Nation & World Watch
vWashington: Trump works on budget, tax plan
Warming up for an address to Congress next week, President Donald Trump and his aides said Wednesday they will roll out a proposed budget, a revamped health care plan, and a tax overhaul package over the next two months.
Trump did not provide specifics, but told reporters that “our moral duty to the taxpayer requires us to make our government leaner and more accountable,” and that means tax cuts and budget reductions in some areas. “We must do a lot more with less,” Trump said.
White House officials said they plan to work concurrently on three big projects: the budget, health care and tax reform. All are subjects the president is expected to address in his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
vCape Canaveral, Fla.: SpaceX delays delivery
A navigation error forced SpaceX to delay its shipment to the International Space Station on Wednesday, following an otherwise smooth flight from NASA’s historic moon pad.
SpaceX’s supply ship, the Dragon, was less than a mile from the orbiting outpost when a problem cropped up in the GPS system. The approach was aborted, and the Dragon backed away.
NASA said neither the station nor its six-person crew was in any danger, and another attempt would be made Thursday.
“As a pilot it is sometimes better to accelerate and circle around than attempt a difficult landing,” French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said in a tweet from the space station. “Same in space — we’ll be ready tomorrow!”
vFenton, Mo.: Pence blasts anti-Jewish vandalism
Vice President Mike Pence is condemning a “vile act of vandalism” at a suburban St. Louis Jewish cemetery where more than 150 headstones were damaged earlier this week.
Pence said in a speech Wednesday in Fenton, Missouri, that the vandalism, along with recent threats to Jewish community centers, is a “sad reminder” of the work that needs to be done to root out hate and prejudice.
The cemetery posted on Facebook that 154 headstones were vandalized in the damage discovered Monday. Many were tipped over.
vGreat Britain: 1st woman to lead Scotland Yard
The first woman to head London’s Metropolitan Police Service, popularly known as Scotland Yard, was announced Wednesday.
Cressida Dick, 56, was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, after a recommendation by British Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
Scotland Yard is the biggest and most powerful police force in the United Kingdom with more than 43,000 employees.
Dick, a director general at the Foreign Office, said she was “thrilled and humbled.” She will take over after the current commissioner retires next week. “This is a great responsibility,” she said.
vGermany: Bavaria votes to ban full-face veil
The German state of Bavaria moved to ban the full-face veil worn by some Muslim women from public places, an initiative that reflects a growing backlash against the flood of migrants admitted into Germany the past two years.
The Legislature of the southeastern state, which was a gateway for asylum seekers from southern Europe, passed a bill Tuesday night that would ban the garments — known as a niqab or burqa — on the grounds they prevent communication and endanger public safety.
The ban would apply only to public buildings. The measure is scheduled for a final vote later this spring.