Before getting into the topic of the day, latest tidbits from those Trump follies: How are Patel, Gabbard and Kennedy doing on confirmation?  Here is a  video summary .  My prognostications?   Read my posting of yesterday . Those  tariffs on goods coming into the U.S. from Canada (25%), Mexico (25%) and China (10%)  went into effect today, with retaliation expected from those countries and subsequent further penalties by Trump if they do.  A trade war could be sparked.   Which countries are next? The  Gaza Strip ceasefire  stumbles along.  This truce will eventually result in the release of 33 hostages for nearly 2000 Palestine prisoners. Two  judges halted the federal funding freeze attempt , but international funding money in foreign aid is proceeding.  The biggest benefactor is the United Nations.  Moneys will eventually be released to reliable and credible partners. As pushback increases on migran...

Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden at the White House today .  Four years ago, Trump was the first president in a long time not to have invited the incoming president.,,,Biden.  Worse, Trump did not bother to show up for Joe's Inauguration, the first absentee outgoing president to do this since Andrew Johnson's skipped Ulysses Grant's 1869 swearing-in ceremony.  Apparently all went well today. Senate Republicans voted on their new majority leader and picked  John Thune  of South Dakota. John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida also ran.  Mitch McConnell was the longest serving leader in Senate history.  Scott was the only MAGA endorsed candidate, so Thune might not be what Trump will desire. One significant change to be instituted by the re-elected President Donald Trump will be to create at least one new department to allow for only true loyalists to serve in his bureaucracy.  This new one will be called the  Department of Gover...