January 1, Trump’s Female Defenders Go on Offense

Good morning Middle Americans! 

Last night President Trump called into a gathering of hundreds of women in Tampa, Florida, and insisted, to cheers: “We’re doing great with women, despite the fake news.”  But a recent ecent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found just 30% of women approve of the way the president is doing his job, compared to 42% of men. It all depends on who the Democrats nominate, but women in suburban swing districts will have a huge impact on 2020 election. 

Also today, a federal court judge tosses a law that makes it illegal to recruit illegal immigrants to work in the U.S..  One report says BIG TECH is developing killer robots, but won’t admit it. And this whole “Storm Area 51” joke, is not funny anymore. The Nevada community near the Top Secret Air Force Base are prepping for the worst. 

– Fraser Dixon

Federal Judge Rules that Immigration Law Is Unconstitutional

(AP) – A federal judge in Kansas has ruled that a law making it a crime to “encourage” or “induce” immigrants to enter or live in the country illegally is unconstitutional.

“The important thing, other than the First Amendment issue, is that the government was using this (law) to charge people who did nothing more than make a job available to an undocumented person, whether or not they had direct knowledge that the person was undocumented,” said Hernandez-Calvillo’s attorney, Tom Bradshaw.

 Read more from the Associated Press here

Amazon, Microsoft, ‘Putting World at Risk of Killer AI’

(AFP) – “Why are companies like Microsoft and Amazon not denying that they’re currently developing these highly controversial weapons, which could decide to kill people without direct human involvement?” said Frank Slijper, lead author of the report published this week.

Find out more from Agence France-Presse 

Storming Area 51 Is Not a Joke Anymore

(LA Times) – Matty Roberts, the organizer “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us.”  got a visit from the FBI, the Air Force has warned it is ready for anything, and rural Lincoln County, Nev., is preparing to declare a state of emergency.

“If you plan on attending the event you must be experienced in camping, hiking and surviving in a harsh desert environment and have a vehicle in good shape,” the website reads. “You must be prepared to be completely on your own for food, water, gas, etc. We expect cell service and the internet in Rachel to be offline. Credit card processing will not work, so bring enough cash.”

Then came this ominous warning: “Law enforcement will be overwhelmed and local residents will step up to protect their property. It will get ugly.”

Read more from the LA Times here 

This Day in History: 1989 

Pete Rose accepts a settlement that includes a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball as punishment for betting on baseball.