Beltway Insider: Trumps Ends The Dream; Hurricanes Harvey/Irma/Jose; Mexico Earthquake; Sloane Stephens

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Sunday, 10 September 2017 20:46

Written by Janet Walker

President Donald Trump ended the dream for many childhood immigrants, living and working in the United States, this week as he ordered a phase out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by former President Obama.

According to Gallup, President Trump's job approval, over the past week, increased two percentage points to 38% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President decreased three percentage point to 56%.

Trump Ends The Dream

President Donald Trump began his administration with an Executive Order Number 13,768, "Enhancing the Public Safety in the Interior of the United States." This Order was challenged and parts found unconstitutional.

Essentially what the President signed on September 5, was the final two elements of the initial action that wasn't included in the Executive Order. His effort to have all removable aliens, from the United States, who have either entered the country illegally or taken for granted the freedoms and sovereignty of the United States and fear of deportation doesn't precluded these in most cases educated and working aliens from taking measures to ensure the future they've worked to attain is secure.

On June 17, the next Attorney General John Kelly rescinded the DAPA stopped any further acceptances of DACA.

Beltway Insider: Trump/Texas; Hurricane Harvey; Death/Destruction; Refineries/Explosions; North Korea

"Nevertheless, in light of the administrative complexities associated with ending the program, he recommended that the Department wind it down in an efficient and orderly fashion, and his office has reviewed the terms on which our Department will do so," said Elaine Duke, Acting Homeland Security Secretary.

Hurricane Harvey Recovery Efforts; Hurricane Irma Reduces Caribbean Nations to Rubble; Hits U.S. Coastline; Hurricane Jose Expected to Follow Irma's Path

The 2017 Hurricane Season has barely reached the mid-way point and it is gearing up to be the costliest storm season in the history of record keeping as two successive catastrophic killer storms have battered and essentially closed down every port of entry from Brownsville, Texas to Miami, Florida.

With over 1500 miles of Southern coastline and another 500 miles of Eastern Seaboard potentially closed for business, the United States shipping industry is crippled. All 18 ports in Texas battered and pummeled by Hurricane Harvey, a record breaking storm that dumped 26 trillion gallons of water on the region in its two landfalls, are either closed or essentially opened to single lane traffic.

Damage to Florida's pleasure ports and shipping industry is unknown as Hurricane Irma is battering the state currently with unprecedented wind force that from all pictures as inundated Miami, which is not taking the direct hit, with storm surge of nearly 7ft with an expected storm surge near Tampa bay of 15 to 16 ft.

Damage estimates for Hurricane Irma will be in the billions as 95% of all structures will have some type of damage, either total roof or wall collapse or high water and flood.

On September 3, Texas state governor Greg Abbott estimated that damages will be between $150 billion and $180 billion, surpassing the $120 billion that it took to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina. [Reuters]

Florida's Governor Rick Scott, whose state is still facing the brunt of Hurricane Irma has yet to speak on the catastrophic damage price tag, although with estimates from Harvey so close with the construction boom and the expected landfall of Hurricane Jose, which has weakened, and the remainder of the Hurricane Season yet to be seen, the damage cost could equal or surpass Hurricane Harvey or even run closer to Superstorm Sandy.

Hurricane Irma devastates Island Nations

Hurricane Irma, which moved across the Caribbean as a Category 5 with wind speeds topping the charts nearing 180mph have been decimated by the magnitude of the historic and catastrophic storm.

The British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Maarten/St. Martin all governed by European governments foreign leaders are seeing the damage and all have been shocked and stunned over the cataclysmic damage.

The path of Hurricane Irma through the Caribbean Resembles damage experienced in an explosion. 

French President Macron, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands are expected to visit the nations after the situation stabilize as looting has become a problem across much of the devastated areas.   

Antigua and Barbuda, governed by Queen Elizabeth where her official title is Constitutional Monarch, has issued a condolence released after surveying the total devastation in Barbuda she wrote, "Prince Philip and I have been shocked and saddened by the reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm. Please convey my gratitude and good wishes to members of the emergency services and to those who are working on the rescue effort at this very difficult time." [Buckingham Palace Press Release]

Irma Muscles Harvey out of Headlines as Massive Devastation Reported in Wake; Jose Threatens Threepeat

Barbuda

Barbuda experienced widespread devastation. Ariel shots show structures shredded; like a giant weed trimmer came along and took houses apart at the foundations. Wooden structures are decimated; No real word from first responders on the extent of damage except to say from Ariel footage it appears total with at least 95% of the island suffering some damage.

St.Martin/St. Maarten

Dutch/French officials have both described the devastation to the jointly held St. Maarten/St. Martin as enormous; unprecedented. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told the AP the storm "caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses."

"There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world," he said as reported by CBS.

With nearly 70% of the Dutch infrastructure destroyed, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands told the news media that the airport, which had been damaged, was ready to receive flights and that aid, as well as police officers and military personnel, were on their way.

Looting has become a problem and the Prime Minister has requested additional military assistance to combat the outbreak of lawlessness due to fear, need [as all the food is gone or destroyed] and Post Traumatic Stress. A state of Emergency has been declared.

 A statement by the Prime Minister summarized the situation on 8 September. "We've lost many, many homes. Schools have been destroyed. We foresee a loss of the tourist season because of the damage that was done to hotel properties, the negative publicity that one would have that it's better to go somewhere else because it's destroyed. So that will have a serious impact on our economy." [Wikipedia]

Nearly 1,200 stranded Americans had been evacuated to Puerto Rico  by military aircraft. Cruise ships in the area are supplying the island with emergency supplies and will offer evacuations services.

Hurricane Jose

Hurricane Jose has been downgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane, which is still considered a major storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with winds of 111-129 mph.

Damage from a Category Three storm will be devastating with well-built framed homes incurring major damage or removal of roof decking can gable ends. Many trees, especially weakened by Hurricane Irma, will be snapped or uprooted. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.

The damage from Hurricane Jose should it make landfall in any area already weakened by the battering from Hurricane Irma will probably be greater than what would normally occur as structures that withstood Irma may topple from Jose.

President Trump Signs Disaster Packages For U.S. Islands, Territories and Mainland

President Trump has signed disaster relief packages for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida, beginning the process through FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, of helping offset costs of preparation and loss due to Hurricane Irma.

Nine separate packages each outlining different packages available to residents of the hard hit areas, including unemployment compensation for those whose job is effected by the Hurricane Irma, offset payments for storm damage prevention, such has overtime for first responders, and home and business owners who attempted to minimize loss, and loss, whether or not the preventive measures were effective or not.

As Hurricane Irma has yet to complete its cycle the continued disaster relief should increase.

For residents of Puerto Rico the disaster package is split between the commonwealth and FEMA and is administer by the Commonwealth with all aid applications submitted to FEMA.

Follow this link for further explanation of Puerto Rico's unique aid package.

Follow this link for further explanation of U.S. Virgin Island aid package.

Follow this link for further explanation of Florida's aid package.

Mexico Hit By Deadly 8.1 Surface Earthquake; 90 Reported Killed

A deadly 8.1 shallow earthquake struck Chiapas, Mexico, in the Federal District, near the Guatemala border, on Thursday, causing widespread damage and killing 90.

The late evening quake, the biggest to hit the country in over one hundred years, struck off the coast, in the Pacific rim area known as the Ring of Fire, a large group of plates that form a ring from the Asian Pacific coast region, up and around down the Pacific coastline of the United states and continuing throughout  South America's Pacific coastline.

"We are assessing the damage, which will probably take hours, if not days," said President Enrique Peña Nieto, who addressed the nation only two hours after the "But the population is safe over all. There should not be a major sense of panic," as reported on the Disaster Relief site, World Vision.

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto posted video on his Twitter account that showed his wife, First Lady Angelica Rivera, assisting in the preparation, packing and loading of care packages into trucks for delivery to hard hit regions.

President Pena Nieto said up to 90million Mexicans felt the quake.

Youtube video show the famed Statue of Independence swaying as the quake was caught on video by independent videographers. The footage shows fires erupting in the distance as power lines snap and light poles swaying. The quake which occurred after dark made immediate damage estimate impossible.

Additional Video show buildings swaying and the CNN office building lights swinging with greater intensity.

The region, considered one of Mexico's poorest, suffered considerable structural damage in the mountainous and outlying areas, with some homes and schools reduced to rubble. The buildings of course can be rebuilt, and the evening quake minimized the loss of life.

Earthquake are caused by slipping of rocks, or blocks of the earth, that push together causing friction and when one slips and falls essentially the slipping creates friction and depending on the depth the friction in shallow level can cause great and widespread damage with deeper quakes in blocks miles below the surface causing less damage.

Mexico's recent tremor at 43 miles, is classified as a shallow quake, and the damage is extensive across the region with some building experiencing a total collapse. The region is densely populated with about 3.7million residents.

The magnitude of the earthquake was historic, with ground shaking up to five minutes near the Pacifci Coast line (the Ring of Fire fault line), with interior shaking lasting up to three to four minutes and as far north as Mexico City with shaking up to two minutes.

A Tsunami warning was issued, which sent frightened residents running, with fears and visions of a massive wall of water barreling down upon them, the warning was short lived as they were spared additional harm as a 2.5foot wave rolled ashore.  

Sloane Stephens Wins U.S. Open; Unlikely Champion Ranked 83rd in Tourney

Sloane Stephens has created a phenomenon of her own over the last two weeks in Forest Hills, New York, the home of U.S. Open, one of the most watched tennis competitions in the world and the last on the Grand Slam Tour.

The Open has seen bad boys and upsets, stunning victories and the agony of defeat. Over the last two weeks, a little known name, began the grueling elimination process.

Sloane Stephens known on the circuit having won five Women's Tennis Association titles, and one International Tennis Federation title,  rose to Number 11 in the world in 2013. Most notably she reached the finals of the French Open in 2015 losing to Serna Williams (1-6,7-5,6-3) after beating Venus Williams in the First Round eliminations earning a reputation for strength, endurance, potential.

Stephens unseeded entering the tournament was ranked number 83rd on the circuit and was considered a contender for a quarter final or runner up prize.

No one expected Stephens to go the distance. She didn't play Singles at any of the Grand Slam Tournaments in 2017; and only played doubles at Wimbledon making it to the second round. Her only stop on the Grand Slam circuit was the U.S. Open. Rested, ready she took the crown and the U.S. Open has a new reigning champion.

Stephens over the course of her eight year career had earnings in the $4.5million range. Her prize for winning the U.S. Open: $3.7million. The runner up, Madison Keys, took home $1.825 million from the largest purse on the Grand Slam tournament.

Rafael Nadal of Spain ended the U.S. Open beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to take the Men's Singles Title.

To donate to the London Community Foundation: https://artistsforgrenfell.com/

For more information on President Donald Trump: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia.com, and as noted