Ιαν 3 τις 5:40 μ.μ.

Who America stands with
In the final days of 2017, the biggest anti-government protests in Iran since 2009 broke out. Demonstrations have now spread to at least 20 cities across the country.

“Years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign adventurism have eroded the Iranian people’s trust in their leaders,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. “The Iranian regime spends its people’s wealth on spreading militancy and terror abroad, rather than ensuring prosperity at home.”

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley delivered a clear message at the UN yesterday, warning the international body that it cannot afford to repeat the mistake it made in 2009 by staying quiet.

“We must not be silent. The people of Iran are crying out for freedom.”

See what Ambassador Haley told the UN.

The forgotten American idea
James Pinkerton—co-chair of the bipartisan RATE Coalition, which stands for “Reforming America’s Taxes Equitably”—weighed in on the Republican Tax Cuts Act over the weekend in an op-ed for The Hill.

Pinkerton’s thesis? In polarized times, it’s easy to let partisan instincts cloud what should be a bipartisan consensus. “It should not be forgotten that the idea of using lower tax rates to stimulate growth is not just a Republican idea—it’s an American idea,” he writes.

“The soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now.” Those words didn't come from President Donald J. Trump—or even President Ronald Reagan.

They are from Democratic President John F. Kennedy.

Read Pinkerton’s bipartisan case for tax cuts.

Looking back on year one of #MAGA
As President Trump and his Administration dive into a long list of priorities for 2018, it’s worth looking back on how far America has come in just one year.

$5.5 trillion in tax cuts, 60 percent of which go to families
The lowest unemployment rate in nearly 17 years
22 regulations eliminated for each new one enacted
A record-setting 12 conservative federal circuit judges confirmed

And that list barely scratches the surface. See the full year one breakdown here.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

President Donald J. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Republican Legislators celebrate the passage of the Tax Cuts Act | December 20, 2017 (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

POTUS TODAY

Today, President Trump will have lunch with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

The Vice President will participate in a swearing-in ceremony for Alabama’s Senator-elect Doug Jones and Minnesota’s Senator-designate Tina Smith at the U.S. Capitol.

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WASHINGTON —U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated policy guidance today clarifying that a proxy vote must be irrevocable to establish the requisite control of a company in an L-1 visa petition.

A U.S. or foreign employer may file an L-1 visa petition to temporarily transfer a foreign employee to the U.S. from one of its operations outside the country. The employer must prove that a qualifying relationship exists between the foreign employer and the U.S. company at the time they file their petition by showing that either the two companies are the same employer or the companies are related as a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate company.

To determine if a qualifying relationship exists, USCIS officers examine ownership and control of the respective entities. In some cases, a petitioner may seek to establish control based on the use of proxy votes. Proxy votes are obtained when one or more equity holders irrevocably grant the ability to vote their equity to another equity holder, thereby effectively and legally giving the other equity holder “control” over the company or companies in question.

The new policy memorandum clarifies that when proxy votes are a determining factor in establishing control, the petitioner must now show the proxy votes are irrevocable from the time of filing through the time USCIS adjudicates the petition, along with evidence the relationship will continue during the approval period requested. Previous guidance did not address whether proxy votes must be irrevocable to establish control.

This policy update does not change the requirement for petitioners to file an amended petition when the ownership or control of the organization changes after its original L-1 petition was approved. Amended petitions must also comply with the clarified guidance regarding irrevocable proxy votes.

Interim and final policy memos are official USCIS policy documents and go into effect on the date the memos are issued.

Ensuring the integrity of guest worker programs is consistent with our Buy American, Hire American initiatives.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook(/uscis), and Instagram (@USCIS).

California Popsicle, Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in Ice Bars

California Popsicle, Inc. dba Polly Ann Ice Cream of South San Francisco, CA is recalling ice bars, because it may contain undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Products were distributed to distributor customers located in CA, NY, and Canada from 08/03/2017-08/31/2017. The products were further distributed by customers to various Chinese markets potentially nationwide.

The following products are included in this recall:
Polly Ann Mango Ice Bar UPC#7-00730-28866-1
Polly Ann Red Bean Ice Bar UPC#7-00730-26868-7
Polly Ann Green Bean Ice Bar UPC#7-00730-26666-9

Entrance to all national parks is free of cost on four days in 2018. Plan accordingly and spend some time exploring our public lands this year. Mark your calendar for the following dates:

January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 21 - First day of National Park National Week
September 22 - National Public Land Day
November 11 - Veterans Day

The National Do Not Call Registry is a great way to stop scammers and robocalls from bothering you. Is your number registered? Register it and learn how to protect yourself from phone scams.