bannork

This Chinese export got through Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhishen shared an image of Leavitt wearing the dress on X/Twitter along with screenshots from Weibo of users discussing it as it was recognised by one of the factory’s employees. Alongside the images, they wrote: “Accusing China is business. Buying China is life. Zhang Zhisheng 张志昇 @salahzhang

Go on Jerry, let it all out

On Wednesday Fox Business correspondent Charlie Gasparino said that the Trump administration had put itself in a "difficult, self-inflicted spot" because they "decided to shoot first at the world, and then focus on China while now asking the same trading partners we p---ed off to help us triangulate a common foe." "And it was so avoidable. The damage China has done to free trade is enormous; it's a command control economy, a militaristic super power that obviously uses our public markets and openness to further its gains. You can't say that about Canada and the EU or Israel ....... a little common sense shows that we have backed ourselves into a negotiating corner." 'Weakness' in Trump's economic strategy 'may soon be exposed': Fox Business correspondent Hubris, arrogance, ignorance and narcissism, a fatal combination when a bull is in a china shop.

The dying coal town that reveals Trump’s lies about reviving mining If we’re still surprised by the disinformation spoken by Donald Trump, some of the responsibility should sit with us. The US President has consistently made claims that may sound believable, but on inspection have little basis in fact – and one of his assertions last week, about reviving America’s dying coal industry, felt especially cynical, dishonest and dangerous. For decades, the US produced most of its electricity from coal-fired plants, reaching a peak in 2007. The White House said some plants would be able to “comply with a less stringent version of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule for two years, instead of the more onerous version put in place by the Biden administration”. The dying coal town that reveals Trump’s lies about reviving mining MOD Edited due to text being spun with seperate text from other sources not just the link shown and no clear distinction which is which. @bannork

On Tuesday Trump signed an executive order aiming to delay Medicare negotiations for a broad category of prescription drugs, handing the pharmaceutical industry a major win as it lobbies aggressively against efforts to rein in its pricing power. Trump's order, titled "Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First," instructs Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to work with Congress to "modify" the Medicare drug price negotiation program established under the Biden administration. Specifically, Trump calls for a four-year extension of the period during which small-molecule prescription drugs are exempt from price negotiations with Medicare. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, small molecule drugs, usually taken in pill form and representing 90% of medications currently in circulation, are not subject to the price negotiation process until at least nine years after their Food and Drug Administration approval date. "Extending negotiation delay periods," Steve Knievel, a drug policy advocate at Public Citizen added, "is nothing but a total capitulation to the demands of drug corporation lobbyists that want to continue to overcharge Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers." "Make no mistake," Patients for Affordable Drugs executive director Merith Basey said of the legislation, "this is yet another attempt by Big Pharma to rig the system in its favour at the expense of patients." 'Rig the system': Alarm sounded as Trump backtracks on major promise

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy Tour continues to draw massive crowds, even in states where people overwhelmingly voted for Republican President Donald Trump. For instance, more than 20,000 people attended his rally in deep red Utah where Trump won the 2024 election by over 20 points, whilst over 12,000 attended his rally in Nampa, Idaho where Trump thrashed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris by 36%. Last Saturday's rally in Los Angeles drew approximately 36,000 people. Sanders said: "I invite the president to come to LA. Tell the people here why you think it's a great idea to cut Medicaid and nutrition and healthcare, so you can give tax breaks to billionaires." "Musk and his friends see you as nothing more than workers to be disposed of," the senator continued. "They got rid of tens of thousands of federal workers. They don't give a damn about you. And what we have got to do is say, 'Sorry, We are human beings.'" "Because they know what you know and what I know, is that they are the 1%, we are the the 99%'' Sanders said, echoing one of his slogans from his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. "They own Congress, they own the White House, but they don't own us.'' Continuing his theme, Sanders added,'' I don't care whether you're Republican, Democrat, or Independent—the people of this country do not want oligarchy, they do not want authoritarianism, and they want a government that works for all of us, not just the 1%." 'Scaring the hell out of' Trump: Senator says new Dem strategy is working

Ukrainian partisans have disrupted the railway logistics of Russian forces in the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Telegram channel of the partisan movement Atesh. Agents successfully carried out a sabotage operation in occupied Melitopol, destroying a relay cabinet, which delivered a serious blow to the railway control system used by Russia. This precision strike significantly disrupted enemy logistics, affecting their combat readiness. Melitopol is a key transport hub used by Russian forces to move ammunition, fuel, and military equipment to combat operations in the Robotyne and Kamianske areas. Other news: Partisans attacked a railway line near the Russian city of Kemerovo, delaying the delivery of ammunition to a local military facility whilst Atesh agents destroyed a Lorandit electronic warfare system in the Kherson region. Ukrainian partisans disrupt key Russian supply routes in Melitopol

In a memo to Harvard students and faculty released on Monday, the university's president, Alan Garber, noted that "the administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, warning that Harvard must comply if we intend to 'maintain [our] financial relationship with the federal government.'" "It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner. Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the 'intellectual conditions' at Harvard," he added. Explaining the university's position on the matter, Garber said, "No government —regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” The statement was widely welcomed, including by Barack Obama, who praised Harvard for setting "an example for other higher-ed institutions." “Let’s hope other institutions follow suit," Obama wrote on the social platform X. Political writer Amanda Marcotte said that Harvard's decision to stand up to the president is important because many other institutions who received similar demands surrendered to Trump. Talking about Columbia University's ceding to a list of stringent anti-student policies after Trump threatened $400 million in federal funding, she remarked that the university capitulated to Trump's demands by claiming the university was 'fighting anti-semitism.' Marcotte said Harvard may have understood that saying no to Trump did not "cost" them two billion dollars. She added, " Trump was always going to find an excuse to withhold the money. Might as well not give up your dignity along with it. Compliance, however, amounted to consenting to what Stanford professor Adrian Daub calls 'a controlled demolition, with each demand a charge to knock out another pillar of academic freedom.'" 'Ground shifted': Major institutions are realizing 'complicity' with Trump only makes things worse

The US does have a say in El Salvador's court system, they've just paid them 6 million dollars to take foreign prisoners. And in this case the government admitted they wrongfully deported the prisoner. If El Salvador won't return him, cancel the contract.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/video/russian-journalists-jailed/vi-AA1CYZaW?ocid=socialshare Trial of four journalists in Russia. The authorities still afraid of Navalny's name.

Extreme weather has already wiped out millions of dollars in crops in recent weeks, and Trump's trade war threatens to cut off markets with China and Mexico for US farmers whilst also increasing costs such as fertilizer. Trump won all but 11 of the nation's farming-dependent counties last year, with an average of 78-percent support, and his vote share rose in those communities, despite a trade war in his first term that required a $23 billion taxpayer bailout for farmers in 2018 and 2019. But this time it's unsure how fast any help can be provided with a dysfunctional Congress, local USDA offices closed and fewer staff. “The U.S. reputation has taken a huge hit. We can no longer be considered a reliable trading partner which is terrible for farmers,” added Ben Lilliston, director of rural strategies and climate change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IAPT) Apart from the trade war and weather disasters, rural communities are also being hit by Musk's mass layoffs in the Department of Agriculture which provides technical help to farmers and provides loans and disaster assistance. Jesse Womack, policy expert at the National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition lamented the seemingly senselessness of removing billions of dollars for projects that improve long-term farm viability and resilience, only to then spend billions bringing back farmers from financial collapse. Struggling farmers call for new bailout as Trump delivers new caps-heavy threat to China

Look, it's not St. George's fault he became revered as England's patron saint despite never visiting the country, and he's certainly not trolling. He became a symbol of Christian chivalry and bravery during the Crusades and was adopted by the English monarchy. Shame the English kings couldn't find someone in Blighty to put on a pedestal.

St George wasn't English, he was actually born in the 3rd century AD, more than 2,000 miles away in Cappadocia (modern day Turkey). He is thought to have died in Lydda (modern day Israel) in the Roman province of Palestine in AD 303. It is believed that his tomb was in Lod and was a centre of Christian pilgrimage.

There were sweet words for Europe from J.D. Vance yesterday but everyone knows the man will say anything. He once called Donald Trump “cultural heroin” and said he feared he could be “America’s Hitler.” According to David Maddox, those close to Trump say “JD is his mouthpiece. He says what Trump doesn’t want to say personally.” The aggressive language used last month by Vance in briefings about Europe and the UK represents Trump’s view of Starmer and the UK government much more than Trump's praise for the “special man” Prime Minister Starmer with his “lovely accent”! Unfortunately for the UK, Vance is leading trade talks for the US with the UK. What does Vance want? He wants to impose tariffs on the UK over what he thinks is a two-tier UK legal system, a policing of social media with people jailed for the content of their tweets, and new laws coming in cracking down on social media. Vance, Musk, etc actually believe Tommy Robinson is a political prisoner. They see online restrictions as a protectionist assault on the American tech sector. Recently Vance criticised the conviction of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce for praying silently outside an abortion clinic. However, the UK ambassador to the US, Lord Mandelson, wants a trade deal focused on the vital industries of artificial intelligence and biosciences. He is convinced it makes sense for the US and UK, the two countries with the most Nobel prize winners, the top two destinations for foreign investment and the top two for universities to connect in this manner. Under his vision the partnership between the two could see the UK and US dominate in these spheres as closely connected allies for decades to come. But Vance may not play ball. He is no friend of the PM’s and the Mandelson vision of the renewed special relationship means little to him. As one Trump insider warned: “No one appears prepared for the level of aggression the US is going to display. It will be their way or it will be no way at all.” Starmer’s ambitions for a Trump trade deal have a big problem – JD Vance

I could start one about Trump's rottweiler, the one that could only stand the cold in Greenland for three hours.

President Donald Trump's trade war and the significant cuts in scientific research at U.S. agencies are moving "America down the value chain," political analyst Jonathan Chait wrote for "The Atlantic" on Monday. Trump inherited a "healthy economy," only to "burn [it] down," Chait wrote. He questioned whether it was incompetence or if there was something strategic Trump was attempting to do. In a way, he said, the answer is both. "The administration does have a plan, or at least a vision, for what will spring up from the ashes," he wrote. "The trouble is that the long-term economic program is even worse than the short-term one." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said that all of the new factories he claims will be built for manufacturing in the U.S. after Trump's tariffs will make perfect jobs for federal workers who were recently dismissed. However, Bessent said most of those jobs would be handled by AI or robots. Chait explained how a nation's economy moved up the value chain: A poor country develops export markets by specializing in low-wage manufacturing, gradually these industries become more complex, adding more value, For example initially they build toasters and cameras, then cars, then robots. These industries generate tax revenue that can support better education and other forms of public investment, feeding back into the developmental cycle. That’s how the 'Asian tigers' (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) enjoyed rapid economic growth over the past two generations. Trump is running the same play, but "in reverse," said Chait. He said that removing staff from the National Institutes of Health and cutting funding grants from the National Science Foundation "has had a catastrophic effect on a wide array of high-tech fields." It was so serious that a "group of medical-innovation investors took the immense risk of putting their names on a letter to the administration warning that the research cuts 'are an assault on the foundation of biomedical and technological progress.'" Meanwhile, Trump has raised tariffs on metals, making building things more expensive, although it is an incentive to restore the production of steel and aluminium back to the US. In this way Trump moves the US industrial economy down the value chain, rather than up. Trump's long-term strategy is 'even worse' than his 'burn it down' plan: analyst

The US can demand they return Kilmar Ábrego García. Of course El Salvador can refuse but I doubt they will seeing the US is paying El Salvador $6m to detain the prisoners, plus Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Bukele as "not only the strongest security leader in our region, he's also a great friend of the U.S." During a press conference with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele on Monday, the Associated Press reported that Trump passed the buck to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said she would "facilitate" García's return by ensuring a plane was available. Bukele, however, said he would not release a terrorist to the U.S. Garcia, however , has never been convicted of being a terrorist. "The Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment," wrote Jacob Levy, Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory at McGill University "An [sic] firm, open commitment to the destruction of habeas corpus — the creation of a new rule that says anyone the administration orders ICE to seize can be shoved onto a flight to a torture prison in another country and there's nothing any US court can do about it— destroys constitutionalism," he alleged. "The fact that the administration is, *at the same time,* announcing an intention to include US citizens in the shipments to El Salvador makes it all the more plain and open — the rule they're embracing in the Ábrego García case already includes citizens by implication," Levy continued. 'This is the crisis moment': Political scientist says Trump crossed a crucial red line

Beijing has suspended the export of certain rare earth minerals and magnets that are crucial for the global automotive, semiconductor, and aerospace industries. The New York Times stressed that stopping the export of magnets used to assemble so many products from drones to cars to missiles, was particularly troublesome as China produces 90% of the world market in magnets. The goods are currently in Chinese ports pending the introduction of new regulations. "Once in place, the new system could permanently prevent supplies from reaching certain companies, including American military contractors," notes the New York Times. In addition, the Chinese government has forbidden Chinese companies from maintaining any contact with certain American entities, including those in the military sector. China's rare earth export halt intensifies US trade tensions

Turmoil over Trump's tariffs. Paul Sadoff owns Rock Lobster Cycles, which makes custom bikes that ship worldwide from Santa Cruz, California. “This whole uncertainty over ‘tariffs are here, tariffs are gone’ has been damaging on its own,” he told The Post. “My orders have certainly slowed. Why would someone in Japan or Australia or Canada order an American bike if things could change dramatically again next week? It’s like everything is frozen.” Trump claims that the new tariffs were part of a plan to boost American manufacturing, even though less than 10 percent of Americans work in factories, and manufacturers consistently report they have problems filling vacancies. Since 2000, 4.5 million factory jobs have been lost. Suzanne Shriner is the President of Lions Gate Farms, which sells coffee grown in Hawaii to customers in Asia and Europe. “When you lay out tariffs and yank them back, over and over, the threat of it wears off and turns into an unwillingness to work with American companies,” she told The Post. “We’ve been exporting internationally for 20 years, and all of a sudden our markets are closing up.” Fox Rothschild international trade attorney Lizbeth Levinson told The Post. “Businesses are putting everything on hold,” she added. “They literally can’t plan from one day to the next.” Trump claims he wants to boost American manufacturing. But the industry is already in chaos over his tariffs Behind the constant flipflopping there is the nagging question regarding nostalgia in the US for the manufacturing era post WW2. At that time there was little competition amongst the rest of the world, but times have changed. if companies really did start producing I-phones in the US only, how much would they cost? Wedbush's Dan Ives claimed an Apple I phone produced in the US ,could cost $3500, and it would take over three years and $30 billion just for Apple to move 10% of its supply chain to the US.