Fresh...

In 1996  fresh off the heels of signing welfare reform, and two years after signing the "crime bill"  President Bill Clinton signed a bill that overhauled immigration enforcement in the US and laid the groundwork for the massive deportation machine that exists today.

Both welfare reform and the crime bills Clinton signed have been relitigated during a contentious Democratic primary but the 1996 immigration bill  the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act hasn't.

That's mostly because Democrats have come a long way on the issue since 1996, and advocates have been happy to let them do it without asking too many questions about the past. Only now are some progressive Democrats trying to raise the issue (32 members of the House of Representatives have signed onto a congressional resolution condemning the 1996 law, introduced Thursday by Rep. Raul Grijalva).

If Democrats ever find themselves in a position to pass the comprehensive immigration reform, they might find the past law's immigration legacy has been too consequential to ignore.

No Fault...

I don't want my tax dollars wasted on military intervention to support some against others and in the process, Christian minorities and others are killed, lost everything, or became refugees where are unwanted by other countries. They also became poor in a strange land for no fault of their own..

Survived...

On Jan. 15, 2009, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger piloted U.S. Airways Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport and struck a flock of Canada geese, demolishing both engines and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River.

All 150 passengers and 5 crew members on the plane survived the descent, which was later dubbed “The Miracle on the Hudson.”

At Heart...

Second Lady Karen Pence is returning to her passion: the classroom.

Pence, who has illustrated children's books about the vice president and advocated for art therapy programs in her current role, is going back to the elementary school in suburban Virginia where she taught art for 12 years when Vice President Mike Pence served in Congress. She's also taught at public and private schools in Indiana.

Pence got her undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary education from Butler University in Indianapolis. 

 Older daughter Charlotte describes her mother as "a second-grade teacher at heart."

Barrier...

"I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in," Clinton told an audience.  

Clinton voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which President George W. Bush signed. It authorized about 700 miles of fencing along certain stretches of land between the border of the United States and Mexico.

The act also authorized the use of more vehicle barriers, checkpoints and lighting to curb illegal immigration, and the use of advanced technology such as satellites and unmanned aerial vehicle. 

The act called on the Department of Homeland Security to install at least two layers of reinforced fencing along some stretches of the border.  

It is not a wall, it is a fence.

Warning...

Devastation

President Donald Trump warned Turkey not to attack Kurdish forces in Syria after a planned U.S. pullout, saying the NATO ally would be economically devastated if it did so.

“The U.S. is withdrawing from northeast Syria in a strong, deliberate and coordinated manner, and seeks to ensure that the forces that have fought alongside coalition partners in the campaign against ISIS are not mistreated,”   

Erdogan has been massing Turkish troops on the Syrian border for weeks, preparing for an invasion to eradicate Kurdish forces that the U.S. has vowed to protect.

The delay in withdrawal has restricted Turkey’s ability to launch an offensive against the YPG, a group of Kurdish fighters it considers terrorists, but who served as allies to the U.S. coalition to defeat Islamic State.

Take it outside Syria. Just a thought.

Prices...

Saudi Arabia's energy minister said that major oil producers need to do better to narrow swings in prices that dip below $60 a barrel and rise above $86.

Last month, OPEC countries, including Saudi Arabia, and other major oil producers agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day to reduce oversupply and boost prices for the first six months of 2019.

Oil producers are under pressure to reduce production following a sharp fall in oil prices in recent months because major producers  including the United States  are pumping oil at high rates.

Analysts say the kingdom needs oil between $75 and $80 a barrel to balance its budget, with spending for this year to reach a record high of $295 billion.

 This is not going to happen for so many reasons. So enjoy while it last, and it will last.

Just a thought.

Climate...

The State of Texas is rich with their oil industries. Reducing the fosil fuel utilization or any restriction on production will diffidently impact the State economy severely. No State taxes in Texas.

Reconquer...

France's far-right National Rally party launched its campaign for this year's European Parliament election, which it and other nationalist, anti-immigration movements hope to dominate.

Le Pen urged voters to seize the May 26 vote.  "What we propose is a quiet transition from the European Union to the European alliance of nations...that will allow us to reconquer our border control, our legislative, budget and monetary sovereignty", she said.

French voters will fill 79 of the European Union legislature's 705 seats. Le Pen's party placed first in France during the 2014 election and has a good chance to do the same this year.

National Rally's campaign slogan was unveiled in giant letters at Sunday's meeting: "We're coming."

The movement appeared to gain new momentum this weekend. The French Interior Ministry said about 84,000 people turned out on Saturday for the ninth straight round of demonstrations across Franc, up from 50,000 the previous week.

In the letter, Macron encouraged the public to use the debate to express views on four main topics: taxes, public services, climate change and democratic issues.

The French leader said the debate would help the government develop policies and France's position on the European and international scene.

Furloughed...

There were three government shutdowns during the Reagan administration, one weekend closing during the administration of Bush 41, under Clinton there were two complete shutdowns of five and 21 days, Obama had one government shutdown of 15 days.

It is quite likely that the government workers who are off the job during this shutdown will receive full back pay on their return to work after an extended Christmas and New Year’s vacation.  These CRs have become standard operating procedure in Washington.  

This current shutdown was completely avoidable. Recently, instead of staying in town to work on a resolution of the impasse, lawmakers took a six-day holiday, leaving the critical funding issues unresolved.

Presumably, furloughed workers will receive their full retroactive back pay, but the pay of lawmakers should be suspended indefinitely for complete dereliction of duty.