American Politics

What are your thoughts on current events and the direction in which we are heading?

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The Democrats were not informed about the memo before or after the election; these policies are part of the reasons for your loss.

You mean illegal immigrants living there.

Los Angeles passes sanctuary city vote as migrant activists panic

Los Angeles unanimously passed a ‘sanctuary city’ ordinance which would protect immigrants living there.

The policy would prohibit the use of city resources and personnel to carry out federal immigration enforcement.

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Trump’s proposed tariffs would raise prices for these products, experts say

President-elect Donald Trump has promised a major escalation of the nation’s tariffs.

Trump has proposed tariffs of between 60% and 100% on Chinese goods, and a tax of between 10% and 20% on every product imported from all U.S. trading partners.

Economists widely forecast that tariffs of this magnitude would increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers.

Trump’s tariffs would cost the average U.S. household about $2,600 per year, according to an estimate from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Some products would likely undergo much more significant price increases than others, experts told ABC News, pointing to items like electronics and toys that rely heavily on imports.

Electronics

Smartphones, tablets and laptops are among the array of electronics that would see price increases as a result of tariffs, experts said. Video cameras, headphones and video game consoles would also be impacted.

“Electronics are basically ubiquitous,” Raymond Robertson, a professor of trade and public policy at Texas A&M University, told ABC News. “I don’t know how this wouldn’t be incredibly disruptive.”

Prices of laptops and tablets could rise as much as 46%, while smartphone prices could jump 26%, according to a study published last month by the Consumer Technology Association, a trade group that represents tech firms.

Many of those goods are imported from China, which would face the steepest tariffs under Trump’s proposal, Handfield said. Since Trump plans to also impose tariffs on all imported goods, manufacturers would not be able to circumvent the tariffs by shifting production to other countries, he added.

Imports account for roughly 90% of video and audio electronic equipment sold to U.S. consumers, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found in 2017. Meanwhile, 88% of electronic computers and 78% of small electric appliances are imported, the BEA said.

“The prices of electronics would definitely go up,” Handfield said.

Clothes

Jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts and a host of other apparel items are set to go up in price if Trump’s tariffs take effect, experts said.

The U.S. imports more than 80% of clothing items offered up by retailers, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data last year showed.

For decades, the U.S. has increasingly relied on apparel manufacturers in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and other low-cost markets abroad, said Jason Miller, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University.

“Obviously, and not surprisingly, apparel is very strongly imported,” Miller said.

The price of a set of 500 apparel goods ranging from swimwear to gloves to baby clothes could rise as much as 20% in response to the potential tariffs, according to a study earlier this month by the National Retail Federation, a trade association that represents retailers.

After the proposed tariffs, a $50 woman’s cotton sweater could cost consumers as much as $60 while the price of men’s jeans could rise from $80 to $96, the NRF found.

Toys

Dolls, stuffed animals and board games are among a group of toys highly vulnerable to tariff-related price increases, experts said.

Imports account for about 90% of toys and dolls sold to U.S. consumers, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data in 2017 showed.

Top U.S. toy makers are “very, very dependent on China,” Handfield said. “Almost all toys are manufactured in Asia.”

MORE: Why credit card rates remain high, even after interest rate cuts

The price of toys could soar as much as 55%, amounting to about $14 billion in lost U.S. consumer spending power, the NRF found.

The price of a $50 tricycle could jump an additional $28, while a plush toy could climb from $17 to $27.

Economists face challenges forecasting the exact price increase since it remains unclear whether firms involved in the supply chain for products, such as toys, will take on a share of the added cost by relinquishing some profits or will pass along all of the cost to customers, Miller said.

The current body of academic research, however, suggests that many companies will add the full cost of tariffs onto the consumer.

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Note to self: stay the f–k out of Los Angeles.

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Truly, it remains uncertain if they will comprehend the situation. It might require a significant misstep by either Trump or the Republicans for the Democrats to regain control of the White House. The election map displayed a predominantly Republican-leaning landscape.

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It’s pretty much over for Democrats in NC. You can be a state governor, but it’s the state lawmakers who hold the power and they are Republicans. :point_left:

North Carolina GOP lawmakers vote to strip incoming Democratic leaders’ powers

North Carolina Republican lawmakers voted to strip the state’s incoming Democratic governor and attorney general of key powers, passing a sweeping bill before the GOP most likely loses its veto-proof supermajority in the Legislature next year.

The legislation would grant the authority to appoint members to the state’s election board, which oversees the voting process in North Carolina, to the state auditor, an office that will be held by Republican Dave Boliek after he defeated incumbent Democrat Jessica Holmes in the Nov. 5 election.

That power currently lies with the governor’s office, which will remain in Democratic hands after Attorney General Josh Stein defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Republicans have long sought control of the State Board of Elections, which is historically controlled by the same party as the governor, but the courts have foiled their past efforts.

The legislation would also shorten the time for voters to fix ballot errors and require counties to count ballots more rapidly.

The changes are just one part of a massive, 131-page bill that includes hurricane relief funding and would advance a spate of other Republican legislative priorities. The law was written behind closed doors and introduced as a committee substitute Tuesday morning, replacing a long-discarded bill about dental practices.

Both GOP-controlled chambers passed it over just two days, though three Republicans opposed the measure in the House on Tuesday. After the Senate passed the bill Wednesday, it heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has criticized the measure as a “power grab.”

North Carolina GOP lawmakers vote to strip incoming Democratic leaders' powers

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Maybe I’m wrong, but when it becomes one party trying to boot out the other and have a majority, it becomes too much of an us-vs-them battle.

This is rather idealist, but I think the goal should be to get along better and have a balance between the two–rather than swinging from one majority to the other.

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That’s an anomaly of 2-party systems.

It’s usually about the same in the UK, I think.

It’s very different in most of Europe, where there are generally far more parties getting substantial parliamentary representation, so they mostly avoid the long term “us-v-them” battles.

The price they all pay for that is coalition governments, if you consider those a “price”. Some say they’re more democratic. They’re certainly more consensus-based, less confrontational and less adversarial.

Most of Europe has had coalition governments for most of the last 70 years.

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I would put it this way: Democrats have been steering the conversation for over three decades with a narrative that most Americans no longer resonate with. Republicans are now seizing this as a chance to shape and direct the narrative for the next thirty years. This dynamic has been in play since the inception of America.

The 2024 election seems a bit unusual, as many Americans appear somewhat restrained compared to their enthusiasm after the 2016 election, Just a thought on my part - only time will tell for sure.

I do concur with your viewpoint on ousting the other party or depriving them of power. However, consider this perspective: all focus will be on the Republicans.

Only time can reveal whether they can truly achieve their aspiration of creating a better America for everyone, as they assert.

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True.

None of this is easy to say for me. I’m on the republican’s side. I disagree with the liberal ideology. It’s too idealistic for me, and they prey on/manipulate the emotions of everyone’s who’s non-White. And they also prey on the White-guilt of those who are White. That’s how I see it.

However, the liberals see the republican party as rich, white racists.

That view is polarized. So, if I call their view polarized, then the same should apply to me.

There’s money in our division. That’s what it’s really all about. It generates news and campaign contributions.

The truth is that we all need each other.

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Republicans have the opportunity to shape the narrative, much like the Democrats have done, The result may turn out positively, negatively, or even worse, only time will tell for sure.

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Hell prob just do an executive order for the immigrants , and everything else - yeah tariffs will drive inflation up too

And with the fed with developers in their back pocket , so they won’t lift rates to control inflation , it’s a giant perfect storm :cloud_with_lightning_and_rain: :fire:

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Anarchy sounds fitting

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https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-tariffs-taxes-immigration-federal-reserve-a18de763fcc01557258c7f33cab375ed

I’ve been saying it for a while comes in search now, not often analysts and I agree as there almost always wrong , but on this we agree , which should sound alarms for anyone that follow my trades :boom:

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Americans find themselves in a peculiar mental space where they often lament about the influence of corporations on our government, only to then advocate for reducing regulations that would allow these corporations to regulate themselves freely and without control, It appears that corporations are exerting influence on this initiative.

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As previously mentioned, Trump and his carefully selected team should thoroughly review his proposals before pursuing any of them.

This is the moment that shines brightly for them.

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Either trump or Elon won’t make it to the White House imo, Elon saying stuff about bill gates whom is the most dangerous man on the planet . Not even I would say anything about him , and I took on trump .

Bill gates - Msft stock shot up during Covid , and Steve Jobs :disappointed: cancer implant

I’m not implying anything , but I have been known to figure stuff out in the past

:point_up_2:

Relax

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I’m not a big fan of the media, Trump’s remarks about desiring to become a dictator either on the very first day or just for a day. This statement does not paint a positive image of him.

“REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL”: Trump orders GOP to snuff out press freedom bill

Donald Trump is asking Republicans in the Senate to squash a bill that would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their sources.

The Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act would make a current Department of Justice rule barring prosecutors from compelling the release of journalists’ sources into federal law. The bill passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with unanimous support in January. Currently held up in the Senate, the bill came to Trump’s attention after a segment on the act aired on “PBS NewsHour.”

He shared that clip along with an all-caps order on Truth Social Wednesday.

“REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!” he wrote.

Railing against the freedom of the press is nothing new for Trump. He spent a significant chunk of his time on the campaign trail, griping about perceived unfair coverage from media outlets and threatening the press.

The president-elect filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS last month, taking issue with the way that the network edited portions of a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. In the lead-up to that litigation, Trump called for the network’s broadcast license to be revoked.

"CBS should lose its license, and it should be bid out to the Highest Bidder, as should all other Broadcast Licenses, because they are just as corrupt as CBS – and maybe even WORSE!” he wrote on Truth Social in October.

Elsewhere, he called journalists the “enemy of the people” and gleefully imagined someone shooting through the press area of his campaign rally to get to him.

“All we really have over here is the fake news, right? And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news,” Trump said. “And I don’t mind that so much.”

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The press hasn’t been free for a while Assange ect . The problem is though the press isn’t very intelligent they fed right into trumps hands with the attacks , which only made him stronger . No one likes a bully even when the bully does the right thing from time to time . It’s the human condition

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