Category: Barack Obama

Trump talks to Putin, other world leaders about security threats

President Donald Trump discussed Syria and the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Jan. 28 in one of several calls with world leaders that the new U.S. president used to put his stamp on international affairs. Trump’s call with Putin was their first since the New York businessman took office and came as officials said he was considering lifting sanctions on Moscow despite opposition from Democrats and Republicans at home and European allies abroad.

new Trump and GOP search for solution for a Dreamersa

Missing from President Donald Trump’s blitz of immigration orders this week was any mention of the fate of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants protected from deportation by former President Barack Obama. That omission has left immigration advocates hopeful Trump has softened his opposition to what he once dubbed “illegal amnesty,” while others say he has quickly abandoned a core campaign pledge.

Officials say Trump, Putin avoided topic of sanctions

Officials say the thorny matter of U.S.-imposed sanctions on Russia didn’t come up during President Donald Trump’s first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which suggests that the more difficult obstacles to warmer relations between their nations can wait. Statements from the White House and the Kremlin described the conversation Saturday in positive terms, the same tone used in White House accounts of other calls Trump made to world leaders.

Bishop says PM pleased with Trump chat

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop says the best days of the Australia-US alliance lie ahead after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke with US President Donald Trump. Ms Bishop was tight lipped about the details of the prime minister’s phone call with the president other than saying it was a “very positive discussion about a whole range of issues”.

Trump orders ISIS plan, gives Bannon national security role

President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, with National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, center, and chief strategist Steve Bannon, right, in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 in Washington. President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the Pentagon to devise a strategy to defeat the Islamic State and restructured the National Security Council to include his controversial top political adviser, as he forged a partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin in their first official phone call.

Trump and Putin discuss stabilizing ties, Kremlin says

US President Donald Trump may be having his biggest day of diplomacy yet, speaking by phone Saturday with five world leaders – most significantly Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Germany’s Angela Merkel. It was Trump’s first phone conversation with the Russian President since his inauguration last week, and one whose outcome will be closely studied.

The Latest: Trump says refugee crackdown ‘not a Muslim ban’

President Donald Trump bars all refugees from entering the United States for four months _ and those from war-ravaged Syria indefinitely _ declaring the ban necessary to prevent “radical Islamic terrorists” from… Confusion, worry and outrage are growing as President Donald Trump’s crackdown on refugees and citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries takes effect The federal trial of the South Carolina man who slaughtered nine Bible study participants has come and gone, with Dylann Roof’s death sentence assuring he will spend the rest of his limited days in prison The federal trial of the South Carolina man who slaughtered nine Bible study participants has come and gone, with Dylann Roof’s death sentence assuring he will spend the rest of his limited days in prison The woman at the center of the trial of Emmett Till’s alleged killers has acknowledged that she falsely testified he made … (more)

Trump, Putin discuss ‘mutually beneficial’ trade, security

Will President Donald Trump usher in a new era for U.S.-Russian relations, or are the two powers going to continue down the path as geopolitical foes? Now that Russian President Vladimir Putin has held his first conversation with America’s newly inaugurated leader, attention turns to the fate of U.S. sanctions against Moscow and whether the two will look to enhance military co-operation against the Islamic State group. Trump was noncommittal about whether he was considering lifting the economic sanctions ahead of the call, telling reporters Friday, “We’ll see what happens.

After first phone call, Putin and Trump agree to rebuild ties and cooperate in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to try to rebuild U.S. Russia ties and to cooperate in Syria, the Kremlin said on Saturday, after the two men spoke for the first time since Trump’s inauguration. U.S.-Russia relations hit a post-Cold War low under the Barack Obama administration and Trump has made clear he wants a rapprochement with Moscow if he can get along with Putin, who says he is also keen to mend ties.

In wake of Trump, Holland pledges millions to international birth control fund

The Dutch government announced Saturday it’s putting 10 million euros into an international fund it has launched to finance access to birth control, abortion and sex education for women in developing nations after President Donald Trump cut U.S. funding for such services. Lilianne Ploumen, the minister for foreign trade and development co-operation, said she was making the initial contribution and launched the fund – “She Decides – Global Fundraising Initiative” – with a website .

Trump has two paths he can take on marijuana legalization – …

After his inauguration on January 20, Trump signed an executive order that directs federal agencies to start rolling back the Affordable Care Act, revived two controversial oil pipelines, staged a war on the media, and played a game of chicken with the president of Mexico. But we still don’t know much about Trump’s plans for marijuana legalization.

Women of courage at Trump’s inauguration

One of the most poignant moments in the entire event was the presence and demeanour of Hillary Clinton, who lost her presidential candidacy to Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries of 2008 and to Donald Trump in the presidential poll of 2016. Many observers say that one of the reasons she lost to both candidates is that she was unable to communicate directly to the people and feel their pain.

A mixed bag of letter writers

Often lacking the time or the mood to give an answer by letter, the possibility of writing a short comment was a great solution and very convenient to vent one’s opinion. Indeed, deleting this possibility is a hindrance to the freedom of expression.

Judge puts N.C. Medicaid litigation on hold Updated at

Litigation between Republican state lawmakers, federal officials and new Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration on his effort to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of North Carolina residents has been put on hold for a couple of months. A federal judge delayed the proceedings Friday, as requested this week by GOP legislative leaders and federal health regulators now part of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Republican lawmakers worry if ‘Trumpcare’ doesn’t deliver

Republican lawmakers are fearful about the potential political fallout if their eventual replacement of President Barack Obama’s health law doesn’t deliver, and they didn’t hold back at their recent policy conference. “We’d better be sure that we’re prepared to live with the market we’ve created,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was quoted as saying in Saturday’s Washington Post, one of the media organizations that obtained an audio recording of a private session at last week’s GOP strategy retreat in Philadelphia, “That’s going to be called ‘Trumpcare.’

House to take first crack at repealing Obama-era regulations

Determined to reverse eight years of a Democratic administration, House Republicans are on track to overturn a handful of rules finalized in President Barack Obama’s final months in office to deal with climate change, federal contracting and background checks for gun ownership. Opponents criticize the regulations as job killers that will hold the U.S. economy back.

US suspends immigration program helping non-Muslim Iranians

Many citizens of Muslim-majority countries affected by Pres… Ken Hartle, who as a Navy diver during World War II had the grim task of retrieving bodies from ships sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, has died Ken Hartle, who as a Navy diver during World War II had the grim task of retrieving bodies from ships sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, has died The March for Life has become a familiar ritual in Washington after more than four decades, but this year, abortion opponents have political momentum on their side The March for Life has become a familiar ritual in Washington after more than four decades, but this year, abortion opponents have political momentum on their side Far from the cacophony enveloping Washington in Trump’s first week in office, the Iowa voters who helped him capture the state and the presidency last November give the president high marks for reversing … (more)

Two Florida ports cancel plans to ink pacts with Cuba

Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks at a press conference about the Zika virus in Doral, Florida, U.S. August 4, 2016. Two Florida ports have canceled plans to sign cooperation pacts with Communist-ruled Cuba after state Governor Rick Scott threatened to cancel their funding if they did business with the “Cuban dictatorship.”

Washington Muslims put human faces to Trump immigration actions

Titled “Protection Of The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States,” the action institutes what the President has called “extreme vetting” of immigrants. According to drafts of the executive action obtained by CNN, it suspends the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days until it is reinstated “only for nationals of countries for whom” members of Trump’s Cabinet deem can be properly vetted.

Trump Is Already Damaging the Ability of the State Department to Function

Elections have consequences and among them is the fact that the new administration gets to select its own team to implement its own policies. As a State Department political appointee in the Barack Obama administration, I was under no illusion after the election that I would be asked to stick around or, painful as it may be, that the policy initiatives that my colleagues and I had championed were likely to persist.

Poll: 36% approve of Trump’s job performance

President Donald Trump enters office facing low job approval ratings and skepticism from voters, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. The survey found that 36% of American voters approve of Trump’s handling of his job after his first week, while 44% say they disapprove.

The Latest: Trump criticized by former Mexican president

President Donald Trump’s senior adviser says U.S. sanctions against Russia and other issues will be on the table when the president talks by phone Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on Friday the president will be receptive if Putin wants to have a serious conversation about how to defeat Islamic extremists.

Republicans divided over border wall as Trump era begins

Congressional Republicans leave their annual policy retreat divided over paying for President Donald Trump’s border wall, one of several thorny issues looming to trip them up as the GOP adjusts to full control of Washington. Lawmakers welcomed a speech from Trump endorsing their goals on repealing and replacing former President Barack Obama’s health care law and overhauling the loophole-ridden tax code.

DC’s March for Life to highlight gains by abortion opponents

For the first time in years, abortion opponents will have all the political momentum when they hold their annual rally Friday on the National Mall. The March for Life, held each year in Washington to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, will have one of its biggest-name speakers in years: Vice President Mike Pence.

Official: Trump wants to slash EPA workforce, budget

The former head of President Donald Trump’s transition team at the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday he expects the new administration to seek significant budget and staff cuts. Myron Ebell said in an interview with The Associated Press that Trump is likely to seek significant reductions to the agency’s workforce – currently about 15,000 employees nationwide.

PM holds talks with Trump – and Churchill’s back in the Oval Office

Theresa May will become the first foreign leader to visit US president Donald Trump at the White House, in a meeting she hopes will help renew the special relationship between Britain and America. The two leaders will spend about an hour in face-to-face talks on Friday in the Oval Office, where Mr Trump has restored a bust of Winston Churchill removed by predecessor Barack Obama.

Report: Trump called park official to dispute crowd photos

On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump called the acting director of the National Park Service to dispute widely circulated photos of Trump’s inauguration. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump personally ordered park service head Michael Reynolds to produce additional photographs of the previous day’s crowds on the National Mall.

Week One of Trump drama features Mexico

The first week of Donald Trump’s presidency promised Canada two bridges, one oil pipeline and a set of locks. America’s two neighbours had vastly different experiences in Week 1 of the reality-TV-star’s presidency – Canada away from the spotlight, quietly hoping for the best, while Mexico featured in tension-filled plot twists.

TransCanada makes new application for Keystone XL

TransCanada Corp. has submitted a new presidential permit application to the U.S. Department of State for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The project would move oil 1,180 miles from Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska, where it would connect with other lines for refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Trump could revive Missouri proposal on deported immigrants

As President Donald Trump rolls out plans to build a wall on the Mexican border and considers blocking refugees, Missouri lawmakers are trying again to pass a bill aimed at cracking down on deported immigrants who come back and commit crimes. Under the proposal pitched Thursday by Republican Sen. Mike Cunningham, immigrants who are deported but come back and commit any assault or felony offense would face up to 10 years in prison for “illegal re-entry.”

Sources: U.S. Border Patrol Chief Morgan Asked to Leave the Agency

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan, a former longtime Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, has left the agency, two sources familiar with his departure told Reuters on Thursday. Morgan told employees on a phone call Thursday morning that he was not resigning but had been asked to leave by the Trump administration, said a Department of Homeland Security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Common Addresses Donald Trump’s Threats To Chicago

Within hours of the transferral of power from Barack Obama to Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, the nation’s 45th president made it clear that his administration would be one of law and order, in line with his Republican predecessor Richard Nixon. Less than a week into his presidency, Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday to threaten Chicago, promising to “send in the Feds” to address the city’s murder rate.

Watch live: Trump addresses Congressionala

Watch live: Trump addresses Congressional Republicans at annual policy retreat The USA TODAY NETWORK will have live coverage of this event. Check out this story on dailyworld.com: http://usat.ly/2jBz6Nt Congressional Republicans will hear from President Donald Trump Thursday at their three-day annual policy retreat in Philadelphia.