Quick Looks at the State of Our Surrounding World

#On January 31, 2018, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report announcing a historic database of companies doing business with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. U.S. companies on the list include Caterpillar, Priceline.com, TripAdviser, and Airbnb.

#With the SALT cap at $10,000, many taxpayers could soon face steeper bills; some 4.1 million Americans pay more than $10,000 annually in property taxes alone. (Source: "Taxes: What the SALT cap means for high-tax states," The Week, January 12, 2018.)

#The Economic Policy Institute says that the top one percent own 40 percent of all stocks; also, 56.2 percent of private sector non-union employees are subject to mandatory employment arbitration procedures.

#Federal and state courts have struck down Republican-drawn congressional maps in Texas, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. As many as 67 districts are involved.

#The Trump Nuclear Posture Review, released on February 2, 2018, calls for new "low-yield" nuclear weapons in order to "enhance deterrence by denying potential adversaries any mistaken confidence that limited nuclear employment can provide a useful advantage over the United States and its allies." This will lower the threshold for actual use of nuclear weapons.

#Trump claims that "thousands and thousands" of MS-13 members are off the streets. This is a typical exaggeration.

#A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 73 percent of Republicans believe both the DOJ and FBI are trying to destroy Trump.

#Israeli police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for corruption.

#18 states have raised the minimum wage for 2018, however, most of the raises will be 50 cents an hour or less.

#A Massachusetts legislative committee has failed to advance a bill to ban boycotts of Israel (BDS). This is a victory for boycott supporters.

#The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget forecasts that  the new two-year spending bill will ensure permanent trillion-dollar deficits. The projected deficit for FY 2019 is $1.1 trillion, compared to $439 for FY 2015.

#The Military Times did a survey on a military parade and 51,000 responded, with 89 percent saying: "No, it's a waste of money and troops are too busy." Only 11 percent said: "Yes, it's a great opportunity to show off U.S. military might."

# Trump has said he is "non-braggadocio."

#A Marist poll finds that if a national conflict pits Trump against the FBI, the FBI would win by a margin of 66 to 24 percent. By an 11 percent margin, voters want to strip Trump of his GOP House majority.