Monthly Archives: February 2017

President Donald Trump addressed a variety of topics during a Feb. 16, 2017, news conference in the East Room of the White House.

Were tracking more than 100 of President Donald Trumps campaign pledges on our Trump-O-Meter. In a lengthy press conference Feb. 16, Trump listed several actions hes taken since his Jan. 20 inauguration to meet these promises.

Heres a quick rundown of the promises he listed. (We fact-checked the press conference in a separate article.)

"We've withdrawn from the job-killing disaster known as Trans Pacific Partnership."

We rated this a Promise Kept after Trump signed a presidential memoranda officially directing the United States to withdraw from the free trade deal. The TPP, negotiated by former President Barack Obama, had yet to be ratified by Congress and was unlikely to be. Trump's withdrawal is a largely symbolic move but underscores the new administration's very different outlook on global trade.

"We've imposed a hiring freeze on nonessential federal workers."

We rated this promise In the Works, after Trump signed a presidential memorandum imposing a hiring freeze on federal employees, with exceptions for employees in national security, public safety and the military sectors. But the real measure of success for this pledge will come down to how much he is able to reduce the scope of the government through attrition.

"We've issued a game-changing new rule that says for each one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated."

We rated this a Promise Kept, when he signed a Jan. 30 executive order directing that for every new regulation, two be repealed. Several regulation categories are exempt from Trump's order, including the military, foreign affairs and personnel management.

"We've begun preparing to repeal and replace Obamacare."

We rated this claim In the Works after Trump signed a broad executive order to minimize the laws economic burden on his first day in office. However, the executive order did not repeal the former presidents signature health care law or offer executive branch agencies any new authority with regard to the policy.

"We have also taken steps to begin construction of the Keystone Pipeline and Dakota Access Pipelines."

We rated Trumps promise to build the Keystone XL pipeline In the Works after he signed a presidential memorandum advancing the construction of the pipeline on Jan 25. He also signed another memorandum ordering the Army to "review and approve" the Dakota Access Pipeline. Both represent direct reversals of actions taken by the Obama administration, which took steps to halt construction of both pipelines.

We are "now in the process of beginning to build a promised wall on the southern border."

We rated this promise as In the Works after Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 25 calling for the walls "immediate construction of a physical wall." Trump didnt mention in the press conference a key component of his promise that Mexico would pay for for the wall. Mexican government officials say the country wont pay.

"We've ordered a crackdown on sanctuary cities that refuse to comply with federal law and that harbor criminal aliens."

Trump promised to "end" sanctuary cities during his campaign. We rated this promise In the Works after he signed an executive order on Jan. 25 directing the attorney general's office and the secretary of homeland security to withhold grant money from cities that protect undocumented immigrants.

"We have taken decisive action to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country."

Trump promised to suspend immigration from terror-prone places. We rated this promise In the Works when he signed an executive order Jan. 27 temporarily halting entry into the United States of people from seven countries impacted by terrorism. The order is currently facing significant legal challenges.

"I've started by imposing a five-year lobbying ban on White House officials...

We rated this promise a Compromise. Trump signed an executive order Jan. 28 that will restrict some of the lobbying White House officials can do after they leave his team. But like most presidential crackdowns on ethics, it has caveats. For example, the order only bans White House officials from lobbying their former agency, not from becoming lobbyists.

and a lifetime ban on lobbying for a foreign government."

We rated this a Promise Kept. Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 28 banning administration officials from ever lobbying the United States on behalf of a foreign government.

"I have kept my promise to the American people by nominating a justice of the United States Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch, who is from my list of 20."

We rated this a Promise Kept. Not even two weeks into his presidency, Trump nominated Gorsuch to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court. Gorsuch, a conservative, is currently a judge for the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit based in Colorado.

Originally posted here:

Donald Trump touts promise progress at press conference - PolitiFact

Michigan players have spoken regularly during the past two years about how they believe their new coaching staffs professional approach to running the team was getting them ready for a future in football. NFL scouts evidently are starting to agree.

Fourteen former Wolverines received invites to the NFL combine at the end of the month, setting a school record and lending some credence to one of the football program's major recruiting pitches. Michigan, which will have more players at the event than any other team, matches Ohio States 14-man contingent from a year ago. So add one more data point to the argument that Jim Harbaugh and company are slowly closing the gap on their rival in Columbus.

Starting at the top, the program's NFL experience has been a much-discussed selling point since Harbaugh's arrival. He had a decorated pro career as a player, and when he took the Michigan job, he brought several coaches to Ann Arbor who helped him lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. Seven of the 10 coaches on staff have played and/or coached in the NFL.

Secondary coaches Mike Zordich and Brian Smith share common roots with the Philadelphia Eagles. Together they helped send four of their defensive backs to the combine this year -- five if you include Jabrill Peppers, who spent a healthy amount of time playing a safety role for the nations top passing defense last season.

On the other side of the ball, Michigan added two new staff members with experience as NFL offensive coordinators in the past several weeks. Pep Hamilton, most recently of the Cleveland Browns, replaced Jedd Fisch as the teams passing-game coordinator. Michael Johnson, who coached Harbaugh at the tail end of his playing career, is expected to take a support staff role for the Wolverines in the very near future.

Some of the credit for this years deep draft class belongs to former coach Brady Hoke. He and his staff recruited all 14 of the players on their way to Indianapolis this month. Not for nothing, but Hokes first two recruiting classes in Ann Arbor had almost identical rankings to Harbaughs first two classes. Hoke was 19-7 on the field in those first two seasons. Harbaugh is 20-6. The progress feels different, though, because of the obvious development many of Hokes recruits have undergone since the new staff's arrival.

Thats why the huge group headed to the NFL combine is as good of a sign as any in the past two offseasons that the program is in fact closing the gap on their Big Ten rivals since hiring a new coaching staff. Harbaugh has done plenty of things to make Michigan more attractive since his arrival. He spearheaded the fundraising for a planned $21 million weight room renovation that the universitys board of regents will vote on this week. He helped secure a unique apparel contract with Jumpman, and hes kept the football program squarely in the spotlight through one device or another for much of the past two years.

None of this, of course, means much of anything if Michigan cant translate off-field progress into wins on the field against the likes of Ohio State and other conference championship contenders. As nice as it is to have 14 players heading to the NFL combine, this isnt the trip to Lucas Oil Stadium that anyone had in mind at the start of the 2016 season. Its another tangible sign of the coaching staff producing results on one of their goals. Bigger goals exist, but for mid-February the combine announcement is a victory.

Read more:

Combine invites are another sign of progress at Michigan - Big Ten ... - ESPN (blog)

We're breaking down the top segments from Thursday's edition of PFW in Progress radio show so you don't miss a thing.

PFW in Progress 2/16 Podcast >>

0:02:00 - Today's episode of PFW In Progress featured a full cast of characters. With this week being the first full week of off season programming, the PFW In Progress crew began to round into mid season off season form! Andy Hart began today's program hot under the collar about a piece written by CSNNE's Tom E. Curran.

0:30:00 - As the show discussed Rob Gronkowski's off season recovery from surgery, the PFW In Progress Boys began to question his workout and training regimens. Should Gronk focus more on becoming more flexible in order to become less injury prone? Is he doing too much weight lifting?

0:55:00 - The lunch break for today's show was sponsored by our good friend Andrew Halpern from Denver, Colorado. Halp bought the boys lunch, but wasn't the only listener taking care of the crew. Long time PFW In Progress listener Brad from the Eastern Shore sent the show boxes of candies to celebrate the Patriots 5th Super Bowl Championship.

1:10:00 - The show discussed the performance of Trey Flowers in comparison to the production Chandler Jones provided the Patriots defensive line in previous seasons.

1:30:00 - Marcus Cannon's conditioning and weight were a topic of discussion today. Cannon dropped a significant amount of weight heading into the 2016 season. Will he be able to keep it off in 2017? Will he want to bulk up? Read

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PFW in Progress Recap 2/16: Free Agency and Potential Patriots - Patriots.com

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2017 Production of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter is on a good trajectory and is a necessary aircraft in the militarys arsenal to battle high-end threats, service leaders told a House Armed Service Committee panel today.

Providing an update on the the F-35 program to the subcommittee on tactical air and land forces were Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, program executive officer, F-35 joint program office; Navy Rear Adm. DeWolfe Chip Miller III, director of air warfare; Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Jon M. Davis, deputy commandant of Marine Corps aviation; and Air Force Maj. Gen. Jerry D. Harris Jr., deputy chief of staff, strategic plans, programs and requirements.

The programs development, production and sustainment have made significant and solid progress, Bogdan said.

The fleet is rapidly expanding and we're flying F-35s in the United States, Italy, Japan and Israel as we speak, he said. The development program is nearing completion within the cost and schedule boundaries put in place in the 2011 rebase line. And the program is also continuing to successfully ramp up production and accelerating a standup of our global enterprise. The general said todays F-35 program is much different than it was five years ago when he became the program executive officer. It now has a fleet of more than 210 airplanes that have surpassed 73,000 flight hours.

Operational, Combat Ready

The weapons system is considered operational and combat ready by the Air Force and Marine Corps, Bogdan said, adding, It is also forward-deployed today in Iwakuni, Japan, for the U.S. Marine Corps and operated in Israel and Italy by those F-35 customers.

The price tag for an F-35A model costs is about $94.5 million today, marking a first in costing less than $100 million, he said.

We believe we are on track to continue reducing the price of the F-35 such that in [fiscal year 2019], with an engine including all fees, the F-35A model will cost between $80 million and $85 million, Bogdan said. As part of this reduction, we have initiated a block buy strategy for our foreign partners and an economic order quantity contracting strategy for the U.S. services.

Driving Down F-35 Costs

The overarching priority is continuing to drive costs down in the F-35 program while delivering full capability to the warfighter, he said.

We will continue to execute this program with integrity, discipline and transparency and I hold myself and my team accountable for the outcomes on this program, Bogdan told the panel. Our team recognizes the great responsibility we've been given to provide the foundation of future U.S. and allied fighter capability for decades to come.

The F-35B and the F-35C remain a top acquisition priority for the Marine Corps, Davis said.

He said he is becoming increasingly convinced the F-35 is a game changer and a war winner, and added the Corps can't get those airplanes in the fleet fast enough to replace our F-18s and our Harriers, which on average are 22 years old.

With the fifth-generation F-35, We're achieving astounding results in the highest threat scenarios and that across the range of military operations fight, with the F-35. It is changing things in a very decisive way, Davis said.

An Acquisition Priority

Along with the Marine Corps and Air Force, the F-35C is a Navy aviation acquisition priority, Miller said.

The F-35C will form the backbone of Navy air combat superiority for decades to come, he said, adding its unique capabilities cant be matched by modernizing the F-35 fourth-generation aircraft.

With the F-35, the carrier strike group of the future will be more lethal, survivable and able to accomplish the entire spectrum of mission sets to include immediate response to high-end threats, the admiral said.

The nation needs the capabilities of the F-35C on its carrier flight decks, Miller said. The aircraft's stealth characteristics, long-range combat identification and ability to penetrate threat envelopes while fusing multiple information sources into a coherent picture will transform the joint coalition view of the battlefield.

Harris said the airplane is doing exactly what the military needs it to do.

The final F-35A fleet is growing and will become a dominant force in our fifth-generation arsenal, deterring potential adversaries and assuring both our allies and our partners at the same time, the general said.

(Follow Terri Moon Cronk on Twitter: @MoonCronkDoD)

See more here:

F-35 Program Makes Significant, Solid Progress, Official Says - Department of Defense

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To start the week, the S&P 500 was testing the bottom-side of a trend-line running back to the Feb lows from last year; that line in a hurry become right here to down there. The recent advance after a painful chop through much of December and January is looking a lot like a blow-off top in progress. Were not quite in a parabolic state, but it wouldnt take much more of a rally to put it there. With that said, its hard to say when we will see a meaningful, trade-able top, but its possibly on its way to a theatre near you soon. The time-frame of a blow-off isnt isolated to one; there are short-term exhaustions, then macro. For now, we are mostly concerning ourselves with the short-term.

Being a Tommy Top Picker isnt fun and often times expensive, so well wait for momentum to turn on the longs before digging in from the short-side. Buying at this juncture holds poor risk/reward, unless you are buying intra-day dips which have been fruitful with their very shallow occurrences.

Looking upward, where could the market stall? Perhaps the under-side of the November trend-line around the 2060ish mark and climbing. But, again, these market melt-ups can be vicious, and until we see good price action indicating this move has run its full course we have no interest in being a hero here. On any decline from here we will look to the Feb 16 trend-line as the first area of potential support, currently around 2328 and climbing.

S&P 500: Daily

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S&P 500: 'Blow-off' Phase in Progress - DailyFX - DailyFX

Lenovo's data center group saw fiscal third quarter revenue fall 20 percent from a year ago and the company is investing in its sales, channel and product groups.

The company, which built its data center group largely be acquiring IBM's commodity server business, said third quarter sales were $1.1 billion, down 20 percent from a year ago. Lenovo said it saw quarter-over-quarter improvements in North America, Latin America and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

However, Lenovo said it needs to build its data center brand, which includes servers, storage, software and services. The company has forged partnership with key enterprise players such as SAP, but lacks the sales and channel infrastructure.

Lenovo added that it is "strengthening our sales teams, investing in the channel, revamping our product lines, building our brand strategy, and adding new partnerships." The company also added to its global accounts team that focuses on Fortune 500 companies.

Overall, Lenovo faced a challenging quarter as all units saw sales stagnate or slide. Lenovo reported operating income of $101 million in the third quarter on revenue of $12.2 billion, down 6 percent from a year ago. CEO Yang Yuanqing said "our PC business remains strong, our Mobile business has made steady progress, and our Data Center business now has a clear improvement plan in place." Yuanqing also noted that it takes time to build the latter two businesses.

The PC and smart devices unit delivered operating income of $431 million on revenue of $8.6 billion. Lenovo said demand in North America was strong as shipments jumped 14 percent from a year ago. Tablet shipments were up 10 percent.

Meanwhile, the mobile unit, which includes Moto and Lenovo smartphones, delivered sales of $2.2 billion, down 23 percent from a year ago. Lenovo shipped 15 million smartphones and said that Moto G shipments were up 12 percent from a year ago due to strength in Latin America and India.

Also: Lenovo enters smart glasses fray, targets business, augmented reality, June availability

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Lenovo's data center ambitions remain work in progress following Q3 results - ZDNet