The Washington Post points out there is no precise medical or legal definition of “late-term,” and “many doctors and scientists avoid that language, calling it imprecise and misleading.”
The Daily Beast also notes that only 1.3 percent of abortions are performed after 21 weeks of gestation, and the idea that a woman can get an abortion moments before giving birth is “not how medical care works.”
The use of “dog whistles” aka “coded” labels has been common for many years but until recently has been out of the mainstream of conversation. The current administration aided by a neer do well Congress has brought these “coded” statements and words to common use. Along with this common usage the administration has trashed agreements put in place to prevent war and improve trade. Tariffs (taxes) put in place to offset the “tax” policy that was supposed to benefit everyday Americans and threats to bad actors who were in a state of containment with the approval of our now alienated allies. The administration has in a few years undermined our economy, foreign affairs and put us on an isolation footing all because of “dog whistles”.
It appears that we are dupes or dopes(?). FFLOTUS told us what he would do if reelected and we ignored his factual statements on this. WE forgot what he did and tried to do in his previous administration. We forgot the lessons of history from 90 years ago when an authoritarian regime in Europe made the same types of promises prior to and after being elected. These promises were kept to the devastation of most of Europe and millions of lives lost. The current administration is attempting to follow the same kind of track with the assistance of unelected, uninformed businesspeople (who by many accounts are not very good at what they do in their real jobs?). The “so called” Red States have been deceived in thinking the administration will do great thing for them, however any actions that affect the population at large does not discriminate in red or blue states- all are affected. There are no exceptions to the actions that affect our lives except for those whose income is high enough to absorb the effects of “tariffs” aka taxes. “The proof is in the eating” as the saying goes and right now we are gagging! The ineffectual “leader we have and his minions (the too scared to do anything GOP) are following the same path as 1930’s Germany. While industry was revived, it was revived due to war production, and the population was grateful for the work and wages ignoring the fact that the “leader” was heading them to another war except the idea of not eating drove them forward ignoring the parallels of the previous world conflict’s devastation.
Our current government headed by the least capable leader since Andrew Johnson! Fast forward to now, governing by fiat appears to be the norm with a “damn the Torpedoes” attitude. It will take more effort on the part of the citizenry to ignore the loud and pay more attention to the quiet. History has shown where the current path of governance leads and we as citizens need to find another path!
Over the time I have written this blog and passed on writings from others, it is hard for me to believe even though I see and hear it daily that MAGA is still blind to the effects “their savior” has wrought upon them and everyone else including the incursions in our Worldwide partners’ affairs. You (his supporters) were “warned” and informed about what he would do if elected. Trumpelstilskin had done just what he said but at the expense of international partnerships, health and wellbeing of the United States and it’s territories. We have forgotten how the rise of “Hitlerism aka facism began as a seemingly benign but passionate plea for support by a person who essentially was out for revenge and used the dissatisfaction and otherness of the populace to further his evil, self-centered agenda.
The historical facts show how the entire civilized world was drawn into conflict because one person managed to convince so many that someone else was responsible for their ills. We are now poised to fall into anarchy because of the failure of our elected official’s weaknesses. Now is the time to push your elected representatives to oust this menace to the voters and the free world. His Self-serving narcissism coated in blatant lies and ill-conceived ideas of what should be. What we have is a “Concept” of a Democracy based on what can be stolen from the citizens under the guise of tariffs and an attempted ill-conceived lowering of interest from the FED.
This is not a “MOVIE PLOT”, this is the reality of electing a Incompetent “deal maker”, who has bullied his way to the top Government office by:”othering”!
Chinese exporters have refused to blink in the face of President Trump’s tariffs that reached as high as 145%. Instead, Beijing’s manufacturing base has redirected output with surprising force: India recorded an all-time high for purchases in August, shipments to Africa are on track for a record year, and sales to Southeast Asia have surpassed their pandemic-era levels. Analysts note that the pivot is propelling China toward a possible $1.2 trillion trade surplus, even though profits at industrial firms slipped 1.7% in the first seven months. The volume surge is keeping factories humming, but the reliance on price cuts is intensifying deflationary pressure at home.
The global reaction has been cautious but watchful. Mexico has floated tariffs as steep as 50% on Chinese cars, auto parts, and steel, while India has received dozens of requests to probe dumping practices. Indonesia’s trade ministry stepped in after viral clips showed Chinese sellers offering jeans for under $1, sparking outrage among local producers. Yet, many governments appear reluctant to escalate tensions with Beijing while already engaged in tariff negotiations with Washington. Some, such as South Africa, have favored fresh investment over penalties, while others in Latin America, including Chile and Ecuador, have quietly imposed targeted fees. Brazil, despite earlier threats, granted BYD (BYDDF) a tariff-free window to ramp up production, illustrating how Beijing’s blend of diplomacy and economic leverage is shaping outcomes.
For markets, the strategic landscape remains fluid. Trump has been pressing NATO allies to consider tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese goods, while Xi has urged BRICS nations to unite against protectionism. A weaker yuan and the Fed’s latest rate cut have also sharpened China’s export edge. Electric vehicle shipments valued at over $19 billion have held steady against last year’s pace, and Apple’s pivot to India has paradoxically lifted Chinese parts exports. Analysts suggest China could continue shifting goods toward Europe, Australia, and BRICS partners, limiting the fallout from lost US orders. All of this builds toward a high-stakes Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, where a fragile 90-day tariff truce may define the next stage of the trade confrontation. View comments (12)
Up next
Tariffs hit China’s tech trade in America, but the rest of the world kept buying
China’s tech exports to the US have fallen 70% since the fourth quarter due to President Trump’s tariffs.
Other Asian countries, like South Korea and Vietnam, are exporting much more to the US.
Global demand for AI products remains strong, boosting Asia’s tech exports overall.
China’s tech exports to the US have cratered, but demand from the rest of the world is keeping the East Asian giant’s trade machine humming.
In August, Chinese shipments of tech products to the US plunged 70% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis published Sunday.
The collapse followed the rollout of President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, including a 20% “fentanyl tariff” on all Chinese imports that took effect in March.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, other Asian economies filled the gap. From the fourth quarter through August, tech exports to the US from countries like South Korea, Vietnam, and India jumped 80%, according to Goldman.
Outside the US, Chinese tech exports didn’t suffer the same fate. Demand in Europe, Asia, and emerging markets kept growing.
“Tech exports to non-US destinations showed little difference between China and the rest of Asia, with tech exports from both performing similarly well compared to other sectors,” wrote Goldman’s analysts.
In July, China and the rest of Asia’s tech exports to non-US markets rose about 20% relative to the fourth quarter of 2024, “reflecting strength in global tech demand,” Goldman’s analysts wrote.
The tariffs underscore how Washington’s trade war is reshaping supply chains and driving high-tech decoupling with China.
Advertisement
But the divergence also reflects a bigger trend: a steady reordering of tech supply chains that accelerated during the pandemic and has been reinforced by Washington’s trade policies.
In 2017, nearly half of the US’s critical tech imports came directly from China. By 2025, that figure has fallen below 20%, Goldman estimated.
Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, India, and Vietnam have gained market share in the process.
Overall exports from the region rose 7% in dollar terms through August compared to a year earlier, Goldman said. Technology products accounted for more than 60% of those gains.
Taiwan has been the breakout winner, with over 70% of its exports coming from tech — the highest share in Asia.
In August, Taiwan’s exports surged 30% from the fourth quarter of 2024, powered by advanced chips and servers that are critical for AI data centers.
Advertisement
Goldman’s analysts wrote that they expect the reshuffling to continue.
“Tech supply chains will likely continue to shift, further driving high-tech decoupling between the US and China and reconfiguring of Asia’s trade within and outside the region,” they wrote.
A container is loaded onto a cargo ship while docked at Hai Phong port in Vietnam
By Francesco Guarascio
HANOI (Reuters) -U.S. tariffs imposed in August risk slashing up to one-fifth of Vietnam’s exports to the United States, making it the worst-hit country in Southeast Asia, according to estimates by the United Nations Development Programme.
Vietnam was the world’s sixth-largest exporter to America last year with $136.5 billion worth of shipped goods, U.S. trade data show. Those goods are largely produced in factories run by U.S. and foreign multinational companies or their suppliers.
In a worst-case scenario of very high tariff-driven U.S. inflation, the 20% duties levied on Vietnamese goods could cause its U.S. exports to fall “over time by more than 25 billion dollars, nearly one fifth of the yearly total,” Philip Schellekens, UNDP chief economist for the Asia-Pacific region, told Reuters.
Advertisement
Vietnam’s finance and industry ministries did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
The first comprehensive Vietnamese data released since tariffs took effect on August 7 show Vietnam’s exports to the United States, its biggest market, fell by 2% in August from July, with a 5.5% drop for footwear, of which Vietnam is the world’s second-largest supplier, according to the customs department. That followed a surge in exports before tariffs.
The World Bank revised down Vietnam’s growth forecasts for this year after the U.S. tariffs took effect.
Nike, Adidas and Puma, which produce a large part of their global output of shoes through suppliers in Vietnam, declined to comment.
VIETNAM HIT HARDEST
The 19.2% potential fall in Vietnamese exports to America would be nearly twice as high as the average 9.7% possible drop in exports from Southeast Asia, the most impacted region in the continent and a major industrial hub, according to a UNDP report released last week, one of the first public estimates of the hit on trade flows since the tariffs took effect.
Advertisement
“No country in Southeast Asia is more exposed to U.S. tariff hikes than Vietnam,” said Schellekens, noting only China in East Asia would be hit harder in dollar terms.
Among large Southeast Asian nations, Thailand’s U.S. exports could fall 12.7%, Malaysia’s 10.4% and Indonesia’s 6.4%, the UNDP report said.
The estimated fall of U.S. exports would shave roughly 5% from Vietnam’s Gross Domestic Product, although the tariff impact could take years to fully materialise, and was likely to be mitigated by exporters’ absorption of some costs, Vietnam’s diversification to other regions and bigger domestic spending.
The UNDP estimates are based on a scenario in which duties would be entirely passed through to U.S. consumers, damping demand, which so far has not happened as the impact on U.S. inflation has been moderate.
The UNDP did not take into account either the possible effect of 40% tariffs on goods transhipped through Vietnam, which could have a devastating impact if Washington decided to set strict limits on foreign components used in exported items, given Vietnam’s goods highly rely on Chinese input.
Advertisement
The UNDP data did not factor in current tariff exemptions on consumer electronics which account for about 28% of Vietnam’s total exports to America. However, even if Washington upheld those waivers, Vietnam’s U.S. exports could still fall by $18 billion, Schellekens said.
(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Additional reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Stephen Coates) View comments (70)
Up next
Over 70% of H-1B visa holders are Indian citizens. Its government says Trump jacking the fee to $100,000 is ‘likely to have humanitarian consequences’
President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on September 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump signed two executive orders, establishing the “Trump Gold Card” and introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a response Saturday to President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, warning on X that the move could create “humanitarian consequences” by disrupting families, calling for the United States to address these concerns.
The statement came after Trump signed a proclamation Friday imposing the hefty new fee on skilled worker visas, which went into effect on Sunday. The policy represents one of the most dramatic overhauls of the H-1B program in decades, targeting a visa category heavily relied upon by Indian professionals working in America’s technology sector.
“This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families,” the ministry said in its official statement. “Government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities.”
The proclamation sparked immediate chaos across Indian communities and the global tech industry, with thousands of H-1B visa holders scrambling to return to the United States before the new rules took effect. At San Francisco International Airport, The Independent reports that several Indian passengers disembarked from an Emirates flight just minutes before takeoff, because they feared being unable to return to the U.S. under the new policy. A three-hour delay ensued.
India has particular reason for concern about the policy changes: According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Indian nationals account for 71% of H-1B visa recipients, making them by far the largest beneficiary group. Chinese nationals represent the second-largest group at approximately 12%. The dominance is even more pronounced in technology roles, where over 80% of computer-related H-1B positions are filled by Indian workers.
The new fee structure represents a staggering increase from current H-1B application costs, which range from approximately $1,700 to $4,500. The Trump administration defended the move as necessary to address “systemic abuse” of the H-1B program and protect American workers.
Major U.S. technology companies moved quickly to reassure employees after initial confusion about the policy’s scope. Reuters reports that Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google—all heavy users of the H-1B program—issued urgent advisories clarifying the $100,000 fee applies only to new visa petitions, not existing holders or renewals. The White House later confirmed that current H-1B visa holders can continue to travel in and out of the United States as before.
According to federal data, Amazon currently has the highest number of H-1B visa holders at over 10,000, followed by Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services, with approximately 5,500. Other major beneficiaries include Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google, each with over 4,000 H-1B visa holders. But Alan Patricof, the private-equity investor and founder of Greycroft Partners, told the NYT, “there is not a single company that I have invested in the last 10 years that could afford to pay this.”
The policy comes amid broader tensions in U.S.-India relations following Trump’s imposition of punitive tariffs on Indian exports earlier this year. The president implemented a 25% “reciprocal” tariff on Indian goods, followed by an additional 25% penalty tied to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, shocking Indian counterparties and bringing total duties to 50%.
India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Washington on Monday for trade talks, highlighting ongoing efforts to reset the relationship between the two nations. The timing of the H-1B announcement just days before these crucial negotiations adds another layer of complexity to the diplomatic discussions.
In its statement, India’s foreign ministry emphasized the mutual benefits of skilled talent mobility between the two countries. “Skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the United States and India,” the ministry said. “Policy makers will therefore assess recent steps taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.”
The ministry also noted that Indian industry has begun analyzing the full implications of the policy changes and is expected to work with U.S. counterparts on finding solutions. India’s National Association of Software and Service Companies warned the abrupt implementation timeline could have “ripple effects on America’s innovation ecosystem and the wider job economy.”
For Indian IT services companies, the financial impact could be substantial. According to the Times of India, firms like TCS, Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Wipro could see their operating profits reduced by 7%-15% due to the new fees.
The proclamation is set to remain in effect for 12 months unless extended, and legal challenges are expected. The policy also directs the Department of Labor to raise wage requirements for H-1B workers and signals additional reforms to prioritize higher-paid, higher-skilled applications in the visa lottery system.
Finger pointer, vacillating uninformed name caller, with a possible stolen college degree elected to lead based on assumed business prowess based in subterfuge and theft. Brief description of current resident of the country’s house. The daily coverage of this Resident and his deplorables is enough to deliver mental anguish to us all. The results of this anguish can and has shut many of us down as it has become too tedious to hear and observe. We should all (non-followers) remember we can change the tide next year and begin the road to recovery. There are “RED” states planning to redraw districts that suits their agenda and party, our resistance and education is the key to regaining control of our government and our country. Keep in mind the actions of this resident in the hundreds of executive orders which do not favor the public, the pardons of felons who are now released upon us and the appointments of unqualified cabinet members, who look good on television and will do his bidding.
We have the political equivalent of a televangelist with a powerful platform that has the potential to ruin the country! I am dismayed by our Congressional inability to rein in the rampant Governance by vocal edict from a Clearly inept Bully. It is clear that this administration’s objective is to pursue an agenda based on the everchanging proclamations and random thoughts of an adoration seeking child! If the voters of America cannot see behind the curtain of political rhetoric that assails us daily, then we could be in for an uphill slog to recover America. THERE IS NO RED OR BLUE IN THIS!, this just an American voter’s issue which only the voters can correct! Stir It Up!
It is evident that a huge mistake was made by many voters during the last national election. The current seat filler of the oval office stated plainly what he was going to do if reelected and people voted him back in., we are now in the loose-leaf binder of his mind with pages that have torn ring holes! Each successive day of this occupation shows how ineffective the GOP led Congress and the minority DEMs have become under this grifter in chief aka Resident remodeler. The pure unadulterated or reckless actions have at once placed a distance between our allies although those actions have prompted those allies to take on a larger share of defense. The allies realize that if they do not coalesce and make decisions that do not heavily rely on the US, they will have issues and essentially allow the rise of the same issues that precipitated WWII.
We (the US) are fortunate that there are more rational world leaders who see what the “ponziesque” actions of the current seat filler are and are quietly placing guardrails on those schemes. The US voters have the hard job and that is to replace the “CAPO” and his sycophants with serious representatives of our states and the country.
Comments Off on Speaker Johnson unveils health care plan as divided Republicans scramble for alternative
Gop On The verge of doing something right?
KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO
Updated Fri, December 12, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate failed to get anywhere on the health care issue this week. Now it’s the House’s turn to show what it can do.
Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican alternative late Friday, a last-minute sprint as his party refuses to extend the enhanced tax subsidies for those who buy policies through the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, which are expiring at the end of the year. Those subsidies help lower the cost of coverage.
Johnson, R-La., huddled behind closed doors in the morning — as he did days earlier this week — working to assemble the package for consideration as the House focuses the final days of its 2025 work on health care.
“House Republicans are tackling the real drivers of health care costs to provide affordable care,” Johnson said in a statement announcing the package. He said it would be voted on next week.
Time is running out for Congress to act. Democrats engineered the longest federal government shutdown ever this fall in a failed effort to force Republicans to the negotiating table on health care. But after promising votes, the Senate failed this week to advance both a Republican health care plan and the Democratic-offered bill to extend the tax credits for three years.
Now, with just days to go, Congress is about to wrap up its work with no consensus solution in sight.
What Republicans are proposing
The House Republicans offered a 100-plus page package that focuses on long-sought GOP proposals to enhance access to employer-sponsored health insurance plans and clamp down on so-called pharmacy benefit managers.
Republicans propose expanding access to what’s referred to as association health plans, which would allow more small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together and purchase health coverage.
Proponents say such plans increase the leverage businesses have to negotiate a lower rate. But critics say the plans provide skimpier coverage than what is required under the Affordable Care Act.
The Republicans’ proposal would also require more data from pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, as a way to help control drug costs. Critics say PBMs have padded their bottom line and made it more difficult for independent pharmacists to survive.
Comment from provider: After 10 years the GOP is finally thinking about their constituents, this is a sad state when the leadership is too afraid of a “child” to take care of their constituents who should always take precedent! MA
It is horrific to see this country’s leadership headed by possibly the most historically corrupt and incompetent official since the founding of the country.
10 years plus is enough time
The GOP long opposition to the ACA (Obamacare) continues, instead of crafting “something better” the GOP has continued place roadblocks and restrictions in its implementation. (bear in mind that the GOP took the “better” parts of the healthcare bill and added to their own healthcare plans. Now we are still fighting the same fight and affecting the health of millions of Americans even down to many being unable to afford basic healthcare. The Congressional GOP members appear to being ignoring their own constituents’ dilemma along with everyone else’s.
Time produces folks of the same mental space regularly, but we usually do not hear about them until their actions become egregious and murderous. Abetted (sometimes) by a governing bloc these “exotics lose all sense of reality since they live pretty much in their own heads. The insides of their heads would lay out like a bag of cats (sorry cat lovers), a lot of meowing and scratching! When the contents erupt no one understands or believes the utterances and statements that issue forth. Fact is those outputs are as dangerous as a 5-year-old with cherry bombs and a box of matches.
Comments Off on “If “ifs” and “buts” were candy and nuts, wouldn’t it be a Merry Christmas?”
It occurred to me that the citizens of the United States have been victims of a ploy known as” rope a dope “which was used so successfully by the “Great Muhamed Ali”. Knowing this and paying attention to news sources (such as they are) should be a loud wake up call to all of us. Every known statement about past tyrants seems apply to our current Resident. It is easy to complain and carp about our politics and governance but seemingly difficult to gear up for the next election opportunity. Every political shift in this country is an opportunity to change for the better, yet we elected a proven liar and thief! This person has surrounded himself with sycophants whose sole job is carry his water and pour it over all of us. The depth of the dishonesty in our government is quite deep and not showing any sign of lessening in this administration. I believe every citizen wants good and fair governance but we still fall under the blanket of Politi speak which sounds good but is sometimes just another “Rope a Dope”!
Michael1942's Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.