Wednesday, April 30

Author: Patti Mohr

Patti Mohr is a U.S.-based journalist. She writes about global diplomacy, economics, and infringements on individual freedom. Patti is the founder of the Global Economic Report. Her goal is to elevate journalistic principles and share the pursuit of truth in concert with others.
Trump Seeks Payback from U.S. Bombing Campaign, Demanding Free Passage Through Suez Canal
Geopolitics, Global Trade, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis

Trump Seeks Payback from U.S. Bombing Campaign, Demanding Free Passage Through Suez Canal

Trump wants Egypt to give U.S. ships free passage through the Suez Canal April 29, 2025—In just three weeks alone this Spring, the United States spent nearly a billion dollars bombing Yemen. That doesn’t include the cost of the $70 million jet fighter that fell off the USS Harry S. Truman on Monday. Now, President Trump is looking for payback. In the Middle East, he’s demanding free passage for U.S. ships on Egypt’s Suez Canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. He wants the same free ride through the Panama Canal in the Americas. "Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, adding that he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make it happen immediately. Typical fees for U.S. ships transporting t...
ICJ to Issue Order in UAE Complicity in Genocide Case
Arms Sales, Military Industry, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Brief

ICJ to Issue Order in UAE Complicity in Genocide Case

Sudan Accuses UAE of Arming RSF Militia April 29, 2025—War crimes in Sudan are getting some much-needed attention as the World Court hears a case about the genocide in Sudan. The Sudanese government accuses the United Arab Emirates of arming the Rapid Support Forces militia. In less than a week, on May 5, the International Court of Justice will announce the Court’s Order in a public hearing. Sudan wants the ICJ to order the UAE to end shipments of weapons to the RSF and make full reparations to the Sudanese. The RSF militias are accused of committing massive human rights violations, including “mass killings, rape and the forced displacement of the non-Arab Masalit people in West Darfur.” Humanitarian Crisis The crisis has displaced more than 12.4 million people, includin...
Canada’s PM Promises to Never Forget the Lessons of the ‘American Betrayal’
Domestic Politics, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief

Canada’s PM Promises to Never Forget the Lessons of the ‘American Betrayal’

Mark Carney Vows To Build New Economic And Security Relationships April 29, 2025—Canada elected Mark Carney to lead the country amid an atmosphere of tense relations with the United States under the presidency of Donald Trump. Carney is an economist and former central banker with extensive experience in managing financial turbulence. He led the Bank of England during Britain’s Brexit from the European Union and saw the Bank of Canada through the 2008-9 financial crisis. In March, he won the election to lead the Liberal Party with 85.9 percent of the party’s vote. He was sworn in as prime minister shortly thereafter, replacing Justin Trudeau. America Won’t ‘Break Us’ America played a central role in this year’s Canadian elections. In his second term, Trump has taken an ag...
Trade Wars: Lawsuit Against Trump Tariffs Gathers Support
Global Trade, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trade Wars: Lawsuit Against Trump Tariffs Gathers Support

The Case Challenges Executive Authority to Effectively ‘Tax’ Consumers The U.S. Court of International Trade may not be the most high-profile court in the United States, but it is getting more attention and cases this year under the Trump Administration’s tariff regime. In one case, filed this month on behalf of five business relying on imports, the Liberty Justice Center is arguing that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority by imposing duties on imports. Now, a broad coalition of former senators, judges, lawyers, and attorneys general agrees and is joining the lawsuit. Tariff Update: Since he announced a wave of tariffs against U.S. trading partners, Trump has postponed most hikes while raising the U.S. tariff on goods from China to 145 percent. M...
DOGE Whistleblower Cites Breach of Sensitive U.S. Business Data
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief, United States

DOGE Whistleblower Cites Breach of Sensitive U.S. Business Data

NLRB Breach Impacts Labor Cases, Proprietary Information April 16, 2025—A U.S. federal worker came forward this week as a whistleblower against the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, the broad-reaching initiative President Trump created with an executive order on his first day of office. The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, is an IT worker at the National Labor Relations Board. NLRB is a small, independent government agency tasked with ensuring that private-sector workers have rights such as collective bargaining in their workplaces. Berulis asserts that DOGE employees not only overrode standard security procedures to protect sensitive data, but they also made the system vulnerable to disclosure to a foreign adversary. A federal IT worker Daniel Berulis has informed Congr...
Trump’s Costly—And Possibly Criminal—Targeting Against Yemen
Geopolitics, Global Trade, International Law, Legal Battles, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis

Trump’s Costly—And Possibly Criminal—Targeting Against Yemen

Trump May Have Just Committed A War Crime April 5, 2025—Donald Trump, president of the United States, may have just committed a war crime. Late Friday night, he tweeted a video of a drone bomb attack against men gathering in a large circle in a desert. He wrote, “These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis!” It’s not clear from the satellite footage what was happening on the ground, but logic suggests that it was more likely a tribal celebration than a war-planning meeting. The Eid Festival Eid al-Fitr is the first of the two main Muslim festivals that takes place in the Spring at the conclusion of Ramadan. Celebrations differ by country. Eid lasts anywhere from two to five days, commencing with the sighting of the new...
The Geneva Conventions Are Failing All of Us
International Law, Legal Battles, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis

The Geneva Conventions Are Failing All of Us

Israel's Lawless Assaults On Civilians, Health Care Workers Endangers The World April 4, 2025--On March 23, the Israeli military executed 15 paramedics and ambulance workers who were supposed to be protected from warfare under international law. After the Israeli military killed them, it denied access to the site for days. When Red Crescent workers the finally gained access reached the area, they found a mass grave of the 15 bodies along with the mangled remains of their ambulances and fire engine. Some of the bodies were found with their hands and feet tied. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vehicles were “uncoordinated vehicles were advancing suspiciously.” A lone survivor said the Israeli military shot directly at the UN Red Crescent vehicles. The ambulances had...
USTR Releases Report on Trade Barriers
Global Trade, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

USTR Releases Report on Trade Barriers

April 1, 2025--On the week the Trump Administration is expected to issue tariffs that could potentially impact most U.S. trading partners, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer released a report detailing barriers to global trade. The 397-page report includes input from several government agencies and public comments from October 2024. Organized by country, it will likely serve as a compass for bilateral negotiations going forward. What's helpful is a description of 14 types of trade barriers discussed. They include: Import policies such as tariffs, import charges, quantitative restrictions, and licensing requirements, customs barriers and shortcomings in trade facilitation, and other market access barriers; Technical barriers to trade, such as restrictive standards, conformity ...
Trump Scales Back Elon Musk’s Overarching Authority
Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trump Scales Back Elon Musk’s Overarching Authority

DOGE Seeks $1 Trillion In Government Cuts File photo from Trump's first Cabinet meeting Feb. 2025 March 7, 2025--In a fiery White House meeting on Thursday that pitted Elon Musk against Cabinet officials, President Trump signaled that the appointed secretaries would have the lead role over their various departments. It's notable because up until now Musk has seemingly upstaged Cabinet officials over decisions on federal employment decisions. Uncertainty over the U.S. government overhaul impacts citizens, employees, and investors. Today, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would wait for greater clarity before deciding what direction to take. Powell added that changes in trade, regulation, fiscal policy, and immigration would impact the economy. Who's In Charge? ...
Private Prison Firms Eye Profit in Trump Mass Detentions
Types of News: Brief, United States

Private Prison Firms Eye Profit in Trump Mass Detentions

February 18, 2025--President Trump, who ran on a campaign of law-and-order and promises to focus on detaining immigrants who came to the country illegally, is already making big changes to the detention system. He reversed a Biden-administration executive order that blocked the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals Service from signing new contracts with private detention companies. Private prison companies are taking notice and making capital investments in the expectation of winning federal contracts for detaining people. "The new year is just underway, and the landscape is already changing in ways that are likely to positively impact our business," said Damon Hininger, chief executive officer of CoreCivic. "As the new administration modifies immigration policy and enacts new legisl...

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