01-01-Top Story

Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) has uncovered a major, decades-long insurrectionist slush fund disguised as humanitarian aid from the U.S. The intention of the fund appears to be to fund insurrectionists at home and abroad, from funding far-left illegal political content marketers to George Soros’ seditionist Attorney Generals, the billions of dollars flowing out of that fund appears overwhelmingly to be nothing but a slush fund and money laundering operation for the DNC-CCP.

The pushback from the insurrectionist left is coming through courts, who are unconstitutionally blocking efforts by DOGE to uncover the rot and purge the system of the insurrectionists within it, and Democrat operatives both in elected office and in their illegal content marketing companies who are issuing death threats to DOGE employees and “Nazi” accusations against the Trump administration, rhetoric designed to trigger their sleeper cells to violently attack the republic. A full report on USAID will be included in the next issue (February 14, 2025) of MIA Mid-Monthly. Go here for an updated link report.

List of USAID’s Outrageous Grants – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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Read some examples below from Mast’s list of other preposterous expenditures of our hard-earned cash, and keep in mind how many Americans were struggling to pay bills or suffering from natural disasters under the Biden-Harris administration:

  • $1 million to boost French-speaking LGBTQ groups in West and Central Africa through the State Department.
  • $14 million in cash vouchers for migrants at the southern border through the State Department.
  • $20,600 for a drag show in Ecuador through the State Department.
  • $47,020 for a transgender opera in Colombia through the State Department.
  • $32,000 for an LGBTQ-centered comic book in Peru through the State Department.
  • $55,750 for a climate change presentation warning about the impact of climate change in Argentina to be led by female and LGBT journalists through the State Department.
  • $3,315,446 for “being LGBTQ in the Caribbean” through USAID.
  • $7,071.58 for a BIPOC speaker series in Canada through the State Department.
  • $80,000 for an LGBTQ community center in Bratislava, Slovakia through the State Department.
  • $3.2 million to help Tunisian migrants readjust to life in Tunisia after deportation through the State Department.
  • $16,500 to foster a “united and equal queer-feminist discourse in Albanian society” through the State Department.
  • $10,000 to pressure Lithuanian corporations to promote “DEI values” through the State Department.
  • $8,000 to promote DEI among LGBTQ groups in Cyprus through the State Department.
  • $1.5 million to promote job opportunities for LGBTQ individuals in Serbia through USAID.
  • $70,884 to create a U.S.-Irish musical to promote DEI in Ireland through the State Department.
  • $39,652 to host seminars at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on gender identity and racial equality through the State Department.
  • $2.5 million to build electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam’s largest cities through USAID [this is especially silly since most Vietnamese are too dirt-poor for any car; I’ve seen that in person].
  • $425,622 to help Indonesian coffee companies become more climate and gender friendly through USAID.

It’s all a total grift. No more than 12 cents of every USAID dollar actually reaches the intended target. It seems pretty clear that the agency is little more than a money-laundering operation and, as such, it’s praiseworthy and long overdue that the Trump administration aims to shut it down.

Clinton Appointed Judge BLOCKS DOGE From Reviewing Financial Transactions– gellerreport.com
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Updated: The far left activist judge has blocked DOGE

Story continues below advertisement

USAID helped fund the ‘Soros prosecutors’– www.americanthinker.com
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If Elon Musk—who has been an advocate for free speech and small government—has an evil twin, that evil twin is George Soros. Soros, as conservatives know, has spent his billions funding organizations dedicated to leftist causes. One of the causes with the greatest impact has been funding “Soros prosecutors”—hard-left lawyers who refuse to prosecute criminals but enthusiastically prosecuted Trump and other conservatives. It now appears that some large amounts of the money the Soros organizations used to get these prosecutors in office came from USAID.

The story begins with the Tides Foundation and the Tides Center, a grant-giving organization. Here’s a short version of what Discover the Networks (“DtN”) says about these two related organizations.

The set-up is that the Tides Foundation and the related (although legally distinct) Tide Center are two sides of a public charity that operates as a clearinghouse between wealthy leftists and hard-left institutions. By donating to Tides, the donors aren’t seen as having a direct connection with radical groups. Leftist non-profits can also get money from Tide and then funnel it to their affiliated for-profit organizations. The whole thing was set up as a scam and a cover.

Per DtN, these are just a few of the leftist causes Tides funds:

Among the crusades to which Tides contributes are: radical environmentalism; the “exclusion of humans from public and private wildlands”; the anti-war movement; anti-free trade campaigns; the banning of firearms ownership; abolition of the death penalty; access to government-funded abortion-on-demand; and radical gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender advocacy. The Foundation is also a member organization of the International Human Rights Funders Group, a network of more than six-dozen grantmakers dedicated to financing leftwing groups and causes.

Defunding USAID Is About Shutting Down Left-Wing Propaganda– thefederalist.com
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The most common argument you’ll hear from those defending the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is that the grant dollars in question are just a fraction of the federal budget — less than one percent! Even if the Trump administration eliminated USAID altogether it wouldn’t put much of a dent in the deficit or help control the national debt, is the argument. Everyone from the talking heads at CNN and MSNBC to Jim Geraghty at National Review are repeating this line.

But trimming the federal budget and reducing the deficit aren’t really the point of this exercise. The point is to expose USAID for the left-wing propaganda and regime change operation that it has become, and to shut it down. In the six decades since it was established, USAID has gone from fighting poverty, spreading American ideals, and undercutting Soviet propaganda, to becoming a woke propaganda operation of its own that actively undermines the pillars of western civilization. It’s gone from exporting democracy to exporting deviancy, and now we can all see it.

President Trump this week tasked Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with a review of the agency’s grants and expenditures, which has already shone a much-needed light on where tens of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are going. My colleague Tristan Justice detailed a handful of some of the most insane projects USAID funds, including “$70,000 for a ‘DEI musical’ in Ireland, $47,000 for a ‘transgender opera’ in Colombia, $32,000 for a ‘transgender comic book’ in Peru, and $1.5 million for an LGBT jobs program in Serbia.” Other projects were to fund electric vehicles in Vietnam, infrastructure in Egypt, meals for Al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria, and internet censorship in the United Kingdom.

Massive Press Scandal As USAID Funding for ‘Politico’ Revealed, and It Gets Worse From There – redstate.com

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Things are about to get much worse, though, so buckle up. According to recently revealed records, left-leaning news outlet Politico received over thirty-four million dollars from USAID and other government agencies. That money went to pay for “subscriptions” for various bureaucratic officials, including “pro” subscriptions that add up to over $10,000 a pop.

A breakdown of some of the expenditures shows USAID paid $443,998 for just 37 subscriptions to Politico for FDA officials. Another outlay for “subscriptions” cost $862,025.

 

Politico has never disclosed those payments even as they’ve written pieces covering USAID, posing as unbiased arbiters of truth. That represents one of the biggest scandals in the history of the press. The United States government was funneling money to a left-wing news outlet that has repeatedly done the bidding of the Democratic Party. As an example, you may remember Politico as the same news site that laundered the infamous letter from “51 intelligence officials” saying the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation.

In other words, it sure looks like the Biden administration was paying a news outlet to do its bidding. Are we supposed to believe it’s just a coincidence that Politico was routinely the go-to for Democratic Party politicians and officials to launder their propaganda?

REVEALED: Politico Received Huge Amounts of Taxpayer Money From USAID — Awarded Over $8 Million in Hundreds of Grants | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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Politico / Screenshot Via Facebook

Now it is starting to make sense.

Unbeknownst to the vast majority of Americans, Politico was receiving huge amounts of taxpayer money from USAID.

As Donald Trump and Elon Musk seek to gut the corrupt agency and stop the disbursement of billions of dollars around the world, many people have pointed out some of the most ludicrous “grants” handed out by USAID.

Among the lucky recipients is Politico, a prominent digital news company covering U.S. and global politics.

Politico is a for-profit venture. In 2021, it was bought by Axel Springer for a staggering $1 billion.

Nevertheless, the company has received over $8 million dollars from USAID across hundreds of grants.

Watch: How USAID Spread Fake News with Your Tax Dollars– www.louderwithcrowder.com
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The left continues to lose over the USAID spending scandal, as it’s been revealed that your tax dollars have been financing the disinformation that the fake news media has been feeding the masses. Today’s show breaks it down.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed yesterday that “more than $8 million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers’ dime will no longer be happening.”

White House cancels millions in Politico subscriptions amid Musk-led budget cuts– www.euronews.com
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Announcing millions of dollars of cuts to online subscriptions, the Trump administration’s press secretary repeated misleading statements used to justify the dismantling of the US government’s international aid and development agency.

The White House has said it is cancelling millions of dollars in subscriptions to online news outlet Politico, part of a sweeping programme of cuts that has seen tech entrepreneur Elon Musk given the opportunity to gut government payrolls and budgets — and even to effectively shut down entire US agencies.

The announcement came from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who told a press conference on Wednesday that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had spent $8m ($7.72m) on subscriptions to the outlet’s Politico Pro output, and that the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) intended to cancel them.

USAID Funneled Tax Dollars to WEF, Bill Gates, George Soros– slaynews.com
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As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to expose alarming levels of deep state corruption in the federal government, details are beginning to emerge to reveal who has been benefiting from this unprecedented misuse of American taxpayer money.

Trump has tasked the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to investigate and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse from federal agencies.

These investigations have exposed shocking abuses, particularly at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

As Slay News has reported, DOGE has uncovered evidence showing that USAID has been wasting billions of dollars in taxpayer money on fraudulent foreign schemes.

Even more disturbingly, USAID has been using U.S. tax dollars against the American people by funding leftist corporate media propaganda efforts and even the bioweapons research that developed the COVID-19 virus in China.

 

Reddit Bans Liberal Community After Death Threats Pour In Against DOGE Workers– dailycaller.com
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Reddit temporarily banned a page over threats directed at staff of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Elon Musk accused users of breaking the law, according to multiple posts online.

Users on multiple pages were engaging in “threats and doxing,” prompting the site to issue 72-hour bans against some of them, including “r/WhitePeopleTwitter,” a Reddit Safety post said. They noted that the pages violated Reddit Rules and described the shutdowns as a “cooling-off period.”

Users on the popular social media app were sharing posts with threatening language directed at members of the DOGE Team, according to screenshots from Reddit Lies.

“Time to hunt,” one user posted, the images showed, while another apparently wrote “lets drag their necks up by a large coil up rope.”

“They have broken the law” Musk wrote, quote-tweeting the post showing the screenshots.

 

Raving Dem Lawmakers Protest Elon Musk, DOGE; ‘Shut Down the Senate, We are at War’– legalinsurrection.com
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The last straw for Democratic lawmakers came when Elon Musk’s team of 18 to 25-year-old geniuses pulled back the curtain and exposed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as little more than a global charity for progressive causes. In a collective frenzy, what looked like the majority of House Democrats along with several senators, converged outside of the Treasury Department building to let their voices be heard. Why, it almost sounded as if they were calling for an insurrection.

New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver bellowed into the microphone, “We will not take this! We will fight back! And godd*** it, shut down the Senate! We are at war!”

Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley directed her ire toward her Republican colleagues. With California Rep. Maxine Waters grinning at her side, she yelled, “Pay attention. We’re here today in the hopes that you will see the light. But if you do not see the light, we will bring the fire. Resist!”

She referred to Musk as a “Nazi nepo baby.”

Trump Rocks Bill Gates as USAID Shakeup Squeezes Out His Foundation– www.westernjournal.com
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Pour one out for poor Bill Gates.

Gates, the Microsoft gazillionaire who has officially taken the leap from “global philanthropist” to “supranational, self-appointed health and climate official,” has been seen using his money and influence on the world stage to peddle ideas like geoengineering to “dim” the sun and cool the planet or push lab-made meat upon us, ostensibly to solve the same problem.

In the latest of his weird Bond villain ideas, Gates’ charity, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, approved a grant to research turning mosquitoes into “flying vaccinators,” a move which, in no way, sounds like something out of the first ten chapters of a Michael Crichton novel, before things go wrong.

Clearly, this is a man who needs access to avenues to distribute money and global reach to export these grand schemes — two things, just coincidentally, that USAID, the government agency currently in the process of being shuttered by the Trump administration, provides his charity.

USAID: A Cancer That Is One Of The Core Epicenters Of Evil In The U.S. Government Is Being Ripped To Shreds– lidblog.com
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… On Sunday, Donald Trump told the press that the organization was being run “by a bunch of radical lunatics”

Trump told reporters on Sunday: “USAID has been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we’re getting them out and then we’ll make a decision.”

I totally agree with Trump on this point.

Virtually everyone at USAID needs to be removed from their positions.

Fortunately, things are moving in that direction.  USAID employees were told to stay home on Monday, and hundreds of staffers were locked out of the computer systems

Stay at home and don’t bother to come into the office. That was the message to staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Monday who were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters.

The advice came via a notice distributed to the career bureaucrats, AP reports, after Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency down.

According to AP, USAID staffers said they “also tracked more than 600 employees who reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight.”

USAID Whistleblower Says He Was Forced to Attend DEI Boot Camp– townhall.com
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A USAID whistleblower says he learned the hard way what happens to employees of the agency who report corruption.

Former USAID director Mark Moyar told Fox News’ Jesse Watters he was fired from his job at the agency when he reported one of his subordinates for criminal conflict of interest.

Moyar explained that shortly after he spoke up, he was accused of publishing classified information, which was used to justify firing him. He’s been in court for three years trying to get the agency to “turn over the facts.”

Vast Majority of Donations From USAID Workers Went to Democrats– townhall.com
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Employees from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have donated almost entirely to Democrats.

USAID staff made $406,790 in political contributions in the 2024 election cycle, according to data collected on OpenSecrets. While $241,079, more than half of the total, went to Kamala Harris for president, only $999, which is a quarter of a percent, went to Donald Trump. 97% overall, a bit over $377,000, went to Democrats, but only $12,704 went to Republicans.

Political donations of USAID employees over $200 to PACs and candidates were tracked by Open Secrets with data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

The numbers above show the rampant political bias at the agency.

UN Chief Panics as Trump Cuts Funding for Globalist Causes– slaynews.com
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United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres is panicking over fears about President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent American tax dollars from being used to fund foreign organizations advancing a globalist agenda.

In a letter distributed to UN staff, Guterres warns that Trump’s America First policies will create a “difficult challenge” for the unelected international body.

In the letter, Guterres wrote:

“I assure you that we are working closely with colleagues throughout the United Nations system to understand and mitigate the extent of its impact on our operations.

“Now, more than ever, the work of the United Nations is crucial.

“As we face this difficult challenge, your dedication and support will help us to overcome and move forward.

“Together, we will ensure that our Organization continues to serve people in need around the world with unwavering commitment.”

President Donald J Trump’s use of tariffs has been justified by the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a distinction that enables him to use tariffs at will for whatever he deems an “emergency,” with little chance a court would dare set a precedent of empowering the courts to define what emergencies are.

The fruit of that labor has yielded two quick victories, with both Canada and Mexico capitulating to President Donald Trump’s demands to do something to limit the flow of fentanyl coming from both countries into America. Each nation has pledged 10K troops to the task, and each nation is now renegotiating its deals with America as a new 30-day deadline looms.

How Trump’s Bold Use of Tariffs Made Mexico and Canada Cave– www.dailysignal.com
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By using the threat of tariffs to pressure Canada and Mexico to pledge to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, President Donald Trump pursued a novel legal theory. He declared an emergency then used his emergency authority to threaten to impose tariffs to get our neighbors to comply with his border enforcement and economic policies.

Trump bypassed the typical avenues of tariff policy and instead used the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare the emergency and justify his tariff threats.

The act has been used by various presidents since the 1970s to respond to threats such as the Iran Hostage Crisis, the international drug trade, and the rise of Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. 

But presidents have only used it to freeze transactions or seize properties—never to implement broad tariffs.

Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods if they did not address the importation of fentanyl into the United States. (GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images)

Both Canada and Mexico faced a 25 percent tariff from the U.S. after President Trump ordered it into effect. Mexico announced a temporary deal delaying the tariffs by one month. China has so far appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Trump has warned Americans that there might be a price to pay for the tariff wars, but, in the end, it will be worth it long-term for American prosperity. The EU came out against the tariffs, with concerns they might be next.

Mexico has vowed to send 10,000 national guard troops to the northern border in response to the tariff threat. Canada has vowed it will respond to the U.S. with in-kind tariffs.

Trade War Heats Up After Trump Orders Tariffs and Canada Retaliates– www.nytimes.com
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The United States and its biggest trading partners were hurtling on Sunday into a new era of protectionism as Canada, Mexico and China said they would adopt countermeasures against new tariffs levied by President Trump.

From honey to tomatoes, and from clothes to toilet bowls, a wide range of American goods that cross the border into Canada, worth more than $100 billion, will soon be hit with a 25 percent tariff.

“We don’t want to be here,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a somber televised address from Ottawa on Saturday night in which he spoke of the deep bonds between the neighbors. “We didn’t ask for this.”

On Sunday, China said it would “take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests.” It also said it would take legal action at the World Trade Organization.

And in a video released on Sunday, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said that she would unveil the first steps of her government’s so-called Plan B plan on Monday if an agreement with the United States could not be reached. Ms. Sheinbaum earlier warned of retaliatory “tariff and nontariff measures.”

Mexico, US reach deal that puts Trump tariffs on hold – USA Today

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Mexico and the United States have reached a one-month agreement to stave off tariffs and a trade war, the threat of which sent global markets tumbling early Monday.

The tariffs on Mexico were set to go into effect Tuesday. By midday Monday, Trump’s 25% tariff on Canadian goods and a 10% tariff on Chinese goods still appeared on course to begin Tuesday.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said her country will send 10,000 National Guard troops to its northern border, while President Donald Trump agreed to work to slow the flow of American weapons south of the border.

Trump had promised 25% tariffs on all goods from Mexico before the two leaders worked out an agreement early Monday in a phone call.

Trade War Heats Up After Trump Orders Tariffs and Canada Retaliates– www.nytimes.com
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The United States and its biggest trading partners were hurtling on Sunday into a new era of protectionism as Canada, Mexico and China said they would adopt countermeasures against new tariffs levied by President Trump.

From honey to tomatoes, and from clothes to toilet bowls, a wide range of American goods that cross the border into Canada, worth more than $100 billion, will soon be hit with a 25 percent tariff.

“We don’t want to be here,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a somber televised address from Ottawa on Saturday night in which he spoke of the deep bonds between the neighbors. “We didn’t ask for this.”

On Sunday, China said it would “take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests.” It also said it would take legal action at the World Trade Organization.

And in a video released on Sunday, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said that she would unveil the first steps of her government’s so-called Plan B plan on Monday if an agreement with the United States could not be reached. Ms. Sheinbaum earlier warned of retaliatory “tariff and nontariff measures.”

Trump announces significant new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, sparking retaliatory actions – CNN– news.google.com
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  1. Trump announces significant new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, sparking retaliatory actions  CNN
  2. Canada’s Justin Trudeau announces retaliatory tariffs following Trump’s executive order  NBC News
  3. Canada’s counter-tariff plan targets food and drink, furniture and perfume  CTV News
  4. Here’s what will get more expensive from Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China  CNN
  5. Mexican president orders retaliatory tariffs against U.S.  Reuters Canada

 

Trudeau Details Canada’s Retaliation Plans in Emotional Rebuke of Trump Tariffs – The New York Times– news.google.com
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada laid out more than $100 billion in retaliatory tariffs against the United States late Saturday, in a forceful response to President Trump’s decision to impose levies on a range of Canadian goods.

But he made clear that Canada was doing so reluctantly.

“We don’t want to be here,” Mr. Trudeau said in a somber televised address from Ottawa that evoked the deep bonds between the two neighbors and close trading partners. “We didn’t ask for this.”

Mr. Trudeau spoke hours after President Trump hit Canada and Mexico with tariffs of 25 percent on all goods, with a partial carve out for Canadian energy and oil exports. Mr. Trudeau said that Canada would swiftly impose its own “far-reaching” retaliatory tariffs of 25 percent on 155 billion Canadian dollars ($106 billion) worth of U.S. goods.

Canada on Sunday published a detailed list of all the U.S. goods imported into Canada that will be subjected to the tariff, including hundreds of products including honey, tomatoes, whiskey and peanut butter. Also on the list were garments, porcelain goods such as toilets and bath tubs, as well as refrigerators and dish washers.

How Trump’s tariffs might affect commodity and energy sectors– www.investing.com
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U.S. President Donald Trump slapped Canada and Mexico with duties of 25% and China with a 10% levy on Saturday, calling the measures necessary to combat illegal immigration and the drug trade.

Canada and Mexico immediately vowed retaliatory measures, and China said it would challenge Trump’s levies at the World Trade Organization and take other countermeasures.

Trump’s move has sparked volatility in the commodities market. Here are some reactions to the news:

GOLDMAN SACHS

“We still expect Canadian oil producers to eventually bear most of the burden of the tariff with a $3 to $4 a barrel wider-than-normal discount on Canadian crude given limited alternative export markets, with U.S. consumers of refined products bearing the remaining $2 to $3 a barrel burden.

“We estimate Canadian natural gas exports to the U.S. might drop by a modest 0.16 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) as a result of 10% import tariffs, with little if any impact on U.S. gas prices.”

China’s non-specific response to Trump tariffs stands in contrast to Canada’s retaliatory measures– www.cbc.ca
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China’s government on Sunday denounced the Trump administration’s imposition of a long-threatened 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports while leaving the door open for talks with the U.S. that could avoid a deepening conflict.

Beijing will challenge President Donald Trump’s tariff at the World Trade Organization — a symbolic gesture — and take unspecified “countermeasures” in response to the levy, which takes effect on Tuesday, China’s finance and commerce ministries said.

That response stopped short of the immediate escalation that had marked China’s trade showdown with Trump in his first term as president and repeated the more measured language Beijing has used in recent weeks.

U.S. tariff move sparks criticism, concern in Germany – Xinhua
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff move against Canada, Mexico and China has sparked criticism and concern in Germany.

On Saturday, Trump ordered to impose a 25-percent tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, and a 10-percent tariff on Chinese goods. He also signaled that the European Union (EU) could be next, citing the bloc’s persistent trade surplus with the U.S.

While reaffirming Germany’s commitment to economic ties with the U.S., German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized that the first priority should be “not to divide up the world with many tariff barriers.”

Donald: ‘Pain’ Caused By Tariffs ‘Worth The Price That Must Be Paid’– crooksandliars.com
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A Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled, ‘The Dumbest Trade War in History’ really got under Donald’s thin-skin, so he took to Truth Social to rant against the paper while admitting that we may feel some pain from his trade war.

“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,” he scribbled. “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,” It continued. “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!” he added. “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!!!”

EU slams Trump tariffs, says it will ‘respond firmly’ if targeted– www.channelnewsasia.com
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BRUSSELS: The European Union on Sunday (Feb 2) blasted US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, and said the 27-nation bloc would hit back “firmly” if targeted.

Brussels had until now indicated it hoped to avoid a trade conflict with Trump through negotiation.

But on Friday the US leader doubled down by saying he “absolutely” planned to target the EU in future, as he slapped levies on his north American neighbours and China.

“The European Union regrets the US decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China,” said a spokesman for the European Commission.

“Tariffs create unnecessary economic disruption and drive inflation. They are hurtful to all sides.”

The spokesman said “the EU would respond firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods”.

“At this time, we are not aware of any additional tariffs being imposed on EU products,” he added.

After TikTok temporarily shut its doors in response to a ban on the app in the American market if it doesn’t sell itself off to American interests, Donald Trump gave TikTok a reprieve of 75 days to find new American buyers for the CCP-controlled app. So far, some of the candidates to buy the app include Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Elison and Microsoft. They have until April 5 to finalize a deal.

Billions of dollars in value were lost in the tech market, which also includes the Chinese tech market, after a Chinese-owned tech company released a powerful AI reasoning model called DeepSeek that is far cheaper and a little more powerful than current AI models like ChatGPT. The world’s richest 500 people lost over $100 billion after the market responded to the stunning news.

Marc Andreesen, who created Netscape Navigator, called the release “AI’s Sputnik moment,” referring to the shock in America when, in 1959, the Soviet Union successfully launched a space satellite called Sputnik at a fraction of the cost of then-current U.S. programs. Donald Trump said of the “Sputnik moment,” that it “should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser focused on competing to win.”

DeepSeek AI Triggers A Collective Loss of $94 Billion In Wealth Of Tech Billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg And Jeff – Times Now
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DeepSeek AI has taken the tech industry by storm with its cost and resource-effective advanced-language model. DeepSeek engineers claim that their open-source language learning model utilises fewer and cheaper chips to perform the same tasks as any other AI model out there at a ‘shoestring cost’ of $5.6 million. This has led many investors to rethink why a significant capital investment is required to build the strongest models when a competent AI model has been developed at a fraction of development costs.
DeepSeek AI is reportedly outperforming ChatGPT in areas such as mathematics and coding, positioning itself as a new competent AI model. The Chinese AI startup quickly emerged as the no.1 free app on the iOS app store, emerging as a free alternative against ChatGPT. DeepSeek performs all the functions of an open-source AI language learning model by utilising just 2000 chips, DeepSeek engineers reported. Whereas ChatGPT required 10,000 Nvidia GPUs to process its training data.
DeepSeek AI was founded in 2023, by Liang Wenfeng. Headquartered in Hangzhou, China, this new AI model is set to revolutionise the tech industry as it has successfully developed artificial general intelligence at a comparatively low cost…
As per a report by Bloomberg, billionaires tied to artificial intelligence suffered losses. Huang’s wealth decreased by $20.1 billion, a 20% decline, while Oracle Corp. co-founder Larry Ellison’s $22.6 billion loss was greater in absolute figures, yet only accounted for 12% of his total fortune, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Michael Dell of Dell Inc. saw a $13 billion decrease in his wealth, while Binance Holdings Ltd. co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao lost $12.1 billion.

LA wildfire insurance-loss estimates approach $40bn– www.moneyweb.co.za
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The cost of wildfires ravaging swaths of Los Angeles keeps rising, with new estimates of the total losses for the insurance industry now seen as high as $40 billion.

The fresh figure Tuesday from Keefe Bruyette & Woods analysts is double their rough initial estimate from just a day earlier. In a note to clients, they cited “continuing upside insured loss potential” as the fires across the region remain largely uncontrolled. Their most optimistic scenario implies insured losses of $25 billion.

Los Angeles is bracing for increased fire risk through at least Wednesday as hot, dry winds pummel the area. After raging for a week, the blazes killed at least 24 people and incinerated entire neighbourhoods.

The containment of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which unleashed the most devastation over the past week, stood at 17% and 35%, respectively, as of Tuesday, according to California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Allstate Corp, Travelers Cos and Chubb are the firms that could face the most gross primary losses from the fires, according to the KBW analysts.

However, insurers for high-net-worth homeowners such as Chubb, American International Group and Cincinnati Financial Corp, may have

Here’s How DEI-Crazed Officials Made The LA Fire More Deadly– thefederalist.com
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As relentless fires burn in Los Angeles, thousands of residents who fled their homes are just learning how poorly public officials prepared for such an event. Emergency response leaders following bad public policy have been too focused on sending firefighting equipment to Ukraine, keeping the homeless safe, protecting fish, and adopting green policies to focus on things like making sure there is enough water to feed fire hydrants and guaranteeing that the strongest, best-trained, most-skilled firefighters are leading operations.

Officials seem to believe that when fire forces you to flee your home, there is just one thing on your mind: the skin color and cultural experience of the firefighters who will bring you to safety. Will they be diverse enough to rescue you? Never mind if they are the best for the job, are they anything but straight white men?

That has been a major priority of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which, in 2022, launched its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Bureau (DEI), purportedly “focused on ensuring a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace for all.”

In January 2022, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti checked multiple DEI boxes by appointing Kristin Crowley as fire chief, the first female, LGBT chief in Los Angeles. That year, according to LAFD data, “of the more than 6,500 applicants to LAFD, 70% were people of color and nearly 8% … were female,” which was “double the … percentage of female firefighters within the Department” at the time.

The LAFD Girls Camp is one avenue for recruitment for female firefighters, hosting girls between 14 and 18 to explore career opportunities in the department.

Efforts by the Trump legal team to stop the pending sentencing of his felony conviction in the kangaroo court trial run by DNC activist Judge Juan Merchan were halted by the New York Court of Appeals’ Judge Ellen Gesmer, who dismissed the emergency motion. The full panel is likely to be next in line to review the emergency appeal.

US appeals court rejects Trump’s request to delay hush money sentencing – RBC-Ukraine
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The New York Court of Appeals has rejected a request to reschedule the sentencing of US President-elect Donald Trump. This concerns the case involving the alleged hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels, reports The Hill.

Judge Ellen Gesmer of the Court of Appeals dismissed Trump’s emergency motion to immediately halt the proceedings, which would solidify his status as a criminal before returning to the White House.

According to The Hill, Trump will most likely appeal to a panel of judges at the appellate court to stop the sentencing. At the same time, he will challenge two rulings by Judge Juan Merchan, which allow his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to the adult film star to stand.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the $5 million summary judgment against President Donald Trump in a lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll alleging Trump raped her. The court claimed, “We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings. Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.”

Court Upholds $5M Judgment Against President Trump in Carroll Case– wltreport.com
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President Donald Trump’s attempt to stop $5 million judgment hit a wall on Monday.

A federal appeals court upheld the jury’s 2023 ruling against him in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit.

The court found no errors in the trial that held President Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Carroll’s allegations date back to the ’90s when she says he assaulted her in a department store dressing room.

You know, the same exact plot from an episode of Law & Order SVU.

A jury decided Trump was liable for battery and defamation but stopped short of the rape claim, handing Carroll a $5M win.

And so the court rejected Trump’s appeal just weeks before Jan. 20th.

Former President Jimmy Carter (D-GA) passed away at the age of 100. President Joe Biden said of his passing, “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility.”

President Trump said of the passing, “President Jimmy Carter is dead at 100 years of age. While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for. He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office. Warmest condolences from Melania and I to his wonderful family!”

Jimmy Carter: tributes continue for former president hailed as ‘statesman and humanitarian’ – US politics live | US news– www.theguardian.com
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Tributes have continued to pour in for Jimmy Carter, the former US president who died aged 100 on Sunday.

The 39th president of the United States was a tireless advocate for global health and human rights, and president Joe Biden has declared a national day of mourning for 9 January, describing Carter as an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”