U.S. Imposes Harsh Sanctions on Venezuela

"U.S. imposes first economic sanctions against Venezuela" - PATRICIA MAZZEI AND FRANCO ORDOÑEZ IN THE MIAMI HERALD The Miami Herald reports the U.S. has "imposed its first economic penalties against Venezuela on Friday, hitting the South American country's financial sector in an attempt to starve President Nicolas Maduro's government of cash." President Trump signed an executive order approving the sanctions last night. The measure targets Venezuela's ability to borrow and is aimed at sowing discontent among Maduro's inner circle, the paper reports. It's the harshest sanction the U.S. can take, barring an outright oil ban. Click here to read more. ------------ David Ignatius in The Washington Post writes the Trump administration is "exploring new approaches for easing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that build on talks with a budding Sunni Arab coalition of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan." He questions whether this coalition could be a potential "game-changer" for Middle East peace. ------------ In The Columbus Dispatch, former Ohio tax commissioner Thomas Zaino praises President Trump's push for tax reform, including lowering the corporate tax rate to make the U.S. more competitive internationally, saying tax reform could be "a win-win for both parties and the American people." ------------ In The Washington Times, former Sen. Judd Gregg praises the President for his stance against unfair trade practices that harm America's steel industry, saying "American workers finally have an ally in the Oval Office who will stand strong against the illegal trade practices that threaten tens of thousands of American steel jobs." ------------ On immigration, in The Hill, the Federation for American Immigration Reform's Matt O'Brien praises the Trump administration's actions to sanction nations that block the deportation of their citizens from the U.S., saying the actions send a clear message to these countries.