NEWS & STUFF. Correspondents dinner shooting. Jimmy K. Panama Canal and Strait of Hormuz. Etcetera.

Good Morning America: “How the Secret Service was able to stop the D.C. shooting suspect.” Grownup discussion of this issue matters–especially in these dark days of widespread hate. And how political/societal hate implodes and explodes in (usually) deadly violence. Yet what I read: The Correspondents Dinner was “scripted.” A ready hate-Trump yarn, in the absence of an insight. Idiotic. Anyhow,  what are mostly scripted? Regime change. Pre-planned by a host country’s opposition and/or military “reformists/rebels” and the sponsoring foreign (super)power. Think Manila 1986 and Caracas 2026. (Hey, let’s talk as adults.) ☮️🗽☮️

The Independent: “Melania urges ABC to 'take a stand' after Kimmel's 'widow' joke before shooting.” The First Lady has criticised down-low jester Jimmy over a joke in which he called her an "expectant widow" just days before a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Of course, this dude has said more crap that only drunken roadside imps yap about. Why would ABC allow this “late night TV hooligan” to stay on the mic? Because he brings in viewership$? 🤨😞🤨

Associated Press: “Panama Canal fees spike to $4 million as ships flee Hormuz chokehold.” Sure, there are alternative routes, and the winners are big business, as ever. Although Panama has full ownership and control of the Canal since 1999, operations of its key ports are under these giants: The Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, a BlackRock-led consortium, and Maersk. For U.S. interests, it helps that President José Raúl Mulino maintains a “a pragmatic, cooperative relationship” with the Trump administration. Jose is on the same page with Washington, in regards to Chinese influence and migration. 🇵🇦⛽️🇺🇸

NBC: “Clinton, Bush, Obama and Biden share their opinion on America's future.” POTUSes. I didn’t read their “opinions,” but you know. Anyhow, stuff that Donald Trump is dealing with are basically handed to him by past presidents. The difference is, The D tries hard to fix them.

      These: Bill Clinton’s trade pact with China’s Jiang Zemin in 2000 ushered in China’s relentless trade expansionism. George W. Bush’s handling of the post-9/11 anti-terror program only heightened global terrorism rather than contained the scourge. Barack Obama’s management of the war in Afghanistan and upgrade of military aid to Israel perked up Washington’s military brinkmanship. And Joe Biden’s relative nonchalance in “letting in” a record number of undocumented migrants (1+ million average) crashed an already bankrupt fiscal management of immigration policies. 🏛🗽🏛

Reuters: “United CEO reportedly raises industry-reshaping deal with American Airlines to Trump.” And so on and so forth. Sans the Iran war, which Mr Trump tried to avoid, his POTUS playbook is meant as a reset. Cut costs, review of U.S. aid and NATO share, foreign policy premium on trade, immigration whip and crime pursuit. So shudder is an understatement. Of course, he expected the thumbs-down. You see, the universe has evolved, especially with the economic advent of China. Trump is set to shake the Dragon’s expansionism as he maintains America’s stature as global #1. But look at how Europe deteriorated, as Asia and the Middle East move ahead. 🏛🗽🏛

STUFF. Hungarian elections. Fentanyl and drug cartels. Political party cliches.

Associated Press: “Hungary's election jolts Trump world, raising new concerns about midterms.” What is so big a deal with JD Vance’s endorsement or Donald Trump's so-called alignment with the vanquished chief, Viktor Orban? I look beyond the U.S. Left/Right angst.

      Seriously, new leader Peter Magyar's party Tisza is not very different from Mr Orban's Fidesz. They were former partymates, in fact. Tisza or Mr Magyar is Center-Right, hardcore European populist, and heavily anti-migrant. Essentially a MAGA parallel. Although Orban isn't really old at 62, Hungarians want a younger Rightist leader. Magyar is 45.

      Meanwhile, Europe has been going Right-wing in recent years, due to social issues, not necessarily political. They are hobbling from a gasping economy (below 1 percent) since 2009, and reeling from the migrant crisis since 2016. Yet it seems cool to stereotype voters or the people based on academic boxes or the "convenience" of drawing whatever to the hate-Trump board. As though the U.S. really changed that much, regardless of Donald Trump. It’s all relatively good. But look at Europe. The global power pre-21st century has considerably been weakened by the EU leadership's ineptitude and whacked sense of priority. 🇭🇺🇭🇺🇭🇺

CBS: “Fentanyl lab uncovered as U.S. pressures Mexico on cartels.” I am diggin’ how Claudia Sheinbaum and Donald Trump are working together versus drug cartels. Carry on! Meanwhile, take note of the record number (1 million+!) cartel-facilitated border crossings from 2021 to 2024, as Joe Biden erased the Merida Initiative and replaced it with his “holistic” Bicentennial Framework for Security etcetera. Laughable!

      Yet these on Trump II: <>Lowest number of migrant crossings since the 1970s! <>Mexico has transferred nearly 100 high-ranking cartel members to the United States across three major operations since February 2025. <>And of course, the erasure of drug kingpin El Mencho. 🇺🇸☮️🇲🇽

When the smart-ass blah on your face about Far Right stereotypes or Far Left cliches, it’s as though you are clueless as dumb. Politics varies depending on where we are. Cultural facts more than ideological alignments. “Right-wing” parties in Europe, for example, are called Sweden Democrats, Freedom Party of Austria, Alternative for Germany or AfD, VOX, Reform UK etcetera. Per academia, they are Conservative populists, yet if you dig in what they’re fighting for, you’d see parallels with other cultures that are also boxed as revolutionaries, liberals or progressives. 🏛🏛🏛

STUFF. Occupy Backtrack. Monsieur Macron Whines. Children in Protest Rallies.

Another new Left-wing thought that I don’t concur with: Occupy. The “no leaders, no followers” dissent was inspired by the Arab Spring, a wave of pro-democracy protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across the Middle East and North Africa, which started in 2010. “Occupy Wall Street” was then born in the summer of 2011, initiated by the Canadian anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters.

      Quickly, the “99 percent’s occupy” protest spread across the U.S. and globally. Yet the fact of the matter is: People cannot legally occupy any building they wish to, unless per owner’s permission. “Occupiers” in NYC were allowed to stay at the private Zuccotti Park by owner-controllers Brookfield Properties and Goldman Sachs. Of course, then Mayor Mike Bloomberg was cool. And since bathrooms weren’t easy to access and residents didn’t really support the protesters, the McDonald’s across the street opened, 24/7. Everybody can use the bathroom and wi-fi, regardless if they bought fries or not.

      By the time October cold set in, the “Occupy” was over. In Asheville (where I live), I suggested writing a grant proposal to legally “occupy” an empty building in the River District. (I’ve written grants in the past that were approved.) My idea simply bounced back at me. ☮️🗽☮️

Emmanuel Macron of France is leading an aggressive, "Europe-first" initiative to heavily regulate American Big Tech, citing risks to “child safety, digital sovereignty, and fair competition.” That’s not really the story. Monsieur Macron is responding to Mr Trump’s tariff threats, this time in relation to Big Tech products. So here are the industry facts: The world's largest Big Tech companies are dominated by U.S. giants: NVIDIA, Apple, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, and Amazon. Add Meta/Facebook and Tesla in the group. 

       The EU is not a top tech consumer market. The Top 5: China, U.S., India, Japan, and South Korea. The top regional markets for digital growth: Asia-Pacific. For now, Europe is not a top market due to the obvious. A major reason: The economy hasn’t really improved in recent years. 

       Meanwhile, Big Tech is exploring other regions. This: Digital commerce in Latin America and Africa is expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2026, driven by rapid adoption of fintech and mobile platforms. Brussels may have to sit down and regroup per negotiating chips with POTUS.

ALL  the economy-related noise about the EU (mostly from France’s Emmanuel Macron) and Canada versus America under Donald Trump. Yaddayaddayadda. The fact of the matter is: Brussels and Mark Carney are having a hard time (trade) negotiating with a hardball that is Mr Trump. Yet the truth has always been the truth for years: <>The United States is the European Union's top total trading partner; over €1 trillion in bilateral trade volume. <>The United States remains Canada's top trading partner, with trade in goods and services exceeding C$3.6 billion per day. Also, more than 60 percent of Canada’s oil goes to the U.S. and 35 percent of all foreign-owned lands in America are by Canadians. 💸🏢💸

AMERICAN children. Spike in depression and performance in basics (reading and math). Official reasoning or expert excuse: Covid is to blame for the young’s mental crisis. I don’t think so. The pandemic contributed but not in a major way. Children are confused, lost and/or made to get angry as well because their moms and dads are angry per politics. It's not even a protest move or political thought that unites a community. It is a very partisan stand that widens the divide in the community. 

       Yet they enjoin children to go out and "fight" this adult world reality. Already 2 died because of noncompliance to no-brainer law enforcement/civilian interaction. ICE is doing its mandate to avert a real immigration crisis. If bad things in a rally happen, tear gas and worse, blame the government? Or get their kids arrested? Sadly, they see all these as heroism? 

       I was an activist and journalist in dictatorship years (20 years), real harsh times (not imagined), when my kids were little. Never did I bring my “baggage” home. I didn’t even discuss politics with my siblings, who are apolitical conservatives. They knew I was Left-wing but all they said was “Be safe.” But my kids didn’t know. But they are not dumb. They evolved and figured things out themselves. We guide children to a clearer path based on universal good; rather than “lead” them to a (political) path that we adults have decided on. Children need to find out truths/facts per their own experience in life. ☮️🗽☮️

[Photos: Protean.]

MORE Epstein Stuff.

Associated Press: “Top lawyer for Goldman Sachs to resign after emails show Epstein ties.” For all his evil, Jeffrey Epstein was (obviously) a genius in social networking, in person or with equally creative associates under his leadership. Probably he was more slick and suave than those that drug cartels approach to "wash" money for them. So how many unsuspecting, clueless, or gullible individuals fell into his sweet trap? Or those who knew him as “this guy” and not “that guy,” uh huh? I bet you only know (for real) a fraction of your Facebook “friends.” I don’t. 

       I am not saying that many actually, willingly availed of his sinister “services.” But how many more will the 3.5 million pages of E docs snag until we get to the Big Bosses of Human Trafficking? 

       Attorney General Pam Bondi was ushered into a grossly thankless (sic!) spot, indeed. She was made to respond to a crime mystery that is 17 years old (from the 2008 Epstein arrest). All through four U.S. Presidents (2 sat for 2 terms). A pile of 3.5 pages of documents glaring at her like a cat’s blank stare. Docs that already spewed names of VIPs or rich and powerful as "alleged" crime clients? 

       What do we expect her to say that'd satisfy the loud gallery of political bloodhounds? Do we expect her to stay cool, composed, with a Colgate smile? Her spot was worse than testifying as prosecution witness vs 5 Mafia godfathers and 5 drug cartel padrons. And Ms Bondi is not even an official witness, jury member, or a crime victim. ⚖️😒⚖️

MORE STUFF. Minnesota. ICE. And an icy winter.

Responses to my Facebook post/s.

<>“Should police be allowed to shoot you solely because you have a gun? Especially if it’s holstered and you are making no attempt to grab it.” 

No one is "allowed" to shoot me, or anyone, because I (or they) have a gun, ah. Are you simplifying the horror of the particular incident? As though ICE are like mass shooters or terrorists who mow down people or plant bombs in public buildings, as their “SOP.” Holstered or not, it is SOP to law enforcement, given THE Moment, to approach you and question you, and yes, show the damn permits but toss the gun where they can see it. Isn’t that common sense police/civilian procedure? Again, holstered or not, “gun carry” or none, I won’t bring my gun to the area where shit could happen. Done?

<>“Would you not intervene if you saw a big man push a woman hard to the ground?” 

In public or in a private house/building. Per U.S. laws, I’d think first per U.S. experience. To answer you, yes I did, when I was new–in New York City. Two examples: I pushed a man in a Greyhound/Port Authority melee when I saw him grab a woman by her neck and push him to the wall. (Note: I am small, 5’3” and the guy was maybe 6’1”) And in Los Angeles, while outside a Costco, I saw a man (turned out to be the BF) slapped his tiny GF in the parking lot. I intervened and ended up wrestling with the dude (again taller and heavier than me, but I was trained in some Bruce Lee Martial Arts, so!) Cops arrived. In the NYC incident, both me and the big dude simply said sorry. But in the second LA thing, I was handcuffed because I threw the first punch after the guy cussed at me (the witness was his GF). I had to pay the guy, anyhow. You get my drift?

       So you ask me a question that isn’t even parallel with “ICE agents and man with gun in a heated protest action site.” Which also brings me to, the mass shootings after-the-fact: Where are the cops? Why didn’t cops question a man with a gun? Second Amendment? Why weren't cops visible in a public place in a “gun carry” and 120.5 per 100 society? Second Amendment? 

       Anyhow, in my country, a man can’t even yell “Bitch!” (or puta!) to any woman. If the crowd hears you, you are mauled by the mob, no questions asked. Worse, if you lay a hand on a woman. I have 4 sisters, yet I digress on that subject. LOL! Hint: Reason why I don’t own a gun. 

<>“Would you not try to protect your face out of instinct if 4 men were on top of you, one of them smashing your face with a gas can?”

Again, common sense. Four “police-burly” personages on top of me? Even without guns, man. LOL! So the “smashing of a gas can” may not even happen. Because I already complied, even if they pin me to the ground with their heavy combat boots. Oblige. I ain’t gonna fight 4 trained dudes (men or women) to damn beat me up. I’d rather sue them later and if I win as a settlement? Enroll in a taekwondo class. Or send the money to my grandkids. 

<>“Beyond ICE, have you ever seen real? Police going after actual bad guys like this? Because I’ve never!?!”

You are a journalist and you haven’t seen “police going after actual bad guys” or “bad guys after police” or “bad guys and good guys in a shootout,” really? I was a police beat reporter in Manila and the U.S., mostly narcos-related and ICE stake-outs. 

<>“Have you watched the video from all angles?”

I saw the videos. And I am not stupid or dumb or clueless. Must I expound on this subject: Videos in 21st century cellphone cam era? I leave that to the court of law. Lawyers and stuff.

<>“Are you comfortable with the idea that we live in a society where you must show your papers, no questions asked, and any form of resistance can be met with deadly force?” 

First, you are asking a foreigner who isn’t black or white. And I do look Asian (or tribal/Nation American). But I am Asian. Yes, I am fine with showing them my papers or passport or whatever. Actually, it happened so many times, I lost count. That’s also what my (immigration) lawyers told me. And as a paralegal in New York City in the past, that’s what I told our clients (immigrants) as SOP.    

     Meanwhile, cops ask citizens for an ID or driver’s license. SOP. I don’t see anything wrong with that, if one isn’t hiding anything, especially. In your case, do you tell the cops, “No, you ain’t gonna see my driver’s license!” So that’d be an invite for them to insist. Man, isn’t this elementary/grade school stuff, in any part of the universe? Yes, I questioned a cop once why he was asking for my ID blah-blah. “I have a right to refuse, Mr Officer!” Yet the thing was, shit was going on in South LA that time and I do look like a cartel footman. So I obliged. Yet I know my rights. 

<> “Tackle you, and then shoot you if you don’t comply?” 

Again, the max situation will not go there, if I already complied. But that doesn’t mean my activism or however I view ICE or law enforcement or how I view POTUS matters. Just common sense. I ain’t the dude who wants to be on viral video. Maybe as a rock star (which I am not) but not someone who got pinned to the ground by 4 ICEmen or cops because I didn’t comply. Death is the max outcome of that lapse (life or death) in judgment. All the rest is social media over-drama and political caterwaul, without undermining the gravity of the current deaths. (Families of the “perps” are also victims here, BTW.) 

      Still, I am more interested in how Washington pressures Iran to prosecute and punish those responsible in the carnage last week. (Okay, gotta go back to cleaning my room and watch the NBA game or college ball. Thanks for the chat.) 🗽🏃‍♀️🏃

World War Paranoia. Nobel Talk. And Stuff.

Response to a Friend’s Facebook page/post. 

I DON’T see hints of a world war. Such as those events that blew up into WW1 and WW2. What I see is Donald Trump shaking hands with heads of state and a dictator is taken out and he isn't cool with NATO (he cut U.S. share from 22 percent to 16 percent in 2019). War in Ukraine or unrest in the Middle East were/are brought by a number of factors. It'd be sheer cluelessness to pin those on Trump or any POTUS, for that matter. Geopolitical shudder isn't that linear. 

       This divide in U.S. society was actually predicted by (revered historian) Howard Zinn before he died in 2010. Repeat: 2010 or before Mr Trump was even considered in GOP’s shortlist for a presidential candidacy. I am not American-born. I survived a 20-year dictatorship (real hardships). Yet I am baffled why Americans are this divided. Probably we don't worry as much about food on the table as others, so we have a lot of time to fight and talk about all-Trump. Meanwhile, he is compared with Adolf Hitler, as though the world doesn't know who Hitler was. Such a weird comparison. 

       I don't really pay attention to Nobel. I bet Bob Dylan would have tossed his in the dumpster. He didn't even want to accept it. All this Trump/Machado Nobel crap is media rabblerouse. And Trump seems like riding along with the insults. Such nonsense is bloated like a major American event! As though other heads of state were never recipients of "unexpected" gifts in the past. 

       The truths that are happening? As America wrestles with its own shadow, continually widening cracks between them, China surges on. China doesn't ambition to take over the world. But economic-wise, China and BRICS have been wobbling G7's geopolitical clout. America, it seems, is more concerned with internal fighting and demonization of Donald Trump. By the time we wake up and he is gone, the fissures are already so wide and bloodied that healing would take generations. 

       But no civil war. But, I fear hate in the streets. Mental crisis that implodes and explodes out there. Yet still, we will blame Left or Right for those horror. Or blame Trump. ☮️☮️☮️

Pragmatic take. Regime Change: Philippines 1986. Venezuela 2026.

Chat with a Friend on Facebook.

<>There was a “People Power” (sort of revolt) in the Philippines in 1986 but the end of the 20-year dictatorship was sealed when RAM (Reform the Armed Forces Movement) launched the coup. Since strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr was a Washington faithful, the family was rescued to safety in Hawaii. Per Constitution, veep Salvador Laurel took over and then an election installed Corazon Aquino as President, which was a no-brainer. Cory, widow of slain top oppositionist Benigno Aquino, was the obvious people’s choice. 

       Next: Attempts to recover the Marcoses and cronies’ ill-gotten wealth. But then Imelda Marcos won her racketeering etcetera court date in New York trial. The family's stash was secured. Offshore holdings and all that “wash.” Yet more than three decades hence, the Marcos family is back in power. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the President. 🇵🇭🇺🇸🇻🇪

<>Venezuela is a lot more complicated. Their People Power happened in 2019 but the dictatorship wasn't regime changed after Nicolas Maduro agreed per Donald Trump pressure that Chevron returns to Caracas. Chavez/Maduro kicked all U.S. companies out in 2007. The economy, regardless of largest oil deposits, crashed in 2014; oil was selling at $100/barrel--as crime rates catapulted Venezuela in the top 5 of most dangerous countries. In other words, oil was grossly mismanaged. Yet although technically Venezuela was still under sanction, Chevron was in and figured in state-owned PDVA management. 

       The economy improved a bit (to -1 percent growth) from 2019 to 2025, as China purchased the majority of oil exports (80+ percent). But inflation stayed super high at 270 percent into 2025. And this: The Cartel de los Soles was also somehow exerting power within PDVSA, with Colombia's Clan del Golfo. Venezuela is a drug contraband transit country. Mr Trump has somehow "checked" the Mexico cartels (or stopped) from facilitating border crossings. President Claudia Sheinbaum is on the same page. (Border crossings were record highs in Joe Biden time.) 

       President Trump pressured Mr Maduro to lose cartel influence in his government or PDVSA. Or don't meddle as The D takes out cartel boats. (Venezuela still owes huge amounts of money to American (oil) companies that the dictatorship sent away years ago.) But Nic didn't listen this time. He was unperturbed, obviously pumped up by the anti-Trump or wide-divide in the U.S. Maduro blunder.  

       Yet days before the “grab,” China and Russia mediated: Lose Cartel de los Soles and Tren de Aragua. Nic wasn’t listening. I mean, this truth: "Losing" the cartels or narcopolitics is like suicide. Lose them or the U.S. takes you out. No better choice. 

       <>Difference with the Philippines? Oil. My home country didn’t have that gargantuan reserve of oil. But contrary to a lot of clueless memes, the U.S. did not invade Venezuela. It was a regime change. But U.S. companies are back in. <>Must I type up the same Washington playbooks elsewhere in history? Or the Middle East from the 1920s discovery of oil? <>America (now with China) rules the roost. It's up to the leadership of countries how to work around that global fact. Example: Now prosperous Vietnam is now coming from the ruins of war. Or in a larger context, Japan after WW2. Etc etcetera. 🇵🇭🇺🇸🇻🇪