Conservatives welcome. Libs & RINOs go away. It's all of you destroying the society and conservatives must no longer appease you!
President Donald Trump sounded off on the Democratic Party on Saturday over the deaths of two migrant children who recently died in U.S. Custody, arguing that if U.S. immigration policies were stronger, the migrants would never have ended up in such an awful position.
via Daily Wire
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“Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well,” said Trump. “If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas, and points of dispute. Big progress being made!”
Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018
China has been promoting progress on trade negotiations with the United States over the past two weeks. Leading up to Christmas day the two nations held trade talk phone calls that the Chinese commerce ministry was sure to promote afterward. China specifically promoted progress on not only trade but on the highly charged issue of intellectual property. President Trump has been adamant for months that China must stop the theft of U.S. intellectual property in order for a trade deal to be made.
President Trump told Breitbart News in October that China wasn’t ready to negotiate yet and that their economy was suffering under the U.S. tariffs on hundreds of billions in Chinese goods. He said the U.S. had rebuilt China over years of trade deficits. “What they’ve done to our country is take out anywhere from $300 billion to $500 billion a year. Rebuilt China,” he said.
President’s Trump and Xi spoke on the phone ahead of a December 1 meeting at the G20 summit in Argentina. At the time Trump refused to relent on tariffs and demanded China halt unfair trading practices and theft of U.S. intellectual property. During their G20 meeting Trump and Xi agreed to a temporary tariff truce. China agreed to buy more in U.S. goods and to participate in 90 days of focused trade talks.
China’s commerce ministry promoted Friday an agreement between the two nations to hold in-person trade talks in Beijing sometime in January. “Even as the U.S side is in the Christmas holiday period, China and U.S. economic and trade teams have been in close communication, and the consultations are progressing in an orderly manner as scheduled,” spokesman for China’s commerce ministry Gao Feng said upon announcement of the agreement to meet. One report claimed the meeting has been set for January 7. Feng did not confirm this at the time of the announcement. “The two sides have indeed made specific arrangements for face-to-face consultations in January in addition to continuing intensive telephone consultations.”
Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook
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On November 30, students at Princeton University celebrated the third annual Menstruation Celebration. The event, coordinated by Princeton Students for Gender Equality and Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice, "aims to destigmatize conversation about periods," according to Marissa Michaels of The Daily Princetonian.
via Daily Wire
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The Dems plan to investigate not legislate.
Via Law and Crime:
Speaker of the House-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-California) announced the hiring of 40-year Department of Justice veteran attorney Douglas N. Letter as general counsel for the House of Representatives. The move happens just ahead of Democrats officially taking control of the House in 2019, and all of the subpoena power that comes with that.
Letter’s hiring is being hailed as a “very big deal,” just as his departure from the Department of Justice in January 2018 was regarded as a “very big deal.”
Letter had served for four decades in the Department of Justice and “distinguished” himself as the DOJ’s Director of the Civil Division Appellate Staff. Other career highlights included work as associate counsel to President Bill Clinton, work as Attorney General Janet Reno‘s Deputy Associate Attorney General and work as Attorney General Eric Holder‘s senior counselor.
via Weasel Zippers
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Jasso Arangure is a lawful permanent resident (LPR, or green-card holder) who was convicted of home invasion in Michigan, which is a felony in that state. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began deporting him, arguing that this felony was a “crime of violence” under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), because it satisfied the “residual clause” in the relevant portion of the INA.
However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit later held the residual clause to be unconstitutionally vague. So DHS filed a new deportation proceeding, arguing that the home invasion was a “burglary offense” under the INA, which is specifically regarded as a “crime of violence,” and thus that the alien was still deportable for his crime.
The appeal before the Sixth Circuit in this case is an in-the-weeds argument of whether the doctrine of claim preclusion required the U.S. government to raise all possible claims – such as a burglary argument – in the first deportation proceeding, meaning that if preclusion attaches to the case, the government missed its only opportunity by not including it as one of the original charges.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) argued on appeal that preclusion does not apply, and that under Chevron deference, courts should defer to how federal agencies interpret the INA. Chevron is a seminal Supreme Court case that has increasingly come under fire for how much power it gives to bureaucrats, with both of President Trump’s Supreme Court appointees – Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh – among those critics.
Although none of that may sound interesting to a general audience, one item of particular interest in this appeal is that the three-judge panel hearing this immigration appeal is entirely comprised of judges appointed by President Trump: Amul Thapar, John Bush, and John Nalbandian.
“Courts have always had an emphatic duty to say what the law is,” Thapar began for the Cincinnati-based appeals court, quoting the Supreme Court’s historic Marbury v. Madison case. He continued:
When dealing with agencies, this abdication by ambiguity is even more tempting—and even more problematic. Because, under Chevron, ambiguity means courts get to outsource their “emphatic” duty by deferring to an agency’s interpretation. But all too often, courts abdicate this duty by rushing to find statutes ambiguous, rather than performing a full interpretive analysis.
“This abdication by ambiguity impermissibly expands on already-questionable Chevron doctrine,” the Trump judges continued, going to on quote yet another Trump appointee, Judge James Ho of the Fifth Circuit, who likewise criticized Chevron.
Thapar has previously knocked still another deference doctrine, Auer deference, which concerns interpreting regulations instead of statutes. The Supreme Court recently granted review in a case to decide whether to overrule Auer.
The Trump administration has expressed a desire to reduce the size, scope, and cost of the federal government, consistent with the president’s campaign promises. Revisiting doctrines like Chevron and Auer would be extraordinary steps in that direction, and the president appears thus far successful in picking judges who share that philosophy.
The case is Arangure v. Whitaker, No. 18-3076 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Ken Klukowski is senior legal editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @kenklukowski.
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Via Fox News:
A Florida boy penned a touching letter of condolence this week to the deputy who lost his K9 during a Christmas Eve shootout when the heroic dog died while saving two deputies’ lives — and officials have shared the note online.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office posted the letter from the boy, identified only as “Cooper.” It was addressed to “Deputy Ryan,” handler the 3-year-old K9, named Cigo, and included a story from the boy’s mother.
She sent the letter to the sheriff’s office, saying her son cried upon learning that Cigo had died during Monday’s disturbance at the Mall at Wellington Green, in which two suspects were arrested, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Cooper told his mom that losing Cigo was like the deputy losing his “buddy” and “now he’s doesn’t have his ‘buddy’ anymore,” the mother said, according to the post. The next morning, Cooper decided to write the letter.
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The “Trump of the Tropics” made an election promise to fight corruption and crime in the world’s fourth-largest Democracy.
Bolsonaro also announced he would move the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and will not sign the insane UN migration pact that hands power over the the corrupt international body.
The international left is going to absolutely HATE this guy!
Brazil’s far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday he plans to issue a decree allowing all Brazilians without criminal records to own firearms, welcome news to many core supporters who want him to loosen Brazil’s strict gun laws.
Throughout his campaign, Bolsonaro had pledged to dismantle Brazil’s current gun legislation, which presents various bureaucratic and legal obstacles for people seeking to purchase firearms. That message appealed to many Brazilians who want to use guns for self-defense amid sky-high levels of violent crime.
“By decree, we plan to guarantee the ownership of firearms by citizens without criminal records,” Bolsonaro, who takes office on Jan. 1, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
He did not provide additional details and it was not immediately clear what mechanisms Bolsonaro would have at his disposal to carry out such a decree, or what specific measures the decree would contain. Brazil’s Congress is already discussing measures to loosen gun control laws.
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In early December, an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Ohio arrested 21-year-old Damon Joseph for planning an attack on a synagogue in Toledo, Ohio. Joseph was inspired by ISIS, making this the 105th Islamist terror plot or attack since 9/11 against the U.S. homeland.
Law enforcement first located Joseph on social media where he made posts of weapons and in support of ISIS.
Undercover agents contacted Joseph and he sent them ISIS propaganda and recruitment literature. He expressed support for violent “martyrdom operations” in the U.S. and following the attack on the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue in October.
Joseph expressed interest in carrying out a similar attack.
He then spent the next month deliberating over whether or not to conduct such an attack but ultimately decided that it was time for him to move from “virtual jihad” to “physical jihad.”
By the end of November, Joseph was plotting the specifics of his act of terror, still interested in attacking a synagogue with firearms.
Joseph asked one of the undercover agents if they would be interested in participating in an attack and when the agent responded that he had money available for such an operation, Joseph forwarded a plan of attack and the need for firearms and ammo.
Joseph said there were two synagogues that could be targets but he preferred the larger one because he wanted to “go big or go home.” Joseph then met in person with undercover agents to talk about specific weapons and tactics.
In the following days, the undercover agents sent photos of the weapons they had acquired for the attack. They then met with Joseph to exchange the weapons, which had been rendered inoperable.
Once he took the weapons, Joseph was arrested.
This plot was the 92nd homegrown plot—the terrorist radicalization and plotting occurred here in the U.S.
While many policymakers express concerns over the entry of terrorists in the U.S., this remains a rare area of attack. The U.S. has significantly improved its vetting following 9/11 so that most threats from abroad are now stopped abroad. This does not mean the U.S. can rest on its laurels as policymakers should always be scrutinizing the U.S.’ vetting programs to make sure they are working as well as they can.
But it does mean that the U.S. should be focusing more on how to stop terrorists who radicalize here in the U.S.
Domestic intelligence, undercover agents, other internal law enforcement activities should be improved to counter this internal threat.
The plot also shows the sad reality that anti-Semitic beliefs find fertile ground in many extreme ideologies, including the far right, the far left, and among Islamists. Such beliefs are abhorrent and cut against the founding ideals of the U.S. In his letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, George Washington wrote in 1790 that in the U.S.:
All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support…
May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.
The post Plot Against Toledo Synagogues Is the 105th Islamist Terror Plot or Attack appeared first on The Daily Signal.
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Bre Payton, a writer for The Federalist, was a longtime collaborator with and friend of The Daily Signal.
Bre, who died Friday, was in and out of the Daily Signal offices on a near-weekly basis, as the co-host of “Problematic Women” podcast, which she worked on with our Kelsey Harkness, Lauren Evans, and more recently, Ginny Montalbano. I knew it was “Problematic Women” day because I’d often see Kelsey, Bre, and Lauren huddled up in Kelsey’s office, discussing what stories to cover.
They had fun, too; when they came out of the podcast studio, they’d often be all smiles. They were serious–they knew it was important for conservative women to discuss these topics and show that there was a diversity of views among women–but they also took a lighter approach about some of the zanier media stories and politically correct insanity. They chose the name “Problematic Women” because they knew that’s how the left saw them: they were “problematic” because they thought for themselves.
(Bre and Kelsey, presumably prepping for “Problematic Women.”)
Bre’s family posted this update on a GoFundMe raising funds for a scholarship in Bre’s name:
Around 8:30, on Dec. 27, Bre’s friend went into her room and found her unresponsive and barely breathing. She immediately called 911 and Bre was taken to the hospital where she was admitted to the ICU, sedated and intubated, and doctors began working up a diagnosis. After a CT scan and hours of testing, they have determined she has the H1N1 flu and encephalitis. George [Bre’s dad] stayed at the hospital with her in San Diego.
She unfortunately passed away, and has gone to be with the Lord. Her memory will live on by her four siblings and parents. At this time we ask that you keep her family uplifted in prayer and know that we will see her again.
Kelsey shared this beautiful story about Bre on her Instagram Friday:
Bre and Kelsey interviewed Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to President Trump, in March. (Photo: Lauren Evans/The Daily Signal)
And Lauren remembered her on Twitter:
Ive never met anyone in D.C. who was truly as selfless, genuine, beautiful, and kind as @Bre_payton. I know we’re hurting a lot down here, but I take comfort knowing she’s with Jesus tonight. pic.twitter.com/wmJeuetO0X
— Lauren Evans #10hana?? (@laurenelizevans) December 29, 2018
Lauren adds:
Bre really cared for the conservative movement. This wasn’t just a job for her–she lived and breathed the values we talked about. More than most people I’ve met in the city.She was so smart–she could write headline or even a whole section/article so fast and make the boring topics really engaging.She wanted to see others around her succeed and just embodied servant love and selfless-ness. This is something Kelsey and I talked about a lot even before her passing. … Bre always pushed me to actually be on the podcast, to talk about things that I’m passionate about, and when I was in the control room make sure that I got credit for being the producer. I wanted to take her as my plus one to the Heritage Christmas party this year, but the deadline to register a plus one had passed and even though she wanted to come, she didn’t want me to bother the events staff with having to add another name.
Bre reporting during the Kavanaugh confirmation fight. (Photo: Lauren Evans/The Daily Signal)
Ginny also remembered Bre on Twitter:
Bre was always willing to give advice and give it to you straight – she wanted to lift others up and had such a kind heart. She will be so missed… https://t.co/gXo6deHTxu
— Ginny Montalbano (@GinnyMontalbano) December 28, 2018
— Ginny Montalbano (@GinnyMontalbano) December 28, 2018
Others on the Daily Signal team remembered her, too:
Life is such a precious gift. @Bre_payton lived hers exquisitely well and we will never forget her. There are no words for the perpetual void her loss will leave in this world.
— Lyndsey Fifield (@lyndseyfifield) December 28, 2018
An incredibly sad day for everyone who knew her–> Bre Payton, Beloved Staff Writer At The Federalist, Has Passed Away https://t.co/BWZTPrivTt
— Jarrett Stepman (@JarrettStepman) December 28, 2018
Our prayers are with the Payton family and all of Bre’s friends. She touched the lives of so many and will be deeply missed. https://t.co/lPpqhp4NQ3
— Rob Bluey (@RobertBluey) December 28, 2018
And finally, this wonderful picture of Kelsey and Bre from CPAC in 2018, when they encouraged other women to embrace their “problematic” status:
My podcast co-host. My Problematic Woman in crime. My birthday twin. My very dear friend. At just 26, @Bre_payton was youger than me, but felt more like my big sister. I am in complete shock that we lost this beautiful soul, and am comforted only by the faith she had in the Lord. pic.twitter.com/8rUNejejdu
— Kelsey Harkness (@kelseyjharkness) December 28, 2018
Many of the tributes to Bre, like Kelsey’s, have mentioned her faith. The last time I saw Bre was earlier this month, and I thought she was heading to shoot “Problematic Women” since I ran into her a block from The Heritage Foundation building. But no, said Bre, she’d already done that. Instead, she told me–and this was a Wednesday, around lunch, mind you, not a Sunday morning–she’d just been to church. And then, because one of the things I liked the most about Bre was how easily she could slide from serious to a little silly, we discussed a new nail product she’d told me about recently.
We’re going to miss her a lot at The Daily Signal offices.
If you want to honor her memory, her family has set up the “Bre Payton Scholarship Fund in loving memory of Bre’s beautiful light, joyful spirit, hard-working ethics, and compassionate heart” to fund “college scholarships to support other young, rising Christian leaders who share in Bre’s passion for truth, purpose, and life.” Contribute here.
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President Donald Trump issued an executive order effectively freezing federal pay for 2019 at current 2018 levels.
Had the president not issued this executive order (and lacking congressional action on federal pay), federal workers would have received a 2.1 percent across-the-board pay increase, as well as a 25 percent increase in locality-based pay.
A 2.1 percent across-the-board increase would have cost roughly $5 billion in 2019 while the locality-based increase would have cost a reported $26 billion.
That exceptional pay spike would have kicked in had the president not acted and had the default changes specified in the 1990 Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act kicked in instead. That act provides for annual federal pay increases based on the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Employment Cost Index which tracks civilian employment costs.
Despite the specified formulaic federal pay increases, federal pay has more recently been set by presidents through their authority to propose an alternative pay schedule.
As has become the norm in recent decades, presidents typically set their own pay proposal by August 31 and barring alternative congressional action on federal pay before December 31, the president’s proposal goes into effect.
Although Congress typically defers to the president’s proposal for federal pay, it has the authority to set its own federal pay schedule or to override the president’s alternative plan. Of course, the president still has to sign that bill.
In his first year in office, Trump specified a 1.9 percent federal pay increase for 2018, including a 1.4 percent across-the-board increase and 0.5 percent distributed to locality-based pay.
During the Obama administration, federal employees had three consecutive years of pay freezes from 2011 to 2013, with average increases of 1.5 percent in the other five years.
Thus far in 2018, the Senate enacted a 1.9 percent federal pay increase as part of its budget, but the House failed to address federal pay, effectively endorsing the president’s proposed pay freeze.
Congress could still pass a budget including a federal pay adjustment in the last remaining days of 2018, but given the partial government shutdown, it seems unlikely that federal pay will become a priority.
A retroactive pay increase would be possible—that happened in 2003 and 2004 under the George W. Bush administration when Congress similarly hadn’t passed funding bills by the end of the year.
It seems less likely in 2019, however, that Congress would enact and the president would sign a retroactive federal pay increase given the administration’s clear directive for a freeze.
Federal pay should depend on workers’ skills, experience, and performance—not just their years of service and across-the-board annual pay increases.
Ideally, Congress should address federal employee pay and compensation through a broad reform package—addressing not only federal pay, but total compensation also including retirement, health, vacation, and other benefits—that would better align federal compensation with that of the private sector and better tie pay to performance.
Absent significant congressional action to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal compensation, the president’s pay freeze makes sense, both as a way to close the growing gap between federal and private sector compensation, as well as to reduce excessive government spending.
Congress would be wise, however, to grant the president his proposed $1 billion interagency workforce fund as a replacement for across-the-board pay raises.
The proposed fund would serve as a way to inject some measure of performance-based pay into the federal system, and to reward and retain the most highly-skilled and highly-performing federal workers.
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