U.S. Installing Missile Defense System in South Korea and More in Politics Today

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

1. U.S. starts ‘swiftly’ installing controversial antimissile battery in South Korea

The U.S. military started installing a controversial antimissile defense system in South Korea overnight Tuesday, triggering protests and sparking criticism that it was rushing to get the battery in place before the likely election of a president who opposes it.

The sudden and unannounced move came only six days after the U.S. military command in South Korea secured the land to deploy the system, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD.

Read more at the Washington Post.

2. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has kicked off his campaign to kill the agency’s net neutrality rules

Even as he acknowledged the importance of an open internet, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Wednesday set his telecom agency on a course to scrap the tough, broad net neutrality protections imposed by the Obama administration.

During a major speech in Washington, D.C., Pai outlined the need for a total revision of existing federal rules that seek to prevent companies like AT&T, Charter, Comcast* and Verizon from blocking or slowing down web content, including the movie or music offerings from their competitors.

Read more at Recode.

3. Office to Aid Crime Victims Is Latest Step in Crackdown on Immigrants

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the creation of an office to help families that have been the victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, part of an effort by President Trump to aggressively crack down on illegal immigration.

The office, called Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, or Voice, will be housed within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency responsible for deportations.

John F. Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said the office would offer a voice for crime victims.

Read more at the New York Times.

4. Republicans tell Trump to hold up on NAFTA withdrawal

The Trump administration is considering an executive order on withdrawing the U.S. from NAFTA — and initial reaction on Capitol Hill to the planned move has been mostly negative.

Early returns from Capitol Hill lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were not encouraging and suggested that a go-it-alone move from the White House without Congress’ backing could cause trouble down the road, as the administration looks to strike a series of nation-to-nation "America First" trade deals.

No fewer than four influential Republicans said the White House should hold up...

Read more at Politico.

5. Donald Trump to Order Education Department to Study Government Overreach

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Wednesday that directs the Department of Education to identify areas where the federal government has exceeded its authority and overtaken states’ and local school districts’ ability to make decisions for themselves about things like standards, testing and teacher evaluations.

Specifically, the executive order will direct the Education Department to conduct a study to "determine where the Federal Government has unlawfully overstepped state and local control."

Read more at US News & World Report.

Read more about this and other of President Trump's executive orders at Countable.

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia / Creative Commons)