Tariffs on brass instruments, really?

I saw a post on Instagram last week about tariffs on brass instruments that I decided to follow up on here. KCCI has the story in Proposed 25% tariff on brass instruments raises concerns for music retailers, students.

WATE 6 On Your Side in Knoxville, Tennessee has more in Proposed 25% tariff on brass instruments could hike costs for school bands.

Brass instruments could soon become more expensive as the U.S. Department of Commerce has proposed a 25% tariff on brass-wind musical instruments, parts, and accessories. Brass-wind instruments are among 14 categories of products being considered for Section 232 tariffs on aluminum, steel, and copper.

I take this story personally, as I'm a brass player, having started off on French horn in middle school, switched to tuba in high school, which I also played in college and as an alumnus, and played baritone and contrabass bugle in drum corps, all brass instruments. Unless one thinks the brass instruments in military bands count, I don't consider brass instruments to be a national security issue. Also, it's not as if there is a lot of domestic production of brass instruments to protect, as WJHL mentions in 25% tariff proposal on brass instruments could spike costs for band students.

The U.S. Department of Commerce proposed a 25% tariff on imported brass-wind instruments, drawing negative feedback from local band programs and instrument shops.

U.S. instrument companies have offshored a lot of their production. Maybe these tariffs will bring some instrument manufacturing back to the U.S., but that will take a while. Tariffs will hurt music students now.

While this is serious business, it definitely seems a bit silly, so I'm closing with Trombones Are a "National Security Threat" Now | 84 Days | Paula Poundstone.

The administration declared brass instruments a national security threat. Paula Poundstone has a simpler idea. Today's thing: call your Representative and demand Trump be impeached. 84 days to November 3rd.

HAHAHAHAHA! But seriously, Congress has impeached Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump twice. Without convicting and removing him, it won't do any good. There aren't the votes to do any of that right now. It would be better to comment against this proposed tariff by August 27th and work to elect Democrats and independents who would provide majorities to impeach and convict Trump and his Cabinet officers next year.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for World Mosquito Day.

Flux City and Eric C Productions examine Fairlane Town Center, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day

I promised "an update on the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day," so I'm following through with Flux City examining Dearbo[r]n Michigan's Fairlane Mall and the Collapse of the Traditional Shopping Mall, a video my wife found — thanks!

In this episode, Eddy breaks down troubling reports that Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn may owe nearly $4 million in unpaid property taxes.

Drawing from personal memories of growing up in Metro Detroit and professional experience as a developer, Eddy explains why Fairlane Mall has long mattered to Dearborn and surrounding communities—and why this situation signals a much larger issue facing malls across the country. He explores how declining foot traffic, e-commerce, shifting consumer behavior, and outdated mall formats are putting pressure on once-dominant retail assets.

While I write about national and global issues, I'm still based in Metro Detroit, so I'm always happy to encounter relevant local creators like Eddy. They will uncover situations like Fairlane Town Center's that sources with a national focus wouldn't even notice. They will also hit close to home. Like Northland Mall, I shopped and mall-walked at Fairlane Town Center. That was more than 20 years ago, when I taught at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn. I found Fairlane Town Center impressive then, but the reality looks different now. Sigh.

Eddy described the current situation at Fairlane Town Center. Eric C Productions recounted the mall's history in Do You Remember Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn Michigan?

Fairlane Town Center is a super-regional shopping mall in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan. The mall is adjacent to The Henry Hotel, The Fairlane Club, the University of Michigan–Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College, The Henry Ford, and the Ford Motor Company headquarters. The anchor stores are Macy's and JCPenney, with vacant anchor spaces last occupied by AMC Theatres, Sears, and Ford Motor Company offices.

Following a major renovation in 2007, the mall features a large food court, full-service restaurants, several eateries, and merchandise for the urbanized market.[2] The mall is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Detroit, Wayne State University, or Metro Airport.

Eric C counts six anchor stores closing. Not really. Hudson's becoming Marshall Field's, which was then renamed to Macy's, were just changes in ownership and branding; the locations were still in business afterwards, and the Macy's is still open, so I count four, maybe three-and-one-half because of the change from Saks Fifth Avenue to Saks Off Fifth because of the change in location, footprint, and branding despite the continuity of ownership. That's still not good. Viewers can see the Retail Apocalypse in action through the late 2010s into the 2020s as stores and offices close.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

Small Business Saturday 2025 from National Day Calendar and NBC News

Happy Small Business Saturday! I begin today's celebration with Marlo Anderson of National Day Calendar hosting SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY - Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Small businesses feed our communities. They keep our main streets thriving and employ nearly half of the American workforce. Supporting small businesses means you're supporting your local economy, local business, tax base, schools, and infrastructure. Your holiday shopping will put food on the tables of people you know.

You will be doing your community some good, and you will also be finding quality gifts. Small businesses take pride in their work. They've worked hard for their dream, and it shows in their craftsmanship.

Anderson did a good job of reviewing the history of the holiday and its rationale. I would know; I've been observing Small Business Saturday since 2011, the first year of this blog and the second year of the special day.

For more detail, I turn to NBC News/NBC Select explaining How To Support Small Businesses this Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday a great day to shop small — business owners say 20% of their annual revenue will come from this year's event. However, it's important to shop small businesses all year long. NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin stopped by @NBCNews Now to talk all things supporting small.

Big businesses like At Home, Kohl's, Joann, Claire's, and Target aren't the only ones affected by tariffs; small businesses might be even more affected by them. This makes tariffs a sustainability issue, since I count shopping small and local as a sustainable action.

NBC News had more to say about today on TODAY. Watch this morning's Small Business Saturday 2025: Try These Tips for Shopping Local.

Small Business Saturday is an annual shopping day that encourages consumers to support local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. NBC’s Brian Cheung joins Saturday TODAY to share tips for shopping local, how to find small businesses and more.

In addition to reinforcing the points about the importance of Small Business Saturday to small businesses, Brian Cheung and the TODAY panel previewed Cyber Monday. I'm glad they did, because I'm not observing it this year. That's because it falls on December 1st, World AIDS Day. Since the Trump Administration canceled funding for World AIDS Day commemorations after 37 years, effectively meaning it won't celebrate the day officially, I'm going to celebrate it here all the more. Priorities.

That's a wrap for both today and the string of holiday posts. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature to close out September.

CNBC asks 'Can Claire’s Survive Its Second Bankruptcy?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse and tariffs

I promised "an evergreen educational entry" for today, and I suppose a tale of the Retail Apocalypse qualifies, so watch as CNBC asks Can Claire’s Survive Its Second Bankruptcy?

Claire’s has filed for its second bankruptcy in seven years. Despite attempts to modernize, the company has not been able to overcome challenges including stiff competition from players like Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop and increased costs related to tariffs. Watch the video to learn about the rise and fall of long-time American mall favorite Claire’s.

Competition with Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop and tariffs — the first formed a major reason behind Forever 21 filing for bankruptcy and closing all U.S. stores while the second contributed to Joann and At Home filing for bankruptcy. They may have been the first chains that blamed those factors, but they won't be the last. Of course, private equity played a part in the story, but CNBC didn't identify them as the cause of the debt Claire's couldn't pay. I may have to wait until Company Man or Bright Sun Films cover the chain to confirm that. Retail Archaeology? Erik examined the first bankruptcy seven years ago. I'll get to that.

As for what the future holds, the following graphic shows that Claire's is in bad company.


I already mentioned Joann and Forever 21. Add in Party City, Rite Aid, Tuesday Morning, Rue21, and Z Gallerie, and the list becomes a who's who of chains that no longer have physical locations in the U.S. or, in the case of Rite Aid, will soon close them. At least David's Bridal and True Religion Apparel still have stores open, but 20% odds are not good.

Now for a video I should have posted seven years ago, Claire's: BANKRUPTCY! | Dead Mall & Retail Documentary | Retail Archaeology.

In this episode we take a look at Claire's, a retailer that operates in 95% of malls in the United States. In March of 2018 Claire's filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

That was fun, if not all that informative. Still, better late than never.

I expect to see more about Claire's from the usual sources. When I do, I'll post it here. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next installment about Emmy Awards nominees.

'The Big Beautiful Bill, Explained' by Leeja Miller

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which I'm going to call the Big Brutal Bill, is still being debated (really, the House version of a filibuster) as I type this and I'm getting tired of waiting for a vote, which looks like it will pass, so I'm embedding The Big Beautiful Bill, Explained by Leeja Miller.

The House is poised to pass Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act as soon as they can iron out the details. Most of the worst parts of this bill are set in stone at this point, so let's break down what's in this nearly 1000 page monster and how it will impact you.

I agree with Miller that Republicans are much better at messaging than Democrats, particularly so with Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump and what I called "his feral instincts for self-promotion, dominance, and survival," particularly his talent for self-promotion. That's frustrating, but I chalk the difference up to liberals and progressives being rational while conservatives are irrational. This isn't my take; it's the late Jerry Pournelle's, a conservative. Conservatives' irrationality connects them better to emotions, so the tell more effective stories than liberals, who have better command of facts and reason. Those aren't enough to persuade a consistent majority, so liberals need to get more in touch with voters' emotions to win. This includes better marketing of our ideas.

John Oliver concentrated on the loss of health and food benefits in the video I embedded yesterday, so I'm commenting on the changes in taxes, education, and immigration enforcement. For the bottom 40-60%, the lowered taxes will not offset the loss of benefits, so the majority of Americans will be worse off. On the other hand, the top 40% and especially the top 20% will be better off, at least in terms of lower taxes vs. any lost federal benefits. One of those benefits is education, particularly student loans and other federal aid. This looks like part of the implementation of Project 2025 along with a goal of Curtis "Mencius Moldbug" Yarvin to reduce the power and influence of educated professionals. As I wrote the last time I featured Miller, "That makes his ideas personal to me, as I'm an educated professional."

The Big Brutal Bill's effect on immigration enforcement deserves its own post along with its own version of The tax bill and the U.S. economy in 2018 and beyond. In the meantime, I'm sharing this image Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler used to illustrate Stephen Miller’s War on Cancer Cures.


Leeja Miller didn't even mention what the Big Brutal Bill did to science research beyond increased tax benefits to corporations for research and development; I doubt that will make up for loss of federal support to basic research in dollars spent and it will certainly change what research takes place. This image shows where that money is going to, defense and homeland security, especially immigration enforcement. Priorities in action. Speaking of which...

It’s not just that Russ Vought and Stephen Miller are cutting AIDS prevention and cancer research. They’re doing so to pay for Miller’s gulag. Miller is cutting your access to health care and cancer cures to pay to deport your nurse assistant and cancer researchers (and, given the unnecessary bump in DOD spending, to invade Canada to take their health care away too).

Given how Canada has responded to Hoover Cleveland's threats, I'd be more worried about Greenland.

I've had enough DOOM for today. Stay tuned for the 4th of July. No Kings!

John Oliver dissects 'Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill'

It's time to return to the U.S. after Canada Day with John Oliver dissecting Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill on Last Week Tonight.

John Oliver discusses Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” what will happen if it’s passed, and what it has in common with Apple’s Terms and Conditions.

Since this episode aired on Sunday night, it passed the Senate 51-50 with JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. It hasn't gone back to the House as of my writing this entry, but it won't take long because Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump wants it passed by July 4th. If (when) the House passes the Senate version, it would make my prediction in Elon Musk calls budget bill 'a disgusting abomination' - MSNBC reports true, "What Musk wants will probably make the final result crueler, not kinder." As Oliver described, the bill is plenty cruel already.

Speaking of cruel, take Joni "Joni Hearse" Ernst.

I've never mentioned Joni Ernst on this blog before, but I've known she had a mean streak that she portrayed as toughness since she first ran for U.S. Senate in 2014. It looks like what I wrote in I ask The Archdruid and his readers 'Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?' A Festivus airing of grievances came true for her.

Greer's premise/conceit is that Trump is like The King in Yellow and drives mad all who oppose him. I'd say he drives just about everyone mad by giving them permission to be their worst selves.

I'd say Senator Ernst succumbed to the curse. May the rest of us not follow suit.

I think The King in Orange's curse has affected Speaker Mike Johnson and Dr. Oz, too.

Whether the House passes the Senate version or it has to go to a conference committee first, some version of this budget and tax bill will pass. When that happens, it will deserve its version of The tax bill and the U.S. economy in 2018 and beyond. I'll save that for later. In the meantime, I'm closing with something a lot more fun, Meet the Moon Mammoths.


 Michael F. explained in a comment: "For those out of the loop: John Oliver got the Erie minor league baseball team to agree to change their name and mascot to anything the show could come up with. This Sunday, he revealed their new name is the Erie Moon Mammoths!" As a paleontologist and space enthusiast, I approve!

Speaking of space, I know today is World UFO Day, but I decided the "Big [not so] Beautiful Bill" was more timely and important. Priorities.

Company Man asks 'Kohl's - The Rise and Fall?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I closed At Home files for bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and tariffs with an observation and program note: "Erik mentioned Kohl's in his video. They're next. Stay tuned." Watch Company Man ask Kohl's - The Rise and Fall?

America's largest department store chain has been having trouble. This video explores the company's initial rise before trying to identify five of the main reasons behind its recent struggles.

Here are Company Man Mike's five reasons for Kohl's struggles.


Kohl's inventory issues are the opposite of Joann's, which suffered from too little inventory, not too much. That's difficult to solve if the suppliers aren't there. Too much inventory? Reduce price and clear it out. That's easy, even if it results in a loss, as happened in 2022.

Poor leadership is an issue Company Man Mike has seen lots of, most recently in Rite Aid and Walgreens. Ashley Buchanan's actions during his tenure were scandalous enough that Erik of Retail Archaeology remarked on them in his video, What Is Going On At Kohl's.

Let's take a look at what is going on Kohl's.

Looks like Buchanan was thinking with the wrong head. Good riddance! Also, watching this explains why Erik made the comparison to Kohl's in his video about At Home.

Back to Company Man Mike's list. External factors include both the pandemic and tariffs, the former of which has been an ongoing issue this decade and the latter looks like one I'll keep seeing as long as Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump is in office. Sigh.

Both Company Man Mike and Erik noted the Sephora store-within-a-store replacing the jewelry display could be a mistake, although Company Man Mike tied it into identity issues. Alienating core customers while trying to attract new ones is something he saw in Hooters. I personally saw this in drum corps during the 1990s and early 2000s as DCI decided that high school band kids were the future, while the alumni were the past. The alumni were pissed, but DCI won that contest, a conflict I partially described in The Archdruid and I talk drum corps. This isn't the post for the rest.*

Too much debt is always an issue, but the reason Company Man Mike gives for the debt, Kohl's pursuing stock buybacks and increasing dividends instead of investing in the company, is relatively rare, which I mentioned in Company Man asks 'The Decline of Weight Watchers...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse (and Ozempic).

While I've often seen private equity as a cause of debt leading to failure, I've come across stock buybacks by themselves just three times, and only seen both once in the case of Ruby Tuesday. Now I can say I've run across the combination twice.

At least private equity doesn't seem to be one of the reasons for Kohl's struggles.

I may have one more Retail Apocalypse post tomorrow, or I might change subjects. Stay tuned to see which I do.

*Drum corps season begins tomorrow, so I'm not surprised this comparison occurred to me.

At Home files for bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and tariffs

The next tale of the Retail Apocalypse after Rite Aid filing for bankruptcy again comes from Erik of Retail Archaeology, whose most recent video is At Home: Another Private Equity Bankruptcy.

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we check out At Home, a huge home goods and decor store that is about to file for bankruptcy.

Listening to Erik's history of the company made me think of three factors I've encountered before with troubled stores. First, Garden Ridge, At Home's previous name, filing for bankruptcy in 2004, reminded me of what I wrote most recently about Rite Aid, "Most of the chains succumbing during the Retail Apocalypse were already in trouble..." At Home is one of them. Next, "line go up" in 2020 reflected what happened to Joann and Big Lots!. "Both thrived during the pandemic because people were at home, then suffered once people returned to work." Third, I've often seen private equity as a cause of debt leading to failure, most recently in the case of Weight Watchers. Erik wasted no time pointing that out in the video title.

On the other hand, he was not as convinced about tariffs as a cause other than the final nail in the coffin, which he said as a voice over while showing Halloween decorations. I'm surprised he didn't mention Spirit Halloween as a competitor along with Walmart, Target, and Wayfair.

I've seen Erik criticize a chain's business model before, but never this relentlessly. Also, this is the first time I remember hearing him credit HGTV for a company's success, however fleeting, although I think he's onto something.

Erik thought that At Home might file for bankruptcy the day he uploaded his video. He was only off by one day, as WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, North Carolina uploaded Popular home goods store 'At Home' announces bankruptcy amid tariff strain on June 16, 2025.

At Home's CEO partly blames tariffs for the company's decision to close stores.

At Home may be the first retailer to declare bankruptcy because of tariffs, but it almost certainly won't be the last. I wrote Tariffs from the U.S.-China trade war are likely to accelerate the Retail Apocalypse in May 2019. That didn't happen then, but it looks like it's happening now. Sometimes I wish I wasn't right.

I'm finishing with a local angle on this story from CBS News Detroit, At Home retail chain files for bankruptcy.

Home decor and furniture retailer, At Home, is filing for bankruptcy. The retail chain has more than 200 locations in the United States.

Two of those locations are not just in Michigan and Metro Detroit, but in Oakland County. I think the one in Troy is in an old Sears location. That's not a good omen, but no Michigan locations are on the store closing list.

Erik mentioned Kohl's in his video. They're next. Stay tuned.

Elon Musk calls budget bill 'a disgusting abomination' — MSNBC reports

Sorry, no results of the primary elections in New Jersey and Virginia today. Those will happen in two weeks. Instead, I'm revisiting Elon Musk leaving with MSNBC reporting Lawrence: And on day 134, Musk turned against Trump.

Democrats can now call the Donald Trump-Republican budget bill a "disgusting abomination" and they’d be quoting Elon Musk every time they do it, says MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell. Now that the budget bill is in the Senate, Lawrence explains that Republican senators are now able to stop the bill or risk Musk funding an opponent in their reelection campaign to the Senate next year.

When I read or heard speculation on when, not if, Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump and Elon Musk would have a falling out, the assumption would be that Hoover Cleveland would initiate it. Nope. I guess Musk is the bigger prima donna. Surprise! What's not a surprise is that Musk is doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. What Musk wants will probably make the final result crueler, not kinder.

The drama continued on MSNBC's Morning Joe, which uploaded Musk ‘wrecked the White House’s afternoon’ savaging Trump’s signature agenda this morning.

Elon Musk issued a blistering criticism of the massive Republican bill for President Donald Trump’s agenda Tuesday, posting on X that it is a "disgusting abomination." "I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore," Musk wrote. "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. The Morning Joe panel discusses.

MSNBC quoted Axios's reporting, which listed four reasons for Musk opposing the budget bill, none of which involve increasing the deficit, and all of which harm him, or at least make him look and feel bad.


With Hoover Cleveland withdrawing Jared Issacman, I might get my wish that he'd appoint Newt Gingrich as NASA Administrator. As I wrote seven years ago, "I could live with that."

Hoover Cleveland hasn't responded directly to Musk's criticism of the bill as I'm writing this, but he did something related, as MSNBC reported White House sends Congress request for $9.4B in DOGE cuts.

The White House sent congressional leaders a request Tuesday to claw back $9.4 billion in approved spending, most of it for foreign aid.

This would codify much of "Elon Musk's...Chainsaw Massacre of our federal workforce" and is a sign that what Musk wants would indeed make the budget bill crueler. Ugh.

That's a wrap for today's topical post. Stay tuned for the next installment in my coverage of the News & Doc Emmy Awards tomorrow, when I plan on examining The Sixth and the rest of the nominees for Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary.

'SNL' celebrates Mother's Day 2025

Happy Mother's Day! I'm celebrating with highlights of last night's Saturday Night Live, beginning with Trump Mother's Day Cold Open.

A mother's day message from Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernández gets interrupted by President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson).

Of course Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump would make it about himself. At least the viewers got the return of Cecily Strong to play Jeanine Pirro. As I wrote two days ago, "Break out the w(h)ine!"

The Mother's Day celebration continued with Walton Goggins Monologue.

First-time host Walton Goggins talks about his character in The White Lotus and becoming a sex symbol in his 50s before dancing with his mom for Mother's Day.

That was fun, sweet, and short. I like all three!

Follow over the jump for Weekend Update and selected skits.

Meyers, Lydic, and Kimmel take closer looks at meeting with Canadian Prime Minister on Throwback Thursday

Happy Throwback Thursday! Before I take a look back at last year's blogging, I'm sharing Carney Tells Trump Canada "Not for Sale," Trump Offends Catholics with AI Pope Image: A Closer Look from Seth Meyers.

Seth takes a closer look at Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, telling Donald Trump that Canada will never be the 51st state.

Time for me to repeat my crackpot idea about incorporating Canada into the U.S. from Meyers, The Daily Show, and Kimmel take closer looks at Trump's designs on Greenland and Canada.

I'd only be in favor of that if each Canadian province were admitted as the 53rd through 62nd states after Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. That's only slightly more likely than "a new constitution that replaces the republic with a constitutional monarchy and invite[s] Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor to be Queen." Monkeys will fly out of my butt first.

I amended that with "maybe not Prince Edward Island; they might have to rejoin Nova Scotia first." Also, anyone who thinks Canadians are nice, polite people have never seen them at a hockey game!

The Daily Show examined the meeting in Canada PM Carney Friend-Zones Trump & Real ID Brings Out the Karens the night before.

Desi Lydic recaps Trump's oblivious reaction to getting friend-zoned by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and prepares for a summer of s***ty air travel as the Real ID deadline approaches and Newark Airport spirals into more chaos.

"You never met her, because she lives up in Canada — oh, that excuse doesn't work." That sounds familiar — "my girlfriend goes to another school/was in summer camp with me/lives in Canada, so you don't know her. I resemble that last remark; the ex-girlfriend I write about the most was living in Canada while we were dating." As for the rest of the segment, I'm glad I got Real ID two years ago and the crash in January was only the beginning of problems with air travel.

I close the above the jump part of this post with Jimmy Kimmel's monologue, Trump Makes Hollywood Great Again & Canadian Prime Minister Shuts Down Becoming 51st State.

The stars came out for the annual Met Gala last night and there were many creatively-preposterous outfits on display, Jimmy has thoughts on people using the word “giving,” Trump met with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, he is planning to slap a 100% on any movies filmed outside the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent might need to be unplugged and plugged back in, Trump had a press conference to announce that the 2027 NFL Draft will take place on the National Mall in DC, he signed an executive order aimed raising awareness for mental health, Skype is now in internet heaven, and in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day we give Americans the chance to apologize to their teachers.

Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's proposal to assess 100% tariffs on movies produced overseas will hurt Canada, especially Vancouver, who benefits from American studios shooting films and TV shows there, as I described in Vox explains 'Why your favorite movies fake their locations' plus the Leo Awards. That might not work out the way Hoover Cleveland thinks it will. I might get to that later. In the meantime, follow over the jump for a retrospective of last year's most read comedy posts about the 2024 election where Hoover Cleveland was not the focus, just to remind my readers of the alternative.

Stewart, Meyers, Colbert, and Kimmel take closer looks at Trump's first 100 days for Wayback Wednesday

Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's second administration just passed its first 100 days, so it's time for a look back beginning with Jon on Trump's First 100 Days: Destroying America's Reputation, Economy, & Leverage on The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart takes a look at Trump’s first 100 days: from plummeting approval ratings to unfulfilled promises on immigration, health, and the economy, to destroying his reputation as a shrewd negotiator with China and Ukraine[.]

"Suck it, Herbert Hoover!" That's yet another reason for me to call him Hoover Cleveland, although Hoover wasn't unpopular until after the Great Depression hit. That took a year; we're not waiting that long.

Hoover Cleveland claiming things are going great because he's making bank while posting record low poll numbers is enough to repeat what I wrote in George Santos sues Jimmy Kimmel and Trump sells sneakers, "[H]e has long had a very bad case of 'L'État, c'est moi.' As far as he's concerned, he is the country. He's also the worst president..." I may have more opportunities to connect those two thoughts.

I'm letting davidarcherd9868's comment on the video speak for me about what the economy.

Donald Trump promised that if I voted for Kamala Harris, I would experience the worst economy in recent American history. Turns out, he was right. I voted for Kamala Harris and am experiencing the worst economy in recent American History.

I voted for Harris, so I can say it's not my fault. On the other hand, I'm repurposing what I wrote at the end of John Oliver examines RFK Jr. & HHS, "Trump supporters like the Archdruid and his readers actually approve of what he's doing. I have another post planned about them."

Before I move on, I've been warning about China restricting exports of rare earth elements for years. I wish I were more surprised that China followed through.

Follow over the jump for more monologues about Hoover Cleveland's first 100 days.

'Holy Smokes' and other comedy for Easter on 420 Day

I'm not the only one wishing a hoppy Easter on 4/20. Stephen Colbert did as well in Thursday night's monologue, Happy Easter And 4/20 | The Trump Whisperer | We Found Aliens! | Was Blue Origin Space Flight Faked?.

Whoever came up with our Easter traditions must have been really stoned, Italy’s new prime minister paid a visit to the White House, scientists may have discovered living organisms on a distant planet, and idiots online are insisting that Gayle King and Katy Perry didn’t really go to space.

Being stoned has little to do with our Easter traditions conflicting with each other. GaudyMarko explained in a comment.

Fun fact but Easter used to be a pagan holiday that celebrated the spring equinox and fertility before it got rebranded as a christian holiday. The rabbits, eggs, and even the name are all cultural reminants that predate christian influences. Hence the weird mismatch in themes.

Trueflights reinforced the point.

To be fair, most of the traditional Easter symbolism was stolen from the Pagan fertility holiday that happens around the same time. That is why you have bunnies (who reproduce quickly), chocolate (which is an aphrodisiac), and eggs (another fertility symbol).

This sounds familiar, as something similar happened with Christmas trees.

One part of the monologue that the video description missed involved Hoover Cleveland's proposed budget cutting FDA inspectors and NIH and CDC research. Three commenters weighed in on both. First, PC-kd7dj wrote, "No food inspection in U.S.? Now that should get other countries to increase food imports from us :_D" The other two reacted to the clip of RFK Jr. AlliePetty wrote, "That clip of RFK Jr talking about taking LSD just so he can see dinosaurs would be sufficient evidence against him to have kept him from becoming a cabinet member in any normal administration..." Too bad this is not a normal administration. Finally, SuperNov4 spoke for me with "I really need a warning before the rfk slaps on the screen, it's like nails on a chalkboard. What he says and how he speaks it's all garbage." I second that emotion.

Stephen celebrated Easter earlier in Wednesday night's First Drafts: Easter 2025 with Evie Colbert.

The fabulous Evie McGee Colbert stops by The Late Show to help Stephen select the perfect greeting card for Easter.

I should watch more "First Drafts" videos; they're cute, even when they're talking about death.

I'm returning to Thursday night's show for Meanwhile… Fatty Tuna | Drugs In The Water | Roman Tax Cheats | Lab-Grown Chicken Nuggets.

Meanwhile… A new machine can tell how much fat is in tuna meat, wild salmon exposed to anxiety drugs took more risks, ancient Romans fed tax evaders to leopards, and scientists grew real “chicken” meat in a lab.

Science, animals, and more drugs! Also, the Webby Awards qualify today's post as the Sunday entertainment feature. I love awards shows!

I close with Trump Easter 2025 Cold Open - SNL.

Jesus Christ (Mikey Day) and his disciples (Kenan Thompson, Andrew Dismukes, Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim, Emil Wakim, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, Jane Wickline) get interrupted by President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) during the cleansing of the Temple.

That made a worthy third part of the trilogy that began with James Austin Johnson's 'Trump' hijacks the Last Supper on 'SNL' for Easter and continued with 'Trump' hijacks the Resurrection to sell Bibles on 'SNL' for Easter.  That written, I'm not sure I want to see a part four.

That's a wrap for today's double holiday celebration. I don't know what I'm writing about tomorrow, so stay tuned to find out.

Randy Rainbow sings 'Fees, Fees, Fees' for Wayback Wednesday

Happy Wayback Wednesday! I promised something fun today, and I have it. Watch and listen to Randy Rainbow sing Fees, Fees, Fees.

Parody of “Please, Please, Please” by Sabrina Carpenter, Amy Allen, and Jack Antonoff

I wrote, "As for Hoover Cleveland, I'm sure he'll have much more to say about him," last month and Randy delivered!

It turns out I haven't heard the original, which I listed among Espresso's GRAMMY nominations for Espresso Day, so I'm sharing Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please (Official Video).

Music video by Sabrina Carpenter performing Please Please Please.© 2024 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Randy could have gone much darker, making his parody about crime as well as convicted criminal Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's tariffs and stock market crash. As I wrote on Bluesky last month, "Elect a criminal, expect crimes."

Elect a criminal, expect crimes.

— Vince Lamb (@vincelamb.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 11:26 PM

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the top posts featuring Randy during the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

CNBC explains 'How The IRS Layoffs Will Impact Your Taxes And Refunds' for Tax Day

For Tax Day, I'm sharing CNBC explaining How The IRS Layoffs Will Impact Your Taxes And Refunds.

Thousands of employees at the Internal Revenue Service have lost their jobs in recent months as part of widespread cuts to federal spending by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The layoffs could impact essential functions at the agency during the height of tax season, from audits and collection enforcement to processing tax returns and refunds.

I'm repeating what I wrote two years ago.

Why am I not surprised that the "Satan Sandwich" budget sequestration deal and 2017 tax bill both played major parts in the shrinking of the IRS, that the Inflation Reduction Act is restoring that lost funding and staffing, and that the Republicans in Congress are seeking to reverse the IRA's increased funding of the IRS as part of raising the debt ceiling? Because I've been watching Washington long enough to see history rhyme, if not repeat.

When Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump became President the first time, the result was the 2017 tax bill, the tax cuts from which will expire in 2026. Those will almost certainly be extended, so history will repeat again. What's different this time is Trump's "shock and awful" and especially "Elon Musk's...Chainsaw Massacre of our federal workforce." It feels like any good deed Biden (and Obama and Clinton, if possible) did must be undone, if not destroyed, just like Hoover Cleveland crashing the plane of the economy after Biden piloted to a soft landing. Ugh.

So far, as CNBC pointed out, the cuts have not affected service for middle-class Americans. My wife filed our taxes last week and we should get our refund tomorrow, for example. They will reduce enforcement on the weathiest 1%, resulting in non-collection of $1 billion. Way for Hoover Cleveland and Elon Musk to look after themselves and their fellow billionaires. That's not the kind of class solidarity we need.

Enough about taxes. Stay tuned for Wayback Wednesday tomorrow. I have something fun planned.

'SNL' laughs at Trump's tariffs and stock market crash

I closed the body of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' for First Contact Day, a holiday special with a program note.

In the meantime, Stay tuned for the highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live. Let's see how they make tariffs and a stock market crash funny.

Watch Trump Tariff Cold Open to find out.

President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) addresses his tariffs and their impact on the stock market during a speech.

That explanation of the tariff equation made about as much sense as the real one and was a lot more fun. Also, James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump will be very disappointed to find the real McDonald Island is a cold place inhabited by penguins, not a tropical paradise with fast food. That's ironic since my original nickname for Hoover Cleveland was The Penguin. Weekend Update acknowledged that fact in Trump Tariffs Cause $6 Trillion Loss, Tesla Stock Plummets 10%.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Trump imposing worldwide tariffs.

Six trillion dollars lost in one week? Yikes! Speaking of lost money, the next segment featured Retail Apocalypse news, Hooters Files for Bankruptcy, Subway Unveils Footlong Doritos Nachos.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like a 1-year-old eating his grandfather's ashes.

Hooters' bankruptcy deserves more than a one-liner declaring the chain's business model a bust, so I plan on blogging about it tomorrow or Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Follow over the jump for the rest of last night's highlights.

Kosta, Colbert, and Meyers take closer looks at tariffs on Flashback Friday

Yesterday's bad news was tariffs and, of course, tariffs were the story that stuck around. The Daily Show was among the shows that featured them as the topic of their monologues. Since it had the best preview image, I'm sharing Trump’s Tariffs Send Markets Plunging and Penguins Waddling to a Trade War first.

Michael Kosta recaps Trump's tariffs fallout, from a stock market crash to cabinet officials taking to the airwaves to cheerlead the move. Plus, Grace Kuhlenschmidt checks in on the penguins who now find themselves in a trade war.

Imposing tariffs on a territory inhabited only by penguins was the funniest thing about this mess. It shows that Hoover Cleveland and whoever was actually doing his work just went down a list and assigned tariffs without checking to see if any people actually lived there. *Eye roll* I'd say we're living in Idiocracy except that's science fiction that takes place in the 26th Century. We're really living in a kakistocracy, "government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens." How about all three?

Speaking of "the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens," the title of Stephen Colbert's monologue was Trump Jets Off To Watch Golf After Triggering Global Market Meltdown | No Tariffs On Russia.

President Trump's tariff announcement, which sent stocks into a nosedive and enraged America's allies around the world, mysteriously excluded one major country: Russia.

No tariffs on Russia? I'm not surprised. As I wrote yesterday, "Maybe it's good for his fellow billionaires, including Vladimir Putin, his partner in a bad bromance. I have long had my suspicions." This just reinforces them.

My wife and I watched both Colbert and Seth Meyers, who examined the situation in Trump's Insane Tariff Plan Tanks Stock Market, Risks Economic Collapse as Prices Rise: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump implementing massive tariffs on almost every country in the world, raising prices for American consumers, escalating a pointless trade war with allies and pushing the economy into a self-inflicted meltdown.

Seth mentioned his wife's shopping list, which reminds me that my wife went shopping at Costco yesterday. She said it reminded her of the early days of the pandemic, when everyone was buying toilet paper, including her. Doom spending, anyone?

I close this portion of the post with the cold open of The Late Show, The World Reacts To Trump's Tariffs.

The president thinks his man-made economic disaster is going "very well."

He would think so. In reality, we're partying like it's 1929.

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the top posts from last year featuring late-night talk-show hosts examining Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's second term so far to observe Flashback Friday.

Colbert, Kosta, and Meyers take closer looks at tariffs, Wisconsin, and Cory Booker

It's been a minute since I compiled the monologues of the late-night talk show hosts, so I'm returning with Stephen Colbert laughing at Trump Risks Historic Economic Damage | Musk Crushed In Wisconsin | Sen. Booker's Marathon Speech so he and his audience don't have to cry.

President Trump announced new tariffs which economists warn could plunge the world into a depression, Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly rejected Elon Musk's preferred candidate for the state's Supreme Court, and Senator Cory Booker spoke for a record-breaking 25 hours on the Senate floor in protest of Trump's actions.

I call Trump Hoover Cleveland because he was the first president since Herbert Hoover to leave the Oval Office with fewer Americans employed than when he entered. His tariffs could repeat that. The only thing that could save him is that he's doing it so early in his second term. Still, it wasn't necessary for the good of the country. As I wrote in Forever 21 files for bankruptcy and will close all U.S. stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and repeated in CNBC explains 'What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More':

If the U.S. does go into recession this year, it won't be because of internal economic forces, but because of government interference, which normally tries to cushion against economic downturns. Biden piloted the U.S. economy to a soft landing, then Hoover Cleveland tries to crash the plane anyway!

I'm not even sure it's good for Hoover Cleveland, although he might think so. As I wrote in George Santos sues Jimmy Kimmel and Trump sells sneakers, "he has long had a very bad case of 'L'État, c'est moi.' As far as he's concerned, he is the country." Maybe it's good for his fellow billionaires, including Vladimir Putin, his partner in a bad bromance. I have long had my suspicions.

Michael Kosta at The Daily Show covered the same stories with the assistance of Desi Lydic, but scrambled their order, in Trump Launches "Liberation Day" Tariffs & Cory Booker's Speech Breaks Senate Record.

Michael Kosta recaps surprising wins for the Democrats, including a victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race despite Elon Musk's financial interference, and a record-breaking 25-hour speech by Cory Booker. Plus, Trump launches his "Liberation Day" tariffs, and Republicans scramble to supply cover.

Since Kamala Harris lost, I've been wondering who would step up to be the next leading candidate for the 2028 Democratic Presidential nomination. Cory Booker might have just made his move.

I conclude with Seth Meyers' Musk and Trump Lose Big in Wisconsin After Spending Millions to Buy Votes: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin state Supreme Court.

Can Elon Musk buy an election?

I'd like to think Democrats still have the turnout advantage in off-year elections they've had since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Hoover Cleveland won states like Wisconsin and Michigan through "bullet ballots" — people voting for him but no one else. They didn't vote for downballot contests and aren't likely to vote in an election where Trump is not on the ballot. That reminds me of an answer to the question I asked in I ask The Archdruid and his readers 'Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?' The answer is turn against Republicans and deny them downballot victories. I hope that happens tomorrow in Wisconsin and other states where there are off-year and special elections.

I got my wish. The answer to "can Elon Musk buy an election?" was "NO!"

I know I promised a retrospective for Throwback Thursday, but I decided I would catch up on my sleep, so I ran out of time. Definitely tomorrow for Flashback Friday, when I don't have to go to work. Stay tuned.

CNBC explains 'What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More'

I wrote "I should go on recession watch again" in Forever 21 files for bankruptcy and will close all U.S. stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. To that end, I'm sharing CNBC explaining What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More.

Retail sales are holding up, but consumer confidence is slipping. A rising share of Americans are making purchases not out of want, but out of worry. This trend, called "doom spending," is driven by fears of higher prices and supply disruptions. While it may offer a short-term sense of control, it's happening alongside rising debt and financial strain and could set the stage for a sharper slowdown ahead. Watch the video above to learn more about why Americans are spending more amid growing economic concerns.

CNBC shows it's also on recession watch with this video, so I'm in good company. It also points out that the current round of "doom spending" will shore up the economy in the short run, holding off a recession, but could result in a recession when it abates. If so, I'll blame Hoover Cleveland.

If the U.S. does go into recession this year, it won't be because of internal economic forces, but because of government interference, which normally tries to cushion against economic downturns. Biden piloted the U.S. economy to a soft landing, then Hoover Cleveland tries to crash the plane anyway!

Among other things, the threat of tariffs prompted my wife and me to buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan before the price went up. That's a major purchase. Just the same, we're very happy with it; it's providing good experiences in addition to being a material object.

That concludes today's episode of recession watch. Stay tuned for the highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live.

Vox explains 'Why your favorite movies fake their locations' plus the Leo Awards

I closed SciShow lists '10 Things You Didn't Know About Pompeii' for the Ides of March by asking "Awards show results, anyone?" My answer is "sort of." I begin by sharing a video in the vein of Vox explains 'How de-aging in movies got so good', Vox explaining Why your favorite movies fake their locations.

And why so many of them are shot in Vancouver.

This video is presented by Destination Vancouver. Learn more about Vancouver at findyourrefresh.com. Our sponsor has no editorial influence over how we report our stories, but their support makes videos like these possible.

Movie magic is what makes our favorite films so good: Actors flawlessly inhabiting the personalities of totally made-up characters, visual effects transforming a green screen to an otherworldly setting, musical scores making us feel every emotion under the sun. But there’s another kind of magic we don’t talk about as much: one physical location masquerading as another. And it happens all the time.

When filmmakers are trying to make a movie, deciding where to shoot isn’t as straightforward as choosing the location described in the script. They need to find a place with cooperative weather, a few landscapes to choose from, a big enough workforce, and — perhaps most importantly — one that fits their budget.

All these factors mean that locations with downtowns, country landscapes, mountain ranges, and water features within a drivable distance are highly sought after, especially when they also have good tax credits. While Hollywood might be the legendary film capital of the world, places like Vancouver are becoming more and more popular thanks to the flexible landscapes and tax breaks.

This is especially true for holiday movies — many of which are filmed in Canada. In this video, we talk to a prolific Christmas movie producer — who has worked on films like 2024’s Netflix hit Hot Frosty — about shooting movies in Canada.

Jesse Prupas isn't just joking when he says Santa Claus is Canadian; I wrote Canada claims North Pole so Santa is Canadian nearly a dozen years ago. That's not why so much television production occurs in and around Vancouver. Vox mentioned the variety of locations in and around the city, the generally good weather, the welcoming locals, the skilled cast and crew members, and the tax incentives. Vox did a good job explaining all of those, but I have an anecdote about the weather/climate to add.

Nearly 40 years ago, when I was working on my M.S. in Geology at CSUN, I had a conversation at the campus pub with a drinking buddy who had just finished taking a final exam in The Geography of Canada. He mentioned one of the blue book exam questions: "Where would you live in Canada?" I responded, "That's easy. British Columbia, especially around Vancouver. It has the best weather in Canada. It's also in the west, so it has the fewest cultural differences with California and some of the best scenery." He shook his head and said, "Man, you should have taken my final exam for me." Ha — not that I would have done anything so academically dishonest.

So much movie and television production takes place in British Columbia that the province has its own film and TV awards, the Leo Awards. Follow over the jump for my remarks about them.