‘Benefits of being a state’: Trump escalates tariff war with Canada
President Donald Trump on Sunday escalated his tariff war with Canada, charging that the close American ally “wants the benefits of being a state.”
The president invoked his threat of Canada becoming a state after the United States on Saturday imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two nations collapsed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to retaliate “dollar for dollar” after walking away from what he characterized as a bad deal.
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Jay-Z sees yet another Black boycott as a chance for him to make money
From the start, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has been consistent that his primary concern in life is making even more money. “I’d rather die enormous than live dormant,” he raps on “Can I Live?” That’s one of the songs on his 1996 debut masterpiece, “Reasonable Doubt,” which is mostly about him making the transition from drug dealer to musical artist. And “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” the first song on that album, is his declaration that no one can criticize him for how he accumulates wealth..more
Donald Trump is dependent on AI for more than just memes
President Donald Trump’s social media feeds are a pig trough of artificial intelligence slop, packed with low-effort images churned out by content farmers wielding generative AI.
On any given day, he posts or reposts AI-generated versions of himself endowed withthe sculpted biceps of the Rock, the steely gaze of an assassin or the swagger of a madman with his finger on the nuclear button (and everyone remembers the time he played Jesus). It’s as if AI arrived just in time to serve as ringmaster for the political circus Americans voted for in 2024.more
On any given day, he posts or reposts AI-generated versions of himself endowed withthe sculpted biceps of the Rock, the steely gaze of an assassin or the swagger of a madman with his finger on the nuclear button (and everyone remembers the time he played Jesus). It’s as if AI arrived just in time to serve as ringmaster for the political circus Americans voted for in 2024.more
As inflation gets worse, Trump has nothing to offer but ignorance and incoherence
Americans have confronted plenty of data over the past week on inflation, and all of it is deeply discouraging. Earlier this week, we learned the consumer price index reached its highest level in almost three years, as the inflation rate climbed above wage growth. That came on the heels of nearly identical news on the core personal consumption expenditures price index. Soon after, wholesale prices also posted their highest annual increase in more than three years.more