'It is despicable': Ex-GOP lawmaker calls Trump's latest move 'an act of desperation'


The Trump administration made the decision to cut off military aid to Ukraine because Volodymyr Zelensky wasn't meant to defeat the Russian army and humiliate Vladimir Putin, according to a new Substack by former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).
In fact, Kinzinger argued, Zelensky is in the process of doing the impossible -- defeating Russia -- and Donald Trump can't allow that to happen.

"As the war in Ukraine reaches its third year, it is undeniable that Ukraine is not just surviving but winning," Kinzinger wrote. "What was supposed to be a three-day war for Russia has instead turned into one of the greatest military failures of the modern era. The Russian military has suffered over 800,000 casualties—dead, wounded, and missing—gutting its combat effectiveness and forcing it into increasingly desperate tactics."

Want more breaking political news? Click for the latest headlines at Raw Story.

ALSO READ: 'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight

Trump suspended the aid shortly after last week's disastrous sit-down with Zelensky in which he accused the Ukrainian president of not being "grateful" enough for his help. Trump ultimately kicked Zelensky out of the White House, saying he wasn't "ready" for peace. Putin, however, is ready for the war to stop, Kinzinger argued, and Trump wants credit for making it happen. "The Trump administration’s decision to cut off military aid is not based on strategy or principle. It is an act of desperation," Kinzinger wrote. "Trump and his circle are watching Ukraine systematically dismantle Russia’s war machine, and they are desperate for a cease fire at any cost…

Trump wants his peace prize." Kinzinger continued, "They know that an increasing Ukrainian capacity would leave Russia in ruins and Putin humiliated. So they are trying to do the only thing they can—force Ukraine onto a more 'level playing field' by starving it of the weapons and resources it needs to finish the job. This is not just cynical. It is a betrayal of everything the United States claims to stand for. It is despicable, un-American, and a stain on our country’s reputation. It’s politics over lives, and history will not be kind."

Large majority of Canadians reject Trump's annexation overtures, poll suggests



OTTAWA — A new poll suggests few Canadians are open to President Donald Trump's repeated pitches for Canada to become a U.S. state, though interest in it rises among Conservative supporters and those living in Alberta. The Leger poll, released this week, says just nine per cent of Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state, while 85 per cent do not.

The rejection appears clear across all regions, political parties and age groups. Support for the idea is highest in Alberta, at 15 per cent, and lowest in Atlantic Canada at just three per cent, with fewer than one-in-10 people in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia wanting it. About 18 per cent of Conservative supporters said they want Canada to become a U.S. state, while 97 per cent of Liberal and NDP voters, and 94 per cent of Bloc supporters said they would not want that. The poll suggests a similar level of disdain among Canadians when asked if they would like to become American citizens, with 12 per cent saying yes to that question, and 82 per cent saying no. Albertans again were most inclined to say yes to this question, at 21 per cent, and Atlantic Canadians the least, at four per cent. The poll sampled more than 1,500 Canadian adults from Feb. 28 to March 2. Because the poll was conducted online, it can't be assigned a margin of error.

Men were more open to the idea of becoming U.S. citizens, at 17 per cent, compared with seven per cent of women. Respondents over the age of 55 were least likely to want a U.S. citizenship, at six per cent, compared with 17 per cent of those between 18 and 34 years old and 16 per cent of respondents between 35 and 54.
Conservative respondents were much more interested in becoming American citizens (21 per cent) than Liberal and NDP respondents (5 per cent each).
Trump's 51st state jabs began last fall shortly after he won the presidential election and have only escalated since, including as he pursues an increasingly punitive tariff agenda against Canada which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said is designed to destroy Canada's economy to "make it easier to annex us." The Leger poll suggests that over three quarters of Canadians (78 per cent) have an "unfavourable" view of Trump, compared to 12 per cent who have a favourable view of the president and six per cent who say they don't know enough about him to have an opinion.

Asked if they were in favour of the Canadian government responding with dollar-for-dollar tariffs to U.S. tariffs, 70 per cent said they were, while 18 per cent were opposed. Men (74 per cent) were more likely than women (66 per cent) to be in favour of it. Asked about changes to their consumer behaviour over the past few weeks, with about two-thirds of respondents said they had decreased their purchases of American products in stores or online, and more than half cutting back on American fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and Starbucks. Just under half of respondents said they had decreased their purchases at American retail chains like Walmart and Costco. Liberal, NDP and Bloc respondents were more likely than Conservatives to say they had changed their spending habits. Seven in 10 respondents have increased their purchases of local Canadian products in recent weeks.

Twenty per cent of respondents who subscribe to a U.S. entertainment platform, like Netflix or Prime Video, said they had cancelled their subscription. Thirty per cent of respondents who had a trip planned to the U.S. said they cancelled it. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

UAW says tariffs 'are necessary': Donald Trump


Despite announcing a month-long tariff exemption for the “Big Tree” automakers, U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media Friday morning to say he has the backing of the United Auto Workers union to invoke tariffs.

In a Truth Social post , Trump wrote: “The head of the United Autoworkers of America just stated that TARIFFS ARE NECESSARY to correct years of abuse of the USA by other countries and companies. We have lost 90,000 factories and plants since the beginning of NAFTA. HE IS 100% CORRECT!!!”

The U.S. president had announced a 30-day pause from U.S. tariffs for Ford, Stellantis and General Motors in Canada and Mexico on Wednesday – a day after sparking a North American trade war with widespread 25% tariffs on most imported goods going into effect.


In a statement Tuesday, the UAW said the union was “glad to see an American president take aggressive action” against free trade which it says hurts the working class.

“We want to see serious action that will incentivize companies to change their behaviour, reinvest in America, and stop cheating the American worker, the American consumer, and the American taxpayer,” the UAW, which represents approximately 370,000 members, added in its statement. The union’s position differs from comments made by Unifor and the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, which say tariffs hurt consumers and workers.

“These tariffs will hurt working people with higher prices for everyday goods, destroy jobs on both sides of the border and have devastating consequences for highly integrated manufacturing sectors, including auto, across Canada and the U.S.,” Unifor president Lana Payne said in a statement. Flavio Volpe, the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, had warned that the tariffs won’t lead to increased investment by the U.S. auto industry.

“People don’t reinvest based on the whim of the president of the United States. He’s destabilizing the market in the U.S. People will have lower disposable income, the cost of money’s going to go up. Nobody’s looking to invest,” Volpe told BNN Bloomberg on Wednesday.

Trump’s 25% Tariff on Auto Imports: Which Car Manufacturers Will Be Affected?



The latest tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump are causing uncertainty in the auto industry.
The 25% tariff on car imports from Mexico and Canada is set to disrupt supply chains, potentially raising vehicle prices for American consumers.
However, some manufacturers may be able to sidestep these costs based on trade agreement regulations.

Volkswagen Likely to Avoid Tariffs
According to Digi24, Volkswagen announced that its vehicles produced in North America comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) rules.
This compliance likely exempts the company from the tariffs, giving it a competitive edge over rivals facing additional costs.
A spokesperson for Volkswagen stated that all vehicles assembled in North America meet USMCA's rules of origin, which is a key requirement for avoiding the new import duties.

BMW and Mazda Among the Most Affected
BMW, however, is in a more difficult position.
The German automaker acknowledged that its U.S. and Mexican manufacturing operations do not fully comply with USMCA requirements.
As a result, the company expects to face the 25% tariff on certain imports. With approximately 10% of its U.S. sales coming from vehicles manufactured in Mexico, BMW warned that the increased costs could lead to higher prices for consumers.

“These tariffs ultimately harm customers by making products more expensive and less innovative,” BMW stated in response to the policy. Mazda, another automaker affected by the tariff, is closely monitoring the situation. While its Mazda3 and CX-30 models, produced in Mexico, are currently exempt from tariffs for the next 30 days, the company is awaiting further clarification from the Trump administration on whether additional fees will apply in the future.

Industry Reactions and Uncertainty
The tariffs have sparked strong reactions from automakers, particularly in Detroit, where U.S. car manufacturers have lobbied for temporary exemptions. While the Trump administration granted a one-month delay in enforcement, concerns remain about the long-term effects on the industry. German manufacturers, particularly Volkswagen, appear to be the most vulnerable due to their heavy reliance on Mexican production. Audi, which builds the Q5 SUV in Mexico, has yet to confirm whether its operations meet USMCA standards. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz has refrained from commenting on how the tariffs might impact its business. As the industry awaits further developments, automakers are exploring ways to mitigate potential price hikes and supply chain disruptions. The full impact of Trump’s tariff policy will likely become clearer in the coming months, as companies assess their compliance with USMCA regulations and seek potential workarounds.

Trump wants to renegotiate US-Canada border agreement – NYT



US President Donald Trump stated that he does not recognize the treaty defining the border between the United States and Canada and has expressed his intention to renegotiate it, according to The New York Times.
During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump said that he did not consider the treaty defining the border between the United States and Canada to be valid.

Moreover, he indicated a desire to renegotiate the agreement but did not provide further explanations.
The treaty in question, signed in 1908, established the international border between Canada, then a British dominion, and the United States.
Trump also expressed interest in revisiting agreements on the shared use of lakes and rivers between the two countries, which are regulated by multiple treaties. He has previously shown interest in this issue.

Canadian officials have taken Trump's remarks seriously, particularly given his past statements about wanting to bring Canada to its knees.
Recently, Trump suggested he could use economic power to make Canada the 51st US state. However, when pressed by reporters, he clarified that he does not consider military force as an option for Canada’s hypothetical annexation. Earlier this month, Trudeau stated that the US had started a trade war against Canada.

Notably, on March 4, Trump’s new 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, along with a tariff increase on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%, took effect.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that Mexico will retaliate against US tariffs by imposing reciprocal duties on American products.

Nessus

If you have a computer connected to a network, Nessus can help find vulnerabilities that a potential attacker may take advantage of. Of course, if you are an administrator for multiple computers connected to a network, you can make use of it and secure those computers.
However, this is not a free tool anymore, you can try it free for 7 days on from its official website.

imgBB upload code for your website/plugin

Maltego




Maltego is an impressive data mining tool to analyze information online and connect the dots (if any). As per the information, it creates a directed graph to help analyze the link between those pieces of data.
Do note, that this isn’t an open source tool.
It comes pre-installed, however, you will have to sign up in order to select which edition you want to use. If you want for personal use, the community edition will suffice (you just need to register for an account) but if you want to utilize for commercial purpose, you need the subscription to the classic or XL version.

Skipfish


Similar to WPScan, but not just focused for WordPress. Skipfish is a web application scanner that would give you insights for almost every type of web applications. It’s fast and easy to use. In addition, its recursive crawl method makes it even better.
For professional web application security assessments, the report generated by Skipfish will come in handy.

Metasploit Framework


Metsploit Framework is the most used penetration testing framework. It offers two editions – one (open source) and the second is the pro version to it. With this tool, you can verify vulnerabilities, test known exploits, and perform a complete security assessment.
Of course, the free version won’t have all the features, so if you are into serious stuff, you should compare the editions here.