ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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East County News Service

January 25, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

WORLD

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

Trump signs directive to start border wall with Mexico, ramp up immigration enforcement (Washington Post)

President Trump on Wednesday began putting in place his plan to ratchet up immigration enforcement, following through on major campaign pledges by signing executive actions to build a border wall with Mexico and cut off funds to cities that do not report undocumented immigrants to federal authorities…Trump kicked off the rollout of a series of directives aimed at clamping down on the estimated 11 million immigrants living illegally in the United States and potentially tightening restrictions on those trying to come to the country through legal channels.

Journalists come together to address press freedom issues with President-elect Trump (KNSD)

More than 60 journalism organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists, have sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, asking for a meeting to discuss press freedoms and the importance of First Amendment rights remaining to be protected. 

Dow hits 20,000 for the first time as stocks' postelection rally continues (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Dow Jones industrial average reached 20,000 points for the first time in history Wednesday as the stock market extended its rally in response to the election of President Trump….

Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Replacement for Obamacare (Reason)

Paul's bill equalizes tax deductibility on insurance whether obtained through employer or not, makes creating private group insurance easier, relies on Health Savings Accounts.

Wave of Bomb Threats Targets Jewish Centers, Again (NPR)

Twenty-seven Jewish community centers reported receiving bomb threats Wednesday, and 16 received threats Jan. 9.

CIA releases 13 million pages of classified documents online (BBC)

The records include UFO sightings and psychic experiments from the Stargate programme, which has long been of interest to conspiracy theorists. The move came after lengthy efforts from freedom of information advocates and a lawsuit against the CIA.

Trump invites Netanyahu to Washington: White House (Reuters)

President Donald Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Washington in early February during a phone call in which they discussed the importance of strengthening the U.S.-Israeli relationship, the White House said on Sunday.

Trump organization documents show he has resigned from over 400 companies (CNN Money)

The text of the 19-page letter reads: "I, Donald J. Trump, hereby resign from each and every office and position I hold" in more than 400 entities listed on the following pages. The letter is signed by Trump and dated January 19, the day before he was sworn in. White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Monday that Trump's two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, are "fully in charge of the company."

Report: Trump WH hiring Breitbart writer (Huffington Post)

A Breitbart staff writer is joining the Trump White House, Politico reported Sunday night. Julia Hahn will be a special assistant to the president, according to the report, and is expected to work primarily under chief strategist and former Breitbart executive Stephen Bannon.

EPA freezes grants, tells employees not to talk about it (Huffington Post)

EPA staff has been instructed to freeze all its grants ― an extensive program that includes funding for research, redevelopment of former industrial sites, air quality monitoring and education, among other things ― and told not to discuss this order with anyone outside the agency, according to a Hill source with knowledge of the situation. 

On Inauguration Day, Washington offers portrait of a polarized America (+video)  (CS Monitor)

The scene in Washington on Donald Trump's Inauguration Day illustrated the powerful emotions the president has evoked

Emoluments lawsuit filed: political maneuvering for Trump's tax returns, or a viable tactic? (CS Monitor)

At issue is the seldom-litigated Foreign Emoluments Clause, which the plaintiffs say President Trump began violating Friday upon taking the oath of office.

U.S. deficit to shrink to $559 billion in fiscal year 2017: CBO (Reuters)

(Reuters) - The U.S. budget deficit is expected to dip slightly to $559 billion in fiscal year 2017 compared to $587 billion a year earlier, the Congressional Budget Office said on Tuesday.

Since Obama Took Office, Debt Has Nearly Doubled (Reason)

In FY 2010 (the first year covered by an Obama administration budget) the deficit was just under $1.3 trillion, while in FY 2017 (the final year covered by an Obama administration budget) the deficit will be just over $500 billion. The federal debt, on the other hand, has almost doubled over his eight years, as this chart shows.

Ohio to Libertarian Party: You Can't Qualify for the Ballot by Winning Votes Since We Won't Let You on the Ballot (Reason)

One dissenting justice on Ohio Supreme Court says that the group of people who got Johnson on the ballot deserve ballot status even if their candidate appeared as an "independent."

Toyota Motor to add 400 jobs at Indiana assembly plant (Reuters)

 Toyota Motor Corp on Tuesday said it would add 400 jobs to build more SUVs at one of its U.S. plants, highlighting its expansion plans just as U.S. President Donald Trump calls on manufacturers to build more cars in the country.

WORLD

El Chapo, Mexican drug king, extradited to U.S. (New York Times)

Joaquin Guzman Loera, the notorious drug lord known as El Chapo, who twice slipped out of high-security Mexican prisons and into criminal legend, was being extradited to the United States on Thursday night, officials said, drawing to a close a decades-long saga to successfully prosecute the head of one of the world’s largest narcotics organizations.

Syrian peace talks: Armed groups come in from the cold (BBC)

There's a new venue, new brokers, and new negotiators, but can Syria talks here in Astana resolve the old intractable problems?

China's birthrate rises after one-child policy loosened (Fox News)

The number of births in China has risen nearly 8 percent in the year after the government loosened its unpopular one-child policy. China's National Health and Family Planning Commission said this week that 17.86 million children were born last year, an increase of 1.31 million from 2015. Nearly half of the children born were to couples who already had a child, the commission said.

Photos show 'weaponised commercial drones' in Iraq (BBC)

Photographs taken in Iraq appear to show commercial drones adapted to drop grenades on the Iraqi security forces.

Exclusive: Canadian energy firms at bigger risk from cyber, bomb attacks - spy agency (Reuters)

 Canada's main spy agency last year warned energy companies about an increasing risk of cyber espionage and attacks on pipelines, oil storage and shipment facilities and power transmission towers using homemade explosives, according to a classified document seen by Reuters.

Nigerian air force kills 50 in air strike on refugee camp: MSF (Reuters)

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria's air force killed 50 people and injured 120 in an air strike on a refugee camp in the northeast on Tuesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said. The military said the strike had targeted Boko Haram.

Palestinian, 44, killed during attempted stabbing attack (JPost)

A knife wielding Palestinian was shot and killed Tuesday evening following an attempted stabbing attack on IDF soldiers at a checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Tulkarm.  Earlier in the day, police cleared for publication that Border Police officers prevented a stabbing attack in Jerusalem on Monday.

75 People Arrested, Accused of Trafficking Stolen Art and Archaeological Relics (NPR)

Authorities say they recovered about 3,500 pieces of stolen art, most of it from countries at war. Spanish police announced the suspects were arrested across Europe.


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