Welcome back, folks! I regret to inform you that yesterday [Groundhog Day], Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which legend says predicts six more weeks of winter. I just finished shoveling my driveway after a surprise overnight snowstorm, so who am I to argue with the rodent?

In related news, President Trump also saw his shadow, which means four more years of Making America Great Again.

• 📊 Only 45% of Americans know what a tariff is

• 🤠 Beyonce won Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter

• 🚸 1 in 4 deported in Trump's first week were not Mexican

• 🏳️‍🌈 Voters: Dems' top priorities are abortion & LGBT policies

• 🗓️ On this day in 1870, the 15th Amendment gave all races voting rights

^{Sources: IPSOS, CBS, IPSOS, Breitbart, National Archives}

Trump kicks off tariff wars

President Donald Trump enacted a first round of tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China over his concerns that the trio is enabling illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the United States.

The details: In his directive, Trump cited the "extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl" in his order imposing a:

• 🇨🇦 25% tariff on Canadian imports

• 🇲🇽 25% tariff on Mexican imports

• 🇨🇳 10% additional tariff on Chinese imports [we still have tariffs in place from Trump’s first term]

The response: Canada responded by imposing a 25% tariff on certain American goods, including paper products, beverages, and cosmetics. It says it’s preparing a wider-ranging second round of tariffs.

• Mexico said it would respond but has not mentioned specifics yet.

• China said it would take “necessary countermeasures” but did not get specific.

Negotiating imbalance: Canada and Mexico are severely disadvantaged in this trade war. Their combined GDP is about 1/7 the size of the U.S. And here’s the kicker:

• 77% of Canada’s exports are bought by the U.S.

• 84% of Mexico’s exports are bought by the U.S.

Worth fighting for: Illegal immigration and drug trafficking are ravaging American communities.

• Drug trafficking: In Fiscal Year 2024, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized over 21,000 pounds of fentanyl at our borders - enough to kill 4 billion people.

• Illegal immigration: More than 10 million illegals entered the U.S. under the Biden regime, including violent gang members and people on the terror watchlist.

This guy gets it: Tobi Lutke, the CEO of Shopify [Canada's second-largest publicly traded company], responded to news that PM Justin Trudeau imposed retaliatory tariffs, writing on X:

• “Canada thrives when it works with America together. Win by helping America win. Trump believes that Canada has not held its side of the bargain. These are things that every Canadian wants its government to do, too. These are not crazy demands, even if they came from an unpopular source. These tariffs are going to be devastating to so many people’s lives and small businesses.”

What happens next: Trump says he plans to speak to Canada and Mexico today.

Real talk from G: Critics say the tariff war will raise prices on the products Americans buy. The truth is, there might be a small increase in the short term. But the result will be that more of these foreign companies will choose to make their products in the United States, or the American people will turn to U.S. products instead. Personally, I’d rather pay an extra 50 cents for maple syrup made in Vermont than a product made in Canada.

[White House fact sheet]

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Can’t DOGE Musk’s chainsaw

The Department of Government Efficiency — aka DOGE — led by Elon Musk is wasting no time cutting spending in President Donald Trump's second term — with a target of slashing $1 trillion by 2026.

The details: Over the weekend, DOGE announced on X that it has already cut $1 billion in DEI-related contracts from the federal budget. Overall, it says it’s eliminating $1 billion from the budget every day by slashing DEI contracts, reducing foreign aid spending, and eliminating unnecessary jobs in government.

Zoom out: Musk wrote on X that his goal is to reduce the federal deficit by $1 trillion by FY2026 [that begins this October].

How does this work? To put it simply, DOGE scours government records and flags items to cut. Then, it works with the Office of Budget Management to formally cut off that spending.

USAID in the crosshairs: Musk has taken a particular interest in USAID, which he called a “viper’s nest” for wasteful spending. The agency manages roughly $40 billion in tax dollars, which it doles out in foreign aid. Musk essentially likened the group to a slush fund for the deep state.

Trump digs DOGE: The President was asked about Musk’s performance over the weekend and said: “I think he's doing a great job. He's a smart guy."

Big picture: Musk is running the same play he used when he took over Twitter [now X], slashing the budget by eliminating unnecessary personnel and initiatives, instead focusing on operational efficiency. This is exactly what we need in the federal government. And by Musk overseeing this, it frees up President Trump to handle all of the other pressing issues facing our nation today [see the above article].

[Source: Daily Wire]

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✅ Trump's envoy for special missions, Ric Grenell, secured the release of six Americans being held by socialist Venezuela after meeting Nicolas Maduro, who also agreed to take back tens of thousands of illegal aliens — including violent Tren de Aragua gang members. Read more.

🚢 Panama’s president pledged to end a major development deal with China after meeting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, following Trump’s concerns over Beijing’s growing influence on the country’s vital shipping canal. Read more.

🚕 Tesla's first robotaxi service will start in Austin, Texas, in June, according to CEO Elon Musk. Read more.

✈️ The FAA is fighting a class-action lawsuit alleging it denied 1,000 would-be air traffic controllers jobs because of diversity hiring targets. Read more.

📧 The Trump administration ordered federal employees at multiple agencies to remove pronouns from their email signatures. Read more.

🤡 Far-left META employees launched a petition to reinstall tampons in the men's bathroom after the company had them removed after Trump's inauguration. Read more.

🛢️ U.S. oil producer Chevron used the term "Gulf of America" instead of Gulf of Mexico in its fourth-quarter press release. Read more,

🔎 Former Federal Reserve senior advisor John Harold Rogers was arrested for conspiring to steal U.S. trade secrets for China. Read more.

💊 The FDA approved a new type of nonopioid painkiller from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Read more.

✅ The Trump admin fired a group of prosecutors who prosecuted J6 cases and demanded the names of FBI agents involved in the probes for possible termination. Read more.

📃 CBS News agreed to hand over a transcript of a '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris that it deceptively edited during the 2024 election as part of President Trump's lawsuit against the company. Read more.

🇺🇸 President Donald Trump recognized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, economist Thomas Sowell, Abolition leaders Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas, and professional golfer Tiger Wood, among others, in a statement honoring National Black History Month. Read more.

🎥 Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries casually inciting violence. Says, "we're gonna fight [Trump’s agenda] in the streets." Watch.

🎥 WTF? Kanye West showed up to the Grammys with his naked wife. Watch. [This video is censored]

🎥 A small medevac jet carrying a child patient crashes in Philadelphia. Watch.

🎥 Canadians in Toronto BOO during the U.S. National Anthem. Watch.

🎥 The first America-Israeli hostage released by Hamas reunites with family. Watch.

🎥 Hollywood actor Idris Elba [he's Britist] thinks the U.K. should restrict kitchen knives to stop the rise in stabbings. Watch.

🎥 Radical leftists wave Mexican flags while they shut down LA freeways to protest mass deportations. Watch.

🎥 CNN’s Fake Tapper gets RIPPED by the new Sec. of Transportation on DEI. Watch.

🎥 How to stump a modern feminist. Watch. LOL

Some highlights from the DNC elections on Saturday:

🎥 Democrats have learned NOTHING from 2024. Candidates shriek about race and gender. Watch.

🎥 Check out the wild gender requirements the DNC has for its elections. Watch. Clown show.

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