April 11, 2018

Trump's Take: Slowest Breaking News on Syria

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/373146637184401408

April 4, 2018

China retaliates, slaps duties on U.S. soybeans, planes; markets skid

Source: Reuters

U.S.-made goods that appear to face added tariffs in China based, on an analysis of Beijing’s list, include Tesla electric cars, Ford’s Lincoln auto models, Gulfstream jets made by General Dynamics and Brown-Forman Corp’s Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Unlike Washington’s list, which was filled with many obscure industrial items, China’s list strikes at signature U.S. exports, including soybeans, frozen beef, cotton and other key agricultural commodities produced in states from Iowa to Texas that voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

While Washington targeted products that benefit from Chinese industrial policy, including its “Made in China 2025” initiative to replace advanced technology imports with domestic products in strategic industries such as advanced IT and robotics, Beijing’s appears aimed at inflicting political damage.

Tobacco and whiskey, for example, are both on Beijing’s list and are produced in states including Kentucky, home of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/china-retaliates-slaps-duties-on-u-s-soybeans-planes-markets-skid-idUSKCN1HB0G6

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Dow futures currently down 508 points. This could not come at a worse time for the markets, still digesting the initial volley in the trade war. Elections, policies, tweets all have real world consequences.

March 31, 2018

Trump Renews Amazon Attack, Says Post Office Scam' Must Stop

Source: Bloomberg

President Donald Trump lit into Amazon.com Inc. for the second time in three days with a pair of Twitter messages that said the online retailer “must pay real costs (and taxes) now!”

The president on Saturday claimed, citing reports he didn’t specify, that the U.S. Postal Service “will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon” and added that the “Post Office scam must stop.” Amazon has said the postal service, which has financial problems stretching back for years, makes money on its deliveries.

Amazon shed $53 billion in market value on Wednesday after Axios reported that the president is “obsessed” with regulating the e-commerce giant, whose founder and chief executive officer, Jeff Bezos, also owns the Washington Post newspaper. Those losses were pared on Thursday, the final day of a shortened trading week, even as Trump tweeted that Amazon was using the postal service as its “Delivery Boy.”

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said on Thursday that while the president was displeased with the e-commerce giant, and particularly instances where third-party sellers on the site didn’t collect sales tax, there were no administrative actions planned against Amazon “at this time.”




Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-31/trump-says-amazon-s-post-office-scam-must-stop-in-fresh-attack

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Much more at link

Hard to believe Trump is so obsessed with this, or maybe it isn't. Everything he's criticizing Amazon for could also be level at the energy companies he promotes, subsidizes, deregulates at taxpayer expense - cost wise and healthwise.

Presidents should not be able to destroy companies, stock values, and lives with tweets or even policies - which should at least be cloaked in theory, cost-benefit analysis, or general principle. This is just one-off, let's blast Amazon.

March 29, 2018

Did I tell you HDTV passed me by?

Any recommendations for a simple HDTV converter? No frills. Was surprised to learn they have upscale models with stereo audio in/out, HDMI in, USB capability. Um, I just want to watch TV occasionally. Been 6 years without it, haven't missed it much.

Thanks

March 28, 2018

UNDER OATH 3-28-18

Randi Rhodes

March 27, 2018

Stormy Daniels Attorney Michael Avenatti : 'We're Only Getting Started' Morning Joe MSNBC

March 22, 2018

Wall Street is nervous about a trade war: Dow plunges 600 points

Source: CNNMoney

The Dow dropped more than 600 points, or more than 2%, on Thursday, underlining growing concerns among investors about looming tariffs on China.

The S&P 500 was down 2%, and the Nasdaq almost 2%.

"A global trade war, whether it's real or perceived, is what's weighing on the market," said Ian Winer, head of equities at Wedbush Securities. "There's this huge uncertainty now. If China decides to get tough on agriculture or anything else, that will really spook people."

Trump announced tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports on Thursday afternoon. It's not clear which products will be hit, but the action is aimed at curbing China's troubling theft of US intellectual property.

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/22/investing/dow-jones-trade-war-china/index.html

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It's being called various things by various people. 'Trade War', 'Tariff Plan', "not a trade war" ....

Free trade has been the mantra since WWII ... except for Nixon's 10% tariff an all imported goods:

https://thefaintofheart.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/remembering-1971-richard-nixon-and-tariffs-david-glasner-also-don-trump-is-a-creampuff/

For people of a certain generation, the brilliant, cunning, yet curiously tone-deaf and self-destructive Richard Nixon, U.S. President (1969-1974), is a bottomless well of interesting stories.

Remembered by a dwindling few is that Sunday of August 15, 1971 when Richard Nixon slapped on a 10% tariff, or import surcharge, on nearly all goods entering the United States. Hard as it is to believe today, Nixon also instituted nationwide wage-and-price controls, and took the U.S. dollar off of gold.

March 22, 2018

No sign of relief for Facebook shares after Zuckerberg apology

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Shares of Facebook Inc fell 3 percent in premarket trading on Thursday as an apology from Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg did little to quell Wall Street nerves about how much a row over user data privacy will cost the company.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-stocks/no-sign-of-relief-for-facebook-shares-after-zuckerberg-apology-idUSKBN1GY1GI

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'Please make shares go up now ... don't let them go the way of MySpace'

March 21, 2018

AccuWeather: Heavy Snow, Gusty Winds Today

Source: WPVI

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --
A WINTER STORM WARNING has been issued for our entire area until 2 a.m. Thursday.


SNOWFALL/COASTAL ISSUES: We're looking at the possibility of about 8-12" in much of SE Pennsylvania, northern Delaware and areas of South Jersey near the NJ Turnpike. 4-8" is expected in areas closer to Allentown and Reading, as well as the heart of South Jersey closer to the coast. The immediate coast receives only about 2-4" of snow and ice. COASTAL FLOODING is also likely at times of high tide, both in the morning and evening with moderate flooding possible. In Atlantic City, high tide is 10:51am and 11:13pm. Beach erosion is also possible today and tonight.



Read more: http://6abc.com/weather/49644/

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_______________________

My snow cravings: doughnuts. Doughnut home delivery in the snow would be a growing business!

March 18, 2018

Poisoned Spy Is a Warning to the West, Courtesy of Putin

http://observer.com/2018/03/poisoning-of-russian-spy-sergei-skripal-reeks-of-putins-dirty-work/

The Poyntz case may not be of merely historical interest in Washington these days. We are in the unprecedented situation where the president and his retinue are under special counsel investigation for their secret ties to the Kremlin. Given Putin’s predilections, Americans who cooperate with Robert Mueller and his prosecutors, sharing information that will harm Team Trump, may be putting themselves at risk of Russian retribution.

Last week, Rick Gates, the Trump campaign official who agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation and spill the beans about Russia-related happenings in 2016, cancelled a spring trip to Boston in response to online threats of violence against him and his family. While this was most likely just noxious trolling of the sort that’s depressingly common regarding anything Russian, Gates made the right decision. In Cold War 2.0, the old Chekist rulebook has been thrown out. Anyone who’s deemed a threat by Putin may be at risk of getting lethal attention.