Business
Republican senator details millions USAID spent on LGBT activism, terrorist groups

From LifeSiteNews
Expenditures include $2 million for “sex change” operations in Guatemala, $20 million for a Sesame Street-type children’s show in Iraq, $7.9 million to train media in Sri Lanka not to use “gendered” language, $1.5 million for LGBT activism in Jamaica, $3.9 million for LGBT activism in Macedonia, and even $10 million for meals for the Nusra front, an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Syria.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) took to the Senate floor to detail just some of ways the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been using American taxpayer dollars without the public’s knowledge or approval, making the case that it more than vindicates the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze.
The Trump State Department recently issued a 90-day freeze on foreign aid disbursed through USAID, citing millions in waste and ideologically-biased programs. With exceptions for certain food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt, the pause is meant to give the administration time to conduct a more thorough review of foreign aid to determine what permanent cuts should be made.
On February 6, Kennedy highlighted several examples of USAID funding uncovered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory group, which dramatically contrast with the popular assumption that USAID merely offers help to the poor and sick around the world.
Musk “found that USAID gave money to support electric vehicles in Vietnam—our money, taxpayer money,” Kennedy said. “He found that USAID gave money to a transgender clinic in India. I didn’t know that. I bet you the American people didn’t know that.
“He found that USAID gave $1.5 million to a Serbian LGBTQ group,” he continued. “They got $1.5 million to ‘advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.’ What else did Mr. Musk find that my colleagues don’t want to talk about?”
Other expenditures include $2 million for “sex change” operations in Guatemala, $20 million for a Sesame Street-type children’s show in Iraq, $7.9 million to train media in Sri Lanka not to use “gendered” language, $1.5 million for LGBT activism in Jamaica, $3.9 million for LGBT activism in Macedonia, and even $10 million for meals for the Nusra front, an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Syria.
“We’re not talking Cub Scout troops here,” Kennedy said of $122 million that USAID distributed to groups linked to terrorism, including “organizations in Gaza controlled by Hamas […] Why? Why? Why aren’t my colleagues talking about that? Can anyone answer that? Recipients of the money they found have, quote, ‘called for their lands to be cleansed from the impurity of Jews.’ That’s who we’re giving foreign aid to?”
“This has been going on for a week,” Kennedy told his colleagues. “People have been screaming like they’re part of a prison riot. ‘Oh, my God, look at what Musk is doing. He’s looking at the spending.’ And I’ve listened to people talk about the process and debate whether it’s constitutional and discuss how many lawyers can dance on the head of a pen. But you know what? I haven’t heard one single person who’s upset with President Trump or Mr. Musk talk about what he’s found.”
“Now, I am not saying everything that USAID does is wasted, but I am saying a lot of it is—a h-ll of a lot of it is—and we ought to be on the floor of this United States Senate thanking Mr. Musk, and we ought to be asking him to go through every agency and look at everybody’s budget—everybody’s budget,” the senator said.
As LifeSiteNews previously covered, the Biden administration also directed millions of dollars to pro-abortion organizations through USAID. Over the weekend, however, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from putting USAID employees on paid leave, in which critics are calling a particularly extreme case of judicial overreach.
Alberta
Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:
“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.
“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.
“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.
“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.
“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.
“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”
Business
Canada may escape the worst as Trump declares America’s economic independence with Liberation Day tariffs

MxM News
Quick Hit:
On Wednesday, President Trump declared a national emergency to implement a sweeping 10% baseline tariff on all imported goods, calling it a “Declaration of Economic Independence.” Trump said the tariffs would revitalize the domestic economy, declaring that, “April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn.”
Key Details:
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The baseline 10% tariff will take effect Saturday, while targeted “reciprocal” tariffs—20% on the EU, 24% on Japan, and 17% on Israel—begin April 9th. Trump also imposed 25% tariffs on most Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as on all foreign-made cars and auto parts, effective early Thursday.
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Trump justified the policy by citing foreign trade restrictions and long-standing deficits. He pointed to policies in Australia, the EU, Japan, and South Korea as examples of protectionist barriers that unfairly harm American workers and industries.
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The White House estimates the 10% tariff could generate $200 billion in revenue over the next decade. Officials say the added funds would help reduce the federal deficit while giving the U.S. stronger leverage in negotiations with countries running large trade surpluses.
Diving Deeper:
President Trump on Wednesday unveiled a broad new tariff policy affecting every imported product into the United States, marking what he described as the beginning of a new economic era. Declaring a national emergency from the White House Rose Garden, the president announced a new 10% baseline tariff on all imports, alongside steeper country-specific tariffs targeting longstanding trade imbalances.
“This is our Declaration of Economic Independence,” Trump said. “Factories will come roaring back into our country — and you see it happening already.”
The tariffs, which take effect Saturday, represent a substantial increase from the pre-Trump average U.S. tariff rate and are part of what the administration is calling “Liberation Day” for American industry. Reciprocal tariffs kick in April 9th, with the administration detailing specific rates—20% for the European Union, 24% for Japan, and 17% for Israel—based on calculations tied to bilateral trade deficits.
“From 1789 to 1913, we were a tariff-backed nation,” Trump said. “The United States was proportionately the wealthiest it has ever been.” He criticized the establishment of the income tax in 1913 and blamed the 1929 economic collapse on a departure from tariff-based policies.
To underscore the move’s long-anticipated nature, Trump noted he had been warning about unfair trade for decades. “If you look at my old speeches, where I was young and very handsome… I’d be talking about how we were being ripped off by these countries,” he quipped.
The president also used the moment to renew his push for broader economic reforms, urging Congress to eliminate federal taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits. He also proposed allowing Americans to write off interest on domestic auto loans.
Critics of the plan warned it could raise prices for consumers, noting inflation has already risen 22% under the Biden administration. However, Trump pointed to low inflation during his first term—when he imposed more targeted tariffs—as proof his strategy can work without sparking runaway costs.
White House officials reportedly described the new baseline rate as a guardrail against countries attempting to game the system. One official explained the methodology behind the reciprocal tariffs: “The trade deficit that we have with any given country is the sum of all trade practices, the sum of all cheating,” adding that the tariffs are “half of what they could be” because “the president is lenient and he wants to be kind to the world.”
In addition to Wednesday’s sweeping changes, Trump’s administration recently imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese goods tied to fentanyl smuggling and another 25% on steel and aluminum imports—revoking previous carve-outs for countries like Brazil and South Korea. Future tariffs on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and raw materials such as copper and lumber are reportedly under consideration.
Trump closed his remarks with a message to foreign leaders: “To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors… I say, ‘Terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers.’” He declared April 2nd “the day America’s destiny was reclaimed” and promised, “This will indeed be the golden age of America.”
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