Hand-picked and farm-fresh–
⇒Linked articles in bold purple
Comment: This visit by Secretaries Tillerson and Kelly is important and so is the rollout of new immigration policies if our country is to avoid a train wreck.
Americans are rightly concerned about illegal immigration and especially about recidivist felons and criminal gangs. But they are generally favorable to children who were brought here illegally by their parents. They want policies that focus on one and not the other.
Trump’s initial actions, as opposed to his rhetoric, look to focus on gaining control of the border, removing felons, and ending “catch and release,” all policies that have wide public support.
The danger is that hostile, high-octane rhetoric will produce predictable backlash in Mexico, increase the popularity of anti-American, Hugo-Chavez style politicians, and decrease cooperation within immigrant communities in the US. That is definitely not in America’s interest.
◆ Iowa legislator wants state universities to ask prospective faculty how they would vote. (Washington Post)
Comment: How about “I wouldn’t vote for any moron who would propose such legislation.” Political bias in the classroom is an issue. This is not a way to solve it.
In an interview with NBC affiliate WHO, another Democrat, state Sen. Herman Quirmbach, called the bill “one of the worst ideas I’ve heard in 15 years here.” –Washington Post
Senator Herman Quirmbach told the NBC station that he had just seen his name on TV and would change it quickly to something less ridiculous.
◆ The Washington Post posts a new motto online
“Democracy Dies in Darkness” True enough, but really depressing. How about “Democracy Thrives in the Light”
The paper denies the motto was inspired by Trump. (Fox)
Comment: Yeah, sure. What’s the chance they would ever have run that motto while they were investigating President Obama.
Actually, what’s the chance they would have seriously investigated scandals in the Obama administration? This is the sort of hooey that has generated such public distrust of the media–and that’s a terrible thing for democracy.
◆ Judge blocks California law that–yes, really–says you can’t publish actors’ age if they say “no” (Politico)
Comment: I wrote earlier about this unbelievably stupid, unconstitutional law: “California Dreamin’ . . . about abolishing the First Amendment”
◆ Disturbing news: “Study sees US Life Expectancy Falling Further Behind Other Countries” (CBS News)
Life expectancy in the United States is already much lower than most other high-income countries and is expected to fall even further behind by 2030, new research published today predicts.
According to the most recent government figures, life expectancy at birth in the United States is 76.3 years for men and 81.2 years for women.
Using a number of forecasting models, researchers from the U.K. predict life expectancy in the U.S. will improve to 83.3 years for women and 79.5 years for men by the year 2030.
But despite these modest gains, the United States is still lagging behind other developed countries.
“The USA has the highest child and maternal mortality, homicide rate, and body-mass index of any high-income country, and was the first of high-income countries to experience a halt or possibly reversal of increase in height in adulthood, which is associated with higher longevity,” the authors write. –CBS News
The scholarly study is here in The Lancet.
◆ “North Korea demands ‘sinister’ Malaysia stop investigating Kim Jong-nam death” (The Guardian)
North Korea has lashed out at Malaysia over the death of Kim Jong-nam, accusing it of having a “sinister purpose” and collaborating with South Korea, which has said Pyongyang agents assassinated Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. –The Guardian
Comment: Taking such enormous risks to kill a family member (in a culture that reveres family ties) and a person under Chinese protection (when that is your country’s only international supporter) indicates how unstable the North Korean regime must be.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Comment: 
◆
◆
In the US, the risk for Republicans is continued alienation of Hispanic voters, a growing segment of the population. Although they generally vote Democratic, some state parties, like Texas Republicans, have won significant Hispanic support and will be very edgy about a deteriorating relationship.
◆
