By Dr. Ron Paul

The United States and China came closer to a full-fledged trade war in early March when China imposed tariffs of up to 15% on key U.S. agricultural exports. This was retaliation for Donald Trump’s increasing of tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States from 10% to 20%.

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China’s retaliatory tariffs show how export-dependent industries are harmed by protectionist policies. Even if other countries refrain from imposing retaliatory tariffs, exporters can still suffer from reduced demand for their products in countries targeted by U.S. tariffs. Businesses that rely on imported materials to manufacture their products also suffer from increased production costs thanks to tariffs. President Trump acknowledged how tariffs harm U.S. manufacturers when he granted the request of U.S. automakers for a one-month delay in new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada.

Many American consumers who are struggling with high prices are concerned that Trump’s tariff policy will further increase prices. They are right to be concerned.

Contrary to popular belief, foreign businesses do not pay tariffs. Tariffs are paid by U.S. businesses that wish to sell the imported goods. When tariffs are increased, the importing businesses try to recoup their increased costs by increasing their prices. Consumers then must choose whether to pay the higher price, find a cheaper alternative, or do without. Whatever they choose, consumers will be worse off because they cannot spend their money the way they prefer.

Tariffs may provide a short-term benefit to the protected businesses. However, tariffs could keep businesses alive that should be allowed to fail so the business owners and workers can put their talents to use in other endeavors that would more greatly benefit and the whole economy.

Defenders of tariffs, including President Trump, claim the revenue from tariffs can be used to “offset” the revenue government loses from tax cuts. Some even claim that tariffs can generate enough revenue to allow the government to repeal the income tax. The problem with this is that a tariff brings in more revenue to “pay for” tax cuts only to the extent the tariff does not cause consumers to cease buying imported goods. Thus, the tariffs, to bring revenue to the government, must not be large enough to discourage Americans from buying foreign products.

The more tariffs increase government revenue, the more they will fail in bringing about another often-promoted tariff goal—an increase in the purchase of domestic goods.

According to the Tax Foundation, if President Trump’s tariff plan for China, Mexico, and Canada were fully implemented, it would increase federal tax revenue by $142 billion this year—an average tax increase of over $1,000 per household. The tariffs would also decrease economic output.

This does not account for the decline in consumer satisfaction caused by consumers being forced to alter their consumption choices because of government-caused price increases.

It also does not account for the new businesses, products, and jobs that could have been created had government not drained resources from the productive economy via tariffs.

The economic effects are a good enough reason to oppose raising tariffs. However, the main reason to oppose tariffs is that tariffs, like all taxes (including the inflation tax), are theft.

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By Donald Jeffries

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega recently announced plans for a canal spanning over 276 miles through his country, linking the Caribbean with the Pacific Ocean. The timing is interesting, given President Donald Trump’s pronouncements about taking back the Panama Canal, which Jimmy Carter sold back to Panama for $1 in 1978.

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Recently, Ortega declared:

Every day it is more complicated to pass through Panama. …  Nicaragua is ready to contribute with this passage that will give greater fluidity to maritime transport, to commerce, and we invite you all. I am sure that even North American businessmen would be interested in the canal

We are seeing the difficulties that the Panama Canal has, they have problems with the water, in terms of fluidity, the capacity for ships to pass. So traffic is slow. There are no alternatives.

Ortega claimed that the United States had already intended to build a Nicaragua canal back in 1854.

We are going to send them more information, because many studies have been made, since [the] one made by the U.S. Navy Corps of Engineers in 1866. Nicaragua can offer for the benefit of the people, for the benefit of commercial activities, for the benefit of the growth of the economy in all our countries and that we have better conditions for peace, for stability, for security, and, with this, we can put an end to misery, we can put an end to poverty, we can live with dignity.

In 2013, Ortega signed a 50-year concession to design, build, and operate a new canal, with an estimated initial cost of $40-$50 billion. The project was to include not only the canal, but ports, a new airport, free trade zones, and infrastructure for tourism.

The Chinese businessman the deal was originally made with, Wang Jing, reportedly lost much of his fortune in 2015 due to stock market losses. That being said, many experts were skeptical that Jing could raise sufficient  funds for the project. Environmentalists were concerned that the canal would cut through Lake Nicaragua, the largest freshwater body in Central America, and negatively impact its ecosystem.

In addition, thousands of Nicara­guans, especially indigenous groups and farmers, protested against the project, fearing land seizures and displacement. In 2019, an incredibly stern Nicaraguan judge sentenced three of the leaders of the farmer pro­tests to anywhere from 159 to 216 years in prison for promoting a “failed coup.”

Some Nicaraguans were suspicious of China’s motives, and saw it as an attempt for them to gain influence in Central America. Despite a symbolic “groundbreaking” in 2014, no actual construction has ever been done on the project, and it was seemingly canceled in May 2024 by the Nica­raguan congress.

However, in December 2024, Ortega submitted a new proposal to China, with a revamped route designed to make international maritime transport more efficient.

Ortega has long desired to compete with the Panama Canal, with the goal of being the alternative for world trade in the face of cyclical drought conditions that limited ship transits through Panama in 2023.

The second proposal consists of a longer route than the one promoted in 2013. Ortega made the announcement at the XVII China-LAC Business Summit, which met under the motto “Joining forces, creating opportunities: New horizons for China and Latin America and the Caribbean.” Ortega focused on promoting trade relations and coordination to deepen economic ties with the People’s Republic of China in the face of the presence of some 200 representatives and companies from China and more than 70 business leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the benefits of which Ortega boasted was competition with the Panama Canal, greater efficiency in international maritime transportation, and reducing travel times and transportation costs, boosting international trade and the economy of Nicaragua.

The Nicara­guan president also promised the creation of jobs and infrastructure development. In an interview with official Nicara­guan media, Óscar Mojica, minister of transportation and infrastructure, acknowledged that the previous route “did not respect protected areas.” Mojica estimated that the new route would cost $64.5 billion. He said:

It is a formidable investment, but we also have income estimates and results projections, and we are sure that this route is perfectly viable and profitable. Nicaragua has the capacity to provide tax exemptions to foreign investment that participates in this great project, in imports, services, exemptions for talents who come to work there, materials … machinery, property rights are guaranteed. Of course, all these incentives have a direct impact on investment.

The Trump administration has remained oddly silent on the proposed new canal. However, Trump’s rather abrupt vow to reclaim the Panama Canal came at approximately the same time as Ortega’s new offer to China for a competing canal in Nicaragua. Since Trump had not mentioned the Panama Canal before, it is impossible not to believe there is a connection.

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By Donald Jeffries

Last year, a judge ordered the “official” Epstein list—related to billionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s procurement of underage girls to his private island—to be released to the public. No “official” list appears to have ever been released. The ones that were produced were quickly met with allegations that they weren’t really legitimate.

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In late February, Attorney General Pam Bondi became involved. First, she announced that the Epstein list was sitting on her desk. She said it was being reviewed, at the “directive” of President Donald Trump. At the same time, Trump told a podcaster that he would “be inclined” to release Epstein’s entire client list.

Documents released in January 2024, connected to the lawsuit of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, named high-profile figures like Prince Andrew of Great Britain and former President Bill Clinton. For unclear reasons, a group of conservative influencers, including Liz Wheeler, Mike Cernovich, and the woman who tweets as Libs of Tik Tok, were presented with binders that read “Epstein Files—Phase 1” by Bondi, then photographed holding them up for members of the press.

Bondi had told Fox News the night before that “Phase 1” would consist of “flight logs, names, and a lot of information.” These files consisted of some 200 pages, but turned out to contain more redactions than actual information.

An angry Bondi claimed that the FBI had betrayed her, and publicly charged that the Southern District of New York was concealing potentially thousands of files related to Epstein.

In a new interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity, Bondi said FBI Director Kash Patel and others were going over “thousands” of Epstein documents.

In a related development, James Dennehy, director of the FBI’s New York office, tendered his resignation in the wake of news reports blaming his office for withholding the files.

Making the case even more problematic, the crucial hard drives and videotapes seized by authorities from a safe in Epstein’s mansion in 2019 were inexplicably not entered into evidence. Suspiciously, they have now been “lost.”

During the 2021 trial of Epstein’s key cohort, Ghislaine Maxwell, an FBI special agent testified that key evidence “went missing.” Also mysteriously missing are carefully organized binders that contained CDs and photos, found on a shelf on the fifth floor of Epstein’s upper east side mansion. According to one report, authorities found damning photos of recognizable VIPs with nude underage girls. Epstein was known to have installed video cameras everywhere, and this lost evidence undoubtedly included film of famous figures consorting with minors.

During Giuffre’s trial, a witness testified to the “very troubling removal of evidence” from Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion as well.

The focus on the Epstein “list” is curious. A list is not a legal document. The lists that have appeared online could have been typed up by anyone. Every famous name that appears there will have top-notch lawyers, and they will insist either that the list is fake, or that their client knew Epstein, perhaps flew on his private plane, but knew nothing about any underage girls.

Prosecuting such big names is always difficult but, in this case, the fact that Epstein was found dead in his prison cell under very questionable circumstances, while most of the best evidence against him has been “lost,” makes it almost impossible.

Maxwell was offered a lighter sentence if she named names, but she refused to. Maxwell was essentially convicted of procuring minors for unknown persons.

Trump being friendly with Epstein presents another problem. Given the divisiveness in the country, any list that doesn’t include his name will be declared fake by those who hate him, while any list that has his name will be declared fake by his most devoted supporters.

An FBI whistleblower recently alleged that FBI employees had been deleting Epstein files. These files may well be related to Epstein’s reported connections to Israeli intelligence. An angry Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Texas) tweeted to Bondi, “This is not what we or the American people asked for and a complete disappointment. Get us the information we asked for!”

Director Kash Patel may find it hard to live up to the following declaration he made:

The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice. There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned—and anyone from the prior or current bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and, under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.

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Peace—Not War—With Iran

Warmongering Republicans have worked themselves into a lather over President Donald Trump saying in a recent interview that he would prefer a nuclear deal with Iran over war. “I said, I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,” Trump told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo. Trump was referring to a letter he sent to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” he said. “I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been agitating for war with Iran for over a decade and would like nothing more than to drag the United States into it.

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Ukraine Targets U.S. Officials

According to independent media outlet “The Grayzone,” the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been implicated in funding a Ukrainian organization called Molfar, which labeled Vice President JD Vance, when he was a senator, along with other U.S. officials and public figures as “foreign propagandists” aligned with Russia, because those individuals wanted to end the war. Established in 2019, Molfar describes itself as an “open-source intelligence community platform” that “collects lists of Ukrainian enemies to bring war criminals to justice.” The group’s website identifies USAID and the U.S. Civil Research and Development Fund (CRDF) as partners—meaning there was financial and operational backing from U.S. government agencies.

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According to a new Gallup poll, for the first time ever, a minority of Americans—only 46%—say they are sympathetic to the Israelis. It is the lowest support Gallup has logged in 25 years of tracking the issue.

A 21st-Century Black Death

As the new secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first initiative should have been to make Americans more healthy by encouraging them to quit junk food and exercise more, but that’s not what he did. On March 3, RFK Jr. announced America’s pre-eminent health organization would be going after Columbia University for the university’s “ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students.” RFK Jr. announced the creation of the federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which would be going after millions of dollars in federal grant money given to Columbia. Administrators at Columbia had actually called in a SWAT team to remove pro-Palestine student protesters, who were peacefully occupying a college building, but that apparently wasn’t good enough for RFK Jr. “Anti-Semitism—like racism—is a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history’s most deadly plagues,” said RFK in his press release on the issue.

A Biden Crony’s Housing Scam

The Department of Government Efficiency recently took steps to cancel a $215 million contract for a Texas nonprofit that operated a housing facility for migrants. The catch was, the housing facility sat empty for months with no one occupying it. Who benefited from the wasteful deal? The administrator of the nonprofit was an immigration official who had worked in the Biden administration.

No Way to Stop It

Whether you like it or not, completely automated cars will soon be traveling on the roads around the country. Zoox, an Amazon-backed self-driving taxi company, has already been rolling out cars in cities in the United States. Regulators want to pump the brakes, however. According to reports, Zoox failed to meet vehicle safety standards, because the cars lack the basics like a brake pedal, a steering wheel, and rearview mirrors. In 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) produced a report as part of a review of Zoox that noted, without a steering wheel or other human controls, there is no way for a person to drive the car if it goes out of control. Zoox has asserted that the vehicle’s technology, backed by artificial intelligence, complies with the agency’s standards.

End the Fed

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) recently re-introduced an “end the Fed” bill, officially titled “the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act” (H.R. 1846). The measure would abolish the privately owned and controlled Fed. “Americans would be better off if the Federal Reserve did not exist,” he said in announcing his bill. “The Fed devalues our currency by monetizing the debt, causing inflation.”

Spring Forward, Fall Backward

Since 2022, 20 states have permanently adopted so-called “Daylight Savings Time” (DST), the period of the year when Americans “spring forward” one hour to shift more daylight into the evening hours. Those states include Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. States, by federal law, can only remain on standard time year round—something done in Hawaii and parts of Arizona—but they cannot choose to stay on DST unless there is congressional action allowing them to do so. Earlier this term, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the “Lock the Clock” bill, which would make DST year-round. It is stuck in committee..

Blue Ghost on the Moon

On March 2, the privately owned company Firefly announced that its unmanned Blue Ghost spaceship completed its 45-day mission to the Moon, landing on its surface that day. Firefly is now the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful Moon landing. As AFP goes to press, the ship is sending high resolution photos back to Earth, including photos of the Earth eclipsing the Sun.

Musk’s Dead Satellites

There are growing concerns that there could be problems related to the thousands of satellites that Starlink has launched in the sky and are currently orbiting Earth. According to the latest reports, every few years, Starlink needs to replace older satellites with newer ones, and the lifespan of around 500 of the first-generation Starlink satellites has already ended. There are currently around 7,000 satellites being operated by Starlink, and the company is planning to refresh its satellite network every five years. Starlink representatives say the satellites will burn up entirely upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere, but researchers worry about falling debris as well as pollution that will come about from these dead satellites.

New UFO Documentary

A new UFO documentary titled The Age of Disclosure has been making waves since it debuted at a recent film festival in Texas. The documentarian behind it, Dan Farah, told reporters about the secret effort involved to make what he is calling “the most credible nonfiction movie ever about the topic.” According to published reports, what makes The Age of Disclosure stand out among the thousands of previous UFO film and TV documentary efforts over the past several decades is that Farah only included on-record interviews with current and former senior members of the U.S. government, military, and intelligence community who say they have direct knowledge of unidentified anomalous phenomena, the official name for UFOs.

Democrats Block Bill

In early March, the House of Representatives passed landmark legislation that would ban all males from competing in female sports—something that 80% of Americans support. The measure, however, died in the Senate as Democrats moved to block the perfectly reasonable bill. It required a 60% majority.

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