Monday, January 27

The United States has managed to deport dozens of Colombian citizens after an intense political battle between the two countries over the weekend, with President Donald Trump threatening visa restrictions and massive tariffs to force Colombia to accept the deported migrants.

President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown as soon as he took office, signing a slew of executive orders to block illegal immigration and end the process of catch and release. He has also been attempting to stop birthright citizenship, which is enshrined into the Constitution via the 14th Amendment, but the justice system has halted those efforts.

On Sunday, two military planes departed from the United States to drop deported Colombian immigrants back to their home country, but Colombia rejected the flights and refused to give them permission to land. Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed that they had rejected the flights because the deported Colombians had not been treated with "dignity," citing a video of another flight carrying deported immigrants -- who were bound by their hands and feet -- to Brazil. He continued on to state that migrants were not criminals, and they should be treated like civilians as they return.

However, Trump took immediate action. As the flights returned to the US, he quickly announced visa restrictions, a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods, and more scrutiny within customs inspections on all Colombian products. He also included that the 25% tariff would be raised to 50% in one week, crippling Colombian trade. Trump stated afterwards that it was "just the beginning," confirming that Colombia would need to accept the deported migrants for the restrictions to end.

Petro responded with an equivalent 25% tariff on American goods, but the Colombian government agreed to Trump's terms just hours later. The United States government confirmed later on that Colombia had accepted the deal, agreeing to "unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens" from their country.

While Sunday's events could have had significant consequences for US consumers, as the prices of coffee and other goods would have risen steeply, Trump seemed to be focused on other initiatives. The White House under Trump has maintained that America must command respect, as shown in the president's slogan, "Make America Great Again," and yesterday's affair confirmed that he will not hesitate to take major action against other countries to achieve his goals.

Upcoming Events:

• International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (Monday, January 27)

• World Interfaith Harmony Week Begins (Saturday, February 1)

• World Wetlands Day (Sunday, February 2)

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): When helium is cooled to extreme temperatures, just a few degrees away from absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit or -273 degrees Celsius), it turns into a superfluid, meaning it can flow without friction. That means it can climb up and over the sides of a glass, defying gravity, and it can leak through molecule-thin cracks in a container.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Jealousy is all the fun you think they had. (Erica Jong)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Circuitous (noun, ser-KYOO-uh-tus) - If something—such as a path, route, or journey—is described as circuitous, it is not straight, short, and direct, but rather takes a circular or winding course. Circuitous can also describe speech or writing that is not said or done simply or clearly.

In a Sentence: He took a circuitous route to town, stopping at several of his favorite shops even though it added minutes and miles to his trip.