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ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Nearly a decade after Barack Obama snuffed out America's beacon of freedom to the world, President Trump has relighted the hopeful flame.

At nearly this exact point in Mr. Obamas presidency, he launched his famous apology tour, traveling the globe seeking forgiveness for all Americas transgressions.

Warmongering, torture and slavery had become the ugly birthmarks of America. In Mr. Obamas eyes, anyway.

That was before Mr. Obama went on to become the first president in history to wage war with every heartbeat of his presidency. Or the rise and spread of ISIS, which plumbed new depths of depravity in torturing innocents. Or the explosion of slavery, rape and human trafficking from South and Central America spawned by Mr. Obamas heartless open-orders policies.

He traveled to Egypt with unrivaled credibility as the son of a Muslim to beckon the Muslim world into modernity? To teach the radical notions of free speech, self-governance and religious freedom? Instead, he apologized for Americas role in creating the internet, with its twisted view of sexuality and mindless violence.

Really? You have women living as covered servants and gays thrown off rooftops and Americas president apologized for the internet?

He also claimed it was part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

Seriously? Can you believe that huckster peddled himself as a constitutional scholar? No wonder he suffered so many unanimous beat-downs by the Supreme Court during his presidency.

The problem with Barack Obama other than having never actually read the Constitution is that he never understood the radical notion of self-governance upon which America was founded. He views government as a great force of paternal benevolence.

It is why he gave us government-run Obamacare, which is just a fancy, self-idolizing term for socialized medicine and rationed health care. Most Orwellian of all, Mr. Obama named it the Affordable Care Act.

Well, sir, if it is so affordable, why does the federal government have to mandate everyone buy it?

Maybe if you shut up long enough and listened to the great people of Poland and other Eastern European countries for which you had such disdain, they would have happily explained it to you.

Socialism didnt work there, and it will not work here.

Mr. Obama is gone now, and his legacy is being systematically dismantled by Mr. Trump.

Among Mr. Trumps earliest initiatives was undoing the Obama Doctrine of apology and appeasement.

Mr. Obamas commitment to Defeat without Peace and America Last have been replaced by an era of American Exceptionalism. America's Beacon of Hope shines brightly once again.

In Warsaw, Mr. Trump celebrated our warm friendship with the soul of Europe.

You stood in solidarity against oppression, against a lawless secret police, against a cruel and wicked system that impoverished your cities and your souls, he said. And you won. Poland prevailed. Poland will always prevail.

And this gem, which certainly went right over Mr. Obamas head, but may as well have been aimed directly at the heart of Obamacare: The West became great not because of paperwork and regulations but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies.

Mr. Trumps entire powerful and elegant speech reminded me of so many thrilling lines from Casablanca. In particular, this one near the end of the film when Victor Laszlo turns to Rick after getting the letters of transit and says: Welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win.

Charles Hurt can be reached at churt@washingtontimes.com and on Twitter by @charleshurt.

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Making no apologies, President Trump replaces Obama Doctrine with American Exceptionalism - Washington Times

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

No entity in America provides more money to colleges than the U.S. Department of Education. More than $120 billion in loans and grants annually flowto students, who then pass that money on to colleges to pay for things like tuition, housing, and books.

What you may not know is that colleges generally keep the money regardless of whether astudentgraduates, or even if they claim the school misled them.

Last year, the Obama administration tried to change that. Federal officials drafted new rules that would give the government greater authority to demand that financially troubled colleges put up collateral in case the government had to forgo repayment of a loan because a college defrauded a student or unexpectedly shut down. U.S. officials also sought to bancollegesmany of them for-profitsfrom mandating that aggrieved students use secretive arbitrationinstead of going to court, on the theory that itd be easier for regulators to spot wrongdoing and students would be at less of a disadvantage. That rule, put in place by the Obama administration, was set to take effect this year during the Trump administration.

A group of California-based for-profit colleges suedto prevent the measurefrom going into effect July 1, arguing it would be disastrous given the future litigation costs. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos agreed, and last month blocked what she called a muddled rulefrom taking effect. Instead, she said, shed rewrite it.

Meanwhile, former students who wish to sue their schools remain bound by the arbitration agreements they signed. On Thursday, a group of 19 state attorneys general, all Democrats, and two former for-profit college students sued DeVos to reverse her decision. The students said in court filings that they had been planning to file a lawsuit against their school, given the rule change.

Since day one, Secretary DeVos has sided with for-profit school executives against students and families drowning in unaffordable student loans, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said. DeVoss decision was a betrayal of her offices responsibility.

Elizabeth Hill, aDeVos spokeswoman, called the lawsuit by 19 top state law enforcement officersideologically driven and said that the California schools lawsuit, whichDeVos cited inhalting Obamas reforms, made serious and credibleallegations that the previous administration exceeded its authority.

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The lawsuit by the attorneys general represents the latest effort by states to police an Education Department they view as beholden to colleges and lenders. During her few months in office, DeVos has rolled back Obama-era efforts to require loan firmstohelpstudent debtors manage or discharge their loans rather than maximize the amount they pay; reversed another provision that limited loan companies from charging certain fees; and delayed rules meant to deter college misconduct and cut off federal money to colleges that bury students under unaffordable debt.

The DeVos-led Education Department says Obamas efforts were misguided and ultimately wouldnt be effective. Her decision to reverse the moves by the previous Democratic administration also reflect her view that households and markets, rather than government agencies, are better positioned to police the higher education sector.

Government really sucks, DeVos said in a 2015 speech.

Prosecutors from states such as Illinois, North Carolina, and New York have criticized DeVos at every turn by arguing shes putting students and taxpayers at risk. Thursdays lawsuit may signalthat Democratic attorneys general are likely to intensify theirchallenges toDeVos, especially if they think public opinion is on their side.

Were going to keep a close eye on this industry, Healey said.

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States Line Up Against DeVos to Save Obama's College Rules - Bloomberg

Cirque du Soleil has acquired Blue Man Group, combining two of North America's more popular live entertainment brands. No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which results in Blue Man's founders retaining some equity.

Sponsor swap: Cirque du Soleil has been majority-owned by private equity firm TPG Capital since July 2015, while Blue Man sold a minority stake to GF Capital in 2010.

What's the plan? TPG's investment thesis on Cirque is around the concept of programming real estate, whether that be at a casino, on a cruise ship or at a mall (yes, you'll eventually see live Cirque programming between Banana Republic and Orange Julius). Blue Man gets folded into that, even though the two brands will remain separate from a creative perspective. Also expect Cirque to help Blue Man expand more internationally, particularly in China.

Next performance: Expect Cirque to pursue additional acquisition opportunities, both for franchises like Blue Man and possibly for long-running single-city shows.

Continue reading here:
How Clinton, Bush and Obama handled their first Putin meetings - Axios

Media Matters for America

Lou Dobbs: Obama is "shadowing" President Trump around the world to "undercut" him Media Matters for America LOU DOBBS (HOST): Mr. Obama has even embarked on a world tour that appears to be clearly organized to mirror, to shadow President Trump's meetings with foreign leaders. Obama has met with the former prime ministers of both Italy and Britain. He talked ... and more »

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Lou Dobbs: Obama is "shadowing" President Trump around the world to "undercut" him - Media Matters for America

"Obama, Japan" redirects here. For the town in Nagasaki, see Obama, Nagasaki.

Obama (, Obama-shi) is a city in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. It faces Wakasa Bay due north of Kyoto, and is about four to seven hours by train from Tokyo.

As of April 1, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 29,213 and a population density of 130 persons per km. The total area is 232.85km.

Obama gained publicity in the United States and elsewhere in 2008, as it shares its name with the then-senator Barack Obama, who was running for President of the United States.

Obama means "little beach" in Japanese.[1]

In the Ritsury period, Obama was the capital of Wakasa Province, one of entrance of continental culture. Many temples related to the Yamato Dynasty are located in Obama, and the city is called "Nara by the sea".

In the Edo period, Obama was the capital of the Obama Domain and was the starting point of the Mackerel Road to Kyoto.

As a result of its location in the Wakasa Province area, which travelers passed through when traveling between China and Kyoto, the area was influenced by Chinese culture for a long period. There are many buildings and houses in the Sancho-machi area of the city whose design was influenced by trade with the Chinese mainland.[2]

The area was established as a city on March 30, 1951 although the area has been inhabited for centuries. Otojir Uratani is currently the mayor of Obama.

Obama is one of the locations where Japanese citizens were abducted by North Korean agents on July 7, 1978.[3][4]

Fishing used to be the main industry, but now it is mostly supported by tourism.[1] Wakasa lacquered chopsticks, agate accessories, and other crafts are made in the area.[5]

Fukui Prefectural University is located in Obama and has been operating only since 1992.[6] However, in this short period, the university's Research Center for Marine Bioresources has been noted for its research of preservation and in the fields of fish embryogenesis, aquaculture stock enhancement, fish disease, and microalgeal bloom.[7] The university also has schools (faculties) of Economics, Nursing, Arts and Sciences, Biotechnology, and others.[8] Medical research is done at the Obama Community Hospital.[9][10] Obama is also home to the Wakasa branch of the Fukui Prefectural Library.

The Omizu-okuri (Water Carrying) Festival is held every March 2 on which water is drawn from the Onyu River and presented to the principal image of the temple. This annual event dates back more than 1,200 years.[5] Local tourist attractions include the Myotsu-ji Temple and the surrounding Karesansui Garden.[2]

The Wakasa Historical and Folk Museum is housed in a large, modern facility. Among other items of local interest, it houses many Jomon period artifacts, including those from the important Torihama shell mound in the area.

Obama is also home to Hosshinji, a working Zen monastery.[11]

Obama has sister and friendship relationships with the following cities.[12]

The city of Obama has received much publicity because it shares its name with former U.S. President Barack Obama. It began when Obama as a Senator gave a 2006 interview to Japanese television network TBS where he noted that, when passing through customs in Narita Airport, the official who inspected his visa said that he was from Obama.[13] The Obama City Hall heard about the interview and the mayor, Toshio Murakami, sent Senator Obama a set of the citys famous lacquer chopsticks, a DVD about the city and a letter wishing him the best. As Senator Obama's presidential campaign progressed, more local businesses began to organize primary parties and put up "Go Obama!" posters, sell "I love Obama" T-shirts, and produce manj (a type of Japanese confectionery) with Senator Obama's face on them. A hula group began in the town in honour of Senator Obama's home state of Hawaii. The troupe visited Honolulu in June to perform at the Pan Pacific Festival.[14]

Obama has since thanked the town for their gifts and support, saying "I look forward to a future marked by the continued friendship of our two great nations and a shared commitment to a better, freer world".[15]

There are a number of Japanese with the surname Obama. Though the former American President is of Kenyan Luo heritage, it is not uncommon for Japanese and East African names to sound alike.[16][17]

As a result of the victory by Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, the Mayor of Obama City announced to the Japanese press that he intends to commission a statue of Barack Obama to be put in front of the city hall "as a token of the great historical moment for the name Obama".[18] On January 20, 2009, the day that Barack Obama was sworn into office, the city of Obama celebrated the inauguration with women dancing the hula at the Hagaji Temple.[19]

On November 14, 2009, President Obama specifically acknowledged his connection with Obama by mentioning it and its citizens in a speech at Suntory Hall in Tokyo.[20]

In 2013, Obama mayor Koji Matsuzaki gave a red lacquer pen to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to give to President Obama.[21]

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Obama, Fukui - Wikipedia