Trump announces 100% tariff for movies produced outside US

 U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday a 100% tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.

He said he was authorizing the U.S. Trade Representative to process the institution of the tariff because the United States' movie industry is dying "a very fast death" due to other countries offering incentives to attract filmmaker's and studios.

"This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!"

https://www.streetinsider.com/Reuters/Trump+announces+100%25+tariff+for+movies+produced+outside+US/24737662.html

Chinese-US Imports Being Diverted To Canada Amid Trade War

 Many Chinese exports bound for the U.S. have been rerouted to Canada to skirt tariffs as the trade war continues to escalate between the U.S. and many of its international partners, Truenorth wire reports.

This means that, just like Europe which is facing a deflationary tsunami as Chinese dumping is unleashed on its now largest trading partner, Canadian consumers will soon have an abundance of discount goods as warehouse storage reaches its capacity.

As much as 50% of consignments from China were diverted to Canada in mid-April as many industries look to stockpile their inventory north of the border instead of in the US. 

Third-party sellers for companies such as Amazon and Walmart have also begun to hoard goods in Canada so that their items may be held in a country where they won’t face any immediate payment of duties.

The long term strategy of these companies is to hope that they will outlast the Trump administration’s tariffs, some of which are currently as high as 145%, while warehousing their products just north of the world's largest source of demand for products and services: the US consumer.

The US has long been the world’s largest consumer market, taking in roughly 15% of global imports last year. This was largely due to its previously low tariffs, which averaged around 3.3%, the lowest among all developed nations.  That, however, is now over.

One year ago, realizing that China would quietly decimate its own domestic producers, Canada slapped hefty tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum, positioning itself with allies including the U.S. to protect domestic manufacturing. Then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled a range of measures she said are aimed at leveling the playing field for Canada’s EV industry and steel and aluminum producers to protect them from unfair competition from Chinese companies.

More recently, in late March, China retaliated by imposing 100% tariffs on Canadian agircultural products, including rapeseed oil, oil cakes, and peas. Canada is among the world's top producers of canola -- a rapeseed crop that is used to make cooking oil, animal feed and biodiesel fuel -- and China has historically been one of its largest customers.

"New tariffs from China on Canadian canola oil and meal will have a devastating impact on canola farmers and the broader value chain at a time of increased trade and geopolitical uncertainty," said Chris Davison, President of the Canola Council of Canada. "We urge the federal government to immediately engage with China, with a view to resolving this issue," he said.

While the jury is still out on how Canada's EV industry is doing, it is certain that unless Ottawa imposes similar tariffs on all other imports from China, its local manufacturing base will be decimate in the coming weeks as China unleashes a historic dumping wave in the Canadian market, sparking all-out deflation.

Separately, China is now importing record amounts of Canadian crude oil after cutting its purchases of U.S. oil by nearly 90%. The Vancouver port saw an unprecedented 7.3 million barrels shipped to China in March and that number is only likely to grow.

While China still primarily imports oil from the Middle East and Russia, Canadian oil provides a source of relatively cheap crude that is high in sulfur, which can be refined using some of China’s most-advanced equipment.

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/chinese-us-imports-being-diverted-canada-amid-trade-war

Tlaib fundraises for NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani

 Radical Israel-bashing “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib is doing a text blast to raise funds for a super PAC backing Zohran Mamdani for mayor — but not everyone is pleased with the solicitation.

Tlaib’s pitch recently showed up on the mobile phones of prospective donors courtesy of the pro-Mamdani group New Yorkers for Lower Costs.

Mamdani, as with the Michigan congresswoman, is an ardent foe of Israel and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish state.

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Rep. Rashida Tlaib is helping raise funds for a super PAC supporting mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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Tlaib’s message of support for Mamdani was sent out as a text to potential donors by New Yorkers for Lower Costs.Robert Miller

“Zohran, who’s led hunger strikes for a cease-fire [in Gaza] and workers’ rights, isn’t raising any more money for his campaign under New York City’s public financing system,” Tlaib said in the solicitation.

The Mamdani campaign has already hit the maximum fundraising cap under the system after raising thousands of small donations that qualified it for the 8 to 1 in public matching funds.

New Yorkers for Lower Costs has raised about $60,000 in its efforts to date, although that’s a pittance compared to the more than $4 million secured by the Fix The City super Pac supporting Democratic mayoral front-runner and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“Andrew Cuomo, who’s on the legal team defending [Israel] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza, has millions pouring in from his billionaire-backed super Pac,” Tlaib complained in the ad for Mamdani.

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Tlaib participated in a Democratic Socialists of America virtual organizing call for Mamdani last month.

“Zohran is getting drowned out on the airwaves. That’s why I’m supporting the official Zohran Mamdani support PAC — to run the ads Zohran can’t,” said the congresswoman — who has been openly supportive of the Palestinian terror group Hamas and called for the destruction of Israel.

A Jewish donor who is a staunch backer of Israel and requested anonymity told The Post they were “appalled” at receiving a text message from Tlaib on behalf of Mamdani.

Brooklyn state Assemblyman Kalman Yeger, a strong ally of Israel, also said he is not surprised that Tlaib is being used as a fundraising tool by the pro-Mamdani camp.

“Unfortunately, in New York City, there are antisemites out there who would be receptive to her message, and Mamdani is the most antisemitic candidate New York has ever seen,” Yeger said.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman from western Queens, is running second behind Cuomo in recent Democratic primary polls.

Last month, Tlaib participated in a Democratic Socialists of America virtual organizing call for Mamdani, where she urged “comrades” to back him for mayor.

Tlaib, a member of the US House of Representatives’ far-left “Squad” alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx-Queens) and others, is known for her disdain of her own party’s support for Israel.

As the only Palestinian American in Congress, she has been openly supportive of Hamas during her time in office and has even been censured by colleagues for defending it and for calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

During Netanyahu‘s address to Congress last spring, Tlaib was widely ripped for brandishing a sign accusing the Israeli leader of being a “war criminal” and “guilty of genocide.”

She also repeatedly berated then-President Joe Biden as an “enabler” over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and even declined to endorse Kamala Harris as her party’s 2024 presidential pick.

Branded by some Republicans as the “poster child” for Trump derangement syndrome, Tlaib most recently held up real-time signs during President Trump’s joint session of Congress last month declaring him a “liar.”

https://nypost.com/2025/05/04/us-news/rashid-tlaib-fund-raises-for-nyc-mayoral-candidate-zohran-mamdani/

Romania nationalist Simion clear winner in 1st-round presidential vote

Nationalist candidate George Simion won the first round of Romania’s presidential election with some 40.1% of the vote, according to the preliminary results on Sunday.

With 97.57% of votes counted, the race for second place — which will take the candidate to the runoff to face off against Simion in two weeks' time — between two pro-West candidates, the independent Nicușor Dan (20.65%), who leapfrogged big tent coalition's Crin Antonescu (20.64%) last-minute, remains too close to call.

Also, parts of Romania's diaspora showed strong support for Simion: 77% of Romanians voting in Italy and 80% of those in Spain backed the AUR party leader on Sunday, preliminary results show.

The pre-election polls all pointed to Simion as the winner of the first round. However, the score of independent candidate Dan, the mayor of Bucharest and an outsider, surprised and sent a clear message to the government coalition, which got together to nominate Crin Antonescu as the main party’s candidate.

Romania faces a tough battle for the second round in two weeks, having to choose between an inward, nationalist candidate and a pro-EU and pro-NATO one.

After the initial exit polls showed Simion in the lead on Sunday, most party leaders and candidates announced they would wait for the final results. However, Simion had already declared a “victory for Romania’s dignity” and called for vigilance in counting the votes to prevent fraud.

Simion has been riding an anti-establishment wave, fuelled by ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, the ex-presidential candidate whose victory in the cancelled elections in December 2024 has thrown Romania into unprecedented turmoil.

He broke away from the traditional on-stage appearance next to other party leaders and supporters, opting for a Georgescu-style statement alone at a desk.

“Today, the Romanian people have voted, the Romanian people have spoken. This is a victory of Romanian dignity, the victory of those who haven’t lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, in a free, respected, sovereign country,” Simion said on Sunday evening.

Simion, whose popularity has steadily risen in recent years, is a vocal critic of the EU, particularly its continued support of Ukraine. He also has a standing ban on entry to Ukraine and Moldova.

Judging by the exit polls, Romanians have chosen to vote for individuals, and not political parties, pointing to the failure of the big tent coalition — which included the centre-left PSD, liberal party PNL and the Hungarian minority party UDMR/RMDSZ — to inspire its voters.

According to Euronews Romania sources, the liberals have accused the PSD of not mobilising their voters across the country, especially in rural areas, to throw their weight behind the coalition candidate, Antonescu.

However, exit polls in Romania have been unreliable in the past, and the official results might paint a different picture, particularly because of the diaspora vote, which has the power to turn the tide.

Some 53% of Romanians went to the polls on Sunday, according to official figures, indicating higher mobilisation than in the annulled vote in December

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/nationalist-george-simion-ahead-romanian-190323912.html

'Maldives Plans $8.8 Billion Financial Hub Backed by Qatari Royal'

 

The government of Maldives said it plans to build an $8.8 billion financial hub backed by Dubai-based MBS Global Investments as the country seeks to address a debt crisis.

The Maldives International Finance Centre, to be built in the capital Malé over the next five years, will have no corporate taxes or residency requirements and offer tax-free inheritance, MBS said in a statement.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-04/maldives-plans-8-8-billion-financial-hub-backed-by-qatari-royal

'Egregious': Ernst Uncovers Fed Employees Cashing Taxpayer Checks While Doing Union Work

 Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), chairwoman of the Senate DOGE Caucus, slammed the U.S. government this week for shelling out taxpayer dollars to employees who are busy doing union work instead of serving the American people.

Sen. Joni Ernst discusses DOGE

In fiscal year 2019, the Office of Personnel Management reported that federal employees spent 2.6 million hours on union activities, costing taxpayers $135 million. The Biden administration temporarily halted OPM's data reporting, but the Trump administration resumed it after a request from Ernst.

“Through the course of the past 10 years and studying government efficiency and fraud, waste, and abuse, we have uncovered the issue of taxpayer-funded union time. It’s where we see federal employees—and they can legally do this right now—work during their regular workday, and do that as taxpayer-funded dollars going to their paycheck, but they’re not actually working on their duties as a federal employee,” Enrst said during a panel discussion on government bureaucracy at the The Hill & Valley Forum this week. “What they’re doing is working for their union, maybe to increase their wages or increase their benefits, on the taxpayers’ dime."

Ernst also sounded off on "egregious" examples of federal employee misconduct. “Federal employees who were caught, you know, one taking a bubble bath when he was on a Zoom call with other employees—he got ratted out, of course. Those that are on the golf course, we get those all the time,” senator said. Even more shocking cases included a HUD employee who was in prison for driving drunk during work hours, unbeknownst to her supervisor, and a remote worker who ran a full-time business while his mother answered his work emails.

“Somehow her supervisor did not know she was in jail,” she explained about the HUD employee, adding, “And one of the most egregious was one federal employee that was working remotely that had started his own business, full-time business, and during the work hours, his mother was responding to his emails.”

Last month, Ernst introduced the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act to revealed just how much federal employee unions are subsidized by tax dollars after the Biden administration paused the public release of the figures. Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

"Taxpayers shouldn’t pay for empty federal office buildings or for federal employees to unionize on the clock. It’s just common sense — Americans deserve a full, detailed account of how bureaucrats use both their official time and office space for union-related work,” said Rep. Franklin. “This is exactly the kind of waste and abuse my friend, Senator Joni Ernst, and I are fighting to root out alongside the Trump Administration. The President was right to order federal employees back to the office —but if taxpayers are footing the bill, workers must be accountable for how they spend their official time."

As Ernst and her DOGE caucus colleagues continue in exposing waste and abuse across the federal government, the success of Elon Musk’s cost-cutting initiative hinges on whether Congress will approve President Donald Trump’s budget, which aims to make these reductions permanent.

In March, President Donald Trump threw his support behind a rescission package to implement major spending cuts spearheaded by DOGE. “It would be great. I think we’re going to do that,” Trump told reporters.

According to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) obtained by the New York Post, the administration is pushing two proposals to slash $9.3 billion. “The first includes a rescission of $8.3 billion in wasteful foreign aid spending (out of $22 billion) that does not expire in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The second is a separate rescission of all Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — which funds the politically biased public radio and public television system,” the Post said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/egregious-senate-doge-caucus-leader-uncovers-federal-employees-cashing-taxpayer-checks

'California Revises Population Growth Upward, Citing Immigration Surge'

 California has significantly revised its population estimates upward, crediting a larger-than-expected influx of international immigrants for reversing recent trends of population decline, according to Just the News.

Governor Gavin Newsom framed the shift as a testament to California’s enduring appeal: “People from across the nation and the globe are coming to the Golden State to pursue the California Dream, where rights are protected and people are respected.”

According to the state Department of Finance (DOF), the population grew by 108,000 in 2024, bringing the total to approximately 39.5 million residents. The key driver was an upward revision of immigration figures, with 277,468 more immigrants arriving between 2021 and 2024 than previously estimated. This shift turned 2023’s reported population decline into net growth and further boosted 2024’s numbers.

Meanwhile, domestic outmigration continues but is slowing. The DOF reported that California lost 197,016 residents to other states in 2024, down from 249,308 in 2023. Natural increase—births minus deaths—also contributed, rising modestly from 105,550 to 114,805 over the same period.

The Just the News report says that out of California’s 482 cities, 241 saw population gains, 240 experienced declines, and one—Morro Bay—held steady. Among the state’s ten most populous counties, only Contra Costa in the East Bay reported a net loss, shedding just 24 residents.

Despite the population rebound, questions remain about the state’s fiscal outlook. Earlier Census data revealed that those leaving California generally earn more than those arriving, with outmigration from mid-2021 to mid-2022 causing a net loss of $24 billion in personal income. This demographic shift raises concerns that increased population won't necessarily translate into higher tax revenues.

Compounding the issue, California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office warned in November 2024 that the state has “no capacity” for new spending and is on track for annual deficits rising to $30 billion by 2026, as expenditures outpace stagnant revenue growth.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/california-revises-population-growth-upward-citing-immigration-surge