intensified.

Trump, who has said he wants a better relationship with Russia, was noncommittal on Friday about whether he was considering lifting U.S. sanctions against the former Soviet state, telling reporters at a news conference, "We'll see what happens. As far as the sanctions, very early to be talking about that."

But two top Senate Republicans — John McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Rob Portman, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee — warned the White House about easing any punishments on Moscow and vowed to turn the sanctions into law.

"I hope President Trump will put an end to this speculation and reject such a reckless course," McCain said in a statement. "If he does not, I will work with my colleagues to codify sanctions against Russia into law."

Portman said lifting the sanctions "for any reason other than a change in the behavior that led to those sanctions in the first place would send a dangerous message to a world already questioning the value of American leadership and the credibility of our commitments after eight years of Obama administration policies."

And Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also expressed support for the sanctions.

"I think the sanctions are overdue. I think Obama was late putting them in place, so I think they should stay," Ryan said in an interview with Politico.

U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Moscow meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump become president.

Obama in late December ordered sanctions on Russian spy agencies, closed two Russian compounds and expelled 35 diplomats the U.S. said were really spies. The new penalties add to existing U.S. sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine, which have damaged Russia's economy but had only limited impact on Putin's behavior.

In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea in Ukraine, drawing widespread condemnation in Europe and the United States and a raft of penalties.

Relations are also tense over Putin's backing of Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.

For his part, McCain has emerged as a frequent critic of Trump among Capitol Hill Republicans. He takes a dim view of trying to reset relations with Moscow and says Trump should remember that Putin is "a murderer and a thug who seeks to undermine American national security interests at every turn."

"For our commander-in-chief to think otherwise would be naive and dangerous," McCain said.

McCain and Portman are part of a bipartisan group of senators who have introduced sweeping legislation designed to go beyond the punishments against Russia already levied by Obama and to demonstrate to Trump that forcefully responding to Moscow's meddling isn't a partisan issue.

The bill would impose mandatory visa bans and freeze the financial assets of anyone who carries out cyberattacks against public or private computer systems and democratic institutions.

The legislation also mandates sanctions in Russia's all-important energy sector and on investments in the development of civil nuclear projects to rebuke Moscow for its provocations in eastern Ukraine and military support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.

President Trump Is Suspending a Refugee

President Trump Is Suspending a Refugee Program and Banning Visas From 7 Countries

Donald Trump at swearing in for James Mattis.
Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a temporary ban on most refugees.

(Reuters: Carlos Barria)

Zeke J Miller

President Trump Friday signed an executive order suspending the State Department's Refugee Assistance Program and visa entry from Iraq, Syria and five other countries, saying they are "detrimental to the interests of the United States."

The order, which has been widely anticipated, broadly follows the president's campaign pledge to suspend immigration from several Muslim-majority countries until "extreme vetting" can be put in the place to prevent terrorists from entering the country.

The revised guidelines replace his campaign proposal to institute a religious test for immigration. The countries are those that have been designated as countries of concern by Congress and the Obama Administration, and also include Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Libya, a White House official said.

"I am establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America," Trump said before signing the executive order at the Pentagon Friday. "We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people."

according to the order, to allow increased vetting measures to be put into place, while visas from the countries of concern would be suspended for 90 days. Trump specifically suspended refugee admissions from Syria "until such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to the [U.S. Refugee Assistance Program] to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with the national interest."

Trump also ordered the immediate suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Program, which allows citizens of many countries to enter the U.S. on temporary visas without formal interviews with U.S. consular officers. It was not immediately clear how many countries would be affected by the suspension, as some waivers are guaranteed by statute.

Earlier Friday, Trump told CBN News that he would seek to prioritize refugee assistance for persecuted Christians in the Middle East.

"If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible and the reason that was so unfair," Trump said of the existing policy. The executive order provides priority for persecuted religious minorities, "provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual's country of nationality."

Trump's order also requires the departments of State and Homeland Security and the FBI, to develop a comprehensive immigration screening program, to include increased in-person interviews, databases to cross-check documentation for fraud, and assessments of potential immigrants' likelihood of "becoming a positively contributing member of society and the applicant's ability to make contributions to the national interest." It also requires a "mechanism" to assess whether applicants have intent to commit criminal or terrorist attacks in the U.S.

In a statement, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan praised the announcement.

“Our number one responsibility is to protect the homeland," he said. "We are a compassionate nation, and I support the refugee resettlement program, but it’s time to reevaluate and strengthen the visa vetting process. This is why we passed bipartisan legislation in the wake of the Paris attacks to pause the intake of refugees. President Trump is right to make sure we are doing everything possible to know exactly who is entering our country."

But Democrats on Capitol Hill, along with some Republicans, were critical of Trump's announcement, arguing that the refugee screening program has already proven to be effective at keeping out those with ill-intent, and that banning refugees would be detrimental to the nation's standing abroad.

In an interview with ABC News this week, Trump rejected criticism that his proposals could inflame anti-American sentiment abroad.

"The world is a mess," he said. "The world is as angry as it gets. What? You think this is gonna cause a little more anger? The world is an angry place."

Compromise does not work with our political opponents

Compromise does not work with our political opponents. When will we learn?

US Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, now Chelsea Manning, leaving a military court facility after hearing his verdict in the trial in July 2013.

Chelsea E Manning

Barack Obama left behind hints of a progressive legacy. Unfortunately, despite his faith in our system and his positive track record on many issues over the last eight years, there have been very few permanent accomplishments.

This vulnerable legacy should remind us that what we really need is a strong and unapologetic progressive to lead us. What we need as well is a relentless grassroots movement to hold that leadership accountable.

On the night of 4 November 2008, Barack Obama was elected on a platform of “hope” and “change”. He was hailed as a “uniter” in an age of “dividers”. I experienced a political awakening that night. I watched as the hope that President Obama represented was tempered by the shocking passage of Proposition 8 by a majority of voters in California. This reversed a major marriage equality court victory from earlier that year.

Throughout his two terms in office, these types of contradictions would persist. Optimism and hope would be met with backlash and hate. He faced unparalleled resistance from his opponents, many of whom wanted him to fail.

I remember during his first inauguration, on an icy January morning in 2009. I sat on the floor of a military headquarters office in Fort Drum, New York. With a dusty overhead television showing the ceremony, I sat, working in support of a half dozen military officers. We had our weapons ready, and our rucksacks heavily packed. Selected as the active duty army unit to deploy to Washington DC in case of an emergency, we were prepared for rapid deployment.

Ironically, many of the officers and enlisted personnel that were selected for this security detail openly despised President Obama. The seething vitriol and hatred simmered quietly in that room. In retrospect, it was an ominous foreshadowing of things to come.

On domestic issues, his instinct, as former First Lady Michelle Obama explained at the Democratic national convention this past summer, was to “go high” when his opponents would “go low”. Unfortunately, no matter how “high” the former president aimed to be, his opponents aimed to undermine him anyway. There was absolutely no “low” that was too low to go.

Even when they agreed with him on policy, they resisted. For example, when it came to healthcare reform, Obama opened the debate starting with a compromise. His opponents balked. They refused to move an inch. When he would push for the concessions they asked for, they only dug in deeper in opposition. Even when he tried proposing a bill that had been proposed by opponents years earlier.

When it came to foreign policy, even though he was only carrying out the expanding national security policies of the previous administration, they would ceaselessly criticize him for being too weak, or too soft or too sympathetic. After months of comprise on his end, they never cooperated a single time.

In December 2009, I sat in a hot and stuffy plywood room outside Baghdad, Iraq, as President Obama made speeches. He argued that military action was necessary. An unusual statement to present while receiving the world’s most prestigious peace prize. Yet, the people around me still spoke about him quietly, with a strong criticism, and even sometimes, pure disgust.

In November 2012, when President Obama was re-elected, I sat in a civilian jail cell in suburban Baltimore, awaiting a court martial hearing. Surrounded by a different crowd of people, the excitement and elation of his re-election was genuine. Even among those being penalized merely for being disadvantaged or a minority. Even in those unbearably unfair circumstances, there was genuine hope, faith and trust in the president.

For eight years, it did not matter how balanced President Obama was. It did not matter how educated he was, or how intelligent he was. Nothing was ever good enough for his opponents. It was clear that he could not win. It was clear that, no matter what he did, in their eyes, he could not win.

In the aftermath of the deadly shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando that took the lives of nearly 50 queer and brown people, it took Obama over 300 words of his speech to acknowledge the queer community, and even then, as an abstract acronym.

Never did he acknowledge the particularly painful toll on the Puerto Rican and wider community that was also navigating through this horrific tragedy. Even in the midst of a shocking and horrific tragedy, he attempted to comprise with opponents who were uninterested and unwilling to meet him halfway.

Now, after eight years of attempted compromise and relentless disrespect in return, we are moving into darker times. Healthcare will change for the worse, especially for those of us in need. Criminalization will expand, with bigger prisons filled with penalized bodies – poor, black, brown, queer and trans people. People will probably be targeted because of their religion. Queer and trans people expect to have their rights infringed upon.

The one simple lesson to draw from President Obama’s legacy: do not start off with a compromise. They won’t meet you in the middle. Instead, what we need is an unapologetic progressive leader.

We need someone who is unafraid to be criticized, since you will inevitably be criticized. We need someone willing to face all of the vitriol, hatred and dogged determination of those opposed to us. Our opponents will not support us nor will they stop thwarting the march toward a just system that gives people a fighting chance to live. Our lives are at risk – especially for immigrants, Muslim people and black people.

We need to stop asking them to give us our rights. We need to stop hoping that our systems will right themselves. We need to actually take the reins of government and fix our institutions. We need to save lives by making change at every level.

Source: theguardian.com