“I want to address the alarming rise in ‘Swatting’ incidents targeting media figures. The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
This isn’t about politics—weaponizing law enforcement against ANY American is not only morally reprehensible but also endangers lives, including those of our officers. That will not be tolerated.
We are fully committed to working with local law enforcement to crack down on these crimes.
“The Trump DOJ has filed a motion to vacate the Carter-era consent decree from Luévano v. OPM. Most Americans have never heard of it, but this decree abolished a successful, merit-based standardized test that the US government used to hire civil servants, on the grounds that it was (you guessed it) racist.
Americans deserve a government that hires the best people, based on ability, not based on quotas.”
“This week, my office filed a motion to vacate a decades-old consent decree in Luevano v. OPM, which restricts the Executive Branch from implementing proper and efficient hiring procedures for applicants to federal government service. Read our motion here: justice.gov/usao-dc/media/…, and see my statement below.”
“Gas prices just hit 3-year lows, mortgage rates are falling, inflation’s cooling, and border crossings have basically stopped. These are all things that Democrats argued a president had no control over. Democrats were for @DOGE for decades, but now that @realDonaldTrump’s the one doing the DOGE’ing, they’re standing up for waste, fraud, and abuse. Now, Trump’s fighting the trade war that Democrats promised to fight for decades but never did. Democrats are crying foul, but the whole world treats America like a duty-free shop and the only strategy Democrats ever offered up is print and spend money until we go bankrupt.”
12:15, amazing what a group of experienced hard workers with a passion can do in short order when blockers step out of the way. And the world is a better place for it.
“If judges can simply undo decisions of the executive branch then our elections are a sham. Why bother electing a President if the bureaucracy, working with the courts, can simply ignore him? That’s the real “constitutional crisis.””
AJ — appreciate the constitutional lesson but both I and the judge weren’t denying the executive the right to hire and fire rather the executive has to follow due process and rule of law. An executive who denies due process and rule by law is a dictator. And I don’t think that’s in the constitution.
The other issue is how the executive exercises its authority. Neither DOGE nor Musk are official agencies or employees. Musk for one doesn’t nor can he obtain a security clearance. One can’t be fired by an agency and head which are legally suspect.
American politics have always had a violent edge to it (in comparison to Canada) and I remember the right wing militias in the midwest when I lived there. Threats and acts of violence increased since 2015 when Trump became a candidate partly due to his rhetorical excess. And now judges who rule against him are requesting US marshall protection.
Yes, the violence goes both ways, but a few burnt Teslas can recover its value with free advertising at the White House — is the executive allowed to run a used car lot at the White House? Reminds me can an employee of the executive simultaneously be the CEO of three corporations with massive US subsidies??
Inflation reached its peak in June 2022 at 9.1%, its been falling ever since reaching a low of 2.4% in Sept 2024. Currently month by month rate is 3.0% a slight uptick in the last six months. This is all Biden. Trump’s policies won’t show an effect for another month or two. His on again and off again tariffs are hard to keep track but we’ll see where its at in May.
Retail gas prices follow a similar trend. The highest gas prices are $4.93 a gallon in June 2022 which dropped by Dec 2024 to $3.02. Currently average is $3.12 so there’s been a slight uptick. Its too early to see if tariffs on Cdn energy will have an effect on gas prices
Mortgage rates are harder to track but it appears the high rate was 7.75% in Oct 2023 and then dropped down to 6.4% in Oct 2024. There’s been a slight uptick to 6.65% as of this month. Trump has advocated for a drop in interest rates but the Fed is supposed to be independent.
The problem that a lower rate poses to the US is that it will bring down the dollar (lower interests on debt attract less investors). Low Cdn interest rates — more than 1.5% lower than the US — has led to an extremely low Cdn dollar. Now normally a lower dollar is okay — it makes exports cheaper and increases trade but when you have tariffs a high dollar will hide the increased cost of imports. Lower interest rates lead to a low dollar but then inflation will increase as imports become more expensive. Trump can’t have low interest rates, tariffs and low inflation together — one will have to give.
btw, federal spending is still increasing. For all the p.r. and gnashing of teeth, DOGE has done very little. Mostly because non-defense discretionary spending is a minimal part of the budget. And of course the fiscal year wont end til April
I’ve seen the Nobel Peace Prize (and showing up Biden) as motivation for Trump showing up both sides of the internet. Obviously one side is serious and the other is somewhat cynical or sarcastic.
However, both Z and Putin seem to be playing the Trump team right now. After the sxit show at the White House, Trump cut off intelligence and military aid to Ukraine, this made Ukraine vulnerable in the air. Putin immediately took advantage of this and in the process became less willing to discuss peace. Thus Trump had to do a 180 and threaten Russia with consequences. Seeing an opportunity, Z offered a sea and air ceasefire — this of course worked in Ukraine’s favour. The US then resumed intelligence and aid to Ukraine while Z agreed to a 30 day full ceasefire. Putin doesn’t want a temporary ceasefire since this will allow the Europeans more time to help Ukraine and allow Ukraine to bring US intelligence back on line. Thus we have another impasse. First Russia plays Trump and now Z is playing Trump.
One can advocate just walking away but then no peace prize, no showing up Biden. No motivation for Trump with that decision. The US can continue current Biden policy but that would be admitting that Biden was right. So Trump is stuck trying to grind out a peace agreement — he might pull it off but in all liklihood any peace will be temporary — Putin has broken every agreement he’s made on Ukraine.
Wandering Views 
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B5bMgxTjD/
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Trump expected to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1799 to speed up mass deportation of illegals
This law is a *wartime authority*
This means troops will likely be involvedThis is what we voted for”
https://x.com/DC_Draino/status/1900197935045885954?t=mNqqKdnjDt_xKWqAfBYdeg&s=19
LikeLike
“Conservatives are getting swatted.
Journalists are being killed.
Teslas are being burned.
Students are being terrorized on campus.
The only way this stops is when people who engage in domestic terrorism get charged as such.”
https://x.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1900268933342781523?t=Dox4fP1aZgG2DSyoB1KLpw&s=19
And yet again, there is only one side doing this. There is no equivalent acts from the right.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Kim Gill, a Bat Cave NC resident, whose home was hit by a landslide during Hurricane Helene and denied by insurance… received an unexpected visit.
Over 30 Amish carpenters from Pennsylvania arrived this week and rebuilt her home in ONE DAY.
GOD BLESS THE AMISH!”
https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1900554530023973193?t=4Y799MYatgf2mmum3rXngA&s=19
LikeLiked by 3 people
“I want to address the alarming rise in ‘Swatting’ incidents targeting media figures. The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
This isn’t about politics—weaponizing law enforcement against ANY American is not only morally reprehensible but also endangers lives, including those of our officers. That will not be tolerated.
We are fully committed to working with local law enforcement to crack down on these crimes.
More updates to come.”
https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1900536072871768094?t=IXP4r0qgpmD3lsgmR1gLyg&s=19
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hire the best and most qualified, what a concept! 🙄
https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1900323865852793223?t=XMXMfM0gdnk7sKUsh210aQ&s=19
“The Trump DOJ has filed a motion to vacate the Carter-era consent decree from Luévano v. OPM. Most Americans have never heard of it, but this decree abolished a successful, merit-based standardized test that the US government used to hire civil servants, on the grounds that it was (you guessed it) racist.
Americans deserve a government that hires the best people, based on ability, not based on quotas.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
https://x.com/USAEdMartin/status/1900230157400465608?t=Cecqs7pbH4ogIZYIJHXs6A&s=19
“This week, my office filed a motion to vacate a decades-old consent decree in Luevano v. OPM, which restricts the Executive Branch from implementing proper and efficient hiring procedures for applicants to federal government service. Read our motion here: justice.gov/usao-dc/media/…, and see my statement below.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
To the ungrateful, from the rest of us…..
You’re welcome!
https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/1900351732720222265?t=ZiX_Q_OSA_aZRC0VulB77w&s=19
“Gas prices just hit 3-year lows, mortgage rates are falling, inflation’s cooling, and border crossings have basically stopped. These are all things that Democrats argued a president had no control over. Democrats were for @DOGE for decades, but now that @realDonaldTrump’s the one doing the DOGE’ing, they’re standing up for waste, fraud, and abuse. Now, Trump’s fighting the trade war that Democrats promised to fight for decades but never did. Democrats are crying foul, but the whole world treats America like a duty-free shop and the only strategy Democrats ever offered up is print and spend money until we go bankrupt.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
12:15, amazing what a group of experienced hard workers with a passion can do in short order when blockers step out of the way. And the world is a better place for it.
mumsee
LikeLiked by 1 person
“If judges can simply undo decisions of the executive branch then our elections are a sham. Why bother electing a President if the bureaucracy, working with the courts, can simply ignore him? That’s the real “constitutional crisis.””
https://x.com/FischerKing64/status/1900234847752425588?t=ECIr6JWpBk5QgwFX5i4NVQ&s=19
LikeLiked by 3 people
And…….? 😄
https://x.com/DefiantLs/status/1900555937510789297?t=soMVFl7NsUqQEDisYWObWQ&s=19
“John Bolton: Trump only wants a ceasefire in Ukraine so he can get good publicity and a Nobel Peace Prize.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
AJ — appreciate the constitutional lesson but both I and the judge weren’t denying the executive the right to hire and fire rather the executive has to follow due process and rule of law. An executive who denies due process and rule by law is a dictator. And I don’t think that’s in the constitution.
The other issue is how the executive exercises its authority. Neither DOGE nor Musk are official agencies or employees. Musk for one doesn’t nor can he obtain a security clearance. One can’t be fired by an agency and head which are legally suspect.
American politics have always had a violent edge to it (in comparison to Canada) and I remember the right wing militias in the midwest when I lived there. Threats and acts of violence increased since 2015 when Trump became a candidate partly due to his rhetorical excess. And now judges who rule against him are requesting US marshall protection.
Yes, the violence goes both ways, but a few burnt Teslas can recover its value with free advertising at the White House — is the executive allowed to run a used car lot at the White House? Reminds me can an employee of the executive simultaneously be the CEO of three corporations with massive US subsidies??
hrw
LikeLike
Inflation reached its peak in June 2022 at 9.1%, its been falling ever since reaching a low of 2.4% in Sept 2024. Currently month by month rate is 3.0% a slight uptick in the last six months. This is all Biden. Trump’s policies won’t show an effect for another month or two. His on again and off again tariffs are hard to keep track but we’ll see where its at in May.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/273418/unadjusted-monthly-inflation-rate-in-the-us/
Retail gas prices follow a similar trend. The highest gas prices are $4.93 a gallon in June 2022 which dropped by Dec 2024 to $3.02. Currently average is $3.12 so there’s been a slight uptick. Its too early to see if tariffs on Cdn energy will have an effect on gas prices
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/leafhandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epmr_pte_nus_dpg&f=m
Mortgage rates are harder to track but it appears the high rate was 7.75% in Oct 2023 and then dropped down to 6.4% in Oct 2024. There’s been a slight uptick to 6.65% as of this month. Trump has advocated for a drop in interest rates but the Fed is supposed to be independent.
The problem that a lower rate poses to the US is that it will bring down the dollar (lower interests on debt attract less investors). Low Cdn interest rates — more than 1.5% lower than the US — has led to an extremely low Cdn dollar. Now normally a lower dollar is okay — it makes exports cheaper and increases trade but when you have tariffs a high dollar will hide the increased cost of imports. Lower interest rates lead to a low dollar but then inflation will increase as imports become more expensive. Trump can’t have low interest rates, tariffs and low inflation together — one will have to give.
btw, federal spending is still increasing. For all the p.r. and gnashing of teeth, DOGE has done very little. Mostly because non-defense discretionary spending is a minimal part of the budget. And of course the fiscal year wont end til April
hrw
LikeLike
I’ve seen the Nobel Peace Prize (and showing up Biden) as motivation for Trump showing up both sides of the internet. Obviously one side is serious and the other is somewhat cynical or sarcastic.
However, both Z and Putin seem to be playing the Trump team right now. After the sxit show at the White House, Trump cut off intelligence and military aid to Ukraine, this made Ukraine vulnerable in the air. Putin immediately took advantage of this and in the process became less willing to discuss peace. Thus Trump had to do a 180 and threaten Russia with consequences. Seeing an opportunity, Z offered a sea and air ceasefire — this of course worked in Ukraine’s favour. The US then resumed intelligence and aid to Ukraine while Z agreed to a 30 day full ceasefire. Putin doesn’t want a temporary ceasefire since this will allow the Europeans more time to help Ukraine and allow Ukraine to bring US intelligence back on line. Thus we have another impasse. First Russia plays Trump and now Z is playing Trump.
One can advocate just walking away but then no peace prize, no showing up Biden. No motivation for Trump with that decision. The US can continue current Biden policy but that would be admitting that Biden was right. So Trump is stuck trying to grind out a peace agreement — he might pull it off but in all liklihood any peace will be temporary — Putin has broken every agreement he’s made on Ukraine.
hrw
LikeLike
Gas is $4.90 in Northern California today.
LikeLike
Gas is $3.58 for Premium at Sam’s Club in Atlanta.
LikeLike
3.00 for regular here.
mumsee
LikeLike
$3.15 here in PA.
LikeLike
$2.36 in Chattanooga today.
LikeLike
2.75 in this part of CO today. Yesterday it was 2.99 when I filled the car!
Nj
LikeLike
$5.60 (!) in the Czech Republic.
LikeLike