This week's topics of note: DACA; Harvey, Irma, & disaster relief; DPRK; Russian meddling on Facebook; nuclear weapons and their non-use; Hillary, the money beat goes on; Juan Felipe Herrera; separation of powers; flight to freedom; wolves in France.

DACA, (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals). The president effectively put the ball in Congress' court by saying the program would be phased out in 6 months time. The conservative view is from the National Review. Was President Obama's executive declaration of DACA extra-constitutional?
     NR: "The problem is the substance of executive action. DACA is defective in two ways. First, it presumes to exercise legislative power by conferring positive legal benefits on a category of aliens... Second, it distorts the doctrine of prosecutorial discretion to rationalize this presidential legislating and to grant a defacto amnesty....Trump could remind the public that President Obama himself publicly admitted he did not have the constitutional power to do what DACA does."
     5 DACA myths:

1. DACA incentivized an increase in illegal immigration.
2. DACA has taken jobs from Americans.
3. Repealing DACA would benefit taxpayers.
4. DACA repeal protects communities from criminals.
5. DACA repeal is just about politics.

     One story involving hurricane-ravaged Houston discusses the question: who is going to do the rebuilding if DACA and other illegals are shipped back? The same may now be asked for all of the  FL-ravaged peninsula.

Harvey, Irma, and disaster relief. This possible one-two punch for the east coast has resulted in unprecedented levels of donations, public and private. It has made many aware of charity watchdogs such as Charity Navigator.  and the lack of transparency on the part of major charities, e.g. the Red Cross and Salvation Army. The better option is to donate to a local charity with a good "track record."
     Superfund toxic waste sites are being secured from Irma's expected rain and storm surge. The EPA reports there are 54 Superfund sites in FL.
     President Trump will experience Irma's wrath "up close and personal" by the president: two of his luxury FL homes are in Irma's path.
     This story from the High Country News: "The term 'climate change' isn't working any more." That "it's happening" is becoming ever harder to deny; the "why," of course, is still debatable from some.
     In the liberal New Republic, Emily Atkin opines that "This weather is not normal and it will only get worse."

DPRK (North Korea) from "down under." Thoughts on the Korean mess from a long-time Korea observer in Australia from the Sydney Morning Herald. A 20 to 25% chance in the nuclear missile age is much different, though, than the 1950's when only the US had a demonstrated delivery capability.
     This article, from the Christian Science Monitor, notes Kim Jong Un's exquisite (planned?) timing, given upcoming events in China. 

Facebook, November 2016, and Harvey. Good news: Facebook users saved lives in Hurricane Harvey. In fact, the uses for Facebook and other internet media will hopefully necessitate a review at all levels of how to make use of this tool in dealing with national disasters. Bad news: Can any nation expect its elections to be invulnerable to outside influence? It now appears that Facebook sold more than 5,000 ($150,000.00) ads to "inauthentic accounts" and Pages, likely from Russia...Facebook says it had given the information to authorities [?] investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election."

Sincerity. From E.J. Dionne's recent column: "One of the most cynical quotations in history is also one of the most widely attributed. Let’s ponder the version associated with Groucho Marx: 'Sincerity is the key to success. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.' " Dionne continues, "The thing he [President Trump] cares about is what others think of him. So he’ll adjust his views again and again to serve his ends as circumstances change. He’s not Mr. Fearless. He’s Mr. Insecure."
     Charles Blow, NYT columnist: "I believe that something similar, but on a much grander and much more consequential scale, happens with presidents. As Michelle Obama said: “Being president doesn’t change who you are. No, it reveals who you are.” That is what is happening with Donald Trump."  Just saying.

Nuclear weapons, past, present, and future. George Will discusses ("Will Trump lower the nuclear bar?") the largely unknown instances when US presidents did/did not consider the use of our nuclear arsenal -- and the probable (unknown?) future given the president's conflicting muttering. He also asks, "Are Congress’s constitutional powers regarding war so atrophied that it supinely hopes for mere post facto notification?"
     Michael Morell, acting director and deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010 to 2013, begs to differ. He ventures the opinion that the DPRK may already be able to reach the continental US with a nuclear weapon. His viewpoint is shared by some of America's ranking military officials. Morell concludes, "If this darkest of scenarios were to play out, the assumption and assessment that North Korea cannot yet threaten us would be a strategic mistake of historic proportions." To say the least!

Hillary's new book. The lady is obsessed with nothing if not money! Publishing a "score-settling" book does nothing to reverse November 2016. She ran poorly and lost!! The Democratic party is in desperate need of new, young blood! Hillary and Bernie are old news. Senator Warren (nearing 70) works for me only with a young, dynamic VP.  Otherwise, 2020 will be just a re-run.
     "Sanders brushed off Clinton’s criticism in a Wednesday interview with The Hill, saying it’s time for Democrats to 'look forward, not backward.' ” Amen. Here is a link to other tongue-in-cheek "might have been" titles suggested for Hillary's book, What Happened. http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/DenverPost/Default.aspx?olv-cache-ver=1.5.46.0

Juan Felipe Herrera, US Poet Laurette. His recollections and a poem.

Congress "back in the fray?" George Will's column last Saturday had the online title of "Trump may awaken a slumbering Congress." which he judged a good thing, a step back to the separation of powers concept. "The president’s manifest and manifold inadequacies might awaken a slumbering Congress to the existence of its Article I powers and responsibilities."

Freedom from DPRK. How much would you endure, how far would you travel to escape to freedom? North Koreans are fleeing along a circuitous, multi-thousand mile trip to get just little bit further south on their peninsula, to get to  South Korea, where they will instantly become new citizens.

Donald "Lone Ranger" Trump. This NYT article captures the possible effects of President Trump on our long-standing two party system. He demands total loyalty, but may well give none in return. Though one writer opines, "As a presidential deal-maker, Donald Trump is, in Texas parlance, all hat and no cattle....To many congressional Republicans, this was another indication that the president doesn't care about the party, and that his word is transactional, as are his principles"

European wolves. It is not only ranchers in the American west who are worried about these wily canine predators. There are reportedly now 360+ wolves roaming the French country side and mountains.

Thank you for reading.