Monday, April 7, 2025

Apri

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Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

World stock markets plunge again as Trump doubles down on tariffs . . . Global stock markets extended a severe plunge Monday, fueled by fears that U.S. tariffs would lead to a global economic slowdown. European and Asian shares saw dramatic losses, the leading U.S. index flirted with bear market territory in pre-market trading, and oil prices sagged. The massive sell-off in riskier assets at the start of the trading week follows President Donald Trump's announcement of sharply higher U.S. import taxes and retaliation from China that saw markets fall sharply Thursday and Friday.

Asian stocks see their worst drop in decades after Trump tariffs

Pro-Trump billionaire Bill Ackman warns of 'economic nuclear winter' . . . Trump ally Bill Ackman has warned that the world is on the brink of an 'economic nuclear winter' as he begged the president to hit pause on his reciprocal tariffs. 'The country is 100 percent behind the president on fixing a global system of tariffs that has disadvantaged the country. But business is a confidence game and confidence depends on trust,' he wrote. 'By placing massive and disproportionate tariffs on our friends and our enemies alike and thereby launching a global economic war against the whole world at once, we are in the process of destroying confidence in our country.' Daily Mail

The tariffs are a long game designed to ensure we have an industrial base, a culture led by middle-class Americans with good jobs, and a fair trading system. These countries will negotiate to lower our tariffs and will only be temporarily hostile. People should not jump ship the moment an inevitable storm kicks up. Just because necessary change is not easy doesn't mean it's not necessary.

More Than 50 Countries Have Asked To Negotiate With Trump On Tariffs, Admin Officials Say

Trump compares global tariffs and market reaction to taking medicine . . . On Saturday, Trump urged Americans to "HANG TOUGH" in a Truth Social post despite the downturn in the markets. "HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic," he posted. Politico

Tariffs get backing in Trump heartland . . . On a quick drive around the small Ohio town of Delta, you can spot nearly as many Trump flags as American stars-and-stripes banners. For some in Delta, the president's argument about fairness resonates. "I don't want people in other countries to suffer," said Mary Miller, manager of the Delta Candy Emporium, which sits in the middle of the village's Main Street. "But we need to have an even playing field." Miller, a three-time Trump voter, believes other countries haven't played fair on trade. And like many here, she prefers to buy American-made goods. BBC

Politics

Elon Musk's tariff rift with Trump's top trade advisor is getting ugly . . . Elon Musk, one of President Donald Trump's biggest supporters, has been locking horns with Trump's top trade advisor, Peter Navarro. "A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said of Navarro's academic qualifications in an X post on Saturday. "Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem," Musk added. Navarro responded to Musk's broadside during a Sunday interview. "Look, Elon, when he's in his DOGE lane, he's great. But we understand what's going on here. We just have to understand. Elon sells cars," Navarro said, referencing Musk's work with the White House DOGE office. Business Insider

Johnson strikes deal with Anna Paulina Luna on parental proxy voting . . . Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has reached a deal with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) over her push to allow new parents to vote by proxy, a development that is set to unlock the House floor after the explosive issue — and the GOP rebellions it sparked — brought the chamber to a standstill. Under the agreement being worked out, the House would formalize "vote pairing." The procedure allows a member — in this case, a new mother — who must be absent for a vote to coordinate with a lawmaker voting opposite their stance who is willing to abstain from the vote, that way the new mother's absence is canceled out. The Hill

Culture

21 of the Most Telling Signs at 'Hands Off!' DC March . . . Face masks. Rainbow flags. Handmaid's Tale costumes. Hysterical references to Nazis. Yup—the "Hands Off" protest in Washington, D.C., Saturday had all the regular tropes of another left-wing protest. The protest in the nation's capital was one of a reported 1,200 across the country Saturday. "Join thousands across the country on April 5 to march against the Trump-Musk Coup and billionaire takeover," organizers urged. Daily Signal

'Live Not By Lies' Highlights Forgotten Anti-Communist Heroes

Al Sharpton Uses MSNBC Airtime To Promote DEI Boycott Against Pepsi . . . Sharpton announced plans to boycott the soft drink giant—which rolled back its race-focused hiring practices in February amid pressure from the Trump administration—at the National Action Network's annual convention, as well as on his weekend MSNBC show PoliticsNation. Sharpton said at the convention, "We want you to either retreat on you saying you are out of DEI or we in 21 days will start marching and boycotting Pepsi-Cola all over this country." Washington Free Beacon

Caltech Renames Top Diversity Official While Keeping DEI Office Intact . . . The California Institute of Technology has changed the title of its top diversity official but kept the office she oversees intact, the latest example of how institutions are attempting to save their diversity programs by making largely cosmetic changes. Caltech announced last week that Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux, the university's assistant vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and assessment, was receiving a "promotion" to associate vice president for campus climate, engagement, and success. Washington Free Beacon

National Security

Arizona Rancher Praises Trump as Illegal Border Crossers on His Land Plunge From 50 or More to 3 Daily . . . Border rancher John Ladd says President Donald Trump is "doing everything right." Ladd's Arizona ranch shares 10.5 miles with the border of Mexico, and during the four years of the Biden administration, about 50 illegal aliens crossed through Ladd's property daily, and sometimes that number rose to as many as 200, he told The Daily Signal. "As soon as Trump got elected, it started slowing down," Ladd said, adding that as of the beginning of March, Border Patrol told him they are "catching three a day, with no getaways" on his ranch. Daily Signal

Money

Trump and Our Return to the 'American System' . . . Few economic philosophies have shaped America's prosperity as profoundly as Henry Clay's American System—a blueprint for national strength and self-sufficiency. Developed in the early 19th century, Clay's vision centered on protective tariffs, a strong national banking system, infrastructure development, and the responsible use of natural resources. Today, President Donald Trump's economic policies signal a revival of the American System, aiming to restore national industry, energy independence, and economic resilience. Daily Signal

For more than half of this country's history, tariffs were the main source of funding for the federal government. Not income taxes, which are a form of theft.

Liberals pushed EVs in name of 'climate crisis,' but anti-Musk terror warms conservatives to Teslas

How X Is Benefiting as Musk Advises Trump . . . The social media platform has experienced a return in advertisers and new exposure as an official source of government news. Since the election, the platform has become a go-to source for administration information, as Mr. Musk provides real-time updates about his Department of Government Efficiency and targets for federal cost-cutting to his more than 219 million followers. In February, at least a dozen government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service and Defense Department, established new DOGE-focused X accounts to seek tips about federal waste and fraud. New York Times

You should also know

Measles Claims the Life of a Second Child in Texas . . . Measles claimed the life of a second child on Thursday in west Texas, raising concerns about an outbreak in the Lone Star State. The first child to pass away in west Texas was an unvaccinated child in February, another unvaccinated person died in New Mexico after testing positive for measles although officials remain unsure if measles was the cause of death. If the virus spreads, the country could lose its measles elimination status, which it achieved in 2000. Breitbart

Meet The Government Consultants Raking In Millions To Spread Climate Doom . . . More than three decades ago, Congress launched an initiative called the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Today, it spends billions of dollars a year empowering liberal climate scientists to spread climate change doom. The government group says its role is to provide the "scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the United States" on climate change. Daily Wire

Jay North, 'Dennis the Menace' star, dead at 73 . . . Jay North, known for his "Dennis the Menace" character on the beloved '60s sitcom, died Sunday, Fox News Digital confirmed. He was 73. North died at home in Lake Butler, Florida, after battling colon cancer for years. The child actor found acclaim with his role as Dennis Mitchell, an at-times unruly youngster who was known for burdening his neighbor, George Wilson. Fox News

Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record with No. 895 . . . The enduring image of the 895th goal of Alex Ovechkin's career, the one that completed his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL record and put his name at the top of the league's most celebrated list, will be his full-extension belly slide across the ice, which featured the jubilant exuberance of a child despite his 39 years of life. That was it. He had done it. With one trademark flick of his stick from the top of the left faceoff circle on the power play, Ovechkin became the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. Washington Post

Michelle Obama humiliated amid dismal ratings for podcast . . . Michelle Obama's new podcast with her brother Craig Robinson has failed to meet expectations after it launched with great fanfare in early March. The new media venture, titled, IMO [In My Opinion] with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, follows the sibling duo as they give advice, discuss current events, and interview a variety of special guests. The podcast is underperforming on the charts, with recent statistics placing it as the 34th most listened to show on Spotify, according to the streamer's charts. Daily Mail

Imagine all the wisdom people are missing out on. We need to think hard about whether we can continue to make decisions on things without knowing Michelle Obama's opinion first.

Guilty Pleasures

UK Women's Pool Championship Match Has Two Men Squaring Off Against Each Other . . . When a woman's champion is crowned by Ultimate Pool for Sunday's Pro Series event, the "winner" will be a transgender — yes, a biological male. And the reason is due to Lucy Smith and Harriet Haynes, both trans athletes, being in the final. In the 2024 campaign, Haynes ended things as the No. 1-ranked female Ultimate Pool Pro Series player, and it looks like that Haynes is now headed towards winning the championship again in 2025. Daily Mail

Unsure whether to laugh or cry.

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