The Second Term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States of America

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How rising jet fuel prices are driving up the cost of fighting wildfires​

April 30, 20263:00 AM ET By Austin Amestoy
While the U.S. government is in charge of fighting most big wildfires, nearly all the 500 or so aircraft they use are privately owned by contractors like Dauntless.
Last year, those planes burned through about $50 million worth of jet fuel. Every fire season is different, but if this year is the same as last season, that fuel bill would almost double to nearly $100 million. That's because the price of jet fuel has skyrocketed since the war in Iran began in late February. Ultimately, taxpayers will be the ones to shell out tens of millions of dollars more to fight summer wildfires this year.

... officials said the Forest Service has budgeted $45 million for fire aviation fuel this year. That's $7 million less than it spent last year.
Last year's fuel bill was slightly above the six-year average. This year, several Western states had very dry to record-dry winters, setting them up for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season.


Trump has cost U.S. $10's of $Billions in Iran, to start fires there.
Because jet fuel cost has doubled fighting wild fires here will be more expensive this year.
 
Given the number of people holding their noses it looks like Donnie's diaper is full (again).

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Shiftless2 said:
"Republicans spent years posting 8646" OD #3,130
Click to expand...
Really?
If that's so, AND !
if Comey's defense team can provide legitimate / valid evidence of it, AND !
therewith demonstrate selective enforcement, isn't the law judge obliged to toss the case?

I've wondered whether Comey is soft-balling, as a distraction / annoyance to Trump / Republicans. He's not alone.

Fed Chair Powell has announced the unusual step of remaining on the Fed board after he exits the chairmanship,
because of the unusual circumstances.

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Powell says he will stay on Fed board as a governor until legal threats 'well and truly over'​

29 April 2026
 
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I don’t swear much—but this week, Republicans in Congress are trying to leverage the actions of an attempted assassin to justify spending millions of taxpayer money on his luxurious new ballroom, while my neighbors are barely staying afloat. So, pardon my French.
 
Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Italy and Spain President Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that he will 'probably' withdraw American troops from Italy and Spain. A day earlier, he had already said he wanted to reduce the number of troops in Germany, after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that America is being 'humiliated' in Iran. Trump has long been criticizing NATO countries because, according to him, they are not helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran blocked that strait after America and Israel started a war in late February. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is the fiercest opponent of that war in Europe and did not allow America to use an air base in Sicily for arms transport. Last month, Trump already threatened a trade embargo on Spain. On Thursday, he told reporters that the country is 'a total horror'. Italy also refused American warplanes access to its bases. Last month, right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, formerly apparently a friend ofTrump, criticism of his attack on the war-critical Pope Leo last month. According to analysts, she is distancing herself from Trump in an attempt to retain her premiership in the run-up to next year's elections.In Italy, about 12,000 American soldiers are stationed at seven naval bases, according to Politico.

In Spain, at the end of 2025, approximately 3,800 active American troops were stationed at two joint bases, but due to the plans to allow the bases to be used for the war in Iran, some of the American equipment has been moved.

On April 1, Trump said he was withdrawing to leave NATO. That would be catastrophic for the security of Europe, but is unlikely due to a US law passed in 2024 that prohibits a president from doing so without a two-thirds majority in the Senate of a bill passed by Congress.

SOURCE with comments
 
Shiftless2 said:
Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Italy and Spain President Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that he will 'probably' withdraw American troops from Italy and Spain. A day earlier, he had already said he wanted to reduce the number of troops in Germany, after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that America is being 'humiliated' in Iran. Trump has long been criticizing NATO countries because, according to him, they are not helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran blocked that strait after America and Israel started a war in late February. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is the fiercest opponent of that war in Europe and did not allow America to use an air base in Sicily for arms transport. Last month, Trump already threatened a trade embargo on Spain. On Thursday, he told reporters that the country is 'a total horror'. Italy also refused American warplanes access to its bases. Last month, right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, formerly apparently a friend ofTrump, criticism of his attack on the war-critical Pope Leo last month. According to analysts, she is distancing herself from Trump in an attempt to retain her premiership in the run-up to next year's elections.In Italy, about 12,000 American soldiers are stationed at seven naval bases, according to Politico.

In Spain, at the end of 2025, approximately 3,800 active American troops were stationed at two joint bases, but due to the plans to allow the bases to be used for the war in Iran, some of the American equipment has been moved.

On April 1, Trump said he was withdrawing to leave NATO. That would be catastrophic for the security of Europe, but is unlikely due to a US law passed in 2024 that prohibits a president from doing so without a two-thirds majority in the Senate of a bill passed by Congress.

SOURCE with comments
Click to expand...

I dislike NATO.
NATO started from the Allies who started WWI and therefore were responsible for starting WWII then as well.
They are the big colonial imperialists.
They routinely take the wrong side.
Like they supported our illegal wars against Saddam, Qaddafi, and Asad.

But I agree treaties should be up to Congress.
 
Rigby5 said:
NATO started from the Allies who started WWI and therefore were responsible for starting WWII then as well.
Click to expand...
NATO wasn't founded until 1949, well after both WWI and WWII

Don't see how you got the Allies starting WWI (admittedly it's been a long time since I took high school history so I would like an explanation). And the same goes for WWII
 
We like to see people who made mistakes early in life straighten up .....

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NEWS: MAGA influencer Craig Long has been arrested in a human trafficking and prostitution sting in Florida, along with Ryan Yates, a Trump supporter who pleaded guilty in February 2024 for his involvement in January 6. Long posted this photo with D

NEWS: MAGA influencer Craig Long has been arrested in a human trafficking and prostitution sting in Florida, along with Ryan Yates, a Trump supporter who pleaded guilty in February 2024 for his...
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US Aluminum Supplies Running Out Due To Tariffs on Canada and Bombing Plants in Middle East:

1. Middle East Supply Disruptions
Production Strikes: Missile and drone strikes on March 28, 2026, targeted key facilities in the UAE and Bahrain, including Emirates Global Aluminum's Al Taweelah refinery and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba).

2. High Cost and Low Domestic Inventory
Spiraling Costs: As of late April, U.S. buyers were paying a record premium of roughly $1.10 per pound over global prices just to secure physical metal.
Depleted Stocks: Visible global inventories have plummeted to under 420,000 tonnes, their lowest level in nearly a year.
Tariff Impact: The 50% U.S. tariffs imposed in 2025 pushed Canadian producers to divert their metal to Europe, leaving U.S. manufacturers more reliant on Middle Eastern supply right before the regional conflict erupted.

3. Manufacturing and Price Impacts
Production Cuts: Major manufacturers like Toyota have reported production cuts of approximately 40,000 units this month due to alloy shortages.
Price Highs: Aluminum reached $3,518.50 USD/T on May 1, 2026—a 44% increase compared to last year.
Strategic Reversal: While companies like Century Aluminum are fast-tracking the restart of idled U.S. plants, these domestic additions represent only about 1% of total import needs and won't be fully operational until mid-2026.

SOURCE & comments

Aluminum production require both bauxite ore and massive amounts of inexpensive electricity. The US has neither.
 
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BREAKING: Trump SHREDS his own European Union deal after less than a year — and triggers MASSIVE new tariff shock for American drivers.

Last July, Donald Trump made a deal with the European Union. Tariffs would be pegged at 15 percent. The EU agreed to buy $750 billion in American energy. Both sides called it a win. The trade war was avoided.
It only took a year for that deal to unravel.

Today, Trump announced on Truth Social that he is unilaterally raising tariffs on European cars and trucks to 25 percent, blowing past the 15 percent rate he personally agreed to last year and accusing the EU of not complying with their agreement.

He offered no specifics about what compliance failures he was referring to. He did offer all-caps enthusiasm about American auto plants "currently under construction" and investment that is "A RECORD in the History of Car and Truck Manufacturing."

The EU's response was swift and clear. European leaders said in February — after a Supreme Court ruling struck down some of Trump's sweeping tariff authority — that they would not accept any increase in U.S. tariffs. They made and signed a deal. They expect it to be honored.

Someone forgot to tell them that honesty in deal-making is not how Trump operates.

This isn't happening in a vacuum, of course. The backdrop is the Iran war — the unauthorized conflict that Austria, Italy, Spain, and several other European nations have refused to support, closing their airspace to American military planes.

Trump has been furious at European NATO members for not joining his war. He has raged at them publicly, repeatedly, accusing them of freeloading on American military protection while refusing to help when called upon.

The new tariffs look very much like economic retaliation dressed up as trade policy. The EU didn't comply with a deal they signed — or so Trump claims, without evidence. Conveniently, this comes after months of European nations refusing to back his Iran adventure.

The consequences for American consumers are predictable. European cars — from Germany, Italy, France, and Sweden — will get more expensive. American families shopping for BMWs, Fiats, Volkswagens, or Volvos will pay more. So will the wealthy car aficionados looking for Ferraris, Mercedes, or Porsches.

The auto industry, which relies on global supply chains, faces new uncertainty. And another American ally has been given fresh reason to conclude that any deal with the United States under Trump isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

He tore up the Iran nuclear deal. He tore up trade agreements. Now he's tearing up his own EU deal.

Deals, it turns out, are only binding when Trump wins them.

SOURCE
 
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