promoearn: Even Trump's family divided by 'zero tolerance' immigration policy

Monday, June 18, 2018

Even Trump's family divided by 'zero tolerance' immigration policy

President Donald Trump kisses his wife,. first lady

The first lady wants 'a country that governs with heart'

President Donald Trump's controversial "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which includes separating migrant children from their parents, has drawn criticism from a lot of public figures. Even first lady Melania Trump has weighed in , saying Sunday the U.S. should be a country of laws, "but also a country that governs with heart." Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen defended her department's policies Monday, saying the children are provided food, medical attention, education and anything else they might need (except, of course, their parents). "We will not apologize for doing our job, " she said hours after vehemently denying any such policy existed. On Father's Day, a group of Senate and House members toured the U.S.-Mexico border to "further investigate" the policy. Their tour included a stop at a processing center in McAllen, Texas, where migrants are kept in 30-by-30-foot cages that each hold 20 to 30 people.

Gerrymandering still part of political playbook after SCOTUS sidestep

What could have resulted in a historic Supreme Court ruling Monday on partisan gerrymandering did just the opposite: nothing. Taking up two cases, Wisconsin and Maryland, the justices declined to address the constitutional issue at hand — states drawing election maps intended to help one political party dominate the other. Instead, they punted back to the lower courts. But gerrymandering may still make an appearance next term through North Carolina. In 2016, the once-purple state drew a congressional map that resulted in the election of 10 Republicans out of 13 seats making it a prime case for the court's consideration.

Rising seas threaten 300,000 U.S. homes

Maybe buying property in Nebraska isn't such a bad idea. A new report released Monday said that rising seas could consume more than 300,000 homes along coastal areas of the U.S. in the next 30 years. The homes' value? Some $120 billion. Even worse, by the end of the century, homes and businesses currently worth more than $1 trillion — including those in Miami, New York's Long Island and the San Francisco Bay area — could be at risk. "This is a slow-moving disaster," said Rachel Cleetus, lead economist with the Union of Concerned Scientists , the group that prepared the report. States with the most homes at risk by 2100 are Florida, with about 1 million homes (more than 10 percent of the state's current residential properties); New Jersey, with 250,000 homes; and New York, with 143,000 homes.

Trump insults help spark Canadian boycott of U.S. goods

Canadians are often noted for their politeness, but the growing tension with the United States has many of America's neighbors to the north saying, "no more Mr. Nice Guy, eh." With hashtags such as #BoycottUSA, #BuyCanadian and #VacationCanada faithful Canadians are mounting a boycott of U.S. goods and American-made products. Many cite President Donald Trump's anti-Canadian sentiments and tariffs to justify the boycott. Trump also called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "very dishonest & weak" in a tweet last week, which was the final straw for many Canadians who are taking up the boycott.

'Incredibles 2' makes movie history (in both a good and bad way)

"Incredibles 2," the animated Disney blockbuster that picks up where the original movie left off 14 years ago, earned $180 million in its first weekend, making it the best opening of all time for an animated film . But the family-friendly sequel has also made history by becoming the first film from Walt Disney Pictures to come with a warning label. A scene with bright flashing lights sparked concerns that it could trigger seizures in people with epilepsy, migraines or chronic illness. In response, Disney sent an advisory to theaters asking them to warn customers about the sequence of flashing lights.

The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.