kscarbel2

Honda has decided to produce its next-generation Civic hybrid in Indiana, instead of Mexico, to avoid potential tariffs. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-honda-produce-next-civic-082707249.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14453793/CNN-rejects-Joe-Rogan-fueled-conspiracy-theory-Trumps-infamous-rally-Butler-Pennsylvania.html

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has revealed that Zelensky had previously refused the minerals deal twice before the Oval Office showdown with President Trump. Bessent says Zelensky told him during a meeting in Kyiv that he wouldn't sign a mineral deal. Bessent also revealed that Zelensky separately refused to close the deal with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio. "This has to be one of the greatest diplomatic mishaps of all time by President Zelensky," said Bessent. "I was shocked that he would behave like this on camera in front of the whole world."

President Trump kicked Zelensky out of the White House on Friday after Zelensky made disrespectful remarks in front of the media ahead of planned private talks and the expected signing of the much-discussed minerals deal. Following the verbal skirmish at the Oval Office and Zelensky’s exit, the White House confirmed the Ukrainian president did not sign the minerals deal. “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.” President Trump

President Trump is preparing an executive order that will establish English as the official language of the United States. The order will rescind a federal mandate issued by Clinton that agencies and other recipients of federal funding are required to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. Agencies will still have the option of providing documents and services in languages other than English. The goal of making English the national language is to promote unity, establish efficiency in the government and provide a pathway to civic engagement. FYI - English is already the official language in 30 states. Rasmussen Reports polling in 2018 found an overwhelming majority of Americans support English as the country’s official language.

President Trump's Oval Office meeting with Zelensky went off the rails 40 minutes in when the Ukrainian president pushed back after the President and Vice President Vance insisted that he must compromise with Putin. The President raised his voice and VP Vance chimed in to question why Zelensky had not once said thank you in the Oval Office. You're gambling with World War Three. You're gambling with World War Three, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the United States, this country that's backed you far more than a lot of people say they should. President Trump Have you said thank you, once, in this entire meeting? You went to Pennsylvania* and campaigned for the opposition [Biden] in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country. Vice President Vance * Zelensky toured a weapons facility in Pennsylvania last year.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday an executive order reviving a decades-old program that trains and deputizes state and local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status and detain them for deportation. The executive order does three things. First, it directs Virginia State Police to set up a task force of law enforcement trained and deputized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It also directs the Virginia Department of Corrections to cooperate with ICE, allowing ICE officials to use detention and processing facilities throughout Virginia and to train corrections officers to act as immigration enforcement. And it directs sheriffs and other law enforcement officials to certify they will cooperate with the above directives. “This order will allow Virginia State Police and the Department of Corrections to partner with President Trump’s administration on federal immigration enforcement,” Youngkin said. “Dangerous criminal illegal immigrants should not be let back into our communities to assault, rape and murder. “They should be sent back where they came from.”

US stocks will struggle early March amid weaker economic data before they rally once again later in spring. Short-term, things are too messy for stocks to break out.......the market is stuck. Layoffs and ripple effects due to DOGE add pressure on the macro picture. Consumer surveys are expected to go lower, and then there's inflation. Stocks will need to get to a point were technicals appear washed and oversold. Retail will be exhausted, commodity trading advisors more tapped out. The S&P 500 will then be able to rally again in late March and early April. Liquidity improves, macro overhang clears out, earnings keep showing resilient corporate America, the hemorrhage stops, and retail is back at the buying table. Risks and confusion surrounding tariffs remain, weighing on overall risk sentiment. Seasonality is weak into March, making the outlook for stocks in the coming weeks challenging. Medium-term, the path is S&P 500 index higher, yields lower. JP Morgan

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The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has launched an investigation into radio stations backed by leftist billionaire George Soros for broadcasting live locations of undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. A group backed by Hungarian-born Soros purchased over 200 Audacy radio stations and received foreign investments. The radio stations cover over 40 media markets in the United States, giving the leftist billionaire unprecedented control over communication. One of those stations, KCBS 740 AM in San Francisco, has come under scrutiny from the FCC for revealing live locations of undercover ICE vehicles and agents that were conducting deportation operations in the San Jose area. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has already sent a formal Letter of Inquiry to the radio station as part of the FCC investigation. The Enforcement Bureau proceeding is inquiring whether the radio station – which is licensed to operate by the FCC – is violating the terms of their FCC license, which requires that they operate in the ‘public interest. The ICE agents were operating in response to violent gang activity. On January 26, the host of KCBS Radio Weekend News, revealed over the public airwaves that undercover ICE agents were carrying out an operation on the east side of town and then revealed the specific make, color and model of several unmarked vehicles used in the operation. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Trump-appointee, says broadcasting such locations puts agents at risk, which violates the public interest.

Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday night granted a respite to the Trump administration as it seeks to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen, despite a judge’s order directing the administration to resume payments immediately. Roberts’ intervention heads off the possibility of administration officials being held in contempt for failing to comply with the order from U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, who imposed a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday for the federal government to pay nearly $2 billion in unpaid invoices from foreign-aid contractors. Roberts issued a stay of Ali’s order shortly after acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris filed an emergency application arguing that it was impossible for officials to comply with that urgent deadline. Ali ordered the government to unfreeze the funds in response to lawsuits from aid groups that say they’re being devastated by the administration’s broad cutoff of foreign assistance. Roberts ordered the aid groups that filed the lawsuits to respond to the government’s application by noon on Friday. Roberts will likely refer the matter to the full Supreme Court, and his stay is likely to remain in place until the full court acts. Ali, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ordered the administration on Tuesday to pay the accumulated bills by the end of the day on Wednesday. The judge acted after finding that the Trump administration ignored earlier orders he issued requiring the State Department to lift a blanket freeze on overseas aid programs. Rather than take steps to unfreeze that aid, as Ali had directed Feb. 13, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development found new legal rationales to keep it on hold. Ali then gave the administration the midnight Wednesday deadline to send the payments for what officials have estimated is $2 billion-worth of unpaid work completed by aid contractors. The Trump administration disclosed Wednesday that it is eliminating more than 90% of USAID foreign-aid contracts — and cutting $60 billion in foreign assistance overall. Peter Marocco, the Trump appointee leading USAID’s day-to-day operations, filed a statement with Ali Tuesday suggesting that it would be impossible to meet his quick deadline and in fact would require “weeks’ of work to restart dismantled payment systems. “Restarting funding related to terminated or suspended agreements is not as simple as turning on a switch or faucet,” Marocco said. “Rather, the payment systems of USAID and State are complicated and require various steps before payments are authorized to be disbursed by the U.S. Treasury, Department of Health and Human Services, and/or the Department of State, involving multiple agencies.” Solicitor General Sarah Harris filed the emergency petition with the justices at roughly the same time that a federal appeals court in Washington denied a similar emergency appeal of Ali’s decision. The unanimous three-judge appellate panel noted that temporary restraining orders of the kind Ali issued typically cannot be appealed, and there was no reason to depart from that practice in this case. The ruling left the Supreme Court as the last resort for the Trump administration. Harris said the administration was prepared to pay any bills for completed work but said the need to conduct a review for waste, fraud and abuse required a lengthier process than the one permitted by Ali’s orders. “To be very clear, the government is committed to paying legitimate claims for work that was properly completed pursuant to intact obligations and supported by proper documentation,” Harris wrote. “It is attempting to navigate the district court’s evolving orders — and the ensuing, resource-consuming contract-review process.” Harris said Ali had no authority to intervene in the matter in the first place, suggesting he was impinging on Trump’s authority to direct the nation’s foreign policy. “The President’s power is at its apex and the power of the judiciary is at its nadir in matters of foreign affairs,” Harris wrote.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives late on Tuesday passed President Trump's $4.5 trillion tax-cut plan, sending the budget resolution to the Senate, where Republicans are expected to take it up. It's mainly good for corporate US. There's expected to be less regulation, and tax cuts. I would expect it to happen and then it will be positive for the stock market if they do so.

A must watch. .