Bits n pieces, from east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

President Donald Trump recently levied tariffs of up to 12.5% on goods from over 60 countries, impacting 99.4% of all U.S. trade. He claimed it was to combat goods produced with “forced labor,” various media reported. Two small businesses quickly sued in the Court of International Trade, saying the new tariffs were a reinstatement of tariffs the Supreme Court said were unconstitutional.

Trump ally Laura Loomer, known for her conspiracy theories, recently visited Ukraine, prompting her to reverse her criticism of the country. She’s urging conservatives to not be duped by propaganda from Moscow, the AP reported. Loomer confessed to having been “bamboozled” by Russian propaganda, such as thinking Ukraine is a country “full of Nazis.” Influential podcasters can spread misinformation she lamented, adding, “some of our leaders are being influenced by propaganda.”

Measles cases have set a 35-year record, Axios wrote. Symptoms include cough, high fever, rash and conjunctivitis, and can morph into ear infections, pneumonia and brain inflammation -- which can lead to permanent brain damage and sometimes death. Herd immunity is maintained at 95% vaccination.

Sen. Andy Kim introduced to Congress the MediKids Act, which would automatically expand Medicaid to all U.S. children, ages birth through 26.

Polls show requiring voter ID has 75% support, Democracy Docket says. But when that makes it harder to vote, support declines. Trump’s SAVE America Act has just 37% support, due to concerns it would deny the vote to qualified voters. 

Trump thinks SAVE will create a long-term wave of Republican wins, but, DD points out, Dem voters are more likely to have items such as a SAVE-friendly passport ID as compared to Republicans. So the SAVE Act may make it harder for Republicans to vote, shrinking that voter base. The House recently passed the SAVE Act; that bill now faces a skeptical Senate.

Late last week the House passed a concurrent resolution (not a law), 214-208, to end the Iran war, various media reported. Four Republicans joined the Democrats. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) stated that others besides Iran pose a threat to the US, such as Russia and North Korea, but there’s no war with them. Crow, a former paratrooper and Army Ranger, added that “Americans are done with endless cycles of conflict in the Middle East,” which unfold while constituents lose homes, farms and health care and there is no answer to how is the war “making me safer? How is this improving my life?”

That same day the Senate took up a joint resolution (a potential law) to oppose the Iran War. It did not advance after a 47 to 49 vote, with four Republicans not voting.

After almost two weeks of daily attacks on Iran, Trump directed the military to stop strikes on Friday of last week, Axios reported.

A computer malfunction in New Jersey mistakenly said 6,600 non-citizens were registered to vote between 2023 and 2024. The Lever said 400 incorrectly voted, amounting to 0.00936% of total ballots -- what the Lever said was “negligible.” New Jersey’s governor, who was not in office at the time of the mishap, said the glitch was fixed and improper registrations were revoked.

Headlines, for brevity: U.S. Signs Deal to Help Saudis Obtain Nuclear Power [US companies would build and operate nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, in a deal said to leave “enrichment” by Saudis “wide open”]; Trump Asks Supreme Court to Allow Order Restricting Mail Voting; Instant Access to Trump’s Thoughts [via Truth Social] Now Costs $100,000 a Month; Florida’s nursing homes are bracing for life without Haitian TPS workers; Trump "border czar" says ICE officer in Maine killing should not have cleared vetting; [25] States sue Trump administration for withholding $148M in disaster aid over ‘unlawful’ election demands; Trump threatens to impose steep tariffs on generic drugs; Trump administration admitted it canceled grants to states that did not vote for him; Mass. revokes doctor's right to renew medical license after Jan. 6 attack [she had punched an officer], and, Space datacenters proposed by Musk and Bezos ‘catastrophic’ for planet, experts warn [the “staggering” pollution would significantly alter the earth’s atmosphere, space industry experts and environmental groups say].

War headlines: Hegseth estimates Iran war has cost $37.5 billion [the Pentagon estimates $100 billion]; U.S. officials: Sanctions could hurt Iran more than bombs; Trump Seems Trapped by War in Iran, Even as He Wields the World’s Biggest Hammer; Iran war heats up while US weapon stocks remain depleted, risking military’s ability to fight future wars; Trump says US will destroy a bridge or power plant [a war crime] for each Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz, and, [after the NATO summit] Iran threat prompted Air Force One swap [Trump’s haste to retrofit the Qatar-donated jet’s revamp compromised safety features and ballooned costs].

Blast from the (recent) past: Trump’s coveted triumphal arch requires Congressional approval, which has not occurred. In October of 2025 when a reporter saw an arch model and asked who it was for, Trump pointed at himself and said, “Me.”