News to Ponder 20180111

These are the headlines today at The Ponder News
http://thepondernews.com

SULLIVAN APPLAUDS ORDER TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS AND CARE FOR VETERANS
Senator Dan Sullivan  -  (R - Ak)
January 10, 2018
“As an officer in the Marine Corps Reserve, I’ve personally witnessed the struggles – at times tragic – that some of our servicemen and women undergo as they search for care,” said Senator Sullivan. “It’s our obligation to pursue all of the causes and all of the factors that contribute to the scourge of veteran suicide, and bring it to an end. I am encouraged by President Trump’s announcement and decision to focus efforts on a particularly vulnerable group of servicemembers as they transition from military service to civilian life.”  
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Shaheen Statement on Federal Judge’s Ruling to Block Administration’s Actions on DACA
Senator Jeanne Shaheen  (D - NH)
January 10, 2018
“I’m relieved by the judge’s ruling to temporarily protect DACA recipients,” said Senator Shaheen. “However, this ruling should not diminish the urgency of reaching a long-term bipartisan solution to protect Dreamers who are terrified that their lives could soon be upended. It’s been very disappointing to see an agreement held hostage in order to extract concessions for the President’s expensive, and likely ineffective, border wall. It’s imperative that President Trump and Congressional Republicans engage in good faith discussions to allow Dreamers to live without fear of deportation.”
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DACA RULING AGAINST TRUMP SHOWS JUDGES ARE BIGGEST OPPONENT TO IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWNS
Newsweek
January 10, 2018
A year into his first term, nearly every one of President Donald Trump's major actions on immigration policy has been battled in court, and a judge's ruling this week against his Deferred Action and Childhood Protection (DACA) withdrawal is just the latest legal blow to his promises for extreme reform.
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In Response to Senators’ Questions, CDC Reveals Politically Charged List of “Words To Avoid”
The Ponder News
January 10, 2018
In response to a letter led by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and co-signed by U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) that called for answers regarding reports of banned words used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the upcoming budget process, CDC acknowledged that it provides guidance on words to avoid using and suggests alternative terms. For instance, in an excerpt from an official document, CDC recommends the use of the colloquial term “Obamacare” over “ACA” or “The Affordable Care Act,” the official name for the law. Schatz and the co-authors of the letter slammed the use of such guidance, which favors more politically charged language. 
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Sanders Slams Trump's Border Wall Demand, Says We Must Protect Dreamers and Working Families
Senator Bernard Sanders (I - VT)
January 10, 2018
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) questioned Sunday why President Donald Trump wants to shut down the government over an $18 billion border wall that the American people do not want and called on Congress to immediately fix the crisis the president precipitated when he ended protections for Dreamers in September.
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Rubio Presses State Department on Response to Attacks on U.S. Diplomats in Cuba
Senator Marco Rubio - (R - FL)
January 10, 2018
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations’ Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues,  chaired a hearing entitled “Attacks on U.S. Diplomats in Cuba: Response and Oversight.” The goal of the hearing was to establish the facts surrounding the attacks on U.S. diplomats in Cuba, and conduct oversight over the State Department’s handling of the attacks.
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​President Trump Pledges to Work with Chairman Roberts for an On-Time Farm Bill
Senator Pat Roberts- (R - KS)
January 10, 2018
After multiple meetings with President Donald J. Trump on issues of importance to rural America, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today joined the President onstage at the American Farm Bureau’s 99th annual convention in Nashville, Tenn.
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Bipartisan, Bicameral Small Business Committee Leaders Introduce Legislation Protecting Integrity of 7(a) Loan Program
Senator James E. Risch - (R - ID)
January 10, 2018
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID), House Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) and respective Ranking Members Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) joined together to introduce the Small Business 7(a) Lending Oversight and Reform Act of 2018. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will increase the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) oversight authority over the 7(a) loan program. 
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Senators Urge SEC, DOJ to Investigate Intel CEO’s Stock Sales Despite Chip Vulnerabilities Knowledge
Senator Jack Reed - (D - RI)
January 10, 2018
U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) have asked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate the sale of millions of stock and options by Intel Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich while the company was handling concerns about security vulnerabilities in its chips, but before the information was made public.  According to the Wall Street Journal: “The trade took place on Nov. 29, nearly six months after Intel was informed about the vulnerabilities, which could enable hackers to access user data in chips made by Intel and others. Mr. Krzanich sold shares and exercised stock options worth a total of $39 million, netting him nearly $25 million, according to regulatory filings made at the time.”
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​Updated: Reactions to Trump Administration’s Plan to Open Coasts to Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
The Ponder News
January 10, 2018
Lots of people reacted to Trump's decision to expand offshore drilling:
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Nelson vows to fight Trump administration's offshore oil drilling plan
Senator Bill Nelson- (D - FL)
January 10, 2018
“This plan is an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public and the environment. This proposal defies all common sense and I will do everything I can to defeat it.”
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KAINE JOINS BILL TO PROTECT TPS RECIPIENTS, INCLUDING SALVADORANS TARGETED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THIS WEEK
Senator Tim Kaine - (D - VA)
January 10, 2018
In the wake of the Trump Administration’s decision yesterday, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine co-sponsored the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and in Emergency (SECURE) Act to protect people who were displaced by dangerous conditions in their home country and came to live in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Kaine spoke out this week against the Trump Administration’s decision to end TPS for Salvadoran immigrants displaced by natural disasters, including thousands in Virginia. The SECURE Act would allow qualified TPS recipients to apply for legal permanent residency.
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Trump Signs EO to Expand Broadband to Rural Communities
The Ponder News
January 10, 2018
After speaking at the Farmer's Convention on Monday, the President signed an executive order to expand broadband to rural communities. This executive order directs federal agencies to remove obstacles to broadband deployment and reduce barriers to investment in broadband infrastructure. Specifically, the executive order directs agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of the application process to build out broadband infrastructure on federal property and ultimately streamline and expedite the review of these requests.
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Reactions on Bi-partisan Immigration Meeting
The Ponder News
January 10, 2018
Trump held a meeting with members of Congress concerning the wall, and DACA, among other issues about immigration. Below are some of the reactions from Congress:
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Afghanistan Watchdog Releases Grassley-requested Audit of Defense Department Spending
Senator Chuck Grassley - (R - IA)
January 10, 2018
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, received the results of an audit he requested in 2016, along with then-Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The audit is the result of conscientious oversight efforts conducted by Grassley over several years of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), specifically Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO).
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​Focus on Farmers
The Ponder News
January 10, 2018
President Trump gave a speech on Monday at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Nashville. The main-stream media wanted to focus on just one thing he said, (I'm sure you have all seen it on the news, about flags and the national anthem). They refused to focus on all the other stuff he said, even though the speech was nearly 40 minutes in length. What he said about the flag and the National Anthem only occurred ONCE, in a 5 second comment. That is why I refuse to give credence to the news on television. Here at The Ponder, I think it is right that we show you what you miss by watching the news on TV, and not getting your information from the sources on the internet. 
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