Day: November 12, 2018

I’m part of the Ripple Refugee Project, a Toronto-based private citizen group that sponsors, settles, and helps to integrate newcomers to Canada. We do this in our spare time and on a completely voluntary basis.

Is it Infrastructure Week already?

President Trump has told advisers he has decided to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and her departure from the administration is likely to occur in the coming weeks, if not sooner, according to five current and former White House officials.

Trump canceled a planned trip with Nielsen this week to visit U.S. troops at the border in South Texas and told aides over the weekend he wants her out as soon as possible, these officials said. The president has grumbled for months about what he views as Nielsen’s lackluster performance on immigration enforcement and is believed to be looking for a replacement who will implement his policy ideas with more alacrity.

The announcement could come as soon as this week, three of these officials said.

Trump has changed his mind on key personnel decisions before, and Chief of Staff John F. Kelly is fighting Nielsen’s pending dismissal and attempting to postpone it, aides say. But Kelly’s future in the administration also is shaky, according to three White House officials.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on Nielsen’s potential departure.

Gorgeous!

Damn, she took Flake’s seat!

Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema has made history by becoming the first woman elected to represent Arizona in the Senate. She defeated Republican Rep. Martha McSally after several days of ballot counting.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Sinema led McSally 50 percent to 48 percent when The Associated Press called the race six days after Election Day.

Sinema’s victory also marks the first time in 30 years that a Democrat has won a Senate seat in Arizona.

Sinema said in a victory speech Monday night that she would focus on finding common ground and bridging political divides. She said the campaign was about “everyday Arizonans who are sick and tired of the dysfunction in Washington and who want leaders to put aside party labels and just focus on getting things done.”

Sinema also referenced the late GOP Sen. John McCain in her speech, saying he consistently put country ahead of party, and did the right thing even when it meant standing alone (an apparent veiled reference to his deciding vote last year to doom the Republican effort to repeal the 2010 health care law).

“It’s up to all of us to carry on Sen. McCain’s legacy,” she said.

The race’s results were unknown for several days due to roughly 500,000 votes, mostly from Maricopa County, that still had to be counted after Election Day.