Happening Today: Border Wall, Oil Pipelines, MTA, Supreme Court

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Border Wall on Trump Agenda

President Trump will begin rolling out executive actions on immigration Wednesday, beginning with steps to build his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to two anonymous administration officials. He's also expected to target so-called sanctuary cities like New York City and is reviewing proposals that would restrict the flow of refugees to the United States. The president is expected to sign the first actions — including the measure to jumpstart construction of the wall — Wednesday during a trip to the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, Trump tweeted he will “send in the feds” if Chicago doesn’t fix violence plaguing the city.

Controversial Pipelines Back in Spotlight

President Trump signed a series of executive orders advancing the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines Tuesday morning, despite the U.S. Army Corps of Engineerings turning down DAPL project permits last December. The $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline to carry North Dakota oil to a shipping point in Illinois is nearly complete other than a stretch underneath Lake Oahe; the Standing Rock Sioux tribe gained national attention for its protests of the Dakota Access. The $8 billion Keystone XL project would bring oil from Canada's oil sands to Nebraska, where it would join lines leading to the Gulf Coast; former President Obama halted it in late 2015. Here's what to expect in the coming months.

Trump Narrows SCOTUS Nominees

President Donald Trump has narrowed his choice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy to three judges and said he expects to make his decision in the coming days. The leading contenders — who all have met with Trump — are William Pryor, Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman, a person familiar with the selection process said, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to speak publicly about internal decisions. Trump has promised to seek someone in the mold of conservative icon Antonin Scalia, who died nearly a year ago.

MTA to Vote on Fare Hike

The MTA is expected to vote to raise the base MetroCard fare from $2.75 to $3 at a board meeting Wednesday. The fare hike would take effect in March. The MTA says the hike would make sure that subways, rail lines and buses stay safe. It would be the agency's fifth round of fare hikes since 2009. The last round of hikes took effect in March 2015. Last fall, MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said "our belt tightening days are far from over.” Here’s how much riders would pay under a new hike.

Conjoined Girls Separated in NY

Two brave conjoined baby girls have come out of surgery fighting after enduring a grueling 21-hour separation procedure. Twin 11-month-old girls Ballenie and Bellanie were born attached at the lower back, doctors said. But through a rare and complex surgery, the baby girls were successfully separated last week at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York.

NJ May Be 1st State to Ban Cat Declawing

Legislation to prohibit cat declawing in New Jersey has been approved by the Assembly. The measure sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman Troy Singleton was passed Monday by a 43-10 vote, with 12 abstentions. It now heads to the state Senate's Economic Growth committee, which hasn't yet scheduled a hearing. New Jersey could be the first state to ban declawing if the bill eventually becomes law.

NYC Restaurant Week 2017

The first thing you should know about New York Restaurant Week is that it is not actually a week. The semiannual celebration of New York's food scene started Monday, Jan. 23 and runs through Feb. 10. Here are a few other things you should know.