Patterico's Pontifications

1/31/2025

Weekend Open Thread

Filed under: General — Dana @ 9:45 am



[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

HHS nominee doesn’t refute claims that vaccines cause autism:

Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician, pressed Kennedy repeatedly to refute his prior claims that vaccines cause autism.

“Convince me that you will become the public health advocate, but not just churn old information so that there’s never a conclusion,” Cassidy pleaded.

But Kennedy, an attorney who has made millions fighting vaccine companies, refused to do so, instead saying he would apologize to people he may have misled on the issue of vaccines and autism “if the data is there.”

“The data has been there a long time,” Cassidy retorted.

Second news item

About the air traffic controllers on that fateful night:

An air traffic control supervisor in the tower at Reagan Airport let a controller leave their shift early, a source familiar with the investigation confirmed to NBC News.

This detail. . . means that a single controller was atypically handling both plane and helicopter traffic in the area. Ideally, one controller is dedicated to helicopters while another controller handles planes, NBC News reported yesterday.

Third news item

Marco Rubio disappoints as he echoes Trump on war in Ukraine:

Both Russia and Ukraine “are going to have to give something up” in negotiations to end the war, Rubio said, adding that “both sides are paying a heavy price for this” and “both sides have incentive for this conflict to end.” Rubio said the war is “not going to end with the maximalist goals of either side, and there’s going to have to be a lot of hard work done. And I think only the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, can make that possible.”

This is more of that rewarding Russia and punishing Ukraine for a war that Russia started. Providing monetary aid and requested weaponry to Ukraine can help them defeat Russia and reclaim occupied territories, as well as put Putin on notice that Europe and America, freedom loving nations, will not tolerate his illegal invasions of sovereign nations. It would also tell the world that allied nations will continue to stand for freedom and democracy. Ukraine must be victorious and Russia must know that they have lost the war. Anything less will just provide an irresistible open door for Putin and his thugs to try the same thing again. Shame on Rubio.

Fourth news item

Too little, too late, Democrats:

As the Democratic National Committee prepares to elect a new chair, its departing leader says Democrats should have stuck with Joe Biden in the 2024 race.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Jaime Harrison reflected on why his party lost to Donald Trump and what might have happened had then-Vice President Kamala Harris had more time to campaign after Biden ended his reelection bid following a disastrous debate performance.

He also offered advice to his eventual successor, who will be chosen Saturday. The next DNC chair, Harrison said, needs to insist that the party not be a “rubber stamp” to its presidential candidate.

Fifth news item

Governor says no state jobs for J6 rioters:

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is blocking those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol from working in state jobs, ignoring Trump’s attempt to offer them a clean slate last week in a sweeping set of pardons and commutations.

Late Thursday, Pritzker directed the state’s Department of Central Management Services, the state’s primary hiring authority, to restrict hiring those who took part in the attack on the Capitol, saying their “infamous and disgraceful conduct … is antithetical to the mission of the State.”

Sixth news item

Tariffs set to begin this weekend:

President Trump on Thursday said he plans to follow through on Saturday on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.

“We’ll be announcing the tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a number of reasons,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He cited the influx of migrants at the southern border, the flow of fentanyl into the United States and the trade deficit the U.S. has with its neighbors.

The President also said they still have to decide whether to include oil in the tariffs.

Have a good weekend.

—Dana

497 Responses to “Weekend Open Thread”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (d6f2c4)

  2. Third news item: Well, it depends on what they give up. I think Russia should start by returning the children they stole, and any prisoners. By way of compensation, the Russia should give up St. Petersburg for at least ten years, with the city’s eventual status to be decided by a referendum. And so on.

    In return, Ukraine should return the bodies of Russian soldiers — assuming their families want them.

    Jim Miller (1f61dc)

  3. Recently I finished reading Christina Hoff Sommers’ The War Against Boys, and recommend it to anyone who wants to understand our largest domestic problem, the decline of the American family.

    If a society doesn’t get families (and communities) right, it is unlikely to succeed at much else.

    Jim Miller (1f61dc)

  4. “Governor says no state jobs for J6 rioters”

    Not sure how many J6ers are seeking an Illinois state job. Likely this is just performance art, but it’s also rank hypocrisy. This is the same Pritzker who placed restrictions on using an applicant’s criminal history in hiring decisions:

    Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1480 on March 23, 2021. This law amended the Illinois Human Rights Act by adding section 103.1.

    This law was immediately effective and placed restrictions on the use of conviction records when employers make employment decisions.

    Under this new law, employers cannot use convictions to make hiring decisions unless a substantial relationship exists between the conviction and the job or when hiring the person would create an unreasonable risk to the safety of the workplace or property.

    Illinois is also a “ban the box” state.

    lloyd (99b37c)

  5. If Mr. Trump is the sort of fellow who nurses a grudge, Ukraine might encounter some difficulties in bringing hostilities to a close.

    John Boddie (dcf99c)

  6. ‘That Is Their Job’

    Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago dismissed a reporter’s question Tuesday about a sex offender in the city arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an illegal immigration crackdown by the Trump administration.

    ICE arrested and deported hundreds of illegal aliens charged with crimes after President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders to strengthen immigration enforcement and rescinded orders issued by former-President Joe Biden in 2021 that reversed policies Trump put in place during his first term. Johnson, who has criticized the ICE operations, argued it wasn’t city officials’ job to arrest the sex offender.

    “Tom Homan showed up in Chicago and within 24 hours found a convicted sex offender who has been living in our city since 2009, flouting the sex offender registry. If he can do this, why can’t you?” the reporter asked Johnson.

    “Because that’s their job,” Johnson said. “That is their job. The federal government has a responsibility to make sure that individuals who are undocumented who have been charged with, convicted of, a crime, it is the federal government’s responsibility to do their part to uphold the law. Our local police department, along with our public health department, along with our other sister agencies are working to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, and as we’ve stated repeatedly, those critical investments, continue to see the results of those investment as violent crime continues to fall in Chicago.”

    At least the perp wasn’t a J6er.

    lloyd (99b37c)

  7. If Mr. Trump is the sort of fellow who nurses a grudge…….

    John Boddie (dcf99c) — 1/31/2025 @ 10:27 am

    What do you mean if? He has nursed grudges against perceived opponents all his life……

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  8. Regarding Trump-Rubio and Putin’s War Against Ukraine, we scarcely hear about the concessions Putin should make, they’re mostly about Zelenskyy’s concessions has to make.
    Putin is scarcely penalized at all for his terrorist invasion, and he needs to pay, otherwise there’s no real incentive for him to prevent future invasions.

    Trump-Rubio still don’t understand the dynamic, that if Putin stops warring and warcriming, the war’s over, but if Ukraine stops fighting in self-defense, Ukraine is over. Garry Kasparov does get it.

    Trump’s latest remarks aren’t encouraging. In a virtual address last Thursday to the World Economic Forum at Davos, he spoke about the war with his usual equivalency and evasiveness, as if blame for the war lies as much with Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as with Russia and its dictator, Vladimir Putin. “When I was out” of the presidency, Trump said, “bad things happened, bad things were said, a lot of stupidity all around, and you end up with what you have.” What an obtuse way of talking about Russia’s war of choice, of conquest, of the extermination of the Ukrainian state. Putin started it and will continue it as long as it serves his interests.

    “Bad things happened” sounds eerily close to Ilhan Omar’s remarks about 9/11, that “some people did something”.

    It wasn’t that “bad things happened”, because the reality is Putin made bad and evil and terrorist things happen, not Ukraine. There’s no equivalency between Putin’s unprovoked unjustified unlawful imperialist aggression and Ukraine’s rightful self-defense. More Kasparov…

    Appeasement is not a way to end the conflict, and any public relations victory it would produce for Trump would be fleeting. History tells us that appeasement is the greatest fuel for continued war. Negotiations can only work if the administration is willing to walk away. Moreover, negotiations in which Ukrainian or European leaders are not present are unacceptable; they are from the start tipped in favor of Putin, a war criminal for whom it is a victory in domestic and international politics just to be talking to the American president as an equal.

    Putin has said that his demands for Ukraine include its never joining NATO, and having a limited army and defense budget. In other words, he wants Ukraine to be militarily impotent and have no recourse against Russian aggression, a hostage to Putin’s whim. These are not acceptable starting points for negotiation. Any talks must start from the understanding that Ukraine is a sovereign nation with the right to defend itself. This is antithetical to Putin’s underlying ideology.

    Putin is by no means invincible. Trump acknowledged that this war was supposed to be over in “one week,” and that “it’s not making him [Putin] look very good.” The Russian dictator is not nearly as powerful as Stalin in 1945, with an enormous army occupying vast swaths of European territory. The Russian economy is teetering and more pressure on energy exports could topple it. America has the leverage to bring this war to an end on terms favorable to Ukraine.

    Unfortunately, based on the testimony of Trump’s cabinet nominees in their confirmation hearings, the officials who will be managing America’s involvement do not understand the underlying dynamics—namely, that Putin’s hold on power is synonymous with continued war. Perhaps Secretary of State Marco Rubio, given his experience and previously voiced views, understands this, but, if so, he is afraid to say it.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  9. Trump is going to give UKE to Russia. It’s just a matter of time. Ppl around him sugar coat it like they did the J6 criminals, but also like that he’s going to buckle to Putin and spend his energy trying to get Morons to believe whatever he did was the best thing ever.

    Time123 (17fa64)

  10. Spoken like the real estate developer he is:

    President Donald Trump indicated (last) Saturday that he had spoken with the king of Jordan about potentially building housing and moving more than 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, a remarkable proposal from a sitting US president.

    Trump said he asked Jordan’s Abdullah II, a key US partner in the region, to take in more Palestinians in a Saturday phone call.

    “I said to him that I’d love you to take on more, because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
    ……….
    Trump said he would like both Jordan and Egypt — which borders the battered enclave — to house people, and that he would speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about the matter Sunday.

    Trump, who noted there have been centuries-long conflicts in the region, said Saturday, “You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.”

    He continued: “I don’t know, something has to happen, but it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there, so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change.”

    The president, a former property developer, said the potential housing “could be temporary” or “could be long term.”
    ………..
    Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Sunday statement that it rejects any forced displacement of Palestinians. The ministry did not specifically mention Trump, but reiterated Egypt’s position against “the displacement of Palestinians from their land through forced eviction.”

    Jordan is committed to “ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land,” its minister of foreign affairs said in a statement Sunday.

    “Our refusal of displacement is a steadfast position that will not change,” Ayman Safadi said. “Jordan is for Jordanians, and Palestine is for Palestinians.”
    ……….
    (Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich) quickly endorsed Trump’s latest comments, saying, “the idea of helping (Gazans) find other places to start new, better lives is a great idea.”

    Trump said earlier in the week that he “might” be able to have a role in rebuilding Gaza, praising it as having a “phenomenal location, on the sea” and “the best weather.”

    The comments echoed remarks made in 2024 by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who called the waterfront property in Gaza “very valuable” and suggested Israel should move Palestinians out of Gaza and “clean it up.”
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  11. “…if Putin stops warring and warcriming, the war’s over, but if Ukraine stops fighting in self-defense, Ukraine is over.”

    Paul.

    The problem is in the “if Putin stops”.
    How far would you have the US go in order to do this stopping of Putin?
    Because Putin is not stopping now, even though about 1000 Russians a day are dying and 2X that are wounded.

    So how far would you go to force Putin to stop warring and warcriming?

    Would you insist that Ukraine lower its draft age to match that of the USA? (it is at 26 years old now)

    steveg (25c199)

  12. How far would you have the US go in order to do this stopping of Putin?

    That’s really up to the Ukrainians, steve, not me. So far, they’ve shown a willingness to fight, generally, but they’ve been short-changed all the way through. If Trump-Rubio are serious about a peace deal, then they need to give Ukrainians the weapons they need to push Putin backward.

    It’s that or eventual surrender and cultural genocide.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  13. Trump on Gaza: If you can’t remove Hamas, remove the majority of the people.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  14. Some people have tried to misconstrue what Trump said about possibly hiring incompetent people into a claim that the FAA did not hire enough people. That might have been more in line with the facts, but it’s not what Trump was speculating. But Trump was anyway assigning more blame to the helicopter pilot which is correct (the helicopter was at an altitude at which it never should have been) but blame might also be assigned to whoever devised the details of training mission – which had a collision avoidance system probably turned off (I guess to simulate a real emergency) and gave them night goggles to wear (which has the effect of blinding them in a brightly lit place like the approach to Reagan National Airport – pilots need to know to take them off in such a situation – not to, for instance, climb up, as they must have tried because they were at 350 feet or more, 200 feet higher than they are ever supposed to be near the airport..

    Most important takeaway:

    All the different methods of avoiding an imminent mid-air collision failed or weren’t used. The one on the airliner doesn’t work very well below 700 feet. And the two aircraft were heading directly at each other.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  15. Trump:tariffs::Republicans:tax cuts

    And Democrats:taxing the rich.

    Trunp wants tariffs, He can have four different reasons for imposing them.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  16. Steve, If Ukraine is willing to fight for their freedom I think it’s in our interest to support them with Arms, equipment and necessary training. There’s an upper limit, but IMO that’s a long way off.

    Time123 (17fa64)

  17. Almost everything’s demolished,

    There are maybe 20% of the buildings left standing.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  18. steveg (25c199) — 1/31/2025 @ 11:21 am

    How far would you have the US go in order to do this stopping of Putin?

    Biden did a very good job of stopping Putin.

    It’s ending the war that’s a problem.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  19. Jared Kushner wanted Gazans to move to a place in the Israeli Negev, (outside of Hamas’s rule) but whether that would even work is a problem.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  20. The helicopter was flying along Helicopter Route 4, which hugs the eastern bank of the Potomac. But it was too high.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  21. In its last release of hostages Thursday, Hamas went too far in scaring the people they were releasing. Mediators promised it would not happen again.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  22. Biden did a very good job of stopping Putin.

    Biden pulled his punches.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  23. Biden pulled his punches because he was afraid of what would happen if Ukraine was beating Russia too badly. Russia could always escalate and you’d have the same results, was the thinking, except there would be more people being killed. He had no end game.

    This all happened because Biden decided he could not tolerate a low casualty war in Afghanistan.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  24. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/30/us/washington-dc-plane-crash-helicopter-maps-photos.html

    unlocked_article_code=1.tU4.sTBw.J5gjtHveV51p&smid=url-share

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  25. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/962098-some-party-hack-decreed-that-the-people-had-lost-the

    Bertolt Brecht > Quotes > Quotable Quote

    “Some party hack decreed that the people
    had lost the government’s confidence
    and could only regain it with redoubled effort.
    If that is the case, would it not be be simpler,
    If the government simply dissolved the people
    And elected another?”

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  26. We’re not hearing where the worst Hamas people released from Israeli prisons are going to except that it’s Egypt but they are not going to sty in Egypt.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  27. Counting up the costs if the U.S. chooses to lose in Ukraine
    ……..
    When Secretary of State Marco Rubio says we should be “realistic” regarding Ukraine, he is not, one hopes, worrying about U.S. hubris. The bigger danger is excessive pessimism about what can be achieved, and a too-sanguine calculation of a low cost of choosing defeat.

    ……….Elaine McCusker, Frederick W. Kagan and Richard Sims, in their American Enterprise Institute report “Dollars and Sense: America’s Interest in a Ukrainian Victory,” explain why.

    They estimate that a five-year $808 billion increase in defense spending would be necessary if Vladimir Putin prevails and menaces eastern and central Europe. That is seven times more than the cost they estimate of preventing a 2026 collapse of Ukraine’s military — a cost consisting mostly of money spent in the United States on weapons production.

    The AEI report projects the budgetary consequences of Ukraine’s defeat: more than 900,000 Russian troops along a new 2,600-mile front between NATO and Russia. This would require the counter-positioning of U.S. and other NATO forces. Russia could conscript battle-tested Ukrainians into its military. For decades, NATO has not configured forces to fight a conventional war in Europe. To the cost of quickly ramping up the surge capacity of the U.S. defense industrial base, add the cost of 266,000 more military personnel.

    The report does not estimate the costs of the refugee and humanitarian crisis that would be caused by what Russia has shown is in store for occupied Ukraine: murder, pillage, mass rape, barbaric torture, the kidnapping of children………

    Putin’s Russia is hardly an irresistible force. ………Putin’s redlines “are constantly being crossed”: His warnings against giving Ukraine modern fighter jets, main battle tanks and long-range missiles delayed, but did not prevent, their deliveries.

    Losing a war in which the dying is done by proxies would tell Putin that the West’s pain threshold is contemptibly low. His dangerous disdain is already evident as he wages barely covert warfare across Europe: assassinations, arson, likely attacks on undersea cables and other sabotage.

    ………(Michael McFaul, former ambassador to Russia (2012-2014), now at Stanford and the Hoover Institution) thinks that for the negotiations to achieve more than an interval between Putin aggressions, Ukraine needs “the credible deterrence that only NATO can offer.”

    NATO membership might be unattainable. More military muscle for Ukraine is not. Aid sufficient to produce a durable stalemate, and unendurable costs for Putin’s regime, is the way for the United States and its NATO allies to avoid being penny wise and pound foolish.
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  28. There are two more important wars going on besides Ukraine and the Middle East: Sudan and Rwanda/Congo.

    Sammy Finkelman (9b4d3c)

  29. Jo ellis transgender pilot for virginia national guard accused by trumpsters of flying the helicopter that crashed into american airliner says it wasn’t me I am still alive! (DU) CNN.

    asset (9f212b)

  30. The George Will column that Rip linked to has estimates of the costs to the US if Putin wins; here’s another in an earlier Marc Thiessen column.

    Does he [the Loser] want Russia and China to get that treasure trove of natural resources? Or does he want to develop them with Ukraine to the benefit of the American people?

    One of the main reasons Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine (aside from his delusional historical fantasies about how Ukrainians and Russians are “one people”) was to seize these natural resources, which are valued at an estimated $26 trillion, according to SecDev.

    (Links omitted.)

    Jim Miller (1ae3f3)

  31. This is both stupid and cruel.

    The Trump administration has halted disbursement of funds from a program that supplies most of the treatment for H.I.V. in Africa and developing countries worldwide for at least 90 days.

    The action stems from President Trump’s executive order on foreign aid, which directs all government divisions with foreign development assistance programs to stop disbursing funds to countries and organizations until they can be reviewed.

    That includes the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as Pepfar, a $7.5 billion program overseen by the State Department, officials were told in a memo on Wednesday obtained by The New York Times.

    Does the Loser want all those poor people to die? Including thousands of innocent babies?

    Jim Miller (1ae3f3)

  32. Sammy

    What was Biden’s plan to shoehorn Russia out of occupied Ukraine?

    I’d say the Biden Administration had zero plan or intent to leverage Russia out of Crimea and zero interest in restoring the Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic to Ukraine.
    My guess is Trump and the rest of NATO will gladly trade those territories for peace.

    There are Russians in Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolayiv, and Zaporizhzhya Oblasts. Russia will be hard to shoehorn out of there without Ukraine being willing to draft 18-25 year old males.
    If Ukraine doesn’t want to commit to a total mobilization to liberate their country’s territory, then they should not expect NATO to.

    steveg (25c199)

  33. Firing the first shot:

    President Trump says he will levy 25% tariffs on goods from America’s two top trade partners, Mexico and Canada, unless they both stop unauthorized migrants and drugs from entering the U.S. He also has threatened an additional 10% tariff on goods from China—the nation’s third-biggest trading partner—accusing it of flooding the U.S. with fentanyl. Trump also has described tariffs as a tool to protect and expand U.S. manufacturing.
    ……….
    The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation showed that consumer prices rose 2.4% in November over a year earlier. A 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico would bring the inflation rate up to about 3%, keeping it well above the Fed’s 2% target, according to Capital Economics, an analysis firm.

    Additional tariffs on China or others would cause a bigger increase, the firm said.
    ………
    Grocery-price increases could be the inflation consumers notice first if tariffs force importers to pay 25% more for food, economists say.

    Mexico provides about half of U.S. fresh produce imports and is a particularly important supplier in the winter, according to Ed Gresser, a former assistant U.S. trade representative now working at the Progressive Policy Institute. More than 80% of U.S. avocados come from Mexico, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

    Canada is a big supplier of everything from kidney beans to cherry tomatoes, which are grown in huge greenhouses near the U.S. border.

    ………(H)igher prices for imports might prompt domestic suppliers to raise their prices, too.
    ………..
    Domestic and foreign automakers have built a complex web of factories all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Parts and half-finished vehicles sometimes cross the northern or southern border several times before production is complete. Hitting each of those import crossings with a 25% tariff would raise costs and possibly cause automakers to raise prices, though U.S. consumers are already fed up with auto prices that surged during the pandemic.
    ………..
    The steel-and-aluminum sector has long called for protection against low-cost competitors overseas, and likely would applaud stiff tariffs…….

    Domestic buyers of steel probably would have the opposite view. ………
    ……….
    New tariffs could raise U.S. prices for gasoline, jet fuel and home heating oil, because Canada supplies about 60% of U.S. crude-oil imports and Mexico another 10%, Gresser said. Together, those imports make up about 30% of the crude oil used in the U.S. Many domestic refineries are set up to process Canadian oil, and adjusting away from it isn’t a simple task, he added.

    Some analysts have speculated Trump could exempt oil from tariffs to prevent price increases. The president has suggested otherwise, however, saying the U.S. doesn’t need Canadian oil and gas………
    ……….
    An across-the-board 10% tariff on China would hit many consumer goods for the first time, sparking possible retail price increases and retaliation from China.
    #########

    And the second:

    The U.S. will impose tariffs on computer chips, pharmaceuticals, steel, aluminum, copper, oil and gas imports as soon as mid-February, President Trump said Friday, opening a new front in his looming second-term trade wars.

    “That’ll happen fairly soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that he also wants to hike tariffs on the European Union, which has “treated us so horribly,” though he did not specify when or how high the duties would be. A representative for the European Union didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The announcement for those sector-based and EU tariffs appeared separate from the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and 10% tariffs on China, which he had said would be implemented Saturday.
    ……….
    “I think there could be some temporary, short term disruption and people will understand that,” Trump said. “The tariffs are going to make us very rich and very strong.”
    ………..
    Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that there was nothing Canada, Mexico and China could do to avoid the tariffs before Saturday. But he did say he was considering a lower tariff on Canadian crude oil—10% instead of 25%.
    ………..
    Canada and Mexico combined supplied about 28% of U.S. imports in the first 11 months of 2024, according to Census Bureau data. China accounted for an additional 13.5%.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that last fiscal year 21,148 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the southwest border, the most from U.S. citizens coming through legal ports of entry. On the northern border, CBP reported seizing 43 pounds of the drug.
    ……….
    “We have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for whatever the U.S. government decides,” (Mexican President Claudia) Sheinbaum said. “It’s important to remember the implications that imposing tariffs could have for the U.S. economy.”
    ……….
    “Mexico is the main exporter of finished products like automobiles, computers, TV screens and refrigerators,” (Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard) said, adding that tariffs would also raise prices of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and beer.

    “This impact will be greater in border states and cities that are big consumers of Mexican goods, like California, Texas, Florida and Arizona,” Ebrard said.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  34. There are maybe 20% of the buildings left standing.

    How do you know that, Sammy? Where’s that number coming from?

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  35. Marco Rubio disappoints as he echoes Trump on war in Ukraine:

    Both Russia and Ukraine “are going to have to give something up” in negotiations to end the war, Rubio said, adding that “both sides are paying a heavy price for this” and “both sides have incentive for this conflict to end.” Rubio said the war is “not going to end with the maximalist goals of either side.”

    This means Ukraine will have to give up territory to end the war. 🤦‍♂️ (Temporarily stop the war, that is.)

    Making the Russians go back to pre-invasion borders is a “maximalist goal”? Rubio says it like it’s some kind of preposterous idea.

    The bottom line is that Russia gets rewarded for launching this invasion. Anybody who thinks this is a good plan is naive.

    We still haven’t tried the option of giving Ukraine everything it needs to push the Russians back. Until we do, talk of ceding territory to Russia is poppycock.

    Cue the Chicken Littles who quiver when Putin threatens the use of nukes, or say that Ukraine can’t drive the Russians out. They don’t remember the prevailing wisdom at the start of the invasion–that Russia would take over Ukraine very quickly.

    norcal (a72384)

  36. Ukraine has always been loosing. No one seems to mention Trumps statement about 800,000 KIA for Ukraine and Russia. (one was 700,000).
    We do not have the money or will to fight for them.
    End of story,

    (and the way things are going, you need to update more than weekly)
    Its crazy out there.

    Joe (584b3d)

  37. We do not have the money or will to fight for them.
    End of story,

    Joe (584b3d) — 1/31/2025 @ 4:59 pm

    It will cost us more in the long run if we don’t help Ukraine now, as pointed out above.

    I’m not suggesting fighting “for them”.

    norcal (a72384)

  38. Here’s a Trumpian ultimatum.

    If Putin wants to keep his eastern conquest (Donbass and other Oblast) and Crimea…

    Then, the new borders of Ukraine must be admitted to NATO.

    This is the sort of negotiation that may end the hostilities, leave everyone unhappy but ultimately the remaining Ukrainian government is protected as a NATO member.

    If you find this unacceptable, then please offer up some ideas that would end the war.

    What’s your criteria?

    whembly (957c85)

  39. Ukraine has always been loosing.

    One, over two years ago, right after Ukraine reclaimed Kherson, Putin occupied 17.6% of Ukraine. Twenty seven months later, Putin occupies 18.1% of Ukraine. I wouldn’t call that “loosing”, I call that a quagmire, for Putin.

    We do not have the money or will to fight for them.

    We have the money. We’ve been holding Putin in a quagmire with 5% of our defense budget, which is a bargain considering the damage to Putin’s military and zero losses in American lives.
    The real problem is the will, which Ukraine has, which Biden sort of had, and Trump doesn’t have, which is pathetic on the American side, the so-called defenders of democracy.

    Speaking of will, why is it that Zelenskyy must make concessions but Putin doesn’t? Putin started all this, but he doesn’t pay? He’s the terrorist, he’s the war criminal, he’s the child abductor.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  40. If Putin wants to keep his eastern conquest (Donbass and other Oblast) and Crimea…

    Then, the new borders of Ukraine must be admitted to NATO.

    whembly (957c85) — 1/31/2025 @ 5:44 pm

    Ukraine just might accept that deal. I don’t know. I’m 99% certain Russia won’t.

    Given that Obama presided over the Crimea loss, that is spilt milk at this point. I don’t think Ukraine should give up any territory Putin has seized since the 2022 invasion, but they may have to if Trump gets his way.

    Putin has shown that he will continue to expand over time, so Ukraine not being in NATO is a dealbreaker.

    norcal (a72384)

  41. Link here on how much Putin occupies.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  42. This is a Trump decision I agree with, and we could use more decisions like that.

    The U.S. has decided to cancel the student visa of Liu Lijun, a Chinese grad student at UCLA. She’s been supporting Hamas sympathizers on campus, which is already a red flag. 1/4

    But wait- she’s also a member of China’s Communist Party and has a shady history with some serious legal issues, including prostitution. 2/4

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  43. Oh, wait. That was 9 months ago.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  44. @40

    Ukraine just might accept that deal. I don’t know. I’m 99% certain Russia won’t.

    Given that Obama presided over the Crimea loss, that is spilt milk at this point. I don’t think Ukraine should give up any territory Putin has seized since the 2022 invasion, but they may have to if Trump gets his way.

    Putin has shown that he will continue to expand over time, so Ukraine not being in NATO is a dealbreaker.

    norcal (a72384) — 1/31/2025 @ 5:56 pm

    I think NATO admission must be on the table if negotiations surrounds whether or not Russia “keeps” the land they stole imo.

    Anything less would be unacceptable, as both sides need to give up something.

    Otherwise, we’re looking at a longterm grind that will only prolong suffering.

    whembly (957c85)

  45. Putin will say NATO admission for Ukraine is off the table because of reasons, but the real deal is that Putin’s reasons are completely full of sh-t, but the concern is that Trump-Rubio will fall for those “reasons”.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  46. Hakeem Jefferies say he and his wall street banker comrades will take fight trump to the streets! Must be worried he might get joe crowleyed.

    asset (552653)

  47. 31, Jim Miller: Really?

    We are borrowing about $1 Trillion every 3-6 months.

    Its nice that people (you included) think (like some kindly but not too sharp grandmother sending checks to aid programs), that we have to support every cause, every open mouth, every empty food bowl, and aid program in the world.

    Every nation of hungry people, stray cause and tent city requires us to support it even as our own country founders.

    We have to do that as our roads become potholed, our students slip, our medical costs rise, and our military deteriorates.

    Sorry: its about time we trim the costs, spread the burden and end the borrowing.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  48. This is more of that rewarding Russia and punishing Ukraine for a war that Russia started.

    No, this is recognizing that Biden dragged his feet while nearly a million people died. If the war is to end short of military victory, something only the Russians might do, then both sides are going to have to get something.

    While what I really want is for Putin to get Stage 4 colon cancer, it’s not going to happen. So, what are the gottahaves?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  49. There are situations in life when one side is in the wrong, but the other side has to give. Many divorces, for example.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  50. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is blocking those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol from working in state jobs, ignoring Trump’s attempt to offer them a clean slate last week in a sweeping set of pardons and commutations.

    Unless there are state charges, the governor is setting the state up for a large payout in federal court.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  51. Pritzker could also find himself on the wrong end of federal civil rights charges, given who is running the DoJ.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  52. I’m seeing a lot of insistence on justice for Ukraine, ignoring of course the military facts. Unless the US or EU is going to actually put boots on the ground, there is no way this ends justly for Ukraine. They are just running out of men.

    We can complain all we want, but it won’t move Russia one inch. Either Ukraine gives up most of what it’s lost (maybe trading Kursk for Donbas territory) or it will continue to lose more ground. They haven’t a way forward. Their best hope is joining NATO with what they can salvage.

    Is this Trump’s fault? I don’t see it. It MAY be Biden’s fault. Trump wasn’t president two weeks ago, blaming him for the mishegas that Biden left him is pure propaganda.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  53. Trump is going to give UKE to Russia. It’s just a matter of time.

    No, Biden did that already. He just used them to bleed Russia first.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  54. then they need to give Ukrainians the weapons they need to push Putin backward.

    Which ones are those? Be specific.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  55. Biden did a very good job of stopping Putin.

    President Westmoreland.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  56. Jo ellis transgender pilot for virginia national guard

    We should not have transgender soldiers. If we are concerned about women taken prisoner, imagine the treatment transgenders will get.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  57. Ukraine just might accept that deal. I don’t know. I’m 99% certain Russia won’t.

    If Ukraine doesn’t join NATO then the war isn’t over.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  58. I don’t understand why anyone thinks that Putin would agree to any deal that involves Ukraine joining NATO-at best it’s wishful thinking. I also would find it odd for Trump to offer NATO membership to Ukraine, given his antipathy toward both.

    Putin has made it perfectly clear that any peace deal will include the surviving portion of Ukraine being a demilitarized neutral state between the West and Russia. It’s about Ukraine not in NATO and NATO not in Ukraine.

    Russia is making incremental gains on the battlefield, which means Ukraine is not. Putin obviously doesn’t care about the war being a meat grinder, because he’s suppressed all meaningful dissent. The Russian economy has survived Western sanctions by obtaining goods and selling oil through cutout countries (Iran, North Korea, China). Putin survived the massive support that Ukraine received over the past four years, and now that the political winds have shifted away from Kyiv, he is unlikely to face the same levels of aid from the West in the future.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  59. @56 If they want to fight for our country and maybe die for it unlike bone spurs. Did you serve? I only made it to tear gas drill. ( I told them I had bronchitis ;but got drafted into the marine corp in 1967 ) When I woke up they said since I hadn’t been in the marine corp over 10 days they didn’t have to keep me. Back then they couldn’t find enough who wanted to enlist. They took one guy who wrote down YES when asked if gay and only tried to kick him out 16 years later when reagan didn’t need him.

    asset (552653)

  60. Since I was a young lad I have heard from the cons nothing but the debt will bankrupt the country when debt was two trillion over 50 years ago. Ever here of the boy who cried wolf. If you owe the bank 100 dollars your in trouble. If you owe the bank 32 trillion dollars the banks in trouble especially if you give them a 32 trillion dollar trump bit coin in payment. Inflation will make the debt worthless.

    asset (552653)

  61. > “Governor says no state jobs for J6 rioters”

    There are three possibilities here.

    (a) he’s talking about J6 rioters who have never been convicted of a crime related to J6, in which case he’s denying access to jobs based on a … rumor? an *accusation*? without due process. this is not ok morally or ethically.

    (b) he’s talking about J6 rioters who have been convicted of a federal crime and pardoned, in which case, he’s trying to ignore the pardon, which is not ok; the pardon power is unquestionable and inviolate, and a state should not be allowed to contravene.

    (c) he’s talking about J6 rioters who have been convicted of a state crime. there aren’t enough of them to matter, and fewer who would apply to a state job in his state, so in that case this is just pointless rhetoric to score points without doing anything. yay?

    aphrael (dbf41f)

  62. > There are situations in life when one side is in the wrong, but the other side has to give. Many divorces, for example.

    Sure. But given that Putin has repeatedly invaded *multiple* neighbors, anything other than a total defeat for him incentivizes him to do it again with a different neighbor.

    Is the goal to end the war, or to end the war in such a way that it prevents the next one?

    aphrael (dbf41f)

  63. @61 gov. pritzker is in a desperate attempt to be relevant for 2028. It wont work. AOC would run him over in the primaries. We already tried an old white man and old white woman and an empty vice president who was only good at throwing away the donors money.

    asset (552653)

  64. If the ukraine doesn’t lose it wins and if putin doesn’t win he loses. Ukraine has no plan to surrender. I have said this from day one while others demand ukraine surrender. The boss “He’s all gone they are still their!” Vietnam, afganistan and now Ukraine. Unfortunately also gaza, lebanon.

    asset (552653)

  65. @ 64

    I do agree that the govt. of Ukraine has no plan to surrender.
    However at this point, i don’t see how they are not defeated.

    We have no plan on sending them the weapons (if they exist) that would give them a chance to regain territory. Especially with the new president.

    Joe (584b3d)

  66. I don’t understand why anyone thinks that Putin would agree to any deal that involves Ukraine joining NATO-at best it’s wishful thinking

    It is an unconditional bottom line for Ukraine. Otherwise they are on borrowed time. What you are arguing is that Putin won’t accept anything other than complete victory. Eff that. IF so, Putin is on a sure path to war with the EU, if not the US.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  67. There are three possibilities here.

    a) The pardons are for the class, not for the individually accused, so this devolves to b).
    b) Indeed.
    c) How many could that be?

    Does James Eastman get his law license back?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  68. Sure. But given that Putin has repeatedly invaded *multiple* neighbors, anything other than a total defeat for him incentivizes him to do it again with a different neighbor.

    Sure. But how would you accomplish that now without actually going to war? Ukraine has bled all it can bleed.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  69. About Trump’s pre-Kash preemptive FBI purge

    Trump’s efforts to root out his supposed enemies might not withstand a legal challenge. FBI agents do not choose the cases assigned to them, and they are protected by civil-service rules. The FBI Agents Association, a nonprofit organization that is not part of the U.S. government, said in a statement that the reports of Trump’s planned purge are “outrageous” and “fundamentally at odds with the law enforcement objectives outlined by President Trump and his support for FBI Agents.”

    The mass firings could imperil the nomination of Kash Patel, whom Trump wants to run the FBI in his administration. Just yesterday, Patel had assured senators during his confirmation hearing that the very kinds of politically motivated firings that appear to be in motion would not happen.

    “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” Patel told lawmakers. “Every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for case assignments.”

    Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department, had likewise assured senators during her own hearing that government personnel would not be subject to political retaliation for doing their job.

    It has the smell of Trump’s mass pardons of his J6 criminals.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  70. @69 FBI agents leveraged their power to go after Trump, but Trump would be wise not to fire them. “Keep your enemies closer”, etc. They can be relegated to tasks in which they can’t go after political opponents, probably making them so miserable they’d want to leave. At the very end of his term, he could probably work up cause to terminate their employment so they can’t further tarnish the bureau’s reputation whenever the next Democrat takes over.

    lloyd (509647)

  71. This idea that members of the executive branch are untouchable and are above whoever the people chose to run the executive branch is wholly counter to Save Democracy posturing.

    lloyd (509647)

  72. Does James Eastman get his law license back?

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 7:39 am

    Probably not in California.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  73. I don’t understand why anyone thinks that Putin would agree to any deal that involves Ukraine joining NATO-at best it’s wishful thinking

    It is an unconditional bottom line for Ukraine. Otherwise they are on borrowed time. What you are arguing is that Putin won’t accept anything other than complete victory. Eff that. IF so, Putin is on a sure path to war with the EU, if not the US.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 7:35 am

    Putin will have his victory (sadly) against Ukraine without direct intervention by Europe or particularly the US. There’s no evidence that intervention is an option, absent support for such an action, either among public opinion or the politicians. Putin has intimidated Europe (and to a certain extent the US) with periodic threats of retaliation, which he would be justified to do so.

    I don’t see the Trump Administration intervening to defend Europe even if obligated under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. It would be the perfect way to destroy NATO without pulling out.

    And I don’t Trump would be impeached, let alone convicted for breaking the NATO Treaty. There’s a sizable minority of the country and in Congress that would not support impeachment. He would be the new Wilson, “he kept us out of war.”

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  74. FBI agents leveraged their power to go after Trump, but Trump would be wise not to fire them.

    FBI agents served a subpoena and worked under a DOJ-appointed Special Counsel. They were tasked with investigating a corrupt ex-president, by Biden’s AG, and now he foolishly sacked them for “disloyalty”.
    Trump’s reaction to this was similar to his J6 pardons, en masse rather than case-by-case, respectively freed and pronounced guilty by association.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  75. Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/1/2025 @ 9:16 am

    Eight years ago at about this time, the FBI skirted protocol to “interview” Michael Flynn, and an unknown “senior Obama official” committed a felony by leaking classified information related to Flynn. After which, Trump’s hands were tied related to anything DOJ related. .

    Add to that the panty raid on his residence.

    No one can claim Trump hasn’t learned anything about how DC and the federal bureaucracy works. Maybe stop teaching him.

    lloyd (509647)

  76. If Padmé Amidala could be ELECTED Queen, why can’t Mr. Trump?

    nk (e0bc70)

  77. 60. asset: You know, sometimes I just have to stand back in slack-jawed admiration at the raw, unvarnished brilliance of some people.

    So, inflation will make the US debt worthless! Brilliant! It worked so well for people in 2023 and 2024 as “Bidenomics eroded the purchasing power of fixed income geezers, and people with middle incomes living in apartments. Well maybe Biden needed to inflate more, right!? Because it worked out so well for the Weimar republic.

    And of course no lender to the US will worry about repayment–because we are EVEN NOW paying more interest on the debt than out defense budget. So of course we have endless room to borrow.

    And of course, other countries will keep lending to us as debt rises, even as their holdings erode from inflation. They’ll never demand higher interest rates that will overcome our tax revenue.

    Thank god you’re not one of those nerds that read some economic, some history or even some newspapers. We need helpful observations like yours.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e1a2ad)

  78. Add to that the panty raid on his residence.

    Unserious, uncredible.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  79. Ibid, lloyd.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  80. Bottom line, Zelenskyy is right

    Zelensky: it was stupid for Ukraine to sign the Budapest memorandum and give up weapons, Putin wants to pause, not end the war, want to know the deal Biden and Putin struck in Switzerland, Russians killed 20,000 civilians in Mariupol. 1/

    If I were to exchange nuclear weapons [in 1994 the Budapest memorandum], I would exchange them for something that could actually stop any attacker.
    So I think it was absolutely stupid, illogical, and very irresponsible to do it. 2/

    Putin goal is to pause, to prevent Ukraine from developing, to prevent Ukraine from being strong.
    Only a strong country can fight for its independence, the right to live as it wants. 3/

    Since 2014, Russia lied and argued how Ukraine is the aggressor, not independent and not self-sufficient, how it could not defend its lands, its people, its independence. 4/

    I am very curious about what Putin and Biden agreed on in Switzerland.
    I would like to know, to be honest. History will tell us. 5/

    There was info that Russians killed about 20,000 civilian people in Mariupol.
    There were thousands of people in captivity. We returned 4,000 prisoners, and there are thousands more.
    About 19,500 children were taken from Mariupol and Kherson. 6/

    We know that the people who protested against the Russian rule were either killed or taken to jail and tortured. 7/

    That is why they wanted to restore all the buildings in Mariupol very quickly. It’s like in Grozny.
    They destroyed the entire city. And then built a new city. 8/

    We want a fair peace and we want Putin to not go back to occupying Ukraine.
    If Trump manages to solve this puzzle, he is a winner.
    It’s not easy, but he has the power of the world and he can dominate here. 9X

    I suspect Trump will call himself a winner regardless of how big a ratf*ck of a deal emerges.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  81. 81: Paul: Russia is bad: they’ve lied since 1917 and lied when they insisted they were not going to invade Ukraine, etc. But as a bully with nukes and 3 times Ukraine’s numbers, what is the solution? Fight on as Ukraine’s people die, and hope for what? That Russia will quit? No signs of that. Settle now? Involve NATO troops?

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e1a2ad)

  82. Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e1a2ad) — 2/1/2025 @ 10:26 am

    My solution is for the US and the West to timely provide Ukraine the aid they’re requesting, because Putin won’t negotiate anything but Ukraine’s surrender, because he’s a bad actor acting in bad faith, because an evil warcriming terrorist needs to pay for his illegal invasion and warcriming and terrorism. I’d also take the $300 billion of Russian assets we’ve frozen and apply the funds for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

    IMO, it’s an America national security interest to weaken terrorist states like Russia and Iran. It’s an American security interest for Putin to lose ground in Ukraine, for him to lose his unprovoked unjustified unlawful war, and we can do it at the bargain price of 5% of our defense budget with zero American combat casualties. Weapons trump meat waves.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  83. Also Harc, Ukraine has agency, they’re a sovereign nation that made the decision to defend themselves. As long as they’re continuing to stand up to a terrorist bully, why not support them and their right to exist. It’s morally and geopolitically right choice.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  84. “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” Patel told lawmakers. “Every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for case assignments.”

    Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department, had likewise assured senators during her own hearing that government personnel would not be subject to political retaliation for doing their job.

    That’ll teach those Senators from poking the bear.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  85. He would be the new Wilson, “he kept us out of war.”

    How well did that work? Or Chamberlain, for that matter. Instead of a short war with overwhelming force, they got 4 years of trench warfare and, later, 4 years of mechanized horror.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  86. Trump’s reaction to this was similar to his J6 pardons, en masse rather than case-by-case, respectively freed and pronounced guilty by association.

    I pointed out a while ago that Trump would go too far. And when he’s become a liability to MAGA, out he goes and they have JD Vance who will serve them better.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  87. If Padmé Amidala could be ELECTED Queen, why can’t Mr. Trump?

    Really. And she had Jar Jar Binks as an advisor, so Trump’s menagerie would pass muster there, too.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  88. The WSJ on Trump’s tariffs on our three largest trading partners.

    Leaving China aside, Mr. Trump’s justification for this economic assault on the neighbors makes no sense. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says they’ve “enabled illegal drugs to pour into America.” But drugs have flowed into the U.S. for decades, and will continue to do so as long as Americans keep using them. Neither country can stop it.

    Drugs may be an excuse since Mr. Trump has made clear he likes tariffs for their own sake. “We don’t need the products that they have,” Mr. Trump said on Thursday. “We have all the oil you need. We have all the trees you need, meaning the lumber.”

    Mr. Trump sometimes sounds as if the U.S. shouldn’t import anything at all, that America can be a perfectly closed economy making everything at home. This is called autarky, and it isn’t the world we live in, or one that we should want to live in, as Mr. Trump may soon find out.

    Take the U.S. auto industry, which is really a North American industry because supply chains in the three countries are highly integrated. In 2024 Canada supplied almost 13% of U.S. imports of auto parts and Mexico nearly 42%. Industry experts say a vehicle made on the continent goes back and forth across borders a half dozen times or more, as companies source components and add value in the most cost-effective ways.

    And everyone benefits. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative says that in 2023 the industry added more than $809 billion to the U.S. economy, or about 11.2% of total U.S. manufacturing output, supporting “9.7 million direct and indirect U.S. jobs.” In 2022 the U.S. exported $75.4 billion in vehicles and parts to Canada and Mexico. That number jumped 14% in 2023 to $86.2 billion, according to the American Automotive Policy Council.

    American car makers would be much less competitive without this trade. Regional integration is now an industry-wide manufacturing strategy—also employed in Japan, Korea and Europe—aimed at using a variety of high-skilled and low-cost labor markets to source components, software and assembly.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  89. A little more WSJ…

    American car makers would be much less competitive without this trade. Regional integration is now an industry-wide manufacturing strategy—also employed in Japan, Korea and Europe—aimed at using a variety of high-skilled and low-cost labor markets to source components, software and assembly.

    The result has been that U.S. industrial capacity in autos has grown alongside an increase in imported motor vehicles, engines and parts. From 1995-2019, imports of autos, engines and parts rose 169% while U.S. industrial capacity in autos, engines and parts rose 71%.

    As the Cato Institute’s Scott Lincicome puts it, the data show that “as imports go up, U.S. production goes up.” Thousands of good-paying auto jobs in Texas, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan owe their competitiveness to this ecosystem, relying heavily on suppliers in Mexico and Canada.

    Tariffs will also cause mayhem in the cross-border trade in farm goods. In fiscal 2024, Mexican food exports made up about 23% of total U.S. agricultural imports while Canada supplied some 20%. Many top U.S. growers have moved to Mexico because limits on legal immigration have made it hard to find workers in the U.S. Mexico now supplies 90% of avocados sold in the U.S. Is Mr. Trump now an avocado nationalist?

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  90. Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e1a2ad) — 2/1/2025 @ 9:53 am

    Did you know that Philip II of Spain — then the world’s superpower — defaulted on his debt four times, despite all that New World booty?

    Philip II ruled from 1556 to 1598. During his reign, the Spanish Empire was at the height of its power. Spain fought numerous wars against France, the Dutch rebels, the English, and the Ottomans. It conquered the Philippines and acquired Portugal and its overseas possessions. Earlier princes had borrowed abroad, but Philip II was the first to accumulate foreign debts similar to those of modern states, borrowing approximately 60% of national product. He also became the first serial defaulter in history, declaring payment stops no less than four times during his reign. Eventually, Spain went on to become the record holder for repeated defaults, reneging no fewer than 13 times on its obligations.

    https://www.bde.es/f/webpi/SES/seminars/2009/files/sie0927.pdf

    How did he do it? In part playing on rivalries: he defaulted on one group of bankers then borrowed from a rival group. Eventually he had to settle when the bankers froze the pay to the troops.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  91. So we should send our 18-25-year-olds to fight for Ukraine while their 18-25-year-olds can stay safe at home and in the nightclubs of Kiev?
    Or am I missing something?

    If Zelensky asks for more Abrams tanks, Bradley’s, but he won’t mobilize 18-25 -year-olds, who is going to man the equipment and flesh out the rest of the battalion?

    steveg (25c199)

  92. Paul,

    I ask in all earnestness: what can we provide Ukraine that will fundamentally alter their (losing) war of attrition? Can they hold out until Putin dies? What can they do to make Putin agree to terms?

    I agree with you that Ukraine deserves all the help it can get, but if all we are doing is delaying their defeat, or making that defeat worse, is that really “help”?

    Biden held Ukraine hostage at the election, after doing so very little to let them win. There was a time when Ukraine might have driven the invaders out, but Biden handcuffed them. Now we have Trump. The upside to Trump is that IF he decided to help Ukraine, he wouldn’t be a wimp. The downside is, well, Trump.

    What could the EU do, if we won’t? What can anyone do at this point? Short of troops, of course; France(!) could beat Russia right now.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  93. He would be the new Wilson, “he kept us out of war.”

    How well did that work?

    Trump’s base and most Americans see Ukraine as “not our problem.” I doubt there is any polling that shows support for sending US combat troops into battle. I dare say the European public feels the same way.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  94. So we should send our 18-25-year-olds to fight for Ukraine while their 18-25-year-olds can stay safe at home and in the nightclubs of Kiev?

    We aren’t drafting those kids either, but they are free to volunteer.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  95. France(!) could beat Russia right now.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 11:38 am

    Not without nuclear weapons. The French military (all services) totals around 300,000 personnel.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  96. I dare say the European public feels the same way.

    The Poles, Finns, Swedes and Baltic states would beg to differ. They are the first nations that may get involved, as they will surely become involved if Ukraine falls.

    “We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  97. Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/1/2025 @ 11:25 am

    Trump’s voters are getting what they asked for; it’s not like these tariffs are a surprise.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  98. Trump’s voters are getting what they asked for; it’s not like these tariffs are a surprise.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2) — 2/1/2025 @ 11:54 am

    As well as the business leaders who backed Trump, hoping he could be convinced otherwise. Too bad for them.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  99. The Poles, Finns, Swedes and Baltic states would beg to differ. They are the first nations that may get involved, as they will surely become involved if Ukraine falls.

    If they’re so concerned why haven’t they committed troops to the fight?

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  100. The Poles, Finns, Swedes and Baltic states would beg to differ. They are the first nations that may get involved, as they will surely become involved if Ukraine falls.

    That may be, but from an America First perspective, it’s still “not my problem.”

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  101. I don’t see the Trump Administration doing something the Biden administration wouldn’t.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  102. I ask in all earnestness: what can we provide Ukraine that will fundamentally alter their (losing) war of attrition?

    That’s why I said weapons trump meat waves, and Ukraine has been pathetically short-changed from Day One. It’s time for someone in the West to take Putin’s imperialist ambitions seriously, not parceling out inadequate numbers for political reasons, and not being an effing coward like Biden.

    I’m talking more artillery, more precision missiles (short and long range), more jetfighters, more Javelins, more landmine-neutralizing dozers, more drones (way way more drones), more tanks, more fighting vehicles, more bullets. And this has to come from both the US and the West.

    Not that my plan will go into effect but, IMO, that’s the best way to defeat Putin, which is to keep him losing ground until his economy and regime collapse. His only off-ramp should be to declare victory and proclaim that Ukraine has been successfully de-Nazified, and then get his troops TFO of Ukraine.

    This wouldn’t be just a lesson for Putin, it’ll send a lesson for his successors, that the culture of Russian imperialism is dead and will stay so, and it’ll send a message to the expansionist communist Chinese government as well.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  103. The only reason Trump wants to be involved in a Russia-Ukraine peace deal is to win the Nobel Peace Prize that he feels he was denied for the Abraham Accords. Outside of that, I don’t understand why he cares.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  104. Not without nuclear weapons. The French military (all services) totals around 300,000 personnel.

    The French Army is 150,000 strong. But the entire Russian ground forces are only 500,000 men, including 100,000 conscripts and they have to defend an immense area (and prevent insurrections). France could drive Russia out of Ukraine proper, and probably Crimea, unless Russia used nukes.

    But that was just an example.

    Ukraine’s neighboring states have forces, too: Poland, Finland, Romania and Sweden could field over 300,000 trained ground forces and they would not have to beg for planes and tanks.

    Russia does not have a chance against even the rump of EU forces. Note that the EU can activate all European NATO assets even if the US declines to act.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  105. I don’t understand why he cares.

    A solution to Ukraine that wasn’t a surrender would allow him to concentrate on the US and the Americas, which is what he’d prefer. All them European weenies are just a distraction to his real goals.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  106. …….the best way to defeat Putin, which is to keep him losing ground…….

    Let us know when that starts:

    Russian forces are expanding their salient north of Kupyansk as part of long-term operational efforts to push Ukrainian forces from the east (left) bank of the Oskil River.
    ………..
    Elements of the 6th Combined Arms Army (CAA) (Leningrad Military District [LMD]) are reportedly leading the Russian effort to expand the salient north of Kupyansk.
    ………..
    Elements of the Russian 1st Guards Tank Army (GTA) (Moscow Military District [MMD]) are also participating in the envelopment of Kupyansk and are attempting to advance east of Kupyansk and to expand the Russian salient south of Kupyansk near Kruhlyakivka likely in order to prepare for advances south of Kupyansk, cross the Oskil River, and pressure Borova.
    …………
    The Russian military command has shown that it is willing to commit to operations that could take six to nine months to conclude. Russian commanders are likely operating under the assumption or direct knowledge that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to end the war in Ukraine in the near future. ………..

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  107. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 12:15 pm

    Again, if the threat to Europe is dire, why haven’t they done so? Probably because there is no public support to do so; certainly in France and Germany, where the far right parties are very vocal in opposing aid to Ukraine (let alone direct action) and are politically ascendant. Virtually all the listed European governments would collapse if they intervened directly in Ukraine. They barely have political support for sending weapons.

    I think Russia using tactical nuclear weapons against European intervening countries is a given.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  108. Yes, Rip, Ukraine has lost some ground of late but, like I mentioned above, in the larger context, Putin has only gained 0.5% of Ukrainian territory after two-plus years of quagmire, which is around 500 dead-disabled Russians per square mile.
    The Montagu Plan would reverse those losses, IMO.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  109. A solution to Ukraine that wasn’t a surrender would allow him to concentrate on the US and the Americas, which is what he’d prefer. All them European weenies are just a distraction to his real goals.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 12:16 pm

    Nothing is stopping Trump from ignoring Ukraine and Europe now. He could just say “not my problem, let the Europeans figure it out” and most Americans would agree.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  110. I’m talking more artillery, more precision missiles (short and long range), more jetfighters, more Javelins, more landmine-neutralizing dozers, more drones (way way more drones), more tanks, more fighting vehicles, more bullets. And this has to come from both the US and the West.

    Artillery and dozers, sure. Bullets, too. But lots more jetfighters would mean Western pilots.

    US-made military drones are a very mixed bag. If you mean cheap expendable drones, the US military-industrial complex is not your best source. Teal is one of the few bright spots (but only for DoD price points). But the Ukrainians are doing quite well on their own there with cheap off-the-shelf drones they reprogram.

    Missiles are big-ticket items. Even Javelins are $250K/round. I’d rather have 200 Chinese drones than one Javelin, and 5,000 drones instead of one HIMARS system (4 times that if we are talking export pricing).

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  111. The Montagu Plan would reverse those losses, IMO.

    Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/1/2025 @ 12:31 pm

    Sadly, the Montagu Plan has very little chance of being adopted by the current administration. It is the complete opposite of what will end up happening.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  112. most Americans would agree.

    And when Ukraine fell and Russia was in the Baltics, “Who lost NATO?” would eat him alive. The very moment that he becomes harmful to MAGA, he’s in real political trouble.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  113. Plan M is this: NATO sends 200,000 ground forces into Ukraine and Putin is given his choices: Get out, die, or use nukes.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  114. Part of the reason none of the western nations are officially sending troops is because it allows the diplomatic fiction (which provides more flexibility to both the West AND Putin) that we aren’t actually fighting with Russia. We are just enabling Ukraine to defend it’s own territory. From, you know, whoever.

    Nic (120c94)

  115. 105, 114: Kevin:

    You have a higher opinon of NATO than I do. The Germans have atrophied, and large percentages of the Bundeswher fighters are inoperable. They went “Green” and their kilowatt per hour costs are much higher than here or the UK, whic cripples manufacturing. They have maybe 10% of their Cold War total of Main Battle Tanks.

    The French have a parade ground army with maybe 25,000 “good” troops, the Poles are great but small, and none of them have a decent air force. A sizeable percentage of all NATO “forces” are administration types in Brussels, laisons and so on.

    And worse, none have the will. They see themselves as spectators in their own defense: the french always did, but the Germans do too now. None were main players when Clinton bombed the Serbs. The US actually had to intervene to settle that regional fight.

    They all had to be begged, cajoled and threatened to increase their military budgets, and even then they are behind and still lack the will. They went soft and that is almost impossible to reverse. And they’re cowardly: France did not help win the Cold War and it has not acquired a spine since then. The last competent French general lies in Bonapart’s tomb.

    Its not looking good long term. Paul’s plan is the ideal one, but I don’t see NATO helping which means us again…

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  116. As well as the business leaders who backed Trump, hoping he could be convinced otherwise. Too bad for them.

    Hah! It depends on how the tariffs are applied. Non-friends of Trump are assessed a 25% additional cost of doing business. Friends of Trump can increase their profit margin by 25% and still remain competitive.

    nk (d8cf15)

  117. Ukraine is gradually losing men, equipment, territory to Russia, and at this pace Russia will eventually arrive at the left bank of the Dnieper exhausted and broke, but stubbornly refusing to leave
    Then what? NATO counter offensive to scrub the cornered nuclear power Russians?

    steveg (25c199)

  118. @steveg@118 If China were attacking us with very marginal success, how much of the US would you willingly give up for peace?

    Nic (120c94)

  119. And when Ukraine fell and Russia was in the Baltics, “Who lost NATO?” would eat him alive. The very moment that he becomes harmful to MAGA, he’s in real political trouble.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 12:37 pm

    So what? Trump can’t run again, so he would be politically immune from the consequences. MAGAWorld™️wouldn’t care, as it’s not an America First problem.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  120. Plan M is this: NATO sends 200,000 ground forces into Ukraine and Putin is given his choices: Get out, die, or use nukes.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 12:38 pm

    I have no doubt NATO would prevail, but Plan M has as much chance of happening as Plan Montagu, which is to say it’s wishful thinking.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  121. Paul’s plan is the ideal one, but I don’t see NATO helping which means us again…

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 2/1/2025 @ 1:24 pm

    I don’t see the US helping Ukraine anymore for the foreseeable future (next four years).

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  122. What do Americans think about Putin’s war on Ukraine? We’re divided.

    Today, 27% of Americans say the U.S. is providing too much assistance to Ukraine. Another 25% characterize U.S. support as “about right,” and 18% say the U.S. is not providing enough support. These shares are similar to views in July, though Americans are now somewhat more likely to say they are not sure than they were four months ago (29% vs. 25% then).

    And, even now, as you can see from those numbers, many of us still haven’t formed an opinion.

    And that’s in spite of constant propaganda on Ukraine from a skilled demagogue and his allies, Tucker Carlson.

    Jim Miller (61e5bd)

  123. Elon Musk’s hostile takeover:

    Aides to Elon Musk charged with running the U.S. government human resources agency have locked career civil servants out of computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.
    ………….
    The systems include a vast database called Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which contains dates of birth, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades and length of service of government workers, the officials said.
    …………
    “We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems,” one of the officials said. “That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications.”

    Officials affected by the move can still log on and access functions such as email but can no longer see the massive datasets that cover every facet of the federal workforce.
    …………
    A team including current and former employees of Musk assumed command of OPM on Jan. 20, the day Trump took office. They have moved sofa beds onto the fifth floor of the agency’s headquarters, which contains the director’s office and can only be accessed with a security badge or a security escort, one of the OPM employees said.
    ………….

    i

    More:

    Billionaire Elon Musk’s deputies have gained access to a sensitive Treasury Department system responsible for trillions of dollars in U.S. government payments after the administration ousted a top career official at the department, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe government deliberations.
    …………
    David A. Lebryk, who served in nonpolitical roles at Treasury for several decades and had been the acting secretary before Bessent’s confirmation, had refused to turn over access to Musk’s surrogates, people familiar with the situation told The Washington Post. Trump officials placed Lebryk on administrative leave, and then he announced his retirement Friday in an email to colleagues.
    ……………
    The sensitive systems, run by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, control the flow of more than $6 trillion annually. Tens of millions of people across the country rely on the systems. They are responsible for paying Social Security and Medicare benefits, salaries for federal personnel, payments to government contractors and grant recipients, and tax refunds, among tens of thousands of other functions.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  124. Correction: “for example, Tucker Carlson”.

    Jim Miller (61e5bd)

  125. The More link in post 124 is incorrect. This link is correct.

    Rip Murdock (3644d2)

  126. In another Trump win, CBS to fork over the full unedited softball interview with Kamala Harris.

    lloyd (3e3bf1)

  127. The question should be: How much of the US would NATO offer to give up for peace with China? Which would be a substantial portion given their penchant for perfidy.

    But to answer your question, the US wouldn’t even give China Playa Rosarito en Mexico, and the Chinese wouldn’t be able to sustain marginal success because the Pacific is a very long haul.
    The US would also fully mobilize everyone 18+ if the Chinese had sustained success.

    Apples and oranges to compare the US vs. China to Ukraine vs. nasty neighbor Russia.

    If Ukraine won’t mobilize its 18-25 males, then it will take US or NATO 18-25 males to root out Russians from occupied territories.
    What is the plan to make the Russians pack up and leave voluntarily?

    The plan to make the Chinese leave Western Pacific North America voluntarily would be to simultaneously fill the Pacific and its beaches with dead Chinese cut off any landed Expeditionary force, meet it with a much larger force, and decimate the Chinese.
    The fight would be taken to the Chinese mainland, and things would blow up 24/7, with a break here and there for damage assessments.

    Is your plan for Russia similar? Because Ukraine (and Kursk) is full of dead Russian (and now NK) bodies. But because there is a long land border and a massive supply of cannon fodder/defensive occupier bodies, Ukraine needs to mobilize more people. But it refuses.
    Why should Trump create a situation that sends US, Pole, UK and French etc 18-25 males to fight for a country that won’t generate the internal mass of manpower it needs to mount a successful counterattack?

    My solution requires them to produce more bodies, and we will in turn give those bodies more stuff

    steveg (25c199)

  128. Ukraine wants all of its territory back; it needs to be all in

    steveg (25c199)

  129. NATO/EU are not trustworthy

    They still find ways to buy cheap energy from Russia, and they still trade with Russia around the sanctions by using third parties (Check out EU trade growth with Kazakhstan since the war began)

    steveg (25c199)

  130. Here’s a long list of aid provided to Ukraine:

    By March 2024, mostly Western governments had pledged more than $380 billion worth of aid to Ukraine since the invasion, including nearly $118 billion in direct military aid from individual countries.[4] European countries have provided the most aid in total (military, financial and humanitarian), while the United States has by far provided the most military aid.[5][6] Most of the US funding supports American industries who produce weapons and military equipment.[7]

    Fearing escalation, NATO states have hesitated to provide heavier and more advanced weapons to Ukraine, or have imposed limits such as forbidding Ukraine to use them to strike inside Russia.[8] Since June 2024, they have lifted some of these restrictions, allowing Ukraine to strike Russian military targets near the border in self-defense.

    As far as I know, that summary is roughly accurate.

    Both the UK and France have trained thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. That training may have been one reason the Ukrainians were successful in stopping the Putin forces from capturing Kiev at the beginning of the war.

    Jim Miller (61e5bd)

  131. #127 I think the Loser should demand territorial concessions from Putin, as reparations, for example, St. Petersburg and Moscow. (He could settle for just the first during negotiations.)

    And, of course he should demand that Putin and his lackeys be tried for war crimes.

    Jim Miller (61e5bd)

  132. @steveg@128 My thought is that we shouldn’t expect Ukraine to surrender, because we sure as he!! wouldn’t in similar circumstances. I am also of the opinion that we shouldn’t be putting limits on Ukraine to use weapons only within it’s borders.

    (I also fully expect that if the US were attacked, there would be a lot of rich kids who’d avoid serving under the idea that someone else could do it.)

    Nic (120c94)

  133. Nic, thanks for the conversation
    Ukrainian targeting has changed along with the change in administration.
    For some reason, during the Biden Administration, Ukraine was not hitting Russia’s railroad energy infrastructure. (85% rail freight in Russia is moved by electricity) Now the Ukrainians are chipping away at it are
    Trump has complained about the Biden Administration (finally) opening up a few targets a bit deeper into Russia to American technology, and he hasn’t walked the permission back.
    Trump also stopped a lot of foreign aid, but Zelensky said Lethal aid to Ukraine got a carve-out.

    steveg (25c199)

  134. @steve@134 Hopefully he won’t walk the permission back, but I don’t have a ton of confidence in that. I think he’d love the credit for brokering peace, but at the same time, I worry because he seems to admire Putin far more than is wise.

    Nic (120c94)

  135. I would take even-odds bets on Trump completing his term.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  136. This tariff thing, as well as all these EOs is proof that the Presidency has far too many powers. Previous presidents have misused them, but Trump is trying to set a record.

    The other Plan M:

    Pass a law, set to take effect Jan 20th, 2029 that says:

    1. Either House of Congress can block a regulation from taking effect by simple majority vote*

    2. Except during a declared War, Executive Orders take effect 90 days after publication

    3. All tariffs are temporary, expiring in 60 days unless ratified by both houses of Congress**

    ———-
    * This would require the Supremes to reconsider INS v Chadha, but they should anyway
    ** Tariff powers are granted to the president by statute, so this is just a modification of that grant.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  137. steveg (25c199) — 2/1/2025 @ 1:54 pm

    Russia may not be losing territory of late, but Putin is losing men and materiel and an economy, and Vlad has his desertion issues as well. His actual inflation is pushing 20% and his ruble literally ain’t worth a penny. He’s way weaker than he’s letting on, but he’s got a first-rate propaganda operation to fool the folks he needs to fool, and Trump also knows a thing about fooling the folks he needs to fool, sadly and regrettably.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  138. would take even-odds bets on Trump completing his term.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 6:19 pm

    The only way Trump leaves office is if he passes away. He won’t be removed from office any other way.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  139. RIP US Olympic ice skating and broadcasting icon Dick Button (95):

    Button’s impact on figure skating began after World War II. He was the first U.S. men’s champion — and his country’s youngest at the time at age 16 — when the competition returned in 1946. Two years later, he took gold at the St. Moritz Olympics, back when the competitions were staged outdoors. He performed the first double axel in any competition and became the first American to win the men’s event………
    …………
    That first Olympic title began his dominance of international skating, and U.S. amateur sports in general. He was the first figure skater to win the prestigious Sullivan Award in 1949 — no other figure skater won it until Michelle Kwan in 2001.

    In 1952, while still a student at Harvard, Button won a second gold at the Oslo Games, making more history with the first triple jump (a loop) in competition. Soon after, he won a fifth world title, then gave up his eligibility as an amateur to perform in shows; all Olympic sports were subject to an amateur-professional division at the time.
    ………….
    With a frank and often brutally honest style, Button became an Emmy Award-winning TV analyst, helping viewers learn not only the basics but also the nuances of a sport unfamiliar to most casual fans. He became as much a fixture on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” as Jim McKay and the hapless ski jumper that went tumbling down the slope.
    …………
    After the 1961 plane crash that killed the entire U.S. figure skating team on the way to the world championships, which then were canceled, Button persuaded ABC Sports executive Roone Arledge to televise the 1962 event on “Wide World.” That’s when he joined the network as a commentator, and took figure skating to a mainstream television audience.
    ……………

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  140. Over at DU the democrat party groupies are asking their leaders in congress to do something besides send them fund raising appeals. DNC answers our donor class says we have to be bipartisan to keep the funding spigot flowing for our re-elections!

    asset (b5a201)

  141. You surrender Ukraine advocates have no answer for my point I gave the first night of russian invasion which is even truer today If Ukraine doesn’t lose it wins and if putin doesn’t win he loses. Don’t bother us with your drivel until after Kiev is captured.

    asset (b5a201)

  142. Patterico

    “Chop chop. Give Elon all taxpayers’ personal info. Pointlessly dump a bunch of water in California. Good, what else? Tariffs on our allies for no good reason. Now we’re cooking! Fire prosecutors and FBI agents for prosecuting cop-beaters. These are strongly dumb. Keep it going.”

    Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada are not only stupid, they’re inflationary and economically counterproductive.
    Trump’s order to release water from a couple of CA reservoirs is equally stupid, because the water can’t cross a mountain range to get to LA, where the fires are already 100% contained.

    Remember how Trump said he “sent the military in and opened up the water flow” in CA? It appears he forced the Army Corps to just drain reservoirs into recently flooded farmland without telling local farmers or leaders. “In 25 years, I’ve never seen anything like this. I was given no explanation at all.” Rumors are that local Republicans are panicked over this screwing of their constituents. Nothing but chaos meddling in local water management from the White House.

    It’s Mad King stuff indeed.

    And Elon having access to Treasury records of Americans is illegal, according to the host of this site, and below is one more from our host.

    We are quickly becoming a system where the rule of law means nothing. Prosecutors and FBI agents are being fired because they worked on legitimate cases the Leader dislikes for political reasons. An oligarch tied to the Leader has access to your personal information.

    What replaces the rule of law?

    If Patterico were here, I expect his content would be no different.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  143. RIP 60s icon, singer, songwriter, actress and muse Marianne Faithfull (78):

    ……….
    In addition to the more than 20 albums she released, Ms. Faithfull contributed lyrics, or inspiration, for some classic Rolling Stones songs. Mr. Jagger based the words to “Sympathy for the Devil” in part on the Russian novel “The Master and Margarita,” by Mikhail Bulgakov, which she had given him. She also uttered the phrase that inspired the key lyrical refrain in “Wild Horses” (“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away”) and co-wrote “Sister Morphine,” which she released as a solo single in 1969, two years before the Stones’ version appeared on the album “Sticky Fingers.” (Though Ms. Faithfull received writer credit on her own recording of the song, she didn’t earn parallel status on the Stones album until 1994, after a long legal battle.)
    ………….
    At a 1964 party for the Rolling Stones, she was approached by their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who was drawn by her beauty. “He asked me, ‘Can you sing?’ And I said, ‘Mm-mm, I can,” she said in a 2005 interview on NPR. “About a week later, I got a telegram from Andrew saying, ‘Be at Olympic Studios at 2 o’clock.’”

    There she recorded her first track, “As Tears Go By” often said to be the first original composition by Mr. Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, which until then had mostly performed blues and R&B covers. The recording, with its wan English-horn hook and wistful lyrics, “was a very strange song for two 21-year-old boys to write and a stranger one for an 18-year-old girl to sing,” Ms. Faithfull told The Daily News of New York in 1987.

    Still, the single became a Top 10 hit in Britain in 1964 while also breaking into Billboard’s Top 25 in the United States. ……..
    …………
    Ms. Faithfull and Mr. Jagger became one of London’s most glamorous, and photographed, couples; they also became one of its most notorious after the police raided a party in 1967 at Keith Richards’s home, searching for drugs. They found them, along with Ms. Faithfull, with only a fur rug wrapped around her.
    ………
    In 1969, while on a plane with Mr. Jagger to Australia, where he was to star in the western film “Ned Kelly,” a distraught Ms. Faithfull took more than 100 pills of the barbiturate Tuinal, sending her into a coma. “It’s very bad form to try and kill yourself when you’re with Mick Jagger,” she dryly told The Telegraph in 2011.

    When she emerged from the coma in an Australian hospital six days later, her first words were reportedly “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.” But the relationship was over. “I just wanted out of that world,” she told Saga magazine. “It wasn’t that I didn’t love Mick. But I wasn’t cut out for all that.

    “It’s a great honor to be a muse,” she added, but “that’s a very hard job.”
    ………….
    (In 1979) She also began recording demos featuring some of the songs that would end up on “Broken English.” The recordings greatly impressed Chris Blackwell of Island Records, and he signed her.
    …………

    She also appeared in films including “I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname” (1967, where she the first one to drop a “f bomb” in a major studio release; “The Girl on a Motorcycle,” (1968), opposite Alain Delon; and “Hamlet” (1969).

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  144. Rumors are that local Republicans are panicked over this screwing of their constituents. Nothing but chaos meddling in local water management from the White House.

    When Trump makes his supporters want his head, they will get his head. You don’t think JD Vance signed on to Trump because he thought Trump was The Guy, do you? He was just the path to President Vance. As far as JD is concerned, that can happen any time.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  145. What replaces the rule of law?

    Nothing, but it’s not going anywhere. It has survived Andy Jackson, FDR, Nixon and civil war. It will still be there when Trump is gone.

    Hopefully, though, the administrative state (which is the antithesis of the Rule of Law) will be gone, too, and we can return to a much smaller and constitutional government.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  146. But despite all the stupidity in the last day or two, Trump did something that Biden couldn’t, which was release American hostages held by the Maduro regime, so credit where due. I suspect there was some bullying diplomatic leverage applied behind the scenes, and about time.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  147. If Ukraine doesn’t lose it wins and if putin doesn’t win he loses. Don’t bother us with your drivel until after Kiev is captured.

    asset (b5a201) — 2/1/2025 @ 7:59 pm

    Ukraine will lose long before Kyiv is captured (if that happens at all.) Give or take a few hundred square miles, this is what Ukraine will look like a year from now (with the exception of Ukraine-occupied Kursk region; I expect the Russians will re-take it by January 2026.) The cutoff of aid from the US will result in Europe doing the same. If the US doesn’t consider Ukraine important, they will look to building up their defenses rather than giving their limited arsenals to Ukraine.

    As I pointed out above, what remains of Ukraine will be a demilitarized state between NATO and Russia.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  148. As I pointed out above, what remains of Ukraine will be a demilitarized state between NATO and Russia.

    Why would they stop fighting?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  149. When Trump makes his supporters want his head, they will get his head. You don’t think JD Vance signed on to Trump because he thought Trump was The Guy, do you? He was just the path to President Vance. As far as JD is concerned, that can happen any time.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 8:50 pm

    How would Trump make his supporters want his head? He’s doing everything he promised and they voted for. Vance can’t do anything to remove Trump (outside of assassination); that would require a majority of the cabinet to agree, and that’s about as likely as the sun coming up in the west.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  150. Why would they stop fighting?

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 9:05 pm

    No more weapons from the West; lack of manpower; a society tired of war; etc.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  151. Also being sold out by feckless West.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  152. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 8:50 pm

    If Vance doesn’t like what Trump is doing, he should resign, but it will end his political career.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  153. If Vance doesn’t like what Trump is doing, he should resign, but it will end his political career.

    When Trump is shown the door, Vance will take over, more in sorrow than in anger. When GOP Congressmen and Senators are looking at losing the next primary due to Wild Don’s antics, they’ll get their minds right. They’ll let Trump deport the illegals and bring manufacturing home, but when it comes time to defend high prices and out-of-control feds they’ll forget what brung ’em.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  154. If Vance doesn’t like what Trump is doing, he should resign, but it will end his political career.

    It must be nice to live in your simple world.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  155. The economic effects of Trump’s tariffs are quantified at the Yale Budget Labs.

    1. The proposal raises PCE prices by 0.76% pre-substitution (full retaliation & no Fed offset). That’s the equivalent of a $1,250 per household loss in purchasing power on average in 2024$.

    2. The proposal raises $1.4-1.5T over 2026-35 conventionally scored, & ~$150B less dynamically scored.

    3. US real GDP is 0.2% smaller in the medium-run.

    4. The effective tariff rate rises ~6 perc pts to the highest since 1946.

    5. We map average price effect across different commodities. For many goods, domestic prices rise too. Natural gas prices are 8.4% higher, autos 4%, produce ~2%.

    I remember when the biggest fans of tariffs were labor union presidents, not an American president. It’s pathetic and shameful.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  156. @147

    I suspect there was some bullying diplomatic leverage applied behind the scenes, and about time.

    Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/1/2025 @ 9:01 pm

    For sure there were outright threats in the most utmost, clear manner to get these dictators to jump.

    I didn’t even know that there were hostages there…

    Another indictment of the mainstream press who wouldn’t hold a Democrat Administration’s feet to the fire…

    whembly (003ea2)

  157. A progression:

    The Rule of Law
    The Law is an Ass
    The Rule of an Ass

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  158. I keep hearing about “The Rule of Law” and I’ve mentioned that our institutions are strong enough to withstand Donald Trump. But that’s not the whole story.

    Every despot in history has cited the rule of (his) Law as a counter to revolutionaries. Czar Nicholas, Louis XVI, George III, etc.

    Our own revolutionaries countered with this:

    That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

    And this caveat:

    Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

    To hear them tell it, the revolutionaries who put Trump into power felt things had gone on long enough. Perhaps. I like this analysis from David Brooks:

    Trump is the wrong answer to the right question. He became president because over the last many decades we in the educated class built a system that is rigged. The children of affluent parents have advantages at every step of the way — from preschool through college and the job market. And we passed a series of immigration, trade and education policies that benefit us, and hurt those without our degrees. High-school-educated people die eight years sooner. They have many fewer friends. They marry less and divorce more. The education gap between the rich and the poor is now greater than the education gap between whites and Blacks in the age of Jim Crow.

    In short, if you build a system in which the same people win every time, the people who have been losing will eventually flip over the table. That’s why Trump the victor happened. The Biden administration was built on the theory that if you redistribute huge amounts of money to people and places left behind, they will return to the Democratic fold. It didn’t happen because you can’t use money to solve a problem primarily about recognition and respect.

    And they want that respect still.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  159. Don’t lose sight that Trump is the nicest populist going forward.

    If the government remains non-responsive, the next populist would make Trump an angel in comparison.

    To the folks who really dislike Trump… your efforts is better spent advocating and building the kinds of politicians for the future. Meaning, start now at the grassroots and work with your like-minded peers to “groom” the kinds of candidates you’d want.

    whembly (003ea2)

  160. According to our esteemed host’s X posting, he seems to have issues with Andrew McCarthy’s articles:
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/02/fight-over-fired-inspectors-general-is-fight-over-foundations-of-the-administrative-state/
    …and…
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/02/the-stakes-of-trumps-executive-branch-shake-up/

    Curious what’s his beef with it…

    In short, does he or does he not believe in the Unitary Executive Theory? Which underscores that all Article II powers is vested in the office of the Presidency, as such, any executive officials can be fired for any reasons.

    whembly (003ea2)

  161. If you buy or sell things from Canada (or Mexico), there used to be an $800 de minimus exception to tariffs. Not any more. Apparently that’s another thing the President can strike out with his pen.

    The argument is that fentanyl is often slides through border inspections due to this exception. Now they will be inspecting (or at least sampling) everything.

    One weird consequence? Most comic books sold in the US are printed in Canada. Tacking 25% onto the cost will be noticeable. Also, Canadian pharmacy prescriptions and anything sold to Americans by Canadian eBay sellers will cost 25% more.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  162. It’s been only two weeks. What more does Trump have planned?

    Will he use the military against Mexican cartels? SOCOM? Or AC-130s?

    Will he work with Mexico to solve problems, or will he just bully and bluster?

    He is burning political capital at an amazing rate — US businessmen who own Mexican factories, or who import or export will be upset. How much political capital does he really have? The further away he gets from the “core mission” the faster it burns.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  163. Video: The Palisades fire and evacuation

    Well worth your time.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  164. When Trump is shown the door, Vance will take over, more in sorrow than in anger. When GOP Congressmen and Senators are looking at losing the next primary due to Wild Don’s antics, they’ll get their minds right. They’ll let Trump deport the illegals and bring manufacturing home, but when it comes time to defend high prices and out-of-control feds they’ll forget what brung ’em.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/1/2025 @ 9:31 pm

    Speaking of simple worlds……..Trump won’t be “shown the door.”

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  165. At the rate he is going, his popularity will be down in the 20s by summer.

    The very moment that GOP Congressfolk decide it’s either him or them, the impeachment will happen. They only need 3 GOP votes and they’ll have more. Will the Senate convict? The GOP has 22 seats up in 2026.

    And I also expect a lot of non-MAGA challengers in the 2026 primaries, and current office-holders trying to avoid the issue.

    His approval rating in his first term was never in the gutter, but then he didn’t do all that much to affect people. This time, he’s going to have large effect and people notice the bad things more.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  166. What more does Trump have planned?
    …………
    He is burning political capital at an amazing rate — US businessmen who own Mexican factories, or who import or export will be upset. How much political capital does he really have? The further away he gets from the “core mission” the faster it burns.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/2/2025 @ 8:23 am

    Raising tariffs and deporting illegals is his “core mission”; they were central to his campaign. The businessmen who own overseas factories (not just in Mexico) or employ illegal labor thought that Trump was a) not serious; b) opening a negotiating position; or c) could be convinced otherwise.

    They thought Trump 2.0 would be the same as Trump 1.0. Boy were they wrong.

    As I’ve said before, why anyone is surprised is beyond me. This was all telegraphed during both the primaries and general election.

    As far as what Trump still has planned, there’s the acquisition of Greenland (endorsed by his Secretary of State) and the Panama Canal.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  167. Trump will never be “shown the door” willingly, and we’ve already seen his unwillingness before, after he was legitimately removed from power.
    IMO, it would take a palace coup, but that would involve too many who’ve bent the knee.
    I doubt even treason would dislodge the guy.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  168. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/2/2025 @ 9:21 am

    No one has ever been impeached over polls, and I doubt anyone ever will. Bad polls aren’t a “high crime or misdemeanor.” If that were true, Trump would never have received the nomination, as his head to head polls Democratic candidates were abysmal (compared to, say, Nikki Haley) yet all of them failed to launch, even when Haley got her one on one with Trump.

    Whether or not “he’s going to have large effect and people notice the bad things more” and that’s going to impact the midterms, that’s his problem. Impeaching Trump over his polling would be the equivalent of Harris replacing Biden, and we saw how well that worked out. The MAGA contingent would abandon the Republican Party in droves and doing so would be doing the Democrats a favor.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  169. Trump’s popularity is higher now than at any point in his political history. Some of you still don’t get that the people support what he is doing.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  170. NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/2/2025 @ 9:56 am

    Unlike you, I don’t base my judgments of a president’s performance on polls.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  171. When Nixon imposed wage-and-price controls, they were popular — at first.

    (Raising the minimum wage is also popular, but does lead to a loss of jobs for people with few skill, and little work ethic.)

    People will put up with rationing, and wage-and-price controls, during war time, but only for so long.

    Jim Miller (4d5f85)

  172. Yes Paul, we know. You base your decisions on whatever hurts Americans and is good for leftist’s destroying what is best for our nation.

    Carry on carrying water.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  173. It’s a shame we have a president who said he would do X, Y and Z when he was a candidate and is doing X, Y and Z after he got elected.

    Why can’t we have a president who lies about what he intends to do, like just about all the previous ones?

    lloyd (d65d33)

  174. As I’ve said before, America voted for Trump and deserve to see him keep his promises; but we’ll see how popular he is after six months to a year of tariffs. He’s popular now (it’s his honeymoon period), but after the increasing inflation and unemployment, maybe not so much.

    Kevin M would be right that in a parliamentary system that Trump would probably be dumped if the tariffs turn the public against the Republicans. But that’s not the system we have, so people need to deal with it.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  175. People in the IG and DOJ spaces shocked to find out that they are not protected members of separate and equal 4th branch to check the executive. Instead they serve at the pleasure of the executive- in this case, the executive is displeased.

    The DOJ tried to take him out and instead f-ed that up and made him stronger. They should be fired for that piece of gross ineptitude;

    steveg (c55fba)

  176. Yes Paul, we know. You base your decisions on whatever hurts Americans and is good for leftist’s destroying what is best for our nation.

    And the right-hack lies again. So predictable.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  177. Trump’s popularity is higher now than at any point in his political history.

    That’s a low bar:

    At 47%, President Donald Trump’s initial job approval rating for his second term is similar to the inaugural 45% reading during his first term, again placing him below all other elected presidents dating back to 1953. Trump remains the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings, and his latest disapproval rating (48%) is three percentage points higher than in his 2017, marking a new high for inaugural ratings.
    ……….
    Although Trump’s latest rating is weak compared with past presidents’ initial readings, it is among the best he has received as president. His personal high point during his first term was 49%, which he earned on several occasions in 2020.

    Trump averaged 41% approval in his first term and is the only president not to receive a job rating of 50% or higher at any point in his presidency.………
    ………..
    Most presidents have experienced a “honeymoon period,” with strong job approval ratings in the initial months of their presidencies that then fade as time passes. Trump did not enjoy such a traditional honeymoon period in his first term, as the 45% of Americans who expressed approval of him in the initial reading in 2017 was not much higher than his 41% term average. Initial approval ratings for all elected presidents since Eisenhower, not including Trump, averaged 61%.

    Trump is starting his second term just like the first, with Americans evenly divided over how well he is doing his job. Slightly more now have an opinion one way or the other — but his current 47% approval rating is still lower than initial readings for all other modern presidents, aside from his first rating (45%) in 2017.
    …………

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  178. Rip Murdock (c73d22) — 2/2/2025 @ 11:59 am

    Quinnipiac University National Poll 1/29/25

    …………
    Just over a week after being sworn into office, 46 percent of voters approve of the job Trump is doing, while 43 percent disapprove and 11 percent did not offer an opinion. In Quinnipiac University’s January 26, 2017 national poll, 36 percent approved of the job he was doing, while 44 percent disapproved and 19 percent did not offer an opinion.
    …………
    A majority of voters (60 percent) approve of sending U.S. troops to the southern border with Mexico to enforce border security, while 36 percent disapprove.
    ………….
    More than 4 in 10 voters (44 percent) support deporting all undocumented immigrants and sending them back to their home countries, while 39 percent only support deporting undocumented immigrants convicted of violent crimes, and 6 percent oppose both scenarios, with 10 percent not offering an opinion.

    ………. A majority of voters (61 percent) think that all children born in the U.S. should continue to be automatically granted citizenship, while 30 percent think this should be changed so that children of non-citizens are no longer automatically granted citizenship.
    ………….
    Voters 53 – 39 percent disapprove of Elon Musk playing a prominent role in the Trump administration, similar to Quinnipiac University’s December 18 poll.
    ………..
    A plurality of voters (48 percent) expects U.S. tariffs on goods made in other countries to hurt the U.S. economy, while 42 percent expect them to help the U.S. economy.
    ………..
    Voters 55 – 28 percent disapprove of Trump’s idea of the United States acquiring Greenland, with 17 percent not offering an opinion.

    Voters are divided on Trump’s idea of the United States taking back control of the Panama Canal, with 45 percent disapproving, 44 percent approving, and 11 percent not offering an opinion.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  179. Agreed, Patterico, he is very stupid, and he just told us that he’s hitting Canada with tariffs for land-grubbing imperialist reasons…

    He thinks a trade deficit is a subsidy, and not getting a good deal on products that would be more expensive to make here.

    Trump: “We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? There is no reason. We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!”

    So far, Shadow President Musk hasn’t deleted the Community Note…

    Canada buys more from the United States than any other country does. If the energy sector—oil, natural gas, and electricity—is not included in calculations, the U.S. has had a trade surplus with Canada for the last sixteen years straight.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  180. Rip Murdock (c73d22) — 2/2/2025 @ 12:17 pm

    Questions and responses at link.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  181. For some reason, we give foreign aid money to Canada.
    It’s minimal, but it should be $0. They don’t need it.

    steveg (25c199)

  182. Let’s see. The Loser has atacked Denmark, Canada, and Mexico.

    Anything common to those three nations? Well, yes. As a member of NATO, Denmark has been especially good at supplying weapons to Ukraine, per capita. Canada is essential to US security, providing, for example, bases for the DEW line: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distant_Early_Warning_Line

    And good relations with Mexico are essential if we want to control the drug trade, which has done so much harm to both nations.

    So good relations with all three are important to US defenses.

    Wonder where the Loser got the idea to pick on those three nations?

    Jim Miller (4d5f85)

  183. Canada now operates the DEW line, but we pay them a little money to support their operation of this essential part of our defenses.

    Jim Miller (4d5f85)

  184. Lets not exclude the energy sector or any other sector.
    Crime is down if we exclude the retail theft sector numbers, but violent crime could still be up overall

    steveg (25c199)

  185. Help me out

    If the wholesale price is $1 and a 25% tariff is placed on the product, which has a retail markup of 100%, 100% recovery of the tariff: Is the retail price
    A $2.25
    B $2.50

    If I am Walmart and can buy a t shirt made in China for $1 wholesale and sell it for $13.00 retail and Trump slaps 25% on the wholesale price, my price increases to $13.25 right?
    Or am I missing something

    steveg (25c199)

  186. Jim Miller (4d5f85) — 2/2/2025 @ 12:46 pm

    As your link points out, the DEW Line doesn’t exist any longer:

    In 1985, as part of the “Shamrock Summit”, the United States and Canada agreed to transition DEW to the new North Warning System (NWS). Beginning in 1988, most of the original DEW stations were deactivated, while a small number were upgraded with all-new equipment. The official handover from DEW to NWS took place on 15 July 1993.

    Footnote omitted.

    The North Warning System includes some former DEW Lins bases, but they have been completely upgraded or inactivated.

    The bi-national North Warning System Office (NWSO) is located in Ottawa, Ontario and staffed with both Canadian and American military and civilian personnel. Staffed sites are operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, but physically staffed by civilian contractors. Logistical and maintenance support for the NWS is supplied by the Air Force Materiel Command of the United States Air Force, located at Ogden Air Logistics Center (OO-ALC), Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  187. Jim Miller (1ae3f3) — 1/31/2025 @ 2:16 pm

    Does the Loser want all those poor people to die? Including thousands of innocent babies?

    No, he wants Americans not to care. If other people want to save them, let them, he’s OK with that.

    His question is: How does it help America either be stronger, safer or richer?

    Sammy Finkelman (920468)

  188. I bring it up because a lot of people seem to be thinking the retail cost of a $13 shirt goes up $3.25

    steveg (25c199)

  189. I’d consider any aid to Canada as payment in kind for our access to their bases, as part of NORAD, and it’s just good NATO relations and in our national security interests that we’re involved there.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  190. steve, I refer you to my above comment about the quantified effects of Trump’s tariffs, which doesn’t include the retaliatory kind. Quote:

    “The proposal raises PCE prices by 0.76% pre-substitution (full retaliation & no Fed offset). That’s the equivalent of a $1,250 per household loss in purchasing power on average in 2024$.”

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  191. 1. Either House of Congress can block a regulation from taking effect by simple majority vote*

    You can’t do that under a Supreme Court ruling, but you can require any new regulations to pass both Houses of Congress and be signed by the president in order to take effect (and exempt such bills from the 60 filibuster rule in the Senate)

    Austria, at least years ago, had something similar: Regulations must be passed by their Parliment in order to become law)

    Sammy Finkelman (920468)

  192. If I am Walmart and can buy a t shirt made in China for $1 wholesale and sell it for $13.00 retail and Trump slaps 25% on the wholesale price, my price increases to $13.25 right?
    Or am I missing something

    steveg (25c199) — 2/2/2025 @ 1:02 pm

    Yes, you are missing something; the additional tariff is 10%, not 25%. But people don’t necessarily need T-shirts, but they do want consumer goods, such as toys for their children (virtually all of which are made in China) and electronics (such as cellphones, stereos, etc.)

    Other goods imported from China:

    Electrical equipment
    Machinery of various types
    Furniture
    Appliances
    Optical, photographic, medical equipment
    Apparel, shoes

    And on and on and on……..

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  193. Bad polls aren’t a “high crime or misdemeanor.”

    Bad polls are based on bad behavior, and bad behavior is what “misdemeanor” meant in 1787. Do you argue that no one could accuse Trump of bad behavior in office?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  194. The “Tariff Lobby,” headed by the Globalist, and always wrong, Wall Street Journal, is working hard to justify Countries like Canada, Mexico, China, and too many others to name, continue the decades long RIPOFF OF AMERICA, both with regard to TRADE, CRIME, AND POISONOUS DRUGS that are allowed to so freely flow into AMERICA. THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! The USA has major deficits with Canada, Mexico, and China (and almost all countries!), owes 36 Trillion Dollars, and we’re not going to be the “Stupid Country” any longer. MAKE YOUR PRODUCT IN THE USA AND THERE ARE NO TARIFFS! Why should the United States lose TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SUBSIDIZING OTHER COUNTRIES, and why should these other countries pay a small fraction of the cost of what USA citizens pay for Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, as an example? THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE — AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!

    Davethulhu (2a59e1)

  195. Trump’s popularity is higher now than at any point in his political history.

    No, it isn’t. Gallup has him at 48% on Jan 20th, the first president in modern history to be underwater coming in. Other new presidents had low positives (but not that low), but they had low negatives and high “don’t knows.” No one is in doubt about Trump.

    I get it that some places he’s like a god, but so was McGovern, somewhere.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  196. I take it that was a quote from Trump, ‘thulhu.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  197. yes

    “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!)”

    me grabbing a slice of hot pizza

    Davethulhu (2a59e1)

  198. You can’t do that under a Supreme Court ruling

    Wonder why I had that asterisk there, Sammy? Chadha was wrongly decided and the dissent’s reasoning has proven to be accurate.

    As has the dissents hilarious takedown of the “you need to pass a law and get it signed” to overturn bureaucrat-created laws.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  199. For some reason, we give foreign aid money to Canada.
    It’s minimal, but it should be $0. They don’t need it.

    It’s probably a credit for buying US-made weapons at list price.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  200. Sammy, the US had a single-house veto of regulations since the New Deal. It worked well. The number of regulations that have been blocked since is ZERO. It was a massive transfer of power from the legislature to the President, gutting the check they had installed when they allowed agencies to make regulations.

    The Chadha decision would be overturned if there was a way for the Court to hear it now.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  201. Paul

    What if tariffs reduce inflation like they did last time?
    https://www.hoover.org/research/evenhanded-analysis-trumps-economic-policies

    I’m OK with US increasing revenues as long as we cut spending overall and pay down the deficit

    steveg (25c199)

  202. The “Tariff Lobby,” headed by the Globalist…

    In my experience, as further confirmed by all the Disqus comments I’ve seen, the person who uses “globalist” in a sentence is a f-cking moron.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  203. 1. Either House of Congress can block a regulation from taking effect by simple majority vote*

    You can’t do that under a Supreme Court ruling…….

    Congress would need to pass a law blocking the tariffs, which would be highly unlikely. And since Trump declared a national emergency as allowed by various trade acts (specifically the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code), there is very little chance of successful legal challenges.

    The courts, including the Supreme Court, traditionally have been reluctant to interfere with the president’s exercise of foreign affairs and tariff powers. For instance, in United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp., the Supreme Court found that the president has certain inherent powers in foreign affairs that do not require an affirmative grant of statutory authority from Congress.

    In J. W. Hampton, Jr. & Co. v. United States, it found that presidential authority under Section 315 of the Tariff Act was a valid constitutional delegation of authority as long as it sets out “intelligible principle.” Federal Energy Administration v. Algonquin SNG, Inc. upheld Section 232(b) tariffs on imported oil, after finding that Section 232 sets out an “intelligible principle” to guide presidential decisionmaking.

    Lastly, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided in Maple Leaf Fish Co. v. United States that courts have “a very limited role” in reviewing presidential trade actions “of a highly discretionary kind,” such as Section 201, and such actions can only be set aside if they involve “a clear misconstruction of the governing statute, a significant procedural violation, or action outside delegated authority.”
    ………….
    ………….(T)here past cases suggest that the courts are likely to take an especially deferential approach to executive branch decisions involving foreign policy, national security, and international economic policymaking, recognizing that it falls outside their normal purview and expertise………..
    …………..

    Paragraph breaks added.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  204. I’m OK with US increasing revenues as long as we cut spending overall and pay down the deficit

    steveg (25c199) — 2/2/2025 @ 1:41 pm

    LOL!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  205. If I am Walmart and can buy a t shirt made in China for $1 wholesale and sell it for $13.00 retail and Trump slaps 25% on the wholesale price, my price increases to $13.25 right?
    Or am I missing something

    Price elasticity. It varies from product to product. Walmart can choose to sell fewer t-shirts at $13.25, or they can sell the same amount of shirts at $13 or some other price lower between $13.00 and $13.25 and take a hit on profits.

    purplehaze (1eeb72)

  206. steve, Trump’s 2018 tariffs on China were targeted, not across-the-board, and they backfired because Trump had to push subsidies to our ag sector, which was hit by Xi’s refusal to buy soybeans and such from the US.

    I think Tyler Cowen’s arguments are more persuasive.

    One core finding is that industries with higher tariffs did not have higher productivity — in fact, they had lower productivity. Tariffs did raise the number of U.S. firms in a given sector, but they did so in part by protecting smaller, less productive firms. That was not the path by which the U.S. became an industrial giant, nor is it wise to use trade policy to keep lower-productivity firms in business. Not only does it slow economic growth, it also keeps workers in jobs without much of a future.

    These results contradict the traditional protectionist story — that tariffs allow the best firms to grow larger and capture the large domestic market. In reality, the tariffs kept firms smaller and probably lowered U.S. manufacturing productivity.

    The paper also finds that the tariffs of that era raised the prices for products released domestically. That lowers living standards, and should give a second Trump administration reason to pause, as he just won an election in which inflation was a major concern. The finding about inflation also counters another major protectionist argument: that tariffs eventually lower domestic prices because they allow U.S. firms to expand and enjoy economies of scale. That is the opposite of what happened.

    The paper also details how lobbying, logrolling and political horse-trading were essential features of the shift toward higher U.S. tariffs. A lot of the tariffs of the time depended on which party controlled Congress, rather than economic rationality. Trump is fond of citing President William McKinley’s tariffs, but they are evidence of the primacy of political influence and rent-seeking, not of a well-thought out strategic trade policy.

    No one should expect anything different today.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  207. What if tariffs reduce inflation like they did last time?

    In this case past isn’t prologue; this round of tariffs are markedly different than during Trump’s first term. For example, the new tariffs against Mexico and Canada are imposed on all imports crossing the border; in his first term tariffs were imposed on specific products, like solar panels, washing machines, steel and aluminum. The retaliatory tariffs against US farmers led the Administration to bail out (to the tune of $28B, on-third of farm income in 2019 and 2020) farmers who were being penalized.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  208. Source for post 208.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  209. More Scott Lincicome…

    “Tariffs are a 19th-century tool for a 21st-century economy, and there’s a reason only poor countries rely on them to fund government operations: They have no other choice.”

    …who then links to a Cato commentary. Lincicome linked to a Kevin Williamson piece from last summer, but I think his July 2018 National Review article is more eloquent.

    A trade deficit is nothing like a budget deficit. Each year’s federal budget deficit adds to the total debt owed by the federal government. Trade deficits don’t do that, which is one reason why “trade deficit” is not a very useful term. A trade deficit is just a bookkeeping entry, not a debt that has to be paid. Countries don’t trade — people do. Americans are no more harmed by the trade deficit with Germany than you are by your trade deficit with Kroger.

    Trade deficits are not caused by tariffs or other protectionist policies, and neither are trade surpluses. You wouldn’t know it to hear President Trump talk, but the United States and the European Union have on average almost the same tariff rate: 1.7 percent for the United States vs. 2.0 percent for the European Union, according to World Bank data. (Obviously, there is significant variation by item; Germany imposes a 10 percent tariff on imported automobiles, and the United States charges a 25 percent tariff on light trucks, a consequence of the so-called Chicken War.) In both cases, those average tariffs have been cut by nearly half since the early 1990s. China, which gives the Trump administration such agita, has cut its average tariff by nearly 90 percent since the 1990s, from a very high 32.2 percent to 3.5 percent — and its economy has thrived during that period.

    Not only are trade deficits not driven mainly by trade policy, they are not really driven by consumer behavior, either. It’s true that many Americans prefer German cars and French wines — and cheap electronics and T-shirts made in China — but trade deficits mostly are the result of several other causes: macroeconomic factors such as tax policies and savings rates, the strength of a country’s currency, and, most important, its attractiveness to investors. Ironically, the corporate tax reform that President Trump is rightly proud of may contribute to higher trade deficits by making the United States a more attractive place to invest. Money invested in businesses and factories is not available for the purchase of consumer goods.

    Trade deficits are not a sign of economic trouble, and trade surpluses are not necessarily a sign of economic health. The last time the U.S. ran a trade surplus with the world was 1975, when our economy was in a shambles. Britain ran a trade deficit from Waterloo to the Great War, a century marking the height of its power, and it grew vastly wealthy.

    How? Consider our own trade deficit.

    When the Germans run a $63 billion trade surplus with the United States, as they did last year, that means they have $63 billion on their hands. What can they do with that money? They can sit on it, as the Chinese and many other people around the world do, preferring to keep their savings in strong and steady dollars rather than in yuan, euros, or pesos. They can use it to buy dollar-denominated assets such as shares in Apple or Ford. Or they can invest it directly in the United States, as the Germans have with their automobile factories in the United States.

    Far from being victimized by such trade, Americans are enriched by it. We get $118 billion in German-made goods in exchange for $54 billion in U.S.-made goods, which leaves $64 billion over to invest in American assets. Do you know who the largest U.S. automobile exporter is? It is BMW Manufacturing, which builds SUVs in Spartanburg, S.C., where it employs more than 9,000 people. Our trade deficit with Germany made that possible — that’s where the money to build the factory came from. Ask the autoworkers in South Carolina whether they think that’s a good tradeoff.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  210. Babies have very different immune systems than adults so it would not be surprising if some of them respond in a different way to vaccines, especially weakened live vaccines like the MMR. Fortunately, in the past 7-12 years, US States began screening for severe immune problems in newborn blood tests. Having said that, as the link discusses, we are still learning about babies’ immune systems.

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  211. ………..
    The GOP has 22 seats up in 2026.

    And I also expect a lot of non-MAGA challengers in the 2026 primaries, and current office-holders trying to avoid the issue.
    ……….
    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/2/2025 @ 9:21 am

    Current Republican Senators are more likely to face pro-MAGA candidates (backed by the White House) than non-MAGA challengers, depending on how they vote on Trump’s nominees.

    GOP senators who oppose his Cabinet nominees ought to face a primary “if they’re unreasonable,” Trump said at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago last month.

    ………..
    Those mentioned as vulnerable to a challenge from MAGA include Senators Mike Rounds; Joni Ernst; Thom Tillis; John Cornyn; Bill Cassidy; and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, 82, and Jim Risch of Idaho, 81, who haven’t disclosed their reelection plans. I doubt McConnell will run; he’s as fragile as Biden.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  212. I’m OK with US increasing revenues as long as we cut spending overall and pay down the deficit

    steveg (25c199) — 2/2/2025 @ 1:41 pm

    LOL!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c) — 2/2/2025 @ 1:44 pm

    Rip, you are spot on with most of your comments, but the above is rather juvenile. How about saying, “I agree, but I doubt the voters, and by extension, Congress, are willing to suffer the pain of spending cuts”?

    norcal (a72384)

  213. Canada lists its tariff targets:

    The Canadian government on Sunday published a list with hundreds of American goods imported into Canada that it will slap a 25 percent tariff on come Tuesday. ……..
    …………
    ……….. They will be imposed on poultry, tomatoes and honey as well as peanut butter and other standard consumer goods that Canada gets from the United States. The Canadian tariffs also include liquor — a key import, which several of Canada’s provinces that control alcohol distribution have already said they plan to remove from shelves altogether in coming days.

    Other goods to be hit by the Canadian retaliation plan include household items such as furniture, mattresses, dishwashers and refrigerators.
    ……….
    The major decision Canada will need to make is whether to limit or impose export taxes on energy products, the most sensitive type of good the U.S. imports from Canada, for which Mr. Trump specifically carved out a lower tariff of 10 percent.

    Canada exports 80 percent of its oil to the United States; more than half of the oil the U.S. imports is Canadian. Canada also exports natural gas, vital hydroelectric power to the East Coast, mostly from Quebec, as well as uranium used in the U.S. to make nuclear power.
    ###########

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  214. How about saying, “I agree, but I doubt the voters, and by extension, Congress, are willing to suffer the pain of spending cuts”?

    norcal (a72384) — 2/2/2025 @ 3:33 pm

    How about “I disagree, because Congress has never done so” because the suggestion that Congress will do so is laughable.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  215. norcal (a72384) — 2/2/2025 @ 3:33 pm

    The role of posting cop/nag isn’t your responsibility.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  216. Thanks norcal

    I’m happy Rip had a good laugh.

    steveg (c55fba)

  217. In my experience, as further confirmed by all the Disqus comments I’ve seen, the person who uses “globalist” in a sentence is a f-cking moron.

    No, they just didn’t go to college to get that all-important degree.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  218. Justice White’s dissent in Chadha, as summarized in Wikipedia:

    Justice White, dissenting, argued that
    (1) the legislative veto power is absolutely necessary to modern government, as exemplified by the legislative veto powers granted in the War Powers Act of 1973.
    (2) The absence of constitutional provisions for alternate methods of action does not imply their prohibition by the Constitution, and the court has consistently read the Constitution to respond to contemporary needs with flexibility.
    (3) The legislative veto power does not involve the ability of Congress to enact new legislation without bicameral consensus or presentation to the president, but instead involves the ability of Congress to veto suggestions by the executive, a power that both houses of Congress already possess.
    (4) The court has allowed Congress to delegate authority to executive agencies; lawmaking does not always require bicameralism or presentation.
    (5) The bicameralism and presentation provisions of the Constitution serve to ensure that no departure from the status quo takes place without consensus from both houses of Congress and the President or by a super-majority vote of both houses of Congress. In this case, the deportation of Chadha is the status quo situation, and the veto by House of Representatives of an alternative suggestion of the executive branch is reasonable given the purposes of bicameralism and the Presentment Clause.

    Justice Rehnquist added that it is unlikely that Congress would have promulgated § 244(a)(1) [the delegation of regulatory powers] without the corresponding provisions of §§ 244(c)(1–2) [the legislative veto]. Therefore, the provisions are not severable from one another, and holding one unconstitutional requires invalidating the other.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Naturalization_Service_v._Chadha

    This decision was far more destructive to the nation than Roe or Wickard.

    White’s first point is irrefutable today. Remember, prior to this abomination of a ruling, Congress had kept a check against a runaway bureaucracy when it delegated legislative functions. After Chadha, there was no stopping unelected apparatchiks from ordering the country to their liking.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  219. Folks who use “globalist” in a sentence are at the same intelligence level as those who use “fascist.”

    lloyd (1e5e56)

  220. DEI isn’t about race. It’s about lowering standards.

    “The FAA also, at the same time, implemented an immunity program. So you think you’re seeing legitimate statistics? You’re not. In the old days, before 2010, the immunity program, if an air traffic controller got two airplanes too close, too many times, it would be decertified and retrained,” Pearson said. “Now, they’re not. All they have to do within 48 hours of being noticed or being investigated for a potential separation error, they’re called operational errors in the FAA, the controller simply has to avail themselves of this program that gives them immunity.”

    The former controller said the immunity prevents the FAA from retraining those who repeatedly demonstrate incompetence.

    “The FAA cannot retrain these people. If somebody has a repetitive instance of malfeasance or lack of competency, the FAA, because of this immunity program, cannot rectify the situation. They have to basically allow the person to remain in the same position,” Pearson said. “The union and the FAA working together to basically use this program to gerrymander the statistics of near-matter collisions.”

    lloyd (1e5e56)

  221. Folks who use “globalist” in a sentence are at the same intelligence level as those who use “fascist.”

    Au contraire, young grasshopper, but I note again your attacking the commenter in bad faith.

    “We should be aware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends, weakening our economy, our national security and the entire free world. All while cynically waving the American flag.

    “The expansion of the international economy is not a foreign invasion. It is an American triumph, one we worked hard to achieve and something central to our vision of a peaceful and prosperous world of freedom.”
    –Ronald Reagan, 1988, the antithesis of Trump

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  222. I doubt McConnell will run; he’s as fragile as Biden.

    It looks like Andy Barr vs Daniel Cameron. Barr is a typical Republican and has been supportive of Ukraine. Cameron is a MAGA whackjob who lost the gubernatorial election in 2023 (with Trump’s backing).

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  223. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/2/2025 @ 5:31 pm

    The living Constitution?

    (2) The absence of constitutional provisions for alternate methods of action does not imply their prohibition by the Constitution, and the court has consistently read the Constitution to respond to contemporary needs with flexibility.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  224. Monday is gonna be wild:

    ………..
    Futures linked to the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite led the declines, falling by more than 2%, while the S&P 500 slipped by 1.6%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slid by about 1.1%, or around 500 points. Changes in futures prices don’t always reflect market moves after the opening bell.

    “Markets are likely to take the announcement of sudden tariffs poorly,” TD Securities told clients Sunday night, “with risk assets caught in the cross-hairs.”

    ……….. Until recently, many on Wall Street saw threats of the U.S. imposing the highest tariffs in decades as a negotiating tactic in border disputes over drug trafficking and migration and unlikely to materialize.

    Speaking in the Oval Office Friday, the president suggested tariffs on the three countries are just the opening salvo, promising additional taxes on computer chips, pharmaceuticals, steel, aluminum and copper imports as soon as mid-February.
    …………
    Already, Trump’s pledge to tilt the U.S. away from free trade, coupled with promised tax cuts, has boosted many investors’ inflation expectations. A selloff in bonds in recent months has pushed up yields on longer-term government debt that are a key driver of borrowing costs, highlighting how escalating trade disputes could ripple across the economy.
    …………
    The tariffs will also raise the break-even manufacturing cost at Canadian sawmills by 25% and likely prompt curtailments and closures that will drive up prices in the U.S., said Stinson Dean, a Colorado lumber broker who in anticipation filled his warehouses with more wood than he would otherwise.

    “It’s going to make a vast swath of Canadian production unbuyable overnight,” he said. “Whatever lumber is available for sale today, I’m confident there will be less available for sale 90 days from now.”
    #########

    Rip Murdock (c73d22)

  225. Over at DU except for the d.n.c. shills everyone is asking ( including msDNC ) where is the democrat party? Answer: Trying to keep Bernie Sanders and the left from taking over the party from the donor class.

    asset (14ba73)

  226. Asset, as long as the Dems are running center left Dems and the GOP is Running Bumbling Fascists obsessed with dumb culture war nonsense you’re likely to get support and votes from me and ppl like me. If 2028 is a choice between a Christian Nationalist who doesn’t care about the constitution and a socialist steeped in identity politics that doesn’t care about the constitution I, and ppl like me are out.

    Time123 (ce6cba)

  227. Is Kamala center left?

    Manchin was center-left.

    NJRob (1cdba5)

  228. Rob, you think Mitt Romney is a leftist and Joe Biden was a communist. Your judgment on these types of things isn’t very good.

    Time123 (ce6cba)

  229. But to answer your question, if you go back and look at what I was saying during the Republican primary, I was pretty consistent that if the Republicans nominated anybody but Trump, I would worst sit out, but was a getable vote for almost any of the other candidates

    Time123 (792187)

  230. 222. Of course Reagan was not totally oblivious to the use of free trade by some to get a free ride from the US, while having their own tariff walls. Hence the decision to impose tariffs on autos and it prompted the beneficial decision to site Japanese plants in the US, making everyone happy.

    right now there seems to be too much one-way trade at our expense. And “allies” that sell here but don’t lift a finger to help us or maintain their own military.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (737b1d)

  231. Weird that Canada got higher tariffs then China.

    Time123 (792187)

  232. Reagan didn’t employ tariffs across the board, Harc. Rather, he was helping Iacocca bail out Chrysler, and giving a leg up to an American steel industry. Even a small American steel industry is an American national security interest, and there’s an argument for some protection. It doesn’t justify the scope of what Trump is doing. Also, tariffs aren’t the only trade tool in the trade box, yet Trump is acting like it is. Trump could’ve sanctioned companies not playing by the rules, or used quotas for emerging technologies and industries. But no, like with is pardons and FBI firings, his moves are categorical, not case-by-case.

    Reagan’s actions–and we can argue that he went too far in some instances–don’t negate the principle that we’re all better off when trade is freer and less fettered. His arc was toward more freedom.

    Here’s a good pictorial for Trump on how tariffs work.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  233. Regarding all that fentanyl crossing the Canadian border…

    Last year, law enforcement intercepted about 19 kilograms of fentanyl at the US-Canada border. At the southern border, agents seized 9,600 kilograms.

    The idea that Canada is a major source of drugs is a lie, and this admin is hoping you’re stupid enough to believe it.

    Trump is damaging Canada’s economy to advance his territorial ambitions, not to stop a drug-trafficking problem that doesn’t exist.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  234. I don’t understand exactly what Trump is doing.
    The pretext is drugs and illegal immigration, but I’m not aware of any evidence that those are a problem at the northern border. Nor am I aware of what we’ve asked Canada to do about it to avoid the Tariffs.

    Honest request to any of the Trump supporters / RW populists on here to explain what we’re trying to accomplish by imposing Tariffs on Canada. What’s the end goal? During the campaign I assumed this was a talking point based on nothing, like the “eating our pets” thing.

    Not looking to argue, mock or fight. Genuinely confused.

    Time123 (80590b)

  235. Paul, what Territorial ambitions? Do you think the plan is for them to become part of the US?

    Time123 (80590b)

  236. Do you think the plan is for them to become part of the US?

    Trump said the words, out loud, more than once. His latest “tweet” only his latest example, cut-and-pasted above at #180.

    “Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!”

    “Subsidy” reflects Trump’s failure to comprehend that trade deficits aren’t subsidies. This is Stupid Town.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  237. Thomas Sowell, who Ted Cruz supports for a Presidential Medal of Freedom (and I support it, too)…

    Thoughts on the Trump trade war?
    Oh my gosh, an utter disaster. I happen to believe that the Smoot-Hawley tariffs had more to do with setting off the great depression of the ’30s than the stock market crash. Unemployment never reached double digits in any of the 12 months that followed the crash of October 1929, but it hit double digits within six months of passage of Smoot-Hawley, and stayed there for a decade.

    What about the view by President Trump that other countries are ripping us off by running trade surpluses?
    It’s pathetic. The very phrase “trade surpluses” gives half a story. There are countries that supply mainly goods, physical goods, and there are other things like services that other countries provide, and the United States gets a lot of money from providing services. To talk about one part of the trading and ignore the other part fails to understand that money is money no matter whether it’s from goods or services.

    When you set off a trade war, like any other war, you have no idea how that’s going to end. You’re going to be blindsided by all kinds of consequences. You do not make America great again by raising the price to Americans, which is what a tariff does.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  238. He’s also claimed that we can run the government off tariff revenue instead of income taxes, which doesn’t jibe with dropping and adding tariffs depending on what other countries do

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  239. Weird that Canada got higher tariffs then China.

    Time123 (792187) — 2/3/2025 @ 7:00 am

    Not necessarily; the 10% China tariffs are on top of existing tariffs on China.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  240. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mexico-agrees-deploy-10000-troops-us-border-exchange-tariff-pause

    Mexico agrees to deploy 10,000 troops to US border in exchange for tariff pause
    Trump admin officials are working with Mexico on a wider deal.

    LOL!

    whembly (b7cc46)

  241. @234

    Trump is damaging Canada’s economy to advance his territorial ambitions, not to stop a drug-trafficking problem that doesn’t exist.

    Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/3/2025 @ 8:12 am

    You and Patterico are wrong.

    That amount of fentanyl caught at the Canadian border are lethal doses for millions.

    Fentanyl are dosed in microgram. Take 3 grains of table salt… THAT amount of fentanyl is lethal to 99% of the population.

    And again, that was caught… how much of illicit Fentanyl cross the Canadian border undetected?

    whembly (b7cc46)

  242. Paul, what Territorial ambitions? Do you think the plan is for them to become part of the US?

    Time123 (80590b) — 2/3/2025 @ 8:14 am

    We should only take the agricultural and oil provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta); and British Columbia and the Northwest and Yukon Territories to connect Alaska.

    😉

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  243. The government can get a good estimate by tracing back where wholesale drug dealers they catch got their supplies from. Fentayl is also delivered by the United States Postal Service, I think.

    Sammy Finkelman (db0752)

  244. You and Patterico are wrong.

    No, you’re engaging in a bogus equivalency. Canadian fentanyl trafficking is 0.2% of what’s coming across the southern border, not worth a 25% across-the-board tariff.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  245. Mexico agrees to deploy 10,000 troops to US border in exchange for tariff pause
    Trump admin officials are working with Mexico on a wider deal.

    LOL!

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/3/2025 @ 10:01 am

    I agree, since (according to the President) the Mexican Govt. is in an alliance with the cartels. Why would the US make an agreement with them?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  246. The idea that Canada is a major source of drugs is a lie,

    Trump is not saying that Canada is amajor source of drugs,

    and this admin is hoping you’re stupid enough to believe it.

    He’s hoping that people are stupid enough to believe that any of this makes sense to Trump. It’s a legal pretext.

    If there’s anything behind it, it is that Trump is intrigued by the idea of levying a painless tax.
    https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/01/the-inaugural-address

    I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. (Applause.)

    For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues. It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources.

    As the late, great (?) Senator Russell Long of Louisiana (Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee before the 1980 election) said:

    Don’t tax him.
    Don’t tax me.
    Tax that fellow behind the tree.

    Trump is being told that maybe even the federal personal income tax could be abolished!

    Sammy Finkelman (db0752)

  247. @245

    No, you’re engaging in a bogus equivalency. Canadian fentanyl trafficking is 0.2% of what’s coming across the southern border, not worth a 25% across-the-board tariff.

    Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/3/2025 @ 10:13 am

    Or, hear me out, you don’t have a clue of what you’re talking about with regards to fentanyl.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  248. Along the Canadian border, Customs and Border Protection data shows that the highest amount seized between FYs 2022-2024 was 43 pounds in 2024 in 82 events*. In contrast, the Southwest border region seized 21,000 pounds in FY 2024 in 863 events; in the Coastal/Interior region (which includes all major cities outside the other two regions) 698 pounds were seized in 121 events.

    The question is what is the standard the Trump administration is applying to Canada and Mexico to ensure compliance with the stated goal of reducing fentanyl smuggling . Weight? Number of seizures? Deaths? The Administration is unclear.

    *The CPB defines “event” as when a CBP officer or agent seizes one or multiple drugs from one or multiple offenders, the entire incident is referred to as a drug seizure event.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  249. Before Trump took office, Canada was already applying tariffs on US good.

    According to ChatGPT and Grok, Canada levies the following:
    Milk: 270%
    Cheese: 245%
    Butter: 298%
    Chickin: 238%
    Cars: 25%
    Steal: 25%
    Aluminum: 45%
    Peanut Butter: 295% (!!!)
    Veggies: 100%
    …and loads more.

    The issue about Trump’s tariffs really isn’t the tariffs itself. Most of you don’t realize that we face tariffs when we export as well.

    You issue is with Trump himself, and you automatically presume he’s an idiot, so you shape your arguments to fit your worldview while ignoring the larger picture.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  250. Hey, Paul, are you choosing the links for Drudge?

    (Mostly kidding)

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  251. @250: So you are saying that Canada is protectionist?!? Who knew?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  252. Only white people America can be racist protectionist.

    Pretty much all the same logic.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  253. What the data show is that nearly all interdiction resources go to the southern border, and so they interdict far more. Inherent bias. Also, the modes of delivery differ. From Canada, the normal mail system is employed more, each delivery is smaller and largely uninspected.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  254. Or, hear me out, you don’t have a clue of what you’re talking about with regards to fentanyl.

    I get that this issue has importance to you (me too, because I have a friend who died from an overdose), but I reject your “you don’t have a clue” remark.
    Just going by the numbers, there were 74,900 deaths by fentanyl in 2023. Assuming a similar abuse rate between drugs from the north and drugs from the south, and the fact that 0.2% of fentanyl came from the north, means that 150± died from Canadian-sourced fentanyl. While 150 deaths is tragic, doesn’t justify an absurd and punitive 25% mass-tariff on a country.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  255. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/3/2025 @ 10:56 am

    Undoubtedly the seizure numbers are grossly unreported, as there is no way of knowing how much is getting through undetected.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  256. Well, we do import a lot of oil from Canada, Canadian oil originates in Western Canada. The pipeline from Western Canada to Eastern Canada runs through the USA. So if Trump wanted to, he could put a tax, or fee on the Canadian oil that transits the USA on its way to Ontario, Quebec etc

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gi1FItxXUAAdYsl?format=jpg&name=small

    steveg (25c199)

  257. According to ChatGPT and Grok…..

    How old is that data? Most cars are duty-free between the US/Mexico/Canada under the USMCA.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  258. Well, we do import a lot of oil from Canada, Canadian oil originates in Western Canada. The pipeline from Western Canada to Eastern Canada runs through the USA. So if Trump wanted to, he could put a tax, or fee on the Canadian oil that transits the USA on its way to Ontario, Quebec etc

    What’s you’re point? He’s already placed a 10% tariff on Canadian oil, so there is that. He could even ban Canadian oil from entering the US period.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  259. Whembly, if it’s about 40# of drugs, what is it we want Canada to do? Fentynal is very potent…but there’s a lot of open border to drive across between Canada and the US. Pretty hard to keep the equivalent or a large bag of rice out.

    If its about current tariff levels, we redid NAFYTA in Trumps first term and AFAI there’s no allegation that Canada is violating what was agreed to at that time.

    Part of why I don’t understand what we’re doing is that the goals haven’t been laid out and AFAIK there’s been no effort to achieve them prior to the tariffs.

    Again, I’m not saying what we’re doing is stupid or that Trumps being an idiot here. I’m saying I don’t know what our end goal si.

    Time123 (17fa64)

  260. RIP, if the Canadians wanted to really mess with us they’d place a 25% export tariff on Gas and auto parts.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  261. “How old is that data? Most cars are duty-free between the US/Mexico/Canada under the USMCA.”

    the source is ChatGPT so i’d take everything with a grain of salt

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  262. Indeed

    1 minute and 10 seconds, and the words “Fentanyl” and “border” were never uttered. 🤔

    What’s missing here is that a con man with a real estate background is trying to illegally annex a NATO ally using economic coercion.
    Trump whines that we’re protecting Canada but, duh, of course we are, they’re a NATO ally, that’s what happens when defensive treaties are ratified.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  263. How not to make your point:

    Thousands rally in downtown Los Angeles, shut down 101 Freeway to protest Trump’s immigration policies

    Thousands of demonstrators rallied in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday and shut down a section of the 101 Freeway to protest President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and his aggressive deportation policies.

    Draped in Mexican and Salvadoran flags, demonstrators gathered near City Hall shortly before noon, blocking traffic at Spring and Temple streets, amid honking horns and solidarity messages from passing motorists. Protesters blasted a mix of traditional and contemporary Mexican music from a loudspeaker, and some danced in the road in traditional feathered headdresses.

    Flags of nations they assert to be refugees from.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  264. @255

    While 150 deaths is tragic, doesn’t justify an absurd and punitive 25% mass-tariff on a country.

    Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/3/2025 @ 11:28 am

    I beg to differ.

    It absolutely justifies that.

    My hope, is that Canada acquiesce to accommodate and that the tariffs dies.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  265. RIP, if the Canadians wanted to really mess with us they’d place a 25% export tariff on Gas and auto parts.

    Time123 (ec265c) — 2/3/2025 @ 11:53 am

    If Canada really wanted to mess with us they would put a 100% export tax on oil and other minerals (uranium, nickel, aluminum, steel, gold, copper, etc.) they export to the US.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  266. You know it’s pathetic when this president’s stupidity makes a liberal lame-duck lightweight sound like Churchill.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  267. My hope, is that Canada acquiesce to accommodate and that the tariffs dies.

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/3/2025 @ 12:13 pm

    Acquiesce how?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  268. @260 Again, I’m not saying what we’re doing is stupid or that Trumps being an idiot here. I’m saying I don’t know what our end goal si.

    Time123 (17fa64) — 2/3/2025 @ 11:50 am
    Levying tariffs is usually for 1 of 2 reasons:
    –protectionism
    –behavior modification

    It’s obvious this is about the latter.

    The end goal is more border security/collaboration between our countries.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  269. Powerful coercive tool.
    Embarrassing to have your own product levied in such a way.

    steveg (25c199)

  270. The pipeline from Western Canada to Eastern Canada runs through the USA.

    Not only should we tax it, but we should use the money for green projects along the pipeline.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  271. If Canada really wanted to mess with us they would put a 100% export tax on oil and other minerals (uranium, nickel, aluminum, steel, gold, copper, etc.) they export to the US.

    We don’t need their oil, and their other products are replaceable.

    I’ve never really considered this before, but it is really lucky the USA has a constitutional ban against export taxes.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  272. Regarding foreign aid and tariffs and other matters, this country needs a Reagan Party or Reagan Caucus, sooner the better, worth the full 4-minute listen.

    “You know the excuses: We can’t afford foreign aid anymore, or we’re wasting money pouring it into these poor countries, or we can’t buy friends…all these excuses are just that—excuses—and they’re dead wrong…Is there anyone who believes that we in America would live in as good a world and be as secure if we could turn back the clock and undo the Marshall plan?”

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  273. whembly (b7cc46) — 2/3/2025 @ 12:15 pm

    Levying tariffs is usually for 1 of 2 reasons:

    –protectionism
    –behavior modification

    It’s obvious this is about the latter.

    No, it isn’t because Trump’s complaints about Caa=nada are not real. And there’s nothing Canada =a can do to satisfy Trump (except maybe facilitate illegal migration at the expense of cutting off most cross border traffic like in 2020 and agree to reverse the new policy if Trump lifts the tariffs. That might help.)

    Oh, he’ll take more severity and co-operation but it won’t help.

    This tariff is for revenue only. And maybe secondarily protectionism.

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/01/the-inaugural-address

    I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. (Applause.) …It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources.

    Trump thinks the 1890 McKinley tariff (passed while he was in Congress) created prosperity after 1898.

    President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent — he was a natural businessman — and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama after the United Spates — the United States — I mean, think of this — spent more money than ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal.

    Lost lives from disease. I don’t think mainly American citizens.

    In reality it was the discovery of gold in the Transvaal in 1897 and in Alaska in 1898 that created prosperity by expanding the money supply..

    In the meantime there was what we now call a depression between 1893 and 1898) The 1896 campaign was waged on the issue of using silver as money too. By 1900 there was prosperity and William Jennings Bryan waged his second campaign on the issue of imperialism.

    The end goal is replacing the personal income tax (not the corporate income tax or Social Security and Medicare taxes) with tariffs.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  274. Breaking:

    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/live-trump-says-tariffs-on-mexico-paused-for-a-month-canada-china-duties-set-to-take-effect-tuesday-191201428.html.

    I guess maybe some Senators threatened not to confirm some of his nominees.

    Or somebody convinced him he was a economic idiot.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  275. Is there anyone who believes that we in America would live in as good a world and be as secure if we could turn back the clock and undo the Marshall plan?”

    Is Trump interested in us living in a better world? (even if there are still powerful tyrannies around)

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  276. this country needs a Reagan Party or Reagan Caucus, sooner the better, worth the full 4-minute listen.

    Ten House members and 20 Senate members and we could impeach the mofo.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  277. Paul Montagu (5784df) — 2/3/2025 @ 12:25 pm

    The Marshall Plan is a good yardstick, Paul. It lasted for about four years, achieving its mission, then was done.

    USAID gets billions more per year than the Marshall Plan spent in total. Adding up all the years it’s much more even accounting for inflation. Aid is being reviewed, not stopped permanently. I realize that means “fascist.” The rest of us call that normal government oversight in a democracy. Condoms in Gaza might be impacted.

    lloyd (0b02af)

  278. How about a modern Federalist Party?

    No, not the 18th century version. One along the lines of the Federalist Society.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  279. There is no program or budget in Washington that could not stand substantial cuts in its bureaucracy. In some (e.g. Social Security) that would not amount to much percentagewise, but the Department of Education is nothing but bureaucracy. There are a lot of checkist bureaus that mostly shuffle paper, coercing reports from local government and business that they do very little with but create reports no one reads.

    But of course when you talk about it, they immediately hide behind social security, the forest service, or meat inspection.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  280. Or somebody convinced him he was a economic idiot.

    That is the one thing you cannot convince and economic idiot of.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  281. I realize that means “fascist.” The rest of us call that normal government oversight in a democracy. Condoms in Gaza might be impacted.

    Unserious, uncredible, ungood faith.
    Condoms in Gaza were debunked.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  282. Basically, duh, of course foreign aid should be reviewed, regularly, but that’s not what Shadow President Musk is trying to do.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  283. –behavior modification

    It’s obvious this is about the latter.

    The end goal is more border security/collaboration between our countries.

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/3/2025 @ 12:15 pm

    I get that, what I don’t get is what we want them to actually do that they weren’t already doing. Or why one of our closest allies needs punitive tariffs to get them to work with us.

    This isn’t snark, but i doesn’t seem like you have a clear idea on what that specifically is either. Again I’m not trying to argue with you / pick on you. But it doesn’t seem like anyone knows exactly.

    Time123 (17fa64)

  284. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/white-house-mexico-is-serious-canada-appears-have-misunderstood-trumps-executive-2025-02-03

    Trump wants a few things but he seems to want endorsement of his anti-immigration policy is particular

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  285. Time123 (17fa64) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:12 pm

    This isn’t snark, but i doesn’t seem like you have a clear idea on what that specifically is either. Again I’m not trying to argue with you / pick on you. But it doesn’t seem like anyone knows exactly.

    General endorsement of goals. Maybe stopping people from applying for asylum at the U.S. border.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  286. The end goal is replacing the personal income tax (not the corporate income tax or Social Security and Medicare taxes) with tariffs.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/3/2025 @ 12:35 pm

    Let A = what you paid in taxes
    Let B = Take how much money you spend in a year on consumer goods.

    Divide A by B and that’s approximately where the tariff’s start to be worse for you then the current income tax.

    So, if you paid 5K in taxes last year and spend 25K a year on food, clothes fuel, and vehicle tariffs above 20% may not be to your advantage. If you’re not sure what you spend just look at your credit card report for last year

    Obviously that’s a very rough approximation but it should give you a sense of scale. You can also see how this becomes more attractive as your income goes up and consumer spending becomes a smaller percentage of your budget.

    You can also see how this especially bad for ppl with a very low income tax burden such as the working poor and seniors living on retirements savings / pension plans.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  287. Meat inspection has high turnover, and firing everybody hired within the last year or two would result in understaffing.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  288. Canada as our 51st state?

    Well, they’d want rather more than 2 Senate seats, so not just one state. They have 40 million people, so it would be like demanding California be just one state. Oh, wait.

    But even with one state, they’d be a 2nd California in every presidential election. Added to the current gimme states (and normalizing to keep the house at 435), the Dems would have about 40% of electoral votes utterly locked up. Trump would have still won the 2024 election, but if PA had gone the other way it would have been tied.

    This is not a good idea.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  289. General endorsement of goals. Maybe stopping people from applying for asylum at the U.S. border.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:24 pm

    Is that relevent WRT Canada? I get what he wanted with Mexico.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  290. Time, not all purchases are affected by tariffs. And it is possible that domestic producers pay more tax on profits, more citizens are employed paying taxes, etc. We already have an internal tariff on most things (sales tax). In Texas they HAVE replaced income tax with a high sales tax and a VERY high property tax.

    Few are capable of doing these calculations, and Siri won’t help. Instead they’ll decide whether they’re better off or not.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  291. Is that relevent WRT Canada? I get what he wanted with Mexico.

    It depends on how many people are using Canada as a transit point. Enter with a tourist visa, then cross the border at South Bearjaw.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  292. Bruh…

    DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican
    Hello Mr. Kristol,

    For you, the deep state is preferable because you are listed as the President of Defending Democracy (EIN 831567380) which is an indirect beneficiary of USAID through Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

    You are exposed.

    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    At least we know why Kristol is a NeverTrumper…

    whembly (b7cc46)

  293. The reason is that USAID was a factor in overturning apartheid in south africa.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  294. Going to need a better explanation of what was paid by who. Does indirect beneficiary mean that USAID funneled money through RPA? Or does it mean that RPA gave money to DD and took unrelated money from USAID.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  295. Ten House members and 20 Senate members and we could impeach the mofo.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/3/2025 @ 12:50 pm

    LOL! Not gonna happen. Specifically, who are the 20 Senators.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  296. @285

    This isn’t snark, but i doesn’t seem like you have a clear idea on what that specifically is either. Again I’m not trying to argue with you / pick on you. But it doesn’t seem like anyone knows exactly.

    Time123 (17fa64) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:12 pm

    I think you simply do not like Trump’s negotiation tactic.

    The closest description I can think of is anchoring negotiation:

    “Anchoring” in negotiation refers to the tactic of setting an initial reference point or “anchor” – typically a price or value – early in the negotiation process, which then heavily influences the other party’s perception of what is a reasonable outcome, often causing them to adjust their position closer to that initial anchor, even if it might be unrealistic; essentially, it’s the tendency to rely too much on the first piece of information presented when making decisions during a negotiation, often by the person who makes the first offer.

    Immigration, fentanyl, border security, china… and the likes, may be something of a pretext used to threaten these tariffs because Trump recognizes that current agreement needs more adjustments.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  297. President Donald Trump on Monday agreed to pause the implementation of planned tariffs on imports for at least 30 days, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

    The pause was announced hours after Trump and Mexico’s president said Trump would pause for one month planned tariffs on imports from Mexico.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  298. @292, as I said it’s a rough approximation. But I agree with you that Tariffs are essentially a sales tax.

    At this point my money is on pausing tariffs with Canada based on an agreement to hold “talks” followed by Trump claiming that the tariff threat worked.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  299. @296

    Going to need a better explanation of what was paid by who. Does indirect beneficiary mean that USAID funneled money through RPA? Or does it mean that RPA gave money to DD and took unrelated money from USAID.

    Time123 (ec265c) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:47 pm

    Why does that matter?

    Money is fungible.

    Does RPA stand on it’s own if USAID is shut down?

    Does RPA still fund Defending Democracy?

    Take a step back and think about this: USAID is supposed to advance America’s interests via taxpayor’s funding.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  300. Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

    Trump Urges Trading Ukraine’s Rare Earth Minerals for More U.S. Aid

    Ukraine has already emphasized that by supporting its war effort, the U.S. could get access to the country’s wealth of critical minerals like lithium and uranium.

    President Trump said Monday he wants to strike a deal with Ukraine whereby Kyiv would supply the United States with rare earth minerals in exchange for American aid, offering the clearest sign yet of his transactional approach to supporting the war-torn nation.

    “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things,” Mr. Trump said from the Oval Office, where he was signing executive orders. “We want a guarantee.”

    Ukraine is rich in rare earth minerals such as lithium, uranium and titanium, which are crucial for manufacturing a broad range of modern products including electric car motors and wind turbines.

    Mr. Trump’s offer comes as his new government has halted foreign development aid worldwide, forcing many humanitarian organizations in Ukraine to suspend operations and leaving the Ukrainian government scrambling to secure alternative financing for critical programs, including support for its battered energy grid and war veterans.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  301. I think you simply do not like Trump’s negotiation tactic.

    I sort of thought it might just be how Trump likes to negotiate, by starting with a threat because he doesn’t see any other way to get leverage. But I figured if I offered that as a possibility ppl who like trump would feel i’m insulting him and not engage on what they thought he wanted.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  302. @292, as I said it’s a rough approximation. But I agree with you that Tariffs are essentially a sales tax.

    It’s more directed than that. They are closer to a sin tax.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  303. Trump Urges Trading Ukraine’s Rare Earth Minerals for More U.S. Aid

    Russia got there first.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  304. A half-dozen college-age kids under Musk have the keys to OPM. This in addition to Musk, an unelected and unconfirmed free agent, having the keys to the Treasury and GSA.
    I’m not seeing the good in any of this.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  305. Why does that matter?

    Money is fungible.

    Does RPA stand on it’s own if USAID is shut down?

    Does RPA still fund Defending Democracy?

    All of those questions are good ones. RPA has been around for a long time.
    Also money is fungible, but it’s common for aid and grants to be earmarked for specific purposes and not just given away to a foundation to do with as they please.

    This is the kind of details that are needed before ppl conclude there’s something there.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  306. More from the above link:

    Reacting to Mr. Trump’s statement, a top Ukrainian official said Monday night that Ukraine is ready to work with the U.S. on rare earth mineral deals, provided the U.S. offers sufficient security guarantees to prevent these resources from falling into Russian hands. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

    Ukrainian authorities say the country holds deposits of more than 20 critical rare earth minerals, with some consulting and equity firms valuing them at several trillion dollars. But experts caution that the true value is hard to estimate as many reserves remain inaccessible, in part because of the Russian occupation of parts of Ukraine.

    Ukraine had planned to sign an agreement with the Biden administration late last year to cooperate on extracting and processing minerals. But the Ukrainian authorities postponed the signing of such a deal, in what officials on both sides said was a signal that Kyiv was waiting for Mr. Trump to take office to strike an agreement with him.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  307. I can see Trump defending “vital US interests” faster than him defending “hard-to-pronounce sh1tholes”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  308. Canada as our 51st state?

    Well, they’d want rather more than 2 Senate seats, so not just one state. They have 40 million people, so it would be like demanding California be just one state. Oh, wait.

    But even with one state, they’d be a 2nd California in every presidential election. Added to the current gimme states (and normalizing to keep the house at 435), the Dems would have about 40% of electoral votes utterly locked up. Trump would have still won the 2024 election, but if PA had gone the other way it would have been tied.

    This is not a good idea.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:27 pm

    As I noted above, we should take only the good pieces, and not Ontario, Quebec, or the Maritime Provinces (unless they have military importance, like Newfoundland with its airport at Gander.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  309. @305

    I sort of thought it might just be how Trump likes to negotiate, by starting with a threat because he doesn’t see any other way to get leverage. But I figured if I offered that as a possibility ppl who like trump would feel i’m insulting him and not engage on what they thought he wanted.

    Time123 (ec265c) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:54 pm

    Canada just got a reprieve and promised for more border enforcement and collaboration. He’s even creating a “Fentanyl Czar” to work with the US to interdict/prosecute these smugglers.

    Whatever you think of Trump, he got Mexico & Canada to play ball now.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  310. @303 He’s such clown. For some reason he’s compelled to humiliate ppl around him as publicly as possible. A less damaged person might just get a quiet agreement that US firms would take the lead in mineral extraction during the rebuilding with associated long term contracts. B

    Time123 (ec265c)

  311. This is the kind of details that are needed before ppl conclude there’s something there.

    A decade ago, Canadian government PR money was being paid to private firms (some of it with few delivery requirements) who were then donating quite a bit of it back to the Liberal Party. Heads rolled.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  312. But… why?

    Trump just signed an EO to create a Sovereign Wealth…

    In 5 minutes, congress will spend it…

    : shrug :

    whembly (b7cc46)

  313. Whatever you think of Trump, he got Mexico & Canada to play ball now.

    Unless you can show me that we asked and Canada was resistant to doing this previously I’m going to assume that Trumps just being really clumsy about this because he knows his core supporters like the show.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  314. @315 because his core base loves the show and pays way more attention to the narrative then the details.

    Time123 (17fa64)

  315. @313: It’s like back when governments were run by hereditary kings. Sometimes you got a good one, sometimes not, and they always had their own interests front and center.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  316. @314 if that’s what is going on here heads should roll. But that hasn’t been shown.

    Time123 (ec265c)

  317. @317

    @315 because his core base loves the show and pays way more attention to the narrative then the details.

    Time123 (17fa64) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:07 pm

    Maybe it’s how the US can buy Greenland…
    😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉

    whembly (b7cc46)

  318. the suggestion that Congress will do so is laughable.

    Rip Murdock (c73d22) — 2/2/2025 @ 3:46 pm

    You have previously expressed your hope that Congress will pass a law eliminating all abortions. Should we just throw a bunch of laughing emojis at you when you state this preference?

    norcal (a72384)

  319. But even with one state, they’d be a 2nd California in every presidential election. Added to the current gimme states (and normalizing to keep the house at 435), the Dems would have about 40% of electoral votes utterly locked up. Trump would have still won the 2024 election, but if PA had gone the other way it would have been tied.

    The agricultural/oil provinces are pretty conservative, based on the 2021 general election (Alberta (55% Conservative Party) and Saskatchewan (59%)); with British Columbia (33%) and Manitoba (39%) close enough.

    Given the population and land area, Canada could become two or three states.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  320. You have previously expressed your hope that Congress will pass a law eliminating all abortions. Should we just throw a bunch of laughing emojis at you when you state this preference?

    norcal (a72384) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:11 pm

    There is difference between hoping for an unlikely reduction in the deficit and debt and the hope that Congress will preserve unborn lives. One is far more important than the other. But if you want to mock the idea of preserving unborn life, go ahead.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  321. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:58 pm

    As I said, Russia got there first:

    Russian troops have proceeded to capture key locations rich in Ukrainian lithium, starting with the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia in 2022, early on in the incursion, followed by this month’s seizure of Shevchenko, a rural village in Donetsk that sits atop one of Ukraine’s largest lithium deposits. This leaves only two remaining sources of note within the country that are not yet under Russian control.
    ……..
    At this writing, the two key sites under Russian control are the Shevchenko Lithium Ore Field in Donetsk People’s Republic, with estimated reserves of 13.8 million tons of ore valued at nearly $1.5 billion, and Krutaya Balka in the Zaporizhzhia region, whose site is considered viable for open-pit mining, but reserves remain unspecified.

    “This may not be the main reason for the invasion, but undoubtedly Ukraine’s mineral wealth is one of the reasons why this country is so important to Russia,” said Rod Schoonover, former director of the Environment and Natural Resources Section of the U.S. National Intelligence Council and founder of Ecological Futures Group. “The Russian invasion has disrupted any progress toward leveraging Ukraine’s reserves, but if stability is restored, these resources could become, in time, a cornerstone of Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical minerals.”
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  322. Given the population and land area, Canada could become two or three states.

    I live in little New Mexico, with 2 million people, mostly in one place, and two Senators. I can hardly object to Manitoba being a state. Maybe you’d make the four maritimes a single state. Quebec would be “freed” to try to join France and the territories would remain territories and under the First Nations agreements and such as now.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  323. One is far more important than the other.

    I agree that he debt is far more important.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  324. I live in little New Mexico, with 2 million people, mostly in one place, and two Senators. I can hardly object to Manitoba being a state. Maybe you’d make the four maritimes a single state. Quebec would be “freed” to try to join France and the territories would remain territories and under the First Nations agreements and such as now.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:28 pm

    At the risk of being pedantic, I specifically excluded Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes from my “United States of Canada”. The US should also include the Yukon and Northwest Territories to create a link to Alaska.

    The US isn’t party to any “First Nations” agreements, so they would be null and void.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  325. One is far more important than the other.

    I agree that he debt is far more important.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:29 pm

    Given the abortion politics in New Mexico, I’m not surprised.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  326. No kidding:

    ……….
    Mr. Trump had claimed that California withheld water supplies that could have made a difference in fighting the flames. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials disputed those claims.

    Now, the water released from dams at Lake Kaweah and Lake Success is rushing into a dry lakebed in the Central Valley, where experts say it can’t flow to Southern California and will likely go to waste.

    “There is absolutely no connection between this water and the water needed for firefighting in L.A.,” said Peter Gleick, a climate and hydrology expert. “There’s no physical connection. There’s no way to move the water from where it is to the Los Angeles basin.”

    “The farmers in the basin own the water and that water is stored in these dams in the winter, during the rainy season, so that farmers can use it in the very hot, long, dry summer season,” he explained.

    From the perspective of the farmers, he said, the water is “assumed to be lost.”
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  327. Picking winners and losers:

    ………
    Trump didn’t explain what role the fund would play in a potential purchase of TikTok. “TikTok, we’re going to be doing something, perhaps with TikTok, and perhaps not; if we make the right deal, we’ll do it,” Trump said. “But I have the right to do that, and we might put that in the sovereign-wealth fund.”
    ………
    “We’re gonna stand this thing up in the next 12 months,” said Bessent. “We’re going to monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people.” Bessent said they planned to study “best practices” of other funds, and it would hold a combination of liquid assets and other U.S. assets.

    On the campaign trail, Trump at times mentioned the idea. He called for one that would “invest in great national endeavors for the benefit of all of the American people,” such as infrastructure and medical research.
    ………
    It isn’t clear where the money for a U.S. sovereign-wealth fund would come from. Most sovereign-wealth funds are made up of surplus revenue generated by natural resources, such as in oil-rich Saudi Arabia. But the U.S. has significant budget and trade deficits. It also has robust private markets, which allow investors to back many of the kinds of initiatives Trump says he wants the new fund to invest in.
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  328. I’m also not sure you can create a sovereign wealth strictly via EO. I doubt the congress authorizes enough discretionary seed money for this…

    whembly (b7cc46)

  329. My understanding is that drug dealers add fentynal to illegal drugs.

    Fentynal is prescribed and used in medicine but the danger of fentynal is that is used in illegal drug transactions with unsuspecting purchasers, right?

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  330. Duh. Fentanyl

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  331. If you want to understand crime in the US, you should know this:

    Elaine Kamark of the Harvard Kennedy School and William Galston of the University of Maryland and Brookings Institution, agree with Moynihan. Writing for the Progressive Policy Institute in 1990, they say “The relationship [between crime and single-parent families, which are typically fatherless families] is so strong that controlling for family configuration erases the relationship between race and crime and between low income and crime. The relationship shows up time and again in the literature.

    source: The War Against Boys (new and revised edition) by Christina Hoff Sommers, p. 120.

    So, if you see a teenage boy walking toward you, worry more about whether he has a father in his life than whether has a pocket knife.

    (I have not seen any data, or even any reporting on this, but I think it likely that few of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims had fathers in their lives. Daughters need fathers, too.)

    Jim Miller (92cd52)

  332. The US isn’t party to any “First Nations” agreements, so they would be null and void.

    Uglier than Trump.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  333. I don’t think describing it as “The Two-Parent Privilege” is particularly helpful.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  334. But to answer your question, if you go back and look at what I was saying during the Republican primary, I was pretty consistent that if the Republicans nominated anybody but Trump, I would worst sit out, but was a getable vote for almost any of the other candidates

    Time123 (792187) — 2/3/2025 @ 6:16 am

    You didn’t answer the question.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  335. The reason is that USAID was a factor in overturning apartheid in south africa.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 2/3/2025 @ 1:40 pm

    Ended apartheid? Do you know what’s currently going on in South Africa? Apartheid is alive and well.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  336. The US isn’t party to any “First Nations” agreements, so they would be null and void.

    Uglier than Trump.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/3/2025 @ 3:59 pm

    I don’t see why any agreements between the formerly sovereign Canada (which under my plan would be about half of the country) and native Canadians would transfer to the United States.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  337. There is difference between hoping for an unlikely reduction in the deficit and debt and the hope that Congress will preserve unborn lives.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:16 pm

    They are both unlikely, but I would bet that spending reductions happen before a total federal ban on abortion.

    norcal (a72384)

  338. The reason is that USAID was a factor in overturning apartheid in south africa.

    That and limpet mines, necklacing and the growing threat of a civil war with a predictable outcome. Oh, and the moral code of western civilization, as ironic as that turned out.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  339. I’m also not sure you can create a sovereign wealth strictly via EO. I doubt the congress authorizes enough discretionary seed money for this…

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:53 pm

    As with many of Trump’s EOs, there is less than meets the eye. All it does is direct the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce to deliver a plan within 90 days for the creation of a sovereign wealth fund. As the WSJ article says, most countries (like Saudi Arabia, Norway, Brunei, etc.) park their excess revenues from their oil wealth into such a fund. With budget and trade deficits, the US doesn’t have that kind of excess largess.

    But if the President can redefine by an Executive Order “citizenship” as it has been understood for a century and a half, apparently he can do anything.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  340. They are both unlikely, but I would bet that spending reductions happen before a total federal ban on abortion.

    norcal (a72384) — 2/3/2025 @ 4:45 pm

    A pity and a poor indication of the moral character of the country.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  341. #336: Agreed.

    Jim Miller (92cd52)

  342. The problem remains that Trump treats allies and friendly neighbors as hostiles, bullying them into submission when he could’ve acted like a grownup and dealt with them without threats on the border and fentanyl and such, especially Canada, which deserves none of this. It’s a trashing of our goodwill. They’re not the enemy.
    And with China, the more hostile and adversarial power, he pussyfoots around. It’s crap diplomacy.
    If there’s going to be some bullying going on, do it with China, or Russia, or North Korea, or Iran.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  343. Donnie Combover
    Or:
    How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love
    [not really] The Bombast

    There is less substance to The-Windbag-With-A-Hole-In-It than there is in his hairdo. But the proles lap it up and diplomats take it in stride and if it makes an old man happy ….

    nk (0a4ca0)

  344. Canadian border has more terrorism-related encounters than the Mexican side

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gi3XUKYWQAEenCy?format=jpg&name=900×900

    steveg (25c199)

  345. That’s how Trump has treated people in business, Paul. He takes advantage of his vendors, suppliers, tenants, etc. — the people that can’t or wot fight back. It is classic bullying.

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  346. As for fentanyl, I support treating Americans like adults, not children, rather than trying to control every drug dealer in the Americas. I get that it can happen to anyone: young, old, rich, poor. All the mote reason for public service campaigns in the media and education to show the dangers of fentanyl-laced illegal drugs to our citizens and their minors (like we do with drunk-driving) as well as prevention efforts and criminal sanctions.

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  347. Man, we really have to get that southern border closed. Those dirty American’s are flooding over the border and bringing fentanyl with them…says the Canadians. And they’re actually factually correct.

    stupid Hitler of course says it’s the other way around, because he’s always lying/wrong/both, every accusation is an admission.

    In 2023, the last year for which we have statistics at the moment, more people crossed illegally from the United States into Canada than in the opposite direction. With Canada experiencing a labor shortage and increasing economic opportunities, it is likely that the number of individuals moving north in 2025, both legally and illegally, will continue to surpass those moving south.

    Another major argument behind the tariff is the assertion that Canada is a major source of fentanyl entering the United States. While fentanyl trafficking is undoubtedly a critical issue, the data does not support the claim that Canada is a primary source of the drug entering the U.S.

    In Fiscal Year 2024, USCBP seized 21,148 pounds of fentanyl at the southwest border, mostly smuggled from Mexico. In contrast, only 43 pounds were intercepted at the northern border. This means that less than 1% of all fentanyl seizures occurred at the U.S.-Canada border.

    Furthermore, drug flows are not a one-way street. In 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized approximately 10.8 pounds of fentanyl coming into Canada from the United States. In comparison, CBSA reported that 17.6 pounds of fentanyl were smuggled from Canada into the U.S. This suggests that the trafficking issue is not as one-sided as the administration claims.

    According to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, “There is no indication at all that any significant amount of fentanyl is coming to the United States from Canada.” Most fentanyl entering the U.S. comes from Mexico, often using chemical precursors from China. Canada is experiencing its own fentanyl crisis, but it is not a major supplier of the drug to the United States.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  348. steveg (25c199) — 2/3/2025 @ 6:02 pm

    I think too much attention is paid the upper set of encounters and not the lower set, which actually involves terrorist-related encounters of non-US citizens.
    The upper chart includes Americans, and the screenshot doesn’t explain the asterisk, which is that the “POE totals may include multiple encounters of the same individual” (link).

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  349. to show the dangers of fentanyl-laced illegal drugs to our citizens and their minors (like we do with drunk-driving) as well as prevention efforts and criminal sanctions.

    But those may make it less likely for young people to casually try it, just like heroin was seen in the 70s. But for people who aren’t deterred by risk, it won’t matter much. Drunk driving campaigns raise the cost of drunk driving, but the real drunks, already not with the best of decision skills, won’t deter much. Or the Jesse Pinkmans of the world.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  350. 17.6 lbs is about 8 kg.

    Drug trafficking organizations typically distribute fentanyl by the kilogram. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.

    Eh.. 4,000,000 deaths. Hardly “significant.” No big deal. Leave Canada alone.

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  351. If it’s OK for us to punish Canada for fentanyl, is it OK for Canada to punish us for smuggled guns?

    Nic (120c94)

  352. Blame Canada!

    Almost obligatory

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  353. A lot of things could potentially happen, but how about sticking to actual numbers.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  354. What is the actual number of fentanyl that escaped detection at the border. What is the actual number of deaths related to that? What is the actual number of US fentanyl deaths that you approve of as acceptable?

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  355. @227 were looking for different voters. The 8 million democrats who voted against trump in 2020 and were disgusted by harris campaigning with liz cheney and donor class saying to her D.E.I. ok it doesn’t cost us money. 15 dollar minimum wage not ok because it does. The left wants to take over the party from the establishment liberals who want corporate stooges like clinton, harris and biden. Your vote would be too costly for us.

    asset (51082d)

  356. Just came back from emigrant protests at the state capital. Law enforcement said leave or be arrested. A lot of the protesters were afraid of being arrested and deported. We have a democrat gov. so this old anti-vietnam war veteran had to be careful in my tactical suggestions to protect her. When we had republican gov 50 years ago we weren’t so limited in are tactics. Social media said they were starting up protests on the west side and suggested they could go there if they were afraid of being arrested.

    asset (51082d)

  357. There’s a discrepancy in the height of the Black Hawk helicopter. Crash caused by a softwre error in ATC system?

    Sammy Finkelman (6c8782)

  358. Same old War Against Drugs horsesh!t, new Horrible Terrible No-Good Drug Of Terror.

    I have seen all this BS over the course of half a century.

    Mexican Brown is the first one I remember.

    Then PCP was the thing.

    Richard Pryor set himself on fire and made freebasing famous.

    Crack carved its niche deep and filled the prisons with lifers and long timers.

    For a while China White on a search warrant affidavit always guaranteed a judge’s signature.

    OxyContin a/k/a the Opioid Crisis was something special and still going strong. If only it had not deafened Rush Limbaugh they say.

    Now it’s fentanyl.

    Meh!

    nk (0a4ca0)

  359. @332

    Fentynal is prescribed and used in medicine but the danger of fentynal is that is used in illegal drug transactions with unsuspecting purchasers, right?

    DRJ (a84ee2) — 2/3/2025 @ 2:57 pm

    That too…

    The other thing is the fact that this drug is so hard to work with because of the minute precision required. If they’re off even just a teeny tiny bit, it’s likely lethal.

    That’s why 1st responders had narcan galore… not just for the OD’ed victims, but for themselves due to potentially lethal “contact” transmission.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  360. This nursery rhyme seems appropriate for yesterday’s big story:

    Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
    He had ten thousand men;
    He marched them up to the top of the hill,
    And he marched them down again.

    When they were up, they were up,
    And when they were down, they were down,
    And when they were only halfway up,
    They were neither up nor down,

    (Some may prefer “Duke of Trump”.)

    Jim Miller (a315ef)

  361. There’s a discrepancy in the height of the Black Hawk helicopter. Crash caused by a softwre error in ATC system?

    No. Grasping at straws. An “errors happened” kind of dodge.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  362. Looks like the US will get a non-credible nutter to run HHS, and we’re going to get it hard. Sigh.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  363. One of the cooperation items between Mexico and US was US agreeing to do better on gun smugglers
    Since Mexican gun smuggling is cartel related its a win win.

    steveg (25c199)

  364. One of the cooperation items between Mexico and US was US agreeing to do better on gun smugglers
    Since Mexican gun smuggling is cartel related its a win win.

    steveg (25c199) — 2/4/2025 @ 9:05 am

    Why would anyone trust an agreement with a government that is allied with the cartels?

    The Mexican (designated terrorist organizations) have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico. This alliance endangers the national security of the United States, and we must eradicate the influence of these dangerous cartels from the bilateral environment. The government of Mexico has afforded safe havens for the cartels to engage in the manufacturing and transportation of illicit drugs, which collectively have led to the overdose deaths of hundreds of thousands of American victims.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  365. Elon Musk just shared the Biden Admin shifted billions of dollars from helping Americans in need to facilitating illegal immigration

    This is how bad it got, a NGO got paid $600 million EVERY 2 MONTHS to facilitate illegal immigration

    “I spoke to a gentleman that works in DHS.… pic.twitter.com/wELR7rhvU6

    — Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 4, 2025

    Is this acceptable?

    whembly (b7cc46)

  366. Panama becomes agreeable on the Canal.
    El Salvador agreeably offers to not only take El Salvador’s criminal immigrants back, but offers to take criminals from Venezuela too.
    I’m sure some money will change hands

    steveg (25c199)

  367. Correction to post 369:

    The Mexican (designated terrorist organizations drug trafficking organizations ) have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico……

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  368. Panama becomes agreeable on the Canal.

    They’re turning it over to the US?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  369. There’s a discrepancy in the height of the Black Hawk helicopter. Crash caused by a software error in ATC system?

    No. Grasping at straws. An “errors happened” kind of dodge.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/4/2025 @ 6:43 am

    It’s not a didge, It sounds like they are trying to avoid that conclusion.

    The software has a bug.

    https://6abc.com/post/dc-plane-crash-updates-conflicting-preliminary-data-raises-questions-american-airlines-flight-army-helicopter-altitudes/15855126

    Preliminary data from the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in nearly 25 years showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of an airliner and Army helicopter when they collided near Reagan National Airport in Washington, killing everyone aboard both aircraft, investigators said Saturday.

    Data from the jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, when the crash happened Wednesday night, National Transportation Safety Board officials told reporters. Data in the control tower, though, showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet at the time.

    The roughly 100-foot discrepancy has yet to be explained.

    200 feet is the maximum altitude the helicopter is supposed to be so it sounds like the Air Traffic Control has an error as I would believe the flight recorder and that would explain why specifically 200 feet and why ATC didn’t see an urgency about it.

    Sammy Finkelman (6c8782)

  370. The helicopter was actually climbing right before the crash. It sounds like the helicopter pilot was disoriented by the night vision goggles, which he should have known to take off.

    But the software bug is the difference. Why this was a multi-fatality mid-air collision rather than a near miss,

    Sammy Finkelman (6c8782)

  371. Ouch!

    The Proud Boys no longer have control over their own name.

    Under a ruling by a Washington judge on Monday, the infamous far-right group was stripped of control over the trademark “Proud Boys” and was barred from selling any merchandise with either its name or its symbols without the consent of a Black church in Washington that its members vandalized. In June 2023, the church won a $2.8 million default judgment against the Proud Boys after the organization’s former leader, Enrique Tarrio, and several of his subordinates attacked it in a night of violence after a pro-Trump rally in December 2020.

    The ruling by the judge, Tanya M. Jones Bosier of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, effectively means that Proud Boys chapters across the country can no longer legally use their own name or the group’s traditional symbols without the permission of the church that was attacked, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.

    The ruling also clears the way for the church to try to seize any money that the Proud Boys might make by selling merchandise like hats or T-shirts emblazoned with their name or with any of their familiar logos, including a black and yellow laurel wreath.
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  372. El Salvador agreeably offers to not only take El Salvador’s criminal immigrants back, but offers to take criminals from Venezuela too.

    Also American citizens.

    In addition, (Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele) “has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those of US citizenship and legal residents,” Rubio said.

    It is unclear whether the US government will take up the offer, however, with questions around the legality of such moves. Any effort by the Trump administration to deport incarcerated US nationals to another country would face significant legal pushback.

    “The US is absolutely prohibited from deporting US citizens, whether they are incarcerated or not,” Leti Volpp, a law professor at UC Berkeley who specializes in immigration law and citizenship theory, told CNN over email.

    Bukele later confirmed the agreement with Rubio on X, saying in a post, “We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted US citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee.”

    El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, commonly referred to as CECOT, is the country’s largest and newest prison, with a maximum capacity of 40,000 inmates.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  373. @377

    El Salvador agreeably offers to not only take El Salvador’s criminal immigrants back, but offers to take criminals from Venezuela too.

    Also American citizens.

    Absolutely not.

    Those here illegally, sure. But no Americans.

    My premise is this: If we’re going to convict and send our people to jail, then we MUST be the administrator of said jail.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  374. My premise is this: If we’re going to convict and send our people to jail, then we MUST be the administrator of said jail.

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/4/2025 @ 10:52 am

    We’ll see if the Trump Administration takes up El Salvador’s offer.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  375. > If we’re going to convict and send our people to jail, then we MUST be the administrator of said jail.

    How do you feel about privately owned and operated prisons within the US borders?

    aphrael (dbf41f)

  376. @380

    > If we’re going to convict and send our people to jail, then we MUST be the administrator of said jail.

    How do you feel about privately owned and operated prisons within the US borders?

    aphrael (dbf41f) — 2/4/2025 @ 11:36 am

    Abhorrent.

    Because for-profit-prison systems has gross incentives to fill up the jails.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  377. China strikes back:

    ………..
    In a coordinated action Tuesday, several Chinese government bodies announced actions targeting U.S. goods and companies—at 1:02 p.m. local time, one minute after the U.S. formally increased tariffs on imports of all Chinese-made goods by an additional 10%.

    The Customs Tariff Commission of China’s cabinet, the State Council, imposed 15% tariffs on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas imports, while raising levies on crude oil, agricultural machinery and certain vehicles.

    China’s Commerce Ministry added several metals to an export control list, effectively restricting U.S. access to key minerals used to make semiconductors, missile systems and solar cells.

    And China’s antitrust regulator opened a probe into Google, a high-profile symbol of American technological dominance, for possible antitrust violations, while adding PVH, the parent company of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, to a list of “unreliable entities,” which could be used to restrict or ban firms from trading with or investing in China.
    ……….
    ………. China’s retaliatory measures, while high on symbolism, were low on actual dollar impact.

    For instance, China’s new tariffs, which go into effect on Feb. 10, target a relatively narrow band of energy products and machinery, rather than the across-the-board levies that Trump imposed on Chinese goods. China also left out soybeans, a politically symbolic commodity that was at the center of the trade dispute during Trump’s first term in office.
    ……….
    LNG is a potential pressure point, however. China’s LNG imports last year were roughly half what they were in 2021, though they had been set to rise six- or sevenfold by 2028, provided the U.S. grants export licenses to fulfill long-term contracts signed by Chinese companies, according to research firm Gavekal Dragonomics. Increasing tariffs could pinch shipments, or China could threaten to cancel the contracts altogether, Gavekal said.
    ……….

    Weak tea.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  378. Because for-profit-prison systems has gross incentives to fill up the jails.

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/4/2025 @ 11:46 am

    How do they do that-by encouraging crime?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  379. “How do they do that-by encouraging crime?”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal

    (I am aware that Biden pardoned the judge)

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  380. Falling in line:

    The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday voted 9-8 to back President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, clearing an important hurdle for her nomination.
    ……..
    At her confirmation hearing last week, Gabbard had faced pointed questions from some Republicans about her stances on Edward Snowden and the controversial surveillance program he helped expose. The questioning fueled speculation about whether Gabbard would win the backing of the committee, where Republicans have a 9-8 majority.
    ……..
    When the full Senate takes up her confirmation, Gabbard could afford to lose up to three Republican votes, assuming no Democrats vote for her. It’s unclear if there are four Republicans prepared to vote against her nomination, but the committee vote has been viewed as the biggest obstacle for her.
    ……..

    Any thought that the Senate will reject Gabbard (or RFKJr.) is wishful thinking.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  381. Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 2/4/2025 @ 12:02 pm

    That’s one instance, so what are the incentives for private prisons to fill up their facilities? Or does the private prison industry routinely provide bribes and kickbacks to public officials?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  382. Because for-profit-prison systems has gross incentives to fill up the jails.

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/4/2025 @ 11:46 am

    How do they do that-by encouraging crime?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/4/2025 @ 11:58 am

    “How do they do that-by encouraging crime?”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal

    (I am aware that Biden pardoned the judge)

    Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 2/4/2025 @ 12:02 pm

    One of the worst examples.

    There are also stories that the Prison Guard Unions donating to politicians to create/keep laws on the books that maximizes full prisons (thus, they keep their jobs with generous overtime because prisons are so full).

    whembly (b7cc46)

  383. I could be persuaded to allow illegal immigrants to be removed from US prisons and sent to El Salvador. That way when they get released, they are already deported.
    Not sure if shipping US persons overseas to another country is worth the drama and ACLU challenges- I’d say no now and put that idea behind me

    steveg (25c199)

  384. But the software bug is the difference. Why this was a multi-fatality mid-air collision rather than a near miss,

    Or the data link has a lag. Believe it or not the helicopter is not sending its data constantly since the tower has to accept a multitude of information. It might be a slow as once every few minutes. That’s not a bug, that’s a (necessary) feature.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  385. But the helicopter pilot should damn well know her altitude and what is permissible — while crossing the landing path of a major effing airport — and saying she was waiting for the tower to tell her is silly.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  386. We’ll see if the Trump Administration takes up El Salvador’s offer.

    They said “No Americans” at the start. But they may well send cartel members from other countries there.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  387. How do you feel about privately owned and operated prisons within the US borders?

    Do you feel they are more dangerous to prisoners than, say, a Mississippi prison? I would think less so, since a private operator has no protection against suits (and a widespread presumption of greed), while a state-run prison may have sovereign immunity, or at least the benefit of the doubt.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  388. I’d guess that the prison guard’s union is opposed and not above political pressure and maybe a spot of propaganda.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  389. ……since a private operator has no protection against suits (and a widespread presumption of greed), while a state-run prison may have sovereign immunity, or at least the benefit of the doubt.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/4/2025 @ 12:44 pm

    I would assume the contracts between the private prison operators and the state (or local) governments have indemnification clauses. State (or federal) prisons don’t have sovereign immunity, as the many lawsuits against the state of California (and federal government) show.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  390. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.343943/gov.uscourts.wawd.343943.84.0.pdf

    Bruh…

    This was the DOJ’s response to that injunction a Washington judge levied over the birthright case.

    INTRODUCTION
    The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides that “[a]ll persons born
    or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1. On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order addressing what it means to be “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States. See Exec. Order No. 14160, Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship (Citizenship EO or EO). That EO recognizes that the Constitution does not grant birthright citizenship to the children of aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States or the children of aliens whose presence is lawful but temporary. Prior misimpressions of the Citizenship Clause have created a perverse incentive for illegal immigration that has negatively impacted this country’s sovereignty, national security, and economic stability. But the generation that enacted the Fourteenth Amendment did not fate the United States to such a reality. Instead, text, history, and precedent support what common sense compels: the Constitution does not harbor a windfall clause granting American citizenship to, inter alia, the children of those who have circumvented (or outright defied) federal immigration laws. The plaintiffs—in the lead case, four states, and in the other, a putative class of Washington residents—immediately filed suit. But their dramatic assertions about the supposed illegality of the EO cannot substitute for a showing of entitlement to extraordinary emergency relief. And as to each factor of that analysis, all plaintiffs have failed to carry their burden.

    To start, the states lack standing. While they largely concede that the EO does not
    operate directly upon them, they nonetheless complain that the EO will force them to spend more money on public benefits. But that is the exact sort of incidental expenditure the Supreme Court has held insufficient. Just two years ago, the Supreme Court rejected Texas’s argument for standing based on expenditures on public programs in response to a federal policy that increased the number of illegal aliens in the state. See United States v. Texas, 599 U.S. 670 (2023). Similarly, the states here cannot satisfy Article III by claiming that they will choose to spend more money on public programs in response to a federal policy that will result in more individuals in their states being classified as illegal aliens. Moreover, all Plaintiffs lack a cause of action—these suits cannot be brought under the Citizenship Clause or the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and the individuals cannot proceed under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

    Plaintiffs are also unlikely to succeed on the merits. As was apparent from the time of
    its enactment, the Citizenship Clause’s use of the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States contemplates something more than being subject to this country’s regulatory power. It conveys that persons must be “completely subject to [the] political jurisdiction” of the United States, i.e., that they have a “direct and immediate allegiance” to this country, unqualified by an allegiance to any other foreign power. Elk v. Wilkins, 112 U.S. 94, 102 (1884). Just as that does not hold for diplomats or occupying enemies, it similarly does not hold for foreigners admitted temporarily or individuals here illegally. “[N]o one can become a citizen of a nation without its consent.” Id. at 103. And if the United States has not consented to someone’s enduring presence, it follows that it has not consented to making citizens of that person’s children.

    Although Plaintiffs contend that the Citizenship EO upends well-settled law, it is their maximalist reading which runs headlong into existing law. Not only is it inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s holding in Elk that the children of Tribal Indians did not fall within the Citizenship Clause, even though they were subject to the regulatory power of the United States, id. at 101-02, but it would have made the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (which defined citizenship to cover those born in the United States, not “subject to any foreign power”) unconstitutional just two years after it was passed. But the Citizenship Clause was an effort to constitutionalize the Civil Rights Act. Plaintiffs also lean on the Supreme Court’s decision in United Sates v.
    Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898). The Court, however, was careful to cabin its actual
    holding to the children of those with a “permanent domicile and residence in the United
    States,” id. at 652-53, and “[b]reath spent repeating dicta does not infuse it with life.” Metro. Stevedore Co. v. Rambo, 515 U.S. 291, 300 (1995). The Court in Wong Kim Ark did not suggest that it was overturning Elk or jeopardizing the 1866 Civil Rights Act, and reading that decision to leave open the question presented here is consistent with contemporary accounts, prior practices of the political branches, and Supreme Court decisions in the years following Wong Kim Ark. Finally, the balance of the equities does not favor injunctive relief.

    The Court should deny the pending preliminary injunction motions.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  391. “That’s one instance, so what are the incentives for private prisons to fill up their facilities? Or does the private prison industry routinely provide bribes and kickbacks to public officials?”

    Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

    I don’t have time to go into all the issues, but one of the biggest is that most private prisons have what’s called a “Lockup Quote”, meaning the prison gets paid for a minimum level of occupancy (typically around 90%) regardless of the number of actual prisoners. The incentive for the state is to get its money’s worth by keeping the prison supplied with prisoners. Not only by being harsher in sentencing, but also opposing stuff like drug legalization.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  392. @396 ‘thulhu, we are simpatico on this subject.

    If we must have laws and incarceration, the state, accountable to the people, must be in charge of that.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  393. > Do you feel they are more dangerous to prisoners than, say, a Mississippi prison?

    Absolutely. Their incentives are to cut costs as much as possible in order to turn a profit, and then use the profit to bribe legislators via campaign donations to make themselves immune to oversight *and* to increase the number of things that are illegal.

    aphrael (dbf41f)

  394. whembly, at 381: thank you. unusually enough, we are in complete agreement on this subject.

    aphrael (dbf41f)

  395. ……..the distinctions many draw between public and private prisons are ephemeral, if not nonexistent. The usual criticism of private prisons runs something like this: given that private prisons make more money when more people are held in their facilities, these firms have a strong incentive to resist reforms, and in fact will push for tougher laws to keep their prisons full. Implicit in this argument, though tellingly often left unsaid, is that public prisons are somehow . . . different.

    In many ways, however, they are not. To start, public prisons have a strong incentive to keep prisons full as well. They may not profit as explicitly as private facilities do, but as we will quickly see, those who work in prisons and the legislators who have prisons in their districts do profit from confining more and more people, both financially and—unlike private firms— politically.

    More critically, that private prisons focus on maximizing populations is not inherent to privatization but results from how their contracts are written. If states wrote different contracts—ones that did not pay per prisoner per diem rates but instead based funding on goals such as reduced recidivism risks—then the private prisons would focus on things other than just warehousing people. …….

    Once we appreciate that the issue is not “public versus private” but “what incentives do penal institutions face,” the discussion about private prisons can take some interesting twists and turns. It is quite possible, for example, that it may be easier to incentivize private prisons to try to cut recidivism than public prisons. The private prison firms’ clear focus on profit maximization gives policymakers a direct tool that is absent with the more nebulous goals of public prison administrators. There are some intriguing longer-run issues that arise as well. If the goal is to substantially scale back the scope of incarceration, it may be easier to do that in a system dominated by private facilities. Oversimplifying somewhat, closing private prisons simply requires the state department of corrections to decline to renew a contract; closing public facilities can be much trickier, at least politically.
    ………
    The more significant issue is that public sector prisons operating under conventional public sector arrangements face powerful, if better hidden, profit incentives as well. Take, for example, the wages and benefits paid to correctional officers and prison staff, which take up about two-thirds or more of all prison spending: over $30 billion, maybe even closer to $40 billion, of the ~$50 billion states spend annually on prisons. To put that in perspective, that is more than ten times what states pay private prison firms, and perhaps one hundred times the profit those firms earn running prisons. …….

    Source

    The California Correctional Peace Officers Association (aka the prison guard union) has contributed $2.9 million to Gov. Gavin Newsom since he was elected 2019, representing 31% of all political spending by the union since 2001. It also gave $1.75M to the anti-recall campaign the largest single contribution. Over the last 20 years, the union has contributed $9.3M to both individual campaigns and ballot measures.

    The union, which represents about 10% of all state workers, has undoubtedly gotten good deals for its members, arguably none more so than last year, when it negotiated a $1 billion raise over three years. Correctional officers also got a new state-funded retirement perk out of the deal, in addition to their California Public Employees’ Retirement System pensions. And when the state mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for state employees, prison guards were permitted to skip them.

    Talk about perverse incentives.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  396. I don’t have time to go into all the issues, but one of the biggest is that most private prisons have what’s called a “Lockup Quote”, meaning the prison gets paid for a minimum level of occupancy (typically around 90%) regardless of the number of actual prisoners. The incentive for the state is to get its money’s worth by keeping the prison supplied with prisoners. Not only by being harsher in sentencing, but also opposing stuff like drug legalization.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 2/4/2025 @ 1:19 pm

    Isn’t that a function of contracts signed by the state governments? They should negotiate tougher contracts.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  397. @402

    Isn’t that a function of contracts signed by the state governments? They should negotiate tougher contracts.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/4/2025 @ 1:47 pm

    The should negotiate tougher contracts.

    But, here’s the deal… what’s the likelihood that for-profit-prison company also donates to said state politicians? To “grease the wheels” to get favorable negotiations?

    whembly (b7cc46)

  398. What Panama agreed to do was not renew, or, if possible, cancel early, contracts dealing with the canal with any entity controlled by China,

    Marco Rubio has been making Trump’s demands more reasonable and rational, including about USAID.

    Sammy Finkelman (6c8782)

  399. I would assume the contracts between the private prison operators and the state (or local) governments have indemnification clauses.

    Yeah, they indemnify the state, not the prison.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  400. The helicopter did not veer (although I also herd it started to climb) but went straight into the airplane so they are speculating that the helicopter crew was somehow incapacitated (?!) It is said it is almost impossible to remain steady if n a pilot sees something in front of him. It was also off its ah toward the airport and if the ilot had intentionally veered off he would probably have gone more toward the Anacosta side,

    Sammy Finkelman (6c8782)

  401. Dead Man Switch: President Trump says he has left orders in writing saying that i he is assassinated, Iran is to be destroyed.

    Commentators say Vance would carry that out. (what else are they to say?)

    Sammy Finkelman (6c8782)

  402. Absolutely. Their incentives are to cut costs as much as possible in order to turn a profit, and then use the profit to bribe legislators via campaign donations to make themselves immune to oversight *and* to increase the number of things that are illegal.

    All they have to do is be cheaper than building and staffing another prison. IF they don’t have a profit built into their contract, they’re doing business wrong. I get it that you are on the Left and therefore view any private enterprise with suspicion, but your bias doesn’t prove anything except itself.

    The real bribing is by the prison guards unions, which in California gives more than the teachers do to state legislative candidates. As for making more things illegal to drum up business, you need look no further than the defense attorney bar.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  403. Cataggio didn’t expect Trump to be this bad this fast.

    https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/a-little-pain/

    Since Friday:

    1. The president unilaterally declared what the Wall Street Journal called “the dumbest trade war in history” on America’s two neighbors, which is based on blatantly false pretenses in Canada’s case, at least, and may or may not actually take effect after last-minute deals to postpone the tariffs were reached. He seems to think he might be able to pressure Canadians into, er, agreeing to be annexed by the United States. “We don’t need anything they have,” he insisted, boasting that without American trade Canada “ceases to exist as a viable country.” Gratuitously insulting a loyal ally to no obvious end: That’s diplomacy, Trump-style.

    2. Dozens of federal prosecutors who worked on cases related to January 6 were fired by a 2020 election conspiracy theorist who’s currently serving as an interim U.S. attorney. Eight FBI executives were also purged and the acting bureau director was ordered to compile a de facto enemies list of agents who assisted in insurrection cases, presumably so that they can be purged too. The only thing they’ve done wrong, it appears, is to have held Trump’s foot soldiers accountable under the law. They went against The Family.

    3. Elon Musk and a bunch of aides, some as young as 19 years old, have gained access to the U.S. Treasury’s checkbook and other elements of federal infrastructure and have begun to block payments to recipients they deem unworthy—which appears to be news to the president. The USAID agency in particular is being hollowed out (we’re “feeding [it] into the wood chipper,” Elon claimed) after Musk aides barged their way into the bureau’s headquarters on Saturday and gained access to classified systems over the objections of security. It’s unclear whether anyone involved had or has the requisite security clearances, let alone the legal authority, to do any of this.

    4. Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers in California’s Tulare County to begin releasing vast amounts of water from two dams, apparently to show Americans how boldly he’s moving to cut through progressive red tape and address the local wildfires. Problem one: None of the water released is flowing to affected areas. Problem two: Locals were unprepared, risking flooding. Problem three: Farmers rely on that water during the dry summer months to irrigate their crops. Trump did get a nice Twitter post out of the episode, though.

    5. Marco Rubio reportedly will name Darren Beattie as his acting deputy in charge of public diplomacy at the State Department. Beattie worked in Trump’s first administration before being fired—for attending a conference with white nationalists. He used the riot on January 6 as an occasion to warn various African Americans, including Sen. Tim Scott, to “take a knee” and “learn his place” in MAGA America. Beattie’s a fan of China’s Uyghur genocide, too, it turns out, and is hoping to see the United States barter away Taiwan’s independence to Beijing. If you want to understand the difference between Trump 1.0 and 2.0 at a glance, Beattie going from persona non grata to high-ranking American diplomat is hard to top.

    norcal (a72384)

  404. President Trump says he has left orders in writing saying that i he is assassinated, Iran is to be destroyed.

    So, yeah, impeachment will never happen. Is he going to threaten to nuke Canada next?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  405. (we’re “feeding [it] into the wood chipper,” Elon claimed) after Musk aides barged their way into the bureau’s headquarters on Saturday and gained access to classified systems over the objections of security.

    They really ought to get some snazzy full-length black leather jackets. Real leather, of course.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  406. But, here’s the deal… what’s the likelihood that for-profit-prison company also donates to said state politicians? To “grease the wheels” to get favorable negotiations?

    Why would they have to? The state does NOT want to build and staff another prison, and the most incompetent businessman could do it for less.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  407. Just listened to a Ukrainian American veteran who is in Ukraine talk about Ukrainian natural resources and Trump.
    He seems convinced that Zelensky and Trump will very soon make a deal involving rebuilding and rare earth mining concessions.
    Interestingly, the Ukrainian put Luhansk on the trade chopping block immediately (In the Ukrainian Census of 2001,[25] 49.6% of the inhabitants declared themselves as ethnically Ukrainians and 47% as Russians. 85.3% of the population spoke Russian as their native language, while 13.7% spoke Ukrainian)

    steveg (25c199)

  408. What Panama agreed to do was not renew, or, if possible, cancel early, contracts dealing with the canal with any entity controlled by China,

    That’s a disappointment.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  409. Trump Blinks on North American Tariffs

    President Trump never admits a mistake, but he often changes his mind. That’s the best way to read his decision Monday to pause his 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada after minor concessions from each country.
    ……….
    ……….(T)here’s much less to this tariff truce than meets the eye. Mr. Trump won an announcement of help at the border, though what the Mexican troops will actually do to fight the cartels trafficking drugs isn’t clear. Drug enforcement is a hardy perennial in U.S.-Mexican relations, and Mexico has promised help before, notably during the presidencies of Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto.
    ……….
    Later Monday, Mr. Trump paused his tariffs against Canada as well after a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada is also deploying more law enforcement to the U.S. border and will appoint a “Fentanyl Czar,” among other enforcement promises.

    If the North American leaders need to cheer about a minor deal so they all claim victory, that’s better for everyone. The need is especially important for Mr. Trump given how much he has boasted that his tariffs are a fool-proof diplomatic weapon against friend or foe. Mr. Trump can’t afford to look like the guy who lost. Ms. Sheinbaum in particular seems to recognize this, and so far she’s playing her Trump cards with skill.

    None of this means the tariffs are some genius power play, as the Trump media chorus is boasting. The 25% border tax could return in a month if Mr. Trump is in the wrong mood, or if he doesn’t like something the foreign leaders have said or done. It also isn’t clear what Mr. Trump really wants his tariffs to achieve. Are they about reducing the flow of fentanyl, or is his real goal to rewrite the North American trade deal he signed in his first term? ………
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  410. Trump Says U.S. Will Take Over Gaza

    President Trump called for nearly two million Palestinians to permanently leave Gaza for neighboring countries and for the U.S. to take long-term control of the territory, a sweeping break with decades of U.S. policy that left the idea of a Palestinian state in tatters.

    “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip,” Trump said during the press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. “I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East.”
    ……….
    The proposal, if implemented, would deeply involve the U.S. in a massive development project that Trump officials said earlier in the day could take 10 to 15 years. He left unaddressed how the U.S. would persuade Palestinians to voluntarily surrender their land and whether Israel would ultimately exercise sovereignty in the territory.
    ……….
    Since taking office last month, Trump has floated the idea of moving the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza out of the territory so it can be rebuilt, a suggestion that has been rebuffed by Arab states even as it has been welcomed by far-right Israeli politicians.
    ……….
    Top diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar rejected “evictions” of Palestinians “in any form or under any circumstances or justifications,” in a statement after a meeting in Cairo on Saturday.

    White House officials argued Tuesday that mass relocation from Gaza was the only viable option and that they could persuade Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Palestinians. ……
    …….
    ………U.S officials have yet to outline how they will remove Palestinians from Gaza if they don’t leave voluntarily. Moving forward with the plan could undercut Trump and Netanyahu’s larger goal of a reaching a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia……..(A) hurdle remains because Riyadh has made establishing a clear pathway to a Palestinian state a condition for recognizing Israel.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  411. Gotta love that Donald: after railing against foreign adventures and nation-building, he sets his sights on Gaza, rushing in where others fear to tread.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  412. That’s a disappointment.

    Frees up the troops for taking Baja.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  413. THE PREACHER WOULDN’T EXCHANGE
    BY E. A. BRININSTOOL

    WHEN Captain Jack, chief of the Modoc Indians, was hanged at
    Fort Klamath, Oregon, on Oc¬tober 3, 1873, with three of his
    tribesmen, for the murder of Gen. E. R. S.Canby and the Rev. E. Thomas while acting as members of the peace commission
    under a flag of truce in the Lava Beds on the California-Oregon border in April,1873, a white preacher comforted him on the scaffold.

    Captain Jack was told that he must die bravely; that he was going to a beautiful country where he never would want for
    anything—the white man’s God would see that he was bountifully supplied. The chief listened to the words of the “blackrobe” in silence for a moment; then he said —

    “It is a nice place I am going to, is it?”

    “A most beautiful country, Jack,” answered the preacher.

    “And I will never want for anything in that wonderful place?”

    “Not a thing. You will never have to worry about anything at all.”

    Again Jack pondered thoughtfully. Then he remarked with a half-smile:

    “Preacher, I have a proposition to make to you. This country right here is plenty good enough for me. You say that other
    country is a fine place, and so I suppose you want to go there. Now, if you will trade places with me right now, I will give you twenty-five of my best ponies. What do you say?”

    The preacher did not effect the change.

    nk (a13a92)

  414. Trump is insane.

    nk (a13a92)

  415. Trump says resettle palestinians in the east. Hope it works better then the last time. What if democrats run on resettling trumpsters in the east in 2028.

    asset (a69aea)

  416. One, Trump shouldn’t be pushing for a 25-mile long beachfront resort along the Mediterranean without the Gazans actually having a place to go, and those accommodations should be decent when/if they get there.

    Two, Bibi is playing coy, this is actually what he wants. It’s like winning a Jewish Powerball.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  417. As I said when this started, the resort-building should be done by the Saudis, for the benefit of the Palestinians, so that the Crown Prince can wash some of that blood off his hands.

    The upside is that the Saudis would make short work of Hamas (about 1 foot shorter each of them) and they would be extremely unlikely to want to piss off the Israelis. CO-opting them would be a better approach.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  418. I could go with the Saudi idea, Kevin, because Trump has a record of being a crap developer. He’d be best off turning it over to someone competent and maybe keeping some naming rights.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  419. Donnie Combover
    Or:
    How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love [not really] The Bombast

    nk (0a4ca0) — 2/3/2025 @ 5:46 pm

    I forgot to commend you on this one, nk. Funny stuff!

    norcal (a72384)

  420. Democrat leaders like corporate stooge chuck schumer are running around like chickens with their heads cut off! Corporate stooge jefferies is telling his scared do-nothing members to hold town hall meetings to forestal being primaried. Jerry (jabba the hut) nadler out talking to voters would be fun to watch. Do nothing but whine democrats please the donors ;but not the primary voters.

    asset (a69aea)

  421. Our foremost concern should be:

    How long before those paranoid assholes in Moscow and Peking also come to the conclusion that Trump is insane and launch preemptive nuclear strikes before he does?

    nk (f2c1cf)

  422. Not to worry, folks, it’s a concept of a plan, an opening bid.
    I wonder how the Muslim Americans who voted for Trump feel right now.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  423. The best spin I can put on Trump’s Gaza “plan” is that he wants to motivate Arab players to get their asses in gear.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  424. How long before those paranoid assholes in Moscow and Peking also come to the conclusion that Trump is insane

    A pre-emptive nuclear attack is itself insane. One nuclear submarine can destroy Russia or China. The US has 14.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  425. Peggy Noonan on the tech barons at the inauguration:

    As I watched them at the inauguration I abstracted. It was like Elon is passing the solid gold phone to Mark Zuckerberg, who nods and passes it to Jeff Bezos, who passes it to Sam Altman, who marvels at its weight and shine.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  426. Noonan’s message however, is that Trump represents a singularity in American government and God only knows where it will end up.

    Her final point is to the Democrats and how they might recover, or not:

    Most of all, make something work. You run nearly every great city in the nation. Make one work—clean it up, control crime, smash corruption, educate the kids.

    You want everyone in the country to know who you are? Save a city.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  427. @428

    The best spin I can put on Trump’s Gaza “plan” is that he wants to motivate Arab players to get their asses in gear.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/5/2025 @ 7:18 am

    That is exactly what’s happening.

    He’s setting the table.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  428. I don’t think Trump is insane. I think he is intentionally creating chaos. It is unsettling, to be sure, but it prompts other actors to step up and do things they probably don’t want to do.

    The positive side is that a lot of them are doing things Trump wants to try to please him. That is good if you like Trump’s policies.

    The negative side is that this will create distrust and dislike for the US for decades to come. That’s bad if the US ever needs help from the rest of the world.

    On a different subject, will Trump be pardoning the trespasser who scaled the White House fence today? It seems only fair.

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  429. Gotta love that Donald: after railing against foreign adventures and nation-building, he sets his sights on Gaza, rushing in where others fear to tread.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/4/2025 @ 6:59 pm

    It’s the real estate developer in him, he sees an opportunity to hat no one else sees. I doubt agree how Gaza should end up, the difference is that Gaza’s transformation would be to benefit Gazans.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  430. Trump says resettle palestinians in the east….

    Send them to El Salvador.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  431. Trump better hope that he and the US are as all powerful as he thinks they are, because this chaos could spark unintended consequences.

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  432. Good comments, Rip.

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  433. @433

    On a different subject, will Trump be pardoning the trespasser who scaled the White House fence today? It seems only fair.

    DRJ (a84ee2) — 2/5/2025 @ 9:19 am

    Are the Trump DOJ prosecutors going to apply some novel interpretation of some esoteric felony law to enhance the jail term?

    whembly (b7cc46)

  434. Are the Trump DOJ prosecutors going to apply some novel interpretation of some esoteric felony law to enhance the jail term?

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/5/2025 @ 9:24 am

    We’ll see.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  435. Trump Says He Would Jail Americans in El Salvador ‘in a Heartbeat’

    President Trump said on Tuesday that he was open to an offer by El Salvador’s president to jail convicted criminals, including American citizens, in the Central American nation’s notorious “megaprison.”

    “If we had the legal right to do it, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Mr. Trump said.
    …………
    “There’s obviously legalities involved. We have a Constitution,” Mr. Rubio told reporters in Costa Rica on Monday. “But it’s a very generous offer.”

    But experts said that those “legalities” virtually precluded the basic premise of the deal.

    “It is illegal to send U.S. prisoners to another country,” said Andrea Flores, vice president of immigration policy at the advocacy group FWD.us and a former National Security Council official. “It would likely be in violation of the Constitution and the protection against cruel and unusual treatment.”
    …………

    Given Trump’s on-going “norm busting”, likely means maybe.

    Rip Murdock (6f0f3c)

  436. 406. Dead Man Switch

    President Trump mentioned this in response to a question about the possibility of Iran killing him.

    He was not belligerent about it. He mentioned this very matter-of-factly, saying that he didn’t think Iran was (planning to do that) but that he had already issued orders that in such a case Iran was to be “obliterated.”

    This was the same press conference where he gave his proposal for the future of Gaza: That he wanted the United States to take it over, with most or all of its population temporarily or permanently moved out.

    Sammy Finkelman (4f7c0b)

  437. What was novel and esoteric about misdemeanor trespassing charges for entering a restricted area, which was the charge against hundreds of them?

    I imagine that is what this trespasser will be charged with. Give him a pardon, right?

    DRJ (a84ee2)

  438. @442

    I imagine that is what this trespasser will be charged with. Give him a pardon, right?

    DRJ (a84ee2) — 2/5/2025 @ 11:15 am

    I was referring to:
    https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/fischer-v-united-states/

    whembly (b7cc46)

  439. President Trump called for nearly two million Palestinians

    Trump’s using the figure of 1,800,000 as the population of GAza, in contrast to the more usual 2,100,000. A high estimate is 2,200,000.

    He’s estimating that 300,000 people managed to get out since the war started.

    Mostly by bribing Egyptians.

    Sammy Finkelman (4f7c0b)

  440. Rip Murdock (6f0f3c) — 2/5/2025 @ 9:43 am

    If the President can change the definition of who is a citizen by Executive Order, he can certainly revoke the citizenship of American citizens.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  441. Regarding Trump and Gaza, start with keeping POTUS away from a Sharpie.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  442. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/5/2025 @ 12:36 pm

    If the President can change the definition of who is a citizen by Executive Order, he can certainly revoke the citizenship of American citizens.

    I think Eisenhower tried this but I need to check.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  443. @448 If it works democrats could revoke the citizenship of trumpsters.

    asset (64cd62)

  444. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/4/2025 @ 12:39 pm

    But the helicopter pilot should damn well know her altitude and what is permissible — while crossing the landing path of a major effing airport — and saying she was waiting for the tower to tell her is silly.

    We (the public) don’t know who was speaking the male pilot or the female co-pilot who was probably controlling the helicopter.

    She was on her annual certification test. I guess she failed it.

    She would have been sitting on the right side but the descending plane would have been to her left. And very hard to see with night vision goggles in such a lighted area.

    The helicopter requested (and got) visual flight avoidance.

    I don’t think we have the flight data recorder yet – or at least they are trying to synchronize it. The true height comes from the airport radar I think.

    Airport radar shows the helicopter reached 325 feet, (climbing at the very end maybe because at such a low height there’s not much room to maneuver downwards) but the ATC system rounds height to the nearest 100 feet (and probably comes with a slight delay) and showed it at 200 feet.

    Her last maneuver may have got her directly into the plane. She was heading south but was too far west and the plane was heading north and made a slight turn toward the runway I think. The plane was directed to a more difficult and less used runway.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  445. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/02/helicopter-airplane-collision-dc-updates/78154023007

    National Transportation Safety Board investigators have determined the CRJ700 airplane was at 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, at the time of impact. The information was based on data recovered from the jet’s flight data recorder that tracks the aircraft’s movements, speed and other technical information.

    Just before impact, the crew aboard the American flight had a “verbal reaction,” according to the plane’s cockpit voice recorder, and flight data shows the plane’s nose began to rise, NTSB investigator Brice Banning said.

    The plane’s altitude suggests the Army helicopter was flying above 200 feet − the maximum altitude for the route it was using. Yet the control tower’s radar apparently showed the helicopter at 200 feet at the time of the accident, though that information has not been confirmed, Banning said.

    https://www.wdsu.com/article/military-helicopter-multitasking-training/63632012

    The accident follows a dozen fatal crashes during Army Black Hawk training missions since January 2014 that have claimed the lives of 47 service members.

    https://nypost.com/2025/02/04/us-news/ntsb-confirms-army-black-hawk-was-flying-too-high-before-dc-midair-crash-with-american-airlines-flight/

    Data from air traffic control radar showed the military chopper was flying at 300 feet on the air traffic control display at the time of the fiery Jan. 29 crash, according to the NTSB.

    It was or it wasn’t? Or displayed as 300 feet only n the last seconds?

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  446. Just before impact, the crew aboard the American flight had a “verbal reaction,” …….

    As in “oh sh!t.”

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  447. If the President can change the definition of who is a citizen by Executive Order, he can certainly revoke the citizenship of American citizens.

    I think Eisenhower tried this but I need to check.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/5/2025 @ 1:55 pm

    While you are looking, I do not mean revoking the citizenship of those who became naturalized citizens; that has been done frequently if they lied on their citizenship forms. I mean of persons born in the US with citizen parents.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  448. The classic line is “Uh oh”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  449. very hard to see with night vision goggles in such a lighted area.

    That’s why you would not wear them there. They weren’t doing that in the plane.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  450. Her last maneuver may have got her directly into the plane. She was heading south but was too far west and the plane was heading north and made a slight turn toward the runway I think. The plane was directed to a more difficult and less used runway.

    The plane is allowed to do anything, the helicopter is required to let it.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  451. Politico cant make payroll as govt. funding is cut off. Other media outlets paid to defend the dnc and corporate democrat politicians at tax payers expense will soon follow. Now both right wing media and far left media (who survive on far less funding) will go after corporate establishment democrat stooges with no one being paid to defend them. Know wonder schumer and house dnc stooges are scraming like stuck pigs!

    asset (684df6)

  452. @NJRob@457 The article you linked basically says that they are still charging fees. Also, I don’t actually think it’s particularly ethical for the US government to extort free passage when the cost of passage is what pays the upkeep on the canal (plus some profit, but that’s what private companies are supposed to do, make a profit).

    Nic (120c94)

  453. https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/world-news/state-dept-says-us-government-vessels-can-now-transit-panama-canal-without-fees/articleshow/117964903.cms

    Nic, Reuters dishonestly changed the article and didn’t mention the editing. I’m shocked that a news organization could be so dishonest.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  454. Who to believe, the Trump administration or the Panamanian president. Given the established track record of nontruth-telling by the manchild at the top, I’m going with the latter.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  455. I’m shocked Paul, shocked.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  456. Even if you believe Trump, it’s still like the time I planned to take over the Tri-State Area and in the end I got an I-Pass.

    If you use an I-Pass on the Illinois Tollway, the toll is half the toll booth or pay-by-plate rate.

    Success!

    nk (275b2b)

  457. I’m not shocked that you take the manchild’s word at face value, Rob. What do you think of his tall tale, er, lie about Tuberville and Mahomes?

    While giving a shoutout to Alabama’s senior senator’s past as a former football coach, Trump erroneously praised Tuberville for coaching Mahomes during his college years.

    “A great coach. You know, his quarterback was named Mahomes. He was a great college coach,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘How good was he?’ He continued, ‘You don’t wanna know how good. He made me into a great coach.’ He’s a pretty good quarterback, right? Yeah, he was very good. And he’s a good guy, too.”

    It don’t matter the scale, your Orange Leader lies about everything, and you’re the right-wing chump who swallows it.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  458. Wow!!! That is huge news Paul!!!!!

    Soo… I guess you favor men in women’s sports?

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  459. Soo… I guess you favor men in women’s sports?

    You guess wrong.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  460. Oh? Ok…

    So you agree with Trump and his EO?

    That is good to know.

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  461. The classic line (on cockpit voice recorders) is “Uh oh”

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/5/2025 @ 7:18 pm

    Here is a collection of the last words heard on CVRs just before a crash.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  462. @428, maybe. Then he’ll do what he did with Canada and claim whatever they agree to is a huge success.

    It’s not a negotiating ploy. It’s a marketing technique.

    Time123 (4dda34)

  463. Politico received tens of millions of $$ from the federal government. Oh, but it’s Politico Pro, a “non-partisan, fact based” arm. LOL, right. I’m sure their reporting on DOGE is objective. Beltway incest in action.

    lloyd (5b5e09)

  464. Panama’s President Denies U.S. Claim of Free Canal Passage for American Ships

    Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday denied the U.S. State Department’s claim that his country had agreed to allow U.S. government vessels to transit the Panama Canal for free, an assertion that has upended the two countries’ talks on the waterway.
    ……….
    Mulino said he had told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the day before that he doesn’t have the legal authority to waive transit fees for anyone, describing the U.S. announcement as “lies and falsehoods.” He said he had asked Panama’s ambassador in Washington to dispute the State Department’s claim.

    The announcement came three days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the country to meet with Mulino and tour the canal. In a post on X on Wednesday night, the State Department declared U.S. government ships would be able to access the waterway “without charge fees, saving the U.S. government millions of dollars a year.”
    ………..
    Asked about Mulino’s statement Thursday, Rubio told reporters that he held talks with Mulino about passage for American ships and reiterated the U.S. expectation that U.S. ships would have fees waived. He said he understands that Panama has a legal process it needs to work through first. “I would just say that the United States has a treaty obligation to protect Panama Canal should it come under attack,” he said. “I find it absurd that we would have to pay fees to transit a zone that we are obligated to protect in a time of conflict.”
    ………..
    “What is $10 million for a country like the United States? It’s not like the canal fees are bankrupting the United States economy,” (President Mulino) said.

    During Rubio’s visit, both governments had agreed to study the possibility of giving free passage to U.S. Navy vessels, said people familiar with the discussions. But Panamanian officials cautioned that such a measure would require legal analysis to ensure that it wouldn’t violate the 1977 canal treaty, which includes a clause that requires Panama to provide equal treatment and payment terms to all canal users.
    ………..
    Large U.S. Navy vessels, like aircraft carriers, can’t cross the canal because they are too wide. Canal officials said Navy crossings are uncommon, with an average of 40 vessels going through the waterway each year, or less than 0.5% of the total number of ships transiting. The move would reportedly allow the U.S. Navy to save around $13 million annually, in a Defense Department budget of $850 billion.
    ………..
    Panama hadn’t yet found a way to allow free passage without breaching a neutrality clause banning preferential treatment for any country, people familiar with the discussions say. The canal’s administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, told The Wall Street Journal last month that breaching the neutrality treaty would lead to chaos.
    …………
    Before Rubio had even left the country, Trump repeated “we’re taking it back, or something very powerful is going to happen.”
    …………

    Just. Do. It.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  465. @470

    Politico received tens of millions of $$ from the federal government. Oh, but it’s Politico Pro, a “non-partisan, fact based” arm. LOL, right. I’m sure their reporting on DOGE is objective. Beltway incest in action.

    lloyd (5b5e09) — 2/6/2025 @ 12:55 pm

    Conceptually, it’s no different why people have issues with Big Pharma companies advertising on network TV. It instills doubt that these network TVs would allow hard-hitting reports on Big Pharma.

    The same dynamics is at play here… in that, Politician’s aligned groups facilitate tax payer’s funding to a news organization. Politico doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the funding.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  466. White House says it will cancel $8 million in Politico subscriptions after a false right-wing conspiracy theory spreads

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, responding Wednesday to a question about a right-wing conspiracy theory, announced that the federal government would cancel $8 million worth of Politico subscriptions.

    Leavitt elevated a bogus claim spreading on social media that Politico and the Associated Press for years received millions of dollars from the US Agency for International Development, which President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have targeted by placing staff on leave. In reality, the payments represented the whole of the federal government’s subscriptions to the news outlets’ services. All federal agencies combined spent $8.2 million last year on Politico Pro, according to USASpending.gov.
    ………..
    (As) reporters quickly pointed out in response to false statements on social media, the payments are not exclusively USAID funds.

    “I looked at these contracts and I have my own fun fact,” Byron Tau, an investigative reporter at the Associated Press, said via X. “This is occurring because agencies (not just USAID) are buying subscriptions to Politico’s Pro editorial product, not because Politico is getting grants or other federal funding.”
    ………
    The Trump administration’s focus on the false narrative that Politico received USAID funds follows an erroneous claim by Kyle Becker, a conservative political commentator, on Wednesday ………
    ,…………
    The media company acknowledged government agencies subscribe to its pro service, just like corporations do. “The value of this journalism is clear, as evidenced by our subscription re-enlistment rates,” Politico’s leaders said. ……….

    In a statement, the AP said that the federal government has “long been an AP customer — through both Democratic and Republican administrations.”
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  467. Link for post 473.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  468. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/6/2025 @ 2:32 pm

    More:

    Becker and (right-wing commentator Benny) Johnson’s claims are false. The only payments received by Politico LLC from USAID were for two subscriptions to E&E—an energy and environment publication it produces—totaling $44,000 over two years.

    According to USAspending.gov, an official source for U.S. government expenditure data—and the resource used by Becker in his post—Politico received $8.2 million in total payments in the previous 12 months. However, payments from USAID are a small fraction of that total. Of the two payments from the agency, only one was in that timeframe.
    ………..
    Funds received by Politico LLC from other government agencies also came mostly from subscriptions to E&E, or for the company’s policy intelligence platform, Politico Pro. The largest spenders have been the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of the Interior (DOI), and Department of Energy (DOE).
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  469. Rip,

    you’re the only one spreading disinformation. Everyone has said that there government is spending millions on bogus subscriptions. Each subscription goes for 5 figures.

    You do the math.

    NJRob (e4cff4)

  470. “bogus subscriptions”

    Without googling it, tell me what Politico Pro is.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  471. Politico Pro is a high value subscription service from Politico.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  472. Rip,

    you’re the only one spreading disinformation. Everyone has said that there government is spending millions on bogus subscriptions. Each subscription goes for 5 figures.

    You do the math.

    NJRob (e4cff4) — 2/6/2025 @ 2:47 pm

    LOL! The assertion was that Politico was receiving “millions of dollars” from USAID, which is demonstrably untrue. Who’s “everyone”, and how do you know the subscriptions are “bogus”?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  473. The screeching monkeys are acting like it’s just politico.com but with a $10,000 subscription. It’s a professional software tool. I am not a target user so I have no way of assessing whether it’s “worth” the subscription fee. Apparently Lauren Boebert’s office has a subscription.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  474. So you agree with Trump and his EO?

    I haven’t read his EO. If he agrees with me that persons born with male junk shouldn’t participate in womens’ sports, then good on him.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  475. The NCAA has just published a rule banning biological males from competing in women’s sports.

    The NCAA revised its participation policy for transgender athletes Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that aims to bar trans athletes from women’s sports.

    The updated policy, which is effective immediately, limits competition in women’s sports exclusively to athletes assigned female at birth. It permits athletes “assigned male at birth to practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care while practicing.” The NCAA said its new rules apply to all athletes, including those who had previously undergone eligibility reviews under its prior policy.

    “The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. “We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.”

    Trump’s executive order directs the Department of Education to inform schools they will be violating Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools, if they allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ or women’s sports. Under the law, schools that discriminate based on sex are not eligible for federal funding.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  476. very hard to see with night vision goggles in such a lighted area.

    455. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/5/2025 @ 7:21 pm

    cThat’s why you would not wear them there. They weren’t doing that in the plane.

    NBC Nightly News reported tonight that the FAA said late in the day that they were.

    I think they always wear them, and most of the route was not lighted.

    NBC said, apparently echoing what it was told, that they didn’t know what kind of goggles or if it helped or hurt.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/us/key-safety-system-off-army-helicopter-that-collided-with-american-airlines-jet-2025-02-06

    NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters it appears based on the cockpit voice recorder that the helicopter pilot was wearing night vision goggles. She also said the helicopter had been recovered from the Potomac River and it would likely be several days before the NTSB can confirm that the helicopter’s ADS-B was off during the crash.

    Earlier in the article:

    WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) – A key safety system was turned off on the U.S. Army helicopter that collided with an American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab regional jet last week near Washington’s Reagan Airport, killing 67.

    Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz told reporters the Black Hawk helicopter had turned off its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), which is permitted for military aircraft.

    “This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off,” Cruz said after a briefing from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.

    Hey! They wanted to make the training for emergencies realistic. A foreign power might turn it off. The pilot had to learn how to get along without it.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  477. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/6/2025 @ 2:32 pm

    Rip debunks a claim that no one here was making. LOL

    lloyd (5b5e09)

  478. Rip debunks a claim that no one here was making. LOL

    lloyd (5b5e09) — 2/6/2025 @ 5:13 pm

    It’s an open thread. Whatever someone posts doesn’t need to be related to any other post.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  479. In fact I was responding to the claim made by the White House.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  480. CBS tried to influence the election and they spent months hiding it from voters

    New side-by-side video comparison has highlighted the stark differences between how Kamala Harris answered questions during her 60 Minutes interview and what actually made it to air.

    All of the damning moments of the CBS interview that were edited out can now be viewed alongside the final cut that American households saw as they were weighing up who to vote for in the 2024 presidential race.

    Ultimately, President Donald Trump was re-elected, but he’s now sued the network for attempting to rig the election in Harris’ favor.

    The edited version made Harris appear more coherent and succinct, chopping waffling answers on Ukraine’s right to join NATO, the Israel-Palestine conflict and her refusal to comment on ‘hypothetical’ questions about China.

    The Federal Communications Commission ordered the original be made public and, in doing so, it was revealed that CBS aired just 20 minutes of Kamala Harris talking, compared to 60 minutes that were filmed.

    lloyd (6e5378)

  481. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/6/2025 @ 5:27 pm

    Another non-story.

    lloyd (6e5378)

  482. Democrat party polls 9 million voters (telephone survey mostly ;but some door to door local democrat party) on why they voted in 2020 ;but did not vote in 2024. No the answer was not I don’t exist! They mostly responded the democrat party was mostly interested in d.e.i. and illegal aliens and not them. The democrat party is run by donor class many of which are wealthy gay white men who support d.e.i. and professional activist women with a liberal guilt trip both support d.e.i. Hate trump and don’t care about immigration. DNC problem donor class fine with d.e.i. ;but not raising minimum wage or taxing the rich. Democrat party telling working class here take d.e.i. instead of a raise in the minimum wage or donor class cuts off are funding.

    asset (5fbb0c)

  483. The pilot had to learn how to get along without it.

    Without the identity beacon? That makes no sense.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  484. CBS tried to influence the election and they spent months hiding it from voters

    Silly, whining about a single 20-minute interview.
    Foxnews tried to influence the election, spending months promoting a con man and denigrating the incumbent.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  485. The broken clock hit the right time, from The Dispatch

    The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an international network—including several vessels and individuals in China, India, and the United Arab Emirates—that it accused of facilitating illicit Iranian oil sales to China on Thursday. According to U.S. officials, proceeds from the oil sales were being used to fund terrorists and proxy groups by way of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and its front company, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars. The measures followed President Trump’s presidential memorandum earlier this week reinstating a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program.

    The next package of sanctions should go to Putin’s shadow fleet and their owners.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  486. The edited version made Harris appear more coherent and succinct, chopping waffling answers on Ukraine’s right to join NATO, the Israel-Palestine conflict and her refusal to comment on ‘hypothetical’ questions about China.

    What the reduction of her answer to 20 words on the question about Gaza did was eliminate anything that supported Israel fighting the war. What they left had her implying she was against Israeli policy – only.

    The people at CBS 60 Minutes were trying to salvage the vote in Michigan. 60 Minutes ran a piece about Israel is bad about Gaza recently.

    Sammy Finkelman (97d202)

  487. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/6/2025 @ 3:11 pm

    The assertion was that Politico was receiving “millions of dollars” from USAID, which is demonstrably untrue.

    Reported but then not repeated much: The subscriptions were being paid for and coming from various different U.S. agencies.

    Both Democrats and Republicans have this bad spin habit of distorting the facts when they may have something to complain about. The truth is not enough for them.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  488. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/05/media/politico-usaid-subscription-government/index.html

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, responding Wednesday to a question about a right-wing conspiracy theory, announced that the federal government would cancel $8 million worth of Politico subscriptions.

    Leavitt elevated a bogus claim spreading on social media that Politico and the Associated Press for years received millions of dollars from the US Agency for International Development, which President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have targeted by placing staff on leave. In reality, the payments represented the whole of the federal government’s subscriptions to the news outlets’ services. All federal agencies combined spent $8.2 million last year on Politico Pro, according to USASpending.gov.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  489. Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/7/2025 @ 6:55 am

    Without the identity beacon? That makes no sense.

    That would be relying on outside help.

    But they were training for evacuation of high government officials from Washington in the event of something like, say, a cyberattack or something that knocked out Air Traffic control.

    I know. It’s incredibly stupid.

    There could be other reasons like not caring about it.

    Sammy Finkelman (c5132f)

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