Social Issues

A memo from the Department of Homeland Security, which was recently reviewed by Reuters, suggest that the Trump administration plans to hit the ground running on the construction of that U.S.-Mexico border wall when they move into the White House later this month.  The memo apparently summarized a meeting held between DHS officials and Trump's transition team on December 5th in which requests were made for an assessment of "all assets available for border wall and barrier construction."

Highlighting what may well be his legislative priority when he takes office in 17 days, Trump tweeted out a pair of one-liners this morning taking aim at Obamacare.  In what appears to be an attempt to set the stage for a repeal, Trump said that "Obamacare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable." 

People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable - 116% increases (Arizona). Bill Clinton called it "CRAZY"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017

For months, if not years, we've warned that conflicted politicians and union bosses pursue a perverse set of goals in their management of pension funds, most of which have nothing to do with the application of sound financial principles. Here's how we summarized the situation back in the summer (see "An Unsolvable Math Problem: Public Pensions Are Underfunded By As Much As $8 Trillion"):

Via GEFIRA,

The rule of law is often invoked by as a Western value that “populist” movements want to destroy, yet the establishment’s own governments have long suspended that very same rule of law when it comes to immigration. The most evident example of this is the immigration policy started by the Italian Letta government in 2013 and continued since then under the Renzi government.

Submitted by Joseph Jankowski via PlanetFreeWill.com,

Former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy on Sunday blamed the Black Lives Matter movement for causing an uptick in violent crime inside the country.

According to The Hill, McCarthy blamed protests against police brutality in cities like Baltimore, Ferguson, Mo., and Charlotte, N.C., for creating a “political atmosphere of anti-police sentiment.”