Turkey and Iran summon each other’s diplomats after Ankara criticizes Iranian support to militias

Source: ABC News

“Iran and Turkey have summoned each other’s diplomats for discussions, officials said Tuesday, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticized Tehran’s policy of supporting militias in Syria and elsewhere. On Monday, a top aide to Iran’s foreign minister met with the Turkish ambassador to Tehran and emphasized the need to avoid ‘inappropriate remarks and unrealistic analyses that could lead to disputes and tensions in bilateral relations,’ according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry statement. The Iranian official, Mahmoud Heidari, also told the Turkish ambassador that Muslim countries should focus their efforts on halting Israel’s ‘crimes and aggressions’ in the Palestinian territories and Syria. Turkey reciprocated on Tuesday by inviting the Iranian charge d’affaires for discussions.” (03/04/25)

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-iran-summon-diplomats-after-ankara-criticizes-iranian-119424741

Does the Government Keep Society Running in the Background?

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Patrick Carroll

“When considering the prospect of a minimal or even non-existent state, many are understandably concerned about how society would function. Doesn’t the government provide vital services ‘behind the scenes’ that keep society running? Wouldn’t there be chaos and disorder without those services? These are legitimate apprehensions that are worth taking seriously. Leaping into a vastly different governing system could cause serious problems, so we need to be confident before we make the leap that we aren’t jumping into a dystopia. Fortunately, economic reasoning gives us good reasons to be optimistic.” (03/04/25)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/does-government-keep-society-running-background

Panama: BlackRock strikes deal to bring ports on both sides of canal under American control

Source: SFGate

“The Hong Kong-based conglomerate that operates ports near the Panama Canal has agreed to sell shares of its units that operate the ports to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., after President Donald Trump alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane. In a filing, CK Hutchison Holding said Tuesday that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and all shares in Hutchison Port Group Holdings. The two units hold 80% of the Hutchison Ports group that operates 43 ports in 23 countries. The consortium, comprised of BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited will acquire 90% interests in Panama Ports Company, which owns and operates the ports of Balboa and Cristobal in Panama, according to the filing.” (03/04/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/blackrock-strikes-deal-to-bring-ports-on-both-20201812.php

Republicans target four sanctuary cities as Trump pushes mass abductions

Source: US News & World Report

“Republicans in Congress are taking aim at four cities — often called ‘sanctuary cities’ — over their policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement with a hearing this week that comes as President Donald Trump presses ahead with his campaign of mass deportations. Mayors Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver and Eric Adams of New York are set to appear Wednesday in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. There’s no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. … Courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of most sanctuary laws. But Trump administration officials have targeted sanctuary policies right out of the gate in his second term, seeing them as a key impediment to deporting people in the large numbers he wants.” (03/04/25)

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2025-03-04/republicans-target-4-sanctuary-cities-as-trump-pushes-mass-deportations

What’s at Stake in the Budget Battle

Source: Independent Institute
by Craig Eyermann

“For the first time in years, the U.S. Congress is considering budget bills that could seriously rein in government spending growth. The big-budget news came out of the House of Representatives last week. The House passed its budget blueprint by a two-vote margin. House Concurrent Resolution 14 covers proposed spending for the entire U.S. government for the remainder of its 2025 fiscal year through its 2034 fiscal year.” (03/03/25)

https://blog.independent.org/2025/03/03/budget-battle

Which Century Are We In?: Slouching Toward Mount McKinley

Source: TomDispatch
by Alfred McCoy

“In the weeks leading up to the recent presidential inauguration in Washington, this country and an anxious world expected many different things from what might be called (to borrow the title of the famed William Butler Yeats’s poem ‘The Second Coming’) Donald J. Trump. But nobody expected this. Nobody at all. ‘We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley where it should be and where it belongs,’ President Trump announced to a burst of applause during his inaugural address on January 20th. Continuing his celebration of a decidedly mediocre president, best known for taking this country on an ill-advised turn towards colonial conquest, Trump added: ‘President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent …'” (03/04/25)

https://tomdispatch.com/slouching-towards-mount-mckinley/

15% corporate rate & 25% small business deduction should be Trump tax cut centerpieces

Source: Fox News
by Grover Norquist & Alfredo Ortiz

“Now that House Republicans have agreed on a budget resolution to finance their legislative priorities, debate begins on the specific tax cuts to include in the final ‘big, beautiful bill’. At the top of this list is fulfilling President Donald Trump’s oft-repeated call to reduce the corporate tax to 15%. This tax rate cut would make the U.S. significantly more competitive and jumpstart our economy still feeling the effects of four years of anti-growth policies. According to an analysis by the Tax Foundation, a 15% corporate tax rate would significantly boost GDP, wages and jobs. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which took effect in 2018, reduced the corporate tax from 35% – one of the world’s highest – to 21%, middle of the pack. In response, U.S. corporations increased their domestic investment by an average of 20%, according to an NBER study that analyzed 12,000 corporate tax returns.” (03/04/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/15-corporate-tax-rate-25-small-business-deduction-should-trump-tax-cut-centerpieces