The first round of new NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) negotiations begins today in Washington DC.  The U.S., Canada and Mexico begin the task of renegotiating a trade deal originally established in 1995. There are trillions of dollars in trade being discussed, and more substantively the basic principles behind a tri-lateral trade deal that has compromised U.S. economic growth are being reformatted and reestablished.
Most of the media presentations on the substantive issues are framed in falsehoods, deception and many outright lies.  The advancement of multinational corporations, and multinational financial constructs has eliminated the historic reference points still being used by the media to mislead the average consumer – EXPLAINED HERE –
NAFTA was/is a highly political trade deal that has severely compromised U.S. workers and U.S. manufacturers.  There may be as many as six rounds of negotiations as each economic sector is addressed.  However, the first round is essentially to establish the principles of priority for each trade nation.  Against the backdrop of America as the worlds largest economy and market, the entire globe is watching to see the outcome.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer delivers his opening remarks (video and transcript below).

This morning, @USTradeRep Ambassador Robert Lighthizer delivered an opening statement at the first round of #NAFTA renegotiations. pic.twitter.com/8h21Ednskf

— Department of State (@StateDept) August 16, 2017

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AMBASSADOR ROBERT LIGHTHIZER – This is an historic day for the United States. Today, for the first time, we will start negotiating to revise a major free trade agreement. American politicians have been promising to renegotiate NAFTA for years, but today President Trump is going to fulfill those promises.
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The Daily Caller is reporting that Hope Hicks will be named as Communications Director.  Most people familiar with the 2015 campaign origin will remember Hope Hicks as one of the very original members of the small campaign team.
(Via Daily Caller) Hope Hicks will be named the new White House communications director, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
President Trump has offered the job to Hicks and she has accepted the position, according to a White House insider. Hicks has been close by Trump’s side since the early days of the campaign and is one of his most trusted staffers. She has been serving on the press team in more of a behind-the-scenes role as the director of strategic communications.
The communications director position has been open since President Trump fired Anthony Scaramucci in July, just ten days after the Mooch took over the position from former press secretary Sean Spicer. Trump ditched Scaramucci shortly after he decided to bring on Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new chief of staff.  (link)
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Thanks to Stella for posting this again. This is something we all need to be aware of, something we need to work at. Please take a moment to check out the post and educate yourself about protecting our children. If you have knowledge to add, we appreciate your contribution.

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

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President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

UPDATE:  10:05pm With 68% of precincts reporting it looks like ♦Roy Moore (40.6%) and ♦Luther Strange (32%) will be headed into a runoff.
The Alabama Polls closed at 8:00pm Eastern.  The top three republican candidates are Luther Strange, Mo Brooks and Roy Moore.  If no candidate can get over 50% there will be a runoff.

[left to right] Mo Brooks (19.7%) – ♦Judge Roy Moore (40.2%) – ♦Luther Strange (32%)

♦Roy Moore and Luther Strange head to a runoff.
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The transparency is obvious for anyone who has followed the history of motives behind U.S. business entities, and affiliates, who each have vested financial interests in global manufacturing exploitation to the detriment of America’s economic interests and U.S middle-class workers.
It would be laughable if their oppositional interest was not so consequential.  However, TEAM USA will prevail. Bigly. Believe it.  For many years CTH has been warning about the “trillion dollar stakeholders” in the multinational corporatism that infects the U.S. body politic. –Outlined HERE–

Toward that end manufacturing CEO’s, who have vested interests in retaining international manufacture of their products for U.S. market, took up positions aboard President Trump’s manufacturing council in an effort to steer the “America First” shift in economic policy.
Those CEO council voices initially convinced President Trump not to “scrap” the NAFTA trade deal and instead requested a “re-negotiation” therein.  However, on the eve of the actual re-negotiation taking place, and against the backdrop of looming and consequential trade sanctions against China, those same entities are facing a reality where the system enabling their continued indulgences is likely to be collapsed.  Because Trump.
The communist Chinese government is no longer trying to hide their prior insurance payments into the corrupt and exploitative economic policy of the U.S.
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The disrespectful, argumentative, arrogant and combative left-wing U.S. media apparatus was on full display today when President Trump concluded his remarks on infrastructure and opened the floor for questions.
As each media enterprise attempted to one-up the virtue signaling of the prior, the sheer scale of the media’s frenzied hatred and disrespect took center stage. WATCH:

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During one of the combative segments of the presser today, CNN’s visible metrosexual and self-promoting professional antagonist, Jim Acosta, asks about statues of Robert E Lee and various monuments that Acosta decries as insults to his political worldview.

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According to Acosta’s insufferable pontifications, Washington DC would need a new name.
Additionally, if you follow left-wing media and “google-logic” to it’s natural conclusion there’s a solid argument to be made that the Statue of Liberty is promoting gender stereotypes of women as caretakers.
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President Trump is anticipated to deliver remarks from Trump Tower in New York City today following meetings with national business leaders and developers. The focus is on removing regulatory hurdles for massive infrastructure development. Anticipated start time 3:45pm to 4:00pm
UPDATE: FULL VIDEO ADDED

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