Tag: donald trump

Trump Declares National Emergency to Secure U.S. Power Grid From Foreign Cyber Security Threats

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Aug. 26 to secure the national power grid, citing unusual and extraordinary foreign cyber and security threats.

The order prohibits certain foreign-made bulk-power system electric equipment, including software, that poses cybersecurity or operational risks, from being purchased or installed in the United States.

“Certain foreign actors are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in the United States bulk-power system, which provides the electricity that supports our national defense, vital emergency services, critical infrastructure, and economy,” Trump said in the order.

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Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

Using the bathroom or having a cry is about to become more expensive for North Americans as the US and Canada enter a full-fledged trade war that threatens to flush away decades of peaceful trading between the two nations.

After trade negotiations broke down between the two countries last weekend, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, vowed to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar” and unveiled a list of nearly 900 American goods that will face 25% to 50% tariffs starting on 8 September.

Paper products are among the hardest-hit sectors, with Canada threatening to put tariffs of between 25% and 50% on “toilet paper or face tissue stock” from 8 September in retaliation for a 50% hike from Washington DC.

Though American toilet paper and tissues are often made domestically, they heavily rely on lumber-rich Canada for raw materials. Procter & Gamble, the owner of Charmin toilet paper, said last year that it would have to increase prices amid tariffs that were in place at the time.

The US imported $328m worth of toilet paper from Canada in 2024, according to the World Bank, making it by far the largest exporter of the product to the US. Retailers including Costco source much of their paper products from the country.

The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually.

It’s not just paper products that could rise in price. The trade war highlights the deep economic ties shared between the two countries as consumers continue to worry about inflation on both sides of the border.

US tariffs are specifically affecting Canadian liquor, including popular whiskey brands Crown Royal and Canadian Club, which are currently under a 50% tariff.

While Canada has not introduced a tariff on American liquor, most Canadian provinces have introduced their own bans on American alcohol, in retaliation for earlier tariffs on Canadian products. Donald Trump used these province-wide bans on American alcohol as part of his legal justification for his new tariffs against Canada.

Carney has asked province leaders to consider putting American liquor back on the shelves, though as the Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston told CBC News: “Whether Nova Scotians or Canadians will actually buy it when it’s back on the shelves, that’s a whole other discussion.”

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China Rejected 22 Tons of Argentine Beef Over a Banned Antibiotic as Trump Opens the Door to 300,000 Tons

President Donald Trump’s plan to allow up to 300,000 metric tonnes of foreign beef into the US has sparked an unusual backlash from Republican ranchers and cattle groups, who warn that cheaper imports could make it harder to rebuild America’s depleted herd.

Trump says the move will lower grocery costs while giving American ranchers time to rebuild cattle supplies. Critics see a contradiction, arguing that increasing imports could weaken the incentive for US producers to expand.

The controversy also puts Argentina under scrutiny. In March, China rejected a 22-tonne shipment of Argentine beef after detecting chloramphenicol, an antibiotic prohibited for livestock use in Argentina. There is no evidence that this rejected shipment is connected to Trump’s import plan.

On August 21, Trump announced that the US would allow up to 300,000 metric tonnes of product for ground beef to enter over 90 days without the additional out-of-quota tariff.

Trump said foreign exporters had committed to selling the beef at 25% below current market prices. The White House said an executive order with further details was expected within two weeks.

The plan concerns lean beef trimmings used for ground beef, rather than 300,000 tonnes of assorted beef cuts. Trump initially declined to identify the supplying countries, later naming Argentina as one of them.

That leaves a major question hanging over the Trump beef import plan: who exactly will supply the new imports?

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Networks Were Ordered to Stop Filming Trump—and They Didn’t Protest the Illegal Censorship

“Cameras off the president right now.”

This direct command could be heard this weekend on the live broadcast of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, an IndyCar street race orchestrated by President Donald Trump’s administration as part of its MAGA-branded commemoration of the nation’s historic anniversary. The entire three-hour debacle was live-broadcast on Fox, alongside footage of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they basked in the front-row presidential suite.

At one point, the presidential couple engaged in heated conversation—possibly regarding, some speculated (Mercury News, 8/24/26), the presence of Trump’s personal assistant Natalie Harp, with whom he has an unusually close relationship. As this discussion transpired, a terse command to the camera operator could be heard: “I need the cameras off the president right now. Cameras off the president right now. Turn the cameras.”

A camera operator replied, “We’re the pool with President Trump for the entire network—Fox, CNN, CBS, ABC.”

The response was unyielding: “I understand that. We’ve asked you to turn the cameras off of the presidential suite.”

The command—from a staffer wearing an IndyCar uniform—was an astonishing call for press censorship on behalf of Trump, not to mention a direct violation of the First Amendment freedom of press.

As Brendan Keefe, an award-winning investigative reporter for Atlanta News First, posted on X (8/23/26):

You can tell us where we can be. You cannot tell us what to film. “Cameras off” is an unlawful order from government, especially when recording an elected official…. The First Amendment allows the press to record in any place they’re allowed to be present.

Even more surprising, however, is that none of the major outlets—including the outlets for which the camera person was working—have acknowledged this blatant assault on the freedom of the press. Coverage of the Grand Prix from networks Fox, CBS and ABC operated as usual, highlighting race victories and logistics. CNN correspondent Brian Todd (8/23/26) reported that the race was “a real success.”

Only independent outlets, such as Atlanta Black Star, Raw Story and Crooks & Liars, or overseas-based publications like the British-based Mirror or Spanish sports outlet Diario AS, have published pieces highlighting the infringement. So why have establishment media stayed silent?

One explanation is a realistic fear of government retaliation. After the FCC’s failed efforts last year to cancel ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! for critical comments about Charlie Kirk—a move that was disparaged even by conservatives—the organization mounted a retaliatory campaign, slapping ABC with an unprecedented and mandatory years-early license renewal review. The ordeal has since snowballed into a full-blown lawsuit against the FCC from ABC’s parent company Disney.

But the media have an obligation to act as watchdogs, to report on those in power and keep the public informed on wrongdoing and corruption. Corporate media have billions of dollars at their disposal, and have more resources than any other media format to stand up to the administration. When corporate media are collectively silent about violations of their press freedoms, ordinary people can hardly rely on them to stand up for the rest of us.

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Army Lays Groundwork for First Military Executions Since 1961

The Army has prepared for the possibility of carrying out executions of the military’s death row prisoners if President Donald Trump approves them.

The plan would apply to the military’s four death row inmates and would mark the first U.S. military execution in more than six decades if carried out, according to an internal planning document first reviewed by ABC News. The outlet reported earlier this month that said document is called “Operation Resolute Justice” and was internally issued within the Army this past February.

“Exercises regarding this operation have been conducted regularly for the past 20 years,” Cynthia Smith, an Army spokesperson, told ABC News, adding in early June that no orders had been handed down by Trump. “These drills are a standard component of our continued planning and preparation if the president approves a death sentence,”

The main holdup is built into military law. Article 71 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice says a court-martial death sentence “may not be executed until approved by the president,” and it also bars execution until appellate review produces a final judgment on the legality of the proceedings. That requirement explains why military death sentences can sit for decades after trial.

Ronald Gray, sentenced to death in 1988 for murders and rapes near Fort Bragg, had an approved execution date set for Dec. 10, 2008, but a federal court stayed the execution on Nov. 26, 2008.

The last U.S. military execution occurred April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John A. Bennett was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder.

Ronald Gray, Hasan Akbar, Timothy Hennis and Nidal Hasan are prisoners currently sentenced to death in the military system. They were imprisoned based on the following crimes:

  • Gray was convicted by general court-martial of 14 charges, including premeditated murder, attempted murder and three rapes.
  • Akbar was sentenced to death in 2005 after a grenade and shooting attack killed Army Capt. Christopher Seifert and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone and wounded 14 other soldiers in Kuwait in 2003.
  • Hennis was sentenced to death in 2010 after a military trial for a 1985 triple murder.
  • Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 after killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.

What the Army Is Preparing

The Army plan is called “Operation Resolute Justice” and involves coordination with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for possible executions at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Ind.

The plan outlines procedures for transferring condemned prisoners from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., to Terre Haute, arranging a viewing station for witnesses and coordinating with federal prison officials. Terre Haute has housed all the federal government’s executions since 2001.

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US plans $725 million payment towards its large UN debt

The Trump administration has informed Congress of its intention to pay $725 million to the United Nations, a congressional notification seen by Reuters showed, a move aid experts said was a welcome step towards paying billions in dues owed.

The administration has criticized the global body for not living up to its potential and slashed funding to many U.N. agencies. When asked about the planned payment, a U.S. official said any payments will be contingent on continued reforms of the organization and added that the U.S. has not transferred any funds as of Friday.

The allocation of funds – mentioned in an August 4 State Department notification letter to Congress that has not been previously reported – comes ahead of an expected speech by U.S. President Donald Trump to the U.N. General Assembly in New York next month. 

‘It keeps the ship afloat a little longer’

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this year that the U.N. faced “imminent financial collapse” due to unpaid contributions from member states, and the global body has brought in large budget cuts.

“Over the past six months, the United States has achieved historic reforms across the U.N. – reforms long considered impossible – including the first real budget cut in U.N. history, resulting in nearly one billion in cuts,” a State Department official, responding to Reuters questions about the payment, said in an email.

In April, Devex, a development news agency, reported that the U.S. had set specific conditions for the release of funds, such as more cost-cutting and moves to counter China’s influence.More: U.S. debt set to hit $40 trillion months earlier than expected

The Trump administration has carried out an unprecedented shrinking of its federal government, saying it was bloated and has significantly cut back on domestic and foreign grants in an effort that it says was to put money into causes that aligned with U.S. taxpayer interests.

The $725 million would be less than 20% of the more than $4 billion that the U.N. said in May that the United States owed — though Washington has said that total figure is much lower and that it has made some payments.

Eugene Chen, a former U.N. official, said such a transfer would help pay U.N. salaries for a period, but might not cover them all. “It keeps the ship afloat a little longer,” he said. 

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Functional Unemployment in USA Reaches New High

The government claims unemployment stands at 4.1%, yet a new analysis cited by CBS News found that 24.9% of American workers were functionally unemployed in July. Functional unemployment includes those who cannot find employment, people forced into part-time work because full-time jobs are unavailable, and workers earning less than $26,000 annually before taxes. Washington can call these people employed, but try paying rent, food, insurance, utilities, transportation, and medical expenses on barely $2,000 per month before the government takes its share.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is not measuring whether people are prospering or even surviving. If you worked as little as one hour during the survey period, you can be classified as “employed.” If you have searched for months, become discouraged, and finally stop looking, the government simply removes you from the labor force. You did not find a job and your circumstances did not improve, but you cease to exist statistically. Politicians then point to the lower unemployment rate and claim their policies are working.

Functional unemployment has now risen for four consecutive months while workforce participation has moved lower. Employers reportedly eliminated 23,000 jobs in July, consumer prices rose 3.4% year over year, and wages increased only 3.2%. Therefore, the average worker lost purchasing power even after receiving a nominal raise. This is why people become angry when politicians lecture them about a strong economy. The statistics say they are employed, inflation is under control, and everything is wonderful, yet the paycheck no longer covers the monthly bills.

This is how the political establishment disguises economic decline. Inflation statistics do not reflect the actual cost of maintaining a household, GDP rises when government borrows and spends money it does not have, and unemployment declines when people surrender and stop searching for work. Every major statistic has been constructed to make government appear competent while the standard of living steadily deteriorates. They measure whether money changed hands, not whether society became wealthier.

Americans have been forced to replace income with debt. They have depleted savings, increased credit-card balances, postponed major purchases, and begun cutting necessities because discretionary spending was already eliminated. Consumer spending may represent roughly two-thirds of the economy, but consumers cannot continue spending indefinitely when prices rise faster than wages and employment becomes increasingly unstable. Credit can postpone the reckoning, but it cannot replace real economic growth.

Functional unemployment explains why Washington can proclaim prosperity while millions of Americans feel trapped in a personal recession. The economy has produced millions of positions that satisfy the government’s definition of employment but cannot provide an independent life. The political class counts the number of people receiving paychecks while refusing to ask what those paychecks can actually buy. That is poverty disguised by statistics.

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Is ICE Investigating Ilhan Omar? Trump ‘Truths’ Report On Withheld Fraud-Probe Records

President Donald Trump drew fresh attention to a long-running controversy on Sunday when he reposted a Just the News article on Truth Social headlined “ICE refuses to disclose records on Ilhan Omar fraud probe, cites ongoing ‘enforcement proceedings.'” His decision to amplify the report, without comment, renewed scrutiny of allegations that have dogged Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for years – though ICE’s response stops short of confirming she is personally the target of any active proceeding.

The Trump administration has said for months it possesses evidence that Omar committed immigration fraud. What has remained unclear is whether that evidence translates into an indictment, a denaturalization proceeding, or nothing at all.

Just the News filed a Freedom of Information Act request in January 2026 for records related to Omar’s marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a man whose identity, evidence suggests, is that of her brother. ICE’s response cited a specific legal exemption rather than denying or providing a timeline. “ICE has determined that the information you requested is being withheld in full pursuant to Title 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(7)(A),” the agency wrote. “Disclosure of any responsive records at this time could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.”

Department of Justice guidance requires a two-step showing before an agency can invoke it. “First, there must be a ‘reasonable likelihood’ of a pending or contemplated law enforcement proceeding,” the guidance states. “Second, release of the information must be reasonably expected to cause some articulable harm to that proceeding.” ICE cleared both hurdles by its own estimation; whether that estimation holds up matters more now that the president has amplified it himself.

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Trump slams Canada as ‘most difficult and unreasonable’ nation as trade talks collapse

Tensions flared between Washington and Ottawa after President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to challenge Canadian leadership. Calling out Ottawa as the “most difficult and unreasonable” government to negotiate with — despite its ongoing reliance on the U.S. defense umbrella — Trump doubled down on his firm stance to hold Canada accountable.

The rhetoric exemplifies an escalation in an intensifying trade conflict, coming directly on the heels of collapsed negotiations and mounting cross-border economic retaliation.

In his social media posts, President Trump called out Canada for its exploitation, spanning decades, arguing that high Canadian tariffs on American agricultural products have damaged U.S. farming operations.

Highlighting long-standing grievances, Trump also cited steep dairy import duties and a ten-year regulatory delay in certifying U.S.-made Gulfstream jets — a move he said was designed to shield Canadian aviation competitors.

Trump asserted that the U.S. has sustained an average annual trade deficit of $60 billion with its northern neighbor, declaring that Washington would no longer tolerate the unfair dynamic.

The president’s public posts follow a sudden breakdown in formal trade talks.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered Ottawa’s negotiating team to return home after Washington introduced terms that Canadian officials deemed “unfair and economically unviable.”

In response to the stalemate, Trump threatened to slap a 50% tariff on all Canadian cars, trucks, automotive components, and steel starting January 1, 2027. The economic threat directly targets one of the most deeply integrated manufacturing supply chains in North America, raising concerns among Canadians about rising consumer costs and disruption to regional assembly lines.

Canada responded by preparing dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on hundreds of American products. Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada–U.S. trade, stated that while Ottawa had hoped for a mutually beneficial agreement, the government felt that it should act to protect domestic industries from unilateral U.S. penalties.

Trump also further provoked Canadian leadership by declaring on Truth Social that the U.S. might rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” referencing how the nation no longer expected to conduct business with the region.

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Report: Trump Admin Requests Ukraine Refrain From Striking Russia During Meetings

The Trump administration reportedly requested that Ukraine refrain from striking parts of Russia with missiles while the United States engaged in meetings with Russian officials.

Christopher Miller, the Chief Ukraine Correspondent for the Financial Times, shared in a post on X that officials in the Trump administration had “requested that Kyiv not strike Moscow, St. Petersburg, and northern regions of Russia with its long range missiles and drones on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the U.S. would send a plane carrying a senior-level official to the Russian capital,” citing “people familiar with the request.”

“Ukraine agreed, they said,” Miller added. “Today we see that a U.S. Air Force C-17 plane has landed in Moscow.”

Breitbart News’s Oliver JJ Lane reported that a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III was reported to have flown “from the capital of NATO-member Latvia to an airport near Moscow, Russia on Tuesday morning”:

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flew from the capital of NATO-member Latvia to an airport near Moscow, Russia on Tuesday morning. The military jet first flew on Sunday from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., reports France’s Le Figaro, citing the open source transponder data which is collected by hobbyist ground-based receivers and aggregated through services such as the Flight Radar app.

Military flights are not obliged to keep their transponders on, but it is best practice to do so for the sake of other flights in the area and air traffic control for the sake of safety. The decision to keep the transponders broadcasting over Russian airspace betrays a desire to make the flight as visible and easily identifiable as possible.

CBS News’s Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs reported in a post on X that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe was reported to have “traveled to Russia aboard a C-17 for meetings in Moscow today.”

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