A reminder. Economic indicators, excess fatalities.
Figure 1: EDB of PR Economic Activity Index (black, left scale), nonfarm payroll employment, (blue, right scale), civilian employment (red, right scale), both in 000’s, s.a. Trump administration period shaded light orange. Source: EDB, FRED.
Lest we forget the disaster of the Trump FEMA response, here are several independent assessments: DHS OIG have document exactly how poorly FEMA performed. Other analyses have documented the differential response that occurred in the same period — that is much larger responses to hurricane landfalls in Texas and Florida.
From Sandberg, et al. (July 2019) in Epidemiology:
But Texas and Florida have a lot of WHITE people and Puerto Rico does not. As Trump toadie Stephen Miller said at that MSG rally – American is for WHITE Americans.
Trump is making a case to Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania at the worst possible time
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-is-making-a-case-to-puerto-ricans-in-pennsylvania-at-the-worst-possible-time/ar-AA1t9EoO?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=c6b5db0edd7a4bb7bda818aa79fae3ff&ei=14
Trashing an entire group of Americans — and yes, Puerto Ricans are Americans and only don’t have a vote because of a shameful colonial legacy — would be a huge gaffe, even by Trump’s standards. It opened old wounds for Trump, given his poor management of Hurricane Maria in 2017, where he famously threw paper towels when visiting the island. In one of his most vile remarks, he appeared to claim that Puerto Ricans were lying about how many people died in the two hurricanes that hit during that time period. But the latest remarks have come at the worst possible time — as he was already set to visit Allentown, Pennsylvania as part of his final week of campaigning. While Allentown and much of the Lehigh Valley are associated with white working-class steelworkers, the area has seen its Hispanic population explode in the past decade. Hispanics now make up more than half of Allentown’s population.
And Harris could not have planned Trump’s rally better. Last week, Governor Tim Walz, Harris’s running mate, visited Allentown as part of the Harris campaign’s Hispanic outreach. Ironically, the same day as Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, Harris visited Allentown and released a video on her plan for Puerto Rico, which Bad Bunny shared on his Instagram account.
Trump lied about how many people died in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria and the incompetent response to this crisis from the Trump Administration. But guess who else lied about these deaths? Steven Koptis.
Going back to your post back in the day, Koptis was bad but his disdain for the citizens of Puerto Rico pails in comparison to the racism of Bruce Hall (no surprise), little Ricky Stryker, and gag … Peaktrader. One has to wonder if these four MAGA morons were at MSG laughing with glee at all the vile racist jokes.
EU slaps tariffs on Chinese EVs, risking Beijing backlash
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/eu-slaps-tariffs-on-chinese-evs-risking-beijing-backlash/ar-AA1t9oBI?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=02f72985cb2d4808a1e7441b82e88b55&ei=23
The European Union has decided to increase tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles to as much as 45.3% at the end of its highest profile investigation that has divided Europe and prompted retaliation from Beijing. Just over a year after launching its anti-subsidy probe, the European Commission will set out extra tariffs ranging from 7.8% for Tesla to 35.3% for China’s SAIC, on top of the EU’s standard 10% car import duty.
Only 45.3%?
It says China’s spare production capacity of three million EVs per year is twice the size of the EU market. Given 100% tariffs in the United States and Canada, the most obvious outlet for those EVs is Europe. Beijing has called the EU tariffs protectionist and damaging to EU-China relations and automotive supply chains, and has launched its own probes this year into imports of EU brandy, dairy and pork products in apparent retaliation.
I wonder if the average Chinese consumer will miss his brandy.