The second so-called Trump-Kim summit began in Hanoi, Vietnam with low expectations and little fanfare from the American People.  For the US President, the very fact that he and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un have had two meetings means he has already achieved great success in the realm of US-North Korean relations.  Given the first Trump-Kim Summit ended with a commitment to establish renewed relations, it would seem Trump’s foreign policy initiative is headed in the right direction.  At the very least, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un seem to have forged a personal relationship.  Meeting with the Supreme Leader of North Korea and talking has, however, never been the issue.  Any US President, or the leaders of any US ally, could have met with the North Korean leader at any point in time.  The US and the North have, in fact, been involved in numerous multi-party talks, made numerous peace gestures, and reached several breached agreements, which is why Trump’s initiatives face unrelenting criticism.

​Vice President Mike Pence was dispatched to South American where he called for immediate action against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.  It appears to be an attempt to rally South American countries against Venezuela and pave the way for US-led intervention, which will not likely play into the power dynamics of the region.  Although the US has long sought the ouster of the Venezuelan Socialist Party under the leadership of Maduro and his antagonistic predecessor Hugo Chávez, a prolonged political crisis created by the collapse of Venezuela’s economy and Maduro's tightening grip on power has sparked an ever-worsening humanitarianism crisis.  The willingness of opposition leader Juan Guaido to assume the role of interim President in response to the years-long crisis and a contested Presidential election has transformed Venezuela into a battleground for existing geopolitical conflicts.  Like his predecessors, US President Donald Trump has taken a position against the Chavez-Maduro government.  Making Venezuela a top priority of his foreign policy, Trump has warned that war could be coming while providing humanitarian aid, which has been blocked by Maduro’s forces.  With the US flying increasing numbers of reconnaissance flights over Venezuela, war could soon be a reality.

​Close to 45 million Americans collectively owe around $1.5 trillion in student loan debt.  Student loan debt is now the second largest source of consumer debt.  Only mortgage debt is higher.  Unfortunately, the cost of education is rising eight times faster than wages, thus making it harder for those with student loan debt to repay their loans.  This reality also means a reduced return on investment for most graduates.  Unlike a home, which tends to rise in value as the economy grows, the economic value of an education depends on the ability of a graduate to use their education to find a better paying job or start a business.  Absent the benefit of an increased income, student debt is nothing more than a burden on the finances of former students and their families.  The impact of student debt on the personal budgets and spending habits of consumers is nothing more than a burden on the economy when it does not help people expand their incomes and create new opportunities.  The situation is so bad that the likes of Education Secretary Betsy Devos have declared a student loan debt crisis.  There are, however, two solutions worth noting.

Civil forfeiture, also known as civil asset forfeiture, civil judicial forfeiture, and civil seizure, is a practice used by authorities to seize any personal assets involved in criminal activities.  Whether or not the owners of the seized properties are actually guilty of committing a crime, civil forfeitures afford law enforcement the power to seize any personal poverty involved in an alleged crime.  Used properly, it can help law enforcement hobble criminal organizations by giving them the ability to confiscate the assets of criminal operations when authorities cannot amass the evidence needed to prove the guilt or ownership of the individuals involved.  When misapplied or abused, the legal process places an unjust, unconstitutional burden on innocent citizens by forcing them to prove their innocence at their own expense, which undermines the Constitutionally guaranteed property rights of all US citizens. 

​US President Donald Trump, who routinely criticized former President Barack Obama for his use of Executive Orders and executive overreach, has made a habit of overstepping Constitutional boundaries.  Like his predecessor, Trump has stretched the powers of the Executive Branch to circumvent legislative barriers in order to implement a public policy of his choosing.  Recognizing Trump’s liberal use of Executive Orders alone, the President has even avoided legitimate Congressional checks on his power out of convenience whenever his own party held majorities in both chambers of the Legislative Branch.  By declaring a national emergency in order to divert funding to his proposed border wall, after Congress declined to fully fund the project, the President has both abused his emergency powers and engaged in a blatant act of Executive overreach.