Welcome, fellow Conspirators!

Immense thanks to novelist, scriptwriter, and short story writer Tom Monteleone for joining us in our Mind Meld, for Fiction Friday! It was GREAT to be able to chat, and our phone connection made it even more fun! Check out the conversation, all, and the news via great journalists we got to mention - check them, out, as well, if you haven't, thus far! - Join us m-f 6 pm on Rumble and X. Audio on its way from Spotify or here at Substack! Here are some of the big items we got to discuss, tonight!

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-The US hit another school in Iran. From one relevant X Post: ‘How the United States administration is helping the people of Iran!…
This is another elementary school, Shahid Hamedani School, in Niloufar Sq., Tehran, targeted by the American/Israeli aggressors.’ Here is the link. And DropSite amplifies: ‘BREAKING: U.S.–Israeli missiles have hit an elementary school in Tehran — the fourth school in 6 days.
➤ Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei shared video that shows Shahid Hamedani Elementary School before and after the strike. A casualty toll was not immediately available.
➤ It is the fourth school hit in Iran since the war began:
1. Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school – Minab (Feb 28 strike). 180 killed.
2. Two schools in Parand, southwest of Tehran, hit by missiles Thursday according to Iranian media. Photos confirm damage.
3. Shahid Hamedani School – Tehran (Niloufar Square), the new strike reported Friday’

…Hitting schools CNN has info on the first US massacre of nearly 180 Iranian children last week LINK
-But don’t expect the pop media to report on it with any semblance of fairness.

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- Meanwhile, because Trump is such a man of peace, he now says he wants to be key in choosing the “next leader of Iran.” Seriously. LINK Here is video of Axios chatting w CNN on it. LINK Here is ANTIWAR ON IT LINK
Annnnnd… Headline from RT: “Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’ from Iran — RT World News” LINK More with added spice of their changing Trumpist mindsets or rhetoric! LINK
-Larry Johnson notes that he is getting signals that Trump is ready to deploy GROUND troops.

-And Trump wants to buy back weapons sold to UKRAINE in order to send them to the Iranian field. LINK
-Iran will not surrender. Here is the video you might have seen, of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi LINK
-Recall this, from a few days ago, the neo-con MAGA maniac saying that the US killing people in Iran is fine, because it’s better to be dead than alive in a burqa LINK

Whait! (That neologism being a combo of “WHAT” and “WAIT”) How can this be? Headline: “Hungary seizes millions in gold and cash linked to ‘Ukraine war mafia’ — RT World News” LINK

I think David Knight says it well.

- Headline: “Oil, gasoline prices soar as Trump team looks to soften blow” LINK Here’s an image Trump might want to see:

-Things are so bad for Qatar that QatarEnergy (100% state-owned) has declared force majeure on LNG shipments after halting production due to drone attacks, causing immediate global fuel supply disruptions and soaring gas prices.
Qatar has seen virtually NO profitable energy exportation since the US attacked Iran. Headline: LINK
-How about other kinds of shipping? Headline: “Maersk suspends two shipping services due to Middle East crisis” LINK

Unemployment in Feb. 4.4%… UP, of course. Here is the BLS report, noting the loss of 92K non-farm jobs in Feb. LINK

Indeed, “The US lost an average of 1k jobs per month over the last 6 months, the 4th of the last 5 months with a negative 6-month moving average. This is the 12th time we’ve seen this much weakness in the jobs market since 1950. In the 11 previous times the US economy was in a recession.”

Almost every major US industry group lost jobs in February:
Private sector overall: -86,000
Hospitality -27,000
Healthcare -28,000
Manufacturing -12,000
Tranport/warehouse -11,000
Construction -11,000
Information -11,000
Federal gov’t -10,000
Professional/biz -5,000
Mining -2,000
Social assistance +9,000
Finance +10,000

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-And yet, Trump Economic Pro-Liar Kevin Hassett (I think that’s the official title of his job, but I might be wrong) says that the economy is great… Here is the link to his appearance on TV to smile like a Cheshire Cat. LINK Here is what Aaron Rupar noted: ‘Hassett downplays a terrible February jobs report: “It’s about what we expect to be seeing because immigration has gone down by so much that the breakeven employment is probably in the 30,000 or 40,000 jobs a month range. The economy is really strong.”’
Here is what I wrote in response. “How can this man face his family at the end of the day? His lies and circumlocution are matched only by his plastic, pantomime smile. The Trumpers told us that kidnapping migrants would bring jobs to Americans, but, of course, it, as well as the insane tariffs and the price increases caused by the inflated money system, have wrought HIGHER COSTS on consumers, leaving less useable capital in consumer hands, meaning fewer chances to employ people. Trump increased tariffs so much it was the biggest tax increase in 70 years. Mr. Hassett’s only evident genius is in his ability to avoid reality.”

This is interesting. As thousands of American businesses (who are consumers, as we are) await refunds of Trump’s foolish and destructive IEEPA tariffs (and as the Trumpers use another unconstitutional statute to increase the tariff rate across virtually every market to 15%.), we find that the Trumpers are delaying repayments (which, as we mentioned last week, could cost US businesses $700 Mil per month in interest), and yet there is an easy way to refund people, a method that has been used in the past. LINK Scott Lincicome, a Cato Institute trade expert, quotes a lawyer to challenge that above-linked FT report claiming U.S. companies cannot easily recover $150 billion in tariffs ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, noting Customs’ automated refund systems handle similar processes routinely despite the scale. Let’s take a closer look…
Lincicome is spot on in highlighting that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) already has well-established, largely automated systems for processing duty refunds and overpayments — including for tariffs — even if the current scale (potentially $150+ billion from the invalidated IEEPA tariffs) is unprecedented. CBP handles refunds routinely through several mechanisms, many of which leverage the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal, an electronic system for filing, processing, and managing customs entries, corrections, protests, and payments/refunds. Key Components of the Established Refund System include:

1. Post-Summary Correction (PSC)
   For unliquidated (or recently liquidated) entries, importers can file a PSC electronically via ACE to correct entry data and request refunds for overpaid duties. This is a standard, automated process used for adjustments like misclassifications, missed exclusions, or changes in duty rates.

2. Protests (CBP Form 19)
   For liquidated entries, importers file a formal protest within 180 days of liquidation. CBP reviews and, if approved, issues refunds (often with interest). This is common for disputes over duty assessments, including when tariffs are later deemed invalid or inapplicable.

3. Duty Drawback Program
   This refunds up to 99% of duties (including Section 301 duties, as confirmed by CBP) when imported goods are later exported or destroyed. Claims are filed electronically in ACE under modern rules (19 CFR 190, updated via TFTEA legislation). While not directly for “illegal” tariffs, it shows CBP’s capability for large-scale duty refunds with matching import/export records.

4. ACH Electronic Refunds (Automated Clearing House)
   Since early 2026, CBP mandates electronic refunds via ACH for overpayments, drawback, protests, and other scenarios (per interim final rule effective February 6, 2026). Importers enroll through the ACE portal with banking details, enabling direct deposits. This replaced most paper checks for efficiency and security. Refunds for excess deposits must generally occur within 30 days of liquidation/reliquidation (19 U.S.C. § 1505), with interest accruing on delays.

These processes are not hypothetical — CBP routinely processes refunds for overpayments, tariff exclusions (e.g., Section 301), tariff stacking corrections, and drawback claims involving billions annually. Experts like trade atty David Cohen ( seen in the context of Lincicome’s post) emphasize that while the volume here is massive, the technical framework exists and operates “routinely.”
BUT TRUMP IS DELAYING
The challenge with the Supreme Court’s February 2026 invalidation of Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs isn’t technical infeasibility — it’s administrative and political will. Recent court developments (e.g., a March 2026 Court of International Trade order directing CBP to liquidate/reliquidate entries without the tariffs, and to issue refunds with interest) push toward broader, potentially more automated relief. However, the administration has indicated delays for reviews (e.g., checking other compliance issues), leading to criticism that it’s slow-walking despite legal obligations and accruing interest costs to taxpayers (estimates of $20–$23 million per day).

Noem spoke after being fired but still being kept on the taxpayer teat. LINK She had the gall to mention the US Constitution… Lovely.
- COURT STATUS - NUMEROUS JUDGES ARE TELLING THE TRUMPERS TO SHAPE UP RE DUE PROCESS… They could go further, noting the lack of any Constitutional power for the feds to be kidnapping migrants, and they could go deeper than that by recognizing the basic right to free movement and free association.
- As Politico’s Kyle Cheney notes “NEW: Federal judges have spent months ordering ICE to give detainees a chance for release in bond hearings. Now, they’re worried that the bond hearings themselves — conducted by Executive Branch immigration judges — are a farce.” LINK
-And he also reports: “Judge Neumann in Maine ordered the release of a man who was arrested by immigration authorities after placing an emergency call to help someone attempting suicide.” LINK
-And…! ‘A judge ordered the release of a man with lawful permanent resident status — who twice won bond before an immigration court — but has remained detained for 200 days because of the Trump administration’s use of a (previously) little used “automatic stay.”‘ LINK
-And this: “ICE detains Cuban with pending green card application for over 7 months” LINK

AND - OUR FICTION FRIDAY GUEST - AUTHOR TOM MONTELEONE!! Check out this article about his exposure of the wokeism of the Horror Writers Association! LINK

That’s it for now, all! That’s it for now, all! Spread the word about what we offer! Many thanks for supporting freedom, and for sharing the links! And remember, you can back us here by becoming a paid subscriber if you would like, and feel free to watch Liberty Conspiracy LIVE on Gardner’s X @gardgoldsmith and on Rumble! Spread the word! Thanks, again! Please feel free to SHARE the links, and join us every M-F at 6 PM on Rumble, and my X @gardgoldsmith — and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out! You also can mail GG at:

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