Beltway Insider: Trump/Tariffs, Gun Control, Cops Shot, Plastics Ban, Customs Glitch, Kabul Blast, Peter Fonda

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President Donald Trump announced he is delaying the implementation of tariff's on specific consumer goods imported from China until December 15, 2019, to allow retailers and consumers equal footing over the upcoming Christmas shopping season.

According to Gallup, President Trump's job approval rating, which was tracked for the two week time period ending August 5, 2019, decreased two percentage points to 42% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased two percentage points to 53%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated bi-monthly.

Trump Delays Tariffs, 2020 Recession

President Trump, hoping to create a more even playing field in the global arena for the American consumer dollar, has imposed a 10% tariff, or levy, on Chinese imports into the United States, already generating $60 billion in import taxes.


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The recent delay in implementing the tax in certain consumer goods is more than a show of concern for the American consumer and retailer as the Trump administration would have the public believe. A hotly contested and expected nasty 2020 election season is fast approaching and the President who is seeking a second term does not want the voting public to remember him as Scrooge McTrump, the man who made purchasing any number of products at Christmas impossible or being the catalyst that sent retailers into financial ruin.

"No, we're doing this for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on U.S. customers, which, so far, they've had virtually none.  The only impact has been that we've collected almost $60 billion from China — compliments of China.  But just in case they might have an impact on people, what we've done is we've delayed it so that they won't be relevant for the Christmas shopping season," Trump said.

Tariffs on some consumer products are expected to begin September 1, 2019, with the first wave effecting sports equipment and apparel, watches, electronics. The Chinese government, who imports staggering amounts of products into the United States every year, has accused the US of started a trade war.

"This is only the beginning: More tariffs are coming. The US is expected to impose border taxes on an additional $16 billion worth of Chinese goods in two weeks. And Trump said on Thursday that, depending on how China responds to his tariffs, he's considering hitting another$500 billion worth of Chinese goods. Both the US's and China's initial round of tariffs against each other are designed to sting deeply. The US is targeting high-tech Chinese goods to put economic pressure on Beijing's "Made in China 2025" program — a Chinese government initiative to transform China into an advanced manufacturing powerhouse," Vox.com reported.

The Chinese government uses a variety of legal and shady business tactics to secure a global domination on its electronics market by forcing nations to trade their electronic manufacturing contracts in exchange for access to China's consumer market, which reaches nearly 1.5billion people.

Alibaba, the Chinese multinational conglomerate specializing in e-commerce, did a record $31B in sales on Singles Day, the celebrated November holiday which is directed toward the Asian population.

The Gun Control Debate Continues

With the last of the El Paso funerals over and Dayton fading into its place on the list of Mass Shootings, the fervor accompanying the gun control debate, as per usual, is expected to die down.


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"I am convinced that Mitch wants to do something.  I've spoken to Mitch McConnell.  He's a good man.  He wants to do something.  He wants to do background checks, and I do too, and I think a lot of Republicans do.   But I believe that Mitch, and from my standpoint, I would like to see meaningful background checks.  Look, it's very simple: There is nobody more pro-Second Amendment than Donald Trump, but I don't want guns in the hands of a lunatic or a maniac.  And I think if we do proper background checks, we can prevent that," Trump said.

The issue of Gun Control has become a hot button issue and will continue to be as the election approaches.

Citizens, politicians and even law enforcement believe that at some point over the next fourteen months, one and most likely several mass shootings will occur, as some lunatic takes aim at a group of people at church, or shopping, or at a concert, or in a bar, or at school, or at a festival, a fair, anywhere people are gathered.

And at the end of the day when the white crosses marked with the victims' names, the last the public will see of these citizens, are lined up in memorial, politicians will once again be talking about Gun Control.

Epstein Theory Continues

Trump, on the campaign trail continued his attack on former President Bill Clinton, indicating during a press conference, the inference that The Clinton's may have been responsible for convicted sex offender and pedophile rapist Jeffrey Epstein's suicide.

"I have no idea.  I know he was on his plane 27 times and he said he was on the plane 4 times.  But when they checked the plane logs, Bill Clinton was on the plane about 27 or 28 times.  So why did he say, "four times"? And then the question is: Did Bill Clinton go to the island?  Because Epstein had an island that was not a good place, as I understand it.  If you find that out, you're going to know a lot," The president stated when asked directly, as he took questions from reporters before boarding Air Force One, if he thought The Clinton's were responsible for the disgraced financier's death.

The New York Coroner's office has since ruled the Epstein died of suicide by hanging. There is an active investigation into the lapse in procedures which contributed to Epstein's Suicide, which is found negligent, officers and others will be held accountable.

Federal prosecutors have focused their attention on associates, who may have assisted Epstein in creating a network which groomed and targeted underage girls for sexual exploitation and slavery.

Plastics Ban – Not on My Watch Pres Says

President Trump has reinforced his belief that global warming and planet abuse are figments of an overactive imagination as he spoke on his support of plastics even has the world's nations, and the G7, took up the issue of Plastics during the June 2018 G7 Summit.


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"Well, we have tremendous plastics coming over from Asia, from China, and various others.  It's not our plastic.  It's plastics that's floating over in the ocean and the various oceans from other places. No, plastics are fine, but you have to know what to do with them.  But other countries are not taking care of their plastic use and they haven't for a long time.  And the plastic that we're getting is floating across the ocean from other places, including China."

"In the Group of Seven's (G7) closing communique out of Charlevoix, Canada, on Saturday, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom pledged to combat ocean pollution through a G7 Ocean Plastics Charter. The United States and Japan declined to put their names on the resolution. The charter outlines a "resource-efficient lifecycle management approach to plastics in the economy," which includes working toward making all plastics recyclable by 2030, reducing single-use plastics and promoting the use of recycled plastic. It also pledges to build out recycling infrastructure, and innovate around more sustainable technologies," a press statement read from the final communique of the June 2018 G7 Summit.

Customs Glitch

Widespread computer outages controlling the United States Customs and Border Control clearance system at major airports across the US went down yesterday resulting massive delays. With social media erupting the pictures show dangerous overcrowding as passengers were without options.

"Just to let you know Customs is experiencing a system shutdown nationwide," JFK Airport's official account tweeted. "They are processing passengers manually until the system comes back online. Thanks for your patience," reported the Business Insider.

While terrorism is not suspected, the issue highlights the need for back up's and a secondary separate system, which all systems, to ensure the continuation of government, would be housed in the event of any cyber interference or terrorist attack.

Deadly Week For US Law Enforcement Cops Shot

It was a tough week for law enforcement agencies across American this week as multiple shooters engaged in standoffs, beginning with a California Highway Shooting near Riverside, that ended with one deputy and the suspect dead. The rush hour exchange had officers pinned down. The suspect shot and killed Deputy name the name.

Two days later in Philadelphia, a suspect shot six officers in an intense stand off that lasted eight hours. All were expected to survive. Police released audio recordings of onsite officers, the heightened concern obvious, as he explained shouted, "We need SWAT ASAP, Long guns ASAP." News footage shows an officer crawling out of the porch area and hundreds of responding officers. The suspect used an automatic weapon and had enough ammunition to hold officers off for eight hours.


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In Missouri, two police officers were fired upon, one saved by his bullet proof vest, the other pinned down for some time. The suspect, officers said, had several weapons at his disposal and plenty of ammunition.

A grim reminder that law enforcement, while not always held in the highest regard, put their life on the line each time the put on the uniform.

Kabul Blast Kills 63, Injures 180

The Islamic State has taken responsibility for a deadly suicide bomb blast detonated inside a wedding hall, turning the celebration in a scene of carnage and destruction killing 63 and wounding hundreds, others in the most brazen attack since declared defeated.

"In a TV interview, Mirwais Elmi said his bride survived but his brother and other relatives were among the 63 people killed in Saturday's attack.The Islamic State group has admitted carrying out the bombing, which also wounded more than 180," reported the BBC.

The Islamic State, ISIS, has regrouped. Even as global leaders pronounced its demise, the terrorist network went underground to rebuild, regroup, and recruit new members brainwashing and radicalizing them through social media.

"Terror groups take to social media because it's cheap, accessible, and facilitates quick to a lot of people. Social media allow them to engage with their networks. Al- Qaeda has been noted as being as being one of the terror groups that uses social media the most extensively. "While almost all terrorist groups have websites, Al Qaeda is the first to fully exploit the internet. This reflects al Qaeda's unique characteristics," from Wikipedia "Terrorism and Social Media."

Peter Fonda Dies

The Original Easy Rider, Peter Fonda, a member of the Hollywood royalty, son of screen legend Henry Fonda, and brother of actress Jane, and father to Bridget and Justin, passed away this week due to complications from lung cancer. He was 79.

Fonda, who followed in his family's footsteps, hit the big screen with the counter-culture film Easy Rider starring opposite Dennis Hopper and another unknown, Jack Nicholson. This film has since become a symbol of America's transition in the 1960s meeting generational hatred resistance.

A passion project he wrote the screenplay, of which he received an Oscar nomination, and Hopper directed. The film, which reached a wide audience at its original release has played art houses, film festivals and internationally for the last fifty years. Its perennial themes remain constant throughout the generations toughing youth worldwide.

With a career that spanned six decades, Fonda according to IMDB has 261 screen credits, as well as director, writer, and producer credits. Writing the screenplay and starring in the 1969 classic Easy Rider, Fonda attained cult status for his performance. He also received Academy Award nomination for Best Writing Story and Screenplay. He also received an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 1997 film, Ulee's Gold.

His family has released a statement requesting privacy. No information has been released on upcoming expected plans for his funeral, and memorials.

For more information on President Donald Trump www.whitehouse.gov.

Sources: whitehouse.gov.