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1. Travel ban and immigration
Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency was fueled by his hardline stance on immigration. The next couple of days could be crucial to turn his ideas into reality. Take 2 on his travel ban is expected this week. It’s due to be a scaled-down version of his executive order to temporarily keep out citizens from seven nations he says pose a terrorism risk. Families split up by the first version of the ban are racing to reunite before the second one kicks in. Many more undocumented immigrants would be subject to deportation under plans released by Homeland Security — except so-called Dreamers. Trump says he’ll continue to protect young immigrants who were brought here as children, though fear among the community remains.
2. Anti-Semitism
Trump finally spoke out forcefully against growing anti-Semitism, but was it enough? Trump said the recent rash of threats against Jewish community centers is “horrible” and “painful” and he’d work to end it. Jewish leaders and Democrats had been urging him to speak out, especially after he passed up a chance during last week’s epic news conference. Still, the Anne Frank Center says Trump’s administration is “infected” with anti-Semitism. This all goes down as symbols of hate are evolving. But a glimmer of hope: after nearly 200 headstones were toppled at a Jewish cemetery, the local Muslim community launched a fundraiser to help fix the damage.
3. Human rights
Amnesty International usually goes after dictators, tyrants and warlords. The target of its latest annual report? The American President. The group comes down hard on Donald Trump, saying his policies on immigration dehumanize entire groups of people. Trump was lumped in with world leaders like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. The human rights group said their “divisive fear-mongering” was a danger to the world. Former President Obama didn’t escape Amnesty’s wrath, either. The group also smacked his human rights record, labeling his legacy of mass surveillance and drone strikes as a human rights failure.
4. Venezuelan food crisis
Here’s the clearest sign yet that Venezuela’s food crisis is taking its toll — people are losing weight, and not in a healthy way. We’re talking 19 pounds, on average, per person in just the past year. A national survey finds that the number of people who say they eat two or fewer meals a day rose from 11% in 2015 to 33% in 2016. That’s now an estimated 9.6 million people. Goods of all kinds are in short supply in a crisis fueled by years of financial mismanagement by the government. President Nicolas Maduro, who in the past wouldn’t even admit to a problem, just announced an increase in food vouchers.
5. Dakota Access Pipeline
It’s D-Day in North Dakota. The governor set today as the deadline for all protesters to leave the Standing Rock camp site. But a few hundred die-hards say they aren’t going anywhere. It’s unclear whether the governor will use force to push them out. The protesters — 10,000 strong at one point — have been there for months fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline. But the controversial project is closer to completion now that the Army Corps of Engineers granted an easement for the final stretch. The project gained new life after President Trump signed executive orders advancing its approval.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
Topping under fire
The big ban debate in Iceland isn’t over immigrants. It’s about pineapple on pizza. The country’s president would happily nix the pairing if he could.
Not so cray cray
Crazy cat lady? Not really. Researchers in London say there’s no link between owning cats and developing psychotic symptoms.
Rigged pastry?
It was hilarious: backup soccer goalie Wayne Shaw downing a pie during the match. Not funny: UK’s Gambling Commission now probing bets on if he’d do it.
To protect and solve
The police do a lot for us. Save us from the bad guys. Direct traffic. Answer our math homework questions. No, really. They did it for a 10-year-old girl in Ohio.
It’s showtime
The Magic show is open in La La Land, now that Magic Johnson’s been named the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers.
What’s for lunch
Out of this world
We might learn more about our neighbors beyond the stars today. NASA’s holding a news conference this afternoon to make an announcement on exoplanets, which are planets that orbit a star other than our own sun.
DNC on CNN
The Democrats are in need of a leader to guide them through the post-Obama years. The leading candidates for that job duke it in a Democratic Leadership Debate tonight at 10 p.m. ET on CNN.
