And the headlines? So often unkind..
This is a smattering of issues from today.. A screenshot first to capture a moment time:
From the NEW YORK TIMES concerning the sudden (but expected) tension with the land down under the United States:
Mr. Trump’s push to fulfill his campaign pledge and build a border wall brought to a head months of simmering tensions, culminating in a remarkable back-and-forth between the two leaders.By afternoon, Mr. Trump’s spokesman said the president would pay for the border wall by imposing a 20 percent tax on imports to the United States, which he said would raise billions of dollars.The sparring began Thursday morning when the president of Mexico announced on Twitter that he was canceling his meeting with Mr. Trump next week, rejecting the visit after the new American leader ordered the border wall between the two nations.Having called for dialogue in the face of Mr. Trump’s vows to build a wall during the American presidential campaign, President Enrique Peña Nieto ultimately bowed to public pressure in Mexico to respond more forcefully to his northern neighbor.
Concerning that threat of a 20% tax..
President Trump will call for a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports in the hopes of raising billions of dollars to help construct a controversial wall along the southern border of the United States — a move likely to ratchet up the tension between the two nations.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Thursday that the plan had been discussed with congressional Republican leaders and is part of a broader tax reform effort. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told NBC News the 20 percent tax on Mexican imports is one of a "buffet of options", sentiments Spicer also echoed.
And on the DoomsDay Clock:
Moving the Clock 30 seconds, rather than a full minute or more, was a first as well, meant to reflect the fact that while Trump's words on the campaign trail raised the specter of a renewed arms race—Trump tweeted in December that the U.S. must "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its sense regarding nukes"—it was too early to know exactly what he would do as President. "It is now only six or seven days of the Administration, and actions speak louder than words," said Krauss. "We want to send a message that things are not going in the right direction."
......and it hasn't even been a full week yet.
Welcome to the new America..?
