Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Trump threatens 200% tax hike on American drinkers

Source: CNN Business

“President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose a massive tariff on European alcohol in response to the European Union’s retaliation against his steel and aluminum tariffs – a tit-for-tat escalation of a trade war that could easily get out of hand. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration would impose a 200% tariff on alcoholic beverages from the EU unless it rescinds the 50% tariff the European government imposed Wednesday on US spirits. … After Trump’s 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel went into effect at midnight Wednesday morning, the EU immediately retaliated against what it called an ‘unjustified’ trade action from the Trump administration. The EU’s countermeasures included tariffs on €26 billion ($28 billion) worth of American goods, including tariffs on boats, bourbon and motorbikes. The measures, which are set to go into effect in April, are ‘swift and proportionate,’ the EU said in a statement.” (03/13/25)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/business/alcohol-tariffs-eu-trump-trade-war/index.html

Thomas L. Knapp

Mega Events Fail to Deliver: World Cup Edition

Source: Show-Me Institute
by Patrick Tuohey

“Every few years, cities fall into the same trap. A major event — whether it’s the World Cup, the Olympics, or the Super Bowl — gets dangled in front of local leaders like a golden ticket. The promises, as we are hearing time and again as Kansas City gears up to host some games in the 2026 World Cup, include floods of tourists, economic growth, and a new era of prosperity. The reality? A financial hangover that lasts long after the final whistle blows.” (03/12/25)

https://showmeinstitute.org/blog/subsidies/mega-events-fail-to-deliver-world-cup-edition/

Thomas L. Knapp

ND: Legislature close to asking SCOTUS to reinstate marriage apartheid

Source: NBC News

“North Dakota lawmakers are on the verge of making their state the first to tell the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its decade-old ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Similar efforts — which would not have any direct sway with the nation’s top courts — have been introduced in a handful of states this year. North Dakota’s resolution passed the Republican-led House in February but still requires Senate approval, which is not assured. … The North Dakota measure states that the Legislature ‘rejects’ the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision and urges the U.S. Supreme Court ‘to overturn the decision and leave unaddressed the natural definition of marriage as a union between one man, a biological male, and one woman, a biological female.'” (03/13/25)

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/north-dakota-legislature-close-asking-supreme-court-undo-landmark-gay-rcna196202

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump administration flies all remaining Guantanamo abductees back to US

Source: New York Times

“The Trump administration has removed all the migrants who were being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba and flown them back to the United States, a Defense Department official said Wednesday. The 40 men have been transported to Louisiana, where there is a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Alexandria. It comes two weeks after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent another group of 48 migrants back to the same city from Guantanamo. It is unclear why DHS routed the group of migrants back to the United States after the costly flights to the military base on Cuba. The agency did not immediately respond to a request about the latest transfer. The defense official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.” (03/12/25)

https://archive.is/Dextt

Thomas L. Knapp

If You Want To Cut Government Spending, You Can’t Ignore the Pentagon

Source: Reason
by Veronique de Rugy

“Since the 1950s, every effort to reduce the size and scope of government has been bulldozed by a political establishment more concerned with furthering its own interests than those of the American people. Between sacred cows and special interest groups, we’re always told why nothing can get cut. With the exception of Social Security, there is no bigger scared cow than the Department of Defense (DOD). Of course, defense policy is a legitimate function of government—a textbook example of a public good. It’s hard, though not impossible, to imagine national security being provided privately. However, it doesn’t follow that every dollar spent on defense is effective or even legitimate. It’s often the reverse. Sacred-cow status grants relative immunity to the Pentagon’s waste and poor strategic spending.” (03/13/25)

https://reason.com/2025/03/13/if-you-want-to-cut-government-spending-you-cant-ignore-the-pentagon/

Thomas L. Knapp