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It's dubious he even can fire Powell. That's a matter for the courts to decide. And not even the Trump administration has cited exactly what these various nations are offering and what they expect in return. Stop making things up.

It's a tax hike. And like a sales tax, it's harms fall disproportionately on people with lower incomes.

That's why the turnaround on Powell? And the slower and slower working of his retaliatory tariffs? You got any serious comments to make?

This is just B,S. If that were the case, then China's preponderance in manufacturing wouldn't be a threat at all. In fact, it wouldn't enjoy that preponderance. Here's what Chatgpt says: Do Chinese manufacturers provide crucial inputs that aren't available from other countries to foreign manufacturers ChatGPT said: Yes, Chinese manufacturers do provide crucial inputs that can be difficult or, in some cases, impossible to source elsewhere at the same scale, cost, or quality. Here's a breakdown of why and in what areas this is especially true: 🔧 1. Rare Earth Elements (REEs) China controls 60–70% of global production of rare earths, which are essential for: Electronics EV batteries Wind turbines Military tech While other countries have reserves, China dominates processing capacity, which is a key bottleneck. 🏭 2. Advanced Manufacturing Components China is a global leader in: Precision machinery parts Printed circuit boards (PCBs) Solar panel components Lithium-ion battery cells These components are often produced at a scale and price point unmatched elsewhere. 🧪 3. Chemical Intermediates China is a massive exporter of chemical precursors, especially: Pharmaceutical active ingredients (APIs) Textile dyes and treatments Electronics-grade chemicals Many foreign firms rely on Chinese inputs for further manufacturing. ⚙️ 4. Tooling and Molds Custom tooling (e.g., injection molds, die casts) from China is: High-quality Fast turnaround Significantly cheaper These are foundational to producing parts globally. 📦 5. Integrated Supply Chains China's manufacturing hubs are incredibly dense and interlinked. This allows for: Fast iteration Customization Easy scaling This network effect is hard to replicate in newer manufacturing countries. 🌍 Can other countries replace China? Some reshoring and "China +1" strategies (e.g., Vietnam, India, Mexico) are helping diversify supply chains. But for many specialized, high-volume, or low-cost components, China remains indispensable—at least for now.

I want so badly to disagree with you. On principle. But I can find nothing here to reproach. Touché!

Yes, those new magic tax cuts, which will in no way increase the US national debt, are there only for middle and working classes.

Yes, it is always good to see positive news

So, according to you, anything that China does is a proof of weakness? As you repeatedly ignore, among other things, China provides many crucial inputs to manufactured goods. You still seem to be clinging to the belief that the buyer has the advantage. But that only works if there are multiple sellers with enough goods to supply demand. Given China's predominance in manufacturing, without them, those goods won't be available either at all or in sufficient quantity. Funny, you cited Indonesia as one of the countries that had imposed big tariffs on China. What you didn't note was that an earlier much bigger blanket embargo on Chinese goods had to be rescinded because manufacturers couldn't produce goods without those inputs from China. A huge industrial ecosystem has been developed in China. It can't be replaced easily. What happens when manufacturers start coming up against it?

Here's what AI says: Key Features of Qdenga: Protection: Qdenga protects against all four dengue virus serotypes (1, 2, 3, and 4). Dosage: The vaccine is administered in two doses, with the second dose given three months after the first. Efficacy: Qdenga has shown high efficacy in preventing dengue fever (80.2%) and hospitalization (90.4%). Safety: The vaccine is generally well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events linked to it.

Wow! Pretty good prediction. Most likely their input had something to do with it. But why the nasty swipes at people from West Virginia? Actually, it's a major source of great American music and has its own fascinating culture. There's nothing wrong with being a native of West Virginia.

You sure about the future of those tariffs? "Yes, China know they are big trouble. Why do you think they're so shy to negotiate? Because they know they will be made to suffer." So, if China agrees to negotiate, that's because they know they've got the upper hand?" What's the weather like today in Oppositeworld?

Trump cranks up heat on Fed chair while pressing for rate cut: 'Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!' President Donald Trump continued lambasting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell while demanding interest rate cuts on Thursday. Trump nominated Powell to serve as chair of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System during his first term in office, and then-President Joe Biden later nominated Powell for a second term. However, Trump has soured on Powell and wants him out of the job. https://www.livenowfox.com/news/trump-fed-chair-powell Trump says he won’t fire Fed chair, days after hinting otherwise and triggering market dip President Trump said he has "no intention" of firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell. His earlier threat to remove Powell had caused a drop in the stock market. Trump continues to push the Fed to lower interest rates, saying inflation is no longer a concern. https://www.livenowfox.com/news/trump-fed-chair-powell Oops!

Because promises and understandings are virtually the same thing as a signed deal? Why wouldn't Japan and India want to drag out the negotiations. I didn't see any time limit imposed on them. Not that anyone at this point would take time limits coming from Trump seriously. Ya think the Chinese are looking at this and thinking that they're in big trouble now? It is to laugh.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin lost her defamation retrial against The New York Times over a 2017 editorial she said damaged her reputation, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The federal jury found the media company not liable after deliberating for about two hours. Palin, a former Republican vice presidential nominee, lost a previous trial in 2022 against the media company but won a new one due to “several major issues” in the case, as a federal appellate panel put it last year. https://www.yahoo.com/news/sarah-palin-loses-defamation-retrial-195019083.html

First off, I don't think the cash issue matters at all. That said, it's really normal to carry around $3,000 in cash? Because in the wilderness that is Washington DC, credit cards and payment apps don't work?

So Trump will be setting the terms coming from China as well? I guess that means Xi is really a puppet of Trump's.

You and I aren't going to settle this matter? Now you tell me! See

Just a correction: it's 15% of China's exports not 15% of China's GDP. Which would mean it's about 3% of China's GDP.

Great article! Actually it's a twofer. There's also this: "Adding to the day’s more reassuring tone, President Trump confirmed he has no intention of removing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, despite ongoing disagreements over monetary policy." So, after all the insults and vituperation directed against Powell, it turns out that Trump was basically kidding. He didn't mean this when he wrote "Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” https://archive.ph/XvpJF And it has nothing at all to do with the alarm that the markets clearly felt over those comments. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

White House said to close in on India, Japan trade deals, but substance may be thin The Trump administration is nearing trade deals with India and Japan, a Tuesday media report said, while noting the agreements likely will lack depth until they are finalized, which could take months. For future deals, officials at the White House are seeking to establish a so-called “memorandums of understanding” or a wider "architecture," Politico reported, citing three people close to the White House. Another person familiar with the matter described it as "an agreement that we would like to talk about doing a deal,” the article said, adding Trump will "start rolling out a bunch" of these pacts. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/white-house-said-to-close-in-on-india-japan-trade-deals-but-substance-may-be-thin/ar-AA1Dpas4

Absolutely. It's definitely the Chinese who will balk. And it's they who will use any excuse for an exit...oh wait a minute White House is ‘close’ on Japan, India tariff agreements — but expect them to be light on specifics One person close to the White House said that it “may take months to hammer out the final deals.” The White House is closing in on general agreements with Japan and India to stave off massive U.S. tariffs, but they are likely to leave many of the thorny details to be hashed out at a later date. In the absence of full-fledged trade deals, administration officials are working to ink what three people close to the White House described as “memorandums of understanding” or a broad “architecture” for future deals. They were granted anonymity to discuss the details of internal deliberations. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/22/white-house-is-close-on-japan-india-agreements-but-expect-them-to-be-light-on-specifics-00302762 The agreement should be written on a fig leaf. Stormy Daniels should be asked how big it needs to be.

Funny.

I don't think it's anybody's business what she needed that $3000 for. It could be for her family or it could be for hookers. Who cares? Still, there is such a thing as a credit card. And paying via apps.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit Tuesday that the tariff standoff with China is unsustainable and that he expects the situation to de-escalate. Bessent added that negotiations haven’t started but that a deal is possible, according to people who attended his session at an event hosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Washington, which wasn’t open to the public or media... US stocks rose after his comments, with the S&P 500 index gaining as much as 2.9% as of 12:28 p.m. in New York, while the dollar and Treasuries steadied. https://archive.ph/tO8LZ More blinking from Trump? Or is Bessent blowing smoke? Seems unlikely that the Chinese would back down so soon.

I hadn't realized that the economic health of the United States was determined by how good a month cryingdick had. Thanks for setting me straight.