Widget Image
Follow PPD Social Media
follow
1,000 Followers
follow
0 Followers
follow
People's Pundit Locals Community
Saturday, February 1, 2025
SECTIONS
logo
mobile-logo
HomeStandard Blog Whole Post (Page 226)
Politics

Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, left, and Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra, right, respond to a lawsuit filed against the state of California by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for refusing to comply with the federal government in enforcing immigration law.

Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, left, and Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra, right, respond to a lawsuit filed against the state of California by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for refusing to comply with the federal government in enforcing immigration law.

Escondido, California, has joined a growing list of local governments defying the state over the controversial and widely-believed to be unconstitutional sanctuary state law. The 4 to 1 vote to join the Trump Administration in suing the state is the first out of liberal San Diego County.

“This is the right thing to do. I was elected mayor to uphold the Constitution and to keep our city safe,” Escondido Mayor Sam Abed said. “I am committed to doing that and that’s what the council did today.”

Mayor Abed said the state of California is longer the same state that he migrated to from Lebanon, citing lawlessness on immigration, welfare and homelessness.

On January 1, Democratic Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Values Act (SB-54), a law passed by Democrats in Sacramento prohibiting state and local police from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cases when illegal immigrants face deportation.

Los Alamitos, Orange County, Yorba Linda, Huntington Beach and now Escondido have all already taken action against the law. Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, Fullerton, Upland, San Diego County and Fountain Valley are all considering taking similiar action.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department also announced that it is now providing information on when inmates are released from custody. As of Monday, March 26, an existing “Who’s in Jail” online database included the date and time of inmates’ release.

Escondido, California, has joined a growing list

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while participating in a tour of U.S.-Mexico border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, California. U.S., March 13, 2018. (Photo: Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while participating in a tour of U.S.-Mexico border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, California. U.S., March 13, 2018. (Photo: Reuters)

President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum to the Attorney General and Homeland Security sending the National Guard to the southern border. While Democrats oppose the move, both Barack Obama and George W. Bush took similiar action, though the current president is more serious about enforcement.

“The situation at the border has now reached a point of crisis,” the memorandum states. “The lawlessness that continues at our southern border is fundamentally incompatible with the safety, security, and sovereignty of the American people. My Administration has no choice but to act.”

Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, intend to illegally bring a roughly 1,000-strong caravan of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border to claim asylum. The activist group was stopped in Mexico and the caravan largely broken up after President Trump convinced the Mexican government to help by threatening them with NAFTA negotiations.

It worked, and today President Trump praised their cooperation on Twitter.

“The Caravan is largely broken up thanks to the strong immigration laws of Mexico and their willingness to use them so as not to cause a giant scene at our Border,” he tweeted. “Because of the Trump Administrations actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low. Stop drugs!”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions strongly supported the move, claiming the Justice Department (DOJ) will soon take additional measures to secure the border.

“The Department of Justice fully supports the efforts of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security announced today to secure our border,” Attorney General Sessions said in a statement. “I will soon be announcing additional Department of Justice initiatives to restore legality to the southern border.”

President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum

Economy

Jobless claims, an application for first-time unemployment benefits. (Photo: Reuters)

Jobless claims, an application for first-time unemployment benefits. (Photo: Reuters)

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims came in at 242,000 for the week ending March 31, a gain of 24,000 and higher than expected. However, the reporting period falls outside of the upcoming monthly jobs report and the employment situation is expected to remain strong.

Extended benefits were payable in Alaska and the Virgin Islands during week ending March 17. Claims taking procedures in Puerto Rico and in the Virgin Islands have still not returned to normal.

The 4-week moving average was 228,250, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 750 from 224,500 to 225,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was still at an extremely low 1.3% for the week ending March 24, unchanged from the previous week’s unrevised rate.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 17 were in the Virgin Islands (6.9), Alaska (3.6), Connecticut (2.9), Puerto Rico (2.8), New Jersey (2.7), Massachusetts (2.5), Montana (2.5), Pennsylvania (2.5), Rhode Island (2.5), and California (2.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 24 were in Texas (+2,886), Arkansas (+800), Missouri (+420), Oregon (+290), and Maryland (+246), while the largest decreases were in California (-2,954), New Jersey (- 1,672), New York (-1,226), Connecticut (-774), and Pennsylvania (-509).

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims

Politics

President Executive Order (Photo: AP)

President Executive Order (Photo: AP)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump will sign a proclamation to send the National Guard to the southern border.

UPDATE: Trump Signed “Securing the Southern Border of the United States”

Speaking at the White House press briefing, Secretary Nielson said that it would be done in conjunction with governors and that the Trump Administration hopes to commence deployment “immediately.”

President Trump had said on Tuesday that the U.S. military will be used to prevent caravans of illegal immigrants from pouring over the southern border from Mexico. His remarks came as activists intend to illegally bring a roughly 1,000-strong caravan of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border to claim asylum.

President Trump had said Tuesday that he wanted to send the military to the border to secure it until a wall and other security measures were put in place.

Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, accused President Trump on Monday of “bullying” migrants.

“Trump is trying to turn Central American refugees and other immigrant communities against each other, and use them as a bargaining chip with Mexico,” the group said in a statement.

Nevertheless, President Trump said he has spoken with U.S. Defense Department Secretary James Mattis about the use of the military to guard the border. The plan will entail using the military until a border wall is constructed. The President applauded Mexican authorities for breaking at least parts of the caravan up “very rapidly” as it moved through Mexico.

“They have very strong immigration laws, as we should have,” he said. “It’s sad for the people in the caravan and it’s sad for the people in the United States.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced President

Polls

Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, listens as President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. (Photo: Reuters)

Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, listens as President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. (Photo: Reuters)

Voters back the idea to use North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to stop illegal immigrants and drugs from Mexico coming to the United States. President Donald Trump said Tuesday both NAFTA and foreign aid are “in play” if countries don’t stop the caravans of would-be illegals.

Just over half, 51%, agree with President Trump and support the plan, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey. That includes 70% of Republicans, 30% of Democrats and 55% of unaffiliated voters.

Interestingly, men (50%) and women (52%) are nearly as likely to agree. Younger voters ages 18-39 are less likely (43%) to agree than voters 40-64 (56%) and seniors 65 years and older (57%). White voters (54%) and non-black minorities (53%) are more likely than black voters (33%) to agree.

Large majorities of voters also say the Mexican government been not been aggressive enough in stopping illegal immigrants and drugs, 62% and 70%, respectively. Only 16% do not agree as it pertains to immigration and even less (14%) as it relates to drugs.

The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted on April 2 – 3, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. See methodology.

Voters back the idea to use North

Politics

President Donald Trump left, waves to the crowd as he is introduced by Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford for it's commissioning at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va., Saturday, July 22, 2017. (Photo: AP)

President Donald Trump left, waves to the crowd as he is introduced by Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford for it’s commissioning at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va., Saturday, July 22, 2017. (Photo: AP)

The White House said Wednesday that the U.S. military mission in Syria “is coming to a rapid end,” citing the success in destroying the Islamic State (ISIS). While the move will upset war hawks in his own party, the decision by President Donald Trump would mark the fulfillment of two major campaign promises.

“The military mission to eradicate ISIS in Syria is coming to a rapid end, with ISIS being almost completely destroyed,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “The United States and our partners remain committed to eliminating the small ISIS presence in Syria that our forces have not already eradicated.”

President Trump campaigned against foreign intervention, or “nation building” as it was practiced by neoconservatives in the Republican Party. The war hawk wing of the party was also upset over his decision to pull the clandestine operation targeting regime change by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

But he also campaigned on eradicating ISIS, something he gets little credit for doing in the media.

“We will continue to consult with our allies and friends regarding future plans,” the White House added. “We expect countries in the region and beyond, plus the United Nations, to work toward peace and ensure that ISIS never re-emerges.”

With the U.S. military unchained under a Trump Administration, ISIS has lost its stronghold in Raqqa, Syria. They’ve also suffered one battlefield defeat after another in Iraq.

U.S. troops are still likely to remain involved in training local forces to ensure security in liberated areas, at least for a shorter period of time. But President Trump will expect other nations -– specifically oil-rich Arab nations -– to put Arab boots on the ground and help pay for reconstruction.

On Tuesday, speaking with reporters, President Trump indicated that the U.S. military’s mission in Syria would soon come to a close.

“We been in the Middle East for decades and have little to show for it,” he said. “It’s time to come back home.”

The White House said Wednesday that the

Economy

A Boeing worker is pictured in the wing system installation area at their factory in Renton, Washington, U.S., February 13, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

A Boeing worker is pictured in the wing system installation area at their factory in Renton, Washington, U.S., February 13, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

The U.S. Census Bureau said factory orders slightly missed the forecast by gaining 1.2% in February, but they’ve now increased in 6 of the last 7 months. The $6.0 billion, or 1.2% increase to $498.0 billion erases almost all of the 1.3% decrease in January.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods were solid again in February and have gained in 3 of the last 4 months. They increased $7.2 billion, or 3.0% this month to $247.3 billion, following a 3.6% decline in January. Transportation equipment, which is also up 3 of the last 4 months, led the way gaining $5.5 billion, or 7.0% to $83.5 billion.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $1.2 billion or 0.5% to $250.7 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, up nine of the last ten months, increased $2.2 billion, or 0.9% to $249.8 billion. That’s unchanged from the previous monthly estimate and follows a 0.5% increase in January.

Machinery, up 6 of the last 7 months, led the increase, $0.6 billion or 1.7% to $33.3 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods is down after 8 consecutive monthly increases, decreasing $1.2 billion or 0.5% to $250.7 billion. This followed a 1.0% increase in January. Petroleum and coal products was also down after 7 consecutive monthly increases, declining by $2.0 billion or 3.7% to $50.5 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods have been up 5 of the last 6 months, and increased $1.9 billion or 0.2% to $1,142.8 billion in February. That’s unchanged from the previous estimate and follows a 0.3% decrease in January. Transportation equipment, up 2 of the last 3 months, led the increase, $1.4 billion or 0.2% to $773.3 billion.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods are up 19 of the last 20 months, increasing $1.8 billion or 0.4% to $410.8 billion. That’s unchanged from the previously published estimate and follows a 0.4% decrease in January.

Transportation equipment, which is up for 3 straight months, led the gain, rising $0.7 billion or 0.5% to $132.7 billion.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods have increased for 9 consecutive months, and gained $0.4 billion or 0.2% to $264.4 billion. The monthly increase follows a 0.4% gain in January.

Petroleum and coal products, up for 8 consecutive months, led the gain, increasing $0.2 billion or 0.5% to $42.8 billion. By stage of fabrication, February materials and supplies increased 0.6% in both durable goods and nondurable goods. Work in process rose 0.4% in durable goods and declined by 0.6% in nondurable goods.

Finished goods increased 0.4% in durable goods and for nondurable goods increased 0.2%.

The U.S. Census Bureau said factory orders

Economy

United States Postal Service (USPS) clerks sort mail at the Lincoln Park carriers annex in Chicago, Illinois on November 29, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

United States Postal Service (USPS) clerks sort mail at the Lincoln Park carriers annex in Chicago, Illinois on November 29, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

The Institute for Supply Management Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI) slowed to 58.8 in March, though U.S. service sector growth was still solid.

“According to the NMI, 15 non-manufacturing industries reported growth. Despite the slight dip in the NMI® composite index, the non-manufacturing sector enjoyed another month of strong growth in March,” said Anthony Nieves, Chair of the ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. “The cooling off of the New Orders Index possibly prevented an even stronger reading for the NMI® composite index.”

The two industries reporting contraction in March were Educational Services and Information.

The New Orders Index came in at a still strong 59.5%, though that’s a 5.3% decline from than the reading of 64.8% in February.

“The majority of respondents remain positive about business conditions,” Mr. Nieves added.

The Employment Index continued to gain, rising 1.6% in March to 56.6% from the February reading of 55%.

“Q1 was positive, despite weather conditions that affected operations on the East Coast,” one Transportation & Warehousing responsdent from the panel said. “The outlook remains positive going into Q2.”

The Prices Index increased by 0.5% from the February reading of 61% to 61.5%. Prices have now increased for the 25th consecutive month.

Some respondents are concerned over market volatility and tariffs.

The unbelievable amount of market volatility in construction-related materials that started with lumber continues with the tariffs on steel and aluminum. Accurate, long-term planning has become incredibly difficult, as distributors that historically held costs for at least 30 days are now, in some cases, committing to only seven days, as prices can change drastically in that time.

The ADP National Employment Report, which was released earlier this morning, found the construction sector continued to add a higher-than-expected number of jobs.

[caption id="attachment_56842" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] United States Postal

Politics

Mark Zuckerberg gestures while addressing the audience during a meeting of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) CEO Summit in Lima, Peru, November 19, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

Mark Zuckerberg gestures while addressing the audience during a meeting of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) CEO Summit in Lima, Peru, November 19, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, April 11 at 10:00 AM EST. Lawmakers will question him about the “company’s use and protection of user data.”

“This hearing will be an important opportunity to shed light on critical consumer data privacy issues and help all Americans better understand what happens to their personal information online,” Rep. Greg Walden, R-OR, the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., the Ranking Member said in a joint statement. “We appreciate Mr. Zuckerberg’s willingness to testify before the committee, and we look forward to him answering our questions on April 11th.”

Facebook, Inc (NASDAQ: FB) shares have taken a big hit amid revelations millions of users’ data were retained without their consent. Usage is declining and U.S. and European officials are demanding answers.

Initially, Mr. Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg were silent following the revelation over Cambridge Analytica. However, as People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) previously reported, the company, to include Ms. Sandberg, have long-shared user data with Democratic presidential campaigns, including a large-scale operation for Barack Obama most media outlets praised as genius.

Now, Mr. Zuckerberg has been on a media tour within the past few weeks, taking interviews with liberal outlets such as CNNMoney, The New York Times and Reuters. He scheduled a conference call with reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Ms. Sandberg is also speaking with Bloomberg and PBS NewsHour on Thursday. She’ll appear on NBC’s “Today” show on Friday morning.

The company’s top executives are also selling shares. Mr. Zuckerberg plans to sell almost $13 billion worth of shares by mid-2019. That represents roughly 18% of his stake in the company he founded. The money will allegedly support the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). Ms. Sandberg, who offered to do whatever she could to help Hillary Clinton become president, already sold over $300 million.

Worth noting, Mr. Zuckerberg might have 105,631,187 followers on his social media platform, but he’s short on real friends right now. Only 31% of American Adults now have a favorable opinion of the founder and CEO of Facebook, according to a recent poll.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before

Economy

Job seekers wait to meet with employers at a career fair in New York City, October 24, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

Job seekers wait to meet with employers at a career fair in New York City, October 24, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

The ADP National Employment Report showed the U.S. private sector added 241,000 jobs in March, crushing the 181,000 median forecast. Mid-sized businesses added the most jobs in the month and by the strongest pace in roughly 4 years.

“We saw impressive momentum in the first quarter of 2018 with more jobs added per month on average than in 2017,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. “Midsized businesses added nearly half of all jobs this month, the best growth this segment has seen since the fall of 2014. The manufacturing industry also performed well, with its strongest increase in more than three years.”

Small businesses with 1-49 employees added 47,000 jobs in March juxtaposed to a very strong 127,000 jobs created by mid-sized businesses with 50-499 employees. Large businesses with 500 employees or more added 67,000 jobs, indicating the jobs creates are of higher quality and higher wages.

The goods-producing sector added a significant 65,000 jobs, overall. Construction led the way with 31,000 new jobs and manufacturing followed closely behind with 29,000. Natural resources and mining, which were all but extinct under Barack Obama, added another 5,000.

“The job market is rip-roaring. Monthly job growth remains firmly over 200,000, double the pace of labor force growth,” Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said. “The tight labor market continues to tighten.”

While the traditionally lower-paying service-providing sector added 176,000 jobs, the largest gain at 44,000 came from professional and business services.

The ADP National Employment Report showed the

People's Pundit Daily
You have %%pigeonMeterAvailable%% free %%pigeonCopyPage%% remaining this month. Get unlimited access and support reader-funded, independent data journalism.

Start a 14-day free trial now. Pay later!

Start Trial

Subscribe