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Sen. Kaine Complains Hegseth ‘Wrong Person to Be Secretary of Defense’

Keely Compson
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Sen. Kaine Complains Hegseth ‘Wrong Person to Be Secretary of Defense’

On Thursday, Democrat Senator Tim Kaine appeared on CNN’s “The Source” and complained about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming that he is the “wrong person” for the job.

Kaine declared, “This is a sad but very predictable situation. I think those of us on the Armed Services Committee who looked at Pete Hegseth’s material and it was voluminous before his hearing and the vote on his confirmation. Two things were plain when he was in the uniform of the United States, he served admirably, but in his leadership positions in many organizations, since his uniform service, he’s demonstrated appalling lack of judgment, both professionally and personally.”

He continued, “That’s why many of us, including Republicans, voted against him to be secretary of defense. And what’s happened in the last few weeks about these two Signalgate atrocities just shows the lack of judgment and that he is the wrong person to be our secretary of defense.”

Kaine added, “You’ll notice that even Republicans who voted to confirm Pete Hegseth, like my Armed Services Chair, Roger Wicker, they have come out almost immediately and and criticized him for, you know, idiotic comments about Ukraine and other things that he’s done. The first Signalgate challenge and now this one. This guy is just racking up one gaffe after another. Gaffe is a diplomatic term but these things were completely apparent to anyone who had looked at his record as the leader of organizations after he got out of uniformed service.”

WATCH:

Woodward Word Vomit: Trump ‘Throwing Bombs of Ignorance’ on Economy

Keely Compson
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Woodward Word Vomit: Trump ‘Throwing Bombs of Ignorance’ on Economy

On Monday, reporter Bob Woodward appeared on MSNBC’s “Inside” and declared that President Donald Trump is “throwing bombs of ignorance” onto the U.S. economy.

Woodward said, “He thinks tariffs are good remedy. Well tariffs are a tax on consumers. I mean consumers wind up paying. There may be some benefit but if there was real benefit we’d feel it in the economy now. And we basically have a good economy that he’s meddling with in a way, throwing bombs of ignorance right in the middle of a process that, you know, should be allowed to go on naturally. It’s a shame and it has a real impact on people. It’s not just the stock market, but it has an impact on prices. It has an impact on the stability that people feel in their own lives and in the institutions.”

He continued, “In the Trump who makes decisions, there’s no coherence. There’s no plan. It’s very random. I feel that, I mean, we see it daily. And he is now on a vengeance tour of, you know, people who’ve worked for him or have not worked for him, people he doesn’t like or thinks he doesn’t like. I mean, the using executive orders to attack people as he has by name and institutions.”

The reporter added, “Somebody needs to say to him, what’s the goal? What are you trying to do? Are you trying to disrupt and smash the country you lead? Is it vengeance? Is it some sort of payback? It’s very troubling.”

Trump: China Tariffs to ‘Come Down Substantially’ from 145 Percent

Keely Compson
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Trump: China Tariffs to ‘Come Down Substantially’ from 145 Percent

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump revealed that the heavy tariff rate on China will be significantly reduced after negotiating with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting optimistic possibilities of a trade deal.

“145 percent is very high. It won’t be that high, it’s not going to be that high … it won’t be anywhere near that high,” Trump said during a presser in the Oval Office. “It will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.”

“We’re going to be very nice. They’re going to be very nice, and we’ll see what happens. But ultimately, they have to make a deal, because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States,” he continued.

“China was taking us for a ride, and it’s not going to happen. We’re going to be very good to China, have a great relationship with President Xi. But, they would make billions and billions and billions of dollars a year, and they would build their military out of the United States and what they made. So, that won’t happen,” Trump added. “But they’re going to do very well, and I think they’re going to be happy, and I think we’re going to live together very happily and ideally work together.”

On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also met with investors in Washington, during which he told them that he expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the United States and China.

Report: CO Judge Extends Colorado Ban on Deportations

Keely Compson
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Report: CO Judge Extends Colorado Ban on Deportations

A federal judge in Colorado extended a ban on the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan immigrants. The judge ruled that immigrants must be given 21 days’ notice and access to an attorney before deportation.

The Center Square reports:

A federal judge in Colorado Tuesday extended her ban on the Trump administration’s use of an 18th-century law to deport Venezuelan immigrants from the state and ruled federal authorities must give illegal immigrants 21 days’ notice before removals.

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney, who heard arguments Monday from the U.S. Department of Justice and immigration rights groups, decided to extend her temporary restraining order to May 6 and said she might continue it even longer. Her order temporarily prevents the government from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport immigrants to a prison in El Salvador, various media outlets reported.

Sweeney’s written ruling Tuesday included a requirement that the immigrants be given notice in a language that they understand that they have the right to an attorney.

Last week Sweeney temporarily blocked deportations after a request by the American Civil Liberties Union, representing two Venezuelan men being held in Aurora, Colorado, who feared they would be falsely accused of belonging to the gang Tren de Aragua. The ACLU has said there are about 100 people at the Aurora U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center who are at risk of being sent to the CECOT prison in El Salvador.

During court arguments Monday in Denver, the DOJ told Sweeney that anyone subject to deportation under the act would be given 24 hours to challenge their deportation in court, CBS News Colorado reported.

But attorneys with the ACLU and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, who are suing the Trump administration to challenge the deportations and say 11 people have been deported from Colorado to El Salvador, told the judge 24 hours isn’t enough time.

It isn’t enough time for people who likely don’t speak English, don’t have a lawyer, don’t have access to a phone and may not have a high level of education, Tim Macdonald, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado, told CBS News.

The U.S. Supreme Court Saturday temporarily blocked the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

Earlier, the court ruled the Trump administration may use the 18th-century law, but must grant court hearings for the illegal immigrants before they’re deported.

President Donald Trump said it isn’t possible to have trials for every person targeted for deportation.

“We cannot give everyone a trial, because to do so would take, without exaggeration, 200 years,” Trump wrote Monday on his social media platform, Truth Social. “We would need hundreds of thousands of trials for the hundreds of thousands of Illegals we are sending out of the Country.”

LA Mayor Seeks Bailout with $800M Deficit and Layoffs Coming

Keely Compson
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LA Mayor Seeks Bailout with $800M Deficit and Layoffs Coming

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced an $800 million deficit, plans for 1,647 layoffs, and a trip to Sacramento to seek a state bailout. The city’s budget crisis, exacerbated by economic uncertainty and falling revenue, necessitates these measures, though the proposed budget does not cut sworn firefighters or police officers.

The Center Square reports:

 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday the city faces an $800 million deficit, plans plans to lay off 1,647 staff, is seeking a state bailout and has “identified new revenue.”

Bass blamed the Trump administration and the economy for falling revenue.

“Cities like ours are going through challenging economic times across the nation,” said Bass. “Turmoil and uncertainty from Washington and a slowing economy are causing lower revenue projections.”

With 61,455 employees, 1,647 layoffs equate to a workforce reduction of 2.7%. With just over $8.3 billion paid out in payroll last year, the city pays its employees an average of $135,355 per year, or more than double the median citywide salary of $57,247 per year.

This means the announced layoffs would only cover about a quarter of the at least $800 million deficit.

During her State of the City address Monday, Bass said she is traveling to Sacramento to seek a state bailout, but if the state is either unwilling or unable to fund such a bailout amid falling sales and corporate tax revenue and employment, more layoffs could be necessary.

“The city attorney and I will be in Sacramento this week to meet with legislative leaders and advocate for resources while also working to manage the increasing liabilities,” said Bass.

City Controller Kenneth Mejia has been warning the city is “going broke” since the middle of last year — the city’s budget was in crisis even before the January fires.

Mejia says the city’s revenue for the current fiscal year is expected to come in $140 million below projections, while spending is $300 million higher than expected.

Mejia estimates revenues for the coming fiscal year will be $79 million lower than the updated projections for the current year due to dampening economic projection due to tariffs and “pullback in entertainment industry.”

“The impact of remote work, automation, artificial intelligence and online sales will continue to erode traditional sources of City tax revenue,” wrote Mejia. “Federal grants (which significantly increased under the last Administration) are expected to drop given the winding down of previous COVID recovery funds and the uncertainty regarding federal funds from the new Administration.”

Bass’s budget proposes spending $13.92 billion against $13.95 billion in revenue, including $8.06 billion assumed in general receipts revenue. Should general receipts be $7.89 billion as expected by Mejia, the city would fall well short of its budget, necessitating further cuts.

Notably, the proposed budget does not cut the number of sworn firefighters or police officers.

Health Secretary RFK Jr. Bans EIGHT Artificial Food Dyes

Keely Compson
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Health Secretary RFK Jr. Bans EIGHT Artificial Food Dyes

Hope is being restored in America as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. works hard to eliminate toxic ingredients that have been allowed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Tuesday, RFK announced that eight artificial food dyes are to be eliminated from medication and food by the end of 2026.

The artificial dyes are used to make foods look more appealing as well as to offset color loss due to exposure to light and temperature extremes.

For YEARS, advocates like Kennedy have raised an alarm on these toxic additives that contribute to our nation’s “chronic disease epidemic.” Now, as health secretary, he finally has a platform to make these necessary changes.

USA Today reports:

The dyes that will be phased out in less than two years are FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow Nos 5 and 6. In the coming months, the process will begin to revoke authorization of Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, according to the HHS.

Within weeks, the FDA will also authorize four new natural color additives and partner with the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on “how food additives impact children’s health and development,” according to the HHS.

Under the Biden administration, the FDA had already mandated by January 15, 2027, a ban on Red Dye No. 3, found in candy, desserts, and some medications. HHS said on April 22 that the Trump administration is requesting food companies move that deadline forward.

Kennedy in the past has linked food dyes and additives to ADHD and chronic diseases, such as obesity. At the April 22 press conference, the Trump Cabinet member rattled off a litany of diseases and neurological disorders and appeared to link them to chemicals being added by the food and drug industries.

In March, Kennedy had a private meeting with leaders of several food companies – including PepsiCo, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Kraft, Heinz and Kellogg’s. In that meeting, he demanded that all artificial dyes would “have to be out within two years.”

On Tuesday, he recalled a conversation with his staffer about the meeting, in which he suggested a reluctance by the CEOs to ditch petroleum-based dyes.

“I said, if they wanna add petroleum, they want to eat petroleum,” RFK said. “They ought to add it themselves at home, but they shouldn’t be feeding it to the rest of us without our knowledge or consent.”

He also noted how there are “shockingly few studies” on the safety of the artificial food dyes and certain other ingredients due to conflicts of interest at the federal agencies he now oversees.

A study by the California’s Environmental Protection Agency in 2021 linked consumption of synthetic food dyes to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children. Similar studies also previously prompted the European Union to restrict food coloring.

“Evidence shows that synthetic food dyes are associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in some children,” said California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Director Dr. Lauren Zeise. “With increasing numbers of U.S. children diagnosed with behavioral disorders, this assessment can inform efforts to protect children from exposures that may exacerbate behavioral problems.”

California banned six of those dyes from use in public school lunches last year. Leave it to one of the most liberal states in the country to actually step up and work towards bettering the food supply.

WH Announces Nearly 20 Countries Offer Trade Deals to U.S.

Keely Compson
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0
WH Announces Nearly 20 Countries Offer Trade Deals to U.S.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that the United States has received trade proposals from 18 countries, and there is a potential trade agreement in the air with China as well. That brings the total up to 100 different countries who are seeking a trade deal with the U.S.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump granted a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, with the exception of China, to give other countries a chance to negotiate new deals. Despite the critics of this tactic, it is working.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that she’d spoken with the administration’s trade team, which included: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Trump’s Senior Advisor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro.

“There is a lot of progress being made,” Leavitt began. “We now have 18 proposals on paper that have been brought to the trade team. Again, these are proposals on paper that countries have proposed to the Trump administration and to our government.

She said, “You have Secretary Bessent, Secretary Lutnick, Ambassador Greer, NEC Director Hassett and Peter Navarro, the entire trade team meeting with 34 countries this week alone. We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people.”

White she didn’t offer details on the current 18 countries offering trade deals, she did reveal negotiations with China.

“I asked the president about this before coming out here, and he wanted me to share with all of you that we’re doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China,” Leavitt announced, noting that there have not been any direct communication between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “As I mentioned, there have now been 18 proposals and more than 100 countries around the world who are wanting to make a deal with the United States of America, and the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China.

“So, we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, and the ball is moving in the right direction,” she continued. “And just yesterday, it seemed to get a little bit lost in the news, and I think it’s a disservice to the American public that it did.”

Leavitt said, “The vice president announced terms of reference for a trade deal with India. That is a big deal. We know when we look at the numbers, the monetary trade barriers and the nonmonetary trade barriers from India, they have been ripping off the United States and American workers for a very long time.”

She added, “So, the fact that the vice president, with Prime Minister Modi on that trip in India, announced these terms of reference, which is essentially a framework to move the ball forward to sign a good trade deal between our two nations, is great progress, and it speaks to the work ethic and the real labor that’s being put into this effort by the president’s trade team.”

Trump Pays Tribute: ‘Rest in Peace Pope Francis!’

Keely Compson
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Trump Pays Tribute: ‘Rest in Peace Pope Francis!’

On Monday, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social to offer condolences for the passing of Pope Francis, who died earlier Monday morning at 88-years-old.

“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump wrote.

The Pope’s death was announced in a video shared by the Vatican, shortly after he survived a case of double pneumonia.

“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel. “At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, as the first Pope from the United States, the first Jesuit Pope, and the first Pope who was not European in over 1,000 years. This was a shock to many in the church.

He chose the name Francis in order to honor St. Francis of Assisi, who as the founder of the Franciscan order.

DHS Chief Kristi Noem Mugged at DC Restaurant

Keely Compson
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DHS Chief Kristi Noem Mugged at DC Restaurant

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Kristi Noem was enjoying Easter festivities with her family in Washington, DC over the weekend when her purse was stolen at a restaurant in town.

According to reports, the secretary’s purse contained $3,000 in cash, her apartment key, her passport and DHS access badge, as well as her makeup bag, medication, and other belongings. Sources say the purse was snatched from her tabled by a man in a mask.

“Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” a spokesperson said.

Secret Service reviewed security footage and have identified the suspect as an unknown white man wearing a medical mask.

How sad. You can’t even enjoy a holiday with your family without having to be hyper vigilant to criminals. Washington is a cesspool.

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