Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Trumped on Tariffs

Source: CounterPunch
by Mel Gurtov

“Trump is clearly determined to show that no Supreme Court decision is going to hamstring him in his determination to have absolute control over tariff policy. That presents Republicans with another Trump-induced choice: whether to stay the course and let Trump work his will, try to reinstate the high tariffs by legislation, or abandon the party in the interest of consumers and small businesses that have been hit hard by the tariffs. After all, the politics of tariffs rests in their cost in prices, inflation, and jobs.” (02/25/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/25/trumped-on-tariffs/

Thomas L. Knapp

UK: Aston Martin cuts jobs by 20% on Trump taxes, Chinese demand

Source: Reuters

“British luxury car maker Aston Martin will cut its workforce by up to 20%, it said on Wednesday, as it strives to recover from the impact of U.S. import tariffs and weak demand in China. Aston Martin said the job cuts from a total workforce of around 3,000 should deliver annualised savings of around 40 million pounds ($54 million). It did not specify when the job cuts would be implemented, but said most of the savings would be this year. The cuts include a 5% reduction announced last year. … Best known as the car brand driven by James Bond, the company has struggled to generate cash and manage its debt of 1.38 billion pounds, although it has received injections of capital from Canadian billionaire and Chairman Lawrence Stroll and through deals. It said U.S. tariffs had been ‘extremely disruptive’ and demand had also been ‘extremely subdued’ in China, the world’s biggest auto market.” (02/25/26)

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/aston-martin-cuts-20-staff-amid-us-tariffs-weak-china-demand-2026-02-25/

Thomas L. Knapp

A “Blizzard” Gives Mayor Zohran Mamdani Pretext for a “Climate Lockdown”

Source: Brownstone Institute
by Naomi Wolf

“This blizzard — or ‘blizzard;’ it seems to me better described as a ‘snowfall’ — has been heralded by legacy media now for a couple of days. The language about it has been histrionic. It is a ‘bomb cyclone!’ It is ‘SEVERE WEATHER’ that requires an ‘ALERT!’ A red rectangle on the weather sites, surround those scary words. You can’t travel. But it’s not just that you are being advised not to travel, as a sovereign person, as in the past. There are ‘TRAVEL BANS.’ … The headlines’ freakout conceals the fact that this snowfall is within the range of normal, for the Northeastern United States. … the headlines drumming up hysteria have prepared the way for what is unfolding right now via City Hall, and via our still-new-on-the-job Marxist-Islamist Mayor, Zohran K Mamdani.” (02/25/26)

https://brownstone.org/articles/a-blizzard-gives-mayor-zohran-mamdani-pretext-for-a-climate-lockdown/

Thomas L. Knapp

DC: Regime bribe demands resume for ride-hailing app

Source: Washington Post

“A judge recently said she would begin reinstating fines, which have ballooned to the millions, against a local ride-hailing company and its CEO for failing to comply with an order to stop operating in the District. The decision comes after an appellate panel earlier this month rejected an effort to pause the judge’s contempt proceedings against Empower and chief executive Joshua Sear. … The city’s Department of For-Hire Vehicles issued a cease-and-desist order that year against the company for failing to register as a private sedan business and digital dispatch service, according to court filings. Empower applied to register with the department in December 2020 but was denied after the city deemed the applications incomplete, the filings said. Matini ordered Empower to cease operations in 2024 until the company successfully registers with the city.” (02/25/26)

https://archive.is/SL7FQ

Thomas L. Knapp