Trump's first wall to overcome: Congress The president is plotting an aggressive agenda — but lawmakers struggle to do anything quickly.

PHILADELPHIA — President Donald Trump ordered Senate and House Republicans here to get to work: new trade deals, new construction projects, an Obamacare repeal and replacement, filling a Cabinet and a Supreme Court seat and reforming the tax code.

But the business mogul-turned-president is getting a reality check from Congress, which can't just wave through his agenda. Each piece of legislation Trump wants to pass will be a major lift on Capitol Hill — and much of it will spark fierce Democratic resistance — meaning it will take weeks or months of negotiation to come together.

 “It’s a new world when you have 535 people on your board of directors,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) in an interview. “Donald Trump is a man of action. He wants things done and done yesterday. We like that about him, but Congress was not set up to act like that.”

 Some of Trump's proposals, including his infrastructure pitch, aren't even priorities for Republicans. Instead, they're targeting health care and taxes atop their agenda, both monumental tasks that could easily exhaust much of the GOP's political capital. And the GOP congressional retreat here in Philadelphia — intended to help smooth over differences and speed things along — produced little progress on any of those big ticket items.

On Wednesday Trump tasked lawmakers with running “the busiest Congress we’ve had in decades, maybe ever.”“Now we have to deliver,” he told lawmakers. "Enough all-talk, no-action…. This is our chance to achieve great and lasting change for our beloved nation."

        

Trump's regulation freeze makes losers out of some U.S. businesses

     President Donald Trump’s quick suspension of new federal regulations has triggered some unintended consequences: sudden pain and deeper uncertainty for a broad array of U.S. businesses.Oil and gas companies, ethanol producers, real estate agents and small farmers are among those that could be hurt by the regulatory freeze. Some are lobbying to preserve regulations that Trump put on hold.

“I want him and whoever’s in his Cabinet to look at what the rules are saying,” said Eric Hedrick, a West Virginia chicken farmer trying to save an Obama-era rule. “Don’t just say that it’s another regulation. Look at what it says. Look at what the rule will do for farmers and ranchers across the country.”

The sweeping executive order, signed hours after the president’s inauguration, was intended to help American businesses by halting rules developed in the waning days of the Obama administration. Trump later vowed to cut regulations by 75 percent.
 While many businesses are cheering Trump’s sprint to deregulate, the reaction from some corners of the business landscape underscores how complicated the issue is. For every government regulation, there are winners as well as losers. 

 Trump’s moves have also created uncertainty, the one thing corporate executives curse even more than government interference.

The administration’s first week has shaken foundations that companies have been building on for decades. FedEx Corp., John Deere and Hollywood were among the big losers when Trump torpedoed TPP this week. Target, Wal-Mart and other big retailers that depend on imports are struggling to decipher the president’s statements on a border tax, which could force them to raise prices they charge to customers.    “Disruption has come to Washington in a big, big way, in a way we’ve never seen before,” said Matthew Shay, president of the National Retail Federation. In a speech to NRF members last week, Shay called the border tax “potentially disastrous.

”The National Association of Realtors, whose 1.2 million members lean Republican, was the first group to feel the pain of Trump’s regulatory freeze. Just hours after being sworn in as president, even before issuing his broad executive order on regulation, Trump rolled back an Obama plan to lower costs for some homebuyers.

The $831 billion mortgage insurance industry rejoiced. But real estate agents hold out hope that the reversal at the Federal Housing Administration is temporary. They are making their case to the public and to Trump.

 “We believe that the benefits of the mortgage insurance premium cut will shine through during this review period, so it can be quickly put back into place,” NAR President William Brown said.

A renewable-fuel market indicator had its biggest one-day drop in more than six weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency said it would delay standards for adding biofuels to the U.S. gasoline supply.

Houston-based Westlake Chemical Partners notified shareholders that the president had suspended a tax rule favorable to the business. Other companies might get tax relief — a plan to raise estate taxes on certain businesses was suspended, too.

What Russians are Googling about President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump’s approval ratings in the U.S. may be low, but they’re soaring in Russia.

More than 70% of Russians believe Trump will be a competent U.S. leader, according to a survey by VTSIOM, a state-run research center, The Moscow Times reported. In the U.S., 45% approve of Trump and 45% disapprove, according to a Gallup poll. 

But how much do Russians know about Donald Trump?  In the last week, the top Google searches in Russia about Donald Trump range from “Who is Donald Trump” to “Which celebrities supported Trump.”

Russian journalist has advice for Americans covering Trump

The top related Google searches focused on Trump’s wife, and his children and what the inauguration.

Top questions in Russia on Donald Trump in the last 7 days:

1.    Who is Donald Trump?

2.    Who was at Trump's inauguration?
3.    Who sang at Trump's inauguration?
4.    Who is Trump's team?
5.    Who is President of the United States?
6.    How old is Trump's wife?
7.    Which celebrities supported Trump?
8.    Who is Trump's wife?
9.    How old is Trump?
10.  Who spoke at the Trump inauguration?

Royal Gossip: Meghan Markle Is Already Receiving Royal Coverage ...

Royal Gossip: Meghan Markle Is Already Receiving Royal Coverage ...: Although she’s not officially a royal yet (she’s just dating  Prince Harry ), actress  Meghan Markle  is already receiving the roy...

Environment agency 'faces media blackout' under Trump

EPA staff banned from releasing press statements, blog updates and social media posts, Associated Press reports.

Trump has declared himself an environmentalist [EPA]US President Donald Trump's administration has instituted a media blackout at the country's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and barred staff from awarding any new contracts or grants, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Emails sent to EPA staff since Trump's inauguration on Friday and reviewed by The Associated Press detailed the specific prohibitions banning press releases, blog updates or posts to the agency's social media accounts, the news agency reported on Tuesday.

The Trump administration also ordered a "temporary suspension" on all new business activities at the department, including issuing task orders or work assignments to EPA contractors, it said.

The orders are expected to have a significant and immediate impact on EPA activities nationwide.

The EPA did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment on Monday or Tuesday, AP added.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with executives from the auto industry, Trump described himself as an environmentalist.

He did not elaborate on why he views himself as an environmentalist, but the comments came after urging companies from the auto industry and beyond to bring jobs back to the US.

On Monday he made similar comments at a business breakfast, stating again without elaborating, "I'm a very big person when it comes to the environment. I have received awards on the environment".

On Tuesday, Trump signed two executive orders to advance the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access pipelines, drawing outrage from activists who have serious concerns over the potential damages to land and water sites that the oil-carrying pipelines could cause.

Erich Pica, the president of Friends of the Earth, a network of environmental organisations, condemned Trump's move in a statement sent to Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

She accused the president of pledging "his allegiance to the oil companies and Wall Street banks that stand to profit from the destruction of public health and the environment".

Source: AP news agency

Donald Trump's Inaugural speech and Annotations By Reporters

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.


Mr. Trump begins with a hopeful message designed to appeal to all Americans, but there is an implicit critique of what has come before. He follows in the footsteps of other recent presidents, including Mr. Obama, in thanking his predecessor for a smooth transition.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. 

This is literally true. The Washington area has become one of the most prosperous parts of the United States in recent decades, while much of the country has stagnated economically.

Binyamin Appelbaum, Economic Policy reporter

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

Mr. Trump begins with the theme that won him the election: a stark contrast between him and the political establishment, an us-against-them frame pitting ordinary American people against the elites.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again

Mr. Trump's advisers had said this speech would be about reaching out and uniting the country. In this passage, we hear 

an appeal to members of both parties.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

This echoes his convention speech, and it paints a bleak picture of America's streets. Violent crime increased about 4 percent in 2015, but that is a small blip in a decades-long decline in crime. The United States remains far safer than it has been in generations.

Matt Apuzzo, National Security reporter

 at the expense of American industry, subsidized the ..............

Corporate profits have reached record heights in recent years. The biggest American companies have benefited enormously from globalization. It's the workers who have suffered.

Binyamin Appelbaum, Economic Policy reporter

while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.

The Pentagon spends about $600 billion a year on the American military, more than is spent on the next six largest world militaries combined. Hardly a depleted force.

Eric Schmitt, National Security reporter

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.

Mr. Trump studied the first inaugural addresses of Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy while writing his own. There is a bit of a ring here of Reagan declaring that the United States was an “exemplar of freedom.” It also hits on Trump’s “America First” message, a nationalistic approach that was thrilling to his supporters and alarming to many others.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

It is interesting that he chooses not to say more about immigration, given his message during the campaign. It appears to be an effort for a more inclusive tone, but there are still rumblings that he will take aggressive action to crack down on undocumented immigrants soon.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected.

This is a remarkable statement for an inaugural address. Mr. Trump takes a paternalistic approach to elucidating the dangers facing the nation and reassuring Americans: Don't be afraid; the nation will protect you.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporte

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.

Mr. Trump may be taking pages from his predecessors, but the style of his rhetoric seems unique for an inaugural address. There is nothing flowery about this language. It's a simple message, very simply delivered.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.

Mr. Trump casts this nationalist message as a unifying one, but it is the very thing that sowed fear in liberals, including many people of 

color, during his campaign. One of the biggest questions of his presidency will be whether it will heal or intensify the nation's divisions.

Julie Hirschfeld Davis, White House reporter

Together we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again.

America has never been wealthier. The issue, as Mr. Trump noted earlier in his speech, is that the middle class is not benefiting from that prosperity, which is accumulating disproportionately in the hands of a wealthy minority.

Binyamin Appelbaum, Economic Policy reporter

Donald Trump’s Inaugural Speech, Annotated

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.

Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.

For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth.

Politicians prospered, but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day, this is your celebration, and this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of an historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public, but for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists:

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation, and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries

while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.

We've defended other nations’ borders while refusing to defend our own and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world. But that is the past, and now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American. We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones — and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.

It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag.

And whether a child is bornSo to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again.

We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America. Thank you. God bless America. in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky. They fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again.

We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America. Thank you. God bless America.