DJT: Turned out, all we needed was a new President.
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1897148869609447710
FBI Director Kash Patel
@FBIDirectorKash
BREAKING: As President Trump just announced, I can report that tonight the FBI, DOJ, and CIA have extradited one of the terrorists responsible for the murder of the 13 American soldiers at Abbey Gate during the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
One step closer to justice for these American heroes and their families.
https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1897130654690693583
Smoke grenades tossed in Serbian parliament as MP suffers stroke.
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1897147834874634328
Watch as Sergeant of Arms escorts Al Green from congressional floor.
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1897145873148325901
'''Emergency wildfire warning in Texas'
The warning was upgraded from a fire weather watch overnight and expands across areas along and west of Interstate 45. The warning will be in effect until Tuesday evening, according to the weather service.''
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a red flag warning across Harris County, alerting that conditions are favorable for wildfires.
The warning was upgraded from a fire weather watch overnight and expands across areas along and west of Interstate 45. The warning will be in effect until Tuesday evening, according to the weather service.
Wind gusts potentially reaching 45 miles per hour and a relative humidity of 15 to 25 percent prompted the weather service to issue the warning. A Gale Warning alerting of sustained winds ranging from 35 to 47 knots and hazardous wind and wave conditions was also issued across all Gulf waters and Galveston Bay.
“It’s likely just going to be some very isolated instances if anything, but chances are much higher towards the northeast of the Houston area as far as severe weather goes,” Cameron Batiste, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said.
Some storms could become strong to severe, running the risk of strong wind gusts, hail and isolated tornadoes.
There is a slight risk of severe weather for locations generally east and northeast of the Houston metro area and a marginal risk along and east of the Interstate 45 corridor, according to the weather service.
The red flag warning will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for areas along and west of Interstate 45 and until 6 p.m. for all areas of Southeast Texas. If strong winds materialize, sporadic power outages are possible.
The weather service is encouraging residents to avoid open flames or sparks, keep vehicles off of dry grass and properly discard cigarettes. Residents should avoid all fire-related activities and use extreme caution if working with equipment that could spark.
A coastal flood advisory is also in effect over each high tide cycle through 9 p.m. Tuesday.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/weather/2025/03/04/515166/red-flag-warning-alerting-of-favorable-wildfire-conditions-issued-across-southeast-texas-tuesday/
Trump to announce mineral deal with Ukraine tonight, but it’s still not signed
NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he appreciated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's willingness to sign a minerals deal with the United States and come to the negotiating table under his leadership to bring a lasting peace closer in Kyiv's war with Russia.
Trump said in an address to the U.S. Congress that Zelenskiy made the declaration in a letter to him earlier in the day.
Zelenskiy posted on X earlier that Ukraine was ready to sign the deal and talk peace and called a contentious Oval Office meeting last week after which it was put on hold "regrettable."
The Trump administration and Ukraine plan to sign the minerals deal, four people familiar with the situation told Reuters earlier on Tuesday. Trump had told his advisers that he wanted to announce an agreement in his address to Congress, three of the sources said, cautioning that the deal had yet to be signed and the situation could change.
Trump's remarks suggested that progress had been made.
"Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskiy of Ukraine. The letter reads, 'Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer," Trump said.
Trump said Zelenskiy had said he stood ready to work "under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts" and that he valued how much America had done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence.
"Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time that is convenient for you," Trump quoted Zelenskiy as saying.
"I appreciate that he sent this letter," Trump said, adding that "Simultaneously, we've had serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace.
Trump has said the agreement will help secure a peace deal by giving the United States a financial stake in Ukraine's future. He views it as America's way of earning back some of the tens of billions of dollars it has given to Ukraine in financial and military aid since Russia invaded three years ago.
Zelenskiy was dismissed from the White House after being berated by Trump and his vice president, who said he should thank the U.S. for its support rather than asking for additional aid for Ukraine's war against Russian in front of the media.
"You're gambling with World War Three," Trump said on Friday.
U.S. OFFICIALS URGED APOLOGY
U.S. officials have in recent days spoken to officials in Kyiv about signing the minerals deal despite Friday's blow-up, and urged Zelenskiy's advisers to convince the Ukrainian president to apologize openly to Trump, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
"Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” Zelenskiy said in his post on X. "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer."
It was unclear if the deal has changed. The version that was to be signed last week included no explicit security guarantees for Ukraine but gave the U.S. access to revenues from Ukraine's natural resources. It also envisaged the Ukrainian government contributing 50% of future monetization of any state-owned natural resources to a U.S.-Ukraine managed reconstruction investment fund.
On Monday, Trump signaled that his administration remained open to signing the deal, telling reporters in a gaggle that Ukraine "should be more appreciative."
"This country has stuck with them through thick and thin," Trump said. "We've given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us."
France, Britain and possibly other European countries have offered to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire but would want support from the U.S. or a "backstop." Moscow has rejected proposals for peacekeeping troops.
Daniel Fried, a former senior White House official and ambassador to Poland, said the path to getting the minerals deal done has been messy, but it would deliver two solid wins for Trump - Zelenskiy's statement of regret and the agreement of Britain and France to provide security and boots on the ground.
"Trump can and should take the win. He'd be able to say that he … got the Europeans to stand up in front of an issue of European security, which they've never done before," said Fried, now a fellow at the Atlantic Council.
(Reporting by Erin Banco in New York, Gram Slattery and Andrea Shalal in Washington; Additional reporting by Yuliia Dysa in Kyiv; Editing by Don Durfee, David Gregorio and Michael Perry)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-us-ukraine-prepare-sign-190405422.html
30 LA County corrections officers charged with enabling "gladiator fights" at juvenile facility
California Attorney General Rob Bonta charged 30 corrections officers in Los Angeles County for allegedly enabling "gladiator fights" at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
"Officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of those under their care. Instead, the officers charged today did just the opposite – overseeing 'gladiator fights' when they should have intervened," Bonta said.
The 30 corrections officers face charges including child abuse, conspiracy, and battery related to the so-called "gladiator fights." According to Bonta's Office, the charged officers allowed and sometimes encouraged 69 fights at Los Padrinos between July 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. State prosecutors said 143 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 were beaten during those six months.
"The indictment – and the filing of criminal charges – is an important step toward holding these officers accountable and addressing shortfalls at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall," Bonta said. "Let today's charges be a warning for all those who abuse their power: the California Department of Justice is watching, and we will hold you accountable."
Most of the probation officers charged in the case were arraigned on Monday. The remaining eight will be arraigned on April 18.
The director of Los Padrinos is among the charged officials. Defense attorney Tom Yu said his client pleaded not guilty.
"They didn't know about these fights," Yu said. "I mean, how were they supposed to stop something they didn't know about?"
The officers have been placed on leave without pay, according to the LA County Probation Department.
"Accountability is a cornerstone of our mission, and we have zero tolerance for misconduct of any peace officers, especially those dealing with young people in our system," department officials wrote in a statement.
Embroiled in controversy for years, a state inspector deemed Los Padrinos "unsuitable" in December 2024 after staff could not stem the flow of drugs, failed to bring the juvenile prisoners to medical appointments and did not prevent retaliation against inmates who filed grievances. At the time, Bonta said LA County "utterly failed" to provide safety to the juvenile hall prisoners.
California closed the facility on Dec. 12 due to systemic failures. Los Padrinos has continued to operate despite the closure order because LA County does not have a viable alternative location nearby.
"While these incidents are deeply troubling, we believe this marks an important step toward rebuilding trust and reinforcing our commitment to the meaningful changes we are proposing in our juvenile facilities," LA County Probation wrote in a statement.
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/30-la-county-corrections-officers-charged-with-enabling-gladiator-fights-at-juvenile-facility/
Mass migration drives Americans out of the workforce, Stephen Miller explains
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6PK2zQ9qk
Canadian premier, Doug Ford, says he will cut off electricity exports to US ‘with a smile on my face’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday he is prepared to cut off electricity exports to the U.S. if President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods go through.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Ford told reporters at a mining convention in downtown Toronto, the Toronto Sun reported.
Ford doubled down on his pledge to retaliate by matching tariffs, noting the U.S. is a major customer of Canada’s electricity.
“They rely on our energy. They need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard,” he said.
The Sun reported Ford said he would go dollar-for-dollar in matching tariffs: “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Ford suggested the federal and provincial governments are unified in their approach to fighting U.S. tariffs.
“The provinces have a big say in it, but it’s the federal government that’s leading the charge, and we’re going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder no matter who’s in the federal government.
“I [didn’t] start this tariff war, but we’re going to win this tariff war,” Ford added.
The remarks come as Trump announced Monday that the 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico will officially go into effect Tuesday, saying there is no more room for dealmaking before the 30-day delay expires.
“The tariffs, they’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow,” Trump said, adding there’s “no room left for Mexico or Canada” to make a deal before midnight.
Trump had warned last week that the tariffs will go forward after he delayed them for a month following conversations with the Canadian and Mexican leaders, during which they agreed to action to address the flow of drugs at the border.
Trump said Monday that “vast amounts of fentanyl got poured into our country” largely through Mexico and from China, and he encouraged car manufacturers to build plants in the U.S. to avoid the upcoming tariffs.
“So, what they have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs,” Trump said Monday.
The president also announced reciprocal tariffs will start April 2, which will cover imports from all nations that levy import taxes on U.S. goods.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5173914-ontario-premier-doug-ford-tariff-threat/amp/
Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський
@ZelenskyyUa
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.
We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.
We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.
Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.
Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.
https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1896948147085049916
CK Hutchison Sells Panama Ports to BlackRock Amid Trump Pressure
CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., the Hong Kong-based conglomerate, agreed to sell control of a unit that operates ports near the Panama Canal after pressure from US President Donald Trump to limit Chinese interests in the region.
A consortium including BlackRock Inc., Global Infrastructure Partners, and Terminal Investment Ltd. reached a deal in principle to acquire units that hold 80% of the Hutchison Ports group, which operates 43 ports in 23 countries. The consortium will also acquire 90% of Panama Ports Co., which operates the two ports in Balboa and Cristobal. The transactions will deliver cash proceeds of $19 billion to CK Hutchison, the company said Tuesday in a statement.
Trump has said he wants the US to regain control of the Panama Canal, which was handed over to the local government in 1999, arguing without evidence that China has taken over the waterway. Panama’s government had been weighing whether to cancel its contract with CK Hutchison to operate the ports, Bloomberg reported last month.
Hutchison has run the ports in Panama’s Balboa and Cristobal under a concession that was first signed in 1997 and, in 2021, extended until 2047.
https://archive.is/N0m9N#selection-2201.0-2219.144
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: We're going to reexamine trade policy on April 2nd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBl1nu_dxXQ
News 4 San Antonio
@News4SA
DOGE ends $18 million a month contract with Family Endeavors for 'empty facility.'
Endeavors revenues shot up in 2021 from $50 million to $658 million, reaching a peak of $1.1 billion in 2022.
https://x.com/News4SA/status/1896745748621881461