Colombia agrees to take deported migrants after tariff showdown with Trump

The White House claimed victory in a showdown with Colombia over accepting flights of deported migrants from the U.S. on Sunday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs on imports and other sanctions on the longtime U.S. partner.

Long close partners in anti-narcotics efforts, the U.S. and Colombia clashed Sunday over the deportation of migrants and imposed tariffs on each other’s goods in a show of what other countries could face if they intervene in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCamp Of The Saints, USA

Justin Trudeau Puts Canada on Ice

Both sides of the political aisle in Ottawa were relieved when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally resigned on Jan. 6. But the timing and the way he did it couldn’t be worse for Canada. It’s one of many reasons why Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is the heavy favorite to win the next federal election.

Mr. Trudeau’s decision to call it quits—but not to leave office immediately—puts the Canadian government under the command of a lame duck for the next few months. It’s not a good look for Canada while Donald Trump is threatening to abrogate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and put 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government, USA

Confident, organised, still freewheeling: Trump 2.0 has learned from past

On Saturday evening, as his plane headed from Las Vegas to Miami during a whirlwind, coast-to-coast first trip since returning to office, US President Donald Trump made his way to the back of Air Force One to talk to gathered reporters.

On the in-flight television screens, Fox News was back, having replaced CNN – and the president, fresh from a week in which he upended America’s government and ripped up its immigration policies, was feeling confident.

“We’re getting A-pluses on the work done – and also the amount of work done,” he said in response to a question from the BBC.

h/t XC

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inPresident Trump

Trump Aides Want to Hit Mexico, Canada With Tariffs Before Talks

Momentum is growing among President Trump’s advisers to place 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada as soon as Saturday, bucking conventional wisdom in Washington and on Wall Street that he would back off the threatened levies as he has in the past in exchange for concessions.

Trump has shown a willingness to move swiftly on tariffs in recent days without allowing for drawn-out talks. On Sunday, Trump announced—and then backed off—a threat to impose 25% tariffs on Colombia, citing its initial refusal to accept repatriation flights from the U.S. A senior administration official said the decision, despite the pullback, proves that Trump views tariffs as an “effective negotiating tool” and “effective punishment” for nations that don’t hew to his agenda.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA

Detroit hopes Trump’s tariffs will jump-start its car factories

On a freezing afternoon in Detroit, the doors of a giant car plant swung open and workers in hoods and hats began to step out into the falling snow. They were tired and cold after a shift that began at dawn. Many now faced a long drive home.

But at least some took a moment to consider the attention being lavished on them by their new president. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump singled them out as heroes of the US workforce. “These truly great Americans do not get the credit they deserve,” he declared in a speech in Michigan. “I’m pinpointing you for greatness,” he said in another.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"EV's - Electric Vehicles", "Net-Zero Tyranny", Canada, USA

LILLEY: Canada’s protectionist hypocrisy is hurting us with U.S.

“They’ve been very nasty to us on trade. Historically, Canada has been very, very bad to us on trade,” President Donald Trump said on Friday.

The Canadian response to these words has been to scoff and claim that Canada is the best trading partner the U.S. has. Turns out both of those things can be true at the same time, and if you listen to the Americans, they have several serious issues with us.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA

Police officers advised not to say ‘black sheep’ or ‘blacklisted’ over racism fears

Police officers have been told not to use the terms “black sheep” and “blacklisted” in case they offend someone.

A nine-page document, seen by The Telegraph, was published online in 2023 in a diversity, equality and inclusion reference guide for staff at Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire constabularies.

It stated that “pregnant person” should be used instead of references to pregnant women and “Christian-centric” language like the term “faith” should be avoided.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Peak Woke"

The federal public service needs downsizing, and Poilievre’s the man to do it

Like an untended lawn that’s become encased in unpleasant brush, the Canadian public service is overgrown. It needs a lot more than a couple of passes with a lawnmower — it needs a chainsaw, and only Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has the guts to wield it.

On Wednesday, the Tories set out clear benchmarks for the public service cleanup. The plan is to not replace employees when they leave, the party’s deputy leader, Melissa Lantsman, told the National Post. Given that around 17,000 staff members end their service each year, that will reduce the size of the federal workforce by upwards of 68,000 positions over a four-year mandate

I’ll believe it when I see it.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, Conservative Party

Trudeau plans on stacking Senate before retiring: source

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning a final wave of appointments to fill the 10 vacancies in the Senate before he retires in March, Radio-Canada has learned.

The move would allow him to leave a mark on Parliament for years to come, as these unelected legislators will be able to sit until the age of 75.

A source familiar with the matter says that the selection process for the future senators is already underway and should be completed before his departure. After proroguing Parliament earlier this month, Trudeau announced that he will leave power after the Liberal Party chooses a new leader on March 9.

The most hated PM in history is intent on causing Canada as much harm as possible.

My guess is he will deliberately sabotage tariff negotiations with President Trump.

h/t Mauser

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada's Corrupt Liberal Government

The pre-Trump world was no haven of peace and stability

The era of ‘humanitarian’ interventionism wrought chaos and misery. Good riddance.

Some of President Donald Trump’s typically bombastic foreign-policy pronouncements have sounded a little, well, imperialist. He has breezily suggested turning Canada into America’s 51st state, talked up taking the Panama Canal back under US control and spoken frequently of buying Greenland from Denmark, even going so far as to refuse to rule out military action if his monetary advances are refused.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inPresident Trump

Trump officials issue quotas to ICE officers to ramp up arrests

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have been directed by Trump officials to aggressively ramp up the number of people they arrest, from a few hundred per day to at least 1,200 to 1,500, because the president has been disappointed with the results of his mass deportation campaign so far, according to four people with knowledge of the briefings.

The quotas were outlined Saturday in a call with senior ICE officials, who were told that each of the agency’s field offices should make 75 arrests per day and managers would be held accountable for missing those targets. The four people spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose internal briefings.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCamp Of The Saints, USA

Why Donald Trump Is Racing So Fast to Remake America

Four years after departing Washington, defeated and with the nation reeling from the attack on the Capitol, Donald Trump walked through the doors of the White House’s South Portico as the 47th president.

“It’s great to be back,” he told members of the household staff who applauded his return on Inauguration Day.

Trump then proceeded to kick off a first week in office unlike any other, dominating attention in the U.S. and abroad as he raced to fulfill campaign promises, make deals and settle scores.

Facing high expectations and a limited political window, the president headed to the Oval Office hours after he was sworn in Monday. A stack of executive orders waited on the Resolute Desk for his signature, and an aide asked if Trump wanted to assemble the press corps.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inPresident Trump

Black feminist math equals lowered IQs

It is often observed that students across the nation, but particularly in the schools of large cities and blue states, are learning little. It’s not uncommon to discover huge portions of kids in those cities can’t read, write or do math and many graduate from high school functionally illiterate. That this is on purpose is horrifying:

A recent study suggests that, for the first time in nearly 100 years, Americans’ average intelligence quotient (IQ) is declining.

The professors who authored the study theorize that the quality of education could play a role in reversing the IQ gains enjoyed by previous generations.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inEducation

Gen Z doubts about democracy laid bare in ‘worrying’ survey

More than half believe the UK should be a dictatorship and there’s a stark gender divide over equality, research for Channel 4 shows

Most young people are in favour of turning the UK into a dictatorship, according to a “deeply worrying” study, which has revealed an acceptance of authoritarianism and radicalism among Generation Z.

Fifty-two per cent of Gen Z — people aged between 13 and 27 — said they thought “the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”.

Thirty-three per cent suggested the UK would be better off “if the army was in charge”.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inUK