Was the Logan Act Violated?

It seems that Senator Chris Van Hollen, by running off to try and secure the return of an MS-13 terrorist criminal from El Salvador, violated a long-standing American law called the Logan Act.

The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States Federal law that criminalizes the negotiation of a dispute between the United States and a foreign government by an unauthorized American citizen.

Violation of the Logan Act is a felony, punishable with imprisonment for up to three years. Only two people have ever been indicted on charges of violating the Act, one in 1802 and the other in 1852. And ultimately, not penalized.

The Act was constitutional when enacted, and unless or until repealed by Congress, remains valid and enforceable.

Perhaps, Senator Van Hollen, having no notoriety as a leader in the Senate, or in the Democrat Party, is looking to make a name for himself by getting indicted, prosecuted, fined and jailed for the three-year minimum term currently on the books. Maybe he wants to be the test case to see if he could be prosecuted for Logan Act violations. Ah yes, finally, FAME.

And maybe, he thinks HE could be the leader of the leaderless Democrat Party by pulling off this stunt.

At this point, no one has publicly brought this up, either by the Administration, by any Member of Congress or by the Left Stream Media. But had it been a Republican who had done what Senator Van Hollen did with a Democrat President, the media would be screaming “traitor” and called for his removal, and imprisonment.

Thus the hypocrisy of those on the left. And no one can say that would not have happened.

So, sit down, Senator Van Hollen, and STFU. Be grateful you are not under indictment. And as for any Democrat or the LSM, your hypocrisy is boundless.

And, by the way, leave the creep in El Salvador.

Time For Democrats and the Media to Stand Up for Americans

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) decided he was going to play foreign diplomat in an attempt to one-up President Trump, along with Secretaries Rubio, Noem and Attorney General Bondi by trecking off to El Salvador to gain the release of MS-13 terrorist and wife beater Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported back to El Salvador last month.

Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said at a news conference in San Salvador after the meeting that Vice President Félix Ulloa said his government could NOT return Abrego Garcia to the United States and declined to allow Van Hollen to visit him in the notorious gang prison where he is being held. Essentially, he was told to go home and work it out with the Trump Administration.

And no matter what any American court decides in this case, or any future case, the President of El Salvador is not obligated to comply. President Bukele indicated on Monday that he WOULD NOT be returning a terrorist to the United States.

"How can I return him to the United States? Like if I smuggle him into the United States?" Bukele said, sitting beside Trump in the Oval Office, when he was asked whether he’d return Abrego Garcia. "Of course I'm not going to do it. The question is preposterous."

Senator Van Hollen has overstepped his position in trying to circumvent the President of the United States, considering that only the President is authorized to deal in foreign affairs under the Constitution.

Part of Article II, Clause 2 states: He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur...

That is the extent that the Congress is authorized under the Constitution to do for foreign affairs.

Nowhere under Article I does the Constitution authorize any Member of Congress the ability to negotiate on behalf of the United States with ANY foreign government, unless AUTHORIZED by the President. Even the Secretary of State, any Ambassador, or envoy needs the President to grant his permission.

And while the Democrats and the media may b!+ch and moan that Abrego Garcia is now sitting in a prison in El Salvador, the man did not belong in the US when he illegally came here. And it was revealed that his wife had filed an order of protection in 2021 for domestic abuse, even though she is wailing crocodile tears for him now. Probably at the behest of his lawyer and the Democrats, who apparently care more for illegals than the Americans they are supposed to represent.

By the way, one of Senator Van Hollen’s constituents, Patty Morin, whose daughter Rachel was killed by another MS-13 member, said she was outraged that “a senator from Maryland who didn’t even acknowledge, or barely acknowledged my daughter and the brutal death that she endured, leaving her five children without a mother” chose to “use my tax money to fly to El Salvador to bring back a person some who isn’t even an American citizen.”

It is incumbent upon Senator Van Hollen and all the other idiots who sit In the Congress, pontificate about things they know nothing about and go back to re-read the Constitution, which they all swore to uphold. It might make sense to read what you swear to, yes? So, sit down and shut up.

After all, the first three words are WE THE PEOPLE. And the Constitution talks about the CITIZENS all these government people, Congressional, Executive and Judicial, are working for. Not illegals.

It is time for all three branches of government to do the PEOPLE’S business and not worry about whether illegals, terrorists, rapists and murderers are given their Constitutional rights over Americans.

Another Crooked Prosecutor Gets Found Out

Sometimes the old adages make strange bedfellows. You know, like “people who live in glass houses should not throw stones”. Generally, it always comes back to bite you in the @$$.

 

It was rumored for a few days, but know it seems the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, was being investigated for something surrounding real estate. Ironic, isn’t it?

It was reported in Tuesday evening's online edition of the New York Post that Federal Housing FHFA Director William Pulte sent a criminal referral to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, alleging that James had “falsified records” to get home loans for a property in Virginia that she claimed was her “principal residence” in 2023, while still serving as a New York State prosecutor.

That occurred in late August 2023, weeks before James began her civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization for over-inflating the values of many of its properties, which ended in a $454 million judgment.

Oops. And if it is true, she is also violating the New York State Constitution AND election law, since she cannot be a legal resident in another state while serving as a Constitutional official in New York.

This is on top of additional falsified records since 2001 for which she filed documents where she said she owned a four-family home in New York when it was actually a five-family dwelling. Which make it an apartment building, with different qualifications.

“Ms. James, for both properties listed above, appears to have falsified records in order to meet certain lending requirements and receive favorable loan terms,” Pulte told Bondi and Blanche.

That could amount to criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution, among others, Pulte added.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when at first we practice to deceive.” Old Letty has been practicing for such a long time. And deceiving for a lot longer.

She is as crooked as Fani Willis, Alvin Bragg, Marilyn Mosby and even Florida State Attorney, Monique Worrell.

Another Almost Tragedy In Pennsylvania

Over this past weekend, an assassination attempt was made against a leading Democrat Governor and a mass murder was made against his family by a crazed individual via arson. 

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were asleep in their home when Cody Balmer decided at 2 AM on Sunday to set fire to his home.

Fortunately, PA State Troopers were on scene quickly to evcuate everyone to safety.

The fire left significant damage and forced Shapiro, his family, and guests to evacuate the building early Sunday. The man, arrested later in the day, faces charges including attempted homicide, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault, authorities said.

In addition, Balmer admitted that he hated Shapiro so much, had he found him, he “would have bashed his head in with his hammer.”

“I have absolutely no compassion for anybody that commits such heinous crimes,” Fire Chief Brian Enterline said during a press conference. “To anybody that affects my firefighters and American citizens, you don’t deserve any of the luxuries that we have here when you create such heinous acts against our own people.”

One would think that we had enough attempts on the lives of political figures last summer, yes? It is time to dial down the hateful rhetoric by members of both political parties, especially those who are perceived to be political leaders.

The crazies out there are strung out and will snap without warning.

A Spiritual Message For the Season

Today is Palm Sunday, which, for this year, follows the first night of Passover. Thus begins the most sacred times on both the Jewish and Christian calendar. Generally, these holy times overlap, with Passover beginning on the fifteenth of Nissan, the first night of the full moon, and Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal or spring equinox.

For Orthodox Christians, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the end of Passover. In 2025, Passover is celebrated from the night of April 12 to the night of April 20.

According to the Bible and other historical records, Passover occurred because God gave Moses a command to lead the Jews, who Pharaoh held as slaves, out of Egypt and led them to a Promised Land, far beyond the Red Sea and the Sinai, while the Angel of Death "passed over" Pharaoh and his followers, spreading plague to the Egyptians’ first-born children, as Moses saves the Jews. The story is told in the Book of Exodus.

During the journey to Israel, Moses receives the Ten Commandments, which serve as a foundational moral and ethical code for both Judaism and later, Christianity.

Palm Sunday marks the triumphant return of Jesus to Jerusalem, after serving forty days in the desert, in prayer and penance, in the days just before He would celebrate Passover with His disciples. His followers waved and laid palms in his path as he rode in on a donkey.

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus’ final days are documented as He goes from hero, celebrating Passover on Thursday before he is arrested, to criminal, finally placed on trial and then dying, after the crowd calls for Pontius Pilate to crucify Him. Christians believe He was buried on Good Friday, before the beginning of Passover, and rose from death on Easter.

There are many modern cinematic stories, including The Ten Commandments and Jesus Christ, Superstar which detail both these events.

There is a movement in the United States called  Messianic Judaism-Evangelical Christianity which combines Jewish and Christian theology and discusses both religions as one. 

Notably, Rabbi Pastor Jonathon Cahn, author of the book, The Harbinger, is a well-known leader and preacher of this movement. He recognizes that both religions together provide invaluable life lessons for all people. And his book discusses the similarities of ancient Israel and the modern United States.

So, for the next several weeks, we should celebrate what the Passover and Easter seasons teach: to remind us of the wrongs we have done to others, to forgive those who have wronged us, and to endeavor to correct those wrongs, to heal our relationships, and to live in peace,  harmony and love with our neighbors. To love one another as we wish to be loved by others.

May the Peace of Passover and Easter be with you the whole year.

A Reminder That Humor Serves America the Best

For over the last century or so, Americans have been entertained (or annoyed) by the political humor of such notables as Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Lenny Bruce, and George Carlin. Carlin, of course, became edgier and more cynical as he became older.

 

There were others, for example, like Johnny Carson, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, and a few others, but not like Carlin, et al.

But finally, we need to recognize that Bill Maher would be Carlin 2.0. He has been on TV, both with Politically Incorrect on ABC and Real Time on HBO. And has been successful.

He is an admitted, and unapologetic Democrat and Liberal, but not a looney, wacky leftist. He is a reasoned, humorous center-left, non-woke liberal, who has no tolerance for the extremists from either side of the political spectrum.

His friends include Kid Rock, who arranged the dinner meeting, Chris Cuomo and Joe Rogan. He has had conservative guests on his show, including Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, Byron Donalds and Ron DeSantis. He was as respectful and humorous with them, as he was with James Carville, Michael Moore and Pete Buttigieg.

So, on last night’s episode, he reported to his audience how his dinner at the White House with President Trump went.

He joked that his takeaways may cause “liberal sphincters” to tighten.

At the outset of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday, the eponymous host delivered a lengthy monologue about his meeting with the commander-in-chief that left him unexpectedly charmed.

“Everything I’ve not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent. At least on this night, with this guy,” Maher said, appearing somewhat shocked by his own conclusions.

“I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him. And honestly, I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump,” the talk show host said, adding, “Make of it what you will.”

Admitting that he went in with guns blazing, Maher described how he printed out a list of insults that Trump had hurled his way over the years, including barbs such as “sleaze-bag” and “low-life dummy”, to see if the President would autograph the digs.

Which Trump graciously did. He also received several MAGA hats but the President did not insist that he put one on.

To put a humorous spin on his visit, he said that while the President was gracious and kind, he would start a new list of insults for Trump to sign.

“A crazy person does not live in the White House. A person who plays a crazy person on TV a lot lives there. Which I know is f–ed up, it’s just not as f–ed up as I thought it was,” Maher said in summation.

Even Bill Maher admits you can’t fix the insanity and the stupid which exists on both the left and right.

But maybe, this recounting of his White House visit may go a long way to bring together the sane people on both sides of the political divide, yes?

Much like Twain, Rogers, Bruce and Carlin did.

Leaving the Clocks Set Where They Are

Let there be light. Every day of the year. No more falling back in the fall and springing ahead in the spring. Leave the clocks alone.

 

If the clocks are never changed, eventually, our circadian rhythms will adjust. Why? Because they will be on the same time the year round. No need to make adjustments two weeks or more each year.

And if you travel to a differentl time zone, do we ever mention how our rhythms are affected? No.

Funny thing about the human body … it’s pretty adaptable to change.

As for some issues in the northern latitudes in our country, schools could start later, and jobs could, too. As for farmers, especially on dairy farms, they would remain the same and farmers would be able to enjoy a bit of life at the end of their day.

As for what we would designate it… well, rather than daylight or standard time, it would be AMERICAN time. Since it would be specific to the US. Of course, Canada and Mexico, and other Western Hemisphere countries could name it for their countries if they copied us.

Or, not, if they chose to keep the existing time format.

Most Americans like the idea of coming home from work and still have an extra hour of light to enjoy activities with their families. It is a very uplifting life experience, rather than dealing with the onsetting and unsettling shadows of night.

As for President Trump and the Congress, on Friday, he renewed his push to make Daylight Saving Time permanent amid bipartisan efforts in Congress to give Americans an extra hour of sunlight from November to March.

And finally,there would no longer be a required adjustment of the clocks, either digitally or manually, as the President said on Truth Social, “Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!”

Yes. American time for us all.

Riding the Market Wave (Or Ripple)

It is Friday, the 11th of April and the seventh business day since the very effective tariff war began. On April 2, the Dow closed at 42,225. It presently stands at 39,700, a difference of 2,525 or about 0.94, or less than 1%. At noon. In not quite 7 days.

 

To put the recent gyrations in perspective, on October 19,1987, the Dow closed at 1,738 and lost 508.00 or 22.1% of its value. In one day.

This loss, as of noon today, took over a week to get us here. When you consider that if you didn’t sell ANY of your portfolio during that time, then on paper, you lost no cash value.

And of course, NASDAQ and S&P investors have played the game of “follow the leader”.

This morning, it was announced that China responded to the latest tariff hikes by the US and will match the American hike to 125% on Saturday, but will go no higher.

China’s Commerce Ministry said it was filing another lawsuit with the World Trade Organization on the raising of US tariffs. But it failed to mention that it was manipulating its currency, the Yuan, in order to make its products cheaper for the world at-large to buy its products.

Missing that small detail, eh, President Xi?

Meanwhile, the drop in the market on Thursday was caused by profit-taking by investors looking to cash in on Wednesday’s record-breaking increase after President Trump paused the tariffs on everyone except China. 

After a morning selloff of 1,800 points, the Dow actually rebounded to close down only just over 1,000 points. Do the math.

Today will be a one of a market in flux, moving between up 200 and down 300 from yesterday’s close of 39,593. Considering the wild preceding six trading days, it is a market looking for its balance before another weekend of uncertainty.

So sit tight and watch how the market responds for the rest of the day. Maybe you will be surprised what the investors do next.

After all, we are Americans, not Panicans, so BE COOL!

Passing the SAVE Act

Four Democrats joined 216 Republicans to vote for the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a piece of legislation which protects election integrity in all fifty states, requiring proof of citizenship and voter ID at least in Federal elections. It now goes to the Senate where sixty votes are needed.

 

Passage in the Senate and signing the legislation into law would enshrine President Trump's recent Executive Order essentially mandating this into uniform Federal law.

Of course, Democrats have rejected the bill, despite polling indicating bipartisan support for voter ID requirements. Chief among their rejections include the difficulty Blacks, Hispanics married women and other groups would have getting required identification. Like a driver’s license or State ID, proving citizenship, as if a birth certificate or maturalization documents were hard to obtain, seniors getting around, and other nonsensical excuses.

Their positions on all of these issues are truly insulting.

"After four years of mass illegal immigration facilitated by the Biden administration, it is more important now than ever to ensure only American citizens are voting in American elections. By passing the SAVE Act, House Republicans are once again proving our commitment to defending the will of the American people," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn said in response to questions by the media.

Meanwhile, Democrats have rejected the implication that illegal immigrants are voting in US elections. Nineteen Democrat-

led states and Democrat leaders sued the Trump administration's election integrity executive order requiring proof of citizenship to vote in American elections.

And of course, Democrats are wringing their hands.

"Noncitizens attempting to register to vote is exceedingly rare, and if they do, they face severe consequences, including fines up to five years in prison, and deportation," Representive Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said on the House floor, urging her colleagues to reject the SAVE Act.

But it should not be happening at all.

"Coupled with President Trump's recent anti-voter election executive order, the SAVE Act would end the voter registration process for all Americans as they know it. Republicans have repeatedly failed to present any evidence that noncitizen voting at a Federal level has ever affected the outcome of any election," Representative Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., added in opposition to what he called the "extremist anti-voter SAVE Act."

Thirty-six states request or require identification to vote. The SAVE Act would federalize the issue, requiring proof of citizenship to vote and removing noncitizens from voter rolls.

Isn’t that what faith in election integrity is all about?

It Is Time To Chill

As of 12:30 today, all three markets were up. The Dow showed a plus of 280, while NASDAQ and S&P were both approaching up 100 points each.

 

This was after the Trump Administration announced 104% tariffs on Chinese products and China announced 84% tariffs on US goods.

Luxshare, a Chinese firm that assembles iPhones and makes AirPods, will also reconsider some planned investments in China as Trump’s trade war plays out, chairwoman Wang Laichun said during a lengthy call with analysts on Wednesday.

“If there is a commercial guarantee and we are able to conduct a good evaluation, we do not rule out having some products being localized to meet the needs of the US market,” Wang said.

In addition, President Trump urged Americans to "chill out" Wednesday as his enormous “reciprocal” tariffs took effect — including the 104% rate on China and 20% duty on the European Union.

“BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!” Trump wrote on social media.

“THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!” he added two minutes later, referring to the significant stock market selloff since he announced his “Liberation Day” levies April 2.

Computer chips, copper, lumber and pharmaceuticals were exempt from the new tariffs, though Trump has publicly committed to slapping levies on each of those products in a bid to return manufacturing to the US.

Keep in mind that several countries are negotiating deals with the US where their tariffs will be reduced or even removed if the US does the same. And the President has promised to work with everyone who offers a fair deal.

In the end, it will be China who loses, because it will continue to try and take advantage of its cheap labor while keeping products artificially high. By the end of the next week, all will settle back to normal for everyone else.

By the way, at 2 PM, the Dow is over 2,000 points and the others are rebounding upward, as well.

And once again, the markets will soar.

The President IS the CEO

It seems the Supreme Court understands Article II, Section 1, Clause 1, first sentence. Otherwise known as the vesting clause. “The Executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”

 

Pretty simple to understand, yes?

There is no ambiguity for anyone who has a first grade reading level to misunderstand or misinterpret its meaning. It is self-explanatory.

No one else is a co-President. Not even federal district court judges, even though some act like they are.

And, apparently, Judges who wish to take on challenges by plaintiffs and their illiterate attorneys who challenge a President's executive orders are looking to be embarrassed when the case makes its way to the Supreme Court.

Over the last few days, several cases have made their way to the Court, and each time, the Court has ruled in President Trump’s favor. Unlike his first term, he is now surrounded by people in his DOJ who understand the Constitution, and will NOT mislead him.

President Trump, who was a CEO in the private sector before he was President, understands that he is now the CEO of the Executive Branch. He reserves the right to hire and fire his employees. He can make decisions which affect how he can safeguard his product (the country). And so, he runs his office like a CEO.

And it is time for the entire judiciary to back off.

America 261, illegals Zero

On Monday night, the Supreme Court lifted the pause Judge Boasberg placed on the Trump Administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which was used to deport 261 illegals, including 100 Tren de Aragua (TdA) from the United States to a prison in El Salvador. So, the deportations will begin again.

 

As reported by Fox News, the New York Post and other media outlets, Justices on the high court ruled 5-4 to grant the administration's request to lift the stay, in a temporary victory for President Trump and his allies. In addition, in its ruling, the court found that since the individuals were held in Texas, the case should not have been brought to DC.

Meanwhile, since the Judge was overruled, does that invalidate his contempt of court threats?

Boasberg said on April 3 that he was weighing whether to hold certain Trump administration officials in contempt of court for refusing to provide information, even after the court issued repeated requests regarding the deportation flights and the number of individuals sent to El Salvador.

And the Supreme Court’s ruling was silent on this issue.

Government lawyers cited national security concerns as the reason for refusing to comply with the court’s request for information.

The Judge had indicated April 8 as the date he would decide if he would issue a Preliminary Injunction. At least with regard to the deportations, the issue is now moot.

He may not issue the contempt charges since there is no longer a case for Administation officials which defied a now-questionable order. He would be trying to circumvent the Supremes if he did, and that might prove embarrassing.

President Trump took to Truth Social to react to the decision in a post: "The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself. A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!"

And now, the next Judge who is asked to rule on a TRO in a similar case will be facing the same outcome if he rules to block a deportation of illegal aliens.

The Recovery Has Begun and the Tariffs Will End

Once you take the negative feedback which gathered and accumulated over the weekend, post those futures at the opening bell, watching the market drop 1400 points and then, look at the closing numbers, short of that first hour or so, the market had a pretty good day.

 

The Dow dropped almost 350 points for the session, which actually was a net recovery during the day of 900 or so points In addition, both NASDAQ and the S&P reacted similarly.

And if you look ar the futures for all three markets at the time this is written, the Dow, NASDAQ and S&P, they are all showing respectable gains as futures trading has begun. The futures will rise and fall over the next several hours until market opens tomorrow.

This was after President Trump said Monday he plans to add an additional 50% tariff on China starting Wednesday if the country doesn’t withdraw its retaliatory tariff increase on the US. “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!” he wrote on his social media pages.

As many other countries continue to come back to the negotiating table to fix the tariffs all of them are charging the United States, the world will see that it was all caused by China’s bullying intransigence which caused this problem to begin with.

Then, if the nations begin to boycott buying Chinese goods, the prices and overall cost for everyone else will drop.

China thinks it is fine to practice capitalism outside the People's Republic, while still enforcing the failed principles of Communism within its borders? Good. President Trump will show how the game is played  by a master.

Of course, each country needs to be on the same page as the US, but those who come first will get Most Favored Nation Status, MFNS, the faster they drop their pernicious tariffs, which hurt everyone.

There may be another day or two until everything starts heading back to normal. And that is to be expected. But someone needs to be the first to make a move. Who will it be?

Threaten a reciprocal tariff and be courageous to implement it. Watch how how everyone reacts and responds. Some will be “panicans” and others will hold firm. Economics 102. Class dismissed.

And that is how you kill inflation.

Sign Alonso Long-Term, Steve

Now that the Toronto Blue Jays have given their superstar, Vlad Guerrero Jr, a fourteen-year, $500MM, no-trade, guaranteed, no deferral contract, can the Mets fans and the ownership come back to reality?

 

The Mets have Pete Alonso, the Polar Bear, under contract for this year and next. This year he is expected to make $30MM, and while he is under contract with an additional $20MM-PLUS for next year, he can opt out at the end of the season.

Let’s put it in perspective. The Mets are paying Juan Soto $765MM for fourteen years as a 26 year old and the Blue Jays are paying $500MM to Guerrero as a 26 year old. Take five years and add it to Guerrero, and you have Alonso’s age as a first baseman. Figure Alonso is good for another five or six years, give him $200MM and rip up next year.

Then, you will have a happy, motivated player. And a Met for life. Like Wright, Hernández, Gooden , Strawberry, Seaver, Piazza and Kranepool.

The 30-year-old has already racked up nine hits in his first 31 at-bats of the season, with three of those hits leaving the yard. 

Alonso has been as consistent as any power hitter in baseball in recent years, finishing inside the top thirteen in home runs in every season dating back to 2019. During this series against the Marlins, he will be facing, among others, unproven Marlins starter, Valente Bellozo, who allowed 15 homers in just 13 starts last season.

Alonso has 3 HRs in his last 6 games, and despite the cold weather, he has enough power to go yard in any weather if he gets hold of the ball. Barring injury, he should easily surpass Darryl Strawberry’s long-time Mets Home Run record this year.

He has put "cheeks in the seats" every year since his rookie year, and it is expected he will continue to do the same for at least another five years. And maybe win a World Series or three, to boot.

To Steve Cohen, stop the nonsense and sign him long-term already.

Tariffs, Economics 101 and a Little Common Sense

Many people, on both sides of the aisle, in the media, and even those considered knowledgeable in economic and fiscal affairs, spoke ad nauseum over the weekend, how the Trump Tariff was destroying the global stock markets. 

This was based on the last few days since the tariffs were rolled out, when more than $4TT was lost in market equity.

 

And perhaps, the markets may continue to lose, at least on Monday and Tuesday. But as with every other market upheaval, the markets will come back and will surge to new heights.

It happened in 1929, 1986, 2000, 2001, 2008 and 2020. And each time, the Chicken Littles who had wrung their hands, had to eat crow.

Now, while the “experts” are predicting gloom and doom that the world is in upheaval because of the tariffs and castigating President Trump, if you listen closely, there are about FIFTY countries who want to make some type of deal so that the President will roll back the tariffs.

These include Vietnam, India, Israel, Taiwan, Argentina, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, and even Great Britain and Canada. But as the mighty begin to fall, so will others.

The point has suddenly become clear to these countries which have now expressed a desire to negotiate. The President’s message was to let the world know that open trade, as well as, free and fair trade should be the norm. Not blocking our products while we import theirs.

Within a week, we will see agreements signed and placed into practice which will benefit those who drop tariffs on American goods and we drop tariffs on theirs. Those who come quickly to the table will be the biggest winners because the tariffs will be gone in a snap of fingers.

This is a lesson which we learned in a high school Economics class. But, apparently, the Chicken Littles in the LSM and Globalist politicians were absent the day that class was taught. Hence, the wringing of hands.

So, we may feel a little more pain for a few days. But as with every other market downturn, the bounce was showing a greater gain.

By Friday, more countries will acquiesce to remove their tariffs and so will we. That is the whole point of this negotiation.

And by the way, if you don’t buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Maybach S 680 4MATIC Sedan

or a 1.5 liter bottle of Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg 2020, or anything made in the Peoples Republic, the tariff won’t impact you. Buy American.

Lastly, if you own stock and choose NOT to sell, how much did you lose? Uhm, none, since your shares are only on paper as long as you hold them. Another lesson learned in that high school Economics class. The value WILL increase, eventually.

And then, it will be another promise made, and a promise kept.

The Miracle Of Science and Theology

It is amazing and awesome when archeologists, during a dig, find something which confirms something spoken at length in the Bible. It was reported by Fox News last week that archeologists found the actual burial site where Jesus was laid to rest.

 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient church in Jerusalem situated where Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, was where archeologists recently found evidence of ancient olive trees and grapevines. The specimens date back roughly 2,000 years. 

They were able to make this claim as they found pollen and seeds preserved at the site.

Francesca Stasolla, an archaeology professor at the Sapienza University of Rome, also mentioned that many artifacts have been found at the site so far, with some dating all the way back to the Iron Age. The discoveries attest to the area's status as a pilgrimage location since the fourth century.

"Ceramics, metals, glass… [all] document both the occupation of the area and the presence of believers and pilgrims," she noted. "The excavation's [aim is to gain] knowledge about this significant area of the city of Jerusalem."

The Church was founded in 326 AD, though the original fourth-century structure was destroyed by Islamic ruler al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 1009 AD.

The site was taken over by Christian Crusaders nearly a century later, and Stasolla said that the still-standing church is largely the work of the Crusaders.

And now, as we celebrate Lent and are preparing to celebrate Holy Week, Passover and Easter, another of the Bible’s secrets is revealed. It is amazing how Science and Bible tell the same story.

When asked if she felt that the discovery echoes John 19:41, ("Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid"), Stastolla agreed, though she drew a line between archaeological research and theology.

"Archaeology provides us with data that must then be historicized and interpreted," she said. "In this case, it documents an agricultural use of the quarry… the Bible quote is certainly suggestive of this.”

The Science and Theology will come together much like art and life as we continue to explore the secrets the earth continually reveals.

The Chancellor Fails the Grade and Passes on Anti-Semitism

Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos admitted to what she called a “troubling oversight” in a statement on Thursday night that condemned the toolkit which was sent to all parents and students as hateful and anti-Semitic. It is her fault, ultimately, that the toolkit went out the way it did.

As the leader of the largest school district in the country, she has quite the indifferent approach to her job. It is HER responsibility.

And considering that her city has the largest Jewish population in the world, she is doubly at fault. ESPECIALLY with all the anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli hate being espoused in that city.

 The New York Post reports that a version of the toolkit appears to have also been linked to in the October-November 2024 newsletter. The document, which has since been updated, called on readers to participate in “rage week” and “resist genocide” by mobilizing on the Saturday, October 5 “day of action” ahead of the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.

Very anti-Semitic.

The worst part of this disaster is that it took almost seven months BEFORE Chancellor Aviles-Ramos took the time to address this. It was a failure of her leadership of the New York City School System which allowed this hatred to fester and foment. For that alone, she should be immediately dismissed by Mayor Adams.

Some parents and teachers said it was a sign of deep-rooted anti-Semitism at the city Department of Education.

"It’s the systemic rot,” said Karen Feldman, an educator of over 26 years who resigned in November and co-founded the NYC Public School Alliance with teachers and parents to combat anti-Semitism and indoctrination at the DOE.

“Tons of teachers, parents and students are navigating these sites and coming across these very hateful problematic resources that are literally indoctrinating, filled with misleading information, propaganda and influencing our children’s minds. Maybe even their parents,” added Feldman, who said she has been investigating incidents like this since 2023.

Yes, anti-Semitism is deeply rooted in New York City. And it will take years to rid the entire system of the stench.

Meanwhile,  Mayor Adams, now that HIS legal issues are behind him, needs to step up and take hold of this, before what is happening at Columbia and other Colleges, destroys the Elementary, Middle and High Schools of New York City forever.

Walt Disney's Real Live-Action Nightmare

Maybe it is time for Disney to put the brakes on its live action remakes of its animated classics. And hitch that ride on to canceling its woke agenda.

 

Apparently, both are failing.

After the disaster which was "Snow White", where Rachel Zeigler starred in and then, dissed the production, while publicly fighting with her co-star, Gal Gadot, perhaps Disney should return to the era where cartoons don’t make public statements. Especially political ones.

After less than an a month since its release, Snow White had only grossed $146.5MM worldwide, with $70.7MM domestically and $75.8MM internationally, and is considered a box office disappointment. It cost $270MM in production and needs to make $500MM just to break even.

Zeigler has called the production "weird" and "creepy" and describing the prince as a "stalker”. She has publicly voiced her support for Palestine, including a post on X (formerly Twitter) after the Snow White trailer launch where she added "and always remember, free Palestine".

This last item created friction with her co-star, Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, and a former fighting member of the IDF.

The lesson was learned by Disney, when it was reported that the Mouse House has put the live-action remake of “Rapunzel”, entitled “Tangled,” a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, which had been in active development, on hold. “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey, was signed on to helm the film from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (“Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Do Revenge”).

Their woke agenda across the board, along with its unaffordable admission fees in their parks, has cost Disney unrealized expected profits over the last year. In addition, the loss of goodwill in their public relations may not return.

At one time, Disney was considered the “go-to” family place to be. But not any more. Instead, it is all about the bottom line. Like banks, who care more about the profits for the shareholders than the needs of their customers.

And it is too bad. But the company has done it to itself.

This was NOT what Walt Disney wanted for his legacy.

Remember When... An Interesting Game of Political Truths

Here is some game my siblings and I would play, even as adults. Today, we are going to play a fun game of memory called “Remember When.” And it isn’t hard, since it is s game which starts in the not to distant past. Like back in July.

 

So here we go. READY?

Remember When George Clooney wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times called, I Love Joe Biden. BUT We Need Another Nominee. And Remember When Democrats and Liberals considered him to be so brave to write that?

Remember When Democrats and Liberals were clambering him to be nominated for and be given the JFK Profiles In Courage Award immediately for his bravery?

Remember When he was accused by people of a different political bent of being pushed by Barry Obama to write that piece. Even claiming that Barry wrote some, if not all of it. And Democrats/Liberals screamed “False and Foul”?

And Remember When nine days later, Biden “suddenly” and “shockingly” withdrew from the race? And it took Obama four days to endorse The Kamster?

It is now being reported that George Clooney allegedly screamed and cursed at a “Morning Joe” producer after co-host Mika Brzezinski claimed on-air that the Hollywood star’s scorching editorial about Joe Biden was influenced by former President Barack Obama, according to a new book.

“How the f–k could you let her link me with Barack Obama saying he made me write the op-ed?” Clooney shouted after he called the producer at left-leaning MSNBC, according to Chris Whipple’s new book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History.”

Oh, my! Is there no joy left among the Democrats as they all jockey to position themselves with tell-all books?

But when Brzezinski, who co-hosts the morning show with husband Joe Scarborough, insinuated that Obama was actually behind the editorial heard ’round the world, Clooney allegedly lost his cool.

The producer denied involvement in Brzezinski’s comments, but Clooney reportedly screamed back, “You f–ked me! … You’re my friend. You should have stood up for me.”

He is now the fall-guy in the silent coup which brought down Biden. He has been hung out by Barry and the Wicked Witch of San Francisco and The Schmuckster as they worked quietly behind the scene, keeping their hands cleaned, from the bloody knife that Clooney publicly held and twisted.

And this won’t be the end of it. Not by a long shot. Soon, we will be saturated with other books, with tales of intrigue and sabotage, dwarfing anything Woodward, Bernstein, Theodore White, Roger or even Oliver Stone could contrive.

And it will be as we all knew. At least for those who had our eyes open for the last four years.

And today, we can say, there is NO JOY in Demsville, as the Democrat numbers keep dropping and the words are filled with bitterness.

Remember When the Democrats had a leader? On November 21, 1963.

The Klingons and Hamas - Both Practice Taqiyya

Don’t believe them. In Islam, the practice to conceal one's true intent is acceptable and is not considered a sin. This is called “Taqiyya”, and refers to the practice of concealing one's actions when facing persecution or danger, a strategy for survival.

 

In today's New York Post, it was reported that Hamas is now offering to release all fifty-nine remaining hostages if Israel ends its war now, and withdraws, leaving Gaza to Hamas.

While Hamas has insisted that both sides should stick to the original US-brokered cease-fire deal in January, the terror group appears to be ready to concede that a permanent end to the fighting may not be immediately on the table.

“We had no other choice. The situation in Gaza is terrible,” the officials said about Hamas’ new position.

To show where art and life are a blur, in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country when Spock came to Kirk with a Klingon cease-fire and peace treaty to end fifty years of hostilities, Kirk screamed at Spock saying, “Don’t believe them. Don’t trust them.”

That is how Israel and the world need to respond now. It was Hamas who broke the original cease-fire which was negotiated in January.

The terror group maintains that Israel must be open to eventually discussing a permanent cease-fire in Gaza if it wants all the hostages freed, with the Palestinian official noting that Hamas will never agree to disarm so long as Palestinian statehood is denied.

Civilians continue to face a humanitarian crisis over the renewed blockade on food and aid supplies, with the death toll in Gaza rising above 50,000 last week, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists.

This is on Hamas. They have brought it on themselves, first for attacking, killing and kidnapping so many innocent people. And then, for violating the original cease-fire in February.

And the stories of the released hostages are heart-wrenching, as they described the months of torture and barbaric acts committed by the plethora of savages who acted as “captors”.

As Kirk said, “Don’t believe them. Don’t trust them.”

A Tale of Two Mayors' Races

Not since 1969, has there been such an upheaval by the incumbent Mayor to run for re-election. In that race, Republican Mayor John Lindsay lost the Republican primary to State Senator John Marchi, and former Mayor Robert Wagner lost the Democrat primary to Comptroller Mario Procaccino. Since Lindsay had the Liberal Party endorsement, he ran on that line.

 

That November, John Lindsay won re-election with 42.4% of the vote, beating Procaccini with 34.8% and Marchi with 22.7%. And in New York City, there are always minor candidates who pick up the difference. Shortly after the election, Lindsay became a Democrat.

Fast forward fifty-six years. The current, embattled Democrat Mayor, Eric Adams, faces an insurmountable uphill battle with former Governor, Andrew Cuomo, and a host of other Democrat, leftist candidates for the nomination. He is currently running with single-digit polling numbers, hardly a gnat’s chance to win.

And Guardian Angel founder, radio host Curtis Sliwa, has garnered the Republican Party nomination.

So, now that the corruption charges were dropped and dismissed against him, Mayor Adams, as reported in today’s New York Post, is running now as an Independent.

In a video, he said, “More than 25,000 New Yorkers signed my Democratic primary petition, but the dismissal of the bogus case against me dragged on too long, making it impossible to mount a primary campaign while these false accusations were held over me,” Adams said in the six-minute spiel.

“But I’m not a quitter. I’m a New Yorker,” he continued. “And that is why today, although I am still a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forgo the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election.”

Still, the major shift to the general election, which was first reported by Politico, will be a steep uphill battle to change voters’ minds after a first term marred by scandals and plummeting poll numbers.

It seems he is taking the easy way out, but a lot can happen in the almost seven months until Election Day. Once the dust clears after the primary in June, the voters will have a clearer picture of the remaining candidates to choose from in November.

And in light of the fact that Eric Adams was once a Republican, will he switch back after the election, win of lose? Much like John Lindsay switched in 1969? Lindsay parlayed that move to become a major player in the Democrat Party for a very short time, until he faded into the sunset.

Will that happen to Eric Adams, too? Or will he continue to fight for his political future?

Only time will tell.

The Boys Come Home and Play To the Crowd

Last year, the Mets started in the basement 0 and 5 before they won their first game. By the end of the 2024 season, OMG, they missed the Pennant by one game.

 

They began this season on the road, in Houston, where they won one of the three games, and then, in Miami, where they won two of the three games, including an 11 inning thriller, 6 to 5. So, already this year is starting off better than last at 3 wins and 3 losses.

And now, they go home to play a six-game series starting Friday afternoon at 3 PM against Toronto and Miami. Coming out of the homestead 5 and 1 with an 8 and 4 record would be terrific.

Thus far, Pete Alonso is hitting .286, with two home runs and eight RBI. Juan Soto is hitting .238, with one HR and two RBI, while Brandon Nimmo is hitting .250 with two HR and three RBI. And Francisco Lindor, true to form, has started off slowly, but is expected to have another great year.

The pitching will improve as the season heats up, but there have been several key spots, even in the games they lost.

Of course, it is really early, but the team, as assembled, is expected to win it all. It is what every Mets fan wishes for each season.

So sit back, get ready and cheer the boys of summer on with that familiar cry: Lets Go METS!

The Special Election of 2025

Tuesday, there were two House special elections in Florida and a race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court Judge. At the time this is written (9:15PM 4/1), the House seats were won by Republicans and with about 60% of the Wisconsin votes counted showed the Democrat candidate ahead by 10 points.

 

Democrats and the Lame Stream Media considered this an early referendum vote on how the public perceived the job President Trump was doing.

Apparently, based on the Florida result, one would say, “pretty good”.

The Florida result pushed the Republican majority up to 220 to 213. It has given the Republicans a bit of breathing room in their control of the House of Representatives. Two open seats exist due to deaths of two Democrats last month, which will have special elections soon.

Randy Fine was projected to defeat Democrat Josh Weil, an Orlando teacher, and succeed former Rep. Mike Waltz, who represented Florida’s 6th District for six years before resigning to become President Trump’s national security adviser.

And Jimmy Patronis, the former Florida CFO, had a slightly easier time replacing former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the Panhandle-based 1st District, where he led Democrat Gay Valimont by 14.8 percentage points with most of the votes counted.

All in all, it was a good night for President Trump and the Republicans, at least in Florida. Now, the Republicans need to get the rest of the “big, beautiful bill” passed and sent to the President by Memorial Day.

And, of course, should the Democrat win in the swing state of Wisconsin, that is all the media will be talking about for days.

The Positive Result of Threatening Tariffs

This is no April Fool's Day joke or spoof. It was announced today that Israel, in order to improve its special relationship with the United States, has cancelled ALL tariffs on American goods ahead of President Trump's promise to assess reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners.

 

Considering Israel is a leading supplier of all things tech-related, this is a big deal.

"In addition to the economic benefits for the economy and citizens of Israel, this move will allow us to further strengthen the alliance and ties between Israel and the United States," Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement. "We will continue to work to remove barriers and tariffs and to reinforce our special relationship with the United States."

As reported by Fox Business, the US is Israel's largest trading partner and closest ally, with bilateral trade worth $34 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Forty ÿears ago, the two countries entered into a free trade agreement, which has fallen a bit by the wayside in recent years. But Israeli officials said this tariff reduction would apply to "a very limited number of products," chiefly US food and agricultural imports.

It is a restart of what has been a good and beneficial relationship for both sides. And it shows that the Israeli Prime Minister respects the current American President and takes him at his word.

In this case, there will be a reciprocal non-tariff response by the Trump Administration. Which benefits both countries.

And that, friends, is how it is done.

Uncovering Untold Largesse in the Congress

This should be interesting. Did you ever wonder how our politicians enter Congress on the balls of their @$$÷$ with no money, and within two or three years, they have a net worth of $20MM?

 

Elon Musk was asked that question and now, he and his DOGE team are hell-bent to find out. Very quickly.

According to Monday's New York Post, at the Wisconsin town hall on Sunday, one attendee at the town hall had asked Musk if DOGE had uncovered evidence of funds wired from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“They’ll [the government] send the money overseas to one NGO [non-governmental organization], then they’ll go through a bunch of them, and then I’m highly confident that a bunch of that money then comes back to the United States and lands in the pockets of the people you just mentioned,” Musk replied.

“But it is a circuitous route. It doesn’t go directly, but let’s just say that there’s a lot of strangely wealthy members of Congress where I’m trying to connect the dots of, ‘How do they become rich?’”

Based on his team’s previous efforts or finding corruption elsewhere in the government bureaucracy, you can be sure they will quickly find how the scheme works. And who has reaped financial rewards beyond anyone’s imagination.

“How do they get $20 million if they’re earning $200,000 a year?” Musk further pondered. “We’re going to try to figure it out and certainly stop it from happening.”

It is almost like an eerie Oprah Christmas Show. You know, where you become a Member of Congress, and suddenly, “You get twenty million and you do too! And you get fifteen million! And

 you get ten!”

And soon thereafter, another cell block may be opening at Guantanamo or El Salvador.

Get your popcorn and cokes, and enjoy the show!