[guest post by Dana]

Every day there is something new. One can’t keep up. I sure hope no one is planning on an actual full 90 day pause because we know that Trump is mentally unstable, flip-flops constantly, and doesn’t understand or care about the negative impacts his impulsive decisions have on the American people. It would be foolish to count on this happening (until it actually happens!):

Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable. Conversely, and based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs, and that these Countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way, shape, or form against the United States, I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

But for the moment:

Dow surges 1,800 points after Trump signals a 90-day pause on tariffs https://t.co/eUeVIYf4hM

— CNBC (@CNBC) April 9, 2025

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Trump has always been vainglorious, and unable to see his own hypocrisy or read a room, so this is unsurprising. He had dreams of a large, flashy military parade during his first term, too, but the costs were so high, that he had to cancel his dreams. So, what better time to plan another elaborate military parade than when Americans are suffering financially as a result of Trump’s tariffs:

The Trump administration started planning a military-style parade in the D.C. area for the president’s birthday. . . The Trump administration has been contacting local leaders in the D.C. area about having a parade. The size and scope of the parade is unclear.

June 14 will be the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. It’s also Trump’s 79th birthday, a celebration that could include a parade. . .

About the costs that compelled Trump to cancel his plans last time:

[Mayor] Bowser cautioned that a true military parade with heavy equipment like tanks would come with a cost.

“Military tanks on our streets would not be good,” she said. “If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.”

. . .

Infrastructure like the 14th Street Bridge would have to be tested to see if it could support the parade, officials said.

. . .

“The military leaders said it would cost too much, nearly $90 million; Mayor Bowser. . . said it would cost us $20 million just for public safety. . . “So, he canceled it — angrily canceled it. But this time around, it doesn’t sound like he is gonna cancel.”

Given that it’s several years later, one can reasonably assume that costs have only gone up, thus that would still be a vexing problem for Trump. Additionally, the optics of spending a massive amount of (taxpayer?) money during a shaky economy would be awful. I don’t think that Trump, personally, would be bothered by this, but one hopes that his chief of staff and advisors would press the point.

Mostly though, because Trump is basically a toddler who, when he wants something, has to have it, he will ignore reasonable warnings and do what he wants to do. One-time compliance was enough. After all, if his friends are doing it, why can’t he??!!

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

This is one of those things that makes me shudder. Do we really think that nothing will go wrong with this?:

The dire wolf once roamed an American range that extended as far south as Venezuela and as far north as Canada, but not a single one has been seen in over 10,000 years, when the species went extinct. Plenty of dire wolf remains have been discovered across the Americas, however, and that presented an opportunity for a company named Colossal Biosciences.

Relying on deft genetic engineering and ancient, preserved DNA, Colossal scientists deciphered the dire wolf genome, rewrote the genetic code of the common gray wolf to match it, and, using domestic dogs as surrogate mothers, brought Romulus, Remus, and their sister, 2-month-old Khaleesi, into the world during three separate births last fall and this winter—effectively for the first time de-extincting a line of beasts whose live gene pool long ago vanished.

The same company has now “copied mammoth DNA to create a woolly mouse, a chimeric critter with the long, golden coat and the accelerated fat metabolism of the mammoth”.

When presented with concerns about their endeavors, Colossal scientists explained that this knowledge could help endangered animals from going extinct, and that they could use the information about the woolly mouse to “engineer” elephants vigorous enough to survive the impacts of climate change. They also claim that what they learned in replicating the dire wolf can also be used to prevent certain wolves from extinction. Additionally:

“We are an evolutionary force at this point,” says Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, speaking of humanity as a whole. “We are deciding what the future of these species will be.”

And that is what makes me weary: a group of really intelligent scientists, armed with the power and ability to pick and choose what will happen to various species. Do we think that such knowledge will be used wisely and without an adverse outcome? After all, is there anything wrong with letting extinct animals remain just that?

-—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Rightly reinforcing that the Constitution forbids viewpoint discrimination:

A federal judge ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to ban the Associated Press’s access to events with President Trump because the outlet refused to use Gulf of America when referring to the Gulf of Mexico.

From Judge McFadden:

“The Court merely declares that the AP’s exclusion has been contrary to the First Amendment, and it enjoins the Government from continuing down that unlawful path.”

McFadden is giving the administration time to appeal.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

I’m sure this has nothing to do with the Trump Crypto Family:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is shutting down its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) and refocusing its approach to digital asset investigations, according to a memo obtained by Reuters.

The memo, issued late Monday by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, directs federal prosecutors to narrow their cryptocurrency enforcement priorities, emphasizing cases linked to terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime. Per Reuters, the directive marks a significant departure from the previous administration’s approach, which aggressively pursued regulatory and criminal actions against players in the crypto space.

. . . According to Reuters, the unit had been a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s broader strategy to crack down on fraud and illicit finance in the rapidly evolving digital asset market.

However, under President Donald Trump, whose family has entered the crypto industry, the DOJ is now charting a different course. Blanche’s memo criticizes what he called the Biden administration’s “reckless strategy of regulation by prosecution,” and instructs DOJ staff to cease investigations that fall outside the new, narrowed focus.

“All ongoing matters inconsistent with this policy should be closed,” Blanche wrote in the memo, per Reuters.

In his communication, Blanche referenced one of Trump’s executive orders that supports access to “open blockchain networks without persecution.” That order underscores the administration’s intent to foster a more favorable environment for blockchain innovation and investment.

And about that Trump Crypto Family:

As World Liberty Financial raised more than half a billion dollars, President Donald Trump’s family took control of the crypto venture and grabbed the lion’s share of those funds, aided by governance terms that industry experts say favor insiders.

World Liberty said in mid-March it had raised $550 million selling so-called governance tokens. Most of those sales took place after Trump’s election win in November, Reuters calculations show.

The tokens, which go by the symbol $WLFI, give holders the right to vote on changes to the project’s underlying code and to signal their opinion on its direction and plans. They cannot be traded.

As its fundraising got traction, World Liberty disclosed in January that the Trump family had taken control of the business, a review of changes in the fine print on World Liberty’s website shows. Two of its co-founders, crypto entrepreneurs Zak Folkman and Chase Herro, were replaced as the controlling parties of World Liberty by an entity in which the Trump family holds a 60% stake.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Nothing we don’t already know, arguing against it would be to argue in vain:

Since 2015, every time it looked as if Trump’s goose was cooked (Access Hollywood, impeachment, Jan 6th, indictments, etc), he found a way to come back and succeed. This is why so many Rs in Congress are willing to give him benefit of the doubt on tariffs.

Those who pulled the trigger too soon (denouncing Access Hollywood, criticizing his Jan. 6th actions; assuming he’d never win nomination in ‘24), are either no longer in Congress or have been thoroughly chastened.

If nervous R’s try to push-back on Trump and/or try and distance themselves from his policies, they risk backlash in their CD’s/states from the base, esp, if Trump’s tariff gamble turns out to be less than the disaster markets expect.

Plus, there’s a chance that the courts ultimately step in and invalidate Trump’s actions. That too is a reason for worried R’s to hold their powder.

If economy does indeed slip into a recession, GOP members will feel the brunt of the anger in midterms, but running away from Trump won’t make their re-election prospects any better.

All of this is to say that we should expect to see R’s stick with Trump, even as the markets convulse more.

I think this cowardly and self-serving description of Congressional Republicans is correct. Even giving Trump the benefit of the doubt on tariffs is a self-serving decision to protect their own political futures. He’s so smart and clever, he got away with murder thn surely he’ll get away with crashing the economy too! Shameful.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]
A gift to Trump:

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump to enforce the Alien Enemies Act for now, handing the White House a significant victory that will let immigration officials rely on a sweeping wartime authority to rapidly deport alleged gang members.

The unsigned decision in the case, the most closely watched emergency appeal pending at the Supreme Court, lets Trump invoke the 1798 law to speed removals while litigation over the act’s use plays out in lower courts. The court stressed that people deported going forward should receive notice they are subject to the act and an opportunity to have their removal reviewed.

The report breaks down the vote: the 3 liberal justices, along with Coney-Barrett, dissented.

There was more news from the Court today:

Chief Justice John Roberts agreed Monday to pause a midnight deadline for the Trump administration to return a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

The temporary order comes hours after a Justice Department emergency appeal to the Supreme Court arguing U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis overstepped her authority when she ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to the United States.

The administration has conceded that Abrego Garcia should not have been sent to El Salvador because an immigration judge found he likely would face persecution by local gangs.

Even though the administration acknowledged and agreed that they had wrongly sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, there is still going to be a court-approved delay in returning him to the United States. No new date was set by the Court.

Expectedly, Trump’s team of attorneys argued that the Court had “overstepped” their power by ordering Abrego Garcia returned.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

It looks like Trump’s shenanigans aren’t going to fly:

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said the administration appeared to have acted “in bad faith” when it hurriedly assembled three deportation flights on March 15 at the same time that Boasberg was arranging emergency court proceedings to assess the legality of the effort.

Boasberg said during a hearing Thursday that he’s still weighing what penalties he could impose if he does hold officials in contempt. But courts have broad power to issue fines or impose jail time on people who defy court orders. Boasberg could even try to order the administration to demand that El Salvador return the deportees to the United States.

Second news item

I guess the Pentagon didn’t get the message from the White House that the “case is closed”:

The acting inspector general for the Pentagon announced an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the signal app to discuss potentially classified information with other members of the Trump cabinet last month.

. . .

In a memo released on Thursday obtained by Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin and others, announced a probe into Hegseth over a discussion about attacking Houthi targets in Yemen on the commercial app.

Here is Stebbin’s memo:

The purpose of this memorandum is to notify you that we are initiating the subject evaluation. We are conducting this evaluation in response to a March 26, 2025 letter I received from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, requesting that I conduct an inquiry into recent public reporting on the Secretary of Defense’s use of an unclassified commercially available messaging application to discuss information pertaining to military actions in Yemen in March 2025.

The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business. Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements. We may revise the objective as the evaluation proceeds. We plan to perform this evaluation in accordance with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency “Quality Standards for Inspection and Evaluation.”

Third news item

Vice-President Vance on the tariffs:

“Look, one bad day in the stock market compared to what President Trump said earlier today — and I think he’s right about this — we’re going to have a booming stock market for a long time because we’re reinvesting in the United States of America,” Vance said.

He continued: “The people on Wall Street have done well. We want them to do well. But we care the most about American workers and about American small businesses. And they’re the ones who are really going to benefit from these policies.”

Vance reiterated Trump’s comparison of the US economy to a “patient who was very sick” and has had an operation and “now it’s time to make the patient better.”

One bad day???? Hahahahaha!

And about Russia being left off the tariff list:

A White House official told The Hill in a statement that the four nations “are not subject to the Reciprocal Tariff Executive Order because they are already facing extremely high tariffs, and our previously imposed sanctions preclude any meaningful trade with these countries.”

The official added that Trump has “recently threatened to impose strong sanctions on Russia” to further explain leaving out Moscow.

Fourth news item

Are Republican members of Congress going to do something to stop these tariffs:

The fallout from President Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariffs has spurred Congress into action, with a growing number of Republicans joining Democrats to express interest in using their power to restrain him.

After the GOP-led Senate delivered a rare rebuke to Trump on Wednesday by voting to undo his tariffs on Canada, lawmakers in both chambers are weighing additional steps to rein him in. Senators are eyeing other mechanisms to rescind Trump’s existing tariffs while limiting his ability to impose new ones. And Democrats in the House are exploring ways to force a vote to revoke Canadian tariffs, putting out feelers to attract support from Republicans.

. . .

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a Trump ally who is third in line to the presidency, introduced a bill with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., on Thursday that would reassert Congress’ authority and slap restrictions on the president’s power to levy tariffs.

The legislation, called the Trade Review Act of 2025, would require the president to notify Congress of new tariffs within 48 hours of imposition, while providing his reasons and an analysis of the impacts on American consumers and businesses. Then Congress would have 60 days to approve it. If it does not, the tariffs would expire after that period.

This guy talks a good game but doesn’t seem to realize that he is a sitting member of Congress and can do something about the problem. Maybe try signing Grassley-Cantwell’s bill:

TED CRUZ: “I am not a fan of tariffs. Tariffs are a tax on consumers.” pic.twitter.com/U5MF5jJFGr

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) April 3, 2025

Fifth news item

Lithuanians honored the four American soldiers that died during military exercises:

Lithuania held a farewell ceremony for the four American soldiers who died during a military exercise in March. Mourners gathered in Vilnius on April 3 for the procession before the bodies were taken to the airport and returned to the United States. @CurrentTimeTv pic.twitter.com/vLKVPOXKlZ

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) April 3, 2025

The Lithuanians turned out in large numbers to show their respect:

Lithuania’s political and religious leaders joined thousands of people on Thursday to bid farewell to four American soldiers who died during a training exercise in the Baltic nation.

President Gitanas Nausėda and other dignitaries were among those who stood in respect as hearses carried the bodies of the four young Americans to Vilnius airport before being flown to the United States for burial.

Beautiful.

And then there is this guy:

Trump won’t be present today for the dignified transfer of four U.S. soldiers at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.

Instead, he’ll be attending a LIV Golf dinner reception in Florida.

The White House and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on which administration officials might be in attendance.

Remember, this is the same guy that told us years ago that he doesn’t like “losers,” and “suckers” (like four dead soldiers).

Sixth news item

We knew it was coming:

China said on Friday it will impose reciprocal 34% tariffs on all imports from the United States from April 10, making good on a promise to strike back after US President Donald Trump escalated a global trade war.

On Wednesday, Trump unveiled an additional 34% tariffs on all Chinese goods imported into the US, in a move poised to cause a major reset of relations and worsen trade tension between the world’s two largest economies.

“This practice of the US is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China’s legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice,” China’s State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement announcing its retaliatory tariffs.

Remember what the White House spokesperson said: Karoline Leavitt. . .confirms that the 34 percent tariff on China is ON TOP of the previous 20 percent. So that means the rate on China will be *54* percent when these tariffs take effect.

Seventh news item

Can we please stop with the bullshit:

The US will know “in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace” in Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday.

“We will know from their answers very soon whether they are serious about proceeding with real peace or whether it’s a delay tactic”

This isn’t rocket science: If Russia was truly interested in peace (and not conquering a neighboring sovereign nation), they would leave Ukraine, including the occupied territories, and work to return all abducted Ukrainian children back to their homeland. And then they would never invade Ukraine again. If they were really interested in peace, that is. . .

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

It’s certainly true that every sitting president necessarily has their chief of staff and cabinet of advisors tasked with guiding, strategizing, and providing the best direction to the president about any given situation. And then there are advisors who aren’t part of the president’s cabinet nor any part of the administration. These are people that are close to the president and have his ear. In Trump’s case, nutcase Laura Loomer is one such advisor. She has the president’s ear and has some degree of influence over the decisions he makes. And that influence, apparently, includes the hiring and firing of individuals that she determines to have been disloyal to the president:

The White House has fired at least three National Security Council staffers, three sources familiar with the move told CNN.

The firings came after Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who once claimed 9/11 was an inside job, urged President Donald Trump during a Wednesday meeting to get rid of several members of his National Security Council staff, including his principal deputy national security adviser, claiming that they are disloyal. One of the sources said the firings were a direct result of the meeting with Loomer.

About the officials fired:

The three officials fired include Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence and a former top staffer for now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Senate Intelligence Committee; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs who previously served as Waltz’s legislative director in Congress; and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security who served in the State Department during Trump’s first administration.

Lucky Mike Waltz, he still has his job despite his terrible and unlawful breach of national security (Signalgate). . .all because he loves him some Trump.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

If Bill Clinton could challenge the meaning of “is,” then surely it behooves us to challenge the meaning of “liberation,” since it’s being used to rally the American people. yet I’m certainly not seeing it:

President Trump on Wednesday announced a baseline 10 percent tariff on imports from all foreign countries, as well as higher tariff rates for dozens of nations that the White House deemed the “worst offenders” when it came to trade barriers.

The 10 percent tariff will go into effect on Friday. About 60 countries facing a higher reciprocal tariff will see those rates go into effect on April 9 at 12:01 a.m. Trump also announced a 25 percent tariff on all foreign-made automobiles that will take effect at 12:01 a.m. April 3.

. . .

“***This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in America’s history,” Trump said. “It’s our declaration of economic independence.”

Claiming he could have gone with a higher amount on countries with reciprocal tariffs (China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, India, South Korea, Thailand, Switzerland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and the European Union), Trump said he didn’t want to create too much of a hardship. The formula for these countries “will be calculated by combining the rate of tariffs and non-monetary barriers like currency manipulation, then divided in half.”

Re China:

Karoline Leavitt. . .confirms that the 34 percent tariff on China is ON TOP of the previous 20 percent. So that means the rate on China will be *54* percent when these tariffs take effect.

The White House has published an explainer about why Trump believes the tariffs are a good thing for America.

I can’t even. . .

Off the top of his head, read it and weep:

Trump’s reciprocal tariffs:

1) Impose hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes on Americans without public/congressional input

2) Are based on secret calculations that have little, if any, connection to actual foreign trade barriers

3) Ignore all US tariff/non-tariff barriers, which in some cases are quite high

4) Are justified by a “national emergency” that reflects a total misunderstanding of how trade deficits work

5) Disregard US trade agreement commitments, including ones made by Trump himself

6) Will make us all poorer, and likely do real & lasting harm to the US economy (incl in manufacturing)

7) Embolden our adversaries around the world

Higher taxes, more trade wars, unilateral tax hikes, etc. I ask you, liberate us from what?

P.S. Isn’t is just a bit on the nose that Russia is not on the White House list, while Ukraine is:

FULL LIST: Liberation Day pic.twitter.com/ZBiRuJBCAr

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 2, 2025

(*** – Let’s just bookmark this for later. . .)

-Dana