Democrats’ 43-day shutdown was not a strategy, it was a disaster

Source: Fox News
by US Representative Brian Mast [R=FL]

“Let me say this as plainly as I can: when the Democrats shut down our federal government, that wasn’t a strategy. That was their failure. For the last 40 days, the term ‘government shutdown’ became interchangeable for Democrats with words like ‘leverage’ or ‘to make a point.’ But for millions of Americans, this shutdown wasn’t political theater. It was a gut punch. It meant missed paychecks, putting unpaid bills on credit cards with mounting interest, delayed travel, national security risks, and uncertainty about whether the people who protect and serve this nation will get paid on time – if at all.” [editor’s note: The shutdown happened because Mast’s party wanted it to happen, and ended when Mast’s party chose to let it end – TLK] (11/13/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/rep-brian-mast-democrats-43-day-shutdown-not-strategy-disaster

Steve Trinward

UK: Syrian regime reopens embassy in London after more than a decade

Source: SFGate

“Syria’s foreign minister officially reopened the country’s embassy in London on Thursday after more than a decade-long closure, the latest step in Syria’s reintegration into the international community after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad. The visit by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani to the United Kingdom came after a historic visit to Washington by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first by a president from Syria since the country’s independence in 1946.” (11/13/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/syria-reopens-embassy-in-london-after-more-than-a-21171536.php

Thomas L. Knapp

European Commission prepares bribe demand for Red Bull

Source: Politico

“The European Commission has opened an antitrust probe into Red Bull as it suspects the energy drink manufacturer of abusing its dominant position by restricting competition for rival products. … The Commission suspects that Red Bull implemented the strategy at least in the Netherlands. This consisted of granting incentives to retailers to stop selling rival energy drinks and of misusing ‘its position as category manager at off-trade customers so that competing energy drinks sold in sizes exceeding 250ml are delisted or disadvantaged,’ the Commission said.” (11/13/25)

https://www.politico.eu/article/red-bull-under-eu-investigation-for-abusing-dominant-position

Thomas L. Knapp

The Imperial Tariff: How “National Security” Became Washington’s Favorite Excuse

Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen

“As a libertarian commentator who’s spent years dissecting the bloated machinery of the federal government, I’ve watched with a mix of fascination and fury as the executive branch assumes powers that the Constitution explicitly reserved for Congress. The recent Supreme Court arguments on President Donald Trump’s tariffs — heard just a week ago on November 5 — serve as a stark reminder of how far we’ve strayed from the Founders’ vision of limited government. Trump’s sweeping import duties, slapped on everything from Swiss watches to Mexican avocados under the banner of ‘national security,’ aren’t just bad economics but are a symptom of a deeper rot: the casual invocation of emergencies to justify executive fiat.” (11/13/25)

https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-imperial-tariff-how-national-security-became-washingtons-favorite-excuse/

Thomas L. Knapp

The Absolutely Crazy Story Behind Trump’s $2,000 Tariff Rebate Checks

Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker

“Donald Trump’s mind is a scary place; no one really knows what goes on there. But it sometimes is interesting to speculate. Trump is now proposing to give us all tariff rebate checks of ‘at least’ $2,000 a piece and to use the rest of the tariff revenue to pay down the national debt. This arithmetic on this doesn’t work. We’re on a path to take in around $270 billion this year in extra revenue due to Trump’s tariffs. … Doing the simple arithmetic, the country has 340 million people. If 10 percent of these people fit Trump’s definition of high-income, and therefore don’t get the rebate, roughly 300 million people would get the checks. At $2,000 a piece, it would come to $600 billion, more than twice what Trump is collecting from us with his import taxes. Since he’s already $330 billion short, how can Trump think he has money to pay down the national debt?” (11/13/25)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/11/13/388958/

Thomas L. Knapp

Some South Korean Workers Return to Georgia Factory After US Regime Reissues Visas

Source: New York Times

“South Korean workers began returning to a factory in Georgia last month after the State Department reissued their visas, as the Trump administration seeks to undo the damage from a large workplace immigration raid. About 180 people who were in the United States on B-1 business visas have had them restored, said Kim Min-su, who was among those [abducted] in the raid on Sept. 4 in southern Georgia. Two lawyers representing the workers confirmed that all the B-1 visa holders who were [abducted] — out of 317 South Koreans [abducted] in total — had their visas restored. At least 30 of those workers have gone back to the battery plant, which is owned by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, said Mr. Kim, who has surveyed the South Korean ex-[abductees] in preparation for a class-action lawsuit against U.S. immigration authorities over their [abduction].” (11/13/25)

https://archive.is/aUamj

Thomas L. Knapp