The Morning Sixpack - March 4, 2025

Trump is laying the foundation for Impeachment 3.0 while prices are about to surge as the economy takes a massive dump.

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Trump Halts Military Aid to Ukraine, Escalating Rift with Zelensky

In a dramatic policy shift, President Trump has temporarily suspended all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, halting more than $1 billion in weapons and ammunition.

The decision comes just days after a heated Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Read more about that here, and make sure to watch the video. It’s quite disturbing.

BREAKING: Vance, Trump Gang Up on Zelenskyy

Senior administration officials confirmed that the aid freeze will remain in place until Ukraine demonstrates a “good-faith commitment” to peace negotiations with Russia—an ultimatum that places Ukraine in a precarious position as it continues its fight against Russian aggression.

The move also puts the U.S. at odds with NATO allies, who recently pledged to increase their support for Kyiv.

Trump’s decision effectively pressures Zelensky to accept peace terms dictated by the U.S., a stance that benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin.

If the freeze persists, Ukraine risks losing access to advanced U.S. weaponry, including air-defense systems and long-range rocket artillery.

Trump, who has increasingly aligned himself with Putin’s rhetoric, downplayed the impact of the aid suspension, instead focusing on Zelensky’s attitude.

“I just think he should be more appreciative,” Trump told reporters.

His remarks followed Zelensky’s weekend statement that a peace deal with Russia was “still very, very far away.”

The suspension has drawn criticism from both NATO allies and U.S. defense experts, who warn that Ukraine could face severe battlefield setbacks without American support.

European nations, led by France, Britain, and Germany, have vowed to step up assistance, but their stockpiles may not be sufficient to fill the gap.

Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that Zelensky should show “regret” for the Oval Office dispute, signaling that Trump’s administration expects Ukraine to soften its stance.

With Trump convening his national security team to discuss further options, the fate of U.S. military aid—and Ukraine’s war effort—remains uncertain.

Source: NYT

That ambush at the White House that the top two thugs in the US government perpetrated against a long-time ally (Zelenskyy) was quite possibly the most disturbing thing I’ve seen come out of the US presidency in my lifetime.

Where Did J.D. Vance’s Egg Obsession Go?

Turns out, inflation hits different in a Trump economy.

J.D. Vance used to talk about eggs like his political career depended on it. On the 2024 campaign trail, he painted rising egg prices as a symbol of Biden-era economic failure, lamenting that “A lotta eggs in my family!” were suddenly out of reach for average Americans.

He turned breakfast into a battleground, warning that “Kamala Harris’s war on affordability” had left families scrambling (Ha!) to put omelets on the table.

But now, as egg prices hit record highs under President Trump, the vice president has mysteriously lost his appetite for the issue.

What happened? The same avian flu outbreak that plagued Biden is hammering Trump’s first year, wiping out millions of egg-laying hens and sending prices soaring past their previous peak.

But instead of blaming the White House like he did in 2024, Vance’s office now insists the administration is “working tirelessly” to combat the problem.

Gone are the viral videos of him gasping at grocery store egg prices or detailing his children’s absurd egg consumption.

Even his spokesperson, who usually leans into aggressive rhetoric, pivoted to the safer talking point that “despite the damage caused by the last administration, President Trump is going to bring down prices.”

Yeah, right!

Meanwhile, Democrats have gleefully picked up the egg carton Vance abandoned.

Senator Amy Klobuchar quipped last week, “Voters expected Trump to be a change maker, not for chaos, not for corruption, but they wanted him to do something on their costs. But that’s not what he’s doing.”

Ooh, the senator sure hit hard on that one! Not.

The egg, once Vance’s favorite campaign prop, is now a political liability. Maybe his family has moved on to a more affordable breakfast—or maybe he’s just realized that inflation is a much trickier opponent when your party is the one in power.

Source: MDGN

Media Leaders Face Tough Questions on Restoring Public Trust

At a high-profile summit in Washington, D.C., top media executives and journalists grappled with a stark reality: Americans’ trust in the press is at a historic low.

According to Gallup chairman Jim Clifton, just 31% of Americans trust the media at least “a fair amount,” with only 8% expressing a “great deal” of confidence. Hosted by digital news platform Semafor, the summit—titled Innovating to Restore Trust in News—brought together figures from CNN, NBC, The New York Times, NPR, Fox News, and The Wall Street Journal to discuss how journalism can regain credibility in a deeply divided landscape.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson acknowledged public skepticism, stating, “I think I'd rather have a questioning audience than a compliant audience that is kind of deferential to media.”

Meanwhile, New York Times executive editor Joe Kahn dismissed broad polls on media distrust as “pretty flawed” and suggested that showcasing journalists’ personalities through podcasts and video appearances could help rebuild confidence. LOL!

NPR CEO Katherine Maher flipped the conversation, arguing that news outlets should “trust your audience” by being transparent and treating readers as discerning consumers rather than passive recipients of information. Getting there!

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker and Fox News anchor Bret Baier both stressed the importance of removing emotion from reporting, with Tucker insisting,

“There’s no room for emotion at the Journal… We’re trying to give people good information, information that they can use.”

Emotion should be in your editorial and opinion pieces. There is room for both.

Other speakers, including NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, highlighted the critical role of local journalism in fostering trust. While solutions varied, the summit made one thing clear: the media’s reputation crisis won’t be solved overnight.

Source: MDGN

The elephant in the room is the consolidation of thousands of smaller media outlets (newspapers, TV, and radio stations) to just a handful of bigass players who homogenize their news so it’s all the same.

There is NOTHING WRONG with a diversity of media outlets.

China’s Deflation Crisis: When ‘Cheap’ Comes at a Dangerous Cost

China’s economy is facing a rare and troubling challenge: deflation. While much of the world battles inflation, China’s falling prices signal deeper economic distress, leaving homeowners, businesses, and the government scrambling for solutions.

Housing values have plummeted, consumer demand has stalled, and businesses are struggling to survive.

“Given that I work in the real estate sector, my income has been greatly affected,” said Zhou Fujin, a Beijing homeowner whose property value and rental income have tanked since 2020.

With economic growth targets under pressure, China’s ruling Communist Party is expected to announce new spending measures at its annual session this week—but no one is expecting a quick fix.

The root of the problem?

A combination of overproduction, weak consumer confidence, and a real estate crisis that has wiped out an estimated $18 trillion in household wealth.

The government has cut interest rates and tried to boost spending with vouchers, but deflation is proving harder to fight than inflation. Economists liken fighting deflation to pushing on a string. You can do stuff but nothing works to get that string moving!

“When the real estate market is booming, people believe they are very rich,” said economist He-Ling Shi. “But with the decrease in housing prices, they believe they’re no longer as rich as before… so they want to increase their savings and reduce their consumption.”

So true!

That mindset is creating a vicious cycle: as people spend less, businesses earn less, leading to job losses and even weaker demand.

Adding to the pressure, President Trump’s new 20% tariffs on Chinese exports threaten to further drag down China’s GDP.

The Communist Party has been careful not to say the word “deflation” too loudly, fearing it could worsen consumer panic.

But with factories producing more than the market can absorb and foreign trade under fire, Beijing is running out of levers to pull.

Economists warn that without significant policy shifts—like boosting social safety nets to increase consumer confidence—China’s economic slowdown could turn into something much worse.

Members of the Chinese government, especially their economists, really need to re-read this book and get VERY COMFORTABLE with its policy proposals: The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money.

Source: MDGN

Speaking of deflation, the US is about to get hit with record inflation and a sagging (and negative) GDP! When will all this winning stop? A guy can’t take too much of this!

Trump’s Trade War 2.0: Tariffs Slam Mexico and Canada, Markets Panic

President Trump is once again rolling out the tariff hammer, confirming that a 25% tax on all goods from Mexico and Canada will take effect today.

The move, which caught both trading partners off guard (how is that even possible?) after a month-long delay, immediately sent stock markets into a nosedive, with the Dow dropping 1.5% and the S&P 500 shedding nearly 2%. Today, markets are down BIGLY again!

Trump's reasoning? A mix of grievances over border security, fentanyl, and his long-standing obsession with forcing manufacturers back to the U.S.

“Tomorrow, tariffs—25 percent on Canada and 25 percent on Mexico. And that’ll start,” Trump declared, as if announcing the next round of a wrestling match rather than an economic earthquake.

The economic fallout is already taking shape. Higher prices for tequila, avocados, cars, and lumber are inevitable, while Canada and Mexico are gearing up to hit back with their own tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Trump's “unjustified decision” and announced countermeasures on $107 billion worth of U.S. products, including a targeted strike on goods from key electoral swing states.

Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford took it a step further, threatening to cut off electricity exports and cancel a $70 million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink.

“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything—including cut off their energy—with a smile on my face,” Ford warned.

Meanwhile, economic experts are sounding alarms over the ripple effects.

“This action effectively destroys the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),” said William Reinsch of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, predicting that inflation will surge, jobs will be lost, and American consumers will be stuck with the bill.

Irony? Trump made some minor changes to NAFTA, which he hated, and called it the USMCA. So he’s gutting HIS AGREEMENT. Guess it didn’t work out like he wanted? Who the fuck knows… I think Trump is mad, as in CRAZY.

Estimates suggest the tariffs could cost U.S. households an extra $1,200 annually—though Trump dismisses concerns, claiming “foreign countries will pay the tab” while admitting Americans might feel “some pain.”

With Canada and Mexico now preparing for an all-out trade war and China already retaliating against U.S. exports, one thing is certain: Things are about to get a lot more expensive.

Source: WaPo

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s Devoted Husband and Inspiration for ‘Jolene,’ Dies at 82

Carl Dean, the famously private husband of country music legend Dolly Parton, passed away Monday at the age of 82 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Married to Parton for nearly 60 years, Dean remained out of the spotlight despite his deep influence on her life and music, most notably inspiring her hit song “Jolene.”

Parton confirmed his passing in a heartfelt statement, saying, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”

The family has requested privacy, and a private ceremony will be held for immediate family members.

Dean first met Parton outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she arrived in Nashville at 18. Two years later, they married in a quiet ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.

Though Dean ran a successful asphalt paving business, he preferred to stay behind the scenes while his wife’s career skyrocketed.

Parton often joked about her husband’s low profile, once telling the Associated Press, “A lot of people say there’s no Carl Dean, that he’s just somebody I made up to keep other people off me.”

Despite the secrecy surrounding their relationship, his impact on her music was undeniable—his flirtation with a bank teller famously led to the creation of “Jolene.”

In later years, Dean continued to shape Parton’s work, inspiring her 2023 Rockstar album.

She revealed, “He’s a big rock and roller… I thought, ‘Well, I better put one of Carl’s favorites of mine in here.’”

The album included covers of Free Bird and Stairway to Heaven, two of Dean’s favorite rock anthems. His quiet devotion and unwavering support defined their nearly six-decade-long love story, making his passing a profound loss for Parton and her fans alike.

Source: AP News