quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

quote:

Originally posted by Schmelby:
So when they turn 18 they will have access to a fairly large sum of money. I'm sure 95% of these youngsters will use it for collage or to buy a house.
At least they will spend it back into the economy.

Some might not be artistically inclined and go to college instead.

The idea ranks right up there COVID dollars.

Gotcha! I saw that after I posted but didn't edit.
I should have went to college!

So, you guys think this shouldn't be available? Bad idea?

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
So, you guys think this shouldn't be available? Bad idea?

It's a good idea. How is it implemented? The Gov wants you to use it for retirement or a mortgage or college. You and I both know that won't happen. Some will with parental guidance. Most won't.
If I had that money at 18 I would buy a car! Which is good for car companies. Human nature.

quote:

You and I both know that won't happen.

No, we don't know that. You can assume it. I'd rather look positively on this and think that the majority of recipients will use it constructively. And as you said, even putting it into the economy as spending, isn't the worst thing in the world. I don't see a downside.

This documentary premiered this week, near the top of box office receipts. Of course Rotten Tomatoes scored it at 6%, but the Normal People score of 98%. https://www.breitbart.com/ente...s-try-to-destroy-it/

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
So, you guys think this shouldn't be available? Bad idea?

Looking at my kids’ 529 investment plans, tax advantaged accounts are fantastic. If individuals and corporations want to put their money into these accounts, great! It’s their money to do with as they please.

The government putting money into those accounts is a terrible idea. It’s right there with all the other handouts in that the government doesn’t have money, they just take money from one group and give it to another.

quote:

The government putting money into those accounts is a terrible idea. It’s right there with all the other handouts in that the government doesn’t have money, they just take money from one group and give it to another.

Yup. Bottom line!

https://www.newsmax.com/world/...dkt_nbr=010502v7srw2

US May Make a Deal on Cuba, Trump Says

President Donald Trump said the United States was beginning to talk with Cuban leaders as his administration puts greater pressure on the communist-run island and cuts off key oil supplies.
He made the comment to reporters on Saturday night as he was flying to Florida. It comes in the wake of his moves in recent weeks to cut off supplies of oil from Venezuela and Mexico, which he suggested Saturday would force Cuba to the negotiating table.

His goals with Cuba remain unclear, but Trump has turned more of his attention toward the island after his administration in early January captured Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro and has been more aggressive in confronting nations that are adversaries of the U.S.

Trump has predicted that the Cuban government is ready to fall.

The Republican president did not offer any details on Saturday about what level of outreach his administration has had with Cuba recently or when, but simply said, “We’re starting to talk to Cuba.”

His recent moves to cut off its oil supplies have squeezed the island.

This past week, Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba. The move put pressure on Mexico, which Cuba became dependent on for oil after Trump halted oil shipments from Venezuela in the wake of Maduro's ouster.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that it could cause a humanitarian crisis. She said on Friday that she would seek alternatives to continue helping Cuba.

“It doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis. I think they probably would come to us and want to make a deal,” Trump said Saturday. “So Cuba would be free again.”

He predicted they would make some sort of deal with Cuba and said, "I think, you know, we’ll be kind.”


https://www.theepochtimes.com/...v6gzeOfhiKKBmi47Q%3D

Trump Says US Starting to Talk With Cuba Following Cuts to Oil Deliveries

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez had previously said he would not negotiate with Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 31 that his administration is starting to engage in talks with Cuban leaders after he moved to cut off oil deliveries from Venezuela and announced new tariffs on any countries selling petroleum to the communist-run island.

“We’re starting to talk with Cuba. They need help on a humanitarian basis,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Florida on Saturday night. “A lot of people in our country were treated very badly by Cuba ... we'd like to be able to have them go back to a vote in their country, which they haven’t seen in their country for many, many decades.”

Trump said he is working toward a deal where Cuban exiles could theoretically return to the island and vote for the first time since before the culmination of Fidel Castro’s communist revolution in 1959, suggesting the United States would “be kind” to the nation.

Earlier in his remarks, Trump said Cuba doesn’t have to face a humanitarian crisis and that it would “probably come to us and want to make a deal so Cuba would be free again.”

“They have no money, they have no oil. They lived off Venezuela’s money and oil, and none of that is coming,” Trump said, adding that he had told the president of the island’s second-largest supplier of oil—Mexico—to stop sending petroleum to Cuba.

Trump did not offer further details on the discussions his administration is having with Cuban officials, or what a negotiated deal with the country might look like.

The U.S. president’s comments come three days after he signed an executive order imposing new tariffs on any countries that “directly or indirectly” supply Cuba with oil.
“I find that the policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” the executive order states.

Trump’s order accuses the Cuban regime of aligning itself with Russia, China, Iran, and the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups and says that opposing the communist regime is essential for U.S. national security.

Trump urged Cuba this month to strike a deal with his administration after the United States captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and pressured interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez to redirect oil deliveries to the United States.

Last year, Venezuela was Cuba’s largest oil supplier, providing the Caribbean nation with 26,500 barrels per day, roughly one-third of Cuba’s daily needs. Mexico came in second, with significantly fewer barrels per day at 5,000.

Weeks before Trump’s remarks on Saturday, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said he would not negotiate with the U.S. president.
Díaz-Canel posted a series of social media posts on Jan. 12, in which he said there are no conversations between his regime and Trump other than “technical contacts in the migration field.”
“We have always been willing to engage in a serious and responsible dialogue with the various governments of the United States, including the current one, on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, principles of International Law, reciprocal benefit without interference in internal affairs and with full respect for our independence,” he wrote, according to a translation of his posts.

“As history demonstrates, relations between the U.S. and Cuba, in order to advance, must be based on International Law rather than on hostility, threats, and economic coercion.”

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 6guns,

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
So, you guys think this shouldn't be available? Bad idea?

Nope, bad idea. At least under present student loan rules and basic economics. While saving is good, the prices of college, cars, and whatever else 18 yr olds buy will go up.

Long term savings should all be tax free.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfr...dkt_nbr=010102e5ru4h

Trump Says India Will Buy Oil From Venezuela

President Donald Trump on Saturday said India will buy Venezuelan oil, helping to replace some of the Russian oil that the world's third-biggest oil importer buys.

"We've already made that deal, the concept of the deal," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to his vacation home in Florida from Washington.

Reuters reported on Friday that the United States has told Delhi it could soon resume purchases of Venezuelan oil to help replace imports of Russian oil, citing three people familiar with the matter.

India stopped buying oil from Caracas last year after Trump in March imposed a 25% tariff on countries buying Venezuelan oil.

In his comments on Saturday, Trump said India would buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude. However, New Delhi stopped loading oil from Iran in 2019 due to U.S. sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Indian refiners turned to U.S. oil to make up for the loss of Iranian supply, then curbed U.S. purchases and became the top buyer of Russian seaborne oil sold at a discount after Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump in August doubled duties on imports from India to 50% to pressure New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil, and earlier this month said the rate could rise again if it did not curb its purchases.

However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled in January that the additional 25% tariff on Indian goods could be removed, given what he called a sharp reduction in Indian imports of Russian oil.

The U.S. government this week lifted some sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry to make it easier for U.S. companies to sell its crude oil.

Trump's comments on Saturday appeared to reflect continued improvement in U.S.-India relations, which have been tense throughout the past year.

Trump also said China could make a deal with the U.S. to buy Venezuelan oil.

"China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal on oil," Trump said, without providing any details.

Cuban emigres get to vote? Maybe with a referendum on the ballot: "Should Cuba become the southernmost county in Florida?"

Methinks PDJT isn't asking for enough.

You cigar smokers might be in for a treat!

Uh, Florida doesn’t want Cuba………

“First Lady Melania Trump's documentary, named Melania, has smashed its dismal box office sales estimates during opening weekend - much to the shock of Hollywood. 

The movie earned $7million in ticket sales across the US and Canada, making it the best-performing theatrical release for a documentary, outside of concert films, since 2012.
<snip>

Jimmy (The Asshole) Kimmel says that the box office numbers are bogus.

DailyMail article:
https://mol.im/a/15531349

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pipe Smoker,

From today:

quote:

Originally posted by 2Adefender:
Uh, Florida doesn’t want Cuba………

Neither do we. If you think we have budget problems now, turning Cuba into a state would be like what happened when West Germany absorbed East Germany.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
From today:

Ya love to see it.

Border Czar Homan Says More Than 145,000 Illegal Immigrant Children Located
A DHS investigation showed that more than 323,000 illegal immigrant children were unaccounted for in the United States.

U.S. authorities have located more than 145,000 illegal immigrant children who were previously unaccounted for under the Biden administration, border czar Tom Homan said on Jan. 30.

Homan said the findings came as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement continue efforts to locate “more than 300,000 unaccompanied alien children” whom he said had been “turned over to unvetted sponsors, lost track of, and weren’t looking forward” under the Biden administration.

“Through their outstanding efforts, they have so far been able to locate more than 145,000,” the border czar said on X. Homan did not provide details on the status or condition of the children.
“President [Donald] Trump promised that we would find these children, and under his strong leadership and with his unwavering support, the patriots at these, and other partner, agencies have been—and will continue to do—just that,” he added.

The investigation followed an August 2024 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General, which showed that more than 323,000 illegal immigrant children were unaccounted for in the United States.
Of those, more than 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children had not been served court notices by ICE as of May 2024, while another 32,000 were served notices to appear in court but failed to do so, according to the report.

Related Stories
The Epoch Times

The Trump administration has launched efforts to find and track these children after taking office in January last year. In December, federal agencies located more than 129,143 illegal immigrant children, according to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Too many of these children were exploited, trafficked, and abused. We will continue to ramp up efforts and will not stop until every last child is found,” Noem said on Dec. 19, 2025.

DHS said last November that ICE launched an initiative with state and local law enforcement to conduct welfare checks on 450,000 illegal immigrant children who were placed with unvetted sponsors under the Biden administration. The initiative aims to ensure children’s safety and protect them from exploitation, the agency said.
DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the Trump administration has located more than 24,400 of those children through visits and door-to-door checks.

“Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers,” McLaughlin said in a November 2025 statement.

“We’ve jump-started our efforts to rescue children who were victims of sex and labor trafficking by working with our state and local law enforcement partners to locate these children.”

“President Trump and Secretary Noem are laser-focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families,” she added.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...eIP98117Cu2%2Fhwk%3D

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
From today:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...mpaign=new&utm_term=

Hidden in Plain Sight: 4 Overlooked Takeaways From ‘Melania’

Commentary
On Jan. 30, “Melania” was released in theaters across the United States.

At the documentary’s first showing in Winchester, Virginia, that afternoon, a near-capacity crowd filled the Apple Blossom Mall theater to watch First Lady Melania Trump’s show-and-tell about the 20 days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration. Among her many other activities, the first lady consulted with designers on the clothing she would wear that day, planned a pre-inaugural candlelight meal, spoke with dignitaries such as French First Lady Brigitte Macron, sang bits from Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” flew up and down the East Coast, and finally escorted the audience through Inauguration Day.

Most reviewers have given the movie a thumbs-down. Given that so many Americans despise President Donald Trump, and by extension his family, this shower of catcalls and brickbats should surprise no one. Negative comments range from “insipid” to “stultifying” to “airbrushed.”
Indeed, if you’re looking for shocking revelations, you’re in the wrong theater. “Melania” isn’t a tell-all documentary. The first lady doesn’t bare her soul or whine about such indignities as her treatment by reporters during her husband’s first presidential term. She isn’t filled with angst or anger, nor does she make herself out to be some sort of victim, as do some of today’s celebrities and politicians.

Instead, the film on its surface does precisely what it purports to do. It shows us a woman transitioning for the second time from private to public life.

But beneath that surface, “Melania” is sending a message to America, one that will be received only by those with open eyes and receptive hearts. Here are four memoranda the first lady’s film delivers to us and to our country.
Proud to Be an American

In 2006, Melania Knauss (Knavs) Trump became a U.S. citizen. She personifies what we once regarded as the ideal American immigrant, not because of her success as a model, nor because of her marriage to the wealthy Donald Trump, but because of her love for her adopted country. Millions upon millions of people from around the world have come to the United States in the past hundred years seeking freedom and opportunity, and our country has in turn asked only one thing of them: Put America first in your loyalties.
Throughout “Melania,” the first lady again and again walks that walk, demonstrating her love for the United States and its history. She stops several times to point out the art and traditions that have accrued over time to the White House. She explains the significance of the nearby Blair House, a former tavern where many of our presidents have stayed just before making the White House their home. Of her pre-inaugural visit to Arlington, Virginia, with its thousands of graves, she says, “Arlington is the soul of our nation,” and she means every word when she tells the audience, “I honor the importance of the White House and its place in our nation’s history.”

Family Comes 1st

The film shows Melania Trump putting her family front and center in her life. She clearly loves her husband—you can hear that affection when she says his name, “Donald,” and viewers will smile when she teases or stands up to him—and she is determined to give their only child, Barron Trump, a private life and keep him out of harm’s way.
But her greatest tribute to family, an institution America needs more today than at any time in its history, are the compliments she pays her parents.

“Everything I am began with them,” she said.

She is especially lavish with praise for her mother, referring time and again to Amalija Knavs as her “beloved mother.” Knavs died in January 2025, little more than a year before the documentary’s release, and it’s clear that Melania Trump is still deeply grieving her passing. She praises her mother for the gifts she bestowed, such as her interest in fashion, and in a scene at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, she lights a candle for her mom and prays for her.

“Honor thy father and thy mother” is an old commandment polished and buffed in “Melania.”

Gratitude and Kindness

The praise Melania Trump bestows on her country and on her family reveals her admirable and constant attitude of gratitude. So many of us focus so much of our attention on what we don’t possess or on the hardships that have befallen us that we become blind to the blessings and the good people in our lives, those whose influence and affection have shaped the better angels of our nature.

This same sense of gratitude inhabits the kindness Melania Trump shows to all those around her, from family members to fashion designers to the White House staff. At one point, she meets with Aviva Siegel, an Israeli taken hostage, along with her husband, by the Hamas terrorist group. Siegel was released, but her husband of more than 40 years remained captive. In the documentary, Melania Trump promises this woman that the president will secure the release of her husband, which does indeed happen after Donald Trump takes office. When Siegel begins weeping, the first lady reaches out to hug her and offer comfort.
Boundaries

In our culture of therapy and social media, in which so many live by the motto “let it all hang out,” Melania Trump sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. Known for her self-control and for keeping a part of her life out of the public eye, the first lady stays true to character in the film. She’s willing to take viewers so far into the grounds of her private life but maintains walls that shock those among us who are unaccustomed to such stoic silence.
“Mar-a-Lago is my refuge from the world,” she says of the Trumps’ palatial Florida home, but the truth is that the first lady has constructed a refuge within herself.

Critics of the film wanted more revelations, more of her personality, more than she was clearly willing to give. They can take her to task for her reticence and deep sense of the private life, but were they alive today, stoic American presidents such as George Washington, Calvin Coolidge, and Dwight Eisenhower would be applauding her.

Melania Trump speaks in the film of wanting to be a positive influence on the lives of her fellow Americans. That’s the part of the film so many of its critics have missed. Whether we see the documentary or not, and however we rate it critically, we should count ourselves fortunate to have such an elegant and good-hearted patriot serving our nation as first lady.

Further proof the Democrats will steal the midterms...

Texas Democrat Taylor Rehmet flips Republican state Senate seat Trump won by 17 points | PBS News https://share.google/DWTXnHX0kkiask4Cz

How could a Democrat operating on 1/10th the campaign budget beat a Trump-endorsed candidate in Texas by any margin let alone one this wide? Their victory would have been more believable if it was by a small margin but this is ludicrous.

Where's your white flag?