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News roundup: Jan. 1-24

By Trey Blakely Last updated Mar 1, 2017 112 0

Here are the top stories during Jan. 1 – 24 from Texas, the United States and around the world.

Texas:

Houston District Attorney Kim Ogg plans to rework how Houston handles lawbreakers involved with small amounts of marijuana, stating at her inauguration on Jan 2: “All misdemeanor possession of marijuana cases will be diverted around jail.”

Trump’s first week in office: Executive Orders and Renegotiations

Obamacare – Trump’s Executive Order Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal instructs state leaders and department heads at the national level to seek ways to ease the financial burden of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Senator Bill Cassidy picked up from here with the Patient Freedom Act (PFA) of 2017. PFA would, if passed, repeal federal mandates imposed by the ACA, as well as certain requirements regarding age and benefits. PFA retains certain parts of the ACA such as consumer protections, prohibitions on discrimination and pre-existing conditions, as well as keeping coverage for mental health and substance use disorders. The PFA also allows states to choose whether to reimplement the ACA, with changes, to choose a new alternative that includes the pre-existing conditions of the ACA, or to design an alternative healthcare solution without federal assistance.

James Mattis – Trump wrote a commission to allow Mattis to be Secretary of Defense and waive waiting period between military service and government employ. Mattis used his first day at the Pentagon to confirm strikes against 31 ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria.

Trans-Pacific Partnership – Trump withdrew the United States from the debated TPP through a memorandum titled Presidential Memorandum Regarding Withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and Agreement. Prior to the withdrawal, Congress had yet to approve membership. However, this move signals the end of any such approval in the future. The prospective partnership would have cut tariffs for American imports and exports with participating nations, in exchange for deals regarding labor, environmental and intellectual protections with major business domestic and overseas. The core principle of the TPP was deepening economic relations between the nations of the Pacific Rim, with the open possibility of creating a single market similar to the European Union. The would-be bloc of 12 nations are responsible for 40% of world trade, however critics argued that it allowed too much leniency to big businesses and risked rights and benefits to workers.

NAFTA – Trump promises to renegotiate NAFTA with Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada and President Nieto of Mexico. Trump was set to meet with President Nieto on Jan 31. However, Nieto has since canceled that meeting due to Trump’s comments about his prospective border wall.

Mexico City Policy – With the Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Mexico City Policy, funding to foreign countries’ hospitals and clinics would be cut if they performed or promoted abortion, with exception to abortion involving rape, incest or life-threatening conditions. Funding for civilian foreign aid is administered by the United States Agency for International Development. USAID provides funding for disaster relief, poverty relief, technical assistance and promotion of socioeconomic development within United States’ interests. Originally enacted by President Regan, this policy has been enacted and removed by every President since.

Women’s March:

On Jan 21 a worldwide protest of Trump and in support of women’s rights and other issues occurred with at least 408 marches planned stateside and 168 worldwide in 81 countries. The United States saw the largest demonstrations since the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s and 1970s. It is estimated that participation was as high as 4.8 million protesters.

Chelsea Manning:

Before leaving office, former President Obama commuted Chelsea Manning’s sentence, reducing the sentence Manning will serve but does not remove the conviction. In 2010 Manning released 750,000 pages and videos to WikiLeaks. Her sentence, originally 35 years, is now set to expire May 17.

World News:

France – Marine Le Pen, French presidential candidate and leader of the National Front Party, had this to say about Trump’s victory: [Trump’s] position on Europe is clear. He does not support a system of the oppression of peoples. 2016 was the year the Anglo-Saxon world woke up. I am certain 2017 will be the year when the people of continental Europe wake up.

Turkey – President Erdogan of Turkey is attempting to increase power by rewriting the constitution of Turkey through constitutional reform. The proposed constitution would have Turkey’s parliament replaced with a presidential system, one that allows the president to have broad influence over the country.

Russia – Russia recently passed an amendment to Article 116 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The bill, supported by 17.5-22.5% of population in an 1800 person poll, would weaken punishment for domestic violence against spouses/children. The law would not decrease punishment for life-threatening battery or rape. The bill is seen as an appeasement to a growing conservative base in Russia and written in response to a change in the Russian criminal code last July that made assaulting a family member a criminal offence. Conservatives argue that without this new bill, which charges first offenders under civil law instead of criminal law, parents could potentially be arrested and jailed for disciplining their children. Second offenses could become criminal and carry potential jail terms.

Africa (Gambia) – Presidential elections in Gambia were briefly disrupted when the defeated President Jammeh refused to concede power to incumbent victor Adama Barrow. This announcement sparked fears of the 1994 military coup that allowed Jammeh to take power, however President Jammeh finally stepped down when Gambian and neighboring Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) troops were deployed in Banjul, the nation’s capital, and Serekunda, the nation’s most populated city. Jammeh left Gambia and was placed in an ECOWAS exile, allowing Barrow to take power.