Two fundamental issues that Canadian politicians and media keep hidden from Canadians. First, in the 2025 U.S. Supreme Court decision last year about tariffs, the court outlined that the executive branch can constitutionally ban trade with another country. Second, the U.S. can exit the USMCA with a six-month notification.

There is an awful lot of pretending and gaslighting within this general discussion segment; purposefully advanced to keep the Canadian people in the dark. However, that said, Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the United States, Janice Charette does admit that tariff free access to the U.S market is lost forever.

Janice Charette is participating in a discussion at the Toronto Global Forum, where she is questioned by Brian Tobin, vice chair of the BMO Financial Group about the trade relationship with the United States and the opinion that many Canadian officials have espoused that Canada just needs to outlast President Donald Trump.

Charette informs the audience that regardless of who is the U.S. President, tariffs will likely remain in place permanently because the amount of revenue being generated to the U.S. Treasury is too great for any President or congress to stop. PROMPTED – WATCH:

While almost all of her analysis is flawed, skewed and seriously underestimates the nature of the dynamic that Canada is facing, what Janice Charette outlines about how Donald Trump has shifted the national revenue model using global tariffs to offset national expenditures (her baseline) is accurate.

Beyond her statement it is worth pausing for a moment and using Charette’s frame of reference to reconsider the post WWII European revenue model.  It was/is President Trump’s model in reverse.

The Marshal plan, was essentially one-way tariffs on American trade that provided one-way benefits (revenue) that permitted the EU to rebuild after the second world war.  To Charlette’s framework, how willing was the EU mindset to change this beneficial economic outcome?

Answer: The EU fought it (and is still fighting it), perceiving the elimination of that benefit as an existential threat to their economic power. The EU became reliant on the Marshal Plan.

(more…)

Senator Ron Johnson had complained several times about the FBI delivering false information to the Senate regarding the investigation of the Hunter Biden laptop, prior to the 2020 election.  Today, the Dept of Justice arrested two senior FBI officials for making false statements to congress. [Indictment pdf HERE]

DOJ Press Release – WASHINGTON – Two former senior FBI officials, Nikki Cole Floris, 46, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, of Aiken, South Carolina, surrendered today on arrest warrants issued after a criminal complaint charged them with lying to Congress about their involvement in the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

[…] “This morning two former FBI members of the now dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were taken into custody – charged with allegedly lying to Congress in 2023 on matters regarding investigations related to the 2020 election. One of these individuals is on record privately claiming to be ‘running a shadow government’ during the 2020 election,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As we’ve said repeatedly: weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI. We have already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump – and anyone who abuses their position of public trust will be held accountable.”

Floris and Benavides each were charged with making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force, or FITF, which led the FBI’s efforts to secure the 2020 election from foreign malign influence. 

[…] Floris and Benavides each were charged with making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).  The charges stem from an ongoing investigation into the since-dissolved FBI Foreign Influence Task Force, or FITF, which led the FBI’s efforts to secure the 2020 election from foreign malign influence.  

(more…)

In a series of posts to his X account, Elon Musk has called the baby ugly as it pertains to Ukraine and the DC system that benefits from the continued funding exploits.  This response appears to be pushback against those who are blaming him for restricting the use of Starlink systems.

[SOURCE]

A few hours before this post, the Wall Street Journal published yet another article on the Starlink/Starshield dynamic where they attempted to walk back part of their prior false reporting – yet frame the new information as Musk was still to blame.

(VIA WSJ) – The Ukrainian military says the disruption of its use of Starlink satellites is having a significant impact on Kyiv’s defenses against Russia’s invasion. The slowdown triggered a wave of finger-pointing, much of it focused on the difference between SpaceX’s better-known Starlink service for consumers and its Starshield service for government users.

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk ordered the slowdown and discussed the decision in a call with President Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. U.S. officials said Trump called Musk Wednesday and asked him to lift restrictions. But Ukrainian officials said they were still suffering from low-speed limits early on Friday.

(more…)

Toward the end of this important meeting readout presented by President Putin’s closest Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov, the Russian Federation confirms a willingness to participate in a historic trilateral meeting between Chairman Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Beijing.

If Xi organizes this meeting, we can be certain all elements of what we traditionally call “the western powers” will be going bananas. Like, literally heads will be exploding from Washington DC, through Brussels, Ottawa and even Sydney and Tokyo. However, Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, will certainly be in the loop with Trump.

Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov: Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today, at the Constantine Palace in St Petersburg, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin received the US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. This was a scheduled meeting that had been agreed upon several days ago. As before, Jared Kushner was also expected to participate but was unable to travel due to health reasons. However, a videoconference link was arranged, allowing him to share his assessments and views on the issues under discussion.

I would like to note that this marks the ninth meeting between our President and US representatives, a useful addition to regular telephone conversations held between the Presidents of Russia and the United States.

At the outset, in the presence of the media, our President and Steve Witkoff outlined the issues they intended to raise during the conversation and shared their assessments of the current state of dialogue between the two countries.

For my part, I would like to add that, as always, the conversation was substantive and candid and lasted nearly three hours.

This time, the meeting between the Russian President and Steve Witkoff was preceded by the US envoy’s talks in Oslo with Vladimir Zelensky and representatives of a number of European countries, NATO and the European Commission. Naturally, Steve Witkoff briefed Vladimir Putin on the substance of the talks in Oslo, shared his observations and highlighted certain new approaches and elements in the positions of the European side and Kiev, although there was little in them that could help resolve the Ukraine crisis.

(more…)

Most punditry avoid noticing that President Trump’s Emissary Steve Witkoff stands alone as he communicates directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Those same pundits seemingly skip over the dynamic where the Russian government, led by Federation President Putin, permit television cameras to open these talks to the public for viewing.

These two points are remarkable by themselves when you take the history of the relationship between Russia and the United States into context. After all, trust has always been the missing element in both directions. However, the brutal and pragmatic honesty presented by President Donald Trump has created a new map within engagement.

Do not discount how angry the system within Washington DC is about President Trump using executive emissaries, that are outside their control. Never underestimate the professional level of hatred carried by DC politicians toward President Trump on this issue alone.  They despise his outmaneuvering.

When Mr. Witkoff is received by Russia, the statue of Witkoff as a person is framed around the respect that Russian leadership have for who Witkoff represents. He stands alone in the room but carries the weight of President Trump in all measures as reviewed by the Russian delegation. Quite remarkable.

Vladimir Putin held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Constantine Palace. On the Russian side, the meeting was attended by Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev. Video and Transcript Below:

[Transcript] –President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Witkoff, we are delighted to see you – this time in St Petersburg.

We know that yesterday you had a meeting in Norway, and I would like to hear about its outcome.

I would like to thank you and President Trump for your attention to the resolution of the Ukraine crisis. I know that it is a special matter for President Trump, primarily for humanitarian reasons. In our conversations, including our most recent conversation over the phone, he emphasised the importance of ending this conflict to prevent further losses among the personnel on both sides.

Of course, it goes beyond military losses. The civilian population is suffering. In this regard, please pass my most sincere gratitude not only to the President but also to First Lady [Melania Trump] for her contribution to resolving humanitarian issues.

I believe both sides would be interested in discussing plans for restoring our bilateral relations, the Russia-US contacts, including economic cooperation.

(more…)

Following an unauthorized publication of a strategic outline, some people within the military and intelligence system quickly ran to the Washington Post in order to get out in front of the issue.

In this overview, Mike Steger examines the Washington Post report on current and former national security officials advising state governments and lawmakers ahead of the midterm elections. He explores the role of National Security Leaders for America, the Horizons Project, and their preparations for potential military involvement during an election crisis.

Mike connects these developments to the Trump administration’s election security efforts, political tensions in Brazil and France, and the growing battle over America’s political future. Drawing comparisons to the 2020 Transition Integrity Project, he argues that an increasingly threatened political establishment is preparing for confrontation as Trump’s coalition continues to evolve.

Chapters

00:00 Democrats Prepare for the Midterms
01:00 The Washington Post’s Election Report
02:15 Military Intervention and Election Chaos
03:45 Trump’s Election Security Crackdown
06:00 Elissa Slotkin’s Warning

(more…)

The story of Stephen Hubbard reflects that he is a rather unusual fellow of considerable travel.  The 74-year-old American was released from Russian prison on humanitarian grounds following requests by the U.S. government, state department and President Trump himself.

Stephen Hubbard was a former schoolteacher who taught English in Japan, retired then went to Cyprus where he met a Ukrainian woman Inna and eventually moved to the eastern Ukraine city of Izyum.  After the Russian Federation took control of Izyum, Hubbard was accused of engaging in Mercenary activity saying he manned a Ukraine checkpoint during the conflict. {source}

In April 2022 Hubbard was arrested.  He was convicted by a Moscow court in October 2024 and sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison.  Yesterday he received a pardon from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he was released on humanitarian grounds as the Trump administration was negotiating a peace settlement.

STEVE WITKOFF -“Today, Stephen Hubbard is free and headed back home to his family.

Stephen is a proud American citizen, retired teacher, and U.S. Air Force veteran who loves our country.

Now, he is on his way back to a family who loves him, a President who never gave up on him, and a nation that proudly welcomes him home.

It was my honor to be with Stephen in St. Petersburg today before he departed for the United States. President Trump called Stephen to check on him and reaffirm his unwavering commitment to bringing all Americans wrongfully detained home.

Stephen joins more than 110 Americans who [President Trump] has freed since returning to office, including Robert Gilman, Ksenia Karelina, and Marc Fogel.

(more…)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers remarks to the media from Mumbai, India.  During the remarks Secretary Rubio answers questions about Starlink, Starshield, Elon Musk, Steve Witkoff, Ukraine negotiations, Russia, Iran, India and current geopolitical events.

The video and transcript are below:

[Transcript] – SECRETARY RUBIO:  What’s up?  All right, let’s go.

QUESTION:  Sir, The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk is the one who made the decision to throttle Starshield and catch Ukraine off-guard.  Is this something you were aware of?  Can you —

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Starlink.

QUESTION:  Starlink and Starshield.

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Okay, again, there’s this – all this confusion.  These are two separate programs, okay?  Starlink is a commercial – Starlink is the receivers you put on the roof of your house and you use for – it’s used for commercial purposes.  It’s not a military system, although it could be used in order to guide drones and things of this nature and so forth.  And then Starshield is different.  It’s a unique defense product that is sold and operated through the Department of War, as an example.  It’s two different items and it’s important to distinguish one from the other.

I have not seen The Wall Street Journal reporting because I have not read it.  I know that what – so I’m not familiar with the story that you’re referring to.  But Starlink is a private company.  They have a contract.  They have contractual terms upon how that technology can be used.  The important point is we cannot direct a private company as to the decisions they make or not make.  What I can tell you with certainty is the President of the United States nor anyone in our system ever requested that any changes to that system be made, and that’s what we said repeatedly.  I don’t know what the story reflects, but that is the case.

(more…)

Following remarks outlining successful results from the Federal Fraud Taskforce initiative, President Trump took questions from the assembled press pool.  WATCH: 

President Trump noted the federal government savings from fraud prevention will help stop the spending deficit within the federal budget. The scale of fraud is substantial and efforts to prosecute those who take advantage of federal subsidy programs is having a great deal of success.

President Trump also answered questions about Ukraine, Russia, NATO, European mass migration from third-world countries, the riots in France and more.

(more…)

This is a very interesting public presser from Ukraine President Zelenskyy, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and a subdued Finnish President Alexander Stubb.  This press event follows President Trump Emissary Steve Witkoff meeting with Zelenskyy, Stoere and Stubb.

Steve Witkoff leaves Norway and is going to St Petersburg to meet with Russian Federation Vladimir Putin tomorrow.

When asked why Witkoff was not present {10:00}, the host PM Jonas Stoere says, “this is a press conference among political leaders,” and then quickly moves on.  Both Stoere and Stubb are very subdued from their prior public statements that put themselves in opposition to the U.S. Trump administration and now suddenly reverse and say it is important for them to remain engaged with the USA effort and for all EU nations to support discussions with Russia.

Following Stubb {@13:00} Zelenskyy notes that Witkoff traveling to meet with Putin tomorrow is very important, and he is very happy that “early warning systems” are working and “it’s great.”  Zelenskyy repeated referenced the call with Secretary Marco Rubio in outlining a shift in tone that is suddenly very appreciative of the USA support.  A very curious shift.  WATCH:

As previously noted, there is an early plan for China (Xi), Russia (Putin) and the USA (Trump) to meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit next month in China.  Little man Zelenskyy clarifies his prior comments about a trilateral meeting by saying that his comments were directed to a possible U.S, Russia, Ukraine trilateral meeting and not the APEC sideline.

At 16:00 Peter Baker (NYT) obviously notes the tone change visible in this presser and asks about what is going on?  Baker was taken aback when Zelenskyy, Stubb and Stoere affirm the positive and constructive meeting with Steve Witkoff, and “there is nothing to gain” by looking at things said yesterday, said Stoere.

Finland President Stubb joins with very complimentary statements of Steve Witkoff affirming his belief this meeting has clarified a lot of issues that now lead toward peace.   “Today was a big success” Stubb emphasized as the press conference concludes.

(more…)