Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha today in Panama City to address critical regional and global challenges. Secretary Rubio informed President Mulino and Minister Martínez-Acha that President Trump has made a preliminary determination that the current position of influence and control of the Chinese Communist Party over the Panama Canal area is a threat to the canal and represents a violation of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal. Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty.

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Panamanian President Mulino - U.S. Embassy in Panama

Reminds me of the Russian logic for invading Ukraine.

Canada is playing 4D chess with tariffs, aiming right at Trump's political backyard. According to The New York Times, they're slapping tariffs on goods from Republican red and swing states, hitting jobs and businesses where it hurts. The goal? Maximum pressure. Basically, Canada just put on its nicest sweater and said, "Sorry, but this is gonna sting." They've already started removing alcohol made in red states from their shelves. I just hope blue donor states like mine NY, stop subsidizing these poor red states. Time to let them taste a little self reliance, right?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/world/canada/canada-trump-tariffs.html

WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES.

Willing to let Americans suffer for his ego trip.

He's becoming more insane everyday, he'll be cosplaying as the Mad King soon.

So...This is all about making Canada a 51st state? Lol.

Shhhh. The red states don't like speaking about that

Justin's full speech was brilliant but low-key sad pointing out the history between America and Canada.

Good evening. Today, the United States informed us they will be imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States and 10 per cent on Canadian energy, a decision that should they elect to proceed with should take effect on Tuesday, Feb. 4. This decision puts in peril a historic economic relationship, a relationship that has been the source of wealth, prosperity and possibility on both sides of the border.

Tonight, first, I want to speak directly to Americans, our closest friends and neighbours. This is a choice that yes, will harm Canadians, but beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people. As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump. They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for U.S. security such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel and aluminum. They will violate the free trade agreement that the president and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago.

But it doesn't have to be this way. As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago, "Geography has made us neighbours, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners and necessity has made us allies." That rang true for many decades prior to President Kennedy's time in office and the decades since. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours.

During the Iranian hostage crisis, those 444 days, we worked around the clock from our embassy to get your innocent compatriots home. During the summer of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans, or mere weeks ago, when we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California, during the day the world stood still — Sept. 11, 2001 — when we provided refuge to stranded passengers and planes, we were always there, standing with you, grieving with you, the American people.

Together, we've built the most successful economic, military and security partnership the world has ever seen; a relationship that has been the envy of the world. Yes, we've had our differences in the past, but we've always found a way to get past them.

As I've said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us. Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work together.

Let's take a moment to talk about our shared border. Our border is already safe and secure, but there's always more work to do. Less than one per cent of fentanyl, less than one per cent of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada, but hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans, including the American president himself, we're taking action.

We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already showing results, because we too are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across Canada, just like in the United States. A drug that we too want to see wiped from the face of this earth. A drug whose traffickers must be punished. As neighbours, we must work collaboratively to fix this. Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.

Full Speech

Man, I was so looking forward to go to New York in just three weeks. I booked all the stuff last year already, and I was convinced Kamala Harris would win the election. But now with the way things are going, I don't know if I can take the trip with a good feeling anymore. I know not everybody in the states is like trump and especially NY is leaning to the left as I heard. But I still don't want to support that shitty excuse for a government one bit. Luckily I booked a hotel that I can always cancel and get my money back. Can't do that with my flight, but that's just a few hundred bucks and it is money that is going towards a german company. Anyway, I don't know what to do and I'm looking for advice. What would you guys advise?

I'd say don’t let politics ruin your trip, but if it really doesn't sit right with you, then maybe postponing is the best call or travel somewhere that is warmer. Either way, do what feels right for you.

MAGA Republicans do not have any allies, aside from the country ran by a genocidal maniac, they do not care about anyone but themselves. They have no sense of cooperation or companionship. They will backstab every ally they have. It wasn't this way until Trump, every Republican before him, despite how much I strongly disagreed with them on many things, at least understood the importance of allies and friendship, we could still count on them to do the right thing by allies, unfortunately not anymore, American Republicanism now has zero redeeming qualities.

Now I see many braindead Americans screaming "What has Europe ever done for us!? Fuck them!" because their lord Trump says they should hate us and so they don't question it. After everything we've done, answering America's call after 9/11, coming to America's aid multiple times, dying in their stupid wars, the fact that America wouldn't even exist without France.

I don't see things improving anytime soon Tbh...Trump already fucked us in his first term, then Biden repaired all the damage but that just brings things back to the way they were before rather than better than before, then another Republican gets into power and fucks it all up again and we're constantly being spat in our face every new president, Republican Party is rotten to its core now and will continue this dive into far-right isolationism even after Trump fucks off.

To your dilemma, New York is fighting as hard as it can. I would go if I were you.

I'm the opposite. I enjoyed my time in Canada last year, and would like to go back and visit again. I have a buddy in London. After what Trump is doing to Canada, I don't feel like I would be welcome there, except maybe in Alberta. God knows I see enough snowbirds with Alberta plates from October to April.

So Trump gets into office, immediately cuts aviation security, then two plane crashes happen.
Here we see what DOGE is about.