I/IV [Earlier in the week, Mr Tillerson had denied rumours of a rift between the two men, amid media reports he had called the president a "moron". Mr Trump's latest comment on North Korea could just be bluster - but the fear is that Pyongyang will interpret it as a threat, our correspondent says.]
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41540736 'Only one thing will work' with N Korea, says President Trump 8 October 2017 Donald Trump and Kim Jong-unImage copyrightREUTERS Image caption The US president and his North Korean counterpart are at loggerheads over Pyongyang's nuclear programme "Only one thing will work" in dealing with North Korea after years of talks with Pyongyang brought no results, US President Donald Trump has warned. "Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years," he tweeted, adding that this "hasn't worked". Mr Trump did not elaborate further. The two nations have been engaged in heated rhetoric over North Korea's nuclear activities, with the US pressing for a halt of missile tests. Pyongyang says it has recently successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb which could be loaded on to a long-range missile. A US Air Force B-1B Lancer, flanked by Republic of Korea Air Force fighter, taking part in a show of force exercise in response to North Korean ballistic missile tests (18 September 2017)Image copyrightAFP Image caption The US has been conducting military exercises with South Korea as part of what it describes as show of force missions A passer-by looks at a TV screen reporting news about North Korea's missile launch in Tokyo (15 September 2017)Image copyrightREUTERS Image caption There are fears that North Korea will soon have the capacity to hit the US mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile President Trump has previously warned that the US could destroy North Korea if necessary to protect America's national interests and defend its allies in the region. Inside the world's most secretive country Where is the war of words heading? North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday praised nuclear weapons as a "powerful deterrent" which guaranteed his country's security, state media reported. In a speech addressing "the complicated international situation", he said such weapons had safeguarded "the peace and security in the Korean peninsula and north-east Asia" against the "protracted nuclear threats of the US imperialists". He said his country's policy of simultaneously pursuing the development of nuclear weapons in parallel with moves to strengthen the economy was "absolutely right". North Korea recently launched two missiles over Japan and defied international condemnation to carry out its sixth nuclear test in September. It has promised to carry out another test in the Pacific Ocean. There are fears in the West that is rapidly reaching the point where it is capable of developing a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the US mainland. Escalating tensions Saturday's tweets by President Trump are another cryptic announcement by America's leader, the BBC's Laura Bicker in Washington says. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (05 October 2017)Image copyrightREUTERS Image caption US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (above) has denied reports of a rift with President Trump Last week, it was suggested that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had direct lines of communication with Pyongyang to try to resolve the escalating tensions. Mr Trump then tweeted: "Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!" On Saturday, the US president insisted he had a good relationship with his secretary of state, but added that Mr Tillerson could be tougher. Earlier in the week, Mr Tillerson had denied rumours of a rift between the two men, amid media reports he had called the president a "moron". Mr Trump's latest comment on North Korea could just be bluster - but the fear is that Pyongyang will interpret it as a threat, our correspondent says. At a speech to the UN later that month, Mr Trump threatened to annihilate North Korea, saying the country's leader, Kim Jong-un," is on a suicide mission". In exchange, Mr Kim in a rare statement, vowed to "tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire". Inside the world's most secretive country II/IV. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-corker/senator-corker-says-trump-risks-putting-u-s-on-path-to-world-war-three-idUSKBN1CD0OP OCTOBER 8, 2017 / 9:33 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO Senator Corker says Trump risks putting U.S. on path to World War Three Doina Chiacu, Patricia Zengerle 5 MIN READ WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker warned on Sunday that President Donald Trump risks setting the nation “on the path to World War Three” in an interview with The New York Times, the latest in a series public barbs traded over the day. Trump had blamed his former political ally for the Iran nuclear deal in a series of derisive Twitter posts that drew a sharp riposte from Corker, who chairs the important Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a sweeping, 25-minute interview, Corker told the newspaper he was alarmed about a president who acts “like he’s doing ‘The Apprentice’ or something” - in a reference to the reality television show that Trump had once hosted. “He concerns me. He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation,” the senator, who announced his retirement last month, said. Corker dismissed the idea that Trump may be using provocative comments about North Korea to advance U.S. negotiations being conducted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by playing “bad cop” to the top diplomat’s “good cop” effort to broker a deal with Pyongyang. “I know he has hurt, in several instances. He’s hurt us as it relates to negotiations that were underway by tweeting things out,” Corker told the paper, which added that Corker did not provide details about negotiations. “A lot of people think that there is some kind of ‘good cop, bad cop’ act underway, but that’s just not true.” Corker had been a national security adviser to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and on Trump’s short-list last year for both vice president and secretary of state. But the relationship between the two men has greatly deteriorated. More recently, Corker has criticized Trump, taking issue with the president’s response to a white supremacist demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August. Critics assailed Trump for saying rival protesters were also to blame for violence. ”Senator Bob Corker “begged” me to endorse him for re-election in Tennessee. I said “NO” and he dropped out (said he could not win without my endorsement),“ Trump wrote. ”He also wanted to be Secretary of State, I said “NO THANKS.” He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal! “Hence, I would fully expect Corker to be a negative voice and stand in the way of our great agenda. Didn’t have the guts to run!” An hour later Corker tweeted back: “It’s a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.” U.S. President Donald Trump walks out from the White House in Washington before his departure to Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S., October 7, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas Corker’s chief of staff, Todd Womack, said Trump called the senator last Monday, asked him to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election in 2018, “and reaffirmed that he would have endorsed him, as he has said many times.” Trump’s dispute with Corker could also have implications for the president’s policy goals of repealing Obamacare and passing tax reform. Republicans control both houses of the U.S. Congress but hold only a narrow majority, 52-48, in the Senate, which means Trump has only a slim margin for potential defections from within his own party on legislation. Even before Trump’s Twitter attacks on Corker, the senator has said he would have difficulty supporting any tax package that added to the federal deficit, posing a potential hurdle for the president’s tax plan. “Bob Corker gave us the Iran Deal, & that’s about it,” Trump posted on Twitter later on Sunday. “We need HealthCare, we need Tax Cuts/Reform, we need people that can get the job done!” KEY PLAYER ON IRAN On Iran, Trump is expected to disclose within days a plan to decertify the 2015 international nuclear agreement with Tehran, putting the agreement’s future in the hands of Congress, where Corker would play a central role in determining its fate. Trump has long criticized the pact, a signature foreign policy achievement of Democratic former President Barack Obama in which Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear program in exchange for easing of international sanctions. During the U.S. political fight over the agreement, which was opposed by every Republican in Congress, Corker co-wrote the law that required congressional approval for the deal and required the president to certify that Iran was complying every 90 days. Some critics on the far right have blamed Corker for that measure, which they say helped push the pact through Congress. The two-term senator’s retirement is a blow to a Republican Party struggling to balance divisions between mainstream and more populist wings. Asked last week about reported tensions between Trump and Tillerson, Corker responded with what was seen as a jab at Trump. He described Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly as “those people that help separate our country from chaos.” After Charlottesville, Corker said, “The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability, nor some of the competence, that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” Writing by Ginger Gibson; Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Lindsay Dunsmuir and Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Howard Goller and Simon Cameron-Moore III/IV. [President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday undermined requirements under the Obamacare law that employers provide insurance to cover women’s birth control, keeping a campaign pledge that pleased his conservative Christian supporters. New rules from the Department of Health and Human Services will let businesses or non-profit organizations lodge religious or moral objections to obtain an exemption from the law’s mandate that employers provide contraceptives coverage in health insurance with no co-payment.] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-religion/trump-undermines-u-s-birth-control-coverage-requirement-idUSKBN1CB1XZ OCTOBER 6, 2017 / 8:49 PM / 2 DAYS AGO Trump undermines U.S. birth control coverage requirement Sarah N. Lynch, Caroline Humer 6 MIN READ WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday undermined requirements under the Obamacare law that employers provide insurance to cover women’s birth control, keeping a campaign pledge that pleased his conservative Christian supporters. New rules from the Department of Health and Human Services will let businesses or non-profit organizations lodge religious or moral objections to obtain an exemption from the law’s mandate that employers provide contraceptives coverage in health insurance with no co-payment. Conservative Christian activists and congressional Republicans praised the move, while reproductive rights advocates and Democrats criticized it. It was unclear how many employers would actually drop birth control coverage on religious grounds, and there were significant doubts that many big ones would. Within hours, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the administration in federal court in San Francisco to try to halt the rule, claiming among other things that it violated the U.S. Constitution’s requirement for separation of church and state. The states of Massachusetts and California also sued, and Democratic state attorneys general in another 16 states threatened legal action. “This is a landmark day for religious liberty. Under the Obama administration, this constitutional right was seriously eroded,” Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said. “The Trump administration just took direct aim at birth control coverage for 62 million women,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said. RELATED COVERAGE ACLU sues Trump administration over birth control policy California AG pledges to defend birth control insurance coverage “With this rule in place, any employer could decide that their employees no longer have health insurance coverage for birth control,” Richards added. Trump, who criticized the birth control mandate in last year’s election campaign, won strong support from conservative Christian voters. The Republican president signed an executive order in May asking for rules that would allow faith-based groups to deny insurance coverage for services they oppose on religious grounds. The contraception mandate was implemented as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, Democratic former President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement. Trump and Republicans in Congress campaigned against Obamacare, as the law is known, but could not get enough votes to repeal it as they had promised. In its reasoning for the move, the administration said among other things that mandating birth control coverage could foster “risky sexual behavior” among teens and young adults. It overturned the Obama administration’s view that the birth control requirement was necessary to meet the government’s “compelling interest” to protect women’s health. FILE PHOTO: Supporters of contraception rally before Zubik v. Burwell, an appeal brought by Christian groups demanding full exemption from the requirement to provide insurance covering contraception under the Affordable Care Act, is heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington March 23, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo “This administration’s contempt for women reaches a new low with this appalling decision,” top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi said. The administration broadened narrow existing religious exemptions to include an exception “on the basis of moral conviction” for non-profit and for-profit companies. Federal rules implemented under Obamacare required employers to provide health insurance that covers birth control, but religious houses of worship were exempted. Some private businesses sued regarding their rights to circumvent such coverage, and the Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that they could object on religious grounds. ‘ALIENATING POTENTIAL SHAREHOLDERS’ Supporters of contraception rally before Zubik v. Burwell, an appeal brought by Christian groups demanding full exemption from the requirement to provide insurance covering contraception under the Affordable Care Act, is heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., March 23, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Case Western Reserve University School of Law professor Jonathan Adler said it was unlikely publicly traded companies would seek exemptions. “Why would a publicly traded company risk alienating potential shareholders by taking such a step?” Adler said. Ellen Kelsay, chief strategy officer at the National Business Group on Health, a lobbying group for large companies, said, “Most large employers have provided coverage for birth control prior to any mandates and we expect most will continue to do so irrespective of any exemptions that may become available.” According to one estimate, only 3 percent of nonprofit groups offering health benefits have objected to contraceptives coverage. “HHS has issued a balanced rule that respects all sides - it keeps the contraceptive mandate in place for most employers and now provides a religious exemption,” said Mark Rienzi, one of the lawyers for the Little Sisters of the Poor. The order of Roman Catholic nuns, which runs care homes for the elderly, had challenged the mandate in court. The Little Sisters and other Christian nonprofit employers objected to a 2013 compromise offered by the Obama administration that allowed entities opposed to providing contraception insurance coverage to comply with the law without actually paying for the required coverage. The Justice Department released two memos that will serve as the government’s legal basis for justifying the rule and laying out a framework for how apply religious liberty issues in legal opinions, federal rules and grant making. In another decision popular with Trump’s evangelical supporters, the Justice Department on Wednesday reversed federal policy and declared that federal law banning sex discrimination in the workplace does not protect transgender employees. Trump also has removed protections for transgender students and moved to ban transgender people from the military. Trump’s support among evangelical voters, a major force in his 2016 election victory, remains strong, but has been slipping in line with his overall approval ratings, according to recent Reuters/Ipsos poll results. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington and Caroline Humer in New York; Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley, Justin Mitchell and Lisa Lambert in Washington, Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Dan Levine in San Francisco; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by David Gregorio IV. [Leading Democrats in Congress immediately rejected the new plan. ... "The administration can't be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans," House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement.] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41548363 Trump wall: New proposal ties Dreamer plan to border wall 12 minutes ago Protesters hold up signs during a demonstration against US President Donald Trump during a rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) in New York, 5 OctoberImage copyrightAFP Image caption Dreamer supporters rallied outside Trump Tower in New York last week The White House has tied any new deal on young undocumented immigrants to a clampdown on illegal immigration, including a border wall with Mexico. US President Donald Trump is asking for funding for the wall, speedier deportations and the hiring of thousands of new immigration officials. Last month he ended the Obama-era "Dreamer" programme which had protected some 690,000 immigrants. Leading Democrats in Congress have rejected the latest proposals. They accused Mr Trump of backtracking on a commitment not to include the border wall in negotiations over the status of young immigrants, who are mostly from Mexico and other Latin American countries. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme, set up in 2012 under President Barack Obama, is due to expire in March, casting doubt on the future of those protected. Daca revoked - what you need to know Trump travel ban: People denied entry can reapply Trump backs proposal to curb legal immigration Analysis: The immigration topic Trump keeps avoiding What are Trump's demands? The list of "principles" delivered by the White House to Congress on Sunday includes: Constructing the border wall with Mexico Employing 10,000 additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and 1,000 lawyers for the agency Hiring an extra 370 immigration judges and 300 federal prosecutors Banning immigrants from bringing their extended family members to the US Penalising "sanctuary cities" that have resisted the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants Having companies use an E-Verify programme to keep illegal immigrants from getting jobs "These findings outline reforms that must be included as part of any legislation addressing the status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients," Mr Trump wrote in a letter to Congress accompanying the list. His legislative affairs director, Marc Short, said the priorities were "essential to mitigate the legal and economic consequences of any grant of status to Daca recipients". Last month, Mr Trump told Congress, which is dominated by his Republican party, it had six months to agree new legislation to help the Dreamers. Who are the Dreamers? They are young people who were brought to the US illegally as children and as such faced deportation. Under Mr Obama's policy, they were able to apply for work and study permits but critics said the scheme amounted to an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Since the scheme was introduced, about 100,000 recipients have seen their status lapse or change, leaving about 690,000 recipients today. Media captionWhere do America's undocumented immigrants live? In order to qualify for Daca, applicants under the age of 30 submitted personal information to the Department of Homeland Security. They had to go through an FBI background check and have a clean criminal background, and either be in education, have recently graduated or have been honourably discharged from the military. In exchange, the US government agreed to "defer" any action on their immigration status for a period of two years. What do the Democrats say? "The administration can't be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans," House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement. "The list includes the wall, which was explicitly ruled out of the negotiations. If the president was serious about protecting the Dreamers, his staff has not made a good faith effort to do so." Mr Schumer and Ms Pelosi said after a meeting with Mr Trump last month that he had told them funding for the wall would not be part of a Daca deal. However, Mr Trump said later no such commitment had been made, the New York Times reported. -- -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
