Before I begin–I am sure that most people know there was white smoke at the Vatican and that means yes we have a pope, he will be Pope Leo XIV….and he is an (wait for it) American!

Just in case you are interested in the history of Pope Leos…..https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/08/europe/papal-leo-pope-cardinal-pontiff-intl

Moving on to important news.

I have been very critical of Donny and his tariff stuff and I would like to report that he has a new trade deal with the UK.

The US and the UK have struck a deal on trade after President Trump’s imposition of tariffs, the first of what could be dozens to follow, reports the Washington Post. Details are scant at the moment, but President Trump plans to address it at a 10am Eastern news conference. Even if this ends up being just the broad outline of an agreement, markets are happy with the precedent: Dow futures rose about 400 points early Thursday on the news, reports CNBC.

• The agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement. Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!”
• However, the Wall Street Journal doubts any deal struck in such a short time can be “comprehensive” and instead expects a narrowly focused pact. Trade attorney Timothy C. Brightbill tells the New York Times it’s probably “just an agreement to start the negotiations, identifying a framework of issues to be discussed in the coming months.”
• The US imposed a 10% tariff on most goods imported from the UK, and the UK also is subject to Trump’s 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum. The UK has retaliated in turn, and the BBC predicts the deal might result in lower tariffs on US cars imported there. The UK might get a break on the steel and aluminum tariffs, but the baseline 10% tariff is likely to remain, per the Journal.

I am very pleased to see that there is now a deal with the UK.

The markets liked it so the openings were really positive….which is good (I guess) but I would like to know what this deal will do for us struggling peasants.

If possible I would like to see more deals follow suit…..so we can get our economy back to some sort of normalcy.

This is another look at the UK trade deal…..

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled the framework of a trade deal with the United Kingdom that was extremely light on details despite being billed as a “full and comprehensive agreement,” leading critics to describe the fanfare surrounding the announcement as a cynical photo op for both sides.

In a statement, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer touted the deal as “historic” while acknowledging that it is incomplete. Trump insisted the deal is “maxed out,” though he told reporters in the Oval Office that “the final details are being written up in the coming weeks.”

…

Melinda St. Louis, Global Trade Watch director at Public Citizen, said Thursday that “Trump may have enjoyed having his ego stroked by Starmer and [U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard] Lutnick fawning over him for ‘closing’ a deal—one that is obviously not actually done—but his con on American workers continues.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-uk-trade-deal-trump-starmer

So is this a good deal or just a stroke of ego said to get the focus off his failed attempts to control world trade?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”