Shut the Door: President Trump visited the Pentagon yesterday and signed an executive order freezing immigration from seven Muslim countries and commanding “extreme vetting” of immigrants from countries plagued by terrorism. “We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas,” Trump said. The text of the order was not made available.

Trump said priority would be given to Christian refugees from Muslim countries. Critics say Trump will only feed the hatred of Muslim extremists toward America, claiming he’s at war with Islam itself.

Immigrants from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen will be prohibited from entering the US for 90 days.

The President also signed an order promising to “begin a great rebuilding of the armed services of the United States,” including plans for new aircraft, ships, and other expensive military gear.

Tough Talk: Trump’s new UN Ambassador Nikki Haley delivered warnings to members of the United Nations in New York yesterday. “Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN,” she said, “and the way that we’ll show value is to show our strength, show our voice, have the backs of our allies and make sure that our allies have our back as well.”

She threatened, “For those that don’t have our back, we’re taking names, we will make points to respond to that accordingly.”

The Wall: After their in-person meeting was cancelled, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and President Trump spoke on the phone yesterday.

“With respect to the payment for the border wall, both presidents recognized their clear and very public difference between their stances on this very sensitive issue,” the Mexican president’s office said in a statement. “The presidents also agreed for now to not speak publicly about this controversial issue.”

Trump said at a press conference in Washington, “We’re going to be working on a fair relationship and a new relationship.” He said, “We’re no longer going to be the country that doesn’t know what it is doing.” And, “I have great respect for the Mexico. I love the Mexican people.”

March for Life: Vice President Mike Pence addressed thousands of people who gathered in Washington yesterday for an annual campaign against legalized abortion. Pence pledged that the administration will appoint a Supreme Court justice who is opposed to abortion and, “We will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America.”

Sanctuary: President Trump’s executive order threatening to withhold federal money from “sanctuary cities” has a fight brewing with some of the country’s most populated areas.

A sanctuary city is one in which local law enforcement does not turn over illegal immigrants accused of a crime to immigration authorities. Many police agencies say it’s more difficult to help illegal immigrants and solve crimes when people fear the police will act as an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Local law enforcement can do as it wishes, so withholding money is the only leverage for the feds. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would immediately go to court if the feds cut the city’s funding. “If they make an attempt to pull that money, it will be from NYPD, from security funding to fight terrorism,” he said.

Miami’s mayor crumbled almost immediately, fearing the loss of $355 million in federal aid. Mayor Carlos Gimenez said, “It doesn’t mean that we’re going to be arresting more people. It doesn’t mean that we’re going to be enforcing any immigration laws.”

Williams v. Williams: Serena Williams beat her older sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open to win her 23^rd Grand Slam singles title.

The Obit Page: British actor John Hurt, who was nominated for an Oscar in “Elephant Man” and was a character in two Harry Potter movies, has died of cancer at age 77. The two-time Oscar nominee with a long list of credits came from a coal mining town in Derbyshire, England.

Sacre Bleu!: In a culinary shock that rattled spice racks around the world, a team of American team chefs this week won the Bocuse d’Or competition. Americans had never previously won in 30 years.

Teams were given 5 hours and 35 minutes to cook chicken with crayfish and a vegan dish. Obviously it was more complicated than that.

The Americans prepared for a year and produced the following, according to the description in the NY Times: ” Chicken with morel mushroom sausage, braised wings, a wine glaze and sauce Américaine, a kind of lobster sauce. Alongside were a chicken liver quenelle with foie gras, corn custard, black-eyed peas and toasted pistachios, as well as lobster tail with Meyer lemon mousse. The garnishes included preparations using carrots, Vidalia onions, black truffles, carrots, peas and potatoes.”

The French made something for dinner.

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