US to Require Some Canadian Visitors to Register With DHS Agency

Posted on by Lone Candle

“The draft rule, which is set to take effect April 11, expands requirements for registration and fingerprinting of foreign nationals who cross the US-Canada land border and stay in the US longer for more than a month. Affected people would have to create an account with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and schedule an appointment for fingerprinting as part of a background check.

The change could impact scores of Canadian snowbirds — retirees who spend winter months in warmer US states — who may now need to either register with the US government or face penalties.

Other forms, including a common I-94 travel document, are accepted in lieu of the registration, according to the notice. That document is routinely issued to non-immigrant visitors to the US who arrive by air or sea.

The move comes as Trump looks to crack down on migration and as he stokes a spiraling trade war with Canada. He’s threatened widespread tariffs on Canada, and on Tuesday moved to double forthcoming steel and aluminum levies on the country. Canada is the top source of US aluminum imports.

It’s unclear if the post to the Federal Register was meant as an additional provocation in that dispute. The Department of Homeland Security announced last month their plans to “fully enforce” the Immigration and Nationality Act as part of a push to “track illegal aliens and compel them to leave the country voluntarily.””

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-require-registration-canadian-visitors-165129738.html

‘If You Compromise With Totalitarian Systems, You Will Pay a High Price’

Posted on by Lone Candle

“instead of trying to decouple unilaterally from China, let’s do it in an organized manner together. Let’s sit together at the negotiation table, because if 300 million Americans impose tariffs, that’s one thing. But if 300 million Americans plus 500 million Europeans and some of the largest economies in the world and other democracies from Japan to Australia are warm-heartedly invited to join, then I think we will have a much better outcome that is very much to the benefit of every non-authoritarian economy, but most importantly, for the U.S.
I would strongly suggest that “America First” will only work if it’s not America alone. And there are some issues where America will need partners in order to have the ultimate leverage, and I think that leverage would be increased by joining forces.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/01/18/mathias-dopfner-trump-europe-trade-00199102

Education Department announces mass layoffs as executive order looms

Posted on by Lone Candle

“The Education Department will begin cutting more than 1,300 people from its workforce and terminating some of its office leases across the country this week, as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to cull the size of the U.S. government’s smallest Cabinet agency.
An agency official told reporters Tuesday that the job cuts being finalized over the coming weeks are expected to affect roughly half of the agency’s workforce.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/11/education-department-close-security-00224406

GOP gets the upper hand on spending, with improbable help from the hard right

Posted on by Lone Candle

“It took an all-out lobbying blitz that involved promises of future spending cuts, a scattering of presidential threats and 11th-hour policy concessions involving tariffs and visas for Afghan refugees. But in a 217-213 vote, the House passed a seven-month funding patch without needing a single Democrat. Republicans planned to immediately leave Washington and hand Senate Democrats a stark dilemma with the threat of a government shutdown looming early Saturday morning.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/11/republicans-unite-spending-bill-trump-00225356

Trump’s Ukraine ceasefire plan: What we know so far

Posted on by Lone Candle

“After more than three years of war, Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. proposal for an immediate ceasefire. The 30-day truce will come into effect if Russia signs up to the same terms, according to a joint statement from the Ukrainian and American governments.”

…

“Trump’s team say they will now take the plan for a 30-day ceasefire to Moscow. “The ball is now in their court,” said Rubio. Russia has been delighted by Trump’s attitude so far, and the ceasefire does not impose any pre-conditions on the Kremlin, as far as is known, other than a pause in the fighting.

Under the outline ceasefire plan, the pause in the fighting would allow humanitarian steps, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of detained civilians “and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children,” the joint statement said.”

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“After taking the radical step of cutting off the supply of military kit and intelligence to Kyiv, the U.S. has now agreed to resume sharing its secret information. It will also restart “security assistance.””

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“The terms of the proposal are for a temporary truce that can be extended if both sides agree. Once fighting is paused, negotiations will begin immediately on the terms of a permanent peace. Both the U.S. and Ukraine have promised to name their negotiating teams as soon as possible.”

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“Ahead of the talks, Rubio warned Kyiv that it would need to make concessions, including on territory. But during the eight hours of discussions in Jeddah on Tuesday, the topic of ceding territory did not even come up, according to a Ukrainian official. The point is certain to be brought up, however, if substantive negotiations begin on a permanent settlement.”

…

“The U.S. president has made clear that he is not inclined to guarantee “very much” by way of Ukraine’s future security, seeing this as a job for Europe, not America. Nothing in Tuesday’s joint statement suggests that has changed.”

https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-ceasefire-plan-ukraine-jeddah-saudi-arabia-russia-fighting/

EU wields ‘sledgehammer’ against Trump tariffs

Posted on by Lone Candle

“The European Union hit back hard as U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 percent global steel and aluminum tariffs on Wednesday, announcing a two-stage retaliation covering €26 billion in EU exports that far exceeded a trade fight that blew up in his first term.

The European Commission said it would, from April 1, reimpose tariffs in response to €8 billion in U.S. tariffs — including on iconic American products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon and jeans. And, from mid-April, it will set further countermeasures over €18 billion in new U.S. tariffs, subject to the approval of EU member states.

“We deeply regret this measure,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an early-morning statement.”

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“The 27-nation bloc — a common market spanning 450 million people — wants to send an unmistakable message that the EU is serious about defending its economic interests should Trump launch a full-scale trade war.”

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“The Commission left the door open to a deal with Trump, saying it “remains ready to work with the U.S. administration to find a negotiated solution” and adding that its measures “can be reversed at any time should such a solution be found.””

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-tariffs-donald-trump-diplomat-eu-war-defending-nation-bloc/