The Trumpster Fire: President Trump says he will address the country tonight about the “crisis”  on the southern border and visit the area later in the week to persuade Americans his wall is necessary. 

  Trump claims the situation is a national security and humanitarian emergency. There’s a chance he may say he’s going ahead with his wall without congressional approval.

  It will be Trump’s first prime time address. All the major networks have committed to wall to wall coverage about the wall at 9pm.

  Trump and his lieutenants have said that terrorists are pouring over the southern border. NBC Newsreports that in the first half of 2018 only 6 people caught crossing the border were on the terrorist watchlist. 

  The President is also stepping up his demands from Congress, now asking for $800 million to deal with “urgent humanitarian needs” — that would be for all the illegal immigrants, children, and asylum seekers held in custody.

  A NY Timeseditorial says, “The situation is an especially rich example of the Trump Doctrine: Break something, then demand credit — and in this case a lot of money — for promising to fix it.”

  Then there’s the Syria thing. After National Security Adviser John Bolton announced a reversal of policy about removing US troops from Syria, President Trump claimed he never said the troops were being withdrawn immediately. But his original announcement was that the troops were coming home in 30 days. “Now” was the President’s word and his Secretary of Defense James Mattis resigned because of it.

  Nevertheless, despite his bald-faced lie, Trump is complaining about his news coverage. He tweeted yesterday, “The Fake News Media in our Country is the real Opposition Party. It is truly the Enemy of the People! We must bring honesty back to journalism and reporting!”

The Shutdown:Effects of the government shutdown are beginning to ripple through the economy. About $1.4 billion in salaries is not going into the economy. Rent and mortgage payments are being delayed. Unpaid federal workers are tightening their spending, buying less food, and gasoline, and not going to restaurants. Economists say economic growth will be affected.

Sanctuary:An 18-year-old Saudi Arabian woman fleeing the strictures of family and country has been allowed to remain in Thailand, at least temporarily. Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun says her family has tried to block her education and threatened her with death.

  She spent 48 hours barricaded in a hotel room under threat of being deported before the Thais relented. 

  Thailand does not have a great record of granting asylum, but this case attracted international attention and a visit from representatives of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

  “Thailand is a land of smiles. We will not send someone back to die,” said the country’s immigration chief, Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn. “We will take care of her as best as we can.”

Juvenile Crime: TennesseeGov. Bill Haslam called attention to extreme sentences for juvenile criminals when he commuted the life sentence of a 30-year-old woman convicted of murder when she was 16.  Cyntoia Brown never denied killing a man to whom she was sold for sex. She said she acted in self-defense. 

  Brown will be released to supervised parole on Aug. 7. 

  “Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16,” the  Republican Haslam said. “Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life.”

Endzone:Number two became number one last night as Clemson crushed Alabama for the college football championship. Clemson, 44, Alabama 16.

  Both teams entered the game 14-0. Alabama threw a couple of critical turnovers and Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence was on target all night.  It’s Clemson’s third national title.

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