Tag Archives: united states

Deadline: Trump Deploys 2,000 Troops To L.A. As Backlash & Protests To ICE Raids Surge; POTUS Action “Purposefully Inflammatory,” Newsom Warns

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Reeling from widespread harsh ICE raids and responding protests and resistance over the past 24 hours, Los Angeles has become a powder keg with Donald Trump deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops over the objection of Governor Gavin Newsom and other SoCal leaders.

As rock-throwing and bellowing Angelenos sought to stop undocumented individuals being targeted by masked and heavily armored federal agents from being dragged away from a Home Depot in Paramount, Calif. and LA’s Westlake neighborhood on Saturday, Trump took to social media to announce a de facto takeover of the City of Angels. “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!” he said (caps’ Trump).

Declaring “to the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” in a memorandum today, Trump says the federalized troops’ “duration of duty shall be for 60 days or at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense.”

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Raising the stakes even more, and seeming to disregard federal law, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth proclaimed that “if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert.”

Trump Deploys 2,000 Troops To L.A. As Backlash & Protests To ICE Raids Surge; POTUS Action “Purposefully Inflammatory,” Newsom Warns
LA is feeling the heavy hand of the White House tonight as 1000s of troops are deployed in response to protests & resistance to widespread ICE Raids.

https://deadline.com/2025/06/trump-national-guard-los-angeles-ice-raids-newsom-1236426811

New York Post: Trump admin diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles it promised to Ukraine and sent them to US troops, Zelensky says

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Trump administration diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally meant for Kyiv to American forces in the Middle East.

Zelensky revealed Sunday that he had secured a deal for the missiles under the Biden administration to counterattack Moscow’s deadly, Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which have been at the center of Russia’s mass bombardment campaign.

“We have big problems with Shaheds,” Zelensky told ABC News’ “This Week.” “We counted on this project — 20,000 missiles. Anti-Shahed missiles. It was not expensive, but it’s a special technology.”

The diversion of the weapons was first reported by the Wall Street Journal last week, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly issuing an “urgent” call to redirect the weapons on June 4 away from Ukraine.

The drunk O-3 strickes again!

Trump admin diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles it promised to Ukraine and sent them to US troops, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the Trump administration diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally meant for Kyiv to American forces in the Middle East.

https://nypost.com/2025/06/08/world-news/trump-diverted-20000-anti-drone-missiles-from-ukraine-to-us-troops-zelensky

Explicame: ‘Revenge tax’ set to hit passive income at 50%, analysts warn

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The ‘Revenge Tax,’ officially known as Section 899, emerges as a controversial component of President Donald Trump’s ambitious legislative proposal, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’ This measure, driven by House Republicans and endorsed by Trump, targets foreign investors from nations deemed to impose ‘unfair’ or ‘discriminatory’ taxes on U.S. businesses. The tax aims to deter these countries from maintaining such fiscal policies, urging them to engage in negotiations.

Section 899’s primary objective is to penalize foreign investors by expanding the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT), which prevents corporations from shifting profits abroad to evade taxes. The provision allows the U.S. to incrementally increase existing taxes on countries with ‘unfair foreign taxes’ by 5 percentage points annually, capping at 20 points above the legal rate. This could lead to passive investment income facing a U.S. withholding tax as high as 50% in certain scenarios.

The tax would apply to dividends, interest, and royalties earned by foreign investors from countries labeled as ‘discriminatory.’ However, exceptions exist for foreign pension funds and charitable organizations. Notably, U.S. Treasury bonds and portfolio interest remain unaffected. This measure could raise interest costs for some U.S. borrowers, as many loan agreements include ‘gross-up’ clauses, requiring borrowers to cover tax increases enacted post-agreement.

Yet another bad idea in the One Big Hideously Ugly Bill Act!

‘Revenge tax’ set to hit passive income at 50%, analysts warn
Trump’s bill proposes a ‘Revenge Tax’ of up to 50% on passive income from countries taxing U.S. firms, raising concerns over foreign investment and the U.S. economy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/revenge-tax-set-to-hit-passive-income-at-50-analysts-warn/ar-AA1GjMyP

Explicame: Social Security benefits suspended for thousands for three months

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Thousands of legal immigrants in the United States are currently facing an unexpected suspension in the issuance of their Social Security numbers, which has halted their access to jobs, basic services, and benefits. This situation stems directly from the suspension of the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on March 19, 2025, a decision that has generated chaos and indignation.

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The SSA announced a temporary 90-day suspension of the EBE for those submitting forms I-765 and N-400. Although no prior public notice was given, the pause appears to be linked to an April 2025 memorandum from the Trump administration, which seeks to prevent undocumented immigrants from accessing Social Security benefits, despite the lack of significant evidence of fraud.

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The absence of this number prevents opening joint bank accounts, obtaining driver’s licenses, or renting homes, complicating their social and economic integration. The change will force approximately 1.93 million people annually to personally visit SSA offices, which are already facing staff shortages and frequent closures. Issuing a Social Security number in person costs $55.80 per application, compared to the $8 it cost to process it automatically through the EBE.

Seven times the cost for service that sucks — sounds like a real Trumper to me!

Social Security benefits suspended for thousands for three months
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has suspended the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program, leaving thousands of legal immigrants without access to crucial Social Security numbers.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/social-security-benefits-suspended-for-thousands-for-three-months/ar-AA1GkkOc

Charlotte Observer: Major Shift: Pentagon to Transfer Greenland Oversight

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The Pentagon reportedly plans to transfer oversight of Greenland from European Command to U.S. Northern Command to strengthen American strategic interests in the Arctic.

In other words, our presumptuous King Donald is going to start pretending that Greenland is within his realm.

Just remember to bring your own lunch — there’s not a soul in Nuuk who wants to break bread with you.

MSN – Major Shift: Pentagon to Transfer Greenland Oversight

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/major-shift-pentagon-to-transfer-greenland-oversight/ss-AA1GjEYj

Law & Crime: ‘Seemingly defiant posture’: State AG gets tongue-lashing from appeals court over ‘veiled threat’ to defy judge’s order stopping immigration arrests

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit delivered a sharp rebuke on Friday to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier over the state’s new immigration enforcement law — scolding him for making “a veiled threat” to defy a judge’s order blocking local immigrant arrests, while ruling to leave the order in place.

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Back in April, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a 14-day stay that blocked the law in question — signed into effect by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February — which gives state law enforcement the power to arrest and prosecute undocumented immigrants. It is a first-degree misdemeanor now for a person to enter Florida as an “unauthorized alien” under the law.

Williams, a Barack Obama appointee, ordered that the legislation not be enforced, arguing that it was the federal government’s responsibility to apprehend and litigate migrants, not individual states.

State AG gets tongue-lashing from appeals court over ‘veiled threat’ to defy judge’s order
The 11th Circuit delivered a sharp rebuke to Florida AG James Uthmeier over the state’s new immigration enforcement law, scolding him for making “a veiled threat” to defy a federal order blocking it.
‘Seemingly defiant posture’: State AG gets tongue-lashing from appeals court over ‘veiled threat’ to defy judge’s order stopping immigration arrests

Daily Beast: Pentagon Reporter Calls Out Hegseth on Fox News Over Media Crackdown: ‘He’s Embarrassed’

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A veteran Pentagon correspondent used a Fox News appearance to savage Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for attempting to restrict media access at his department.

Barbara Starr, who spent more than 20 years as CNN’s Pentagon correspondent, claimed Hegseth is ending journalists’ access to certain areas at the Pentagon because he’s “embarrassed” by the chaos engulfing his time in the Trump administration.

“Hegseth is embarrassed,” Starr said on Fox’s MediaBuzz Sunday. “He’s embarrassed by this—so much exposure to information, classified by all accounts, that he posted on Signal about that air attack in Yemen. He’s embarrassed that information came out that he was going to meet with Elon Musk and brief him on China.”

Pentagon Reporter Calls Out Hegseth on Fox News Over Media Crackdown: ‘He’s Embarrassed’
Barbara Starr says the defense secretary should be more focused on other areas other than his “PR structure.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-reporter-barbara-starr-calls-out-hegseth-on-fox-news-over-media-crackdown-hes-embarrassed

USA Today: State Department could have an ‘Office of Remigration’: What is it?

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The Trump administration last week formally notified Congress of its plans for a sweeping reorganization of the State Department, which could include the establishment of an office focused on returning migrants living in the U.S. to their countries of origin.

It is one of several overhauls spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he marches forward with a broad reorganization of the State Department, first announced in April. It would also include a cut to thousands of jobs, refocus the agency’s human rights bureau on “Western values” ….

Rubio didn’t mention the Office of Remigration in his statement, and the office is not listed on a new chart on the department’s website. However, reporting from CNN and Axios say there is a proposal within a more detailed notification for an “Office of Remigration,” with both outlets independently reporting that it is described as a “hub for immigration issues and repatriation tracking.”

The proposed office would be one of three new “functional offices” formed from the existing Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the outlets reported, all consolidated under a (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State) for Migration Matters. The three new offices are to “actively facilitate the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status,” according to the reporting.

What is the term ‘remigration’?

The proposed name draws on a term increasingly associated in Europe with the far-right and the rise in ethnonationalist immigration attitudes, especially in Germany and Austria, that calls for mass deportation of primarily non-white immigrants. It has become a shorthand to refer to policy proposals triumphed by some European right-wing parties, extremists and neo-Nazi activists that call for forceful mass deportation of migrants.

It attracted buzz in 2023 after a jury of German linguists named in “non-word” of the year in its annual ranking of misleading or inappropriate words that are used to discriminate or gloss over issues. While it has become a euphemism for forced repatriation in several Western and Central European countries, it is a largely unfamiliar term in the American political lexicon.

In the final weeks of his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump used the term remigration in a post to the social media site X.

“As President I will immediately end the migrant invasion of America. We will stop all migrant flights, end all illegal entries, terminate the Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals (CBP One App), revoke deportation immunity, suspend refugee resettlement, and return Kamala’s illegal migrants to their home countries (also known as remigration),” he said in the post.

State Department could have an ‘Office of Remigration’: What is it?
The office is tied to a reorganization plan of the State Department to focus on removing immigrants, taking its name from a far-right European term.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/02/office-of-remigration/83989772007

Western Journal: Canada Scrambles to Negotiate with US After Trump Deals a Crushing Blow Overnight

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After President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports effective Wednesday, Canada said it wanted to talk.

Canadian Prime Mark Carney said his government is negotiating with the United States on the tariffs, which rose from 25 percent to 50 percent, according to the National Post.

“The additional tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum announced today by the United States are unlawful and unjustified,” Carney said.

“Canada’s new government is engaged in intensive and live negotiations to have these and other tariffs removed as part of a new economic and security partnership with the United States.”

“We are fighting to get the best deal for Canada, and we will take the time necessary, but no longer,” Carney explained.

Canadian data says more than 90 percent of the steel and aluminum made in Canada is exported to the U.S.

It’s time for tolls on the Al-Can Highway!

Canada Scrambles to Negotiate with US After Trump Deals a Crushing Blow Overnight
Canada says it wants to talk after President Donald Trump imposed a new set of tarifs on steel and aluminum imports.
Canada Scrambles to Negotiate with US After Trump Deals a Crushing Blow Overnight

Newsweek: Pastor in US for 26 years detained by ICE at immigration appointment

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A Florida pastor who has lived in the United States for more than two decades was detained by federal agents during his annual immigration check-in.

Maurilio Amizael Ambrocio Mendez, 42, from Guatemala, was detained at the ICE field office in Tampa on April 17 at around 9 a.m., according to his family. He is currently being held at the Glades County Detention Center.

Ambrocio Mendez had been attending annual ICE appointments for the past 12 years under a court-issued “stay of removal,” a form of supervision allowing him to remain in the country despite a deportation order.

According to his daughter, 19-year-old Ashley Ambrocio, Ambrocio Mendez had always complied with the conditions of his supervision.

Pastor in US for 26 years detained by ICE at immigration appointment
“If they were the ‘real criminals’ Trump is supposedly deporting, they wouldn’t be representing themselves to a judge,” the pastor’s daughter told Newsweek.

https://www.newsweek.com/florida-pastor-detained-ice-immigration-appointment-2080717