News Vérité

Already, in only a year and a half, Donald Trump has left his imprint (i.e., his name) on a few of his initiatives. Let’s see. We now have TrumpRx to purchase medicines. Plus, we have Trump Accounts, which function as 401(k)s for those younger than 18. I’m probably forgetting a few eponymous programs under our 47th president. But those two examples got me thinking: What if Trump had been around for the creation of earlier government initiatives? Put Trump in FDR’s shoes, and we’d have Trump Security instead of Social Security. How about the Trump Conservation Corps, instead of the Civilian Conservation Corps? Flash forward to LBJ. We’d now have TrumpCare instead of Medicare. What am I missing? Oh, yeah, Trump Assistance for Needy Families instead of Temporary Assistance. SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, would be Trump Nutrition Assistance Program. I think I’ve just explored the tip of the iceberg. Washington, District of Trump?

One year after President Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs reshaped American trade policy, the economic landscape remains defined not by the promised renaissance of domestic manufacturing, but by a chaotic cycle of judicial rebuke, fiscal hemorrhage, persistent consumer inflation, and targeted supply chain fragility. While the Supreme Court struck down the core of the tariff program, its economic consequences have proven remarkably stubborn, creating a scenario where the government is losing money on tariffs, consumers are still paying higher prices, and critical industries face new material shortages. The Fiscal Paradox: From Revenue Generator to Budget Drain The most dramatic economic impact of the post-ruling period is the complete reversal in tariff revenue dynamics. When the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in February 2026 that the President lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs, the decision triggered the largest tariff refund in American history. The government has now returned approximately $100 billion of the $165 billion collected under the now-illegal IEEPA authority, with over $128 billion in additional refund claims still pending processing. This refund avalanche has transformed tariffs from the federal government’s fastest-growing revenue source into a significant fiscal drain. Treasury Department data reveals

A Roman vessel shipwrecked off the coast of Sicily more than 2,000 years ago has been found. Onboard treasures include large jars believed to contain wine. Can you imagine, “Here, try our Roman Red, aged more than any wine in the world — some 2,000-plus years”? Hell, I’d try it, even though I quit drinking. The Roman-era shipwreck, probably dating from between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, was discovered about three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, Italy, in about 150 feet of seawater. Found in the shipwreck were hundreds of amphorae, or jars, often used to transport wine, but they were also used for grains and fuels. The Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, said of the discovery: “I congratulate the Carabinieri, their specialised units and the Sea Superintendency of the Sicilian Region for the expertise and dedication that made this result possible. The sea continues to give back precious fragments of our history and the wreck of Mazara del Vallo tells us about the people, the routes and the trade that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilisations. Research will continue to uncover its story and share it with the public.”