Chopper pressers are the best pressers.  President Trump departs the White House to attend the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada (aka the “Canadian Rockies”).  As he departs, President trump takes a few questions from the assembled press poll. WATCH:

.

(more…)

The Justice Department has announced that a USAID official named Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, and three corporate executives, Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland; Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, and Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, have pleaded guilty to a decade long scam involving bribery using USAID funds and awarded government contracts.

Roderick Watson took bribes and directed over $550 million to the three USAID contractors.  [SEE DETAILS HERE]

DOJ – […] According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives.

(more…)

President Trump signed three congressional resolutions related to former President Biden-era electric vehicle standards, blocking California’s electric vehicle sale mandates and diesel engine rules. At the conclusion of the bill-signing, President Trump responded to questions from the assembled press pool. [Video at 57:42 – prompted] The question about illegal alien farm workers is around 01:14:00. 

.

(more…)

It was always going to be difficult to balance the long-term illegal alien workforce removal against the contrasted aggressive ICE deportation operation.  President Trump’s two statements on the issue today highlight the difficult dynamic.

Just hours before President Trump noted the aggressive deportation operation would continue, he also noted there would be leniency for farm workers and those in the hospitality industry.  Suggesting, “some changes are coming.”

(more…)

U.S. Secretary of State / National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence ODNI Tulsi Gabbard continue making background moves well worth noticing.

♦ Secretary Marco Rubio has moved forward with instructions to fire all overseas USAID staff.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered U.S. embassies around the world Tuesday to move ahead with a directive to fire all remaining staffers with the U.S. Agency for International Development. He said the State Department will take over USAID’s foreign assistance programs by Monday.

A federal judge had temporarily blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump for mass firings at multiple federal agencies, including the State Department, and plaintiffs say Rubio’s reorganization plan appears to violate that court injunction.

The Trump administration says the plan was already underway when the president issued the order, so there’s no possible violation. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston has yet to make a determination. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday that Rubio’s directive “wasn’t a surprise.”

(more…)

President Trump announces that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have successfully concluded three-days of topline trade negotiations with their Chinese counterparts.

President Trump and Chairman Xi will now evaluate the successfully negotiated details and institute the topline strategy as part of the overall future trade agreement. According to the Truth Social post, there will be a 55% tariff on Chinese imports and a 10% tariff on U.S. goods to China.

[SOURCE]

At a 55% tariff rate against Chinese finished-goods imports, there will be ZERO inflationary pressure to the U.S. consumer.

None. Zero. Zippo. Zilch.

I will explain why below.

(more…)

According to a statement by New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a grand jury has indicted Representative LaMonica McIver (N.J) on three charges related to her involvement in a violent stunt at an ICE facility.

Previously the Dept of Homeland Security released body camera footage showing LaMonica McIver, instigating a violent confrontation with DHS and Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials in Newark, New Jersey.  The indictment today is another step in President Trump’s promise to continue targeting and deporting illegal aliens.

[SOURCE]

(more…)

Apparently, the prior narrative that everything was fine, there’s nothing to see here, just didn’t work.  As footage of looting, arson, violence and riots against law enforcement continues to highlight the false presentations of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, the mayor has now declared a local state of emergency – with an immediate 8:00pm curfew, starting tonight.  WATCH:

The same people burning cars, breaking into businesses, destroying property and throwing objects at law enforcement, are suddenly going to adhere to a curfew!  Huh, imagine that.

(more…)

CONTEXT for Los Angeles Riots:  Approximately 12.3 million Mexicans live abroad, both legally and illegally, with 97% of them living and working in the United States, according to BBVA Research.  Last year Mexicans living abroad sent $64.75 billion back home in remittances, largely from Texas and California to states in central and western Mexico.

According to data recently released, in April of this year remittances back to Mexico dropped 12.1%.  The Mexico central bank said April saw 8.1% fewer transactions than a year earlier, that’s down to 12.4 million transactions. For Mexico this is a devastating outcome.

How dependent is the Mexican Govt on these remittances?  Remittances sent home by Mexicans working outside the country surpassed petroleum revenues in 2015. {link} Oil Revenue in 2015 was 23.4 billion; remittances were $24.8 billion.  Last year in 2024 remittances were $64.75 billion…. and in April of this year the remittances dropped by 12.1%.

If you don’t think there is a critical financial motive in this, think again.

CALIFORNIA – About 700 U.S. Marines were mobilized Monday to support the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property in Los Angeles during protests there, officials said.

The mobilization of the Marines from their base in Twentynine Palms, California, is temporary, to give time for additional National Guard troops to arrive.

Earlier Monday, President Donald Trump said he would support arresting California Gov. Gavin Newsom for purportedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles.

(more…)

After reading the details of this arrest involving the smuggling of biological Roundworms, parasitic nematodes that can infect humans and animals, I am definitely adding Ivermectin and fenbendazole to the crisis kit.

Last week, two Chinese nationals were charged with allegedly smuggling into the U.S. a fungus called “Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. This week another Chinese national was arrested for smuggling in biological material containing Roundworms. Both the fungi and the Roundworm material can target and impact the U.S. agriculture sector, i.e. food supply.

DETROIT – Chengxuan HAN, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with smuggling goods into the United States and false statements, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit field office.

(more…)