The Trump Administration has announced economic sanctions against Iran "targeting at least 16 individuals and entities for supporting what it said was 'illicit Iranian actors or transnational criminal activity'." These particular sanctions includes freezing any US banking system interaction as well as US assets. Just yesterday, it was announced that Iran was complying with the set nuclear deal; however, these sanctions are being pushed on the basis of "breaking the 'spirit' of the deal" with the threat of additional to come should things not turn around. These individuals "had backed Iran's military or Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by developing drones and military equipment, producing and maintaining boats, and procuring electronic components, according to the US."
Putting North Korea in "Full Court Press"
Dennis Rodman, former NBA player, is at it once again with another trip to North Korea; this one being the first during the new presidency. When questioned about any discussions with President Trump prior to his travel, Rodman stated, "Well, I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need." However, Rodman didn't enlist specifics on his goals of his trip and government officials have said he's traveling as a private citizen. "Rodman tweeted that his trip was being sponsored by Potcoin, one of a growing number of cybercurrencies used to buy and sell marijuana in state-regulated markets." Despite discussions of North Korea ousting Amsterdam in pot tourism, the country still considers it a controlled substance to the likes of heroine and cocaine and "likely could not expect leniency if the country's drug laws were violated". Rodman has been criticized in the past for not using his influence in a country like this and only time will tell if this round will be any different.
Mr. Down to Business
President Trump has been the center of the media's attention for quite some time now; however, there's one thing he has yet to do - back down on hardly any of his promises made on his road to election. As widely-known, the President comes from a deeply rooted business background without any formal political education (he received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania). His business-driven acumen has largely served as the foundation in developing his agenda and guiding his decisions both here at home and abroad.
Most recently, President Trump made the decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, a consolidated effort across member countries to reduce the impact on global warming. Granted, this was a bold political move (which aligns with much of his days in presidency), this also stays true to his goal of bringing jobs back to America, in particular for the manufacturing industry. Additionally, the most recent unemployment data released today, shows numbers are at an all-time low (4.3%) over the past 16 years. This has sparked conversations of raising interest rates due to higher employment as well as discussions of reaching labor capacity.
Whether President Trump was a personal choice or not, the man should be applauded for getting things done and gaining momentum towards an improved economy overall.
RESPECT THE POSITION
A group of Notre Dame students recently walked out during Vice President Mike Pence's commencement address at his Alma Mater. This outrages me; at the minimum, be respectful of the man's position. As many know, I'm a business driven republican who has his fair share of opinions, but in 1997, I had the fortunate opportunity to hear President Bill Clinton speak and even spend five minutes talking to him after his event. It was a highlight of my life! I may not have voted for him (I was too young), but I still respected his position enough to listen to him. Sometimes sitting on your hands is harder than throwing them up in protest, but find sound reasoning worth doing so. Do we as millennials really want to be known as the generation that, when we didn't get our way or our participation trophy, we protested?
Respect the position and find the positive.