The Morning Sixpack—July 11, 2025

It's 7-11 so you know what that means... FEMA delays Texas flood rescue; Trump’s tough immigration tactics under Miller; Israeli strike kills kids in Gaza; DOJ targets trans care privacy

Jul 11, 2025

Trump Slaps Canada with a 35% Tariff

President Trump just declared a 35% tariff on all Canadian imports, ramping up a trade war with America's closest ally and throwing a wrench into trade talks set for later this month.

The tariff bombshell landed via a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, with the new measures kicking in August 1. Trump’s warning was clear: If Canada hikes their tariffs, the U.S. will pile on even more, matching Canada’s increase on top of the 35%. It’s a classic Trump-style threat, designed to pressure Canada hard.

Trump justified this move by pointing to fentanyl smuggling over the northern border—despite Canadian government stats showing less than 0.1% of U.S. fentanyl seizures happen there. The bulk comes from the southern border, where almost 62,000 pounds were seized from 2022 to 2024, versus just 59 pounds on the Canada side. Yet, Trump’s stance remains: Stop the flow or face the tariffs, which he’s willing to tweak depending on diplomatic vibes.

Canada isn’t taking this lying down. In retaliation, they’ve slapped a 25% tariff on tens of billions in U.S. goods. Relations have soured to the point Carney calls Trump’s moves a “betrayal” and is looking to Europe for new trade partnerships. Still, Canada insists it wants to cooperate on combating fentanyl but will fiercely defend its businesses.

All this drama unfolds just as the U.S. and Canada aim to seal a new trade deal by July 21, after Trump paused talks over a Canadian tax on tech giants—a tax Carney quickly pulled back to keep negotiations alive. Trump’s tariff blitz isn’t just about Canada; it’s part of a broader economic push targeting several countries, blending mob negotiation tactics with attempts to boost U.S. industries.

Source: UPI

This feels like another mob extortion tactic that’s likely to backfire—tariffs rarely build bridges, but they do build resentment and uncertainty. Canada’s not just going to roll over, and in the end, American consumers and businesses usually end up paying the price.

The ultimate tell: Canada bands with Mexico and other allies in a collusive effort to strong-arm the strong-armer.

Budget Rules Tied FEMA’s Hands, Delaying Texas Flood Rescue Efforts

FEMA’s response to one of Texas’ deadliest floods was slowed down by new budget approval rules imposed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, costing precious time when every second counted.

Sources inside FEMA say that a strict $100,000 spending approval requirement forced the agency to wait for Noem’s sign-off on contracts, purchases, and grants, dragging out deployment of critical search and rescue teams.

As one official bluntly put it, “During response we need things approved in minutes and hours. Anything longer will result in deaths.”

That kind of delay is unacceptable when disaster strikes.

This slowdown came at a terrible cost: At least 118 people died, with over 170 still missing. Early damage estimates top $22 billion. FEMA’s delays contrast starkly with past disasters like Hurricane Beryl or the Maui wildfires, where rapid deployments were the norm. Internal communications reveal contracts for essential services—housing inspections, call centers, mental health support—were stalled until Noem finally signed off, days after the floods began.

The Department of Homeland Security claims these changes “replace old processes” that “failed Americans,” but it’s clear from inside FEMA that cutting bureaucratic red tape has turned into choking red tape. With FEMA losing key personnel and contracts expiring, the agency’s ability to move fast in disaster response is under serious strain.

Bottom line? When disaster hits, you can’t afford to have the bureaucracy slow-walk rescue efforts. The new approval hurdles at DHS may be well-intended reforms (they aren’t), but they’re a deadly bottleneck in crisis management—and Texas paid a tragic price.

Source: WaPo (gift article)

President Trump and Melania made a brief trip to Central Texas, a region devastated by flash floods that claimed over 120 lives (so far), aiming to show support while facing mounting questions about the administration’s emergency preparedness.

The president waited a few days before visiting Kerrville and the Guadalupe River area, a major center for ongoing search and recovery efforts. Trump called the flooding a “hundred-year catastrophe” and insisted it was an unavoidable act of nature, but critics aren’t buying the excuse given FEMA’s well-documented staffing losses and operational struggles.

(You know what a “hundred-year catastrophe” is? Trump.)

FEMA, under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, has endured significant shakeups, including a new policy requiring her direct approval on any expenses over $100,000. This has raised red flags about potential delays in deploying crucial search-and-rescue teams. Yet at a recent White House cabinet meeting, both Trump and Noem praised the agency’s “streamlined” approach and stronger response under their leadership. Of course they did.

Tragically, the human toll continues to grow: Over 180 people remain missing, with a particularly heartbreaking situation unfolding at Camp Mystic—a girls’ summer camp on the riverbank—where 27 campers and staff have died, and several children are still unaccounted for. “We’re still looking for a lot of little girls and other family members,” Noem said.

Waiting days to visit and touting “streamlined” FEMA feels like tone-deaf PR. When hundreds are missing and families are devastated, you don’t wait to show up—you get ahead of the crisis.

Source: NYT

Stephen Miller: The Man Behind Trump’s Most Aggressive Immigration Crackdown

Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff and immigration hawk, is running the show on one of the administration’s most controversial and hardline agendas—and he’s not afraid to push the envelope.

From orchestrating ICE raids aiming for 3,000 arrests a day to driving policies that challenge birthright citizenship, Miller’s iron grip over immigration enforcement has doubled arrests and helped secure billions in enforcement funding.

Oddly, Trump deportations are far behind Obama’s. Trump can’t beat Obama at anything, even bad shit.

But his relentless, no-compromise approach has sparked confusion inside the administration and outrage outside, with Democrats calling him a “far-right white nationalist” fueling cruelty over common sense.

Despite moments when even Trump pulled back on sweeping enforcement moves—like a brief pause on raids targeting farms and food plants—Miller’s influence has only grown. He now helms the Homeland Security Council and remains one of the few White House insiders with unchecked power to approve executive orders, relentlessly pushing a vision that critics say borders on constitutional recklessness.

In a recent social media post, Miller framed immigration enforcement as a civilizational battle, urging Republicans to pass a spending bill “on which the fate of civilization itself depends.”

Miller’s policies aren’t about nuance; they are a blunt instrument wielded for political theater, testing constitutional boundaries and turning immigration into a weaponized issue.

This 6-minute press briefing always makes me laugh. And cry, all at the same time:

Source: Reuters

Israeli Airstrike Kills 15 Palestinians, Including Children, Outside U.S. Health Clinic in Gaza

At least 15 Palestinians—10 of them children—were killed in an Israeli missile strike as families waited outside a U.S.-funded clinic in Gaza, highlighting the brutal realities faced by civilians caught in conflict zones.

The attack targeted civilians queued up to access vital care for malnutrition, infections, and chronic illness at Project HOPE’s clinic in Deir Al Balah. Project HOPE’s CEO Rabih Torbay called the strike “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law” and a grim reminder that “no one and no place is safe in Gaza, even as cease-fire talks continue.”

Though the clinic was closed at the time and no staff were present, the building’s entrance was damaged, and the human toll was devastating. Footage verified by the BBC shows injured and dead adults and children lying outside the clinic. Nearby hospital officials reported at least 17 deaths and dozens injured, with many more treated at field hospitals.

The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a Hamas militant linked to last year’s attacks, but an expert told The Washington Post the missile used was highly destructive and poorly suited for targeting in such a crowded civilian area—raising troubling questions about proportionality and precision.

These deadly events occurred amid ongoing cease-fire talks in Washington that ended without agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu remains open to a future truce via indirect negotiations, hoping for a 60-day cease-fire and the release of hostages. But for now, the cycle of violence continues with innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

Netanyahu is a war criminal. That’s it.

Source: UPI

DOJ Demands Patient Records from Doctors Providing Gender Care to Minors

The Justice Department has subpoenaed confidential medical records from over 20 doctors and hospitals offering gender-related treatments to minors, ramping up the Trump administration’s crackdown on transgender healthcare.

This move targets some of the strongest federal protections guarding patient and provider privacy, with subpoenas issued through the DOJ’s consumer protection unit. Officials say it’s part fact-finding, part pressure tactic, aimed at uncovering potential legal violations and forcing providers into negotiations over transgender treatment policies.

Doctors and advocates see this as a serious intrusion that chills medical care, threatening the trust and confidentiality essential to patient treatment—especially in such sensitive and controversial areas. The attempt to pry into medical records feels less about law enforcement and more like political theater designed to intimidate.

While the DOJ frames it as a legitimate investigation, the stakes couldn’t be higher: these subpoenas could set a precedent for undermining patient rights and limiting access to care for transgender youth nationwide.

If you ask me, this is a blatant overreach—weaponizing privacy laws to further an ideological agenda that disregards both medical ethics and patient well-being. It’s a troubling chapter in the ongoing culture wars playing out in healthcare.

The Surveillance State is right here, right now. And why the GOP is always wanting to meddle in private affairs between patients and their doctors is maddening.