From 2b81df17bc49831742154db42c3e20285b0a268e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ralph Hightower <32745442+RalphHightower@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:13:57 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] [blog](blog): 2024-11-27, standardize, categories, --- .../2024-09-13-DontNeedNoStinkingOligarch.md | 4 +- ...-08-Musk1YeahYeahAndTheCheckIsInTheMail.md | 2 +- _posts/2024-10-27-Putin6RussianTrifecta.md | 2 +- _posts/2024-11-01-ManchurianCandidateMusk.md | 38 ++++----- _posts/2024-11-02-TheSilenceOfTheCowards.md | 2 +- ...2024-11-05-MuskMillionDollarSweepsFraud.md | 2 +- _posts/2024-11-06-FirstStepsToDictatorShip.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-06-TrumpsHitList.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-07-QuidProQuoTrumpMusk.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-08-GoodbyeDemocracy.md | 4 +- ...TrumpPlansToPitMilitaryAgainstAmericans.md | 4 +- ...2024-11-10-WhatFanBoiMuskWantsFromTrump.md | 4 +- ...-11-TheApprenticeWhiteHouse2025Unhenged.md | 4 +- ...11-12-DeployMilitaryOnEnemyWithinUSSoil.md | 4 +- ...1-12-MuskStiflesHisCriticsNotFreeSpeech.md | 2 +- ...24-11-13-BoltonAssessesTrumpNominations.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-15-DOGEIsDEAD.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-15-DoctorRobertFKJrDeathsHHS.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-16-TrumpAdminAxeVeteranHealth.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-16-TrumpRetributionPresident.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-16-TwitMuskSupportsFalseFlags.md | 2 +- _posts/2024-11-17-DefenseSecretaryFarRight.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-17-RFKJrBringBackSmallpox.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-17-Trump47CabinetPicks.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-18-RecessionIsComing.md | 4 +- ...24-11-18-ThisIsHowItStartsMilitaryBoots.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-18-TrumpTeamLies60Minutes.md | 4 +- ...24-11-19-BeautyContest4TrumpAppointment.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-19-MSNBCMorningJoeTrump2ndTerm.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-19-TrumpMiddleFinger2America.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMuskBromance.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-19-TrumpYouAintPresidentYet.md | 4 +- ...1-20-TeslaCybertruckMassiveDepreciation.md | 4 +- ...11-21-HypocriticalJudicialConfirmations.md | 4 +- ...11-21-TrumpWantsToKillFederalGovernment.md | 4 +- _posts/2024-11-21-TrumpsNationalSalesTax.md | 80 +++++++++++++++++++ .../2024-11-22-AngelaMerkelOpinionOfTrump.md | 4 +- .../2024-11-22-MuskDoxingFederalEmployees.md | 2 +- _posts/2024-11-25-MuskFuckTheEPA.md | 2 +- ...-25-TheApprenticeWhiteHouseWreckingBall.md | 6 +- _posts/2024-11-27-SharkWeekAtMarALogo.md | 22 +++++ ...11-27-TrumpAdministrationPackedGrifters.md | 62 ++++++++++++++ 42 files changed, 252 insertions(+), 88 deletions(-) create mode 100644 _posts/2024-11-21-TrumpsNationalSalesTax.md create mode 100644 _posts/2024-11-27-SharkWeekAtMarALogo.md create mode 100644 _posts/2024-11-27-TrumpAdministrationPackedGrifters.md diff --git a/_posts/2024-09-13-DontNeedNoStinkingOligarch.md b/_posts/2024-09-13-DontNeedNoStinkingOligarch.md index 891508fc..5a0156d2 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-09-13-DontNeedNoStinkingOligarch.md +++ b/_posts/2024-09-13-DontNeedNoStinkingOligarch.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, oligarch, politics] +tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, oligarch, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), SpaceX, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Starlink] categories: [2024 presidential election] date: 2024-09-13 5:10 PM excerpt: "Musk is the latest example of a totally gearheaded, engineering-brained, Silicon Valley guy who looks at government and says ‘How hard can it be? Let me at it and I can solve it for you.' There’s been many of these characters before, and he’s just the latest." @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ September 8, 2024 Former President [Donald Trump's](https://x.com/realdonaldtrump) plan to have [Elon Musk](https://x.com/elonmusk) lead a government efficiency commission would vault the world’s richest man to an unprecedented role: American oligarch. -The details of the commission and [Musk's](https://x.com/elonmusk) involvement are still vague, but any formal role in government would give greater influence to the billionaire owner of Tesla, Space X, satellite company Starlink and the social media platform X — signature ventures that have benefited from federal contracts, tax credits and government incentives. +The details of the commission and [Musk's](https://x.com/elonmusk) involvement are still vague, but any formal role in government would give greater influence to the billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX, satellite company Starlink and the social media platform X — signature ventures that have benefited from federal contracts, tax credits and government incentives. “This is like red lights blaring, all kinds of conflicts of interest,” said Danielle Brian, president of the Project on Government Oversight. Beyond the possible competing interests, [Musk](https://x.com/elonmusk)’s potential foray into government would represent a striking development for the tech titan, who would essentially have a role at the highest levels of business, manufacturing, media and Washington. diff --git a/_posts/2024-10-08-Musk1YeahYeahAndTheCheckIsInTheMail.md b/_posts/2024-10-08-Musk1YeahYeahAndTheCheckIsInTheMail.md index 8ff84661..d3e3c374 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-10-08-Musk1YeahYeahAndTheCheckIsInTheMail.md +++ b/_posts/2024-10-08-Musk1YeahYeahAndTheCheckIsInTheMail.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, social media, X/Twitter, politics] +tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, social media, X/Twitter, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [2024 presidential election] date: 2024-10-08 11:45 AM excerpt: 'The man once seen as a real-life Tony Stark will now be known as the man who traded in his reputation and self-professed principles to bend the knee to Trump.' diff --git a/_posts/2024-10-27-Putin6RussianTrifecta.md b/_posts/2024-10-27-Putin6RussianTrifecta.md index 5a6956a4..9abaf608 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-10-27-Putin6RussianTrifecta.md +++ b/_posts/2024-10-27-Putin6RussianTrifecta.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Elon Musk, United States, Russia, SpaceX, national security risk, politics] +tags: [Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Elon Musk, United States, Russia, SpaceX, national security risk, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)] categories: [2024 presidential election, national security] date: 2024-10-27 2:20 PM excerpt: "“He’s a war criminal who is slaughtering civilians. That makes this wrong in my view. You have to decide what team you are on. Are you on the American team or are you on the Russian team?” – Michael McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia" diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-01-ManchurianCandidateMusk.md b/_posts/2024-11-01-ManchurianCandidateMusk.md index 86119bfa..da7d972a 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-01-ManchurianCandidateMusk.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-01-ManchurianCandidateMusk.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin, national security risk, politics] +tags: [Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin, national security risk, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Starlink] categories: [2024 presidential election] date: 2024-11-01 9:44 AM excerpt: '“The policy of the U.S. government is to try to isolate Vladimir Putin, and Elon Musk is directly undercutting that. What is Putin doing with Musk? Putin is trying to reduce his international isolation and impact American foreign policy.” – Bradley Bowman, a former West Point assistant professor who is now senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ title: 'The Manchurian Candidate Musk: Engaging In Talks With Putin, As Has Trum ## [Here's a look at Musk's contact with Putin and why it matters / AP News](https://apnews.com/article/musk-putin-x-trump-tesla-election-russia-9cecb7cb0f23ccce49336771280ae179) -By DAVID KLEPPER and LISA MASCARO +By DAVID KLEPPER and LISA MASCARO Updated 5:35 PM EDT, October 25, 2024 - **Musk-Putin Contacts**: Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past two years, discussing personal matters, business, and geopolitics. @@ -26,31 +26,31 @@ Musk owns the following: - SpaceX. National security risk as a major government contractor supplying [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/) with launch services and crew flights to the [International Space Station - NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/). - Starlink. Satellite constellation proving communication and internet services. - X/Twitter. A social media network that has become: - - Propaganda machine for Trump; - - Russian outlet for election misinformation, myths to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election; - - Conspiracy nutjobs such as [@MTG](https://greene.house.gov), conspiracy theories; - - cesspool of bigotry and hate speech. + - Propaganda machine for Trump; + - Russian outlet for election misinformation, myths to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election; + - Conspiracy nutjobs such as [@MTG](https://greene.house.gov), conspiracy theories; + - cesspool of bigotry and hate speech. Musk's Foreign Influencers: - Presents a national security risk, given his companies’ work for the government - X/Twitter: - - has provided Russian a method to interfere with American politics,m - - conspiracy theories - - source for the far right + - has provided Russian a method to interfere with American politics,m + - conspiracy theories + - source for the far right - dumped millions of dollars into Trump’s campaign - During one call, Putin asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellite system over Taiwan as a favor for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose ties to Putin have grown closer. The request from Putin on Starlink as a favor to China is likely to get attention, given U.S. support for Taiwan and concerns about the growing partnership between the Kremlin and Beijing. - On Ukraine: - - Musk’s views have shifted since he initially supported Kyiv following Russia’s 2022 invasion - - provided it with his Starlink system for communications. - - Musk then refused to allow Ukraine in 2023 to use Starlink for a surprise attack on Russian soldiers in Crimea. - - also floated a peace proposal that would have required Ukraine to drop plans for NATO membership - - given Russia permanent control of Crimea, which it seized in 2014. The plan infuriated Ukrainian leaders. - - Last year, Musk mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for aid - - said in February that Ukraine couldn’t win the war. + - Musk’s views have shifted since he initially supported Kyiv following Russia’s 2022 invasion + - provided it with his Starlink system for communications. + - Musk then refused to allow Ukraine in 2023 to use Starlink for a surprise attack on Russian soldiers in Crimea. + - also floated a peace proposal that would have required Ukraine to drop plans for NATO membership + - given Russia permanent control of Crimea, which it seized in 2014. The plan infuriated Ukrainian leaders. + - Last year, Musk mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for aid + - said in February that Ukraine couldn’t win the war. - China: - - Tesla operates Gigafactory Shanghai, has developed a close relationship with China’s leaders. His remarks about China have been friendly. - - He has suggested Taiwan cede some control to Beijing by becoming a special administrative region. + - Tesla operates Gigafactory Shanghai, has developed a close relationship with China’s leaders. His remarks about China have been friendly. + - He has suggested Taiwan cede some control to Beijing by becoming a special administrative region. Trump: @@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Moscow has growing ties to other American adversaries. The U.S. has accused Russ “The policy of the U.S. government is to try to isolate Vladimir Putin, and Elon Musk is directly undercutting that. What is Putin doing with Musk? Putin is trying to reduce his international isolation and impact American foreign policy.” Bowman said. -Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Musk “a once-in-a-generation industry leader” whose ideas could benefit “our broken federal bureaucracy[^51]. As for Putin, there’s only one candidate in the race that he did not invade another country under, and it’s President Trump President Trump has long said that he will re-establish his peace through strength foreign policy to deter Russia’s aggression and end the war in Ukraine.” +Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Musk “a once-in-a-generation industry leader” whose ideas could benefit “our broken federal bureaucracy[^51]. As for Putin, there’s only one candidate in the race that he did not invade another country under, and it’s President Trump President Trump has long said that he will re-establish his peace through strength foreign policy to deter Russia’s aggression and end the war in Ukraine.” [^51]: Elon Musk, as self-declared "nona-manager", has no inside experience with government. diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-02-TheSilenceOfTheCowards.md b/_posts/2024-11-02-TheSilenceOfTheCowards.md index 087abc34..106316d7 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-02-TheSilenceOfTheCowards.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-02-TheSilenceOfTheCowards.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [billionaires, campaign contributions, Elon Musk, Bill Ackermann, Warren Buffet, Robert Johnson, Winklevoss (Cameron & Tyler), Miriam Adelson, Ben Horowitz, Marc Andreesen, Ben Horowitz, Ike Perlmutter, Richard Uihlein, Jamie Dimon, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Jeff Bezos, politics] +tags: [billionaires, campaign contributions, Elon Musk, Bill Ackermann, Warren Buffet, Robert Johnson, Winklevoss (Cameron & Tyler), Miriam Adelson, Ben Horowitz, Marc Andreesen, Ben Horowitz, Ike Perlmutter, Richard Uihlein, Jamie Dimon, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Jeff Bezos, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [2024 presidential election] date: 2024-11-02 4:50 PM excerpt: "With Trump, there is no such thing as an ironclad deal that doesn’t benefit him personally. His appetite for retribution is well-established, and any slight or perceived disloyalty is enough to curry his disfavor." diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-05-MuskMillionDollarSweepsFraud.md b/_posts/2024-11-05-MuskMillionDollarSweepsFraud.md index f567dc6d..5717c8fe 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-05-MuskMillionDollarSweepsFraud.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-05-MuskMillionDollarSweepsFraud.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, million dollars sweepstakes, politics] +tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, million dollars sweepstakes, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [2024 presidential election] date: 2024-11-05 2:40 PM excerpt: "“This was all a political marketing masquerading as a lottery,” Krasner testified Monday morning. “That’s what it is. A grift. They were scammed for their information,” Krasner said. “It has almost unlimited use.” – Philadelphia District Attorney" diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-06-FirstStepsToDictatorShip.md b/_posts/2024-11-06-FirstStepsToDictatorShip.md index f944b037..212d9879 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-06-FirstStepsToDictatorShip.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-06-FirstStepsToDictatorShip.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [president-elect, Donald Trump, constitutional amendments, politics, first amendment, freedom of speech, freedomof press] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [president-elect, constitutional amendments, politics, first amendment, freedom of speech, freedom of press] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-06 1:43 PM excerpt: “I know I told you that I would be covering the Trump election night party from Palm Beach but turns out I have pissed off Trump’s campaign manager with my reporting and they decided to deny my credentials. I have been honest and fair this entire time covering this election and I will be now broadcasting in studio with Brian Williams from LA.” Tara Palmeri – Puck" #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-06-TrumpsHitList.md b/_posts/2024-11-06-TrumpsHitList.md index c14f98df..c21fb137 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-06-TrumpsHitList.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-06-TrumpsHitList.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, revenge, retribution, political enemies, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [revenge, retribution, political enemies, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-06 10:53 AM excerpt: "Many Trump supporters dismissed the threats as campaign rhetoric aimed at whipping up his base. They noted that his exhortations against his enemies only rarely led to action during his first four years in office. But others — including some of Trump’s closest advisers — have warned ominously that he’s far more likely to follow through in a second term. He won’t be inhibited by the need to run for reelection. He will be emboldened by a Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents broad immunity from criminal accountability after they leave office. And he is expected to be surrounded by aides more willing to dispense with norms to carry out his wishes. @RalphHightower: Trump does not like being told that his idea is wrong, or worse, stupid. His advisers will be staffed with sycophants, brown nosers, ass kissers, boot lickers, and acolytes, yes men." diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-07-QuidProQuoTrumpMusk.md b/_posts/2024-11-07-QuidProQuoTrumpMusk.md index 053a0300..cb1780b7 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-07-QuidProQuoTrumpMusk.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-07-QuidProQuoTrumpMusk.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, SpaceX, Tesla, NRLB, NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Labor Relations Board, politics, federal government graft] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Elon Musk, SpaceX, Tesla, NRLB, NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Labor Relations Board, politics, federal government graft] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-07 1:31 PM excerpt: '"The relationship that Elon Musk has with the federal government is unprecedented." – Stephen Diamond, a professor at Santa Clara University Law School' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-08-GoodbyeDemocracy.md b/_posts/2024-11-08-GoodbyeDemocracy.md index cd7b4560..34f7cefb 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-08-GoodbyeDemocracy.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-08-GoodbyeDemocracy.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, autocracy, kleptocracy, united states, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [autocracy, kleptocracy, united states, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-08 3:47 PM excerpt: "In 2016, we could all pretend that Trump was an aberration. Not this time. People knew exactly what they were voting for. Democracy just isn’t that high on the list of priorities. The likely chaos of the last two years of Trump’s upcoming term may become fertile ground for a populist demagogue. A billionaire who flouts the laws that apply to everyone else and hands out pardons and special deals to his cronies while ordinary people suffer is a tempting foil if you want to whip up popular anger. For 250 years we have had this quaint notion that democracy was an end in itself. But all good autocrats know that democracy is just a tool to be discarded when it’s no longer useful." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-08-TrumpPlansToPitMilitaryAgainstAmericans.md b/_posts/2024-11-08-TrumpPlansToPitMilitaryAgainstAmericans.md index 5de92e79..575c28ca 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-08-TrumpPlansToPitMilitaryAgainstAmericans.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-08-TrumpPlansToPitMilitaryAgainstAmericans.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, deploy military US soil, enemy within, politics, Trump politicizing American military on US soil against citizens] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [deploy military US soil, enemy within, politics, Trump politicizing American military on US soil against citizens] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-08 5:58 PM excerpt: 'The thought of Trump exacting retribution by politicizing the American military should terrify us all.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-10-WhatFanBoiMuskWantsFromTrump.md b/_posts/2024-11-10-WhatFanBoiMuskWantsFromTrump.md index b3203c3b..4b4d5fc7 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-10-WhatFanBoiMuskWantsFromTrump.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-10-WhatFanBoiMuskWantsFromTrump.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, kickbacks, political favors, AI, Tesla, H1B Visa, skilled immigrants, electric vehicles, autonomous driving, China, Starlink, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Elon Musk, kickbacks, political favors, AI, Tesla, H1B Visa, skilled immigrants, electric vehicles, autonomous driving, China, Starlink, politics, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC)] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-10 4:56 PM excerpt: "The Tesla CEO played a pivotal role in securing a second Trump presidency. Here’s where he stands on the issues." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-11-TheApprenticeWhiteHouse2025Unhenged.md b/_posts/2024-11-11-TheApprenticeWhiteHouse2025Unhenged.md index f94936af..794e2a81 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-11-TheApprenticeWhiteHouse2025Unhenged.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-11-TheApprenticeWhiteHouse2025Unhenged.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, revenge, enemy within, wacky ideas, conspiracy theories, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [revenge, enemy within, wacky ideas, conspiracy theories, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-11 8:27 PM excerpt: "He has suggested potential prosecutions of many dozens of political foes. He tried to target his political foes plenty in his first term — often privately and without the investigations leading to charges. He might be less burdened by the propriety of that this time around. Trump has regularly claimed that the Biden administration is behind his own criminal prosecutions, even as there’s no evidence of political influence. He says he has “every right” to seek prosecutions himself." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-12-DeployMilitaryOnEnemyWithinUSSoil.md b/_posts/2024-11-12-DeployMilitaryOnEnemyWithinUSSoil.md index 5cd1ac34..520c949b 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-12-DeployMilitaryOnEnemyWithinUSSoil.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-12-DeployMilitaryOnEnemyWithinUSSoil.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [enemy within, deploy military on US citizens, video, politics, Donald Trump] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [enemy within, deploy military on US citizens, video, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-12 2:35 PM excerpt: 'The Associated Press had a related report on this, taking stock of the bigger picture: “During his first term as president, Donald Trump tested the limits of how he could use the military to achieve policy goals. If given a second term, the Republican and his allies are preparing to go much further, reimagining the military as an all-powerful tool to deploy on U.S. soil.”' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-12-MuskStiflesHisCriticsNotFreeSpeech.md b/_posts/2024-11-12-MuskStiflesHisCriticsNotFreeSpeech.md index 5a3fd58d..88d48e41 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-12-MuskStiflesHisCriticsNotFreeSpeech.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-12-MuskStiflesHisCriticsNotFreeSpeech.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [First Amendment, Free Speech, X-Twitter, Elon Musk, social media, politics] +tags: [First Amendment, Free Speech, X-Twitter, Elon Musk, social media, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [Elon Musk] date: 2024-11-12 5:08 PM excerpt: "“Elon Musk is an incredibly thin-skinned man who’s incapable of taking honest criticism, even when based on verifiable facts, and has already weaponized courts to try and punish his perceived enemies. We live in a country of checks and balances, and we have faith in our judicial system and in the freedoms afforded to us by the Constitution,” Ahmed said." diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-13-BoltonAssessesTrumpNominations.md b/_posts/2024-11-13-BoltonAssessesTrumpNominations.md index 1dad31b7..571e9812 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-13-BoltonAssessesTrumpNominations.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-13-BoltonAssessesTrumpNominations.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, 2025 cabinet picks, fealty, sycophants, John Bolton, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [2025 cabinet picks, fealty, sycophants, John Bolton, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-13 3:11 PM excerpt: "“I do think there’s a group of people who think that they are going to be able to screen out people, not on the basis of philosophy so much as on their attitude toward the president. And the word loyalty is often used. I think that’s the wrong word. Actually, I think what [Trump](https://x.com/realdonaldtrump) wants from his advisors is fealty, really a futile sense of subservience. And you know, he may get that, but I will tell you that that will not serve him well over the course of his next term, and it certainly won’t serve the country well.” – John Bolton, Bolton" diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-15-DOGEIsDEAD.md b/_posts/2024-11-15-DOGEIsDEAD.md index e4d3a063..be26727c 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-15-DOGEIsDEAD.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-15-DOGEIsDEAD.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, sycophants, politics, 2025 Trump Administration, Department Of Government Efficiency, Donald Trump] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, sycophants, politics, 2025 Trump Administration, Department Of Government Efficiency] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-15 11:06 AM excerpt: "Social media users were quick to point out some of the programs that received funding despite lacking current Congressional authorization. One is the Veterans’ Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, which helps provide funding for veterans’ medical care. The authorization expired in 1998, but still receives about $120 billion in funding. It was hardly the only notable agency that could see a funding stream tried up. Others included a bill that helped NASA and the International Space Station." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-15-DoctorRobertFKJrDeathsHHS.md b/_posts/2024-11-15-DoctorRobertFKJrDeathsHHS.md index 99dfd575..3d3290b7 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-15-DoctorRobertFKJrDeathsHHS.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-15-DoctorRobertFKJrDeathsHHS.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Robert F Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump, Health Human Services, politics, Donald Trump, 2025 Administration] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Robert F Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump, Health Human Services, politics, 2025 Administration] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-15 10:27 AM excerpt: "RFK Jr. is one of the most dangerous, misguided, and hypocritical figures in the global 'wellness' movement. He has said that there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective. He has no idea how science or chemistry work. This is a disaster waiting to happen.– Mike Rothschild, journalist" #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpAdminAxeVeteranHealth.md b/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpAdminAxeVeteranHealth.md index acbb4480..8f3919ef 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpAdminAxeVeteranHealth.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpAdminAxeVeteranHealth.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [privatize, Veterans Affairs, Pete Hegseth, politics, video, Donald Trump] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [privatize, Veterans Affairs, Pete Hegseth, politics, video] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-16 11:25 AM excerpt: "Donald Trump, having embraced the idea of privatizing veterans' health care, wants Hegseth to replace David Shulkin as his secretary of Veterans Affairs." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpRetributionPresident.md b/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpRetributionPresident.md index 7c66c51c..6f4433a6 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpRetributionPresident.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-16-TrumpRetributionPresident.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Trump Cabinet, loyalists, acolytes, sycophants, misfits, unqualified, politics, Donald Trump] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Trump Cabinet, loyalists, acolytes, sycophants, misfits, unqualified, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-16 10:48 AM excerpt: "''Trump’s first wave of cabinet nominations and White House appointments, within the week after he won the 2024 presidential election, have stunned members of Congress, veterans and active-duty service members, public health advocates and democratic advocates, who have warned for years that he is building a government of loyalists to fulfill his campaign-trail promises to deliver “retribution” by destroying the “deep state.”" #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-16-TwitMuskSupportsFalseFlags.md b/_posts/2024-11-16-TwitMuskSupportsFalseFlags.md index 90713402..94a50ec8 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-16-TwitMuskSupportsFalseFlags.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-16-TwitMuskSupportsFalseFlags.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [X/Twitter, false flag, conspiracy theories, social media, politics] +tags: [X/Twitter, false flag, conspiracy theories, social media, politics, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [Elon Musk] date: 2024-11-16 3:27 PM excerpt: '"There will be consequences for those who pushed foreign interference hoaxes. The Hammer of Justice is coming." Elon Musk wrote on Saturday, who perpetuated hoaxes and conspiracies.' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-17-DefenseSecretaryFarRight.md b/_posts/2024-11-17-DefenseSecretaryFarRight.md index 5c809d5c..15d2e35d 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-17-DefenseSecretaryFarRight.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-17-DefenseSecretaryFarRight.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Pete Hegseth, Departmentof Defense, white supremacist, white nationalist, politics, Donald Trump] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Pete Hegseth, Departmentof Defense, white supremacist, white nationalist, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-17 2:10 PM excerpt: "“Pete Hegseth's tattoos are the ones that white nationalists get. Federal law enforcement knows these symbols well. Pete Hegseth was banned[^41] from national guard duty at Biden’s inauguration for those tattoos. The Senate should consider this disqualifying for a nominee for Secretary of Defense…” – Olivia Troye, former White House Homeland Security and counter-terrorism adviser." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-17-RFKJrBringBackSmallpox.md b/_posts/2024-11-17-RFKJrBringBackSmallpox.md index 16af497e..d34e58d9 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-17-RFKJrBringBackSmallpox.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-17-RFKJrBringBackSmallpox.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Robert F Kennedy Jr, public health, vaccines, herd immunity, politics Trump 47 cabinet, department of health and human services] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Robert F Kennedy Jr, public health, vaccines, herd immunity, politics Trump 47 cabinet, department of health and human services] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-17 8:04 PM excerpt: "“RFK says he won't take away vaccines if they are working. The problem with this statement is that vaccines do work or they would never have been approved in the first place. My biggest fear is that RFK will discount evidence and decades of research to revoke approval of vaccines. Then no one will be able to get those vaccines. While changes in policy could be reversed with a change of administration in 4 years, the impacts on children who miss vaccines during that time will be lifelong or even deadly.” – Cynthia Leifer" #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-17-Trump47CabinetPicks.md b/_posts/2024-11-17-Trump47CabinetPicks.md index 3570eda2..f839e87f 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-17-Trump47CabinetPicks.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-17-Trump47CabinetPicks.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, Lee Zeldin, Elise Stefanik, Matt Gaetz, Colin Jost, Michael Che, Weekend Update, Saturday Night Live, politics, video, cabinet picks] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Kristi Noem, Lee Zeldin, Elise Stefanik, Matt Gaetz, Colin Jost, Michael Che, Weekend Update, Saturday Night Live, politics, video, cabinet picks] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-17 1:49 PM excerpt: "“Trump nominated Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Lee Zeldin to head the EPA and Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the U.N. and then someone yelled, ‘Now do a silly one. And Gaetz said the same thing he does when he sees a teenage girl, ‘I’ll do it,’”" #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-18-RecessionIsComing.md b/_posts/2024-11-18-RecessionIsComing.md index ea2173ea..a8e7a2f4 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-18-RecessionIsComing.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-18-RecessionIsComing.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, president-elect, recession, economy, politics, video] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [president-elect, recession, economy, politics, video] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-18 4:37 PM excerpt: '"My view is that the economy is going to continue to slow down and probably will experience a recession next year," Hanke said.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-18-ThisIsHowItStartsMilitaryBoots.md b/_posts/2024-11-18-ThisIsHowItStartsMilitaryBoots.md index 1a0b7132..12848a0a 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-18-ThisIsHowItStartsMilitaryBoots.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-18-ThisIsHowItStartsMilitaryBoots.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, military deployment US soil, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [military deployment US soil, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-18 5:16 PM excerpt: 'There will certainly be a price tag, however, and it will be high given the logistical implications of removing millions of people from the nation.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-18-TrumpTeamLies60Minutes.md b/_posts/2024-11-18-TrumpTeamLies60Minutes.md index 83b5a5e8..5708417e 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-18-TrumpTeamLies60Minutes.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-18-TrumpTeamLies60Minutes.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Cabinet, 60 Minutes, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F Kennedy Jr, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Cabinet, 60 Minutes, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F Kennedy Jr, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-18 4:11 PM excerpt: Some nominees appear to have no compelling qualifications other than loyalty to Trump." – Scott Pelly, CBS News 60 Minutes Host' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-19-BeautyContest4TrumpAppointment.md b/_posts/2024-11-19-BeautyContest4TrumpAppointment.md index aecac1f0..76838555 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-19-BeautyContest4TrumpAppointment.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-19-BeautyContest4TrumpAppointment.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, mass deportations, military boots on US soil, politics, Mar-a-Lago, Treasury, video] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [mass deportations, military boots on US soil, politics, Mar-a-Lago, Treasury, video] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-19 8:59 AM lexcerpt: "Donald Trump confirmed he's considering using the U.S. military to carry out mass deportations when he takes office — so how much will it cost? Plus, it's a battle royale at Mar-a-Lago to figure out who will be Trump's Treasury Secretary. Carol Leonnig, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Mark Leibovich join Stephanie Ruhle on The 11th Hour." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-19-MSNBCMorningJoeTrump2ndTerm.md b/_posts/2024-11-19-MSNBCMorningJoeTrump2ndTerm.md index a1b22272..3421caf9 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-19-MSNBCMorningJoeTrump2ndTerm.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-19-MSNBCMorningJoeTrump2ndTerm.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, MSNBC, Morning Joe, politics, Mar-a-Lago, video] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [MSNBC, Morning Joe, politics, Mar-a-Lago, video] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-19 8:53 AM excerpt: 'Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski discuss a weekend meeting with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago and how Morning Joe plans to cover a second Trump term.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMiddleFinger2America.md b/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMiddleFinger2America.md index 17d111d3..b779e5ec 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMiddleFinger2America.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMiddleFinger2America.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Bob Woodward, Cabinet picks, politics, video] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Bob Woodward, Cabinet picks, politics, video] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-19 9:08 AM excerpt: "Legendary journalist Bob Woodward reacts to Trump's Cabinet picks." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMuskBromance.md b/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMuskBromance.md index 593acc66..713c6778 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMuskBromance.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpMuskBromance.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mary Trump, politics, video] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Elon Musk, Mary Trump, politics, video] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-19 9:25 AM excerpt: "Mary Trump reveals how Donald's alliance with Elon Musk is already falling apart, as the billionaire's ego clashes with Trump's transition team. Watch as world leaders tell Musk to “fuck off,” while Trump's cabinet picks face serious allegations and ethics investigations. The honeymoon phase didn't last long." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpYouAintPresidentYet.md b/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpYouAintPresidentYet.md index 99e92ac9..3ab4cd69 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpYouAintPresidentYet.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-19-TrumpYouAintPresidentYet.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Joe Biden, judicial nominees confirmation, Donald Trump, Senate, Charles (Chuck) Schumer, John Thune, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Joe Biden, judicial nominees confirmation, Senate, Charles (Chuck) Schumer, John Thune, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-19 3:24 PM excerpt: '"Regardless of party, the American people expect their leaders to fight for the rule of law and to ensure the criminal justice system can function effectively in every state. Delaying the confirmation of highly qualified, experienced judges takes a real-life toll on constituents and leads to backlogs of criminal cases -- meaning Senator Thune was correct in 2020 when he said senators have every urgent reason for Republicans and Democrats to continue working together in good faith to staff the federal bench." – White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-20-TeslaCybertruckMassiveDepreciation.md b/_posts/2024-11-20-TeslaCybertruckMassiveDepreciation.md index de827ad5..2983d1bd 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-20-TeslaCybertruckMassiveDepreciation.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-20-TeslaCybertruckMassiveDepreciation.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Cybertruck, electric vehicle, Elon Musk, massive depreciation, urban cowboys] -categories: [Tesla] +tags: [Cybertruck, electric vehicle, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), massive depreciation, urban cowboys] +categories: [Elon Musk] date: 2024-11-21 11:36 AM excerpt: "With a depreciation rate of over 100% in three months, the Cybertruck's loss in value tops the rate for the Maserati Quattroporte, which had a rate of 64.5% over five years. The first-generation Nissan Leaf's rate was also higher with a 72% loss after five years. That doesn't look too good for Tesla." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-21-HypocriticalJudicialConfirmations.md b/_posts/2024-11-21-HypocriticalJudicialConfirmations.md index 46b6be06..80f025ee 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-21-HypocriticalJudicialConfirmations.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-21-HypocriticalJudicialConfirmations.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Joe Biden, judge confirmations, Charles (Chuck) Schumer, John Thune, Senate, Donald Trump, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Joe Biden, judge confirmations, Charles (Chuck) Schumer, John Thune, Senate, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-21 12:23 PM excerpt: '“I want to thank the majority leader for making judicial confirmations such a priority. And I look forward to confirming more outstanding judicial nominees this week.” — Thune, in a statement on the Senate floor, Nov. 18, 2020. — FOUR YEARS LATER — “If Sen. Schumer thought Senate Republicans would just roll over and allow him to quickly confirm multiple Biden-appointed judges to lifetime jobs in the final weeks of the Democrat majority, he thought wrong.” — Republican leader John Thune (R-South Dakota), in a statement to Fox News, Nov. 18, 2024.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpWantsToKillFederalGovernment.md b/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpWantsToKillFederalGovernment.md index e226dad6..e6101e1b 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpWantsToKillFederalGovernment.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpWantsToKillFederalGovernment.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, president-elect, federal government, king] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [president-elect, federal government, king] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-21 7:28 PM excerpt: 'If Trump successfully pushed for the elimination of that law, he could gain unilateral power to defund vast swaths of the federal government, refuse to dole out foreign aid, or withhold federal funds to pressure others to bend to his will.' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpsNationalSalesTax.md b/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpsNationalSalesTax.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..332c12c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2024-11-21-TrumpsNationalSalesTax.md @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +--- +layout: post +tags: [tariffs, national sales tax, inflation, politics, ecomy] +categories: [Donald Trump] +date: 2024-11-21 3:17 PM +excerpt: '“It is difficult to predict the exact price increase. But it will be inflationary.” – Jason Miller, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University' +#image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' +#description: +#permalink: +title: "Get Ready For Trump’s National Sales Tax. And Inflation." +--- + + +## [Trump's proposed tariffs would raise prices for these products, experts say](https://abcnews.go.com/Business/trumps-proposed-tariffs-raise-prices-products-experts/story?id=115893557) + +November 19, 2024. + +President-elect Donald Trump has promised a major escalation of the nation’s tariffs. + +Trump has proposed tariffs of between 60% and 100% on Chinese goods, and a tax of between 10% and 20% on every product imported from all U.S. trading partners. + +Economists widely forecast that tariffs of this magnitude would increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers. + +Trump's tariffs would cost the average U.S. household about $2,600 per year, according to an estimate from the Peterson Institute for International Economics. + +“This will directly impact people’s pocketbooks,” Rob Handfield, a professor of operations and supply-chain management at North Carolina State University, told ABC News. + +In response to ABC News' request for comment, the Trump transition team rebuked concern about potential price increases as a result of his tariff proposals. + +"In his first term, President Trump instituted tariffs against China that created jobs, spurred investment, and resulted in no inflation. President Trump will work quickly to fix and restore an economy that puts American workers by re-shoring American jobs, lowering inflation, raising real wages, lowering taxes, cutting regulations, and unshackling American energy," Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the transition team, told ABC News in a statement. + +@RalphHightower: Of course Team Trump, (Karoline Leavitt), would say that his tariffs won't affect consumers because he doesn’t understand a fuck about tariffs acting like a national sales tax. + +- Electronics + - smartphones + - tablets + - laptops + - video cameras + - headphones + - and + - video game consoles +- Clothes + - jeans + - T-shirts + - sweatshirts +- Toys + - dolls + - stuffed animals + - board games +“Electronics are basically ubiquitous,” Raymond Robertson, a professor of trade and public policy at Texas A&M University, told ABC News. “I don’t know how this wouldn’t be incredibly disruptive.” + +Prices of laptops and tablets could rise as much as 46%, while smartphone prices could jump 26%, according to a study published last month by the Consumer Technology Association, a trade group that represents tech firms. + +Many of those goods are imported from China, which would face the steepest tariffs under Trump’s proposal, Handfield said. Since Trump plans to also impose tariffs on all imported goods, manufacturers would not be able to circumvent the tariffs by shifting production to other countries, he added. + +Imports account for roughly 90% of video and audio electronic equipment sold to U.S. consumers, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found in 2017. Meanwhile, 88% of electronic computers and 78% of small electric appliances are imported, the BEA said. + +“The prices of electronics would definitely go up,” Handfield said. + +The U.S. imports more than 80% of clothing items offered up by retailers, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data last year showed. + +For decades, the U.S. has increasingly relied on apparel manufacturers in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and other low-cost markets abroad, said Jason Miller, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University. + +“Obviously, and not surprisingly, apparel is very strongly imported,” Miller said. + +The price of a set of 500 apparel goods ranging from swimwear to gloves to baby clothes could rise as much as 20% in response to the potential tariffs, according to a study earlier this month by the National Retail Federation, a trade association that represents retailers. + +After the proposed tariffs, a $50 woman’s cotton sweater could cost consumers as much as $60 while the price of men’s jeans could rise from $80 to $96, the NRF found. + +Imports account for about 90% of toys and dolls sold to U.S. consumers, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data in 2017 showed. + +Top U.S. toy makers are “very, very dependent on China,” Handfield said. “Almost all toys are manufactured in Asia.” + +The price of a $50 tricycle could jump an additional $28, while a plush toy could climb from $17 to $27. + +Economists face challenges forecasting the exact price increase since it remains unclear whether firms involved in the supply chain for products, such as toys, will take on a share of the added cost by relinquishing some profits or will pass along all of the cost to customers, Miller said. + +The current body of academic research, however, suggests that many companies will add the full cost of tariffs onto the consumer. + +Miller said, “It is difficult to predict the exact price increase. But it will be inflationary.” \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-22-AngelaMerkelOpinionOfTrump.md b/_posts/2024-11-22-AngelaMerkelOpinionOfTrump.md index cf497f56..a24ccebc 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-22-AngelaMerkelOpinionOfTrump.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-22-AngelaMerkelOpinionOfTrump.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, United States, Germany, politics] -categories: [2024 post election] +tags: [Angela Merkel, United States, Germany, politics] +categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-22 9:06 AM excerpt: "“The more people there were in the room, the greater was his urge to be the winner. You can't chat with him. Every meeting is a competition: you or me.” – Angela Merkel, former German chancellor through four presidents." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-22-MuskDoxingFederalEmployees.md b/_posts/2024-11-22-MuskDoxingFederalEmployees.md index 9364abf3..12483f89 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-22-MuskDoxingFederalEmployees.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-22-MuskDoxingFederalEmployees.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, federal employees, federal government] +tags: [Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, federal employees, federal government, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [security risks, security threat, personal safety, personal privacy] date: 2024-11-22 7:05 PM excerpt: "“These tactics are aimed at sowing terror and fear at federal employees. It’s intended to make them fearful that they will become afraid to speak up. We are a comparative steal, and we want to help clean it up too. The people I represent have been called names like deep state, but they are working people just like you and I.” – Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 800,000 of the 2.3 million civilian federal employees and former Army sergeant." diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-25-MuskFuckTheEPA.md b/_posts/2024-11-25-MuskFuckTheEPA.md index 19c58aaf..610a02a0 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-25-MuskFuckTheEPA.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-25-MuskFuckTheEPA.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Donald Trump, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Austin Water, Austin Texas, politics, Tesla, SpaceX, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Gigafactory ] +tags: [Donald Trump, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Austin Water, Austin Texas, politics, Tesla, SpaceX, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Gigafactory, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)] categories: [Elon Musk] date: 2024-11-25 1:29 PM excerpt: "A Journal investigation shows that Tesla bosses were aware of the problems but sometimes chose short-term fixes to avoid slowing production. Former employees said they feared they might lose their job if they drew attention internally to potential environmental hazards, because senior managers didn’t consider such issues to be mission critical. As head of the company, Musk set the tone, these people said, pushing employees to move fast and complaining frequently in public statements that unnecessary regulations are strangling the U.S." diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-25-TheApprenticeWhiteHouseWreckingBall.md b/_posts/2024-11-25-TheApprenticeWhiteHouseWreckingBall.md index 4abc4373..5fd80a61 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-25-TheApprenticeWhiteHouseWreckingBall.md +++ b/_posts/2024-11-25-TheApprenticeWhiteHouseWreckingBall.md @@ -1,13 +1,13 @@ --- layout: post -tags: [Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), federal agencies, government service] +tags: [Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), federal agencies, government service, Tesla, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)] categories: [Donald Trump] date: 2024-11-25 11:00 excerpt: "DOGE’s agenda threatens to upend federal governance, from environmental protections to public health programs. Critics warn that the commission’s proposals prioritize corporate profits and austerity over the public good, risking long-term harm to the nation’s social fabric. Based on Elon Musk’s comments, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is poised to make far-reaching recommendations that could have a devastating impact on Americans and enormously benefit insiders, starting with Musk himself." #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' #description: #permalink: -title: "The Apprentice: White House – Wrecking Ball" +title: 'The Apprentice: White House – Wrecking Ball" --- @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ As [Musk](https://x.com/elonmusk) is a fractional CEO[^11] of many companies tha Even as an unpaid "volunteer to thefederalgovernment, [Musk](https://x.com/elonmusk) and his companies could benefit financially from the federal government. -[11]: fractional CEO: while there is a definition meaning a short term CEO as a temporary leader, my definition is since he has a leadership role in many companies, he doesn't have the time to provide leadership for all his companies: X, SpaceX. Starlink, SpaceX Tesla, Neuralink, Hyperloop, Boring Company, xAI, Solar City, Tesla Energy. +[11]: fractional CEO: while there is a definition meaning a short term CEO as a temporary leader, my definition is since he has a leadership role in many companies, he doesn't have the time to provide leadership for all his companies: X, SpaceX. Starlink, SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, Hyperloop, Boring Company, xAI, Solar City, Tesla Energy. Trump has not learned a damn thing from his first term as president. JD Vance has less than two years of experience in government. Musk and Ramaswamy have zero experience in government. That’s four imbeciles that will have major repercussions on America for a long time. diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-27-SharkWeekAtMarALogo.md b/_posts/2024-11-27-SharkWeekAtMarALogo.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..3218c3bd --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2024-11-27-SharkWeekAtMarALogo.md @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ +--- +layout: post +tags: [Trump World, Mary Trump Media, politics, infighting, president-elect] +categories: [Donald Trump] +date: 2024-11-27 1:05 PM +excerpt: "Trump's inner circle descends into chaos, with physical confrontations at Mar-a-Lago and allies betraying each other for power. From shoving matches on the patio to leaked dirt on cabinet picks, see how his team splits into warring factions while Senate Republicans show signs of rebellion. No honor among thieves - even less among Trump loyalists." +#image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' +#description: +#permalink: +title: 'Shark Week at Mar-a-lago' +--- + + +### CIVIL WAR: Trump's Team TURNS on Each Other | The Betrays Begin + + + +Nov 26, 2024 #donaldtrump #twitter #election2024 +Watch as Trump's inner circle descends into chaos, with physical confrontations at Mar-a-Lago and allies betraying each other for power. From shoving matches on the patio to leaked dirt on cabinet picks, see how his team splits into warring factions while Senate Republicans show signs of rebellion. No honor among thieves - even less among Trump loyalists. + +“I love it when a plan comes together.” +– “Hannibal” Smith. The A-Team. CBS. 1983–1987 diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-27-TrumpAdministrationPackedGrifters.md b/_posts/2024-11-27-TrumpAdministrationPackedGrifters.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..ec13c294 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2024-11-27-TrumpAdministrationPackedGrifters.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +layout: post +tags: [Federal Drug Administration (FDA), thalidomide, drug testing, drug safety, grifters, birth defects, Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), politics, president-elect] +categories: [Donald Trump] +date: 2024-11-27 10:47 AM +excerpt: "“It’s an obvious conflict of interest. Some people might think, ‘He’s a knowledgeable person.’ He’s a knowledgeable person with a vested financial interest in what he’s saying.” – Diana Zuckerman, president of the nonpartisan think tank National Center for Health Research" +#image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' +#description: +#permalink: +title: 'Trump, The Grifter, Is Staffing His Administration With Grifters' +--- + + +## [Vivek Ramaswamy’s push for FDA changes could boost his wealth - The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/25/vivek-ramaswamy-conflicts-doge-fda/) + +*The co-leader of President-elect Donald Trump’s initiative to cut government spending has a financial stake in the biotech firm he founded, which is developing experimental drugs.* + +By Daniel Gilbert. November 25, 2024 at 1:34 p.m. + +- **Vivek Ramaswamy's Role**: Ramaswamy, a former biotech executive, is co-leading President-elect Donald Trump's initiative to cut government spending and streamline the FDA. +- **FDA Criticism**: Ramaswamy criticizes the FDA for creating unnecessary barriers to innovation and suggests faster approval processes with more post-approval surveillance. +- **Conflict of Interest**: Ramaswamy's financial stake in Roivant Sciences, a biotech firm he founded, raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest. +- **Regulatory Changes**: Proposed changes could benefit Ramaswamy's company, which is developing drugs that may soon seek FDA approval. + +Roivant Sciences, a biotech company founded by Ramaswamy, stands to benefit from three drugs that could be evaluated during Trump's second term. His stake in the company is \$670 million. + +Ramaswamy argues that the FDA should err on the side of approving promising therapies faster and then monitoring their effects after doctors start prescribing them. The agency should place “greater emphasis on post-approval surveillance for safety issues to protect patients, rather than adding time and cost to innovative development,” he said in a statement. He highlighted the FDA’s standard requirement of two trials for approval and suggested a single trial — which would generally save biotech firms time and money — would be adequate. + +Ramaswamy has taken aim at the central tension in every FDA decision about a novel drug or device — weighing benefits against risks of serious side effects. The agency has procedures to accelerate approvals for truly novel drugs that address unmet health needs, but Ramaswamy argues faster action is needed. + +“It’s an obvious conflict of interest. Some people might think, ‘He’s a knowledgeable person.’ He’s a knowledgeable person with a vested financial interest in what he’s saying.” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the nonpartisan think tank National Center for Health Research, who said that the FDA has already lowered its standards considerably to speed novel drugs to market. + +In an interview, FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said he knows and respects Ramaswamy but pushed back on some of the entrepreneur’s harshest criticisms, such as once questioning the need for the agency. “We tried that,” he said, pointing as an example to the drug thalidomide that caused birth defects in babies in the 1960s, “which is why the FDA exists in its current form.” + +“Almost every additional authority at FDA has been because of a catastrophic public health event that harms people,” he added. + +Califf defended the two-trial standard, particularly for new drugs when there are already effective therapies available, while emphasizing that the FDA frequently accepts less evidence for potentially life-changing therapies. As for Ramaswamy’s financial stake in biotech, Califf said, “at FDA, you’re not allowed to make decisions about industries in which you have a vested interest.” He added, “I would just say, the amount of money he has invested and what’s at stake speaks for itself.” + +For experimental drugs that aim to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet need, the agency can grant accelerated approval with lesser evidence that allows a company to market the drug while it must continue to study the effectiveness. + +### Ethics + +Trump and his transition team have yet to detail how the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, will operate. Ethics experts said Ramaswamy and Musk might not have to comply with conflict-of-interest laws that apply to government employees — which can include divestment of personal financial interests that come into conflict with official duties — if DOGE is regulated as an advisory commission. But its structure remains unclear. + +“They’re blurring the lines at this point,” said Richard Painter, a professor at the University of Minnesota who served as chief ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush. “We need to see how this plays out.” + +@RalphHightower: Donald Trump has never been ethical and Team Trump is following their leader by enriching themselves. + +Ramaswamy pulled off what was in 2015 the largest public offering in biotech, raising $360 million with the listing of Axovant, a Roivant subsidiary developing an Alzheimer’s drug. Controversy followed as a clinical trial failed to show a benefit and the stock value collapsed. + +Investors alleged in 2021 that Roivant and a publicly traded subsidiary misled them about a drug to treat autoimmune disorders, claiming the companies knew there was a risk of raising cholesterol but declined to monitor it in early trials. The subsidiary, Immunovant, identified higher cholesterol levels in participants who received the drug in a later trial and halted it, sending its stock into free-fall. + +“If the issues with cholesterol levels tied to the drug were as obvious and critical as plaintiff claims, the FDA would not have permitted the clinical trials to proceed” without monitoring, a judge wrote. Because the FDA accepted Roivant’s trial design, the judge reasoned, the company’s statements “were thus reasonable.” The case was dismissed. + +### Thalidomide Scandal – Birth Defects[^51],[^52] + +In the U.S., the FDA refused approval to market thalidomide, saying further studies were needed. This reduced the impact of thalidomide in U.S. patients. The refusal was largely due to pharmacologist Frances Oldham Kelsey who withstood pressure from the Richardson-Merrell Pharmaceuticals Co. + +For denying the application despite the pressure from Richardson-Merrell Pharmaceuticals Co., Kelsey eventually received the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service at a 1962 ceremony with President John F. Kennedy. In September 2010, the FDA honored Kelsey with the first Kelsey award, given annually to an FDA staff member. This came 50 years after Kelsey, then a new medical officer at the agency, first reviewed the application from the William S. Merrell Pharmaceuticals Company of Cincinnati. + +[^51]: [Thalidomide scandal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide_scandal?wprov=sfla1) +[^52]: [Thalidomide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide?wprov=sfla1)