kscarbel2

OPEC+ has finally decided to go through with its long-delayed oil production increase, adding 138,000 barrels per day to its production plans beginning in April. It’s the first output hike for OPEC since 2022, marking a cautious step toward unwinding the 2.2 million bpd in cuts the cartel has been clinging to like a security blanket. The decision comes as President Trump renews his calls for lower oil prices, pressuring Saudi Arabia and its allies to pump more. With crude hovering around $71 per barrel and a volatile mix of geopolitical and economic uncertainty in play, including U.S. sanctions on Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, plus a looming global tariff war, OPEC+ didn’t have an easy time deciding this move. The OPEC announcement tanked US oil stocks yesterday and today.

President Trump has told the leaders of Japan and China they can not continue to reduce the value of their currencies, as doing so would be unfair to the United States. "I've called President Xi, I've called the leaders of Japan to say you can't continue to reduce and break down your currency. You can't do it because it's unfair to us. It's very hard for us to make tractors, Caterpillar here, when Japan, China and other places are killing their currency, meaning driving it down. Instead of complaining repeatedly over the phone over such attempts, the US can make up for the disadvantage its manufacturers suffer by imposing tariffs."

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation European Union, now admits that it could free up $841 billion (€800 billion) for defense spending. Once the US says we're not going to pay for their defense anymore, they suddenly have the money to make up the difference.

I haven't forgotten. It remains front burner with me. Intelligent Americans knew it was a scam, orchestrated by big business and politicians on kickbacks, but were powerless to do anything about it. This 25 percent import tariff basically short circuits NAFTA. If one wants to sell in the USA, one should produce in the USA. This is the tone in China, India, Brazil, Russia and other large countries. Protectionism is proper. Look out for your own. For example, don't allow your DoJ to authorize the sell-off of 75 percent of your commercial truck makers to foreign aggressors. That's called sabotage by traitors. Put the national interest before the self-serving wants of big business, and the country will profit from it. Observe the countries that do, and note the has been countries that didn't.

There are so many automotive and commercial truck plants in Mexico, plus an ocean of supporting supplier plants, it would take me an hour to list them all. And of course, a significant amount of that production arrives in the US. What Bill Clinton and corporate American did, creating NAFTA under entirely false pretenses, was criminal.

"Tariffs are actually, we've had a lot of experience with them. They’re an act of war, to some degree. Over time, they are a tax on goods. I mean, the tooth fairy doesn’t pay them." Warren Buffett

DOGE at work: $1.9 million for DEI trainings in the Air Force $3.5 million contract at Defense Human Resources Activity for support of DEI groups. $6 million to the University of Montana to strengthen American democracy by bridging dividers $1.6 million to the University of Florida to study social and institutional detriments of vulnerability and resilience to climate hazards in the African Sahe $256 million - USAID contract for Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative $682 million - USAID contract for Global Health Training, Advisory and Support $597 million - 7 year IT services contract from USAID vendor Salient CRGT Inc.

"We got them [Epstein files] all by Friday 8am... a truckload of evidence," says Attorney General Pam Bondi . "And why were they sitting in the Southern District of New York? I want a full report on that. You know, sadly, these people don't believe in transparency. But I think more unfortunately, I think a lot of them don't believe in honesty. It's a new day. It's a new administration, and everything's going to come out to the public. The public has the right to know Americans have a right to know." Given the very suspicious reported circumstances, will we ever learn with certainty how he actually died?

Attorney General Pam Bondi is preparing to file federal charges against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for instructing illegal aliens on how to avoid ICE.

Defense Secretary Hegseth has changed the name of Fort Moore in Georgia back to Fort Benning. Fort Benning was named for Confederate Brigadier General Henry L. Benning who won the respect of his peers at the Battle of Antietam, Gettysburg and Chickamauga. Now, Fort Benning will be named in honor of Corporal Fred G. Benning, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross who served in France during World War I. Benning was honored for heroic actions in October 1918, when he led troops through heavy fire after his platoon leader was killed by the enemy.

Speaking on the worsening economy, from 1:55 .

https://www.twz.com/sea/warships-caked-in-rust-prompting-late-night-trump-texts-to-navy-secretary-nominee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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