Robert Valencia

Bio

Robert is a writer based in New York. His writing has appeared in the World Politics Review, Fusion, and the Miami Herald. He's a frequent guest in English- and Spanish-speaking media, including CNN, Univision, Al Jazeera, Public Radio International, and Voice of America. You can reach him at rvalencia@mic.com

CIA, FBI, NSA, DIA: What's the difference, and what does each do?
By Robert Valencia
There are endless differences between President Biden and his predecessor. The two men disagree on so many fundamentals of how to govern, including what to prioritize, how to communicate, and whom to trust. And while former President Donald Trump…
When is daylight saving time/day 2017? Here's what you need to know.
By Robert Valencia
Like Last Week Tonight's John Oliver, perhaps you are wondering why daylight saving time is still a thing. As Last Week Tonight showed in a March 2015 segment, it is proven that daylight saving time does little to save energy or help farmers'…
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Trump Congressional Speech: Start time, channel, and what to expect
By Robert Valencia
President Donald Trump will deliver his first speech before a joint session of Congress, in what some White House members consider a "reset" after a chaotic first month in office, according to Politico. The speech will address the work the Trump…
Barack Obama's top 5 political accomplishments
By Robert Valencia
A recent poll of historians by C-SPAN found that President Barack Obama ranked as the 12th best president overall, only weeks after he left office. He ranked high on equality, economy, public persuasion and moral authority. It's no wonder that…
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Trump Approval Rating: Here's where the president stands as of the 34th day of his term
By Robert Valencia
President Donald Trump's popularity reached a new low this week, as several polls show that Americans continue to disapprove of his job performance more than a month after having been sworn in.  A Quinnipiac University poll, released on Wednesday,…
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Republican Town Halls 2017: Videos show voters' disapproval with Trump Administration
By Robert Valencia
As Republican leaders returned to their respective districts during the year's first congressional recess, they've faced some icy receptions.  Large crowds have turned up in in droves at town halls to express their disappointment with the GOP's plan…
How many immigrants did Obama deport? Here's how his administration handled immigration.
By Robert Valencia
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump's administration released a series of draconian new policies designed to crack down on undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Two memos from the Department of Homeland Security suggest that there…
EPA Regulations: Here’s what to expect from a Pruitt-led agency
By Robert Valencia
In a speech that lasted less than 15 minutes, the newly minted Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt told the press and staff Tuesday that he would roll back what he considers the agency's regulatory overreach implemented by the Obama…
Mary Trump: 5 things to know about Donald Trump's mother
By Robert Valencia
President Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, was one of many Scottish immigrants who moved to the United States and Canada in the early 20th century. In 1930, she arrived in New York in search of better job opportunities. In 1936,…
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Here's how the presidential chain of command works
By Robert Valencia
While Republicans are unlikely to avoid a congressional investigation into President Donald Trump's ties to Russia, Democratic congressional candidate Boyd Roberts already filed paperwork to the Federal Election Commission to create an "Impeach…
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Does Trump have a dog? A history of presidential dogs and White House pets
By Robert Valencia
As far as we know, President Donald Trump doesn't have any pets, making him the first president in 150 years not to have one.  Dog lovers — who apparently tend to be Republican — are urging Trump to get a dog, Bloomberg reports. In an informal…
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Ivanka and Trudeau photos go viral because no one can stop gushing over the Canadian PM
By Robert Valencia
It seems that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's charisma and good looks have mesmerized Ivanka Trump — or at least that's what photos taken during Trudeau's recent visit to the White House suggest. During his official trip to Washington,…
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Dump Trump: List of stores and retailers that have dropped Trump family merchandise
By Robert Valencia
The growing scorn for the Trump brand has led several retailers to take their merchandise off their stock. According to Reuters, department stores Sears and Kmart have discontinued online sales of 31 Trump Home accessories.  As Sears and Kmart…
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Mar-a-Lago Celebrity List: 13 famous names who have visited Trump's Palm Beach club
By Robert Valencia
Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's Florida country club, became a makeshift situation room on Saturday. There, amid "candlelight" and "hotel muzak," Trump, his advisers and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe read classified documents regarding a…
When will California regulations of the marijuana industry be in place?
By Robert Valencia
On Nov. 8, 56% of voters approved California's Proposition 64, which legalized the use of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. Though the new law was expected to come into full force on Jan. 1, 2018, there may be some delays.  State…
Latest updates around the ex-New England Patriot double murder trial
By Robert Valencia
A severe winter storm moving into Massachusetts has postponed former NFL star Aaron Hernandez's trial today. Hernandez is accused of the July 2012 killings of two men in Boston, according to the Boston Globe.   Jury selection was scheduled to start…
What is Congress doing today? Here are 5 ways to track what your lawmakers are up to.
By Robert Valencia
In the last couple of years, Congress hasn't been as productive as its constituencies may think. In 2014, both the House and Senate worked approximately 133 days, while an ordinary citizen totaled 240 working days. In 2016, Congress took a big…
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Donald Trump on China: What is the 'one China' policy?
By Robert Valencia
On Thursday night, President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held their first phone conversation since Trump took office on Jan. 20. The leaders discussed several issues, including Trump's commitment to honor the "one China"…
How many executive orders can a president use? Here are the limits on Trump's influence.
By Robert Valencia
In the days since President Donald Trump took office, he has signed a host of controversial executive orders — chief among them an immigration ban that ignited a legal firestorm and wreaked havoc in several U.S. airports and sparked protests around…
Jeff Sessions on Immigration: Here are the 11 times he voted against immigration reform
By Robert Valencia
When Jeff Sessions was sworn in as attorney general on Wednesday, he said that the U.S. should end undocumented immigration.  "We need to end this lawlessness that threatens the public safety, pulls down the wages of working Americans," he said.  It…