Donald Trump has repeated the claim made during his election campaign that Mexico will foot the bill for a wall along the US-Mexican border.
Congressional Republicans and the president-elect’s transition team are exploring whether they can make good on his promise to build a wall without passing a new bill.
Under the evolving plan, the Trump administration would rely on existing legislation authorising fencing and other technology along the southern border.
Legislators would be asked to ensure enough money is available in US coffers to build the wall, but Congress would not pass a standalone bill authorising it.
Mr Trump said in a tweet early on Friday: «The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later! »
The potential approach was confirmed by two congressional officials and a senior transition official with knowledge of the discussions. They emphasised that no final decisions had been made.
The approach could come as a surprise to some but could also prevent a legislative fight Mr Trump might lose if he tried to get Congress to pass a measure authorising the kind of border wall he promised during the campaign.
It is not clear how much could be done along the 2,000-mile border without additional action by Congress. Legislators passed the Secure Fence Act of 2006, but most of those 700 miles have already been built. Some areas are in much better shape than others and long stretches are made up of fencing that stops vehicles but not pedestrians.
Whatever steps might be taken without Congress’s approval would be likely to fall short of the extravagant new wall on the border that Mr Trump repeatedly said Mexico would pay for during his campaign for the White House.
Despite Congress’s involvement in approving any spending, such an approach might also open Mr Trump to charges of circumventing the House and the Senate to take unilateral actions, something he repeatedly criticised President Barack Obama for.
A spending bill including money for border construction could also provoke a legislative showdown given potential opposition from Senate Democrats.
However, some immigration hardliners have already expressed the desire to see Congress take a vote, given how prominent the wall was during Mr Trump’s presidential campaign, and their desire to act on the issue.
His vow to build an impenetrable concrete wall along the southern border was his signature campaign proposal.
Mr Trump often promised the wall would be built of hardened concrete, rebar and steel as tall as his venues’ ceilings, and would feature a «big, beautiful door» to allow legal immigrants to enter.
Most experts viewed such promises as unrealistic and impractical, and Mr Trump himself sometimes allowed that the wall would not need to span the entire length of the border, thanks to natural barriers like rivers. After winning the election, he said he would be open to stretches of fencing.

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© Source: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/us-election-2016/border-wall-will-be-paid-for-by-mexico-donald-trump-repeats-election-claim-35346859.html
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Russian President Vladimir Putin «ordered» a campaign aimed at influencing the US presidential election, according to a new declassified report.
US intelligence officials released the 25-page public version of the report on Friday, after they briefed President-elect Donald Trump and top lawmakers on Capitol Hill from a longer, classified version.
The report says Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscow’s long-standing desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order. It says the scope of Russia’s activities was significantly larger compared with previous operations.
It made clear that the Russian government had developed a «clear preference for President-elect Donald Trump. »
The goal of Moscow’s meddling was to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency, the report said.
After his briefing, Mr Trump stopped short of embracing the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered in the presidential campaign, saying only that any hacking attempts had «absolutely no effect» on the outcome of the election.

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© Source: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/us-election-2016/russian-president-vladimir-putin-ordered-campaign-to-influence-us-election-35347921.html
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Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!
A shooter entered the baggage claim of Terminal 2 shortly around 1 p.m. ET and opened fire, shooting more than 10 people and killing several, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A gunman is in custody.

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© Source: http://www.newsmax.com/US/Trump-Concern-Fort-Lauderdale-Shootings/2017/01/06/id/767231
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(CNN) The 74th Golden Globes Awards are Sunday and with this glamorous event right around the corner, it’s only fitting to take a look back at some show’s most memorable moments.

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© Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_entertainment/~3/DDCqOUJEYPo/index.html
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Michelle Obama said that being first lady «has been the greatest honour of my life» as she bid an early farewell to the White House.
An East Room ceremony honouring the 2017 school counsellor of the year, and the work of all school counsellors, marked her final event as first lady.
Before the tearful goodbye, there were words of encouragement for young people. Mrs Obama, as she has done many times in eight years in the White House, urged children to get the best education they can and then use it to «lead by example with hope, never fear».
«Don’t be afraid,» she said.
The first lady also praised the «glorious diversity» of people of all faiths, colours and creeds in America as «not a threat to who we are» but as what «makes us who we are». The comment seemed a rebuke of President-elect Donald Trump, who criticised Mexicans, Muslims and others throughout his presidential campaign.
«To the young people out there, do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter or like you don’t have a place in our American story, because you do,» Mrs Obama said. «And you have a right to be exactly who you are. »
She urged them to get ready to add their voices to the national conversation and «stand up for our proud American values».
Mrs Obama asked them to remember, when they encounter obstacles and feel like giving up, what she said she and President Barack Obama have talked about since first starting their journey to the White House nearly a decade ago, «and that is the power of hope».
She said hope has allowed the couple to «rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear, that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country».
Mrs Obama ended the appearance by thanking the school counsellors standing behind her for their hard work and dedication. She has said school counsellors often are the «deciding factor» in whether a student decides to attend college.
«Being your first lady has been the greatest honour of my life, and I hope I’ve made you proud,» Mrs Obama said.
The first lady has said she will continue, after she and her husband leave on January 20, to work on issues she championed as first lady. They include education, fighting childhood obesity and support for military families.

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© Source: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/michelle-obama-tears-up-as-she-delivers-final-speech-as-first-lady-35348023.html
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