Thursday, April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Trump Considers Slashing China Tariffs to De-Escalate Trade War . . . The Trump administration is considering slashing its steep tariffs on Chinese imports—in some cases by more than half—in a bid to de-escalate tensions with Beijing that have roiled global trade and investment, according to people familiar with the matter. President Trump hasn't made a final determination, the people said, adding that the discussions remain fluid and several options are on the table. One administration official said Trump wouldn't act unilaterally and would need to see some action from Beijing to lower tariffs. Wall Street Journal

Politics

Democrats Try to Rewrite History of Biden's Presidency . . . The infirmity of President Joe Biden during his time in office is one of the biggest scandals in American political history. Yet, despite the scale of the coverup, the biggest fiasco of the Biden presidency was not his poor health and mental state. It was how his administration fully leaned into the "great awokening" despite his campaign message of returning to normalcy. A report from The New York Times on Tuesday highlighted how Biden ultimately ceded ground to his left flank on issues such as forcing schools to allow men in women's sports with little opposition despite his trepidation. Daily Signal

Trump Rejects Millionaires Tax Hike . . . President Trump tossed cold water on the idea of raising tax rates on the highest-income Americans, ending for now a Republican flirtation with higher taxes at the top to help pay for his broader agenda. He called a potential millionaire's tax "very disruptive" on Wednesday, a day after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich circulated a message from Trump saying the president loves the idea of a small tax increase on the rich but was counseling Republicans against it for political reasons. Wall Street Journal

Usha Vance, a Quiet Confidante, Becomes Celebrity on VP's India Trip. . . The family met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence and visited a string of historical landmarks, including the Taj Mahal. The Vance children wore traditional Indian clothing that Usha Vance said she ordered for them online. "Their children embraced India's vibrant culture," wrote MyGovIndia, a public platform of the Indian government. "She's a bit of a celebrity, it turns out, in India. I think more so than her husband," the vice president noted in Jaipur. Wall Street Journal

'Waste That S—t': Fetterman Tells Trump To Dump Iran Talks and Destroy Tehran's Nuclear Facilities . . . Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) says the Trump administration should drop nuclear negotiations with Iran and finish off the country's nuclear facilities with a military strike. "Waste that s—t," the Pennsylvania Democrat told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview on Wednesday. "You're never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime that has been destabilizing the region for decades already, and now we have an incredible window, I believe, to do that, to strike and destroy Iran's nuclear facilities." Washington Free Beacon

He doesn't always speak perfectly, but John Fetterman makes the most sense of any Democrat.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett Takes Shot at Trump on 'Kimmel', Will 'Absolutely' Take IQ Test Against Him . . . Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) took a shot at President Donald Trump during an interview with late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel, saying she would "absolutely" take an IQ test against Trump. "He also called you low IQ, I'm sure you're aware of that," Kimmel said. "Would you be willing to take an IQ test, publicly, head-to-head against the President of the United States?" "Absolutely," Crockett interjected. "Absolutely. Absolutely." Breitbart

Dumb idea.

Culture

Gorsuch and Maryland school lawyer have wild exchange over children's LGBTQ storybook: 'Not bondage' . . . Gorsuch was asking Alan Schoenfeld, the attorney representing Montgomery County Public Schools, about "Pride Puppy!" a 32-page book that tells the story of a family celebrating Pride Day when their dog gets lost in the parade and the effort to reunite the pup with his loved ones. The rhyming alphabet book, which was described as "affirming and inclusive" by its publisher, allows readers to spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet while offering "a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year." The book was previously used in the district's pre-kindergarten curriculum. Fox News

National Security

Chinese military advances drone swarm warfare . . . The People's Liberation Army is making progress on the use of drone swarms in combat for both weapons strikes and intelligence gathering, according to an Air Force think tank report. Chinese military writings and Chinese media reveal the PLA is well along in developing coordinated drone attacks using large numbers of small, unmanned aircraft. Washington Times

Tulsi Gabbard exposes three 'deep state criminals' . . . Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has referred two intelligence officials to the Department of Justice for allegedly leaking classified information - with a third referral on its way. The unidentified officials allegedly leaked the classified intelligence to the Washington Post and the New York Times, an Office of the Director of National Intelligence official told Fox News Digital. 'Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation's security at risk and must end,' Gabbard said. Daily Mail

DHS Official Condemns California Over Planned Early Prison Release of Illegal Alien Who Killed 2 Teens . . . The tragic deaths of two American teenagers at the hands of an illegal alien was "completely preventable," according to a top Department of Homeland Security official. Illegal alien Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano was deported from the U.S. twice before being "convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, which resulted in the death of a young American couple," Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, told The Daily Signal. "This criminal illegal alien should have never been in our country." Daily Signal

International

Anti-Hamas protests on rise in Gaza as group's iron grip slips . . . On the streets of Gaza, more and more Palestinians are expressing open defiance against the armed group that's ruled the strip for almost 20 years. Many hold Hamas responsible for plunging the tiny, impoverished territory into the worst crisis faced by Palestinians in more than 70 years. "Deliver the message," another crowd chants, as it surges through Gaza's devastated streets: "Hamas is garbage." BBC

Trump says 'it's been harder' to deal with Zelenskyy than Russia

Pope's doctor recounts Francis' last moments in newspaper interview . . . Dr. Sergio Alfieri was alerted at 5:30 a.m. Monday by Francis' health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that Francis had been stricken and needed to be taken to the hospital. The doctor told Corriere that he arrived 20 minutes later. "I went into his room, and he had his eyes open. I noted that he did not have respiratory issues, so I tried to call him but he did not respond,'' Alfieri was quoted as saying. "He also did not respond to stimuli, even painful ones. In that moment I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.'' Associated Press

Money

Federal red ink now costs businesses more than $2.1 trillion per year . . . The cost of federal regulations has grown to more than $2.1 trillion per year, almost as much as the government's annual haul from income taxes, according to a report released Thursday. The report, released by the Competitive Enterprise Institute and titled "Ten Thousand Commandments," outlined how the annual cost of red ink has steadily risen due to decisions made by presidents and Congress that impose new requirements and paperwork on businesses. Washington Times

A complement — and if necessary, even an alternative — to tariffs is to just make it much easier to do business here.

Passenger shocked after crew offered him $3,000 to get off the plane . . . Traveling before or after a holiday weekend is always hectic for both fliers and airlines. However, one traveler was at the right place at the right time when the popular airline offered him $3,000 to change flights. Here's what exactly happened, as shared on Reddit: "I boarded with Zone 2, grabbed my seat in Row 10, and settled in . . . Then a gate agent walks up to the front of first class — no mic, no big announcement — and casually drops what sounded like a travel myth: 'We're looking for two volunteers to deplane due to fuel rebalancing issues. Compensation is $3,000.'" New York Post

The only catch: He had to do it midair.

You should also know

'Two Beautiful Poles': Trump to Pay for White House Makeover . . . President Donald Trump is continuing his White House makeover, announcing Wednesday that he would be putting up an "almost 100-foot-tall" American flagpole on each side of the presidential mansion. "We're putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag on this side, and another one on the other side," Trump told the press shortly after being spotted surveying the lawn. Daily Signal

It would have been better if he were talking about two gorgeous Polish women instead of these monstrosities. The White House is meant to exude quiet power.

Trump Is Right: China Is Literally Building An Island Made Of Trash . . . President Donald Trump mocked China on Tuesday for its pollution, which represents a sizable share of the world's waste. Trump posted a series of photos to his Truth Social account that showed islands of floating bottles, plastics, and other waste in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The president called the mess "A Gift from China." China is near the top on lists of nations that produce the most waste that finds its way into the natural environment. Daily Wire

Guilty Pleasures

Chimpanzees discovered getting drunk . . . A team of British researchers studying chimpanzees in West Africa said they have documented the primates eating and sharing alcoholic fruit. The University of Exeter team said cameras set up at Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau captured the chimps sharing fermented African breadfruit that was later confirmed to contain ethanol. UPI

This wasn't a problem until one of them ran over Jane Goodall and slammed his car into a banana tree.

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