The Automatic Earth

Piet Mondriaan Self portrait 1918

Rand

Senator Rand Paul says he now has the votes needed to block Trump’s tariffs in the Senate and is co-sponsoring a bipartisan resolution to do so.

Although Paul describes himself as a Trump supporter, he says he doesn’t want to live under emergency rule.

He argues that tariffs… pic.twitter.com/8hGCaJ5gNB

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) April 29, 2025

CAF

21 Trillion Dollars Missing… where is it going?

Catherine Austin Fitts says our government has been building entire Underground cities and transportation Networks… DUMB’s

• She did a two year study and estimated that there were 170 DUMB’s, with a transportation network… pic.twitter.com/I7CFiilCuX

— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) April 29, 2025

Vote Red

Joe Rogan “Did you see the map of the actual country? How many places voted red? — Even California was mostly red. That's what's crazy.”

“There's no blue states, just blue cities”

Take away voter fraud and make strict voter ID laws, there would be no Elected Democrats pic.twitter.com/DGf3axTdnh

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) April 28, 2025

Pelosi act

The bill to ban congressional stock trading is entitled the PELOSI Act, or "Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments."

I usually don't like cute names for pieces of legislation, but this one hit the nail on the head. Bravo.

Pass it!! pic.twitter.com/pN8nicKJRx

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 29, 2025

Zakharova
https://twitter.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1916962219386179619

Russia has officially declared its conditions for ending the war, according to MFA Lavrov in an interview with a Brazilian newspaper:

1. Demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine;
2. Ukraine must not join NATO;
3. International recognition of the annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia;
4. Lifting of sanctions against Russia and the return of frozen assets;
5. Rejection by Russia of the U.S. proposal to transfer control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Washington and Ukraine;
6. Cancellation of language laws in Ukraine, especially those that “restrict” the use of the “Russian language, culture, and church”.

“I think I’m saving that nation. I think I’m doing a great service to Ukraine. I believe that..”

• Trump Says Ukraine ‘Will Be Crushed Very Shortly’ Without Peace Deal (ZH)

US President Donald Trump in a recent interview with conservative show host Glenn Beck expressed doubt whether the White House can actually achieve a comprehensive peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump has made Ukraine peace the top foreign policy priority of the early part of his administration, and on the campaign trail and within his first hundred days expressed continual confidence that the US can successfully mediate, but this confidence appears to be fading with each passing week. In the interview he noted his belief – not for the first time – that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to making a deal on Ukraine, and is actually easier to deal with than Zelensky. “When Zelenskyy was in the Oval Office. I was talking about getting it done, and he starts screaming, ‘but we need security’, meaning security, after the fact, I said, ‘security’? I don’t even know if we can get this deal done,” Trump told Beck.

That’s when he expressed rare doubt, saying he’s not sure “if we can get this deal done.” Referencing Zelensky, Trump continued: “He’s asking for more, just more and more and more. And he doesn’t have the cards. He doesn’t have the cards, so hopefully he’s going to get it done,” Trump said. And in reference to Putin, Trump explained, “I think he had the idea of going all the way through” if Trump were not in the Oval Office. “I think he’s [Putin] willing to make a deal. And I would say thus far, he’s been easier to deal with than Zelensky,” Trump added. Another interesting section of the interview came as follows: Glenn Beck: Yeah, is he the problem? Is Putin the problem? Or is Europe the problem? DT: So, look: Russia is a very big military force, and Ukraine isn’t. Without Ukraine — and I’m the one that supplied the Javelins [anti-tank missiles] to them, so, you know, I did a lot for them, because the tanks got stuck in the mud, and then they got Javelined, right? And they always say, “Trump gave the Javelins,” and it was, in that case, “Obama gave sheets.” He gave sheets! They said nothing.

But Biden gave money like nobody’s ever seen — $350 billion! He gave military equipment, gave storage. We had massive storage bins full of ammunition — buildings as long as the eye could see. And in a separate ‘100-day’ interview published in The Atlantic on Monday, Trump said that without a peace deal Ukraine will soon be crushed: “U.S. President Donald Trump has said he believes Ukraine will be “crushed very shortly,” as it is up against Russia’s “big war machine” that it cannot defeat. “I think I’m saving that nation. I think I’m doing a great service to Ukraine. I believe that,” he said in an interview with The Atlantic published April 28. Trump admin officials have called this week “very critical” for determining whether lasting peace in Ukraine can be forged: Rubio said that the coming week will be “very critical” for the White House as it makes a “determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in.”

“There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic,” Rubio said, adding: “We’re close, but we’re not close enough.” “Throughout this process, it’s about determining, do both sides really want peace and how close are they or how far apart they are after 90 days of effort here … that’s what we’re trying to determine this week,” Rubio said of negotiations. Will the US stop arming Ukraine if no peace deal is reached? Will more sanctions simply be piled onto Moscow? Or perhaps Washington will simply step aside and let Europe lead the way in fueling the proxy war. Already NATO is said to be making plans to fill the sizeable gap of US leadership in the Western military alliance, anticipating the a US drawdown of support.

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” Ukrainian statehood may survive the current clash, Medvedev said, noting that he personally is skeptical based on what he views as its lack of utility to Western nations.”

• ‘Real de-Nazification’ Would Include All Europe – Medvedev (RT)

The rebirth of Nazism cannot be allowed in any nation, and Europe may need an international de-Nazification effort, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said. The senior official, currently serving as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, addressed the threat of Nazi ideology during a public lecture in Moscow on Tuesday, in which he outlined Moscow’s foreign policy priorities. He characterized the destruction of the “Kiev neo-Nazi regime” as a necessary outcome of the Ukraine conflict, before arguing for broader “decisive action by multiple states.”

”All measures need to be taken to ensure that such regimes never arise in any other nation. The price is too high,” Medvedev emphasized. A real de-Nazification is required. Nazism needs to be rooted out not only in Ukraine, but in all of Europe. Medvedev stressed the distinction between the current Ukrainian government, whom he branded “bloody freaks” and the Ukrainian state, stating that its future was uncertain. Officials in Kiev are “cutthroats who are sending peaceful citizens of their own nation to the slaughter without a second thought,” and are not thus qualified to govern Ukraine, Medvedev stated.

He stressed that “a regime founded on neo-Nazi ideology… has no right to exist.” Ukrainian statehood may survive the current clash, Medvedev said, noting that he personally is skeptical based on what he views as its lack of utility to Western nations. If the country persists, it must not be allowed to join any military bloc hostile towards Russia, he stressed. Russia’s victory in the conflict, which Medvedev considers inevitable, will serve “as the first step towards a sustainable peace in Europe and the creation” of a fairer multipolar world.

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“.. in the US, other forces have taken the reins. These are conservative, more traditionalist forces that want to calm the situation and, in a certain sense, achieve reconciliation with Russia..”

• Western Europe Waging ‘Quiet War’ Against Trump – Medvedev (RT)

Western European leaders are waging a “quiet war” against US President Donald Trump, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has claimed.Washington’s current tariffs standoff and disagreements on NATO spending with the EU and UK is not only an economic but also an ideological conflict, Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said on Tuesday. “I have no doubt that [Western] Europe will be put in its place [by the US], but at the same time the Europeans will continue their quiet war against Trump. They will try to wage a war against him on all possible fronts, observing the rules of decency on the outside. What will come of it – we will see,” he stated.

The tensions between Washington on one side and the EU and UK on the other are explained by the fact that “in [Western] Europe, neo-globalist forces are still in power, trying to pursue the previous course, including the course against our country… But in the US, other forces have taken the reins. These are conservative, more traditionalist forces that want to calm the situation and, in a certain sense, achieve reconciliation with Russia,” the former president said at the ‘Knowledge. First’ educational event in Moscow.

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“..described the world as teetering on the brink, facing either a “new bloodbath” reminiscent of World War II or the emergence of “a fair world order where every nation enjoys sovereignty and security.”

• West ‘Delirious With Nuclear Apocalypse Scenarios’ – Patrushev (RT)

European NATO members are risking nuclear war by escalating military tensions with Russia, according to Nikolay Patrushev, national security adviser to President Vladimir Putin. Patrushev accused Western powers of “deploying their military machine against Russia and becoming delirious with nuclear apocalypse scenarios.” The destabilization is originating from Brussels, Berlin, Paris and London, the senior official told TASS in an interview published on Tuesday. ”For a second consecutive year, NATO is conducting exercises at our borders at a scale unseen in decades,” Patrushev said. “They are training for conducting a broad offensive from Vilnius to Odessa, seizing [the Russian exclave] Kaliningrad Region, imposing a naval blockade in the Baltic and the Black Seas, and executing preventive strikes on the staging locations of Russian nuclear deterrence forces.”

Patrushev, who formerly served as secretary of Russia’s Security Council, described the world as teetering on the brink, facing either a “new bloodbath” reminiscent of World War II or the emergence of “a fair world order where every nation enjoys sovereignty and security.” He attributed the actions of Western politicians to their refusal to accept the decline of a system centered around their nations. The EU intends to borrow hundreds of billions of euros to fund a substantial militarization of its member states, justifying the move with claims of impending Russian aggression within the coming years. Moscow has denied having any aggressive intentions towards the US-led military bloc, and has accused it of encroaching on Russian borders in violation of promises made to the USSR. Russian officials view the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war aimed at undermining their nation’s development.

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“Macron said that Western pressure on Russia to make a ceasefire deal with Ukraine will increase in the coming eight to 10 days. “It seems that in France, they do not bother to listen to the statements of President Putin..”

• Russia Focused on Bringing Peace to Ukraine – Kremlin (Sp.)

Russia is focused on bringing the Ukrainian conflict towards a peaceful settlement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. “We are still focused on ongoing efforts to move the process towards a peaceful settlement,” Peskov told reporters. Ukraine has not reacted to the proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a three-day truce to coincide with Victory Day celebrations, Peskov added. On Monday, the Kremlin said that Putin had declared a ceasefire from midnight on May 8 until midnight on May 11 during the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. “President Putin showed a gesture of goodwill and announced yesterday that a temporary truce would be declared to celebrate the victory. We have not heard any reaction from the Kiev regime so far either. It is still very difficult to understand whether the Kiev regime is going to join or not,” Peskov told reporters, adding that a lack of response is a manipulation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal to stop the conflict for 30 days is impossible without resolving all the nuances, the spokesman said. “We have seen, but if we talk about such a long-term cessation, then the nuances that President Putin spoke about in the Kremlin are important. This is also important, but it is difficult to reach such a long-term truce without answering these questions. President Putin spoke about this, we need to remember these words every time,” Peskov said, adding that entering into peace talks is a primary interest. Moscow expects that Putin’s initiative on the truce will receive an assessment in Europe and Kiev, Peskov added. It cannot be ruled out that Putin will award North Korean soldiers who excelled in the operation to clear the Kursk region from Ukrainian soldiers, Peskov said on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced that the Kursk region was fully liberated, as the last of the settlements had been cleared of Ukrainian military presence. North Korea has officially announced sending troops to Russia under the Russian-North Korean Strategic Partnership Treaty. “I am not aware of these plans yet, but this cannot be ruled out, of course,” Peskov replied to a question from reporters about whether Putin would reward the North Korean soldiers. The question of the possibility of the continued participation of North Korean fighters in combat operations should be addressed to the Russian Defense Ministry, the spokesman added.

It seems like France does not bother to listen to Putin’s statements, Peskov also said, commenting on the words of French President Emmanuel Macron about pressure on Russia. On Monday, Macron said that Western pressure on Russia to make a ceasefire deal with Ukraine will increase in the coming eight to 10 days. “It seems that in France, they do not bother to listen to the statements of President Putin, to our regret. It was President Putin who repeated many times that Russia is ready to begin the negotiation process without any preconditions. We have not heard a response from the Kiev regime yet,” Peskov told reporters. Macron’s statement confirms that Europe still prefers to focus on continuing the war, which is regrettable, the official added.

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Yeah, honoring your dead really stinks.

• Zelensky: Putin’s Victory Day Truce Proposal An ‘Attempt At Manipulation’ (ZH)

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has blasted President Putin’s unilaterally declared three-day ceasefire set for May 8-10, which correspondents with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, as an “attempt at manipulation.” “Now there’s a new attempt at manipulation: for some reason, everyone has to wait until May 8,” Zelensky said in his daily address Monday evening. This will mark the 80th anniversary for Moscow’s World War 2 commemorations, a major national civic holiday. Ukraine has instead offered an immediate truce with Russia for “at least 30 days.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha previously questioned, “If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8?”

Moscow has rejected any premature longer term truce ahead of lasting settlement and territorial concessions from the Ukrainian side, fearing that it would just be used to regroup and rearm along the front lines. Russia has further rejected this new call for a 30-day truce instead of the three day ceasefire. “It’s difficult to agree to such a long-term truce without answers to the questions raised by Putin,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “We haven’t heard the Kyiv regime’s reaction, and it’s unclear whether they plan to join the truce,” Peskov said. “Nevertheless, we hope the Russian president’s peace initiative will be appreciated,” he added. “The first step is to start the negotiation process — everything else is secondary.” Kiev did appear to observe the prior Easter truce, though each side accused the other of some violations.

But it set a precedent which Moscow is hoping to follow on with in pushing the V-Day ceasefire; however, skeptics have said this is really to ensure no disruptions happen at national public commemoration events (such as inbound drones in the Moscow region). Trump admin officials have called this week “critical” for determining whether lasting peace in Ukraine can be forged: Rubio said that the coming week will be “very critical” for the White House as it makes a “determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in.” “There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic,” Rubio said, adding: “We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”

“Throughout this process, it’s about determining, do both sides really want peace and how close are they or how far apart they are after 90 days of effort here … that’s what we’re trying to determine this week,” Rubio said of negotiations. But it’s unclear what this ultimatum of sorts (given to both sides?) really means. Will the US stop arming Ukraine if no peace deal is reached? Will more sanctions simply be piled onto Moscow? Trump is increasingly frustrated with leaders of both Russia and Ukraine: White House.

https://twitter.com/maria_drutska/status/1916847354486853678

President Trump has warned the Russians that his patience will soon run thin, amid accusations from hawks that Moscow is simply stalling for the sake of battlefield gains. Putin this month declared the full liberation of Kursk region, leaving Zelensky with no cards to play at all. Trump himself has acknowledged that Zelensky has no real leverage at this point.

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“Kiev is demanding an unconditional ceasefire because its forces are being routed on the battlefield..”

• Lavrov Outlines Why Kiev Is Pushing For Indefinite Ceasefire (RT)

Kiev is demanding an unconditional ceasefire because its forces are being routed on the battlefield, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Kiev a 72-hour truce from May 8 to 10 to coincide with this year’s Victory Day anniversary. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky criticized the offer as an attempt at “manipulation” and called for an immediate and unconditional full ceasefire instead. Speaking at a press conference on following a BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brazil on Tuesday, Lavrov noted a sharp departure in Kiev’s intransigence. “Against the backdrop of what is happening on the ground, on the line of combat contact, where the Ukrainian regime is increasingly retreating again and again,” he said.

“They reversed their position 180 degrees and began to demand an immediate truce without preconditions,” the top diplomat added. Whereas a month or two ago, “Kiev spouted dire warnings that they would not accept any truce,” Lavrov said. European “radicals” were inciting Ukraine to continue the conflict, pumping it full of weapons and insisting that talks could only begin when Ukrainian authorities could negotiate from a position of power, “when Russia is weakened,” the top diplomat said.

Western Europe seems to be interested in continuing the conflict in Ukraine, as well as undermining any US peace efforts to end it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week. Moscow has repeatedly criticized European arms supplies to Kiev, and condemned its plans to deploy troops in Ukraine as escalatory. Russia has insisted that it has always been ready for peace talks, provided they are aimed at a permanent solution that addresses the core causes of the conflict. Any temporary ceasefire would instead be used by Kiev’s Western backers as a chance to rearm Ukraine, Moscow has said.

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I thought we forgot that.

• Ukraine One Of The World’s Most Corrupt Countries – Trump Adviser Waltz (RT)

US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz has called for proper oversight of the financial assistance Washington provides to Kiev. In a Monday interview with Fox News, the top state official called Ukraine one of the most corrupt nations in the world. The US Congress has authorized roughly $175 billion for Ukraine since 2022, although a significant portion of that funding has gone to American industries and government activities related to the conflict. Waltz’s comment comes days after US President Donald Trump held a face-to-face conversation with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican. “I will say Ukraine was one of, and is one of, the most corrupt countries in the world,” Waltz said, highlighting that Washington has to “always guard the taxpayer dollars.”

The official also rebuked the administration of Trump’s predecessor for its failure to provide proper oversight of the way Kiev was spending the financial aid provided by the White House at the time. “We have to keep a hard eye on that, […] but secondly we have to find opportunities to end the war,” he said. Waltz, who had previously said that Washington must be reimbursed by Kiev for the “investments” it has made in the conflict, also accused the Ukrainian leader of intractability. He recalled the shouting match which took place at the White House earlier this year. “Rather than trying to correct the President of the US and the Vice President in the Oval Office when he was invited there for the first meeting, he could have sat side by side with the president, signing a minerals deal that bound our economies,” the adviser said.

Washington and Kiev have been discussing a deal for weeks that would grant the US access to Ukraine’s deposits of rare-earth minerals. The Trump administration insists that the agreement should be used to compensate the US for past aid to Ukraine. Kiev, however, has maintained that the assistance was provided unconditionally. According to Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, as of October 2024, the US had provided Ukraine with approximately $92 billion in financial and military assistance. Meanwhile, the US-based Council on Foreign Relations estimated that Washington’s financial assistance to Kiev amounted to $195 billion as of April 2024, with $128 billion worth of the aid having gone straight to the government of Ukraine. Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch reported last November that “corruption continues to complicate Ukraine’s efforts to achieve its EU and NATO aspirations,” particularly due to multiple scandals in the Defense Ministry.

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For Russia, Finland is a former Nazi-collaborator.

• Ukraine Could Lose Land To Get More Western Weapons – Finnish President (RT)

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has argued that Ukraine has to make certain concessions to Russia in order to ensure its survival and continue receiving Western military support. Moscow has dismissed any resolution of the conflict that allows Ukraine to remain a threat. On Sunday, Stubb shared his thoughts with The New York Times on how to align US President Donald Trump more closely with the positions held by Kiev and Washington’s European NATO allies, as the White House seeks to mediate a compromise in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. He drew a historical parallel between Ukraine and Finland, which participated in Nazi Germany’s 1941 invasion of the USSR to reclaim territory it had lost in the Winter War earlier.

As a result of being on the losing side, Finland faced military restrictions and observed neutrality during the Cold War. It formally joined NATO only in 2023, after years of military cooperation with the US-led alliance. Stubb reflected on the essence of statehood, comprising land, sovereignty, and independence. He noted that Finland lost two of these three elements in the 1940s, adding, “If we get at least two out of the three for Ukraine, I think it’s great.” Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky publicly rejected American proposals reported in the media. Subsequently, Kiev and its European backers crafted a counteroffer for Trump’s consideration.

Stubb suggested that the two plans should be “repackaged” into a viable proposal through “a little bit of creative writing.” If a ceasefire with Russia is achieved, Ukraine could be armed “to the teeth” by European NATO members, with a “backstop from the US,” he asserted. The current objective is to “maximize the pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Stubb added. Russia perceives the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war led by a Western-backed “neo-Nazi regime” in Kiev. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the EU’s continued flow of armaments to Ukraine, arguing that Western European nations appear more interested in prolonging the fighting rather than resolving the conflict diplomatically.

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He’s not failing and he’s not walking back. When you start, you have to go big. And then move on down. You can’t go up after you’ve started low.

• Lutnick Rolls Out Auto Tariff Relief As US Pushes To Reshore Supply Chains (ZH)

On Tuesday morning, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick provided clarity on the highly anticipated auto tariff relief, confirming it will apply to all U.S.-built vehicles. Lutnick said tariffs will apply to those produced by foreign automakers with plants in the US. He added that the relief would be phased in over three years, giving manufacturers time to shift their supply chains back to the U.S.

* * *
Global stocks were steady overnight, with U.S. equity futures marginally higher, as sentiment improved following reports that President Trump plans to ease tariffs on foreign auto parts used in U.S.-made vehicles. The news comes as Trump marks his first 100 days in office, ahead of a rally in Michigan scheduled for this evening. The Wall Street Journal, citing multiple sources familiar with the plans, reported that the proposed tariff rollback would offer major relief to automakers producing vehicles within the U.S. borders. These companies have been battered by the trade war due to their deeply entrenched supply chains spanning Asia and Europe. Sources added more color to what the tariff reprieve looks like:

“• The decision will mean that automakers paying Trump’s automotive tariffs won’t also be charged for other duties, such as those on steel and aluminum, according to people familiar with the policy.
• The move would be retroactive, the people said, meaning that automakers could be reimbursed for such tariffs already paid. The 25% tariff on finished foreign-made cars went into effect early this month.
• The administration will also modify its tariffs on foreign auto parts—slated to be 25% and effective May 3—allowing automakers to be reimbursed for those tariffs up to an amount equal to 3.75% of the value of a U.S.-made car for one year. The reimbursement would fall to 2.5% of the car’s value in a second year, and then be phased out altogether.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told WSJ in a statement about Trump’s move to ease the pain for automakers:
• President Trump is building an important partnership with both the domestic automakers and our great American workers.
• This deal will be a major victory for the president’s trade policy by rewarding companies who are already manufacturing domestically, while providing a runway to manufacturers who have expressed their commitment in investing in America and expanding domestic manufacturing.

In a separate statement to Bloomberg, Lutnick said: • This deal is a major victory for the president’s trade policy by rewarding companies who manufacture domestically while providing runway to manufacturers who have expressed their commitment to invest in America and expand their domestic manufacturing.

Trump’s trade war is an urgent move to shift critical supply chains out of China, either by relocating them to a friendlier shore or reshoring them. Ford CEO Jim Farley commented on the WSJ report: “Ford welcomes and appreciates these decisions by President Trump, which will help mitigate the impact of tariffs on automakers, suppliers and consumers. We will continue to work closely with the administration in support of the president’s vision for a healthy and growing auto industry in America. Ford sees policies that encourage exports and ensure affordable supply chains to promote more domestic growth as essential.

This news comes ahead of Trump’s trip to Michigan to celebrate the first 100 days of his second term in office. The president will speak at Macomb Community College in Warren, about 20 miles north of Detroit, around 6:00 p.m. local time. Ahead of Trump’s first 100 days, crazed Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar filed articles of impeachment against the president, stating: “I have introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump. When Trump ignores the Constitution, Congress, and the courts, he is not ‘fighting for America.’ He is tearing it down and endangering our democracy.” Trump’s pivot on auto tariffs represents the latest development in his ever-changing trade strategy to friend-shore or re-shore critical supply chains.

Bessent
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1917200702448771394

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“Goods made in Communist China — possibly by slave labor — will show a 145% tariff, making them easy to identify. “Thank you, no.” Taiwan and a 10% tariff? “Maybe, maybe not.” U.S.-made and with zero tariff? “Man, I wish they’d bring back that One Click button!”

• Thanks, Amazon — Tariff Transparency Might Backfire Bigly (Green)

The White House on Tuesday called it “a hostile and political act by Amazon,” but it might just wind up being the biggest self-own since Bud Light decided to go all-in on Dylan Mulvaney. Speaking with reporters today in the White House briefing room, Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt said to reporters, “I will not speak to the president’s relationships with Jeff Bezos, but I will tell you that this is certainly a hostile and political act by Amazon.” Leavitt accused Amazon of being a “China-aligned company,” in what I would call one of her rare missteps since taking on PressSec duties earlier this year. The White House would have been better advised to follow Napoleon’s advice to his generals at the Battle of Austerlitz, when the opposing Austrian and Russian forces began falling into his trap: “Gentlemen, let us wait a little; when your enemy is executing a false movement, never interrupt him.”

Today would have been a good day for the White House to watch quietly — and say nothing. And what is Amazon’s false movement? Amazon said today that the company plans to break out tariffs as part of the prices displayed on its website. Call it truth in labeling for foreign-made goods, although neither the administration nor Amazon seems to see it that way. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked. But we all know the answer to that one. Or maybe the White House is playing Br’er Rabbit and begging Amazon to please not throw it into that tariff patch — who knows? So instead of questions we don’t know the answers to, let’s look at the Streisand Effect Amazon is about to create.

Twenty years ago, Barbra Streisand — a talented singer and actress, but not terribly bright about the internet — sued a photographer who took an aerial photo of her Malibu mansion, and the website hosting it, for a whopping $50 million. She cited an invasion of her privacy. Not only did she lose, but the little-seen photo became a global phenomenon. Before the lawsuit, the photo (that had been taken for an environmental study) had been downloaded six times. Two of those times by Streisand’s legal team. When the lawsuit became public, the pic was downloaded over 400,000 times almost immediately. Streisand made famous the very thing she wanted hidden. If Amazon thinks displaying tariffs will hurt Trump politically, NewsMax’s Rob Schmitt has a different idea:

This will backfire.

Amazon buys Chinese trash for $0.70 cents. Pays $0.50 tariff. Sells to you for $18 plus $0.50. Customer realizes they’re buying Chinese trash. https://t.co/cowWJ0T0x5

— Rob Schmitt (@SchmittNYC) April 29, 2025

Indeed.

Not only that, but displaying the import tax — that’s what a tariff is — will achieve something I’ve been demanding for years that Amazon would do: be upfront about where their goods come from. Goods made in Communist China — possibly by slave labor — will show a 145% tariff, making them easy to identify. “Thank you, no.” Taiwan and a 10% tariff? “Maybe, maybe not.” U.S.-made and with zero tariff? “Man, I wish they’d bring back that One Click button!” Let’s take things a bit further, shall we? I’d like to see everyone from Amazon to my corner sports bar break out all the taxes on everything from cheeseburgers to one-ton hydraulic lifts. How much money does the government at every level skim from the sale of everything we buy? They show us the state and local sales tax, soon maybe they’ll show us the tariff — why not show us all the tax costs imposed for our own good? Let’s go just one step further. Maybe each receipt should include a “regulatory impact fee” broken out of the total price. A small-government man can dream, can’t he?

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“..Rasmussen’s polling tightened from Trump +5 down to about Trump +2. That’s where they stuck, but “everybody else just kept going.”

• What the MSM Doesn’t Want You to Know About Trump’s Approval Ratings (Margolis)

The liberal media keeps pushing its narrative about Donald Trump’s unpopularity, but the numbers tell a different story. Trump’s base is more passionate and committed than Obama’s ever was, and we’ve got the data to prove it. Mark Mitchell from Rasmussen Reports dropped a truth bomb on X today, sharing a chart that liberals won’t want you to see. The data shows Trump’s Approval Index — the difference between those who strongly approve and strongly disapprove — consistently beating Barack Obama’s numbers. Let that sink in.

https://twitter.com/honestpollster/status/1916906998978826618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1916906998978826618%7Ctwgr%5E58d728472f60ad6b7d952cfabab460b9f7660039%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpjmedia.com%2Fmatt-margolis%2F2025%2F04%2F28%2Fheres-what-the-msm-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-trumps-approval-ratings-n4939313

I should point out that Rasmussen was one of the most accurate pollsters of the 2024 presidential election. Naturally, the mainstream media won’t tell you about this. It’s too busy manufacturing crises and pushing its anti-Trump agenda. But here’s what it doesn’t want you to understand: while Obama’s supporters were lukewarm at best, Trump’s base remains fiercely loyal despite years of relentless attacks from the left. Speaking with Benny Johnson on “The Benny Show,” Mitchell said the current situation feels eerily similar to the 2024 campaign. “It feels like August and September,” Mitchell explained. “It feels exactly what happened. It’s like, ‘Oh, we got a new entrant into the race, Kamala Harris. Let’s see how the polling’s gonna do,’ and my numbers had tightened a little bit.” Mitchell explained that Rasmussen’s polling tightened from Trump +5 down to about Trump +2. That’s where they stuck, but “everybody else just kept going.”

“And so that’s exactly what’s happening here,” he added. Mitchell pointed out that his internal polling has shown Trump’s approval fluctuating within a reasonable range. “We had Trump underwater at five points. We had him above water last week. It’s gonna fluctuate, and I think around, you know, plus or minus two,” he said, noting that others in the polling industry had been reporting similar numbers until a sudden, sharp shift. “They were with me two or three months ago saying that Donald Trump came in in the low to mid-50s,” Mitchell said. “And this is exactly what they’re doing. My numbers stopped and theirs are gonna keep on going left.” Mitchell accused legacy polling firms and the mainstream media of working together to paint a misleading picture. “The mainstream media on top of that is gonna be this information gatekeeping layer,” he said, citing Quinnipiac’s poll from a month ago showing Trump at negative 12 points — a number that was heavily promoted in the media despite being completely ridiculous.

“Well, their numbers haven’t moved, and so now it’s, um, they’re gonna use Reuters. They’re gonna use ABC Washington, you know, negative 13, negative 12, negative 14,” Mitchell added. “Those are all new. They all dropped over the weekend.” He even joked that the pollsters might be congratulating each other behind the scenes. “I wonder if they’re, like, slapping each other on the butts and saying, ‘Good game,’ after this coordinated, like, dump of polling,” he said. “I think that’s probably what it is.” Mitchell pointed to Google search trends as further evidence that something suspicious is going on. Using data going back to 2004, Mitchell observed there wasn’t nearly as much interest in the approval ratings of George W. Bush, Obama, or Joe Biden as there is currently with Trump.

“I think what happened is, like, there was this binary gut check decision where everybody in America was like, ‘Oh, like, Joe Biden sucks.’ So they don’t really need to, like, Google it anymore,” he said. He argued that media outlets, after Biden’s disastrous handling of Afghanistan, simply “gave up” on trying to prop up his approval numbers. Even when Biden was sworn in, Mitchell said, there was never the same organic interest in his approval that Trump generated. “It really no point were people more interested in Biden approval than they were in Trump approval during Trump one,” he said. “And so all of a sudden, Trump gets into office. All of a sudden, all the levers of power are threatened again, and everybody’s searching for Trump approval. And it’s because they’re seeing scummy headlines and they’re trying to, like, check the mainstream media information that’s getting pushed down their throats.”

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“When only four Democrats in the House of Representatives out of 212 vote in favor of a simple bill making sure that only U.S. citizens can vote in our elections, there might just be an existential crisis brewing on the Left..”

• Trump’s First 100 Days Have Exposed the Left (Bossie)

The first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House are historic in many ways: From restoring American exceptionalism and strong leadership in the Oval Office to securing the border in record time to deconstructing the administrative state with the Department of Government Efficiency, there’s no issue too large, complex, or politically unpleasant for Trump, the ultimate steel-spined change agent, to tackle head-on. In addition to consequential policy wins like banning men from participating in women’s sports, ending destructive DEI programs in government, slashing wasteful grants to foreign nations, and supercharging military recruitment, by simply taking the oath of office and declaring a return to the basics, Trump has positioned the GOP as the party of common sense, focused on delivering hope, growth, opportunity, and security for all.

For tens of millions of patriotic Americans from all backgrounds, the return of American prestige, normalcy, and unparalleled transparency after four years of Joe Biden-caused disasters is cause for optimism. Simultaneously, Trump Derangement Syndrome has caused rudderless Democrats to double down on the failures of the previous administration and take up the mantle of unpopular socialist policies and radicalism. For example, as Trump has moved to swiftly seal our southern border and deport criminal illegal immigrants, something he was elected by 77 million voters to do, the Left has decided to defend open borders and go to bat for individuals who should have never been in our country in the first place. Radical Democrats would rather continue the reckless Biden-era policy of dishing out billions upon billions in taxpayer dollars for illegals rather than spend our national treasure on the betterment of American citizens.

That’s the opposite of common sense. But Democrats’ stampede to the outer limits of left-wing craziness doesn’t stop with just supporting illegal immigration and everything that comes along with it—such as crime and the strain it causes in health care, education, and other government services. Trump-deranged socialists have also decided to essentially advocate for continued waste, fraud, and abuse in our horribly bloated government and ignore the unsustainable $36 trillion national debt crisis. For the first time ever, Trump empowered Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to conduct an “audit with teeth” of the federal government that the vast majority of the American people support. In doing so, DOGE is finding waste on a massive scale, modernizing systems, and making government more responsive to the American people.

Instead of working with Trump and Republicans in Congress on this reasonable effort, Democrats have decided to mercilessly attack Musk and DOGE in an attempt to thwart their effort to implement long-overdue reforms. Name any popular Trump-backed reform, and Democrats are sure to oppose it—because apparently their race to the bottom can’t come soon enough. Extend the Trump tax cuts so Americans can keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets? Democrats are opposed. Put America first by negotiating fair trade deals to level the playing field and help working-class families? Democrats seem to like it when the United States is getting ripped off and jobs are shipped overseas instead. Reform our broken public education system with local control and school choice? Sadly, Democrats have chosen to get behind low test scores, failing schools, and critical race theory.

What’s unfolded in Trump’s first 100 days has truly been remarkable, due not only to the speed of his own accomplishments, but also the speed in which the Democratic Party is unraveling before our eyes. When only four Democrats in the House of Representatives out of 212 vote in favor of a simple bill making sure that only U.S. citizens can vote in our elections, there might just be an existential crisis brewing on the Left. In addition to Democrats’ incredibly irresponsible and unpopular policy decisions, there’s also an enormous leadership vacuum on the Left. When socialism-loving leftists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., rise to the top of the Left’s conversation regarding its future leadership team, there should be cause for concern.

Look no further than the retirements of Democrat stalwarts such as Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota and Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. These career politicians aren’t retiring because things are looking up for Democrats. They’re exiting stage left because they see rocky electoral terrain on the horizon due to the radicalized positions of their decomposing party. Trump was elected to take on tough challenges and solve problems. And after only 100 days in office, it’s obvious that our president is doing it the only way he knows how—full-speed ahead. The American people deserve a better future, and Trump is delivering.

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“Because of media-stoked rage at Donald Trump, Canadian voters have chosen the path of national suicide. Hey, congratulations, eh?”

By the by, Poilievre blew a massive lead in the polls in no time flat. How did he do that?

• TDS on Steroids: Canada Elects a Prime Minister to Spite Trump (Spencer)

You think American leftists have Trump Derangement Syndrome? They’ve got nothing on Canadians, who just chose to remain on the path of national decline and self-destruction that they’ve been on for the last ten years, just to spite Donald Trump. In order to demonstrate their nationalism, Canada just chose a socialist internationalist as prime minister. Yes, it’s that crazy, and worse. The Liberal Party’s Mark Carney, who succeeded the disastrous eternal boy Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister on March 14, was elected in his own right in Canada’s Monday election. It was an outcome that would have seemed inconceivable as recently as December, when the Conservative Party held a comfortable lead in the polls.

A Conservative victory seemed so certain that numerous pundits were talking about not if, but when Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre became prime minister. After ten years of Trudeau’s far-left misrule, a Conservative victory seemed inevitable. Then, however, came the Nov. 29, 2024, meeting at Mar-a-Lago between Trump and Trudeau. Trump told Trudeau that “Canada has failed the U.S. border by allowing large amounts of drugs and people across the border, including illegal immigrants from over 70 different countries,” and warned him that “if Canada cannot fix the border issues and trade deficit, he will levy a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods on day one when he returns to office.”

In response, Trudeau complained that Trump couldn’t impose such a tariff “because it would kill the Canadian economy completely.” Trump responded by asking Trudeau, “So your country can’t survive unless it’s ripping off the U.S. to the tune of $100 billion?” Driving his point home, Trump “suggested to Trudeau that Canada become the 51st state, which caused the prime minister and others to laugh nervously.” After that, Trump delighted in calling the Canadian prime minister “Governor Trudeau” and repeated his declaration several times that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. This led to a frenzy of outrage in Canada. After Trudeau finally departed from the scene, both Carney and Poilievre denounced Trump for his trolling and stood up stoutly for Canada’s wounded national pride.

Paradoxically, however, because Poilievre is a Conservative whose program lines up more closely with Trump’s on most issues than does that of the Liberals, Carney was able to take better advantage of the anti-Trump outrage and erase the Conservative lead in the polls. And so Canadians have struck back against Trump by giving the Liberals a majority and ensuring that Carney will remain prime minister. Yet Poilievre is the actual Canadian nationalist, while Carney is yet another World Economic Forum-linked socialist internationalist who will continue the hollowing-out of Canada that Justin Trudeau pursued with almost as much vigor as he brought to Taylor Swift concerts. Trump even repudiated Poilievre and said he would prefer to work with Carney, whereupon Canadians, to spite Trump, voted for the Liberals and ensured that Trump would get to work with Carney. Got it?

After that, Trump delighted in calling the Canadian prime minister “Governor Trudeau” and repeated his declaration several times that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. This led to a frenzy of outrage in Canada. After Trudeau finally departed from the scene, both Carney and Poilievre denounced Trump for his trolling and stood up stoutly for Canada’s wounded national pride. Paradoxically, however, because Poilievre is a Conservative whose program lines up more closely with Trump’s on most issues than does that of the Liberals, Carney was able to take better advantage of the anti-Trump outrage and erase the Conservative lead in the polls. And so Canadians have struck back against Trump by giving the Liberals a majority and ensuring that Carney will remain prime minister.

Yet Poilievre is the actual Canadian nationalist, while Carney is yet another World Economic Forum-linked socialist internationalist who will continue the hollowing-out of Canada that Justin Trudeau pursued with almost as much vigor as he brought to Taylor Swift concerts. Trump even repudiated Poilievre and said he would prefer to work with Carney, whereupon Canadians, to spite Trump, voted for the Liberals and ensured that Trump would get to work with Carney. Got it? Carney crowed, “The Americans want to break us so they can own us. Those aren’t just words. That’s what’s at risk.” Sure it is. And so now the Chinese will own you. Bravo. Canada’s election on Monday is the most vivid object lesson of all, at least up to now, of the dangers of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Because of media-stoked rage at Donald Trump, Canadian voters have chosen the path of national suicide. Hey, congratulations, eh?

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“Canada progressively relaxed its immigration policy between 1950 and 1962, steadily removing restrictions against the entry of German nazis and non-German members of German military units..”

• Covering Up Ukrainian Nazis Is Nothing New For Canada (Proud)

A number of topics remain taboo in discussing the war in Ukraine. Busification, Zelensky’s democratic mandate, Ukraine’s casualty numbers and anything suggesting that Ukraine cannot win are all off limits. Likewise the problem of alleged neo-Nazis in Ukraine. One of the most embarrassing episodes since the Ukraine war started in 2022, was when Yaroslav Hunka, was given two standing ovations in the Canadian House of Commons public gallery by MPs during the visit of President Zelensky in 2023. Hunka has been accused by Russia of genocide, because of his alleged involvement in the Huta Pieniacka massacre of February 28 1944 in which more than 500 ethnic Poles were murdered in a village, in what is now western Ukraine. Hunka was a member of the SS Galicia Division, a mostly Ukrainian unit of the Waffen SS, which Commissions in Germany and Poland later found guilty of war crimes.

This was shocking because it opened the lid on a topic of conversation that has been largely silenced by the western mainstream media since the beginning of the war: Ukraine’s contemporary challenge of far-right ultranationalism. But the Hunka case also illustrates how western authorities airbrushed discussion of nazis in Ukraine after World War II too. On 13 July 1948 the British Commonwealth Relations Office, what is now part of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, sent a telegram to Commonwealth governments, proposing an end to Nazi war crimes trials in the British zone of Germany. “Punishment of war crimes is more a matter of discouraging future generations than of meting out retribution to every guilty individual… it is now necessary to dispose of the past as soon as possible.”

After the conclusion of the Nuremberg War Trials in 1946 the western world faced a new enemy in the Soviet Union. Limited security resources in cash-strapped Albion and its colonies were re-deployed to uncover suspected Soviet agents and Communists, rather than to identify and track down lower-order Nazi war criminals. Around this time, many Ukrainians fled the Soviet Union to settle in Canada. In the thirty-year period after the start of Operation Barbarossa, the Ukrainian population in Canada almost doubled, from 300,000 to almost 600,000 people. While most of them, I am sure, would not have been Nazi collaborators, some, undoubtedly, were. They were joined by lesser numbers of Latvians, Hungarians, Slovaks and others.

Within that exodus would have been so-called “lesser” war criminals; persons who had organised the transportation of Jews, Slavs, gypsies and homosexuals to death camps, acted as informers, committed murders, or become involved in war crimes as other ranks and non-commissioned officers in death squads. They were the lower echelon collaborators, acting as the instruments of the genocide initiated by the Nazis. Yet, following the British instruction, Canada progressively relaxed its immigration policy between 1950 and 1962, steadily removing restrictions against the entry of German nazis and non-German members of German military units like the SS Galicia Division. However, in 1984 the Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote a letter to the Canadian government claiming to have obtained evidence that the ‘Angel of Death’ Josef Mengele had applied for a landed immigrant visa to Canada in 1962. Though this proved to be incorrect, it caused such outrage among Canada’s Jewish community that a Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada was established in 1985.

Known as the Deschênes Commission, it uncovered a list of 774 persons who had allegedly entered Canada and who required further investigation. Of that list, only 28 underwent serious investigation and trial. Michael Pawlowski, accused of murdering 410 Jews and 80 non-Jewish Poles in Belarus in 1942, was acquitted as judges blocked the prosecution from gathering evidence in the Soviet Union. Stephen Reistetter of Slovakia was not tried for allegations that he kidnapped 3000 Jews to have them sent to Nazi death camps while serving in the Hlinka party, a far right clerical-fascist movement with Nazi leanings. His case fell apart because a witness died. Erich Tobias, was accused of involvement in the execution of Latvian Jews but died before his case went to court. By 1995, with no convictions for war crimes having been secured, the Canadian Justice Department cut the size of its war crimes unit from 24 to 11 people. In the absence of criminal prosecutions, the Canadian Government tried civil proceedings to revoke citizenship from alleged war criminals.

[..] I don’t think that Ukraine today is a Nazi society and, even at its high watermark, the Svoboda party only garnered 10% of the national vote. But ultranationalism is a major problem, particularly in the west of Ukraine, in that area known as Galicia during World War II. And the refusal of western governments to acknowledge the issue of ultranationalism in Ukraine or speak out means that we are turning a blind eye once more to activity that we would never tolerate in our own countries.

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I thought this was about the hypersonic weapons- which no dome would stop. But they have something new again: nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missiles.

• America’s Golden Dome May Be Powerless vs Russia’s Doomsday Missile (Kornev)

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump launched the ambitious “Golden Dome” initiative – a sweeping plan to build a national missile defense system capable of shielding America from modern threats: ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and advanced cruise missiles. Designed as a next-generation shield, the Golden Dome aspires to close gaps in the nation’s defenses and guarantee security against a broad range of airborne dangers. But even the most sophisticated defense can face a threat it wasn’t designed to stop. As Washington doubles down on its plans for a new shield, Russia is preparing a weapon unlike anything currently in existence – a nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range. And it’s a threat the Golden Dome may struggle to counter.

Russia is on the verge of deploying an entirely new class of cruise missile that could fundamentally alter air defense paradigms: nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missiles. Chief among them is the Burevestnik. It’s only logical that US missile defense planners are thinking ahead to such unconventional threats. Open-source intelligence researchers like MT_Anderson have recently shared satellite imagery revealing suspected construction of Burevestnik launch facilities near Vologda. If verified, this would mark the next phase in the deployment of a weapon capable of shaking the foundations of global strategic stability.

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Russia first revealed the Burevestnik missile during President Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2018. Dubbed SSC-X-9 “Skyfall” in the West, the missile has been cloaked in secrecy ever since. The commonly used designation “9M730 Burevestnik” is actually a misnomer, as the 9M730 label originally referred to a version of the Iskander-M missile system – but that’s a minor detail in the larger picture. Reports suggest that Burevestnik testing has been ongoing for years at sites like Novaya Zemlya, the Nenoksa naval testing range near Severodvinsk, and the Kapustin Yar missile complex – the latter featuring specialized infrastructure operated by Rosatom. As recently as two years ago, it seemed Russia was still far from completing development. Now, however, signs point to a major shift: operational launch sites are reportedly under construction.

Visually, the Burevestnik resembles a traditional cruise missile, with folding wings for compact launch storage. It launches from a ground platform using a solid-fuel booster, then switches to an air-breathing nuclear-powered jet engine once it reaches cruising speed. In theory, this engine heats incoming air via a compact nuclear reactor, allowing the missile to stay airborne for weeks or even months without refueling. Sources estimate the missile’s operational range at 22,000km, though in practice it may be virtually unlimited. Such a missile could patrol potential conflict zones indefinitely, awaiting launch commands. Upon receiving orders, it could maneuver toward targets from unpredictable vectors, making interception extraordinarily difficult. Effectively, the Burevestnik is designed to serve as a “doomsday weapon” – a guaranteed retaliatory strike platform in the event of nuclear war.

A nuclear-powered cruise missile would be capable of striking anywhere on the globe from any direction. It could exploit satellite communications to update flight paths, evade interception, and even receive new target information mid-flight. Naturally, preventing accidents is critical, but it’s likely that specialized recovery systems – possibly involving parachutes – have been developed. The ability to safely operate a nuclear-powered engine stems from technological breakthroughs achieved in the 1990s and 2000s, when Russian scientists successfully built compact nuclear reactors. These advancements paved the way not only for the Burevestnik, but also for other projects like the Poseidon underwater drone. Notably, the US and the Soviet Union both explored nuclear-powered aircraft concepts during the Cold War. Despite extensive research on platforms like the B-36 and Tu-95, both nations ultimately abandoned the projects due to insurmountable engineering challenges, astronomical costs, and radiation safety concerns.

Today, with more advanced reactor technology, Russia seems poised to achieve what Cold War engineers only dreamed of: a practical, nuclear-powered, unlimited-range missile. Can the Burevestnik be considered operational? Full details remain classified, but tests in 2020–2021 at Kapustin Yar and Nenoksa strongly suggest significant progress. The completion of permanent launch sites points to an impending deployment phase. According to some reports, Russia could begin fielding Burevestnik missiles as early as 2025-26 – potentially in large numbers. Thanks to their nearly limitless range, these missiles could patrol vast areas, including the Arctic, Siberia, or the Pacific Ocean, remaining invisible to conventional defense systems. A major challenge for America’s Golden Dome initiative will be detecting and tracking such missiles – no easy task. It would likely require unprecedented coordination with the US Navy and the full use of space-based tracking systems.

Ultimately, defeating a weapon like the Burevestnik would demand a fully integrated space-based missile defense component. Satellite tracking, rapid identification of launch zones, and intercept capabilities far beyond current systems would be necessary. Even advanced naval assets like Aegis-equipped ships would face a monumental challenge. For now, there is no simple solution. And while Washington scrambles to prepare, Moscow holds a major advantage – especially when considering additional next-generation weapons like the Poseidon nuclear drone. In this high-stakes race, Russia may have already moved the strategic chessboard – and set up a checkmate that America’s Golden Dome might not be able to prevent.

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”Even at the height of the Cold War, we didn’t treat Russia like this..”

• Oliver Stone Warns Russia and US Were Close To World War III (RT)

There was a point in the last three years of the Ukraine conflict where Russia and the US have teetered on the edge of a nuclear war, acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Stone has said. Speaking to Russian students at the ‘Knowledge.First’ event in Moscow on Tuesday, spoke out against the US role in the Ukraine conflict, as well as its coverage in Western media. The Hollywood legend suggested that over the past three years, Moscow and Washington have relived the Cold War spike in tensions that previously culminated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and said he hoped a corresponding wind down would follow. The US and the Soviet Union almost came to a nuclear clash at the height of the Cold War, after the USSR retaliated by placing nuclear weapons in Cuba, following Washington’s deployment of nukes in Turkey.

”I want to emphasize to you students how very close we came to World War III because of this awful leadership,” he said. ”We bring a great waste of our resources and height of this futility was a war which [former US President Joe] Biden recently dedicated to weakening Russia,” Stone said. “It is a retrograde war.” Western media coverage of the conflict and Russia has shocked him during the past three years, the director admitted. ”Even at the height of the Cold War, we didn’t treat Russia like this,” he said. Whereas now, the media has trained people in the West to equate Russia with President Vladimir Putin, Stone added. This is a tragic substitution of hatred for intelligence.

“The propaganda state in the West is an incredible empire. Far further and stronger than I ever imagined. You are unable to see the inside of the matrix,” he said. Straight out of the works of George Orwell. While the anti-war filmmaker has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, he has criticized Biden and the US “neoconservative movement” for the Ukraine conflict. Stone produced the 2016 ‘Ukraine on Fire’ documentary showing the role Washington played in the 2014 Maidan coup that overthrew Kiev’s democratically-elected president Viktor Yanukovich.

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“Russia and the United States are a great partnership, as is China, by the way, and I think we could have a world that is much safer… if we all get together and realize that it’s a multilateral world.”

• EU Engaging In ‘Perversion Of History’ – Oliver Stone (RT)

Attempts by EU elites to diminish the significance of the USSR’s contribution to the victory over Nazism are a “perversion of history,” Oscar-winning American movie director Oliver Stone has told RT ahead of World War II Victory Day celebrations in Russia. The bloc’s “elitist leadership” has distorted the message that World War II provides to humanity, the filmmaker has said. “I’m shocked by it, by [what] is happening,” he stated, calling it “a shame” and “a disgrace that we forgot or pretend to [have forgotten]” about the sacrifices the Soviet Union made during the war. Stone also said he did not believe people in Europe “buy this at all.” “I think the people don’t agree with the government,” Stone maintained, going on to say that “the futility of this campaign against Russia by the EU” is obvious to “anybody, who reads history [books] and is intelligent.”

The director of ‘Platoon’ and ‘JFK’ expressed his doubts that “fascism is popular” nowadays and stated instead that European elites had lost their way because of their “worship of the EU.” “We are not back to the times of Hitler, but what is happening is a loss of perspective and we need to get back to a sense of reason,” Stone told RT as he called on Western leaders to “listen to the Russians” instead of antagonizing them. He also expressed his hope that the US and Russia would manage to mend their relationship, opening the way to a better future for humanity. “Russia and the United States are a great partnership, as is China, by the way, and I think we could have a world that is much safer… if we all get together and realize that it’s a multilateral world.” US President Donald Trump’s administration has been engaged in efforts to restore bilateral ties with Russia and resolve the Ukraine conflict.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that America now has a “better” understanding of the Russian position on the crisis. Moscow’s key conditions for ending the conflict are Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of the new territorial reality on the ground. Last week, Trump also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was easier to deal with than Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. Russian officials maintain they have always been ready to engage in peace talks, provided the discussions aim for a permanent solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict. Moscow has rejected any temporary agreement, explaining that it could be used by Kiev and its backers to rearm the Ukrainian military.

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For now, the peace voices are winning.

• Trump Allies: Mossad Agents And Warmongers Try To Derail Iran Talks (MEE)

“Mossad agents” and “warmongers” are pushing the US into a conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Those lines aren’t coming from state-run news agencies in Tehran, but some of US President Donald Trump’s closest media allies and supporters. Last week, conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson featured a senior Department of Defense official who he claimed was ousted because he was seen as an obstacle to the US bombing Iran. Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was removed from the Pentagon earlier this month on charges that he allegedly leaked classified information about Hegseth’s use of a Signal chat, according to several media outlets. Not so by Carlson’s telling, who has unparalleled access to Trump.

“You did make maybe one career mistake by giving on-the-record interviews describing your foreign policy views…that are out of the mainstream among warmongers in Washington,” Carlson said to Caldwell, adding, “Then I read all of a sudden that you are a traitor.” On Sunday, another conservative podcaster, Clayton Morris, a former Fox News anchor, said pro-Israel voices were “working overtime” to destroy the “anti-war team” that Trump has assembled at the Pentagon. “We’ve learned here at Redacted that former Israeli Mossad agents are working overtime on social media and behind the scenes trying to discredit Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth,” Morris said, referring to his show. He didn’t name the so-called former agents.

Trump’s administration is divided between more traditional Republicans like US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz, and “America First” isolationists like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Some of Trump’s most vocal defenders in the media, who exercise unprecedented influence in communicating his worldview, are media figures like Carlson and former advisor Steve Bannon. The firing of Caldwell and two other senior Pentagon officials appears to have energized America First anti-interventionists. Their slamming of the pro-Israel voices and former Mossad agents is unprecedented within the Republican Party. It reflects just how far Trump has taken the party from its traditionally hawkish worldview.

Pro-Trump media personalities have singled out Merav Ceren, who was nominated to head Iran and Israel at the White House National Security Council, for criticism. Ceren was born in Haifa, Israel, and worked in the Israeli Ministry of Defense. On his show, Morris, who co-hosted a Fox morning news show with Hegseth, said that, “Neo-con Mike Waltz has now hired basically a dual citizen and former IDF official to work under him.” The coverage reflects a growing trend in the US to view Israel with skepticism, which has intensified since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, which sparked the Israeli invasion of Gaza and a simmering Middle East war. According to a Pew Poll published in April, 53 percent of Americans now express an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42 percent in March 2022. The shift in negative sentiment has been notable among young Republicans under 50, who are more likely to tune into podcasts like Morris’s Redacted and Carlson’s show.

The criticism comes as Trump tries to square his muscular foreign policy instincts with his pledge to refrain from starting new Middle East wars. On Iran, Trump’s closest envoys have been left contradicting themselves. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy who has emerged as his go-to global troubleshooter, suggested earlier this month that Washington would allow Iran to enrich uranium at low levels. After backlash from pro-Israel voices, he flipped, saying that Tehran “must stop and eliminate” its nuclear enrichment program fully. This week, Secretary Rubio said the US could re-enter a deal that sees Iran keep a civilian nuclear programme – so long as it halts enrichment, and instead ships it in from abroad. American and Iranian technical teams met in Oman on Saturday for their third round of talks. Trump told reporters on Monday that the talks are going “very well” and that “a deal is going to be made there”. “We’ll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place,” he said.

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A law firm for the right.

• Elon Musk’s Lawyer Thinks He Is Allowed to Continue Running DOGE (DS)

After Elon Musk’s 130-day term as a special government employee ends on May 30, the billionaire entrepreneur’s attorney says he expects Musk to continue to play a “critical role” in the Trump administration. “Obviously, Elon’s played a critical role leading up to the 2024 election, just even preparing for the transition of this administration,” lawyer Chris Gober told The Daily Signal. “My expectation is he will continue to play a critical role moving forward.” Gober is a partner and CEO of Lex Politica, the law firm that represents Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and other key figures involved in the legal and political process of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency. Gober sat down with The Daily Signal for his first interview since revamping Lex Politica.

Musk has the legal authority to remain at DOGE after his term as a special government employee ends on May 30, said Nicole Kelly, Lex Politica senior counsel. “The question is not whether Elon Musk will stay at DOGE, but whether he has the legal authority to do so after May 30,” Kelly told The Daily Signal. “The answer is yes. But regardless of whether he stays involved or not, I believe his relentless drive to reform the federal government will endure, inspiring current and future administration employees to carry forward DOGE’s mission with unwavering dedication.” Musk has said he would spend “a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so, as long as it is useful.” Despite criticism from the Left, DOGE is constitutional because President Donald Trump has the authority to appoint staff to implement his agenda, said Lex Politica partner and political law co-chair Steve Roberts.

“Creating temporary entities and positions is a common practice for presidents,” Roberts told The Daily Signal. “President Trump’s historic win last November created a mandate, and DOGE was created in response to the American voters wanting to cut the regulatory state. The constant media attacks just show how successful of an ongoing effort it is.” The media have failed to report on the waste being exposed by DOGE because it doesn’t fit the narrative that the majority of Americans support creating efficiency, Gober said. “It is what the people want. It’s what the people are going to get,” he said. “And I think that even long after, even if Elon leaves, I think what you’re going to see is what we’ve changed—the spirit of our desire to create and a more efficient government to go detect the waste and actually just make some changes in Washington.”

Musk’s involvement with DOGE was critical to “set the tone,” Gober said. Stories have circulated about Musk sleeping on the floor of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. “He leads by example, so long after he’s gone, I think that’s the tone that will continue to persist,” Gober said. “I think it’s absolutely critical we have that kind of urgency within our own federal government of the people working there. That is important that he did that, and I think it will prove important long after he is gone.” The left-wing media don’t recognize Musk’s desire “to fundamentally change the country and how important that is to him.” “I know there’s a lot of people who want to be detractors,” Gober said. “I want to challenge them because they don’t agree with what he’s doing. But I think the one thing you just have to recognize is the patriotism that he exhibits. And I think it’s something to be admired whether you agree with him or not, that he is doing this for the right reason, and that is the care of this country.”

Trump has changed politics, and the movement he created won’t end in 2028, Gober said. “There’s going to be effects of how we do business and how politics is run, and with that law firms, corporate America, all the industries, they need to also catch up to that and evolve,” he said. Lex Politica, which represents conservative political action committees, members of Congress, governors, and state attorneys general across the country, is a law firm “built for the moment,” according to Gober. He said traditional big law firms are becoming obsolete due to their efforts to silence conservative movements and voices. “They can hide behind conflicts in order to keep from offending the sensitivities of their own lawyers or their clients,” Gober said. “And I think that’s what we’re looking to build, is a law firm that’s unapologetic about who we represent, about what we do, and the victories we bring home for our clients.”

From thinking through the legal and strategic considerations of DOGE, to ensuring lobbying and legal compliance for campaigns, Lex Politica lawyers have been the go-to legal counsel on prominent issues, Roberts said. “While some firms dance around politics, we’re stepping in with a firm that says what it believes and can act in the best strategic and legal interests of our clients,” he said. “We’re here for clients who want to go on offense when needed, not just play defense.” As the Trump administration on Tuesday celebrates 100 days in office, the Lex Politica team is eager to continue serving its clients as they join the administration’s efforts to ensure America continues to thrive, said Jessica Furst Johnson, Lex Politica partner and political law co-chair. “Politicians are making bold moves to align with the current state of our country,” Johnson told The Daily Signal. “Lex Politica is equipped to walk alongside our clients and help them win, providing counsel to some of the most influential figures on matters big and small.”

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Slide

This landslide occurred in Alta, Norway.

It developed on a marine clay substrate that had originally formed in the early Holocene epoch when the area was under sea level. There were no casualties.pic.twitter.com/B4eLw6SZ1C

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 29, 2025

 

 

SPR

Energy Secretary Chris Wright just revealed that Biden drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserves so rapidly—to drop prices before the election—that it damaged half the facilities.

They’re now in the process of repairing them with taxpayer funds.

Unreal. pic.twitter.com/x2eiaG7nDO

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) April 28, 2025

 

 

Robots

Elon Musk: Goods and services will be available to everyone. It's going to be a very different world.

“Once you have humanoid robots and deep intelligence, you basically have quasi-infinite products and services available.

With Tesla building the most advanced humanoid robot,… pic.twitter.com/C8CNaSZPql

— ELON CLIPS (@ElonClipsX) April 28, 2025

 

 

AI

Whoa https://t.co/CbS8S5ohgN

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2025

 

 

RFK Elon
https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1917087700986781825

 

 

Dim sun
https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1917031741979586959

 

 

Theo
https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1917248422614008118

 

 

 

 

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