Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Thomas Sowell Criticizes Trump's Beautiful Tariffs Instituted April 2, 2025

In an interview recorded yesterday, Hoover Senior Fellow Thomas Sowell criticizes the tariffs President Trump instituted earlier today. Watch the complete interview with Dr. Sowell on @UncKnowledge with Peter Robinson (@P_M_Robinson) on April 15th, 2025. pic.twitter.com/i0Ver1QIp4

— Hoover Institution (@HooverInst) April 3, 2025

“It’s painful to see what a ruinous decision from back in the 1920s being repeated. Now insofar as he’s using these tariffs to get various strategic things settled and that he’s satisfied with that,” Sowell said, “but if you set off a worldwide trade war, that has a devastating history. Everybody loses because everybody follows suit, and all that happens is you get a great reduction in international trade.”

— Source

The 94-year-old Sowell retired from writing his syndicated column in 2016 at the age of 86. Conservatives and libertarians have called for him to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work on economics and public policy over the course of his career.

---

Economy | Published April 3, 2025 6:18pm EDT

Legendary Economist Says Trump's Tariffs Could Replay 'Devastating History'

Thomas Sowell said that broad tariffs risk causing an economic downturn

Eric Revell FOXBusiness

Trade war turbulence: UBS managing director explains how to weather stock dips

UBS Managing Director Jason Katz and Pence Wealth Management CIO Dryden Pence weigh in on the S&P's record lows and President Donald Trump's tariff plans on 'The Claman Countdown.'

Legendary economist Thomas Sowell weighed in on President Donald Trump's tariffs in an interview released Wednesday, saying that sweeping tariffs risk triggering a trade war and repeating the "devastating history" of trade policies that worsened the Great Depression.

The Hoover Institution on Wednesday released an excerpt of an interview recorded Tuesday with Sowell, the Rose and Milton Friedman senior fellow on public policy at the Hoover Institution, from the think tank's "Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson" series. In the interview, the acclaimed conservative economist said it's "painful to see" the administration follow in the footsteps of a "ruinous decision from back in the 1920s."

Sowell referenced the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, which were broad tariffs debated and implemented in 1929 and 1930, respectively, in an effort to protect American industries from overseas competition in the early stages of the Great Depression. Foreign countries retaliated, causing a decline in global trade that economists now widely believe deepened the Depression.

He went on to say that if Trump's tariffs are intended as short-term, limited measures to achieve strategic goals, they may be effective, but if they're left in place over the long term, they could replicate the "devastating history" of a global trade war and cause consumers and investors to pull back amid the uncertainty.

WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME FOR TRUMP'S TARIFFS LEADING TO PRICE INCREASES?

Economist Thomas Sowell. (FOX Business / Fox News)

"It's painful to see what a ruinous decision from back in the 1920s being repeated. Now insofar as he's using these tariffs to get various strategic things settled and that he's satisfied with that," Sowell said, "but if you set off a worldwide trade war, that has a devastating history. Everybody loses, because everybody follows suit, and all that happens is you get a great reduction in international trade."

Sowell went on to say that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took office after the Smoot-Hawley tariffs had taken effect, pursued policy experiments in an effort to lift the economy out of the Depression. He noted that this approach can be effective in a predictable rules-based system, but he added that arbitrary and unilateral actions can create uncertainty that suppresses economic activity in the absence of a reliable framework.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S 'LIBERATION DAY' TARIFFS

President Donald Trump shows off his administration's tariffs on U.S. trading partners during his "Liberation Day" announcement | (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"It's disturbing in another sense. Franklin D. Roosevelt, when he was president in the 1930s, said that you have to try things, and if they don't work, then you admit it, you abandon that, and you go on to something else, and you try that until you come across something that does work," Sowell said. 

"Now, that's not a bad approach if you are operating within a known system of rules. If you are the one who's making the rules, then all the other people have no idea what you're going to do next. And that is a formula for having people hang on to their money until they figure out what you're going to do, and when a lot of people hang on to their money, you can get results such as you got during the Great Depression of the 1930s."

WALL STREET FIRMS SEE RECESSION RISK RISING OVER TARIFFS, TRADE WAR

Tariffs are taxes on imports paid by importers at the time a tariffed good enters the country, with prices typically passed on to consumers | (Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"So if this is just a set of short-run ploys for various limited objectives, limited in time, fine, maybe. But if this is going to be the policy for four long years, that you're going to try this, you're going to try that and you're going to try something else, a lot of people are going to wait," Sowell explained.

"I think what happened in the stock market recently when things came down substantially for quite a while," he added, "and I know that various people are holding on to their money before they do anything because they don't know where this is going to lead."

The 94-year-old Sowell retired from writing his syndicated column in 2016 at the age of 86. Conservatives and libertarians have called for him to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work on economics and public policy over the course of his career.

The Hoover Institution's video noted that the full interview with Thomas Sowell as part of the "Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson" video series will be released on April 15.

The Impact of Tariffs: Global Trade War

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Our country and its taxpayers have been taken advantage of for more than 50 years, but that is going to change, Trump stated on Wednesday during a ceremony in the Rose Garden.

On the same day, Trump declared a US economic emergency and announced tariffs of at least 10% on imports from all countries. The rates will be even higher for 60 countries and trading blocs that have a significant trade deficit with the US. According to President Trump, "This is Liberation Day."

“In the face of unrelenting economic warfare, the United States can no longer continue with a policy of unilateral economic surrender … We are finally putting America first.”

Pres. Trump unveils his long-promised, sweeping set of tariffs on imports. https://t.co/PLFDFQj1q5 pic.twitter.com/BUKoSSsN5F

— ABC News (@ABC) April 2, 2025

Some of the cost of the new taxes will likely be passed on to consumers, with low-income households expected to face the greatest impact, according to an analysis from Yale Budget Lab released on Wednesday.

---

READ New Tariffs Imposed on Goods Entering the US From Canada, Mexico, and China

---

Households earning an average disposable income of around $43,000—some of the lowest in the nation—are poised to face a significant 2.3% decline in their disposable income due to the tariffs announced on Wednesday. In stark contrast, those in the highest income bracket, with disposable incomes over $500,000, will only experience a minor decrease of 0.9%.

Looking ahead to all tariffs scheduled for 2025, the situation worsens for lower-income households, which could see their disposable income plummet by 4%. Meanwhile, the wealthiest households would face a mere 1.6% reduction. This disparity underscores the disproportionate impact of these tariffs on those who can least afford it.

“A tariff is what we call a regressive tax because it pinches families at the bottom more than it pinches families at the top. ”

— Ernie Tedeschi; Director of economics, Yale Budget Lab

President Trump unveils his long-promised, sweeping set of tariffs on imports.

Including tariffs on all imported automobiles of 25% which went into effect at 12:01 am ET on Thursday.

According to the CIA World Factbook, other territories with no economy and no population were also impacted by the sweeping tariffs announced by President Trump.

Australian external territory in the southern Indian Ocean, Heard Island, and McDonald Islands slammed with a 10% tariff, and so are the Cocos Islands 600 inhabitants send 32% of its exports to the US, according to the CIA World Factbook, they now face a 10% tariff.

U.S. trading partners are anticipated to respond with retaliatory actions.

China, which faces a 54% import tax, intends to impose an additional 34% tax on US goods beginning next week.

India on tariffs! 'The era when a few powers underwrote the international system is over. The world is moving to an era of self-help. Every region needs to look out for itself' ~ The external affairs minister of India, S. Jaishankar.

The US Stock Market tumbles on its opening bell Thursday. After-hours stock trading coverage from CNN: Latest updates on post-market movers, S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures.

The universal 10% tariffs are scheduled to take effect on Saturday, April 5. Additionally, further duties—reciprocal tariffs will be imposed on approximately 60 countries starting on April 9.

Reciprocal tariffs are calculated as the tariff rate necessary to balance bilateral trade deficits between the U.S. and each of our trading partners, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. That means they do it to us, and we do it to them, Trump said.

YAME Digital reached out to government functionaries in Freetown to understand the impact of tariffs on Sierra Leone goods entering the United States and the broader implications of this trade war on Africa.

Based on our understanding, Sierra Leone has a small business entity that operates independently, resulting in minimal impact.

YAME Digital is currently gathering data that will be made available to the public soon. Stay tuned!

What online shoppers need to know about the sledgehammer hit to 'the led by direct-to-consumer retailers' such as Temu and Shein Fashion Industry.

Nothing comes cheap anymore! Imported goods sent through the postal network valued at or under $800 would now be subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item. With the rate increasing to $50 per item after June 1.

The executive order signed on Wednesday closes a trade loophole known as "de minimis," which has allowed low-value packages from China and Hong Kong to enter the United States free of duties.

Temu and Shein imported goods from China and Hong Kong sent outside the international postal network and valued at or under $800 would now be subject to all applicable duties.

The trade surplus that Trump never mentions

The US has a trade surplus from export of services which are now vulnerable to tariffs from the world — Aljazeera

READ

Theo Edwards for YAME Digital

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Registration Requirement to Take Effect April 11, 2025

The new immigration rule will take effect on April 11, 2025. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring non-citizens who remain in the U.S. for 30 days or more and were not previously registered to register and be fingerprinted.

Individuals who are considered already registered include: Individuals issued immigrant or nonimmigrant visas before their last date of arrival

• Individuals admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants who were issued Form I-94 or I-94W (paper or electronic)

• Lawful permanent residents

• Individuals issued an employment authorization document

• Individuals paroled into the United States

• Individuals placed into removal proceedings

• Individuals who have applied for lawful permanent residence using Forms I-485, I-687, I-691, I-698, I-700, and provided fingerprints, even if the applications were denied

• Individuals issued Border Crossing Cards

Alien Registration Form and Evidence of Registration

A Rule by the Homeland Security Department on 03/12/2025

READ

Diplomats and officials with A and G visa status, as well as certain American Indians born in Canada, are exempt from the registration requirement.

---

USCIS has published additional information about the registration requirement.

---

Each individual not already considered registered must create their own USCIS Online Account. Non-citizen children under the age of 14 must apply to register and be fingerprinted (unless waived) within 30 days of their fourteenth birthday. Children under the age of 14 must be registered by their parents/guardians. And also create an online account on their child’s behalf, in their child’s name. Once the USCIS online account is created, the registrant must complete G-325R.

Canadian visitors who enter the U.S. at a land port of entry and were not issued Form I-94 at admission will be required to register if they remain in the U.S. for 30 days or longer.

Canadians require a visa to enter the US

“U.S. immigration lawyer Len Saunders says the U.S. enforcing a visitor registration law for Canadians is ‘disastrous’ because most won’t know about it and could face arrest.”

— New U.S. immigration rules for Canadians ‘disastrous,’ says lawyer | Hanomansing Tonight

An individual who deliberately fails or refuses to apply for registration or to be fingerprinted may face a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both. Failing to carry proof of registration at all times or to report a change of address can result in a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. Furthermore, an individual who does not comply with the requirement to report a change of address may be subject to deportation unless the failure to report was not willful or was reasonably justified.

The same applies to the parents or guardians of those under the age of 14 who fail to comply. Those who are 18 years or older are required to carry proof of their registration and fingerprinting at all times. Failure to do so may result in a misdemeanor charge, which could incur a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for no more than 30 days, or both. This constitutes a criminal offense.

Theo Edwards for YAME Digital

US Unveils new app for 'Self-deportations'

Bernd Debusmann Jr. | BBC News, Washington

The CBP One app is being repurposed to allow undocumented migrants to self-deport

The Trump administration is repurposing a mobile application - originally created to facilitate asylum appointments - into a way for undocumented migrants already in the US to "self-deport".

The app, known as CBP Home, allows migrants to submit an "intent to depart", which US Customs and Border Patrol says offers them a chance to leave without "harsher consequences".

US officials have repeatedly suggested that undocumented migrants in the country should leave voluntarily, rather than be arrested and subject to deportation.

This is the latest move in the White House's effort to dramatically overhaul the US immigration system, which has included promises of mass detentions.

Originally launched as CBP One in 2020, the mobile application was expanded during the Biden administration to allow prospective migrants to book appointments to appear at a port of entry.

At the time, officials credited the application with helping reduce detentions at the border and portrayed the technology as part of a larger effort to protect asylum seekers making the often dangerous journey.

Now, on the newly rebranded application, undocumented migrants identify themselves and declare their intention to leave the country.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that by self-deporting through the app, migrants "may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream."

"If they don't, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return," she added.

The app also asks migrants whether they have "enough money to depart the United States" and whether they have a "valid, unexpired passport from your original country of citizenship".

The BBC has contacted DHS for further details about how the process works once the forms on the app are filled out.

CBP Home can also be used to apply and pay for I-94 entry and exit cards up to seven days before travel, book inspections for perishable cargo, and check wait times at US border crossings.

According to DHS, the app is meant to complement a $200m (£155m) domestic and international ad campaign calling for undocumented migrants to "stay out and leave now."

The Trump administration moved quickly to scrap the CBP One app as part of a larger shift in immigration strategy. It also paused parole programs, and an uptick in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the country followed.

In late February, the administration said it would create a national registry for undocumented migrants and those failing to sign up could possibly face criminal prosecution.

The registration requires any undocumented migrants above the age of 14 to provide the US government an address and their fingerprints.

Experts said that the registration system will face hurdles, as it is difficult to enforce and fraught with logistical challenges.

Mark Carney Wins Race to Replace Trudeau as Canada's Prime Minister

By Promit Mukherjee and Ismail Shakil | March 10, 20252:46 AM EDT | Updated a day ago

---

READ New Tariffs Imposed on Goods Entering the US From Canada, Mexico, and China

---

Summary

• Justin Trudeau stepping down after more than nine years in power
• Former central banker Mark Carney will be next Prime Minister
• Carney promises to fight Trump's tariffs

OTTAWA, March 9 (Reuters) - Former central banker Mark Carney won the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister, official results showed on Sunday.

Carney will take over at a tumultuous time in Canada, which is in the midst of a trade war with longtime ally the United States under President Donald Trump and must hold a general election soon.

Carney, 59, took 86% of votes cast to beat former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest in which just under 152,000 party members voted.

"There's someone who's trying to weaken our economy," Carney said of Trump, spurring loud boos at the party gathering. "He's attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can't let him succeed."

---

“Full Mark Carney speech tackles Trump tariffs after becoming new Prime Minister of Canada”

— Source

---

"This won’t be business as usual," Carney said. "We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible."

Trudeau announced in January that he would step down after more than nine years in power as his approval rating plummeted, forcing the ruling Liberal Party to run a quick contest to replace him.

"Make no mistake, this is a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given," Trudeau said.

Carney, a political novice, argued that he was best placed to revive the party and to oversee trade negotiations with Trump, who is threatening additional tariffs that could cripple Canada's export-dependent economy.

Trudeau has imposed C$30 billion of retaliatory tariffs on the United States in response to tariffs Trump levied on Canada.

"My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect," Carney said.

[1/7]Mark Carney waves on the day members of Canada's Liberal Party gather to choose a successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, Canada. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/Pool Purchase Licensing Rights

[2/7]Mark Carney, Ottawa, March 9, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/Pool Purchase Licensing Rights

[3/7]Justin Trudeau and his daughter Ella-Grace Margaret Trudeau, Ottawa, March 9, 2025. REUTERS/Amber Bracken/Pool Purchase Licensing Rights

[4/7]Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and her husband Graham Bowley look on after it was announced that former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney won the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as... Purchase Licensing Rights

[5/7]Frank Baylis gestures on the day members of Canada's Liberal Party gather to choose a successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 9, 2025. REUTERS/Blair Gable Purchase Licensing Rights

[6/7]Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney greets supporters after he won the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 9, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/Pool Purchase Licensing Rights

[7/7]former Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Justin Trudeau interact after former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney won the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 9, 2025. ... Purchase Licensing Rights

Carney's win marks the first time an outsider with no real political background has become Canadian prime minister. He has said his experience as the first person to serve as the governor of two G7 central banks - Canada and England - meant he was the best candidate to deal with Trump.

The prospect of a fresh start for the Liberal Party under Carney, combined with Trump's tariffs and his repeated taunts to annex Canada as the 51st U.S. state, led to a remarkable revival of Liberal fortunes.

RALLY-AROUND-THE-FLAG MOMENT

At the start of 2025, the party trailed by 20 or more points but is now statistically tied with the official opposition Conservatives led by career politician Pierre Poilievre in several polls.

At a protest outside Canada's Parliament building in Ottawa on Sunday, dozens of Canadians held up signs protesting Trump with no reference to domestic politics.

"There is a rallying-around-the-flag moment that we would never have predicted a year ago," said University of British Columbia politics professor Richard Johnston. "I think it's probably true as we speak that the Liberals have been saved from oblivion."

Polls though indicate that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives would be able to form a majority government. An election must be held by October 20.

Two Liberal Party sources said Carney would call an election in the coming weeks, meaning one could take place much sooner.

Carney could legally serve as prime minister without a seat in the House of Commons but tradition dictates that he should seek to win one as soon as possible.

Liberals sought to compare Conservative leader Poilievre to Trump in a recent advertisement. Poilievre in turn ramped up attacks on Carney on Sunday.

Source: Reuters

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Reporting by David Ljunggren, Promit Mukherjee and Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Caroline Stauffer, Mark Porter and Diane Craft

---

“FULL SPEECH: Justin Trudeau gives final speech as Liberal Party leader”

— Source

Veterans Fired From Federal Jobs Say They Feel Betrayed, Including Some Who Voted For Trump

1 of 4| James Stancil is seen outside the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Nathan Hooven is a disabled Air Force veteran who voted for Donald Trump in November. Barely three months later, he’s now unemployed and says he feels betrayed by the president’s dramatic downsizing of the federal government that cost him his job.

“I think a lot of other veterans voted the same way, and we have been betrayed,” said Hooven, who was fired in February from a Virginia medical facility for veterans. “I feel like my life and the lives of so many like me, so many that have sacrificed so much for this country, are being destroyed.”

The mass firing of federal employees since Trump took office in January is pushing out veterans who make up 30% of the nation’s federal workforce. The exact number of veterans who have lost their jobs is unknown, although House Democrats last month estimated that it was potentially in the thousands.

More could be on the way. The Department of Veterans Affairs — a major employer of veterans — is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Veterans represent more than 25% of the VA’s workforce.

---

READ Sweeping Layoffs! Conditions in America Have Only Just Begun to Change. Anger, chaos, and confusion take hold. The insight!

---

In interviews, several veterans who supported candidates of both parties described their recent job losses as a betrayal of their military service. They are particularly angered by how it happened: in an email that cited inadequate job performance — despite, they say, receiving positive reviews in their roles.

James Stancil, a 62-year-old Army veteran who was fired last month from his job as a supply technician at a VA hospital in Milwaukee, said it felt like he’d been shot and dumped out of a helicopter.

“And you just free fall and hit the ground — that’s it,” said Stancil, who supported Democrat Kamala Harris last year. “I’m not dead weight. You’re tossing off the wrong stuff.”

Stancil said the email he received telling him his performance wasn’t good enough came as “a complete shock” because he had previously received positive feedback. Hooven also said his performance was cited despite similarly positive feedback during his 11 months as a probationary employee.

“I’ve been blindsided,” Hooven said. “My life has been completely upended with zero chance to prepare. I was fired without notice, unjustly, based on a lie that I’m a subpar, poor performer at my job.”

Stancil said he believes Trump owes fired veterans an apology.

Asked this week about fired federal workers who are veterans, Alina Habba, a former member of Trump’s personal legal team who now serves as a counselor in the White House, defended the cuts.

“But at the same time, we have taxpayer dollars, we have a fiscal responsibility to use taxpayer dollars to pay people that actually work,” Habba told reporters. “That doesn’t mean that we forget our veterans, by any means. We are going to care for them in the right way. But perhaps they’re not fit to have a job at this moment, or not willing to come to work.”

Veterans were much likelier to support Trump than Harris in November’s presidential election, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted in all 50 states. Nearly 6 in 10 voters who are veterans backed Trump, while about 4 in 10 voted for Harris.

Cynthia Williams, an Army veteran who lost her job as a dispatcher at a VA in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said she didn’t vote for either candidate but suspects fellow veterans who backed Trump might have changed their minds had they known this was coming.

“It was blindsiding because he said he wanted to make the country great again … but this is not making it great again,” Williams said.

Matthew Sims, an Army veteran, lost his job last month as a program support assistant at a mental health clinic at a VA in Salem, Virginia, after moving with his wife and three children from Texas. He voted for Trump and said he supports reducing the size of the federal government but not this way.

“I support downsizing, but it’s just the way they’re going about doing it. It’s like the chainsaw approach, I guess, versus the surgical approach that they should be doing,” Sims said.

Jared Evans, a recreation therapist at the Salem VA, was fired in February, his eighth month as a probationary worker. Evans said a patient had just told him how much he appreciated his work when he received his email. He had moved from California with his wife, 3-year-old son, and 1-year-old daughter for a job that he had long wanted.

Evans, a 36-year-old Army veteran, was the only one working in his family. He said he feels scared, numb and angry.

“I cried,” Evans said about learning of his firing. “I haven’t done that in a while, because you’re just kind of free-falling now. You’re in an area to where you’re not really familiar with, and you’re just being left out to dry.”

This article first appeared on APNews!

Share your thoughts in the 'Post Comments' section of this article if you believe this is the appropriate way to downsize the federal workforce.

Ever Wonder Why Africa’s Borders Appear So Strange?

By Marium Ali | 23 Feb 2025 

Al Jazeera explores the stories behind Africa’s map, from winding borders to straight lines and landlocked nations.

(Al Jazeera)

Africa has the most countries of any continent with a total of 54.

Rather than following natural terrains or historical boundaries, many of its borders are strikingly straight in some areas and jagged in others, cutting through mountains, rivers, and even communities.

Most of these artificial borders trace back to the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, a meeting that concluded 140 years ago this week in which European powers carved up the continent among themselves with no African nations invited or represented.

In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera delves into the stories behind some of the continent’s most unusual borders.

Egypt or Sudan – why does no one want Bir Tawil?

Starting in northeastern Africa is a 2,000sq-km (795sq-mile) uninhabited, arid piece of land that neither Egypt nor Sudan wants to claim as their own.

In 1899, Britain drew a straight-line border along the 22nd parallel, a line of latitude 22 degrees north of the equator, separating Egypt and Sudan, two territories under British control

However, in 1902, Britain reassigned the coastal and resource-rich Hala’ib Triangle to Sudan and Bir Tawil to Egypt for geopolitical and administrative reasons.

Decades later, after both countries gained independence, Egypt insisted that the true border should follow the 1899 agreement while Sudan argued that it should follow the 1902 demarcation. Bir Tawil remains unclaimed by either country because claiming it would require forfeiting claims to the Hala’ib Triangle.

Egypt has controlled the Hala’ib Triangle since 2000, but the dispute remains unresolved.

(Al Jazeera)

Why is The Gambia so narrow?

As you travel along Africa’s western coast, you’ll see a narrow strip of land wrapped around the Gambia River and almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. This is The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa and home to about three million people.

First explored by the Portuguese in the 15th century, The Gambia later became a major hub in the transatlantic slave trade. It remained a British colony from 1821 until gaining independence in 1965. Due to its proximity to then-French Senegal, its territorial boundaries were a point of contention between British and French authorities.

In 1889, Britain and France formally established The Gambia’s borders, agreeing that British control would extend about 16km (10 miles) on either side of the river, reaching its furthest navigable point at Yarbutenda.

A popular legend suggests that British forces fired cannonballs from their ships to determine the country’s width, ensuring control over vital trade routes. While no evidence supports this claim, historical records indicate that an Anglo-French commission in 1891 tried to refine the borders but faced resistance from local rulers whose lands were being arbitrarily divided.

Ultimately, The Gambia’s borders were shaped by colonial interests and British military power, leaving it as a long, narrow enclave within Senegal.

(Al Jazeera)

Why is Cabinda part of Angola?

Heading south along the continent’s western coast, you’ll come across a small section of Angola separated from the rest of the country. This is Cabinda, Angola’s northern province, cut off from the rest of the country by a narrow strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Cabinda became part of Angola due to historical decisions made during Portuguese colonial rule.

During the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, Cabinda was formally recognised as a Portuguese possession, separate from Angola, although both were under Portuguese rule. Over time, Portugal administratively merged Cabinda with Angola, but the region remained geographically and culturally distinct.

When Portugal withdrew from its African colonies in 1975, the Alvor Agreement, signed with Angola’s main liberation groups, excluded Cabindan representation. and Cabinda was merged with Angola, primarily for its valuable offshore oil reserves.

This sparked resistance from the Cabindan independence movement, particularly the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda, which has continued to call for Cabinda’s independence from Angola.

(Al Jazeera)

Why does Namibia have a little panhandle?

As you move into Southern Africa, you may notice a narrow panhandle jutting out from Namibia. This is the Caprivi Strip.

Until the early 20th century, Germany controlled German South West Africa (now Namibia) and German East Africa (now Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) while Britain controlled the surrounding territories, including modern-day Botswana and Zambia.

Germany was looking for a direct trade route to link its territories and wanted access to the Zambezi River. The plan was to navigate the river to the Indian Ocean, providing a shortcut to Tanzania.

In 1890, Germany and Britain signed a treaty in which Germany gave up claims to Zanzibar in exchange for Heligoland, an island in the North Sea, and control of the Caprivi Strip, which met the Zambezi River.

However, Germany’s transport plan failed. It is believed that no one told the Germans about Victoria Falls – one of the world’s largest waterfalls with a 108-metre (354ft) drop, about 65km (40 miles) east of the strip, making it useless for transport.

(Al Jazeera)

Why is Lesotho surrounded by South Africa?

Nestled in the mountains of Southern Africa lies a small landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa called Lesotho.

In the 19th century, the Basotho people, led by King Moshoeshoe I, established their stronghold in the highlands, using the mountains as a natural defence against invaders like the Zulu and Boer settlers (Dutch farmers).

To resist Boer expansion, Moshoeshoe sought British protection in 1868, making Basutoland a British protectorate.

Attempts to place it under Colonial Cape rule failed due to Basotho resistance, and in 1884, Britain declared it a crown colony.

When the Union of South Africa formed in 1910, Basutoland remained under British rule, avoiding South Africa’s apartheid policies, and later gained independence in 1966 as Lesotho.

(Al Jazeera)

Why are three African countries named Guinea?

Four countries around the world have “Guinea” in their names, three of which are along the West African coast.

They are:

1. Guinea, formerly known as French Guinea, gained independence in 1958 and kept the name Guinea.

2. Guinea-Bissau, formerly known as Portuguese Guinea, gained independence in 1974 and added “Bissau” to its name to differentiate itself from neighboring Guinea.

3. Equatorial Guinea, formerly known as Spanish Guinea, gained independence in 1968 and added Equatorial to its name because it is near the equator.

On the other side of the world lies Papua New Guinea, named by a Spanish explorer who named it after Guinea in West Africa, believing the locals resembled its inhabitants.

The name Guinea is believed to have been derived from the Portuguese word Guine, which refers to the region along the West African coast. When European colonizers divided this region, each called their territory Guinea.

Fun fact: The British guinea coin, first minted in 1663, was named after the region of Guinea in West Africa because the gold used to produce it came from there.

(Al Jazeera)

Why are there two Congos?

On opposite sides of the Congo River lie two countries named after it: the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

Colonial powers Belgium and France established separate colonies along the river, naming each after it. The name Congo comes from the Kingdom of Kongo, a powerful kingdom that once flourished along the river.

(Al Jazeera)

Source: Al Jazeera

New Tariffs Imposed on Goods Entering the US From Canada, Mexico, and China

We have officially entered the ‘Find Out’ phase

Saturday, February 1, 2025

BREAKING News: Monday, February 3, 2025: Trump faces backlash from business as trade war sounds inflation alarm.

UPDATES: Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum says US tariffs are on hold for a month after talks with President Donald Trump; Canada 'misunderstood'

〰️

UPDATES: Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum says US tariffs are on hold for a month after talks with President Donald Trump; Canada 'misunderstood' 〰️

Trump has given a range of reasons for imposing tariffs, including border security, inflows of drugs, and trade deficits - Canada has already introduced retaliatory tariffs.

Canada and Mexico move to retaliate on Trump tariff orders. Moments after Ottawa Premier Doug Ford announced that US companies would be banned from Ontario Government provincial contracts as a direct consequence of tariffs. America only has Donald Trump to blame.

Every year, the Ontario government and agencies spend $30 billion on procurement along with a $200 billion plan to build Ontario. US-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues.

Ontario, the most populous of Canada’s ten provinces and its industrial heartland, also announced on Monday that it was canceling a C$100 million ($68.12 million) contract with Elon Musk's Starlink. This decision is the latest response to the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

‘Canada did not start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it’ ~ Doug Ford, Ottawa Premier.

The US president spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau to discuss the tariffs after the White House said Ottawa had “misunderstood” the situation. The two will speak again in a few hours.

---

LATEST UPDATE: Monday, February 3, 2025 | 5:12 PM EST.

Trump's sudden pause on tariffs with Canada and Mexico reveals uncertainty. While politicians may breathe easier with the halt in tariffs, the situation is more complicated.

Following an agreement to enhance border security, Canada plans to appoint a "fentanyl tsar," while Mexico will deploy 10,000 troops to the border as part of the deal with Trump. Canada is also facing increasing pressure to reduce its reliance on the United States and to reevaluate the nature of its cross-border relationship.

Buy Canada

Anger persists prompting calls for Canada to boost in-country trade while seeking more dependable international partners beyond the US.

---

China

China has placed counter-tariffs on US imports that will take effect on February 10.

Monday, February 3, 2025 | 7:30 PM EST.

Beijing hits back! China has announced retaliatory tariffs on certain American goods as U.S. tariffs on all Chinese products come into effect.

Beijing Strikes With Lightening Speed. China is not what it once was.

The Chinese tariffs due to begin on Monday would put a 15% import tax on US coal and liquefied natural gas, plus 10% on crude oil, agricultural machinery, pick-up trucks, and some sports cars. But there are signs that Beijing is in listening mode.

---

---

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on goods entering the US from Canada, Mexico, and China. The US president signed an executive order putting a 25% tariff or tax on imports of all goods coming from Canada and Mexico to get both countries to crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Additionally, goods from China will be subject to a 10% tariff on top of existing tariffs until the country addresses fentanyl smuggling.

President Trump views his actions as a central part of his economic vision. He sees tariffs as essential for growing the US economy, protecting jobs, and increasing tax revenue. Which Economists largely viewed [statement] as misleading.

We have officially entered the ‘Find Out’ phase

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, in his responses, announced retaliatory measures against the United States.

Canada’s response to U.S. tariffs. Justin Trudeau's best speech.

Canada will place 25% tariffs on $155 billion in US imports in retaliation for Trump tariffs. That is an addition to a nationwide boycott on all US products across Canada. #cdnpoli #tariffwar pic.twitter.com/VJavxmO6nH

— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) February 2, 2025

Canada is imposing a 25% tariff on $155 billion worth of American goods in response to the U.S. trade actions.

$30 billion worth of American goods will face immediate tariffs starting on Tuesday.

An additional $125 billion worth of American products will be subject to tariffs in 21 days, providing time for Canadian companies and supply chains to adjust and find alternatives.

Includes everyday consumer items like: American beer, wine, bourbon, fruits and fruit juices (specific mention of orange juice), vegetables, perfumes, clothing, and shoes.

It also includes major consumer products: household appliances, furniture, and sports equipment.

Canada is also targeting materials like lumber and plastics.

Canada is also exploring non-tariff measures related to critical minerals, energy procurement, and other strategic partnerships.

Talk about collateral damage

Some observers see Trudeau’s move as having done the math on how to respond. According to their observations, it will create food insecurity for Americans, bring car production to a halt, and worsen the current housing crisis in the United States.

The burden of tariffs can profoundly affect both the market and the everyday shopper

TRADE WAR

If a US importing firm chooses to pass the cost of a tariff onto consumers through higher retail prices, it is the American buyer who ultimately suffers the economic consequences.

On the other hand, if the importing firm decides to absorb the cost of the tariff without passing it on to consumers, it bears the economic burden itself, resulting in lower profits than it would have otherwise earned.

The leaders of Canada, Mexico, and China (L-R): Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada; Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico; and Xi Jinping, President of China.

The day after imposing significant new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China

A day after imposing significant new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, President Donald Trump acknowledged something that economists, members of Congress, and even some of his former aides have long been warning: Americans may have to bear the financial burden of these tariffs.

“THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!).”

— Trump posted, in all capital letters, on his Truth Social platform.

The question on everyone's mind is who ultimately bears the economic burden of tariffs.

Theo Edwards for YAME Digital

---

Please stay updated for ongoing developments. Refresh the article page for the latest information.

---

Mexico

Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, said in a post on X that she had also ordered retaliatory tariffs.

People walk along U.S. Route 101 during a protest against arrests and deportations of migrants by U.S. government agencies in Los Angeles, California

"I instruct the economy minister to implement Plan B that we have been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests," she wrote.

BREAKING: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has released the following video condemning Trump's tariffs and her plan for retaliation -- translated into English (subtitle translation is a bit rough).

This comes after she released the following written explanation:

"As… pic.twitter.com/g95NXRApC9

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 2, 2025

China

China says it will take retaliatory measures against US President Trump’s new tariffs, saying fentanyl is ‘America’s Problem.’

China's Ministry of Commerce, meanwhile, accused the United States in a statement released Sunday of violating World Trade Organization rules with the tariff.

The ministry said China would file a lawsuit with the WTO against the United States and take "corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests."

“Next up for Tariffs? The EU!”

— Trumps says US tariffs on imports from the EU will definately happen.

Mr. Trump stated to the BBC late Sunday that tariffs will definitely be imposed on the European Union over US oil and gas imports and could arrive 'pretty soon.' He noted that trade with the UK is ‘out of line,’ but believes a deal can be reached.

European Union warns it will retaliate if US President Trump imposes tariffs,.

---

RELATED

Prof. David Honig of Indiana University—Robert H. McKinney School of Law, wrote:

The Difference in the Negotiating Process: Distributive vs. Integrative Bargaining.

Distributive bargaining involves a competitive negotiation strategy where each party tries to maximize their own gain, often at the other party's expense. This approach is typically used when resources are limited, and the goal is to divide them.

In contrast, integrative bargaining focuses on collaboration between parties to achieve a win-win outcome. This strategy emphasizes mutual interests and aims to find solutions that satisfy both sides, allowing for greater value creation and a more sustainable agreement.

Understanding the distinction between these two bargaining styles is crucial for effective negotiation.

Distributive vs. Integrative Bargaining

Wonky Stuff

READ

Share your thoughts! Please leave your comments in the 'Post Comment' section of the article.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO)

Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) play a vital role in immigration enforcement. They oversee all aspects of the process, which includes identifying individuals, as well as their arrest, detention, and removal under immigration law. ERO typically learns about these individuals through Interpol notices, suspected terrorists, cases involving counter-proliferation crimes, the terrorist watch list, or the no-fly list.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has updated its Enforcement and Removal Operations page for the fiscal year ending December 2024. Currently, 1,563 Sierra Leoneans from a total of 1,445,549 Countries of Citizenship are scheduled for imminent removal.

These noncitizen individuals and families do not have a legal basis to remain in the country. The data is independent, and the figures do not account for the ongoing immigration sweep.

Preview or Download the full List of 1,445,549 Countries of Citizenship scheduled for imminent removal Here:

---

---

Countries of citizenship scheduled for imminent removal: What does this mean in simple terms?

Listen, to Dr. Hyce Bull's audio on the 1,563 Sierra Leonean Citizens scheduled for imminent removal.

Dr. Prince Hyce Bull

0:00 / 0:00

Download

---

---

RELATED

“The main difference between a green card and American citizenship is the level of rights and responsibilities.”

— Source

Citizens have more rights and responsibilities than green card holders, including the right to vote and run for office.

Rights

• Voting: Only citizens can vote in federal, state, and local elections

• Running for office: Only citizens can run for public office

• Passport: Only citizens can get a U.S. passport

• Deportation: Citizens are protected from deportation, while green card holders may be deported for certain crimes

• Military service: Citizens are required to serve in the military or on a jury when called for duty

Responsibilities

• Allegiance: Citizens have an obligation of allegiance to the United States

• Taxes: Citizens may be able to claim foreign tax credits and avoid double taxation

Other differences

• Green card holders must renew their green card every 10 years

• Green card holders may lose their status for certain crimes or if they remain outside the country for too long

• Green card holders may not be able to sponsor family members for green cards as easily as citizens

Special Counsel, Jack Smith's Final Report: Cutting through the noise and laying down the facts

Jack-Smith and Donald Trump

The US Department of Justice released Special Counsel Jack Smith's final report, claiming that Donald Trump illegally conspired to overturn the 2020 election.

The report lays out why charges were pursued or dropped—no politics, no games, just federal guidelines. It tackles two critical investigations involving Donald Trump: election Interference and Classified Documents. Smith dismantles Trump's 'witch hunt' cries and delves into how Trump tried to hijack democracy itself, bending federal laws to cling to power after losing in 2020. Some parts stay sealed.

---

READ The Second Coming: 2024 US Election

---

What does this say about our once-great nation?

The lengthy 137-page document, dated January 7, summarized years of Smith's investigation into the 2020 election interference case involving President-elect Donald Trump. It concluded that Trump would likely have been convicted in the case if he had not been elected president in 2024.

Preview or Download the full report Here:

Theo Edwards for YAME Digital

Tags #Final Report on the Special Counsel's Investigations and Prosecutions | #The US Department of Justice [DoJ] | #Jack Smith | #election-LAW-blog

---

Highlights from the "Final Report of the Special Counsel Under 28 C.F.R. § 600.8":

• Investigations: The report covers two major investigations involving former President Donald J. Trump. The first investigation focused on potential interference with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election. The second investigation examined the possession of highly classified documents at Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence
• Findings: The Special Counsel, Jack Smith, and his team conducted thorough investigations and subsequent prosecutions under their mandate. The report details the findings and prosecution decisions made during these investigations
• Public and Confidential Volumes: The report is divided into two volumes. Volume One is available to the public, while Volume Two remains confidential due to ongoing criminal proceedings
• Attorney General's Remarks: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the importance of independence and accountability in handling these sensitive matters. He highlighted the Department of Justice's commitment to impartiality and fairness
• Special Counsel's Commitment: Upon his appointment, Special Counsel Jack Smith pledged to exercise independent judgment, follow the best traditions of the Department of Justice, and conduct his work expeditiously and thoroughly to reach whatever outcome the facts and law dictated

Steve Bannon Slams ‘Toddler’ Elon Musk After Tesla Owner Tells Critics To ‘F**k Yourself In the Face’ As MAGA Civil War Rages On

Zachary Leeman Dec 28th, 2024, 10:15 am

Steve Bannon slammed Elon Musk as a “toddler” as the X owner doubled down on his views on H-1B work visas and his criticisms of American workers.

“Someone please notify ‘Child Protective Services’— need to do a ‘wellness check’ on this toddler,” Bannon wrote on Gettr on Friday night in response to Musk telling his critics to “fuck yourself in the face.”

“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” Musk wrote in the original X post. “Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot comprehend.”

Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have both earned the ire of fellow supporters of President-elect Donald Trump with their recent comments on American workers and support for H-1B work visas, specifically to fill tech jobs in the United States.

Musk previously endorsed a post calling American workers too “retarded” to perform high-skilled tech jobs.

In a lengthy post to X, Ramaswamy accused the United States of valuing “mediocrity over excellence for way too long,” going on to criticize the popularity of ’90s shows like Boy Meets World and the celebration of the “jock over the valedictorian.

The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if…

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024

Musk has taken things a step further, being accused of going back on his promise of X being a free speech haven as critics like Laura Loomer were stripped of their verification badges and locked out of their Twitter accounts as they accused Musk of pushing immigration views that go directly against Trump’s America First agenda.

“Those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem,” Musk said of his critics.

Yes.

And those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 27, 2024

In followup posts on Gettr, Bannon argued that H-1B visas are used as a “tool” of the tech industry to drive wages down and he told Musk to “bring it.”

“Bring.It.Dude—All of It,” he wrote in response to Musk promising “war” on the issue of H-1B visas.

On his War Room podcast on Friday, Bannon referred to tech leaders like Musk as “on the spectrum” and incapable of taking criticism.

“The nerds don’t take criticism,” he said. “They’re kind of, you know, they’re a little bit all on the spectrum, right? They don’t know– they’re not deep in social skills.”

This article first appears on mediaite.com

---

He has his motives, and they are not ours. Musk is now officially in a public meltdown.

He would burn the world for his own advantage. What’s your take! Please comment below.

https://t.co/t3zOozJvDe

Hot Take from an HR consultant on the H-1B visa debacle for tech workers.

— Yame.space (@SpaceYame) December 29, 2024

The Second Coming

2024 US Election

America and the world are livid

Google search 'election result 2024'. Select the view pane for President, Senate, House, etc. Toggle the 'All states' box under the US map by expanding the drop-down to find out more.

They say, "The eyes are the windows of the soul." Looking into the mirror, we see that America's soul is decidedly murky. The world was under the illusion that we Americans were so much better, but the election outcome indicates otherwise.

Something fundamentally wrong

Vanity Fair, the popular Condé Nast culture fashion, and current affairs magazine published a digital cover featuring a close-up image of him alongside the words: “34 felony counts, 1 conviction, 2 pending cases, 2 impeachments, and 6 bankruptcies, 4 more years—the 47th American president.”

In the wake of Trump’s victory. We have now elected a President with no guardrails. A man who promised to be a dictator from day one! A man who openly vowed to get rid of the Department of Education, which is a dog whistle for defunding Public Schools. The last time we checked that’s where most minorities send their kids to get an education. We have now elected a man who promised to gut down the EPA and has shown his disdain for NATO. We have now elected a man who at the ‘height of the pandemic in 2020, while the dead bodies of Americans were being dumped in trenches, secretly shipped our much-needed medications to Russia’ ~ Wall Street Journal. He now has control of the Congress, the Senate, the Justice Department, and the Supreme Court.

These election results beg the question: When will folks realize what they are up against and unite? Trump got more Hispanic votes than any other candidate since JFK. He called them rapists, animals, and crooks, yet 45% rode him to victory. Blacks are saying Kamala is not Black enough. Maybe they would prefer a Black candidate from the Ghetto who speaks Ebonics.

Analysts say race and gender played a significant role in Harris’s defeat, but so did voter disillusionment. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a scathing statement on the Democratic Party's ‘disastrous’ campaign after Vice President Kamala Harris lost.

Reflections Through a Dark Mirror

Jerry Seinfeld had it right: "It would be a nice world if it weren't for the people."

We have made our bed, and now we must lie in it. We must live with the decisions of this democratic process. For some, there is hope and joy; for others, there is worry and despair. Regardless of how you feel, we must face the outcome together. Considering everything that happened during his 45th term, it is difficult for us to understand the electorate's decision. However, we must now move forward, hoping that our democracy will not be destroyed in the process.

While we may have voted as a country, real change occurs in our local communities within America. We need to focus on our values and promote ideals that benefit everyone, one neighbor at a time.

Does this task feel overwhelming, naive, and overly hopeful? Without a doubt! But what’s the alternative? Destruction, division, and chaos await us if we don’t act!

Where we go from here is uncertain, but we hope America will do her best to act rightly, regardless of who is in D.C. God Bless us all!

Jonathan Pie | @JonathanPieNews

Trump wins the White House. Again. The Democrats blew it. Again. A depressing yet predictable result.

A depressing yet predictable result. pic.twitter.com/YAGfv2SAmd— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) November 6, 2024

Contributors: Ola George, Theo Edwards, and J. Reynold Weeks for YAME Digital

It's not that Kamala Harris lost; it's that America itself has lost. Share your thoughts!

Trump Picks Massad Boulos to Serve as Adviser on Arab, Middle Eastern Affairs

Andrea Shalal and Maya Gebeily | Sun, December 1, 2024 at 11:02 AM EST 5 min read

Eric Trump, his sister Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend Massad Boulos arrive for U.S. President Donald Trump's acceptance speech as the 2020 Republican presidential nominee in Washington

By Andrea Shalal and Maya Gebeily

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos would serve as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social. Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany, met repeatedly with Arab American and Muslim leaders during the election campaign.

It was the second time in recent days that Trump chose the father-in-law of one of his children to serve in his administration.

---

READ The Second Coming. In the wake of Trump’s victory

---

On Saturday, Trump said that he had picked his son-in-law Jared Kushner's father, real estate mogul Charles Kushner, to serve as U.S. ambassador to France.

In recent months, Boulos campaigned for Trump to drum up Lebanese and Arab American support, even as the U.S.-backed Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Boulos has powerful roots in both countries.

His father and grandfather were both figures in Lebanese politics and his father-in-law was a key funder of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party aligned with Hezbollah.

His son Michael and Tiffany Trump were married in an elaborate ceremony at Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago Club in November 2022, after getting engaged in the White House Rose Garden during Trump's first term.

Boulos has been in touch with interlocutors across Lebanon's multipolar political world, three sources who spoke to him in recent months say, a rare feat in Lebanon, where decades-old rivalries between factions run deep.

Particularly notable is his ability to maintain relations with Hezbollah, they say. The Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim party has a large number of seats in Lebanon's parliament and ministers in the government.

Boulos is a friend of Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian ally of Hezbollah and its candidate for Lebanon's presidency. The sources say he is also in touch with the Lebanese Forces Party, a vehemently anti-Hezbollah Christian faction, and has ties to independent lawmakers.

Aron Lund, fellow at the Century Foundation think tank, said Boulos was well placed to influence Trump's Middle East policy after playing a small but significant role in expanding Trump's appeal to Arab American and Muslim voters during the campaign.

"Boulos' Lebanese political past gives no real indication of a geostrategic or even national vision, but it demonstrates ambition and a set of political allies that will stand out in Trump's circle like a sore thumb," Lund wrote.

MICHIGAN WIN

Boulos, a billionaire with extensive business ties in Nigeria, was born in Lebanon, but moved to Texas as a teenager, where he attended the University of Houston, earned a law degree, and became a U.S. citizen.

His son and Trump's daughter, whose mother is Trump's second wife, Marla Maples, met on the Greek island of Mykonos, at actor Lindsay Lohan's club, People Magazine reported in 2022.

Trump's election win in Michigan came in part because of Boulos' help flipping some of the 300,000 Arab Americans and Muslims in the state who overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020 but opposed Biden's policies in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, Trump campaign officials and supporters told Reuters.

"Boulos played a big role in the outreach to Muslim voters," said Rabiul Chowdhury, co-founder of Muslims for Trump.

Beginning in September, the Trump campaign held weekly meetings in person and via Zoom with dozens of Arab American and Muslim civic leaders and business executives.

Boulos spent weeks on the ground in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other states with big Arab American and Muslim populations, assuring audiences in private lunches and dinners that tapped his own connections to Lebanese American businessmen that Trump was committed to ending the wars in the Middle East.

The Trump campaign spent tens of millions of dollars on the effort to mobilize Arab American and Muslim voters, Boulos told Reuters in an interview shortly after the election.

Trump won endorsements from Muslim imams and the Muslim mayor of Hamtramck, another town near Detroit with a large Arab American population, as well as the large Bangladeshi community, and courted Iraqi Americans, Albanian Americans, and others.

While the events on the ground in Lebanon played a factor, the economy did too. And conservative Arabs and Muslims were concerned about what they saw as the Democrats' "far-left ideology," including support of transgender rights, Boulos said.

Boulos met with members of the 150,000-strong Albanian community in Michigan.

POLITICAL AMBITIONS?

The new role could offer Boulos the kind of political clout he could not achieve in Lebanon. He had a brief run for Lebanon's parliament in 2018 alongside pro-Hezbollah candidates, but since then he has not consistently aligned himself with any particular party, sources in Lebanon said. He hails from a Greek Orthodox family. In Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, that would cap his chances at a senior role in government at the level of deputy speaker of parliament. The post of president - the highest Christian role in the country - is reserved for Maronite Catholics.

While he used to travel to Lebanon frequently, he has not visited in the last four years, one of the sources said.

Some people in Lebanon were hopeful about the prospects of having a friendly face in Trump's inner circle even before the announcement on Sunday.

"It's a nice thing - and hopefully he will work for Lebanon. And Trump maybe is of the type who makes a promise and could possibly be more loyal to it than others," said Hamdi Hawallah, a Lebanese man in his late 70s.

"So we're optimistic about him. These days we hold on to a piece of driftwood just to be optimistic."

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington and Maya Gebeily in Beirut, additional reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell)

Election 2024 Requiem for America

‘Policy’ vs. ‘Personality’

By Aaron Humes

On the eve of the presidential election, America finds itself at a crossroads. It seems that the country has a clear binary choice. However, the media pundits tell us that the election is too close to call. They say the country is bitterly divided, and a huge percentage of people are conflicted.

When it comes to policy and personal integrity the contrast could not be clearer.

In my mind's eye, there are a myriad of reasons why voting for Donald J. Trump is tantamount to voting for more chaos and division. A second Trump presidency is a dire possibility.

In the past four years, we have all been able to breathe a collective sigh of relief that we no longer have to worry about 'what did he do or say now?'

Those who are ‘on the fence’ have forgotten the stress of COVID-19 deaths, economic downfall, and increased racial and economic division. We must reflect and never forget where this so-called leader of the free world has led us and where he will lead us.

The United States is or was considered one of the most powerful countries in the world, yet we are behind other countries in embracing a female leader. The challenges facing America involve the human spirit, not politics. We must commit to choosing better to become better.

The stain of J6 has tarnished our once-stellar reputation and champion of democracy, globally. Therefore, on November 5, we must commit to a path that will help us regain respect, both internationally and for ourselves. It is crucial to consider the impact our decisions will have on future generations.

RELATED

The ‘Red Mirage’ on election night. Listen!

“There’s No Putting Lipstick On This Pig"

Who would have thought that Karl Rove would ever speak the truth — and yet he did.

By Theo Edwards for YAME

READ Harris Triggers Trump: Kamala demolished Donald. And so it goes. The Prosecutor vs. The Felon: Trump falls into Harris’s traps as he lies about abortion and ‘eating pets.’ Donald Trump appeared to fall apart in his first head-to-head debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening, providing rambling answers on illegal immigration, abortion, and the economy and taking the bait whenever his opponent goaded him.

Republican strategist Karl Rove has BLASTED Donald Trump's disastrous debate performance, saying: “There’s no putting lipstick on this pig. Trump was crushed by a woman he previously dismissed as ‘dumb as a rock.''’

Which raises the question: What does that make him?”

Well, we asked our readers and the responses were hilarious:

What does that make, Trump? Best answer wins.🏆

“The jokes kept on writing themselves.”

— The responses:

‘They’re eating the DOGS! They’re eating the PETS! ~ Donald J. Trump, during the Presidential debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Pretty catchy song 😂

Republicans Are Eating Each Other Alive: Things aren’t going so well in Trump’s party, as Sen. Lindsey Graham warned Trump to stop hanging out with Laura Loomer. Loomer responded by telling Graham to come out of the closet. “Please, Lindsey, come out in full drag as our, JD.” Make America Gay Again (MAGA): Laura Loomer questions Lindsey Grahams’s sexuality!

That Debate! We all heard without saying the word. We all heard it. What Kamala did during the debate was genius. I am happy to see that I wasn’t the only one that saw that.

Yup! We heard it all the way up in Canada. Exactly what she called him.

Been watching Presidential Debates since the 80s. She was Masterful!

He was smoked perfectly well! That was so presidential.

Ohio: Watch the moment that an entire debate watch party laughed at Donald Trump uncontrollably as his campaign came crashing and burning down. Credit Source: Courtesy

"And that's why he doesn't want another debate, even with FOX News."

There’s NO spinning what happened Tuesday night.

Deeply stupid! He easily transitioned from one stupid to another silly, which didn't faze him.

A complete Fruit Loop 🤣🤣😀

THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS pic.twitter.com/lQqMW5l8pT

— Tarquin 🇺🇦 (@Tarquin_Helmet) September 11, 2024

I couldn't help but laugh when I watched this one.

pic.twitter.com/X6aPI1AzkU

— Gene Trevino (@GenoVeno73) September 13, 2024

He got whooped so bad last time that he and his running mate had to cook up some crazy shit about migrants to try and distract.

It's too bad they don't make steel-spine journalists like Barbara Walters who could look Trump in the face and tell him how FULL OF SHIT (PooPoo) he is. Journalists like her are rare. And moments like that show the power of holding people accountable. She has exactly the receipts she needs for every question she asks. CLASSIC!

pic.twitter.com/V2s6X519Ln

— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) September 26, 2024

Stay tuned for more updates.

Please continue to post your comments as a guest /anonymous.

Analysis: 4 Key Moments From The Harris-Trump Debate

Harris at debate: "I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump"

Philadelphia: September 10, 2024

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Trump falls into Harris’s traps as he lies about abortion and ‘eating pets.’ Donald Trump appeared to fall apart in his first head-to-head debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening, providing rambling answers on illegal immigration, abortion, and the economy and taking the bait whenever his opponent goaded him.

Andrew Romano · Reporter | yahoo!news | Wed, September 11, 2024 at 12:40 AM EDT

The stakes couldn’t have been higher when Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met Tuesday night for their only scheduled debate of the 2024 contest.

In the previous clash, President Biden — then the presumptive Democratic nominee — delivered such a wobbly performance that his own party soon forced him to withdraw. Now, after an initial burst of momentum for Harris, the polls show the race is (once again) too close to call.

With less than two months to go until Election Day — and no other debates on the calendar — Tuesday could have been the last best chance for Harris and Trump to shake things up before voters start casting their ballots. So who had a better night? Here are four takeaways from the face-off in Philadelphia.

Harris triggers Trump

The vice president spent most of her career as a prosecutor before heading to Washington. It showed Tuesday night.

To be sure, Harris used her time on stage to “prosecute the case” against Trump, as expected, criticizing his positions on taxes, abortion, the border, Jan. 6, Ukraine, Obamacare and so on.

But more important than what Harris told viewers about Trump — all of which they’ve heard before, and largely learned to tune out — was what she managed to show them: How easily he can be baited into losing control.

Skillful prosecutors know how to provoke self-incriminating behavior — and that was very much Harris’s strategy during the debate. Again and again, she set traps for Trump; again and again, he walked right into them.

Harris “invited” viewers to attend Trump’s rallies, for instance, where he “talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter” and “people start leaving … early out of exhaustion and boredom.” Moments later, after defensively claiming that “we have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics,” Trump suddenly started ranting about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, “eating the pets of the people that live there” — a claim that has no basis in reality.

READ Springfield, Ohio: A central Ohio city at a heated political conversation about immigration after political leaders make claims without evidence. Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, through his office, released a statement saying there's no evidence of any cats or other pets being harmed or eaten by the Haitian immigrants.

Harris’s goal was to puncture Trump’s sense of pride. She attacked his business acumen (“he got $400 million on a silver platter” from his father, she said, “then filed for bankruptcy six times”); his military leadership (“world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump”); and his political success (“Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people … clearly he’s having a very difficult time processing that”) — and then stood aside as her opponent demonstrated, on live TV, that he can’t keep his cool in confrontational, high-pressure situations.

“These dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they're so clear they can manipulate you with flattery and favors,” Harris said at one point. “That is why we understand that we have to have a president who is not consistently weak and wrong on national security.”

No, “she's the one … that's weak,” Trump sputtered in response. But that’s not how Harris made it seem on stage.

Trump avoids ‘her’ while Harris addresses ‘you’

Presidential debates aren’t collegiate point-scoring affairs; they’re usually won or lost on vibes and moments rather than wonkery. And what was striking about Tuesday’s debate between Trump and Harris, aside from the words they said, was how differently they acted toward each other — and to the audience.

The tone was set in the opening seconds. Trump ambled slowly in from the wings, heading for his podium; Harris went directly to Trump and initiated a handshake that he seemed to want to avoid. “Let’s have a good debate,” Harris said.

That pattern — Trump avoidant, Harris direct — repeated itself throughout the evening. Trump only referred to his rival as the “vice president” once: to call her the “worst vice president in the history of our country.” Otherwise, he seemed only able to address Harris in the third person, as “she” or “her” — as if she wasn’t there. He rarely made eye contact.

In contrast, Harris called Trump the “former president” more than a dozen times — and when she wasn’t referring to Trump by his title, she was looking right at him and addressing him as “you.”

Harris did the same thing to the camera, and by extension, the people watching at home. “You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your needs and your desires,” she said. “And I'll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will.”

Harris and Trump’s respective behavior and body language reinforced that message — that only one candidate on stage was comfortable confronting the other, and that only one was interested in connecting with undecided voters.

One issue to rule them all … at least for Trump

Forced to play defense for much of the debate, Trump instinctively retreated to his comfort zone: immigration. No matter what the question was about, the former president found a way to accuse Harris — whom he inaccurately called Biden’s “border czar” — of “destroying the country” by allowing “millions of criminals” to pour into the country via Mexico.

Never mind that the best available data suggests the crime rate has fallen significantly over the past few years, down near the lowest levels ever recorded, and that numerous studies have found that immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than U.S.-born citizens. Trump has been running on the border for years, and he’s not about to stop now.

But what about when the debate turned to other issues — like, say, abortion?

There, Trump claimed that overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to ban the procedure was “what everybody wanted — Democrats, Republicans, and everybody else” (despite polls showing otherwise).

Harris was ready to pounce.

“I have talked with women around our country,” she said. “This is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail, and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot — she didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12- or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that. And I pledge to you when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade — as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.”

In the run-up to the debate, much was made about the need for Harris to provide voters with more specifics. But while Trump accused Harris Tuesday of simply copying Biden’s agenda — “She IS Biden,” he snapped — he actually ceded the “policy” card to her by returning to the border so many times and saying so little of substance elsewhere.

“Clearly, I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump,” Harris said. “What I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country — one who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people.”

Harris then mentioned her “plan to give startup businesses a $50,000 tax deduction to pursue their ambitions, their innovation, their ideas, their hard work”; her plan to create a “$6,000 [tax credit] for young families, for the first year of your child's life;” her plan to offer “$25,000 [in] down payment assistance for first time home buyers.”

“That's the kind of conversation I believe... people really want tonight, as opposed to a conversation that is constantly about belittling and name-calling,” Harris concluded.

Trump has some plans too (or "concepts of a plan," as he put it when asked what he would replace Obamacare with). But the former president was too busy calling America “a failing nation” beset by foreign criminals to talk much about them.

The most consequential moment of this campaign?

That’s how ABC News billed the debate during its pre-show. But it remains to be seen whether Tuesday’s spectacle will move the needle.

Because Trump is such a familiar figure — and because views of him are so fixed — there’s little left for him to say or do to change how voters see him, one way or the other. Getting repeatedly fact-checked by ABC’s moderators won’t upend his campaign. So the former president is likely to hold onto the 45% or so of voters who tell pollsters they support him — the same 45% who voted for him in 2016 and 2020.

Yet 45% isn’t enough to win an election. What Trump really needed to do Tuesday night was change how voters see Harris — or let Harris do the job herself. Instead, Trump allowed his opponent to project precisely the kind of presidential, forward-looking positivity she wanted to project — without provoking any of the meandering, word-salad responses that have caused her problems in the past.

That probably means Harris won the debate. But two months can be an eternity in politics — and winning a debate isn’t the same thing as winning in November.

RELATED

“LIVE: ABC News Presidential Debate: Harris and Trump meet in Philadelphia”

— Moderated by “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis

Harris at debate: "I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump"

“And then he said, ‘They’re eating the dogs! They’re eating the pets!’ Video Excerpt from the Presidential debate on September 10, 2024.”

— Courtesy New York Post @nypost on TikTok

READ Springfield, Ohio: A central Ohio city at a heated political conversation about immigration after political leaders make claims without evidence. Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, through his office, released a statement saying there's no evidence of any cats or other pets being harmed or eaten by the Haitian immigrants.

Apparently, their newfound relationship blossomed overnight. And by Wednesday, they shook hands for a second time, about 12 hours after their first handshake, at a ceremony in Manhattan to commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. And the niceties didn’t end there.

“Trump’s Surprise Compliment to Harris About That Debate— ‘Good job.’”

— Mary Ann Akers | Wed, September 11, 2024 at 2:52 PM EDT

“Good job,” Trump told Harris as they shook hands when they both arrived to sit in the front row for the commemoration, according to a source at the event.

Donald Trump has had really bad—even vile—things to say about Kamala Harris, who he’d never met until their epic Tuesday night debate when she forced him to shake hands before igniting his implosion on stage.

READ Trump’s Surprise Compliment to Harris About That Debate | DAILY BEAST

What's Behind White-America Support for Donald J. Trump

Jared Taylor White-America

In Video: Excerpt

The 45th lost the 2020 election, trailing Biden by about 7 million votes. He made repeated and false claims of election fraud, in the process fueling the violence of Jan. 6, 2021. He continues to push those falsehoods.

He was impeached for his role in the Jan. 6 — becoming the only president in American history to be twice impeached. Throughout 2023 was indicted four times and faces 91 criminal charges. Separately, in a civil trial last May, he was found liable for the sexual abuse of writer E. Jean Carroll.

Despite all of this, the majority of white Americans still express their unflinching support for the Don. Why? You have to watch and listen to the recording. Just Listen!

In Video: What's Behind White-America Support for Donald J. Trump.

Jared Taylor White-America

So, who is Jared Taylor speaking for White-America?

You Can Feel Something Historic Building in The Air

Philadelphia: August 6, 2024

Kamala Harris delivers a show-stopping rally in front of a roaring crowd in Pennsylvania with her new running mate Tim Walz — and shares a moving anecdote.

"So America, for some folks, they're just getting to know Coach Walz's story," said Harris to the enthusiastic crowd. "And I'll tell you he is the proud product of a middle-class family in rural Nebraska. He is a veteran who served our nation in uniform for more than two decades as a member of the Army National Guard and he went to college on the G.I. Bill."

"He is someone who long before he entered politics worked as a teacher. When Coach Walz and his wife Gwen moved from his native Nebraska to Minnesota nearly thirty years ago they both took jobs at the local high school," Harris continued.

"Coach Walz taught social studies. Gwen taught English. After school, Tim was the linebackers' coach for the football team where I've heard the stories, he had a knack for using the game of football to teach life lessons," she went on. "He saw the potential in kids who sometimes didn't even see it in themselves."

"Under those Friday night lights, Coach Walz motivated his players to believe they could achieve anything, and together they defied the odds — hear this out — going from a winless record to the school's first-ever state championship," said Harris.

At that point, the crowd lost it, applauding and cheering at the top of their lungs.

"And I'll say and I'll add: Tim wasn't only a role model on the football field," continued Vice President Harris. "Around that time, Coach Walz was approached by a student in his social studies class. The young man was one of the first openly gay students at the school and was hoping to start a gay-straight alliance."

"At a time when acceptance was difficult to find for LGBTQ students, Tim knew the signal that it would send to have a football coach get involved," she continued. "So he signed up to be the group's faculty adviser. And as students have said, he made the school a safe place for everybody."

"In the high school yearbook, the students voted Coach Walz the most inspiring faculty member," said Harris. "And as I think everyone he can see, Tim Walz was the kind of teacher and mentor that every child in America dreams of having and that every kid deserves."

"The kind of coach — because he's the kind of person — who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big and that's the kind of vice president he will be," said Harris, as the crowd once again roared.

"And that's the kind of vice president America deserves!" she added.

What a breath of fresh air!

The Harris-Walz campaign released its first video introducing Tim Walz to America. Please watch and share!

The Harris-Walz campaign just dropped their first Tim Walz video, introducing him to America.

Please watch and share widely!! pic.twitter.com/9j7hAyPuwh

— Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸 (@NickKnudsenUS) August 6, 2024

Occupy Democrats | @OccupyDemocrats

---

“Who is Tim Walz? Meet Kamala Harris VP pick.”

— On 'X' formerly Twitter

When I called @Tim_Walz this morning to ask him to join our campaign, I shared my deep level of respect for him and the work we've done together.

We're going to unify this country and we're going to win.

Let's go get this done. pic.twitter.com/EcqZ497lyk

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2024

The moment Kamala Harris called Tim Walz to ask him to join her campaign as her VP pick.

Comment from Barrack Obama on Twitter

Like Vice President Harris, Governor @Tim_Walz believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Gwen, their family, and our country.

https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1820838206037794848

China Reconciliation Talks Between Fatah, Hamas, and Palestinian Factions Sign Reconciliation Agreement

July 23, 2024

The factions have agreed on an ‘interim national reconciliation government’, says the Chinese Foreign Ministry

READ: Al Jazeera: Hamas and Fatah sign unity deal in Beijing aimed at Gaza governance

Mahmoud al-Aloul, vice chairman of the Central Committee of Fatah (L), China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), and Mousa Abu Marzouk, senior Hamas member, attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, July 23 [Pedro Pardo/AFP]

---

---

Firas | @FirasPalestine on ‘X,’ formally Twitter 

China reconciliation talks between Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian factions sign reconciliation agreement.

The national factions agreed during their meetings in China to achieve comprehensive Palestinian national unity, including all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). They committed to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and ensuring the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194.

The participants also agreed on the Palestinian people's right to resist occupation and end it according to international laws and the United Nations Charter. They decided to form a temporary national unity government with the consensus of the Palestinian factions by decree of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas based on the Palestinian Basic Law. This government will begin by unifying all Palestinian institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state, initiating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and preparing for general elections under the supervision of the Central Elections Commission as soon as possible, according to the approved election law.

The Palestinian factions meeting in Beijing are:

• Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah)

• Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)

• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

• Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine

• Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement

• Palestinian People's Party

• Palestinian Popular Struggle Front

• Palestinian National Initiative Movement

• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command

• Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA)

• Palestinian Liberation Front

• Arab Liberation Front

• Arab Palestinian Front

• Vanguards of the Popular Liberation War (As-Sa'iqa Forces)

The attendees agreed on the following points:

1. Unifying national efforts to confront Zionist aggression and stop the genocide perpetrated by the occupying state and settler gangs supported by the United States of America. They also agreed to resist attempts to displace our people from their homeland, Palestine, and to force the Zionist entity to end its occupation of the Gaza Strip and all other occupied territories, while maintaining the unity of Palestinian lands, including the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

2. The Palestinian factions welcomed the opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the illegitimacy of the Israeli presence, occupation, and settlements on the land of the State of Palestine and emphasized the need for their removal as soon as possible.

3. Based on the National Reconciliation Agreement signed in Cairo on 4/5/2011 and the Algiers Declaration signed on 12/10/2022, the factions agreed to continue following up on the implementation of agreements to end the division with the assistance of Egypt, Algeria, and friends in the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation as follows:

a) Commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, following relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly Resolutions 181 and 2334, and ensuring the right of return following Resolution 194.

b) The right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation and end it following international laws and the United Nations Charter, and the right of people to self-determination and their struggle to achieve it by all available means.

c) Formation of a temporary national unity government with the consensus of the Palestinian factions and by a decision from the President based on the applicable Palestinian Basic Law. This government will exercise its powers and authority over all Palestinian territories, emphasizing the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. It will begin by unifying all Palestinian institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state, initiating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and preparing for general elections under the supervision of the Central Elections Commission as soon as possible, according to the approved election law.

d) Until practical steps are taken to form the new National Council according to the approved election law, and to deepen political partnership in bearing national responsibility and developing the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), it was confirmed to activate and regularize the unified temporary leadership framework for partnership in political decision-making as agreed upon in the Palestinian National Reconciliation Document signed on May 4, 2011.

4. Resisting and thwarting attempts to displace our people from their homeland, especially from the Gaza Strip or in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and affirming the illegitimacy of settlements and settlement expansion following the decisions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly and the opinion of the International Court of Justice.

READ: UN Top Court Says Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories is Illegal

5. Working to break the brutal siege on our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and to deliver humanitarian and medical aid without restrictions or conditions.

6. Supporting and endorsing the heroic steadfastness of our struggling people and their valiant resistance in Palestine to overcome the wounds and destruction caused by the criminal aggression, and to rebuild what the occupation destroyed, supporting the families of martyrs and the wounded, and all those who lost their homes, properties, and sources of livelihood.

7. Confronting the occupation's conspiracies and its continuous violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and resisting any harm to it and the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

8. Paying tribute to the martyrs of the Palestinian people and reaffirming full support for the brave prisoners in the occupation's prisons and camps, who are subjected to various forms of torture and repression, and prioritizing all efforts possible to liberate them from the occupation's captivity.

In light of this declaration, the attendees agreed on a collective mechanism to implement all aspects of the declaration and decided to consider the meeting of the general secretaries as a starting point for the urgent work of the joint national teams. It was also decided to set a timeline for implementing this declaration.

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

Joe Biden Drops Out of 2024 Race Amid Growing Pressure From Top Democrats

Sunday, July 21, 2024

WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden said Sunday he is ending his bid for reelection amid intense pressure from Democratic leaders sounding the alarm that his path to beat former President Donald Trump in November had vanished.

JOEY GARRISON AND SWAPNA VENUGOPAL RAMASWAMY, USA TODAY | Updated July 21, 2024 at 2:07 PM

WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden said Sunday he is ending his bid for reelection amid intense pressure from Democratic leaders sounding the alarm that his path to beat former President Donald Trump in November had vanished.

The president's historic withdrawal throws the 2024 race − already roiled by a shocking attempt on Trump's life − into uncertain territory, with Vice President Kamala Harris widely seen as the Democrat most likely to take Biden's place atop the party's ticket.

Biden made the announcement from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he's self-isolated since testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday night.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden said in a letter addressed to Americans. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to stand down and to focus solely on my duties as President for the rest of my term."

Biden quickly endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee in a separate statement on X. He said he would speak to the nation later this week to provide more details about his decision.

It marks an extraordinary turn for Biden, who for three weeks remained defiant in the face of growing calls from Democratic lawmakers that he withdraw after a disastrous June 27 debate with Trump raised scrutiny over the president's mental fitness.

In his statement, Biden reflected fondly on his four years in office, saying the U.S. has built the “strongest economy in the world” while touting efforts to lower prescription drug prices, expand health care, tackle climate change, and appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

President Joe Biden speaks on economics during the Vote To Live Properity Summit at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024.

The decision upends the 2024 election less than 110 days before Election Day, with Democratic National Committee members now tasked with choosing an alternative nominee to take on Trump, whose polling lead has swelled while Democrats have fought internally.

Biden's departure will soon mean the end of a five-decade career in Washington that began in 1972 with an upset victory for the U.S. Senate in Delaware. He served as a senator for 36 years, and then as Obama's vice president from 2009 to 2017. Biden returned to public life to run against Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He framed the race as a "battle for the soul of the nation" and defeated Trump 51%-47% in the popular vote.

Keep up with the USA TODAY Network's live updates. [Refresh HERE!]

Josh Shapiro calls Biden a 'patriot'

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hailed Joe Biden as a “patriot” and commended his work as president in a social media post on Sunday shortly after the president announced he was dropping out of the 2024 race.“President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom,” Shapiro wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Shapiro has been floated as a potential Democratic presidential nominee to replace Biden, or as a vice presidential nominee if Kamala Harris takes over the top of the ticket. Shapiro did not mention Harris in his message Sunday.“I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania — the Commonwealth that raised him,” Shapiro said about Biden in the post.

−Karissa Waddick

Schumer says Biden put 'his country, his party, and our future first'

Chuck Schumer shared in a post on X that "Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he's a truly amazing human being."

"His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American," he added.

−Marina Pitofsky

Biden exits race amid widespread pressure, mounting concerns about his age

Biden's exit came after he received bleak warnings from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., that his candidacy could lead to massive losses for Democrats in the Senate and House. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared similar concerns to Biden.

More than 30 congressional Democrats had called for Biden to bow out. Former President Barack Obama reportedly also relayed fears privately to Democratic allies about Biden's prospects of beating Trump. Democratic donors from Hollywood to Wall Street also came out against Biden continuing his reelection bid.

Biden, 81, has battled Americans’ concerns over his age since he took office but it turned into panic for Democrats after last month's first debate with Trump, the Republican nominee. Biden's voice sounded faint, he struggled to complete sentences and finish thoughts, and he failed to rebut many of Trump's claims on the debate stage.

Biden's campaign was in a free fall over the past few weeks with his future in doubt. Instead of focusing solely on Trump, Democrats spent as much time and energy debating whether Biden could even defeat his predecessor.

Fundraising for the Biden campaign took a dramatic hit. And Biden not only fell behind in key battleground states that will decide the election, but his growing unpopularity seemed to put recent Democratic strongholds like Virginia in play for Trump.

−Joey Garrison and Swapna Venugopal

Biden becomes first incumbent not to seek reelection since LBJ

Biden becomes the first incumbent president not to seek reelection since Lyndon B. Johnson who, in 1968 amid national unrest and turmoil within the Democratic Party over the Vietnam War, stunned the nation with his decision not to seek a second full term.

− Joey Garrison

Who could replace Biden?

With Biden's endorsement, Harris is the clear frontrunner to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, but the party's bench of Democratic governors could also be in the mix including Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gavin Newsom of California.

− Joey Garrison

Trump knocks Biden after exit

Donald Trump, in a post on his social media web site Truth Social after Biden’s exit, wrote: "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!”

“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly,” Trump added.

−Joey Garrison

Jill Biden reacts to Joe Biden dropping out of 2024 race

First lady Jill Biden reposted the president's message on Sunday with heart emojis. She also retweeted her husband's message endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

pic.twitter.com/RMIRvlSOYw

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

− Marina Pitofsky

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden drops out: President leaves 2024 race amid party pressure

With Biden out of presidential race, Kamala Harris emerges as frontrunner with his endorsement

---

RELATED

“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order. ”

— Barak Obama | Sunday, July 21, 2024

Barak Obama

Full Statement on President Biden’s Announcement

Click Here

“More than that, President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump’s administration. Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best — a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life” ~ Barak Obama.