President-elect Donald Trump threatened on Monday to impose tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico as well as China that will remain in place until they stem the flow of drugs and illegal immigration coming into the United States In a post to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump indicated that he would begin his second term with a flurry of executive orders that would include tariffs on U.S. neighbors. “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” he said. Trump added: “This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” With a second post, Trump took aim at China, promising a separate tariff that he said would remain in place until Beijing cracks down on drugs flowing to the U.S. He once again singled out fentanyl. “I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail,” Trump said. “Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before.” He continued: “Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Speculation about Trump reigniting trade wars had already sparked discussion about potential economic impacts. With his tariffs announcement on Monday, discussion got underway about the finer details of what the plan might entail. As noted on X by Heather Long, an economic columnist for The Washington Post, there are “a range of tariffs currently on China,” and therefore it seemed that Trump’s “goal” would be “35%+.” On X, there was a flurry of reactions to Trump’s tariffs ultimatum. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, for instance, said on X that using tariffs as a political and  foreign policy “weapon” aligns with Trump’s “America First” agenda. Tech executive Elon Musk, who has been tapped to help lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responded plan by quipping that the price of fentanyl will “rise sharply.”

Adele performed her last show two years after beginning her residency in Las Vegas. It proved to be an emotional night for the Rolling In The Deep Singer, who performed at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace for the final time on November 23. Her son, Angelo, and fiancé, Rich Paul, attended that night, and Adele was sure to show them both how much she appreciated their love and support. A fan caught a video of Adele walking through the crowd while singing When We Were Young. She stopped when she reached Angelo and Rich and gave them both a warm embrace before sharing a tearful moment with the audience. Angelo and Rich Paul give a kiss and hug to Adele during When We Were Young @adelllylove pic.twitter.com/DFUyK7ZGHq— Adelettes (@Adelettes2) November 24, 2024 A Fan Captured Sweet Video of Adele Addressing Her Son While on stage, Adele gushed over her son and fiance’. The singer said that Angelo made the decision to play a residency easy. “To my son,” she said through tears, “I chose to do a residency mainly because I f—ing hate touring. But I chose to do a residency so I could keep his life normal, and I did do that.” She then thanked him “for being patient for me” and shared, “I love you to bits.” Adele thanks son for being so patient with her and Rich Paul for always motivating her pic.twitter.com/zwhVGxpqgb— Melinda (@adelllylove) November 24, 2024 Adele also thanked Rich for encouraging her and always making her feel “like I could do whatever I wanted to do.” She then thanked fans for making her show a destination. Adele’s fans commented on their love in the X video. One wrote, “Such a beautiful soul she is. Wishing her all the happiness and rest she deserves.” This person agreed, “What a queen!!!” Variety reported that in addition to taking her son and Rich, Adele also paid homage to Celine Dion, the original residency queen. “I am emotional but also, just so you know, I got closure when Celine Dion came to my show a few weeks ago,” Adele said. “I cried for a whole week … It was just such a full-circle moment for me because that’s the only reason I ever wanted to be in here.” This story’s featured image is by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for AD. The post Adele Shares A Heartfelt Moment With Her Son & Fiancé During The Final Show Of Her Residency appeared first on InspireMore.

'I put together probably one of the best legal teams ever assembled'

This is absolutely insane

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will convene on Dec. 12

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, met over the weekend with President-elect Donald Trump and his choices to slash billions if not trillions of dollars in federal spending—entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The Musk- and Ramaswamy-led Department of Government Efficiency is expected to work closely with the new Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget to implement recommendations on fiscal policy.  The excellent work of Senator Ernst & like-minded legislators has been very helpful https://t.co/xsIHuCKd4U— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2024 Ernst, who visited Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, leads the Senate’s new DOGE Caucus. The Iowa Republican has been a fiscal watchdog since her election in 2014. She publishes the annual “Squeal Awards,” similar to the late Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., whose annual “Wastebook” highlighted examples of waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.  “From billion-dollar boondoggles to welfare for politicians and trillion-dollar slush funds, my decadelong investigations have exposed levels of abuse that are almost too insane to believe. The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block,” Ernst said in a public statement.  “As President Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy prepare to take action, the Senate DOGE Caucus is ready to carry out critical oversight in Congress and use our legislative force to fight against the entrenched bureaucracy, trim the fat, and get Washington back to work for Americans,” she added.  The U.S. Government recently approved the following grants:-$45 million for a diversity and inclusion scholarship in Burma-$3 million for “girl-centered climate action” in Brazil-$288,563 for diverse bird watcher groupsSource: https://t.co/DcDRoptLL7— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) November 23, 2024 Congressional support is evident. In addition to Ernst’s Senate caucus, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has established a subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency to be chaired by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. However, Musk and Ramaswamy argue that much of the cutting can be done through executive action.   “The two of us will advise DOGE at every step to pursue three major kinds of reform: regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions and cost savings,” Musk, owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and the social media platform X, and Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, assert in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Nov. 20. “We will focus particularly on driving change through executive action based on existing legislation rather than by passing new laws.” The group Citizens Against Government Waste—known for publishing an annual “Congressional Pig Book” about pork barrel spending—grew out of the so-called Grace Commission on cutting government.  Nearly all of the recommendations in the 1980s from the Grace Commission were implemented by executive action if they could be, saving $100 billion, said Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste. Among its suggestions were the establishment of a commission on closing military bases and the sale of certain airports.  “President [Ronald] Reagan spent a lot of time talking about the Grace proposal,” Schatz told The Daily Signal. “He took it seriously and made proposals in his budget.” There was also a Grace Commission Caucus in Congress, Schatz noted. The Grace Commission operated for a year and a half (from June 1982 to January 1984), the same time frame contemplated for DOGE. The Musk-Ramaswamy effort is set to complete its work July 4, 2026.  Still, Schatz noted, rolling back government regulations will have to occur under a law called the Administrative Procedures Act.  “On the regulatory side, executive action can undo the focus on climate and DEI,” Schatz said, referring to liberals’ focus on climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion. “That won’t necessarily save money, but it would make the agencies more mission-focused.” The DOGE cost-cutting effort has the potential for lasting change in tackling the entrenched Washington bureacracy, said author and historian Larry Schweikart, a former professor at the University of Dayton who wrote the book “Dragonslayers: Six Presidents and Their War With the Swamp.” “This can be extremely powerful. Now, it is not a Cabinet-level outfit and some changes would have to be by law,” Schweikart told The Daily Signal in an email Monday. “However, there are a number of tricks or devices they can use.” These could include buying out the top person in a bureau, then permanently ending the vacant position, he said.  “Move as many jobs to contractor ‘Schedule F’ as possible. Again, [it] may be fought at some levels,” Schweikart wrote in the email. “Remove as many job locations from D.C.; this will cause shrinkage by attrition.” Schedule F refers to a reclassification of career federal employees who are involved directly in determining policy that could make it easier to remove poorly performing or overly politicized federal employees.  “Many people can’t just be fired—they are spoils system/patronage positions,” Schweikart said. “But you can make the working conditions so onerous or boring they quit.” Executive action to cut government spending likely would prompt legal resistance, said David Ditch, senior analyst for budget policy with The Heritage Foundation.  “There will be a legal argument that could go all the way to the Supreme Court,” Ditch told The Daily Signal. “Congress does authorize the executive branch to spend billions every year.” “How much of that does Congress dictate versus how much is discretionary spending is the question,” he said. “If it’s discretionary, it could be a significant amount.” DOGE is likely to be a centerpiece of the incoming Trump administration, said Ditch, a former analyst for the Senate Budget Committee. “They will look at programs and subsidies in a way that is less deferential than politicians who will benefit from it,” he told The Daily Signal. “Elon likes to go big and doesn’t tolerate waste. Vivek wants to make his mark in politics.” “Another aspect is the megaphone effect. With past commissions, most of the people who read the reports were inside the Beltway,” Ditch said. “DOGE is blasted out on X to millions of people, which shapes conversations.” In 2010, President Barack Obama named President Bill Clinton’s former White House chief of staff, Erskine Bowles, and former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., to co-chair the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  Little came of the Simpson-Bowles commission’s suggestions, but this should be different, Ditch said.  “The only time in the last 20 years the government swamp paid attention to the national debt was after the tea party election in 2010, which forced them to care,” he said. “The swamp benefits from this and will only pay attention to the fiscal problems when there is political pressure.” The post How DOGE Could Be Different Than Past Panels to Cut Government Spending  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the reason the government doesn’t give money to entities that discriminate against pro-life health care providers. In 2005, then-Rep. David Weldon, R-Fla., first proposed the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits Department of Health and Human Services funds from going to entities that discriminate against providers that don’t pay for, provide, cover, or refer for abortions. The amendment has been readopted in every HHS appropriations bill since then. “The Weldon Amendment protects pro-life pregnancy centers, churches, and pro-life organizations by prohibiting discrimination from government officials because they do not refer for abortion or provide coverage for it in their health insurance plans,” Kevin Theriot, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Daily Signal. “Government officials should never target groups and individuals simply because of their pro-life beliefs.” Weldon, a medical doctor and Army veteran, represented Florida in the House from 1995–2009. He ran in 2023 for a seat in the Florida House, but lost the Republican primary to Debbie Mayfield. The text of the Weldon Amendment says: “None of the funds made available in this act may be made available to a federal agency or program, or to a state or local government, if such agency, program, or government subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.” The amendment defines the term “health care entity” to include “an individual physician or other health care professional, a hospital, a provider-sponsored organization, a health maintenance organization, a health insurance plan, or any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan.” Trump’s nominated Weldon on Friday night to lead the CDC. “As a father of two and a husband of 45 years, Dave understands American Family Values, and views Health as one of utmost importance,” Trump said in an emailed statement. “Dave will prioritize Transparency, Competence, and High Standards at CDC. Dave will proudly restore the CDC to its true purpose, and will work to end the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and Make America Healthy Again!” Weldon had a 100% pro-life voting record during his time as a Republican congressman. After the House passed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2000, which he voted for, Weldon said abortion is not a religious issue but a human one. “The distance between life and death for these babies is a mere three inches,” he said. “Since Roe v. Wade, we have seen 35 million abortions in this nation. The value of human life has been debased in our civilization to the point where animals have protective rights where humans do not. We are knee-deep in a culture of death.” Trump’s nomination of Weldon garnered praise from leaders of the pro-life movement, especially after some pro-lifers raised concerns about pro-abortion nominees such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump tapped to direct the Department of Health and Human Services. Steven Ertelt, founder and CEO of LifeNews, said Trump “could not have made a more solid pro-life selection” than Weldon. Jay Richards, director of The Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family, said Weldon “has long been a champion for the lives of the ‘least among us.'” “David Weldon is a proven leader for life, and we look forward to working with him,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told The Daily Signal. The post Trump’s Pick for CDC Director Sponsored Amendment Protecting Consciences of Pro-Life Doctors appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Are You Ready For ... Kamala 2028?

A woman was allegedly set on fire by a family friend and died from her injuries, according to Virginia police. The Wythe County Sheriff's Department said officers were called on Sunday evening over a report of a woman who had been set on fire at a residence on Ramsey Mountain Road in the Max Meadows area. 'The property owner said he immediately called police and tried to put out the fire.' When police arrived, they found a victim with severe burns to most of her body. They identified the victim as Tiffany Nichole Dunford. She was air-lifted to a specialized medical facility for treatment, but she later died from her injuries. Police said that witnesses and Dunford herself identified a suspect as Savannah Renee Adams. Adams reportedly fled from the scene in a silver 2004 Dodge Neon and she was later apprehended with the help of the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office and the Pulaski Police Department. She was charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the New River Valley Regional Jail. Adams had also been due in court on assault and trespassing charges for a case from October. Witnesses and family members of the victim told WDBJ-TV that Dunford was sitting on her couch when she was attacked. The owner of the property told WDBJ that Adams allegedly drove up to the home, walked up to Dunford, then lit her on fire after dousing her in gasoline. The property owner said he immediately called police and tried to put out the fire. He also said that Dunford and Adams were not strangers and knew of each other before the incident. The suspect's alleged motive is not yet clear to investigators. Scenes from the property can be viewed on the news report from WDBJ on YouTube. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Certain car brands are making their political leanings known. Jaguar, for example, recently released an ad in which the brand proved that it’s more committed to DEI and LGBTQ+ causes than it is to selling its own products. Pat Gray plays the commercial, which features a group of diverse individuals clad in neon, avant-guard clothing doing ... well, nothing — at least nothing related to automobiles. The phrases “create exuberant,” “live vivid,” “delete ordinary,” “break moulds,” and “copy nothing” are overlaid footage of the strange, almost alien-like actors doing non-car-related activities, such as spinning in a circle while holding a paintbrush, or wielding a sledgehammer. Perhaps strangest of all is the fact that not a single car or automobile-related item is present in the commercial, making it clear what the company is selling: woke ideology, not cars. Not only is the company’s advertising insufferably woke, it’s also insufferably stupid, as “U.S. sales are down 80% since 2017.” Given the trajectory of companies that have gone the woke route, it’s likely these sales will plummet even more. “They only moved 8,000 vehicles last year compared to 350,000 by BMW and Mercedes. And instead of continuing to compete, they're trying to relaunch themselves,” says Jeffy. “Well, this is a bad relaunch,” says Pat, stating the obvious. Thankfully, however, Volvo has also released a new commercial, and it is “the exact opposite of the Jaguar ad.” In this commercial, a couple finds out they’re going to have a baby. The father narrates the story, imagining what it’s going to be like having a daughter. He foresees the challenges, joys, and the fears that come with being a parent. He anticipates who his daughter will be — stubborn like her mom, a rule-bender like her dad. In the final scene, his pregnant wife walks across the street as another car comes barreling down the road toward her, but because the car is a Volvo and has built-in safety features, an accident is avoided, and both the mother and her baby live. The final scene features the whole family gathered together in the hospital following the baby’s birth. It’s a tear-jerker of a commercial because it captures the beauty of life and family. It’s also an effective commercial because it’s able to connect these ideas with buying a Volvo EX90. To see the commercials and hear Pat and the “Unleashed” team’s commentary, watch the clip above. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.