Tag Archives: china

Associated Press: Trump brands his opponents as ‘communists,’ a label loaded with the baggage of American history

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For years, President Donald Trump blamed “communists” for his legal and political troubles. Now, the second Trump administration is deploying that same historically loaded label to cast his opponents — from judges to educators — as threats to American identity, culture and values.

If opposing King Donald makes me a communist, I’ll wear the label proudly!

In fact I have been a Republican for 50 of my 70 years. The current group of corrupt clowns who have taken over the Republican parts just aren’t my type of Republicans. I’ll cast my lot with any commie or lefty who can throw these bums out.

Trump brands his opponents as ‘communists,’ a label loaded with the baggage of American history
For years, President Donald Trump blamed “communists” for his legal and political troubles. Now, the second Trump administration is deploying that same historically loaded label to cast his opponents — from judges to educators — as threats to American identity, culture and values. Why? Trump himself explained the strategy last year when he describe…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-brands-his-opponents-as-communists-a-label-loaded-with-the-baggage-of-american-history/ar-AA1E6dVt

Daily Express: Temu halts Chinese shipments overnight as Trump kills tariff loophole in crackdown

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Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has ceased shipping products from China to the United States, according to a company spokesperson last Friday as a key tariff loophole was cancelled by the Trump administration.

Now, all U.S. orders will be dispatched from domestic warehouses within America, and products that were once shipped directly from China and dominated the site are now listed as out of stock.

This shift follows the Trump administration’s move to to end the de minimis exemption that permitted Chinese-made goods valued at no more than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. The exemption, which President Trump denounced as a “big scam” harmful to American small businesses, expired on this morning.

Most business will never notice, except those order stock & office supplies from China. As usual, King Donald is screwing the consumers, the “Little People”, every day American citizens.

Incidentally, this de minimis exception helped my family get their N-95 masks during the COVID epidemic. I found a supplier in Shanghai whose N-95 mask had the proper U.S. certification and who would ship them direct from Shanghai to my front porch for a reasonable price.

Temu halts Chinese shipments overnight as Trump kills tariff loophole in crackdown
Temu announced they’ll no longer ship products from China to the U.S. after Trump closed a tariff loophole, with ‘Out of Stock’ notices across the site

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/temu-halts-chinese-shipments-overnight-as-trump-kills-tariff-loophole-in-crackdown/ar-AA1E4Ksu

Rolling Stone: Spooked by Trade Wars, Trump Officials Hoard Supplies: ‘It Would Be Stupid Not To!’

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Some Trump administration officials are stockpiling toilet paper and food before Trump’s tariffs cause prices to skyrocket

This is what they tell the geese:

Donald Trump’s trade wars with China and other nations are widely expected to cause sharp economic pain, but some experts have warned consumers not to hoard supplies and goods before prices skyrocket, arguing that mass stockpiling could backfire spectacularly.

But this is what the ganders do:

Two Trump administration officials and a Trump aide tell Rolling Stone that they have done some stockpiling of their own in recent weeks or months, and that they know others working in Republican politics — inside and outside of the administration — who are doing the same. One of the Trump officials says they have already run to Target to bulk-buy toilet paper, some types of food, and other household supplies. 

When asked why they’re doing this, the Trump aide — who says they and their partner have done similar household-supply hoarding lately, and are also “stashing cash” reserves in their D.C.-area home — simply replies: “Because it would be stupid not to!” The aide adds that they still believe in Trump’s tariffs regime, though, citing the supposed advantage of “short-term pain” in exchange for long-term “prosperity.”

Spooked by Trade Wars, Trump Officials Hoard Supplies: ‘It Would Be Stupid Not To!’
Donald Trump’s aides and administration officials are hoarding toilet paper, food, and household supplies before his tariffs cause prices to spike.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-officials-hoarding-supplies-trade-war-tariffs-1235329235

Financial Times: Donald Trump’s ‘Marie Antoinette moment’: call for national sacrifice falls flat

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President faces backlash after warning Americans they will have to make do with fewer toys at Christmas

Here was the president acknowledging his trade war might cause real hardship for voters — many of whom elected him to bring down the cost of living and boost growth.

Trump’s enemies could hardly believe their luck. They mocked him on social media as a modern-day “Grinch who stole Christmas” and “Scrooge McTrump”. One television presenter, channelling the Sopranos, called him “Donny 2 Dolls”.

“‘Your family will have less, but it’ll be more expensive’ is definitely a solid economic pitch,” the stand-up comic Mike Drucker wrote on X.

…

Isaac Larian, chief executive of MGA Entertainment, the largest toymaker in the US, said the tariffs will be “disastrous”, predicting a “30-40 per cent drop in sales”.

The company gets 65 per cent of its products from Chinese factories, and the tariffs will force them to massively raise prices — from $15 to $29-$30 for a Bratz doll, one of its most popular items.

“If the tariffs are not reduced we’re going to be forced to lay off people, including people in our factory here actually manufacturing toys in the US,” said Larian, who said he voted for Trump last November.

https://archive.is/W4xe1#selection-2295.0-2302.0

MiBolsillo Colombia: Trump denies zero tariffs on China, yet concedes

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The current tariff situation is complex, with the United States imposing a 145% tariff on Chinese imports, to which China has retaliated with a 125% tariff on U.S. exports. While items like smartphones and semiconductors enjoy a temporary exemption, a general 20% tariff remains in effect.

Referring to the 145% tariff, Trump described it as “very high” and stated that “it won’t be that high.” He added, “It won’t be anywhere near that high. It will decrease substantially.” However, the president was adamant in denying a return to the previous situation:

“But it won’t be zero – it used to be zero. We were just being destroyed. China was taking us for a ride.”

With this statement, Trump categorically denies the possibility of completely eliminating tariffs.

Executive summary: I’m Donald Trump. I’m big, dumb, and stupid. I don’t really know what the tariffs are. We’re taking China for a ride and crashing ourselves in the process. Life was good, but I’m fixing that.

Trump denies zero tariffs on China, yet concedes
In a surprising turn, President Donald Trump has announced plans to reduce current tariffs on Chinese imports amidst ongoing trade discussions.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-denies-zero-tariffs-on-china-yet-concedes/ar-AA1E4MUE

Daily Mail: Trump takes sledgehammer to NASA budget to fund Elon’s billion-dollar dream

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The White House has announced the largest cut to NASA‘s budget in its history.

The Trump administration has slashed research funding, terminated multiple missions and allocated $1 billion toward Elon Musk‘s dream of sending humans to Mars. 

The $6 billion cuts include scrapping the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, which has already cost NASA billions and aimed to bring samples collected from the Martian surface back to Earth to be studied. 

More payola for his chum F’Elon Musk and a $1,000,000,000 appropriation by fiat & bypassing Congress. Only Congress can legally authorize such expenditures.

The sheer corruption continues unabated in plain sight.

Trump takes sledgehammer to NASA budget to fund Elon’s billion-dollar dream
Trump has taken a sledgehammer to NASA’s 2026 budget, announcing deep cuts to research funding and allocating one billion dollars to fund Elon Musk’s dream.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/trump-takes-sledgehammer-to-nasa-budget-to-fund-elon-s-billion-dollar-dream/ar-AA1E3M88

More here:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/trump-administration-proposes-cutting-6-billion-from-nasa-s-budget/ar-AA1E3xtd

LA Times: ‘The truckers are scrambling’: Trump’s tariffs hit drivers, L.A. port workers hard

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Amid a wave of unprecedented tariffs, anxiety is running high for truck drivers like Helen, who makes her living delivering cargo containers from the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors to warehouses and other customers around Southern California.

After a strong start to the year, the number of jobs has started to slip in recent days and truck drivers have heard reports predicting a sharp decline in incoming cargo for May and June.

‘The truckers are scrambling’: Trump’s tariffs hit drivers, L.A. port workers hard
As Trump’s aggressive tariffs rattle business owners and shake the foundation of American importing, the men and women who work on the ground at the country’s busiest port are feeling the effects too.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/the-truckers-are-scrambling-trump-s-tariffs-hit-drivers-l-a-port-workers-hard/ar-AA1E63Gd

Newsweek: Mike Pence Calls for Donald Trump Reversal—’Warning Signs Are Flashing’

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Former Vice President Mike Pence urged President Donald Trump to reverse course on the sweeping tariffs he announced in April.

In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Pence wrote that “economic warning signs are flashing” as he criticized Trump’s tariffs as a “massive policy misstep.”

Mike Pence Calls for Donald Trump Reversal—‘Warning Signs Are Flashing’
The former vice president called Trump’s tariffs a “massive policy misstep” in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mike-pence-calls-for-donald-trump-reversal-warning-signs-are-flashing/ar-AA1E2Gmg

Newsweek: Mike Pence Calls for Donald Trump Reversal—’Warning Signs Are Flashing’

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Former Vice President Mike Pence urged President Donald Trump to reverse course on the sweeping tariffs he announced in April.

In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Pence wrote that “economic warning signs are flashing” as he criticized Trump’s tariffs as a “massive policy misstep.”

I’ve a hunch King Donald won’t be listening to any advice from his former vice-president Mike Pence.

Mike Pence Calls for Donald Trump Reversal—‘Warning Signs Are Flashing’
The former vice president called Trump’s tariffs a “massive policy misstep” in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mike-pence-calls-for-donald-trump-reversal-warning-signs-are-flashing/ar-AA1E2Gmg

NPR: The U.S. economy shrinks as Trump’s tariffs spark recession fears

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Economic output is shrinking. The stock market has dropped sharply. And consumer confidence has tumbled to its lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That hardly looks like the new “golden age” the president promised on Inauguration Day just over three months ago.

Figures released by the Commerce Department Wednesday show that the United States’ gross domestic product contracted at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter of the year, after growing at a solid pace of 2.4% in the final months of 2024.

The U.S. economy shrinks as Trump’s tariffs spark recession fears
Trump promised a new “golden age” for the U.S. But his first 100 days in office have left the economy looking tarnished, with data showing the economy contracted in the first three months of the year.

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/30/nx-s1-5380204/trump-economy-gdp-tariffs-recession-consumers