"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - President Ronald Reagan
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda.....Trump and Ukraine, Europe and Ukraine, The State of the Union coming up this week...click to listen:
Indiana wants me: Did you hear that Indiana has a new employer? It is coming and bringing some economic development. Let's look at the story:
Honda opens new tab has decided to produce its next-generation Civic hybrid in the U.S. state of Indiana……
Did you hear that Indiana has a new employer? It is coming and bringing some economic development. Let’s look at the story:
Honda opens new tab has decided to produce its next-generation Civic hybrid in the U.S. state of Indiana, instead of Mexico, to avoid potential tariffs on one of its top-selling car models, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The change underscores how manufacturers are scrambling to adapt to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada. While several automakers have expressed concerns about the levies, Honda’s move is the first concrete measure by a major Japanese car company.
Japan’s second-largest automaker had initially planned to manufacture the next-generation Civic in Guanajuato, Mexico, according to the three people. Production was slated to start from November 2027, according to one of the people.
Mexico was chosen because rising costs were making it tough to produce the car in Indiana and Canada, one of them said.
It now plans to build the new Civic model in Indiana from May 2028 with an expected annual production of around 210,000, one of the people said. Honda would look to import from nations not hit by tariffs if production in Indiana falls short of demand, one of them said.
This is very significant and I think it goes beyond tariffs. I’ve heard from foreign businessmen that Mexico is no longer the cheap labor option that it used to be. Have you tried renting an apartment in Mexico City or Monterrey?
And I wouldn’t be surprised if the overall security situation was a factor here too. In other words, many of these executives move to Mexico with their families and some of their wives may not be thrilled with all the violence around them. We just learned that Guanajuato is called “Mexico’s most violent state, according to official homicide statistics.” My guess is that Indiana does not have that problem.
So maybe it’s all a coincidence and not related to the tariffs or the violence. Time will tell. In the meantime, don’t be surprised if you favorite oldies stations plays a song called “Indiana Wants Me.” It was not about cars but rather love and someone running away from the law.
In the 1930’s, Winston Churchill warned the UK and the world about Hitler’s Germany. After World War II, he warned us about the USSR and communist expansion.
On this day in 1946, former PM Winston Churchill of the UK spoke to the American people about the Soviet threat. It turned out to be one of the great speeches of the 20th century. This is one of the most remarkable lines:
From what I have seen of our Russian friends and Allies during the war, I am convinced that there is nothing they admire so much as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than for weakness, especially military weakness.
Mr. Churchill, who was a private citizen because of his defeat in 1945, did not speak to a joint session of Congress. Nevertheless, the impact of “The Iron Curtain” speech was awesome.
From that day forward, Churchill’s words about the Soviet threat were quoted by every president and Western leader. They inspired a new generation of leaders to contain the communist threat.
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Andy Gibb was born on this day in 1958. His career started in 1977 and then rode the Bee Gees' wave in the late 1970s.
Andy's hit songs were written and produced by Barry Gibb, his older brother. His first 3 singles were all # 1 in the US. Andy faded in the early 1980s and eventually died in 1988 at the very young age of 30. His music brings back a lot of memories from the late 1970's.
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Here we go again. Another liberal activist judge needs a “legal” spanking. Yes, I wrote “legal” so that I don’t get a visit from whoever protects the judges.
Anyway, another federal judge has misread the U.S. Constitution. They think that Article 2 only exists when a Democrat is in The White House. Let’s check the story:
Not unexpectedly, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has ruled that unelected bureaucrat, Hampton Dellinger, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel head has more unilateral power within the executive branch of government than President Donald Trump.
This ruling stems from the same mindset as former AG Bill Barr, former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy AG Sally Yates, former IC Inspector General Michael Atkinson, and the entire organization of professional Lawfare activists that includes Mary McCord, Andrew Weissmann and Norm Eisen. The collective belief is that in the modern “continuity of government” framework, the bureaucracy of government controls things, not the elected and plenary President.
Basic constitutional civics has been destroyed in the modern era by progressive advocacy saying the executive branch is an omnipotent organism that is not controlled by the duly elected President of the United States. Current Lawfare activists and activist judges seek to retain this bastardized view of constitutional government.
Let us hope the Supreme Court finally puts an end to decades of this ridiculous nonsense. The earlier ruling in the Presidential Immunity decision indicates SCOTUS is positioned to do exactly that.
Let’s hope that the SCOTUS 9 is positioning to act. I’d be happy with SCOTUS 6-3!
As my old 6th-grade school teacher used to say when the kids were full of themselves, the situation is out of control. Well, the judges are out of control. Too many liberal judges seeking some attention or trying to confront the Trump White House.
I guess that these judges is all that they have, but it’s time to stop it.
Happy birthday to Tom Grieve who was born in Massachusetts on this day in 1948. He became one of the most popular sports figures in North Texas. Tom Grieve came to Texas when the Senators moved here in 1972. His best season was 1976: 20 HR & 81 RBI.
Grieve's playing career ended in 1979 and joined the Rangers organization. As the team's general manager, from 1984 to 1994, the team developed Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzales, Kenny Rogers, Kevin Brown and a few others. He also traded a very young Sammy Sosa (a trade that I supported) and brought Nolan Ryan to the Rangers. The team finished second in 1991 and was in first place when the strike shutdown the 1994 season. Grieve was dismissed after that season when ownership brought in new management, from the front office to field manager. In 1995, Grieve joined the team's TV crew and has been a fan favorite ever since.
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On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln became the 16th president of the United States.
A few months before, Mr. Lincoln got only 40% of the popular vote but defeated Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Constitutional Union candidate John Bell, and Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator from Illinois.
The election did not settle any of the differences.
On inauguration day, seven states seceded. A bit later, the Confederate States of America were established with Jefferson Davis as its elected president.
One month later, the Civil War began when Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
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You foolish little Z: Most of us are still recovering from what we saw on TV on Friday. It's amazing just how foolish Zelensky looks every second, every minute that ticks by.
Maybe he just read his own press clippings too much, as John Kass wrote:
Most of us are still recovering from what we saw on TV on Friday. It’s amazing just how foolish Zelensky looks every second, every minute that ticks by.
Maybe he just read his own press clippings too much, as John Kass wrote:
The problem with acting like a tough guy is the chance that someday, you might be face-to-face with a real one.
Not a movie tough guy. But a real one.
And if you’re stupid enough to believe in your own bull(bleep)—and all that the smoke that CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and the rest of the corrupt legacy left-wing media blows up your behind — then you might make a real big mistake.
The mistake of talking like a tough guy with nothing in your hand but your own sweaty palm.
That’s what happened to Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky who participated in an unmitigated Oval Office disaster for himself and his nation in a sit-down with President Donald Trump.
The left wing media took his side and immediately condemned the Republican president, but Trump Derangement Syndrome and their partisan tribalism has blinded them to reality, just as it blinded Zelensky.
That’s right. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a talking point, but it does not have troops or resources. In other words, Putin fears Trump and laughs at those talking another TDS slogan.
This is painful for those of us who supported Ukraine. Yes, Putin invaded and I don’t send him birthday cards. He is willing to lose thousands more soldiers to keep fighting this war. Unfortunately, Ukraine can’t and their leader walked away from a mineral deal full of promise and security. It reminded me of a sales manager who yelled at me for leaving all that money on the table.
Maybe Z is exhausted and needs some time off. It happens. Maybe there is another person who can take over and realize that the answer to their problems goes through Trump. If someone steps up then this weekend’s videos will be another clip on YouTube. If not, then let Z persuade the “Allies” to send him money and the troops that they don’t have.
Maybe Z is exhausted and needs some time off. It happens. Maybe there is another person who can take over and realize that the answer to their problems goes through Trump.
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Before Joe DiMaggio, there was Willie Keeler's 45-game hitting sttreak. William Henry O’Kelleher was born on March 3, 1872, in Brooklyn, NY. He died in 1923. He became one of the best hitters of his time, as we see in this report from the SABR: a .341 career batting average and 2,932 hits in 2,123 games. By the way, 85% of his hits were singles! He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.
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As you may remember from your US history class, the 1876 election was one of the most controversial ever. Mr. Tilden won the popular vote but Mr. Hayes eventually earned enough electoral votes to become president when Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina finally reported their numbers. The delay was part of a negotiation to get Mr. Hayes to agree to remove federal troops from the South. On this day in 1877, Mr. Hayes was sworn in as the 19th president of the US in a private ceremony. The public inauguration was held two days later because March 4th was a Sunday.
Mr. Hayes' presidency was very difficult, in part because of the aforementioned election. He was defeated for reelection in 1880.
The spring that Sandy and Don didn’t show up: Before free agency, the players’ union, and big contracts, players held out to make more money.
Once upon a time, or in 1966, the defending L.A. Dodgers were looking forward to a repeat. They had arguably the best 1-2 pitching duo...
Before free agency, the players’ union, and big contracts, players held out to make more money.
Once upon a time, or in 1966, the defending L.A. Dodgers were looking forward to a repeat. They had arguably the best 1-2 pitching duo in baseball: right-hander Don Drysdale and the great lefty Sandy Koufax.
The best pitchers on the defending World Series champions were widely viewed as heretics in the context of their time. There was no free agency, no salary arbitration, and no power in the players’ union.
If a player did not like the salary dictated by management, he could stay home. So Koufax and Drysdale did, threatening by their absence to turn the Dodgers from the best team in the National League into an also-ran.
In the end, the pitchers got more money. The Dodgers got back to the World Series. The fans adored their heroes once again.
Within a decade, Marvin Miller had organized baseball’s players into what would become the most powerful union in American sports, breaking free of rules that bound them to their team until the team let them go.
But Miller did not start his job until Koufax and Drysdale were in the second week of their holdout, an event often overlooked in the chronicles of baseball’s labor history.
“We’ve come a very long way,” Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. “We owe a lot to our former players that fought for our rights.”
“He’s the type of guy who knows what’s right and would fight for it,” Kershaw said.
It was Feb. 23, 1966, and The Times splashed the headline across the top of the page: “Koufax, Drysdale Eye $1 Million Pact.”
A million dollars? I remember that spring and those Dodgers who had beaten the Twins in the 1965 World Series. And I recall joking with my parents about Koufax and Drysdale. My father laughed at the idea of a baseball player making that kind of money. I should add that my dad was working two jobs at the time, an office job and hotel bellboy on weekends. My mother said something in Spanish loosely translated to “I hope Koufax can get it because no one can hit the guy.”
As it turned out, they held out for 32 days and signed eventually for $130,000 (Koufax) and $105,000 (Drysdale). Those numbers sound silly now, but that’s how it used to be.
The US and the USSR clashed from this day until 1991 when the Soviet flag came down. One of those “clashes” was over missiles in Cuba in October 1962. The Truman biography is one of my favorites:
We remember Karen Carpenter who was born in Connecticut on this day in 1950. She died in 1983. Like many of you, I loved The Carpenters in the 1970's. They were one of the most popular brother-sister acts ever! My favorite Carpenters songs were "Close to you", "I Need To Be In Love" and "Goodbye to love". We miss Karen Carpenter. Her songs are still so good!
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Humberto Fernandez Perez was born in La Habana on this day in 1932. We remember him as Chico Fernandez, the first player of color on the Philadelphia Phillies and the first Latin regular position player on the Tigers. Chico signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 and started his minor league career. At one point, Chico and Sandy Amoros were roommates in Montreal, then the Dodgers' AAA franchise. He finally made it to the majors in July 1956 but did not play as a regular for the National League champs or see action in the World Series against the Yankees. In 1957, Chico was traded to Philadelphia and opened the season as the shortstop. He was traded to Detroit in 1962 and enjoyed his best year: 20 home runs, 59 RBI, 10 stolen bases and a .249 average. In 1970, he started selling for Metropolitan Life, became an active figure in the local Latin American commmunity and finally reunited with his parents who fled Cuba. He died in Florida in 2016.
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On this day in 1965, "The sound of music" was released in the US. A few years later, I remember taking my sister to watch the movie in a theatre. As time passed, I began to appreciate the story a lot more, specially the World War II context of the movie. I also found the movie soundtrack more enjoyable over time. It was indeed a great film and the music was wonderful!
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Back in the fall and winter of 1964, my brother and I started school in Wisconsin and would hear a lot about “Ricky Ricardo”. It did not take long for us to figure out that Lucy’s husband was the only Cuban that my friends knew anything about.
Desi Arnaz was born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III on this day in 1917. His father was a politician and mayor of Santiago de Cuba, or the second largest city in the island. In the 1930’s, Mr Arnaz sent Desi and his mother to the US. He joined them a little later.
We also remember him for “Desilu,” the TV production company that changed television and released many of the sitcoms that we grew up watching, such as Mannix, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.
Desi Arnaz, who came here in the 1930’s with his mother, became one of the most successful businessmen and executives of the 20th century. He died in 1986.
Back in 2012, Fernando Hernandez, author of “The Cubans” joined us for the story of Desi Arnaz, TV star and executive. Click below to hear the podcast.
On this day in 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game. Chamberlain hit 36 FG's and 28 foul shots, both league records.
Chamberlain retired from the NBA after the 1972-73 season. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and still holds a number of NBA records.
Wonder if anyone could score 100 today?
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Tags:Wilt Chamberlain 1962To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!
On March 2 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. It started years before when settlers came to Texas based on an agreement between Moses Austin and the new Mexican government. For about 10 years, Texas was an independent republic. Sam Houston was Texas’ first elected president. In 1845, Texas joined the Union as the 28th state, leading to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.
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In the 1930s, Mr. Arnaz sent Desi and his mother to the U.S. He joined them a little later. We understand that Mr. Arnaz had some political problems and decided to take a little “exile” in Florida.
In the U.S., Desi worked in odd jobs and eventually found himself playing “bongos” on stage.
In 1940, he met Lucy and they were married quickly. They worked separately for most the 1940s until the idea of “I Love Lucy” in 1951.
We also remember him for “Desilu,” the TV company that changed TV and produced many of the sitcoms that we grew up watching.
Desi Arnaz became one of the most successful businessmen and executives of the 20th century.
He died in 1986.
We spoke with Frank Burke, author, businessman & contributor to American Thinker........We remembered Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) and 'I love Lucy' plus the business story of 'Desilu'..........and other stories........click to listen: P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb's songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Barbra Streisand, Englebert Humperdink, Dionne Warwick, and many others.
In 1967, they hit the US market. At the end of '67, they recorded "Massachusetts", their biggest hit up to that moment. The album "Idea" was released in the summer of '68 and it featured "I've gotta get a message to you" & "I started a joke", a couple of Top 10 hits in the US and million sellers around the world.
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Murder in the White House: Years ago, someone suggested Murder in the White House, a book by Margaret Truman, the President's daughter. Honestly, I never read it. At the same time, I probably don't have to after watching the Zelenskyy visit with President Trump….
Years ago, someone suggested Murder in the White House, a book by Margaret Truman, the President’s daughter. Honestly, I never read it. At the same time, I probably don’t have to after watching the Zelenskyy visit with President Trump and VP Vance.
Let me tell you what happened because it was something to watch, or “good television” as the president said. This is the story:
Conversations about a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia came to a screeching halt Friday, after a tense meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led to a canceled press conference, a minerals deal off the table and Trump asking the Ukrainian president to leave, a White House official confirmed.
Trump accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting” the U.S. during their Friday meeting, and said the Ukrainian leader was not ready to secure peace for his country.
“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
It was worth watching. Like most of you, I was expecting the usual back and forth and we will see you at a press conference later. What we got was something else:
1) The leader of Ukraine is totally out of touch with reality. He can’t win a military victory. The war is destroying his country and killing who knows how many. It would have been smart to smile, say thanks to U.S. taxpayers, and express concerns in private. Instead, he picked a fight with the wrong guy.
2) The leader of the U.S. is not afraid to walk away from a bad situation. He did and the White House staff had a free lunch today. Wonder what was on the menu? I have not tried Ukrainian food.
So what happens next? I believe that Zelenskyy, or his replacement, will come back to finish the deal. It’s the only hope that Ukraine has.
Well, I guess that I won’t have to read about the murder in the White House after all. I saw it on TV and it was great.
