President-elect Donald Trump- Mexico will reimburse American taxpayers for a new border wall

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/621477/trump-still-wants-mexico-pay.html

Agence France-Presse, Hamburg, Jul 7 2017, 20:28 IST

Trump, still insisting on making Mexico pay for the border wall, met Mexican president Pena Nieto at the G20 today. Photo credit: reuters.

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US President Donald Trump said today he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.

Asked at the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to pay for the wall, Trump said: "Absolutely".

Before that, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" so far.

"We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said.

Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders."

The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration -- and Mexico paying for it -- was one of Trump's key campaign pledges in last year's election.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

The two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings have eased the tension.

Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate. That visit turned into a public relations nightmare for Pena Nieto, who was lambasted for welcoming the brash Republican billionaire despite his insults and threats.

 

[LA se Karachi]

The lying continues...

 

[cloud4000]

The lying continues...

What Trump really meant: US will pay for the wall, in the beginning, and Mexico will pay us back later. What he left unsaid, of course, is that Mexico will never pay us back.

 

[Hindustani78]

August 31, 2017 15:19 IST
Updated: August 31, 2017 17:05 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/intern...ns-of-risk-of-more-blasts/article19593565.ece

The Arkema Inc. chemical plant is flooded from Tropical Storm Harvey, on Wednesday, in Crosby, Texas. The plant, about 25 miles (40.23 km) northeast of Houston, lost power and its backup generators amid Harvey’s dayslong deluge, leaving it without refrigeration for chemicals that become volatile as the temperature rises. | Photo Credit: AP

“Please do not return to the area within the evacuation zone until local emergency response authorities announce it is safe to do so,” the company said.
WASHINGTON/AUSTIN (Texas): Two explosions were reported on Thursday at the flood-hit Arkema SA plant in Crosby, Texas, and a sheriff's deputy was taken to hospital after inhaling chemicals, the company said.

The company said further explosions of organic peroxides stored on site were possible and urged people to stay away as the fire burns itself out.

Arkema said the company had no way to prevent fires because the plant is swamped by about 6 feet (1.83 m) of water due to flooding from Harvey, which came ashore in Texas last week as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, knocking out power to its cooling system.

The company said it was notified at about 2 a.m. by the Harris County Emergency Operations Center of two explosions and black smoke coming from the plant in Crosby.

“Organic peroxides are extremely flammable and, as agreed with public officials, the best course of action is to let the fire burn itself out,” the company said.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter the deputy had been taken to hospital and nine others drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution.

“Remain well clear of the area and follow directions of local officials,” The National Weather Service said after the explosions, noting that winds were from the west to the east from 4 to 9 mph.

The company evacuated remaining workers at the damaged plant on Tuesday, and Harris County ordered the evacuation of residents within a 1.5-mile (2.4-km) radius of the plant, which makes organic peroxides used in the production of plastic resins, polystyrene, paints and other products.

“We want local residents to be aware that product is stored in multiple locations on the site, and a threat of additional explosion remains. Please do not return to the area within the evacuation zone,” Arkema said.

Shares in the French chemical company fell 2.3 percent in trading on Thursday.

Richard Rowe, chief executive officer of Arkema's North America unit, told reporters on Wednesday that chemicals on the site would catch fire and explode if they were not properly cooled.

The company said it opted not to move chemicals before the storm but made extensive preparations. The plant is 25 miles northeast of Houston.

Rowe said a fire would not pose any “long-term harm or impact.”

The plant has been without electric service since Sunday. It lost refrigeration when backup generators were flooded, and workers transferred products from warehouses into diesel-powered refrigerated containers.

The company said some refrigeration of back-up containers has been compromised because of high water levels. It said it was monitoring temperature levels remotely.

The Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily barred flights near the plant because of the risk of fire or explosion.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/intern...o-new-money/article19931368.ece?homepage=true

U.S. President Donald Trump displays a presidential public health emergency declaration on the nation's opioid crisis in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Reuters

AP
WASHINGTON:, October 27, 2017 13:38 IST
Updated: October 27, 2017 13:51 IST

Deaths have surged from opioids, which include some prescribed painkillers, heroin and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, often sold on the nation’s streets.
In ringing and personal terms, President Donald Trump on Thursday pledged that “we will overcome addiction in America,” declaring opioid abuse a national public health emergency and announcing new steps to combat what he described as the worst drug crisis in U.S. history.

Mr. Trump’s declaration, which will be effective for 90 days and can be renewed, will allow the government to redirect resources in various ways and to expand access to medical services in rural areas. But it won’t bring new dollars to fight a scourge that kills nearly 100 people a day.

“As Americans we cannot allow this to continue,” Mr. Trump said in a speech at the White House, where he bemoaned an epidemic he said had spared no segment of society, affecting rural areas and cities, rich and poor and both the elderly and newborns.

“It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction,” he said. “We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic.”

Deaths have surged from opioids, which include some prescribed painkillers, heroin and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, often sold on the nation’s streets.

Administration officials said they also would urge Congress, during end-of-the year budget negotiations, to add new cash to a public health emergency fund that Congress hasn’t replenished for years and contains just $57,000.

But critics said on Thursday’s words weren’t enough.

“How can you say it’s an emergency if we’re not going to put a new nickel in it?” said Dr. Joseph Parks, medical director of the nonprofit National Council for Behavioral Health, which advocates for addiction treatment providers. “As far as moving the money around,” he added, “that’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi said, “Show me the money.”

Mr. Trump’s audience on Thursday included parents who have lost children to drug overdoses, people who have struggled with addiction, first responders and lawmakers.

Mr. Trump also spoke personally about his own family’s experience with addiction- His older brother, Fred Jr., died after struggling with alcoholism. It’s the reason the President does not drink.

Mr. Trump described his brother as a “great guy, best looking guy,” with a personality “much better than mine.”

“But he had a problem, he had a problem with alcohol,” the President said. “I learned because of Fred.”

Mr. Trump said he hoped a massive advertising campaign, which sounded reminiscent of the 1980s “Just Say No” campaign, might have a similar impact.

“If we can teach young people, and people generally, not to start, it’s really, really easy not to take ‘em,” he said.

It’s a path taken by previous presidents, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, all of whom tried to rally the nation to confront drug abuse but fell short of solving the problem. Some people have become hooked on opioids after being prescribed prescription pain killers by doctors after injuries or surgery.

As a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump had pledged to make fighting addiction a priority. Once in office, Mr. Trump assembled a commission, led by Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, to study the problem. The commission’s interim report argued an emergency declaration would free additional money and resources, but some in Trump’s administration disagreed.

“What the President did today was historic and it is an extraordinary beginning set of steps to dealing with this problem,” Mr. Christie told reporters at the White House after the speech.

Some also faulted the White House for not issuing a wider emergency declaration to deal with the crisis.

Rob Brandt, an Ohio man who lost his 20-year-old son to a heroin overdose in 2011, called Mr. Trump’s public health emergency order a “good incremental step” but urged greater focus on prevention and long-term treatment.

“The federal government has lagged behind in truly decisive action,” said Mr. Brandt, who opened an opioid recovery center in Medina, Ohio this year, run on private donations and grants.

“We lost 64,000 Americans last year,” he said, “and if you look at, if we were to have a foreign country attack us and kill 60,000 Americans or a terrorist attack that killed 60,000 Americans, we would print money to combat that.”

As a result of Mr. Trump’s declaration, officials will be able to expand access to telemedicine services, including substance abuse treatment for people living in rural and remote areas. Officials will also be able to more easily deploy state and federal workers, secure Department of Labor grants for the unemployed, and shift funding for HIV and AIDs programs to provide more substance abuse treatment for people already eligible for those programs.

Mr. Trump said his administration would also be working to reduce regulatory barriers, such as one that bars Medicaid from paying for addiction treatment in residential rehab facilities larger than 16 beds. He spoke of ongoing efforts to require opioid prescribers to undergo special training, the Justice Department’s targeting of opioid dealers and efforts to develop a non-addictive painkiller.

Mr. Trump said one specific prescription opioid, which he described as “truly evil,” would be withdrawn immediately from the market. White House spokesman Hogan Gildey later said he was referring to the painkiller Opana ER. That drug was pulled from the market in July at the Food and Drug Administration’s request following a 2015 outbreak of HIV and hepatitis C in southern Indiana linked to sharing needles to inject the pills.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D—Conn., said Mr. Trump’s effort falls far short of what is needed and will divert staff and resources from other vital public health initiatives.

“Families in Connecticut suffering from the opioid epidemic deserve better than half measures and empty rhetoric offered seemingly as an afterthought,” he said in a statement. He argued, “An emergency of this magnitude must be met with sustained, robust funding and comprehensive treatment programs.”

Democrats also criticized Mr. Trump’s efforts to repeal and replace the “Obamacare” health law. Its Medicaid expansion has been crucial in confronting the opioid epidemic.

Adopted by 31 states, the Medicaid expansion provides coverage to low-income adults previously not eligible. Many are in their 20s and 30s, a demographic hit hard by the epidemic. Medicaid pays for detox and long-term treatment.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, tempered expectations even as he projected hope.

“Our current addiction crisis, and especially the epidemic of opioid deaths, will get worse before it gets better. But get better it will,” he said. “It will take many years and even decades to address this scourge in our society, but we must start in earnest now to combat national health emergency.

“Working together,” he said, “we will defeat this opioid epidemic. ... We will free our nation from the terrible affliction of drug abuse. And, yes, we will overcome addiction in America.”

 

[Hindustani78]

By: AP | San Diego | Updated: October 27, 2017 1:48 pm

People look at prototypes of a border wall Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Elliott Spagat)
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/hammers-axes-will-help-test-trump-border-wall-prototypes/



The US government announced Thursday that prototypes for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico have been completed and will be subjected to punishment to test their mettle _ by workers wielding sledgehammers, torches, pickaxes and battery-operated tools.

The testing lasting up to two months could lead to officials concluding that elements of several designs should be merged to create effective walls, said Ronald Vitiello, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s acting deputy commissioner. That raises the possibility of no winner or winners. Results of the testing will dictate future wall construction, which has not yet been funded by Congress.

The testing won’t start for at least a month because some concrete in the wall prototypes still needs to dry. Vitiello told reporters that workers during the 30-60 day testing period will try to answer basic questions: “Can it be climbed? Can it be dug under? Can it withstand cutting tools?”

Here are some questions and answers about the border wall project.

WHY WERE THE PROTOTYPES BUILT?

The U.S. currently has 654 miles (1,052 kilometers) of single-layer fence along the 1,954-mile (3,143-kilometer) border, plus 51 miles (82 kilometers) of double- and triple-layer fence. This summer, the government picked six companies to build models to guide future construction.

Each model is spaced about 30 feet (9.1 meters) apart a few steps from a fence made from old steel airstrip landing mats separating San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico.

Contractors were awarded between $300,000 and $500,000 for each model and had a month to build them.

W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia, Mississippi, and Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery, Alabama, built one concrete model and one of other materials.

Texas Sterling Construction Co. a unit of Sterling Construction Co., and Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. of Tempe, Arizona, did concrete designs.

ELTA North America Inc., part of state-run Israel Aerospace Industries, and KWR Construction Inc. of Sierra Vista, Arizona, built models from other materials.

WHAT DO THE PROTYPES LOOK LIKE?

Each reaches the maximum allowed height of 30 feet (9.1 meters) or close _ significantly higher than existing walls. Vitiello said the height was what struck him most on his tour Thursday.

The concrete walls are solid, preventing agents from seeing through them and into Mexico. Others are made of thick metal poles. Some are topped by round tubes, which are less vulnerable to grappling hooks than sharp edges.

One requirement is for the walls to be “aesthetically pleasing” from the U.S. side. ELTA’s solid metal wall features six light blue squares with white trim on the bottom third, topped by dark blue beams and metal plates.

Texas Sterling’s has a gray surface stamped with patterns of different-sized bricks, like driveways or sidewalks for upscale homes. There is a steel plate on top with prongs that feature three metal spikes, resembling an agave plant.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Trump has asked Congress for $1.6 billion for the first installment of his wall. It would replace 14 miles (22.4 kilometers) in San Diego and build 60 miles (96 kilometers) in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings.

It’s unclear to what extent Trump will weigh in on the selection, and Vitiello said he didn’t know if the president will visit the site. Trump has expressed interest in including solar panels, which are not part of any of the prototypes.

Three lawsuits _ one filed by California’s Democratic attorney general, Xavier Becerra _ seek to block construction, claiming the administration overstepped its authority by waiving environmental reviews and other laws. A hearing on the administration request to dismiss the lawsuits is scheduled Feb. 9 before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a target of Trump’s enduring scorn for his handling of complaints against the now-defunct Trump University.

 

[Hindustani78]

19 people arrested for entering U.S. illegally from Mexico
New York:, August 28, 2018 10:58 IST
Updated: August 28, 2018 10:58 IST

https://www.thehindu.com/news/inter...from-mexico/article24798355.ece?homepage=true

In order to protect the US national security, President Donald Trump introduced a controversial ‘zero-tolerance policy’ for people that enter the country illegally.

19 people arrested by the US border patrol officials in California for entering the country illegally by boat from Mexico.

The US Border Patrol agents working in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement partners, arrested 19 people yesterday, a press release from the US Customs and Border Protection said.

Late Sunday night, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) aircraft spotted a panga style vessel enter US territorial waters from Mexico with multiple people on board. The AMO notified the US Coast Guard and they interdicted the panga approximately 24 kilometres west of Point Loma, California.

A total of 19 people were intercepted, of which two were identified as suspected smugglers. The other 17 were passengers illegally present in the US.

All 19 male illegal aliens were arrested and taken to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing. Agents determined that two of the passengers were Indian nationals, while all others were Mexican nationals, the release said. It did not give any details of the two Indian nationals.

The suspected smugglers are in the DHS custody and may face human smuggling charges.

Since 2013, the US has admitted more than half a million illegal immigrant minors and family units from Central America, most of whom today are at large in the US.

The DHS considers a person “inadmissible” when they appear at a port of entry without proper documentation for legal entry into the US. Those apprehended are individuals “caught trying to enter illegally between ports of entry.”

In order to protect the US national security, President Donald Trump introduced a controversial ‘zero-tolerance policy’ for people that enter the country illegally. Under this, the US prosecuted anyone trying to enter the country illegally, including asylum seekers.

Nearly 2,000 children were separated from their parents, with the adults being shipped to jails and children placed in the custody the Office of Refugee Resettlement between April 19 and May 31 of this year.

The controversial decision however had been reversed by Mr. Trump through an executive order following widespread protests against the move.

 

[katsung47]

Is this a fake news?

quote,
"Mexico Signs Check To Pay For Trump’s Border Wall
September 2, 2018 Sean Adl-Tabataba

https://yournewswire.com/mexico-signs-check-pay-trump-border-wall/"