Day: January 30, 2017

Sally Yates tells Justice Department not to defend Trump travel order in court

In a stunning move, acting Attorney General Sally Yates has ordered Justice Department lawyers not to defend in court President Trump’s executive order banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries. Ms. Yates, a holdover appointee from the Obama administration, said in a letter to DOJ attorneys on Monday that she was not convinced the executive order is lawful.

Uncertain future for Californiaa s anti-smog efforts: Thomas Elias

Cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are down about three percent over the last 40 years in California, even as state population is up by well over one-third, better than 15 million, and far more smog-belching vehicles than ever clog the roads. This is a major public health achievement, and the single biggest reason behind it is the 45-year-old federal Clean Air Act and its provisions for California waivers.

Joe Manchin opposes Trump travel restrictions, says it defies common sense

Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, distanced himself Monday from President Trump’s ban on travel from seven countries scattered across the Middle East and North Africa, saying the executive order defied common sense. Mr. Manchin has cast himself as a potential bridge between the Obama administration and Democrats on Capitol Hill, but said that after reviewing Mr. Trump’s executive order, he could not support the White House.

Photo credit: Phil Skinner/TNS/Newscom

Acting attorney general Sally Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, has ordered DOJ attorneys not to defend President Trump’s controversial executive order which temporarily bans those from seven countries, from entering the country. The countries were chosen as part of the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, and Trump opted to temporarily halt immigration from those countries as his administration considers ways to take present vetting procedures to “extreme” levels.

Trump ban splits Illinois’s GOP congressional delegation

Illinois’ Republican congressmen are split on President Donald Trump’s immigration order blocking the admittance of refugees to the U.S. for 120 days and barring citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days. Adam Kinzinger of the 16th District notes the order has caused confusion among those asked to enforce it.

Obamacare final open enrollment period closing

Obamacare entered its final hours of open enrollment – perhaps its last ever – under a cloud of uncertainty this week, as President Trump did little to prop up the program he’s now tasked with administering. His administration yanked $5 million in radio and television ads meant to entice last-minute enrollees just ahead of the Tuesday deadline to sign up for coverage on the health exchanges in 2017.

Obama, in a rare move for an ex-president, breaks silence to criticize Trump on immigration

President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Nov. 10. On Jan. 18, President Barack Obama told reporters in his final news conference that he would comment on his successor’s actions only at “certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake.” Obama, who is still on vacation with his family after leaving office this month, issued a statement through his spokesman Monday encouraging Americans to publicly protest President Trump’s move to ban citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries – as well as refugees from across the globe – from entering the United States.

Department of Justice head tells staff not to defend Trump refugee order

Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a Democratic appointee, directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend President Donald Trump’s executive refugee and immigration ban, saying Monday that she was not convinced that the order was lawful. Her directive was likely to be temporary, given that Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick for attorney general, will likely move to uphold the president’s policy.

Federal judge grants stay on deportations after Trump’s executive order

A federal judge in New York blocked deportations nationwide late Saturday of those detained on entry to the United States after an executive order from President Donald Trump targeted citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Judge Ann Donnelly of the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn granted a request from the American Civil Liberties Union to stop the deportations after determining that the risk of injury to those detained by being returned to their home countries necessitated the decision.

The left’s view of refugees, then and now

Despite today’s outrage over President Donald Trump’s refugee executive order, many liberals in 1975 were part of a chorus of big name Democrats who refused to accept any Vietnamese refugees when millions were trying to escape South Vietnam as it fell to the communists. The chorus was led by Jerry Brown who, then as now, was the governor of California.

Syria Warns of Setting Up Safe Zones for Civilians as Unsafe

Syria warned Monday of safe zones for civilians that U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in creating, saying it would have to come in coordination with the Syrian government, otherwise it would be unsafe and violate the Arab nation’s sovereignty. The announcement was made in Damascus by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem during a meeting with the head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, Filippo Grandi, who began an official visit to Syria on Monday.

Alaska congressional delegation avoids criticizing refugee ban

Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued a statement on President Donald Trump’s controversial refugee ban that avoids both endorsement and criticism. Meanwhile, Sen. Dan Sullivan said he supports the president’s order, and Rep. Don Young issued a supportive statement but did not make an outright declaration of support for Trump’s action.

Starbucks to hire 10,000 refugees over next 5 years

Starbucks says it will hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years, a response to President Donald Trump’s indefinite suspension of Syrian refugees and temporary travel bans that apply to six other Muslim-majority nations. Howard Schultz, the coffee retailer’s chairman and CEO, said in a letter to employees Sunday that the hiring would apply to stores worldwide and the effort would start in the United States where the focus would be on hiring immigrants “who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel.”

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A U.S. Marine, right, speaks with an officer from the Iraqi Army and an interpreter aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on Dec. 31, 2014. The Pentagon is compiling a list of Iraqi citizens who have assisted the U.S. military since the U.S. invasion in 2003, an effort to get them special consideration for entry to the United States following President Trump’s executive order that restricts travel from seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Tennis Superstar Spends Vacation In A Bikini

Bouchard posted several photos of herself in a little blue bikini while on an unspecified beach. (SLIDESHOW: 67 Times Abigail Bouchard is one of the most famous female athletes on the planet, and her Instagram account has been at an elite level for a long time.

Barack Obama ‘heartened by protests across US’

Downing Street has rejected calls to axe the state visit planned for Donald Trump following widespread outrage over his travel ban on people from certain countries. The immigration curbs have sparked chaos across the US as travellers were detained at airports and thousands of protesters gathered to campaign against the policy.

Obama ‘fundamentally disagrees’ with Trump’s immigration order

Former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump’s executive order curbing immigration in a statement on Monday, backing protesters who have taken to the nation’s airports to express their displeasure with Trump’s action on Friday. “The President fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion,” said Kevin Lewis, spokesman for the former president, in a statement.

Breaking silence, Obama speaks out on Trump immigrants order

Former President Barack Obama praised protesters who amassed across the country in opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration orders, breaking his silence on political issues for the first time since leaving office. “The president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion,” Obama’s spokesman, Kevin Lewis, said.

Trump Will Meet With Benjamin Netanyahu In February

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office December 25, 2016. REUTERS/Dan Balilty/Pool White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Feb. 15, in a Monday briefing with reporters.

Most Support A Temporary Ban On Those From Muslim-Majority Countries, Survey Finds

Demonstrators shut down the traffic loops at LAX International Airport and yell slogans during a protest against the travel ban imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 29, 2017. REUTERS/Ted Soqui According to a Rasmussen poll conducted late last week, “57% of likely U.S. Voters favor a temporary ban on refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists from coming here.”

Obama speaks out against Trumpa s immigration policy, encourages protests

Former president Barack Obama rejected the idea Monday that President Donald Trump had based his immigration executive order on a policy adopted by his own administration, and endorsed the protests that have been taking place across the country in response to the new restrictions. Trump has said that his move to ban the entry of migrants from seven Muslim-majority countries into the U.S., and to suspend temporarily the admission of refugees, was based in part by a decision in 2011 by then-President Obama to ban the admission of Iraqis to the U.S. after evidence surfaced that two Iraqis seeking resettlement had been linked to terrorist activity in their home country.

HW Bush Discharged From Hospital

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush are pictured in Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, U.S. in this January 23, 2017 handout photo. Jim McGrath via Twitter/Handout via REUTERS Former President George H.W. Bush was released from the hospital Monday, following a nearly two-week stint at Houston Methodist Hospital for pneumonia.

Could California go it alone with Obamacare? How much are you willing to pay?

As President Donald Trump and the Republican majority U.S. Congress work to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, California officials continue to look for ways to keep as much of the law as possible. That’s a question lawmakers might be asking residents in the months to come as President Donald Trump and the Republican Congress scurry to repeal the Affordable Care Act and scramble for a plan to replace it.

Barack Obama Dropped This Statement In The Middle Of Sean Spicer’s Press Briefing Today

“President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country,” Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said in a statement. “In his final official speech as President, he spoke about the important role of citizen and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy – not just during an election but every day.”

The Huffington Post Unionizes

Arianna Huffington, president and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group attends a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos January 25, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo The employees will be covered by the Writers Guild of America, East , and there will be an “across-the-board” raise of at least 3 percent.

Schumer Rails Against Trump’s Cabinet Picks

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters after the weekly Senate Democratic caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Washington, U.S. January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has no intentions to make the confirmation process of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees easier for Republicans.