'PLAY BALL': Kevin Hassett says China is 'eager' for trade deal

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett weighs in on President Donald Trump's tariff negotiations and an update on the 'big, beautiful' bill

https://youtu.be/ITHhvGTlk_A

6.26

'STRONG AMERICAN LEADERSHIP': Sen. Tom Cotton backs Trump's foreign policy plans

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., discusses the violations in the India-Pakistan ceasefire, U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and offers insight into the China-Russia alliance on 'Fox News Sunday. (Russia is pissed because they demanded more and Trump was not happy, so they draw China in again.)

7:13

https://youtu.be/GglhdlFxqw8

Putin Requests Direct Negotiations with Zelensky in Turkey – Zelensky, Standing Behind Skirt of Starmer, Macron, Merz and Tusk Demands Immediate Ceasefire or Else

May 11, 2025 | Sundance |

In several ways it was likely strategically smart for President Trump to distance himself from the Intelligence Operation in Ukraine known as World War Reddit.The odd and opaque narratives from NATO, EU and CIA elements bear all the hallmark tells of an intelligence operation running amok.

With President Trump slowly exiting the nonsense, the group colloquially known as the “Coalition of the Willing” organizes their latest public relations stunt with a visit to Kyiv. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the goofy Polish Prime Minister who doesn’t do much, Donald Tusk, took the pantomime train into Ukraine for a spring walk with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The U.K, German and French political leaders are all using their Ukraine involvement to deflect from the political chaos that exists back home. Starmer, Zelenskyy, Macron, Merz and Tusk brought their best videographers and photographers to provide the optics and visuals.

The quintet’s performance included a phone call to President Trump in order to collectively wag their finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin, while saying they all agreed to a 30-day ceasefire starting tomorrow (Mon).You can tell this is all theatrically produced as part of World War Reddit because earnest diplomatic negotiations do not take place through media.

If they want a Monday ceasefire, the ‘dramatic acting’ crew needs to have Putin on the call – not Trump. Duh!

In response to the latest chapter in the public relations campaign, Russian President Putin has requested to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkey next week on Thursday.Zelenskyy, speaking on behalf of the international intelligence apparatus that is conducting the proxy war, says he will not meet to discuss the terms for a ceasefire with Putin unless a ceasefire already exists. Again, the confliction is simply more surface evidence of the IC involvement.

Sky News […] Speaking at the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday, Mr Putin did not directly address the 30-day ceasefire proposal but instead offered to restart peace talks Russia and Ukraine held in 2022.

“We propose the Kyiv authorities resume the negotiations they interrupted at the end of 2022… to resume direct negotiations… without any preconditions… to begin without delay next Thursday 15 May in Istanbul,” he said.

Russia’s own unilateral three-day ceasefire, declared for the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, expired on Saturday, and Ukraine said Russian forces have repeatedly violated it.

During the summit in Kyiv, European leaders secured the backing of Donald Trump after briefing him on the progress made on the so-called “coalition of the willing” plans in a 20-minute phone call.

“All of us here, together with the US, are calling Putin out,” said Sir Keir.

“So we are clear, all five leaders here – all the leaders of the meeting we just had with the coalition of the willing – an unconditional ceasefire, rejecting Putin’s conditions, and clear that if he turns his back on peace, we will respond.

“Working with President Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine’s defence to pressure Russia back to the table.” (read more)

(Russia has a say and all of this is bullshit. The U.S. news never reports the constant attacks and threats from Ukraine. I hope to God Trump doesn’t believe what Zelensky and crew are saying. It’s a perfect way to alienate Russia from the U.S., that has always been their goal.)

(https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/05/11/putin-requests-direct-negotiations-with-zelensky-in-turkey-zelensky-standing-behind-skirt-of-starmer-macron-merz-and-tusk-demands-immediate-ceasefire-or-else/

Macron, Starmer, And Zelensky Walk Through Central Kyiv As They Push Russia To Agree To Ceasefire

On Saturday, France's President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky walked through Central Kyiv after agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire.

0:38

https://youtu.be/jeccmAUvT7c

BREAKING: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Strikes Breakthrough Trade Deal with China

by Jim Hᴏft May. 11, 2025 12:20

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly secured a significant trade agreement with China, signaling a potential end to the protracted tariff war between the two economic powerhouses.

Over the weekend, high-level talks were held in Geneva between Secretary Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Saturday’s meetings lasted eight hours. At one point, the Chinese took a break, but talks resumed shortly afterward. The talks resume on Sunday.

Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday, “A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner. We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!”

The discussions aimed to address the escalating trade war, which has seen the U.S. impose tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods, with China retaliating with 125% tariffs on American products.

Following the second meeting on Sunday, Secretary Bessent stated that substantial progress had been made, and both sides described the discussions as productive.

While specific details of the agreement have not been disclosed, officials indicated that further information would be released on Monday.

Secretary Bessent:

“I think that led to a great deal of the productivity we’ve seen. We will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were productive. We had the Vice Premier, two Vice Ministers who were integrally involved, Ambassador Jamieson, and myself. I spoke to President Trump, as did Ambassador Jamieson last night, and he is informed of what is going on. There will be a complete briefing tomorrow morning.”

WATCH:

President Trump’s U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, hinted that the newly struck deal could play a key role in ending the ongoing tariff war between the two global powers.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer:

I want to echo the Secretary’s remarks with respect to the Swiss government. They’ve been so welcoming—they hosted this, and everything has gone off flawlessly, and we appreciate that.

Again, to the Chinese negotiators, who worked very diligently. These are very tough negotiators. A couple of them I know from before and have had past interactions with them.

This was, as the Secretary pointed out, a very constructive two days. It’s important to understand how quickly we were able to come to an agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not as large as previously thought. That being said, there was a lot of groundwork that went into these two days.

Just to remember why we’re here in the first place: The United States has a massive $1.2 trillion trade deficit. The President declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs.We’re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to work toward resolving that national emergency.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/just-treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-strikes-breakthrough-trade/

Both videos attached

11 May, 2025 15:34

UK sending ‘Ikea-style’ weapon decoys to Ukraine – Times

London wants to make Russia believe it has supplied Kiev with more weapons than it has in reality, a report says

The British military is supplying Ukraine with flat-pack decoys designed to mimic real military hardware, The Times reported on Saturday, citing sources. The effort is aimed at deceiving Russian forces and exaggerating the amount of modern equipment on the front line.(UK is a joke)

At the heart of the effort are so-called “Ikea-style” kits resembling British-supplied tanks, artillery, and air defense systems that are designed to stretch Russia’s surveillance and strike capacity. “We haven’t gifted a huge amount of these, so anything we can do to make the quantities look greater on the front line is advantageous to us,” RAF Squadron Leader Lowri Simner told the paper.

The deception campaign is being managed by Taskforce Kindred, a 20-person team within the British Defense Ministry that works with industry specialists.They rely on digital images of equipment to create realistic replicas, which are then printed on flat materials, shipped to Kiev, and quickly assembled close to the combat zones.(No wonder Sundance calls it World War Reddit)

Some of the replicas are meant to resemble such equipment as Challenger 2 tanks and AS-90 self-propelled guns. The paper notes that decoys have come a long way from what was used during World War II. The impetus to improve the replicas has come from modern drones and satellites with formidable reconnaissance capabilities.

For every five real vehicles sent to Ukraine Kiev also receives as many as 30 decoys, according to Colonel Olly Todd, a military lead with the Taskforce Kindred. “You could be quite easily fooled,” he noted, adding that decoys are a “fundamental” facet of modern warfare.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Katerina Chernohorenko said, as quoted by The Times, that Russia has also been actively using decoys, particularly during drone strikes. She said many of the UAVs sent by Moscow carry minimal explosives but are designed to bait Ukrainian air defenses and waste ammo, which is often in short supply.

Despite its continued military support for Ukraine – which has reached £13 billion ($17 billion) –UK defense officials have sounded the alarm about the country not being ready for a full-scale war with a near-peer adversary due to years of underinvestment and procurement delays.

Russia has condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they only prolong the conflict without changing its ultimate outcome.

https://www.rt.com/news/617382-weapon-decoy-ukraine-times/

So the UK cannot protect their own countries but are sending toys to Ukraine.

11 May, 2025 06:47

==EU state prosecutes people for celebrating victory over Nazis=

Latvian authorities have filed dozens of cases over flowers, symbols, and songs on May 9

Latvian police detained eight people and opened 67 administrative cases into events marking the 80th anniversaryof the victory over Nazi Germany, according to local media. The authorities have cited the use of banned Soviet symbols, Russian wartime songs, and flower tributes in the colors of the Russian flag among multiple accsuations.

Latvia has banned the public display of both Soviet and Nazi symbols under laws meant to limit what it calls “totalitarian propaganda.”Critics argue that the measures marginalize the Russian-speaking minority and seek to erase the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany.

According to Deputy Police Chief Andris Zellis, most incidents took place in the Latvian capital, Riga, and in Kurzeme and Latgale.Violations included displaying the St. George’s ribbon, a revered symbol of remembrance, and visits to former monument sites.

“Uzvaras Park in Riga, where there used to be a large monument and massive 9 May celebrations, is no longer a place where people gather to celebrate 9 May,” Zellis told Latvian Radio.

Victory Day, which is celebrated on May 9 in Russia and several former Soviet states, commemorates the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany.

Latvia, then part of the USSR, was a key battleground. Many residents, especially the country's significant population of Russian speakers, honor those who fought against the Nazis.

In Kurzeme, residents reportedly laid flowers and lit candles at former Soviet monument sites despite police warnings. In Zemgale, a man was fined €350 ($394) for wearing Soviet youth badges. Another in Balvi was fined €300 for displaying a red star and hammer and sickle on his garage, according to the outlet Jauns.

In neighboring Lithuania, the authorities in the capital city,Vilnius, installed a garbage bin labeled “for carnations, candles and Soviet nostalgia” at a site where people typically leave tributes on May 9. Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the gesture was aimed at “those nostalgic for times alongside the Russians.”

Russian officials condemned the move, calling it disrespectful to those who fought against Nazi Germany. Later, LithuanianPrime Minister Gintautas Paluckas acknowledged that the threat of provocations came not from participants but from those opposed to the celebrations.

In Germany, similar restrictions were upheld this week when a Berlin court banned Soviet flags, St. George’s ribbons, and wartime music at public May 8-9 events. The Russian Embassy in Berlin calledthe ruling “discriminatory” and said it infringes on the rights of those honoring their ancestors’ role in World War II victory.

(None of these countries have any gratitude to Russia, for the loss of millions of citizens and saving these countries from destruction from Nazis. Its just another way to dehumanize Putin and Russia.)

https://www.rt.com/russia/617357-eu-state-to-prosecute-people/

10 May, 2025 18:31

Ukraine’s European backers can’t replace US military aid – NYT

Washington has not allocated new arms supplies to Kiev in months, the newspaper wrote

Ukraine’s European sponsors lack the manufacturing capacity to replace US arms supplies to Kiev, the New York Times wrote on Saturday.

The administration of US President DonaldTrump has shifted from spending billions on supporting Ukraine to focusing on domestic issues. It has also signaled to its European NATO allies that Washington has no interest in propping up the military bloc alone.

The NYT noted that the US has not announced a new arms package for Ukraine for more than 120 days. While the Pentagon still has $3.85 billion in armaments earmarked for Kiev under the previous administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to answer when asked if the arms would be sent to Ukraine, the newspaper wrote.

==Kiev is running low on long-range missiles, artillery and, most of all, ballistic aid defense systems= – which are mostly manufactured in the US – the NYT wrote, citing a Ukrainian official. (good shut the EU war on Russia down, with the proxy Zelensky and Kiev)

While European leaders and investorsappear willing to pump more funds into arms manufacturing, “industry executives and experts predict it will take a decade to get assembly lines up to speed,” according to the newspaper.

This comes on the backdrop of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to mobilize up to €800 billion for military spending in the EU, citing threats from Russia and the inability to rely on long-term US support.

The Trump administration has consistently demanded that the European NATO states increase their annual military spending to 5% of GDP, calling the longstanding 2% target insufficient.

Russian officials have condemned the steps being taken in Europe toward militarization, and dismissed claims that Moscow intends to attack either the EU or NATO. Moreover, Russia has expressed concern that, rather than supporting the US peace initiatives for the Ukraine conflict, the EU is instead gearing up for war with Russia.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously noted that the EU is “becoming militarized at a record pace,” and said that there was now “very little difference” between the EU and NATO.

(I hope this is absolutely true.)

https://www.rt.com/news/617335-ukraines-european-backers-cant-replace/

10 May, 2025 09:48

German spies grant AfD reprieve

The country’s domestic intelligence agency has suspended its ‘extremist’ designation for the party following legal and public backlash

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has temporarily suspended its classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” group, pending the outcome of a legal appeal.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) suspended the label on Thursday and removed a press release about the designation from its website.

The classification, which was announced by the BfV last week, was based on a comprehensive report alleging thatthe AfD promotes policies excluding individuals with migrant backgrounds, particularly Muslims, from full societal participation. The BfV claimed that the party “disregards human dignity” and uses terms such as “knife-wielding migrants” to ascribe violent tendencies to non-European ethnic groups.

The AfD leadership condemned the decision as “a severe blow to German democracy” and filed a lawsuit in a Cologne court, arguing that the classification was politically motivated and lacked sufficient evidence. As a result,the BfV temporarily withdrew the classification, but said it would monitor the party as a “suspected case”of an extremist organization.

The suspended designation would have empowered the BfV to carry out broad surveillance of the AfD’s activities. The lower-level designation also allows surveillance, but under stricter judicial oversight.

AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupallawelcomed the temporary suspension, calling it “a first important step” that will help “counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.”

The ‘extremist’ label was met with skepticism by many German politicians. Then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and incoming Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned against banning the AfD. Dobrindt has argued that the party should be made irrelevant through good governance rather than drastic measures.

=He also insisted on a discussion over the reasons that the AfD has risen to prominence==, referring to recent polls indicating that it has become the most popular party in Germany, reaching 26% support.

The AfD’s surge has often been attributed to public frustration over the immigration policies of the mainstream parties, as well as economic challenges and perceived government ineffectiveness.

(Merz party only got 20% of the vote, compared to AfD’s 26%)

https://www.rt.com/news/617283-german-spies-grant-afd-reprieve/

9 May, 2025 12:21

Serbia’s Vucic and Slovakia’s Fico share heartfelt VIDEO from Moscow

Several EU countries closed airspace to the respective leaders who were en route to the Russian capital

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has shared footage of him shaking hands with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico near the Kremlin. Both leaders faced significant challenges in reaching the Victory Day celebrations in the Russian capital, due to airspace bans imposed by several EU countries.

“Brotherly meeting with the Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico tonight in Moscow. Serbs and Slovaks brothers forever!” Vucic wrote on Instagram on Thursday, alongside a clip showing of the two leaders greeting each other.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had warned leaders of member states and candidate countries against traveling to Russia for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The renowned Russia hawk urged instead that they visit Kiev.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos reportedly also told Vucic in late April that his presence in Moscow could impact Serbia’s EU accession to the bloc.

Latvia and Lithuania denied airspace access to Vucic’s plane, forcing it to reroute through Bulgaria, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Estonia refused to facilitate Fico’s aircraft, despite Slovakia holding a year-round permit to use Estonian airspace for government flights.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna insisted that EU representatives should avoid participating in “propaganda events organized by Russia.”(how is this propaganda, its the history of the War with Russia defeating Germany)

Despite the attempted blocks, both Vucic and Fico went ahead with their plans to attend the Victory Day event in Moscow. They are among more than two dozen world leaders participating in this year’s commemorations in the Russian capital. Other attendees include Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

https://www.rt.com/news/617113-vucic-fico-kremlin-moscow/

Bill Maher@billmaher

If the leaders in the Democratic Party keep encouraging and not rebuking the idea that America is cringe, and the people who run Gaza are great, the Democrats are doomed.

Retake the Flag!

HBO Real Time May 9, 2025

11:26 PM · May 9, 2025

·

1.8M

Views

6:55

https://x.com/billmaher/status/1921044023881470046

Delays follow ground stop at Atlanta airport due to 'runway equipment issue'

The ground stop, which impacted departures from several regions of the U.S., appeared to lift just before 12:30 p.m.

May 11, 2025 (DEI)

dd0724a6-bd97-4a8e-82c8-d47b4f84462d_16x9.jpg

ATLANTA — Delays have followed a ground stop Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that had impacted departures from several regions of the U.S.

The ground stop appeared to lift just before 12:30 p.m., with the FAA removing it from a site that lists such events. It has been replaced by a listing for a "ground delay" for Delta flights departing from the contiguous U.S. within 1,200 nautical miles of Atlanta.

That is set to last until 3:59 p.m. A table showed the average expected delay for 1-2 p.m. as 35 minutes, 2-3 p.m. as 26 minutes and 3-4 p.m. as 11 minutes.

According to flight delays and cancellations data at FlightAware, Hartsfield-Jackson is not experiencing a wide rash of canceled flights,but there are now more than 775 delays — 401 into Atlanta are delayed as of around 3 p.m. and 354 out of Atlanta are delayed.

In a statement earlier, the agency described a "runway equipment issue" and said "technicians are working to address the problem."

"The FAA has temporarily slowed arrivals into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport," the statement said.

The FAA website listing the ground stop said it began at 10:40 a.m. ET and would last until 12:30 p.m. That was extended from an original listed end time of noon.

The ground stop applied to flights departing for Atlanta from numerous zones across the middle and eastern portions of the U.S.

An airport spokesperson provided 11Alive the following statement, saying the equipment outage was in the air traffic control tower: “An equipment outage at ATL’s Air Traffic Control Tower is currently causing delays for inbound and outbound aircraft. For further details please contact the FAA. In the meantime, we encourage passengers to contact their respective airlines and visit ATL.com for further information on their individual travel itineraries.”

(https://www.11alive.com/article/travel/hartsfield-jackson-atlanta-international-airport-ground-stop-sunday-may-11/85-e70b8d74-f9e1-47cf-b817-ac6142d3ca82

It’s just weird the plane and helicopter crashed and burned in DC, shortly after Trump was in office, this seems like attacks from China, and all these airport equipment suddenly not working.