Obama announces new immigration policy*

This is a fallback measure for the Dream Act, which would establish a path to citizenship for certain young illegal immigrants - and which has been blocked by Republicans in Congress. Under the executive order, temporary work permits will be allowed for people who are 30 years old or younger, arrived in the country before they turned 16, and have lived in the U.S. Also, they can't have a criminal record, and must have earned a high school diploma, be in school or have served in the military. Clearly, the new policy could benefit many thousands of illegal immigrants in the L.A. area. From the NYT:

These qualifications resemble in some ways those of the so-called Dream Act, a measure blocked by Congress in 2010 that was geared to establish a path toward citizenship for certain young illegal immigrants. The administration's action on Friday, which stops deportations but does not offer citizenship or even permanent legal status, is being undertaken by executive order and does not require legislation. What the younger immigrants will obtain, officials said, is the ability to apply for a two-year "deferred action" that effectively removes the threat of deportation for up to two years, with repeated extensions. "This is not immunity, it is not amnesty," said Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary. "It is an exercise of discretion."

During the president's remarks at the White House Rose Garden, there was a spooky moment when someone tried to shout out comments. Obama was clearly annoyed, but referred to the person's comment later on. The question is what is a heckler doing inside the White House?

*Turns out that the schmuck who interrupted the president was from the Daily Caller, a right-wing rag founded by Tucker Carlson.