Donald Trump signed a new Executive Order to overhaul federal workforce training to prepare Americans for skilled trade jobs. The US federal government funnels $700 billion per year to American universities, but most students exit the education system without any real job prospects in their field of study. This initiative aims to teach young Americans skilled trades that will lead to guaranteed employment and close the labor shortage gap.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US workforce was short 447,000 construction workers and 94,000 durable goods workers. At the current trajectory, the agency believes the nation will be short half a million tradesman positions over the next decade. Over 20% of American manufacturing plants reported labor shortages in 2024, leading to a decline in productivity. Trump has been keenly focused on expanding America’s shrinking manufacturing sector and this initiative is a step in the right direction.
Shortage estimates vary. A Deloitte/Manufacturing Institute report warned of 1.9 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2033, as 3.8 million role will need to be filled. Manufacturing employment plummeted to its lowest level during the pandemic with nearly half (46.3%) of the sector out of work. Pandemic aside, manufacturers are struggling to find skilled laborers, with the same Deloitte poll noting that 65% of manufacturers found attracting and retaining talent was their primary business challenge. It was also revealed that 47% of companies would begin to offer work-study or apprenticeship programs.
Trump’s new plan would provide support for 1 million apprenticeships annually. No amount of academia can compensate for a lack of hands-on experience. The old notion that one must complete higher education to obtain a good-paying job is a relic of the past. In fact, many of these trade positions offer excellent first-year pay compared to entry-level corporate jobs. Additionally, these are jobs that likely cannot be replaced with AI. There will always be a need for plumbers, electricians, welders, etc. Higher education is unnecessary for most fields, and reframing education as an opportunity to learn directly from those in the field is an excellent way to educate the next generation of workers, albeit at the detriment of universities.
The minerals deal was enough to entice President Donald Trump to cave, siding with Kiev and permitting the first US sale of military equipment to Ukraine since taking office. Trump has been extremely critical of Zelensky since the war began, consistently warning Zelensky that he has blood on his hands and must end the war.
Congress approved a $50 million defense package to Ukraine through direct commercial sales (DCS). Trump is a businessman first and foremost—the mineral deal had to be approved before he would approve of any aid package. The United States now has preferential rights to extract minerals from Ukraine. This will provide the US with rare earth elements that are essential for technology and defense at a time when China is withholding sales.
Ukraine retains full ownership over its subsoil and natural resources. Any extraction must be approved by Kyiv. The deal will establish a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund—50% of revenue from licenses for Ukrainian minerals and oil will go into this fund that is intended to aid Ukraine. “Together with the United States, we will create a fund that will attract Western investments to our country,” Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. “We will manage this fund jointly with the United States. Neither party will have a majority vote, reflecting an equal partnership between Ukraine and the United States.”
Svyrydenko believes that the US will entice others to invest into the fund, which is supported by the US International Finance Cooperation (DFC). “DFC will help us attract investments and technologies from funds and companies in both the US and the EU and other countries that support our fight against the Russian enemy,” Svyrydenko said. She also noted that the first decade of profits and revenues will only be invested in Ukraine.
“In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to work collaboratively and invest together to ensure that our mutual assets, talents, and capabilities can accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery,” the US Treasury Department stated.
While the Kremlin has not officially commented at the time of this writing, there are statements coming from Moscow condemning this deal. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, believes Trump is taking advantage of Ukraine by strategically asking it to “pay for U.S. aid with mineral resources.” He declared that “Ukraine is a vanishing country” and believes the US is simply profiting off of a broken nation. Sergei Markov stated that prolonging military spending will only prolong the war and deter any diplomatic efforts.
China controls 75% of the world’s rare earth minerals, and the US has been desperate to secure new reserves in the wake of the trade war. Ukraine’s mineral deposits have been largely untouched up until now. There were strategic reasons for the US to sign this deal, but it remains to be seen whether this move will lead to further involvement in this perpetual proxy war.
COVID-19 has become a repressed memory to the majority. I have not forgotten the injustice caused by the hands of belligerent politicians who have never faced justice for their crimes against humanity. One of endless aspects of injustice occurred at the hands of Democratic governors who insisted that infected elderly patients be sent back to nursing home facilities, resulting 1 in 10 nursing home residents dying from the virus.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has certainly been vocal about Trump being authoritarian. Yet, no one has charged him for forcing COVID-infected patients into nursing homes. Over 80% of COVID deaths in Minnesota occurred in nursing home facilities, yet Walz takes no responsibility. “This was what everyone was doing. This was not a mistake,” the failed Democrat VP nominee stated. He issued fines up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail for anyone found guilty of violating his stay-at-home lockdown. Then, of course, there was his infamous COVID hotline for people to report on their neighbors for failing to adhere to Walz’s orders. Walz claimed, “[O]ne person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.” This man would have been the second-most powerful person in the nation had Kamala won the election.
Andrew Cuomo of New York was the only governor to face a public trial after his policies led to 15,000 nursing home deaths. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic found Cuomo guilty of covering up his involvement in the matter and falsifying records, yet he faced no charges for his crimes.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy insisted that the elderly be sent back to nursing care facilities to alleviate hospital overcrowding. As a result, over 50% of COVID deaths in the state occurred in long-term care facilities, and 17% of residents in these facilities passed away, surpassing 15,000 people. He has not been charged.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer enforced policies that exposed the state’s most vulnerable population to the virus. As a result. 5% of nursing home resident died or around 2,000 people. She has not been charged.
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom initially followed New York’s policy of forcing the sick back into long-term care facilities, but quickly changed course as the death toll began to rise. Too little, too late as 2% of residents or around 2,000 people passed away. He has not been charged.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf forced COVID-positive elderly patients back into nursing homes. Half of the state’s COVID deaths occurred in these facilities, with reported outbreaks occurring at 407 state facilities. The total death toll has not been made public. He has not been charged.
There should be no COVID amnesty. The same politicians are now claiming that Trump is dismantling our society, yet they take no responsibility for what they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All my sources have been singing the same song. Carney won by creating hatred of Donald Trump, for this was a strategy carried out for the sole purpose of moving away from the USA and aligning with the EU. Even when Carney first became PM, he went to the EU, not to Washington. He is still part of the whole WEF agenda. They ditched Schwab, but it’s the same old car with a new paint job to change the appearance. So you won’t hear the slogan You will own nothing and be happy. They intend to promote this without the label.
Let’s get real. There is ABSOLUTELY no question that Canada will split West vs East. While the US did that with the Civil War over Slavery, this time we are staring into the eyes of economic decline, and we will see a worldwide recession into 2028. That is the economic trigger that sparks change. India had split between East and West, Hindu vs Islam; the Balkans are still divided, Ukraine has hated Russians and was into ethnic cleansing. Greece has had a long-standing hatred for Turkey since the days of Alexander the Great. In case you have not noticed, the world is deeply divided for varying reasons.
Thus, Canada is not alone in this separatist movement. The European Union will also not survive, and trouble is brewing in Asia; by no means will the United States be exempt. In Britain, you still have Scottish vs English. Ireland is still divided, North vs South.
The root cause of this rise in separatism is always an abusive centralized government. Once you hand power to a centralized government, it takes a revolution ever to get it back. As they say, you can vote your way into Socialism, but you have to shoot your way out. It always starts with the denial of free speech. Sometimes these splits end up in a civil war, and at other times it has been a bloodless revolution, as we saw in Russia in 1991, when the vast majority of the people did not support the leaders. This is what is unfolding in the EU, and you can expect to see the same in Canada. Carney is determined to keep the whole WOKE/CLIMATE Agenda in place and carry it out into 2030. Nothing has changed.
Canada will split between East and West due to economics. This is not just a personal opinion of mine. I don’t live there. This is the judgment of history, and this process has been going on for thousands of years. California has now become the 4th largest economy in the world, so even one state is now bigger than all of Canada, which is ranked 9th among nations, with the US #1, China #2, and Japan #3. Even India has recently overtaken the UK to become the 5th largest economy. So, Carney wants to abandon trade with the US and align with the EU? He is not a financial genius, but a devotee of the WEF. Western Canada will have NO CHOICE but to split from Carney’s centralized control, which will be more devoted to the WEF Agenda 2030 than Trudeau. Just the same old car with a new engine and paint job.
Communism collapsed because it resulted in stagnated economic growth that, over time, turned negative. Just compare Canada to the United States, and you see that highly socialistic economies also produce lower economic growth.
We see that the very same socialist policies in Europe have ensured that economic growth has been dismal. Carney wants to align Canada with the EU because this is the alignment of Marxism that destroyed Russia and China under Communism. Carney cares nothing about the Canadian people. This is all about a political philosophy that has failed every single time.
Washington state is multiplying taxes for mega corporations in a move to cover its widening budget deficit. The state is expected to face a $12 to $16 billion shortfall over the next four years, according to the Office of Financial Management. The deficit should come as no surprise as state spending has ballooned by 40% in the past four years alone.
Under HB 2081, the state’s Business and Occupation (B&O) tax will be revised to raise the “Advanced Computing Surcharge.” Corporations earning over $25 billion globally will see their tax rate spike from 1.22% to 7.5%, with the maximum payment expanding from $9 million to $75 million. More specifically, the state is looking to shake down big tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon to compensate for its excessive spending.
Companies earning over $5 million annually will face a tax hike from 1.75% to 2.1%. The state has also implemented a temporary 0.5% B&O surcharge from January 1, 20216 to December 31, 2030, for companies earning over $250 million in Washington taxable income.
The state requires more revenue, and targeting corporations is merely the beginning. Senate Bill 5814 will raise the state sales tax from 6.5% to 10.6%. Digital automated services were previously exempt from this tax, but beginning in October, tech companies will be required to pay. The state hopes to collect $2.9 billion from this measure alone.
Yet, the state still requires more revenue. Senate Bill 5813 will restructure the capital gains tax to create a new top tier for gains over $1 million. In addition to the 7% base tax, the state has implemented an additional 2.9% surtax. The state expects to generate $321.6 million from this additional fee.
Per usual, fees will be passed on to the consumers.
Naturally, the decision-makers are failing to address the problem—excessive spending. Tax revenue has already increased by 34% or $18 billion since 2019. Politicians passed a number of social programs without proper funding. The child care subsidy expansion passed in 2021, but it took four years to amass the $300 million required. State-funded pre-K expansion also passed in 2021, but the $214 million has not been fully paid. Washington’s tort liability payout account has been operating at a deficit for multiple years, requiring $1 billion to simply move out of the red. What about the Rainy-Day Fund? Democrats used the $2.3 billion revenue to pay for more social programs.
Washington implemented a freeze on non-essential spending in December. Some believe that the state needs to implement a wealth tax, as Democrat lawmakers seek every option to fix the deficit that does not include spending cuts.
Washington managed to spiral into a massive debt in a short amount of time. Governor Inslee approved of incorporating an additional $2 billion into the $69.8 billion operating budget back in March. Eight months later, the Office of Financial Management declared that there was a serious problem and the state could face a deficit of $10 to $12 billion, revising that figure to $16 billion a month later.
The state was operating at a $14 billion surplus three years ago before politicians ramped up their spending by 40%. State taxes have increased by 99% in the past decade, while state spending has risen by 114% in the same time period. It is always the responsibility of the people to pay for government’s fiscal mismanagement.
Russia-North Korean relations are stronger than ever. Russia has begun construction on a 4.7-kilometer bridge across the Tumen River that will connect the two nations.
Russia’s Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, announced that the project will facilitate trade and tourism and reduce transportation costs. “This is truly a milestone for Russian-Korean relations,” Mishustin said during a video meeting with Pak Thae-song, chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly. “The significance goes far beyond just an engineering task … it symbolises our common desire to strengthen friendly, good-neighbourly relations and increase interregional cooperation,” he added. Mishustin also stated that the project will help “entrepreneurs” to significantly increase the number of imported/exported goods. The two nations face the harshest sanctions in the world, and North Korea, especially, is in desperate need of food and basic goods.
Tourism will be for the Russians, as North Koreans may not leave their nation without government approval. Leaving North Korea is seen as “treachery against the nation” and punishable by death. It is extremely rare for a citizen to receive clearance to travel, and permits are typically only granted to diplomats, athletes, or the political elite; even then, they are closely monitored. The new bridge will feature checkpoints to prevent anyone from attempting to flee.
“There are many sportspeople and children going there,” Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the Primorye Region, said, without further comment. There are reports that North Korea hosted summer camps for children of Russian soldiers who were killed during the war in Ukraine. It remains to be seen whether Russian families will permit their children to travel to North Korea for summer holiday.
Russia and North Korea, two countries with nuclear capabilities, have strengthened their alliance and this bridge is symbolic of their desire to continue relations. Some speculate that North Korean troops may even be permitted to join the Red Square parade on May 9 to commemorate the end of World War II. South Korea’s intelligence agencies have been monitoring the construction of the bridge.
Sochi, the company in charge of construction, believes the project will be complete by 2026.
The British Neocons, i.e., Boris Johnson, for whatever reason, have decided to wage war against Russia from the outset. ” It has been pathetic… Let’s face it: We’re waging a proxy war but not giving our proxies the ability to do the job. For years now, we’ve been allowing them to fight with one hand tied behind their backs, and it has been cruel.”
Also in November 2024, when Johnson admits Britain is at war with Russia, the head of MI6 (SIS) in Britain, Sir Richard Moore, tells the world that Vladimir Putin will not stop if he wins the war against Ukraine. He tells the press that the world is at its most dangerous point in 40 years. He naturally blames Putin and accuses Russia of waging a “staggeringly reckless campaign” of sabotage in Europe to undermine support for Ukraine.
Yet, Sir Richard Moore also said that British Secret Intelligence Service agents have been involved in covert operations against Russia on behalf of Ukraine. Moore said:
“We cherish our heritage of covert action which we keep alive today in helping Ukraine resist the Russian invasion.”
The New York Times, in a piece “The Secret History of the War in Ukraine,” reported that the CIA also ran the war in Ukraine out of the United States at Wiesbaden, Germany. There was no way Ukraine could sink Russian ships or know where to target without satellite targeting information. As the NYT wrote:
“Longstanding policy barred the C.I.A. from providing intelligence on targets on Russian soil. So the administration would let the C.I.A. request “variances,” carve-outs authorizing the spy agency to support strikes inside Russia to achieve specific objectives.”
As the NYT wrote, Lloyd Austin was the “godfather” and “architect” of this covert operation to run the war for Ukraine from Wiesbaden, Germany.
Russia has long known about the role of British and American intelligence operatives in Ukraine. Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, told the Security Council that “Western intelligence agencies, primarily the British MI6, have systematically prepared Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to organize provocations at nuclear power plants in Russia.” Of course, nobody listens to Russia.
Trump told reporters as he traveled back to the White House on Sunday after Pope Francis’ funeral, the Times reported. “I want [Russian President Vladimir Putin] to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal.” Newsweek claimed that unnamed European and Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times that Trump is looking for an excuse to walk away if he can point to even a small point of progress in negotiations as a reason to say his job is done. Newsweek claimed that these statements point to the Trump administration’s impatience about what it says is the slow pace of negotiations. Trump has said he is getting Frustrated and if there is no deal, he will withdraw from any peace negotiations. Quite frankly, with the admissions from Britain, Putin cannot possibly sign a peace deal with Ukraine when they are only a proxy for NATO and the EU/Britain.
As the Epoch Times wrote, the end of the Russia–Ukraine war is not just around the corner, and negotiators still face several complexities, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 30. This is indeed far more complicated.
Trump has shut down Wiesbaden, Germany, providing the targeting intelligence for Ukraine that was set up by the Biden Administration to wage war against Russia, all under the pretense that this was just a war with Ukraine.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its first estimate for US GDP in Q1, a 0.3% decline annually.
The decline was mainly due to a sharp 41% uptick in imports as they are subtracted when calculating the final GDP figure. Pharmaceutical goods, medicines and vitamins, computers and parts drove imports in the first quarter.
Government spending decreased significantly as well by 1.4%, with federal expenditures down 5.1%. National defense spending declined by 8%, while non-defense spending decreased by 1%. State and local government spending posted its slowest growth since Q2 of 2022 at 0.8%. Government-driven spending is one of the main components of GDP calculations, but a reduction in government-driven spending in an economy should be viewed positively.
There was a notable rise in business investment at 21.9% as capital is flowing to the US. This is a noteworthy difference, following a 5.6% decline in the fourth quarter of 2024. Nonresidential investment rose 9.8% in the first three months of the year, led by a 22.5% rise in equipment spending.
Consumer spending grew by 1.8%; services led spending with a 2.4% uptick, followed by goods at 0.5%. Personal savings as a percentage of income reached 4%, down from last year’s posting of 5.4%. Disposable personal income reached 2.7%.
ADP released its jobs report for April, anticipating a 62,000 uptick in private sector hirings. This should come as no surprise as thousands were laid off from their public sector positions. However, the figure is below estimates of 115,000 and sharply down from March’s 155,000 figure. “Unease is the word of the day. Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data,” said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson. “It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment.” The Labor Department’s nonfarm payroll report is expected to show a 130,000 uptick, well beneath March’s 228,000 posting.
The April 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released on May 13, a week after the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting. March posted a core inflation rate of 2.8% on an annual basis, down from February’s 3.1% figure and the lowest noted since March 2021.
Trump’s tariff policy is not to blame for the current state of the economy. War, inflation, debt, poor government policy, and collapsing confidence predate Trump. The Fed’s policy is not to blame either as their policy is almost irrelevant in the grand scheme.
Socrates warned of a massive global shift in 2015 as the sovereign debt crisis cycle turned and public confidence began to decline. The computer identified 2020.05 (May 2020) as a major Economic Confidence Model (ECM) turning point, and needless to say, 2020 was certainly a turning point in every aspect of the global economy. The stagflation we see now began, globally, post-pandemic. Once confidence breaks, stagflation is guaranteed to follow.
Retailers are fleeing California as a direct result of blue policies that have nearly permitted shoplifting. The iconic Saks Fifth Avenue store in Union Square in San Francisco announced it is shifting to an appointment-only model, which is also in place at its Napa and Palo Alto locations. Others in San Francisco, like Bloomingdale, Michael Kors, and even Walgreens, have announced plans to leave San Francisco entirely due to crime.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger raised the felony threshold from $400 to $950 in 2010 under Assembly Bill 2372. Proposition 47, effective since 2014, classified stolen goods valued under $950 as shoplifting rather than burglary or petty theft. Shoplifting during business hours is prosecuted under Penal Code § 459.5, which is not considered a felony. Law enforcement is encouraged to ignore calls of shoplifting and rarely, if ever, investigates cases of shoplifting. Retailers may hire personal security, but security guards are not permitted to confront thieves due to legal concerns. As a result, criminals routinely walk into stores, take what they’d like valued under $950, and walk out.
In January 2025, California attempted to implement new laws to target shoplifting. Prosecutors under Prop 36, which Gavin Newsom opposed, can combine the value of stolen goods taken in multiple thefts to attempt to dismiss the $950 loophole. Law enforcement officers are now permitted to arrest individuals suspected of shoplifting without needing to witness the theft firsthand. Probation charges for shoplifting have been extended from one to two years, and California has ramped up its rehabilitative programs for offenders under 25.
The National Retail Federation reported an all-time high for retail losses due to crime in 2024, with certain retailers experiencing a 90% uptick in shoplifting. Figures for 2024 have yet to be released, but in 2022, California retailers lost an astounding $8.72 billion due to theft, amounting to $285.70 per capita. California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovered $13.5 million in stolen goods last year, and the state prosecuted over 14,000 theft-related cases between 2023-2024.
It is absurd that the law permits theft. Proposition 47 initially passed with 59.6% approval because people believed it would reduce incarceration rates. The state spends billions on social programs for those in need, and there is no reason that we as a society should accept crime in any manner.
Separately, Donald Trump signed another executive order this week to strengthen local police departments in light of “soft-on-crime policies” that have caused crime to spike throughout the nation. As noted by the White House:
“When local leaders demonize law enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs that make aggressively enforcing the law impossible, crime thrives and innocent citizens and small business owners suffer. My Administration will therefore: establish best practices at the State and local level for cities to unleash high-impact local police forces; protect and defend law enforcement officers wrongly accused and abused by State or local officials; and surge resources to officers in need. My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based “equity” policies.”
AG Pam Bondi will create legal resources for law enforcement officers who “unjustly incur expenses and liabilities” for enforcing the law. This also entails private sector pro bono assistance for those facing legal challenges. This order will refund the police, increasing pay and benefits for officers at a time when many cities are facing shortages. Crimes against police officers will come with enhanced sentences as well. Under Biden, for example, we saw migrants brutalize police officers on camera, only to be released back into the public.
There is one concerning clause in the new EO:
Sec. 4. Using National Security Assets for Law and Order. (a) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.
(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.
Now, this is precisely what the Democrats would like to see happen. The left organizes mass protests and displays of civil unrest, which is not a theory but a proven fact. Numerous NGOs fund these “activists,” who in turn incite violence. We saw this happen with the George Floyd “protests,” where cities burned to the ground and small businesses were decimated. This led to the defunding of police agencies across the nation,n and officers have been hesitant to respond to crimes as a result. The Democrats took a knee and turned their backs to the victims, crying racism, while ignoring the basic legal code. They are master manipulators when it comes to spinning the narrative. I feared that an event of this nature could have happened when Trump was sworn into office, an event so chaotic that it would force the president to send in the National Guard.
The civil unrest cycle n the US in projected to intensify between 2025 and 2027, peaking around 2027-2028. We may very well witness an event that requires military intervention.
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