Japanese Yen Surges to ¥157

We are now in a new month and we're still in the summer vacation season, so it is time to see how the U.S. dollar is faring against the Japanese yen in foreign exchange.

Japan Today reported:

NEW YORK - The Japanese yen briefly surged to the lower 157 level against the U.S. dollar in New York on Friday, with Japanese government sources confirming a yen-buying, dollar-selling intervention by currency authorities.

Trading at 157.24 per dollar for a brief span, the yen hit its strongest level since mid-May.

To read more, go here. 

Fetterman Warns Democrats 'Drifting Firmly Into Communism'

The Democrat Party is not your granddaddy's party anymore.

They have turned full on communist. Several Democrats who have declared themselves socialists defeated mainstream traditional democrats in primaries.

Sen. John Fetterman is sounding the alarm. 

From Fox News:

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., delivered a blistering rebuke of the Democratic Party's progressive wing, arguing the party is "drifting firmly into communism" after socialist-backed candidates scored major victories in New York.

"It was a huge night for the dirtbag left last night in New York City, without a doubt," Fetterman told "The Will Cain Show."

Fetterman said Wednesday the Democratic Party is increasingly embracing candidates who are "anti-Israel," "anti-American" and opposed to core institutions like immigration enforcement and prisons.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaiian Airlines Cuts Free Meals In Economy

Above, a Hawaiian Airlines jet at Maui in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I remember the days when some domestic flights served meals that were a part of the price of a ticket. I only flew to Hawaii and back once and meals were included. This was ten years ago.

Then, gradually, airlines cut domestic meals down to flights over five hours in length. Then they served meals, but charged for them and one must order a meal before the plane even taxies down the runway.

Now, it has been announced that Hawaiian Airlines is cutting free meals from domestic flights from the mainland to Hawaii, except for flights originating from New York's JFK airport. The announcement is being spun like lipstick on a pig.

One Mile At A Time reported:

Historically, Hawaiian Airlines has offered free meals on flights between Hawaii and the United States mainland. That’s an amenity that’s quite rare nowadays, especially outside of the “long haul” Hawaii flights from the East Coast, Midwest, etc., so it was a real point of differentiation.

Well, major changes are coming to Hawaiian’s inflight service, and the airline is certainly burying the lede. The announcement about the change notes how the airline is “elevating onboard service with pre-order dining by celebrated Hawai‘i chefs.” But really that’s just a positive spin on announcing that free meals are being cut in economy.

The changes will be implemented as of July 1, 2026, and entail “a new onboard service program that delivers greater choice, improved quality and a deeper connection to the flavors of Hawai‘i.” The new menu is being developed in partnership with Maui-based, James Beard Award finalist Chef Sheldon Simeon.

To read more, go here.

Ishiro Honda Documentary To Screen In New York

Above, Jonathan Bellés, Yoshikazu Ishii and yours truly in Tokyo in 2014.

Jonathan Bellés's documentary on Godzilla director Ishiro Honda will be screening in New York on December 16.

According to Rue Morgue:

It’s a heartfelt celebration of the kaiju king.

ISHIRO HONDA: MEMOIRS OF A FILM DIRECTOR will have its first commercial U.S. showing, following screenings at Sitges, G-Fest XXX and other festivals, on Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady, New York. Tickets can be ordered here. Written and directed by Jonathan Bellés and distributed by SRS Cinema, the documentary focuses on the director whose genre career began with the seminal 1954 GOJIRA/GODZILLA and encompassed seven more movies starring the Big G, as well as further classics like RODAN, MOTHRA, FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD, WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS and others. Later in his career, he worked alongside Akira Kurosawa on films such as KAGEMUSHA and the Oscar-winning RAN.

To read more, go here. 

When People Trade Capitalism For Socialism

 

Bill Maher lays out exactly what happens when people trade capitalism for socialism.

He says New York City is in for a rude awakening after voting in Zohran Mamdani:

“In 1990, Venezuela was wealthier than Poland. But then Poland, finally free of Soviet-style economics, went… pic.twitter.com/ajpEK9DQuw

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 16, 2025

Today's New York Post Cover

It says it all:

Stupid Voters Have Spoken

Above, Zohran Mamdani.

Last night's election results were not much of a surprise. The only thing they show is that stupid people should not be allowed to vote.

In New York, Zohran Mamdani became the city's mayor-elect. An avowed socialist (some even go so far as to refer to him as a communist due to his past policy statements) will likely drive more people out. Well, those people who voted for him deserve the chaos he will bring to the city. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, never had a chance. He was damaged goods even before he entered the race. 

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom's Proposition 50 passed. No surprise there. California is essentially already a one-party state and there are enough idiots there to vote for the measure. Not much will change as a result, except the few remaining Republican members of congress are now in danger of getting Gerrymandered out of office. 

It appears that the current government shutdown had little or no effect on the election. 

The rest of us can sit back and watch the shit-show circus as it unfolds.

National Day of Remembrance - 9/11/01

 

ICE Deports NYC Courthouse Building "In Minutes"

 Here's an interesting video that was sent to me last night:

NYC Courthouse EMPTIED... ICE Deports 'Entire Building' in Minutes

Raped 5-Year-Old and Squirrel Killed In NY

 

If you want a country where rescued pet squirrels are welcomed, and illegal immigrant rapists are not, vote Republican.https://t.co/WSYpDY7sym pic.twitter.com/oJklgBSZu0

— Anthony P. D'Esposito (@ANTHONYDESPO) November 2, 2024

MSNBC Shameful Coverage of Trump NYC Rally

‘Shameful’ MSNBC blasted for splicing Nazi rally clips into coverage of Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally: ‘Incitement’ - Bo Snerdley.

Definitely a sure sign of desperation!

Obama last week: "How did things get so divisive?"

MSNBC last night: pic.twitter.com/gGzVUvuu9m

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 28, 2024

Patriot Day

 

From Wikipedia:

In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year in memory of the people killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Remington Arms Moving Out of New York

Thanks to hostile liberal anti-gun policies of New York state, another firearms manufacturing company is abandoning a northeast liberal state for more friendlier surroundings. 

First, it was Smith & Wesson leaving Massachusetts, now it is Remington. The company is heading to Georgia.

Law Enforcement Today reported:

ILION, NY- The residents of the small community of Ilion are discovering firsthand that the anti-gun stance adopted by New York's legislature would result in numerous job losses. This is evident following Remington's decision to relocate to Georgia, marking the end of over 200 years of the oldest firearms manufacturer's presence in New York, Fox News reported.

Ilion, located approximately 230 miles northwest of New York City, has been identified with Remington for over two centuries, and with the move, that history is now gone. 

“Two hundred and eight years of history. Gone…gone,” Ilion Mayor John P. Stephens told The New York Times. “Ilion is Remington. Remington is Ilion.” 

The move to relocate the remaining portions of the company shouldn’t come as a surprise since RemArms, the current version of Remington Arms, announced last year to union officials that the company would be pulling up stakes and ending New York manufacturing operations effective this March. The remaining operations are moving to Georgia, where company officials say the firearms industry is supported and welcomed. 

Residents of the small community are now bracing for life without Remington, which some say will take a part of the town’s identity with it. 

“When Remington leaves, it’s not going to be like a facility leaving, it’s going to be like part of your family has moved off,” said Jim Conover, a Remington retiree who started with the company in 1964, to the Associated Press. 

Last year, I bought my first Remington, a Remington Model 870 Express shotgun.

To read more, go here. 

NY Jury Finds NRA Officials Liable

A New York jury found that Wayne LaPierre and other NRA officials are liable for millions of dollars in damages.

The Daily Caller reported:

A jury in New York found officials of the National Rifle Association(NRA) liable for millions in damages on Friday.

Democratic Attorney General Letitia James of New York sued the gun-rights organization in August 2020 seeking the group’s dissolution. The jury found former NRA CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre liable for $5.4 million, Fox News reported.

The jury also ruled against former NRA Treasurer Woody Phillips and current NRA Secretary and General Counsel John Frazer, but did not find them liable financially, according to TheReload. A New York judge, Joel M. Cohen, ruled that James could not seek dissolution of the NRA in March 2022.

To read more, go here. 

Truckers Staging Massive Protest In Response To Judge Engoron

The grotesque order of Judge Engoron of $364 million against former President Trump and sons Don Jr. and Eric are spurring truckers into action.

The Gateway Pundit reported:

Truckers to the rescue—again.

Truckers bravely exposed some of the worst COVID shutdowns in the world when they parked their trucks in Ottowa to protest the iron-fisted approach used against citizens by the Justin Trudeau regime. Truckers in the US showed solidarity for their Canadian neighbors and helped block shipping between the US and Canada in Detroit, Michigan. Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who was being considered for Joe Biden’s VP, quickly threatened arrest for truckers who dared to block the Ambassador Bridge.

American truckers are now reportedly threatening to stop deliveries into New York City over the grotesque $364 million judgment against President Trump and his sons Don Jr. and Eric by partisan hack Judge Engoron on Friday.

Aside from first responders, is there another profession in the United States that proudly wears patriotism on its sleeves like the American trucker?

An American trucker who goes by “Chicago Ray” had this to say in a video he shared on social media, where he explained why truckers across America are planning to stop delivering to NYC.

“I’ve been on the radio talking to drivers for the last hour and fifteen minutes, and I’ve talked to at least ten drivers going the other way. I’m heading down from South Wisconsin. And they’re [other truckers] gonna start refusing loads to New York City, starting on Monday for NYC. I talked to about three guys that I work with who texted the boss and told him they’re not going to New York City.

I don’t know how far across the country this is or how many truckers are gonna start denying loads to go to New York City, but I’ll tell you what—you f**k around and find out!”

Okay? We’re tired of you motherf**kin’ leftists f**king around with Donald Trump.

To read more, go here. 

2024 American Silver Eagles

Above, obverse and reverse of the 2024-W American Silver Eagle coins. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My first coin purchase of 2024 arrived this morning.

The order was for 2024-W American Silver Eagle uncirculated coins. The "W" at the date indicates that they were minted at the West Point Mint in New York.

They were only $3.99 over spot price, which is a reasonable price. 

Backlash: Biden Housing Migrants On National Park Land

Above, what's next? Housing illegal immigrants in Yosemite National Park? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

How would you like it if the Department of the Interior/National Park Service were to agree with the Biden Administration to house illegal immigrants in Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone or Great Smoky Mountains National Parks? 

Well, things haven't come to that... yet! But the Biden Administration already has agreed to house illegal immigrants in property managed by the Department of the Interior/National Park Service in New York.

Fox News reported:

FIRST ON FOX: House Republican leaders are opening a probe into the White House over its decision to bypass environmental regulations when green-lighting a plan to house migrants on public land in New York.

In a letter sent Monday to White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Brenda Mallory, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., the top GOP member of the panel's oversight subcommittee, warned that the federal government appeared to steamroll environmental concerns when it leased public property for migrant housing.

"Regardless of personal or political beliefs on immigration or migrant policy, there is common ground in keeping our national parks – some of America’s most treasured spaces – out of the debate," they wrote to Mallory. "All national parks, whether in rural or urban areas, exist for visitors to experience wonder, to recreate and find joy, or to simply learn more about the great history of our nation."

"However, national parks are not a place to house people, temporarily or permanently, who lack shelter," Westerman and Gosar continued in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

In September, amid the ongoing migrant surge at the southern border and related influx in New York City, the Department of the Interior (DOI) agreed to lease property in Gateway National Recreation Area's Floyd Bennett Field – property managed by the National Park Service – to the local government. Officials then constructed temporary housing structures on the land, which is located in New York's Brooklyn borough along the shore of Jamaica Bay.

To read more, go here. 

New York, California Exodus Continues

Above, a gasoline station near LAX last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People are continuing to flee radical liberal states like New York and California.

The exodus is due to leftist policies, oppressive taxes, over regulation, crime, high cost of living, outrageous gasoline prices and anti-business policies.

From Fox News:

Americans are continuing to flee liberal states like New York and California for better home prices and taxes, but business experts warn the Biden economy is creating new problems for happy movers.  

VonFinch Capital founder and real estate investor Steven Pesavento said that during the pandemic, employees realized they no longer needed to live in the cities where they worked, which created new opportunities for a flexible lifestyle.

"It opened up an opportunity for them to get away from, you know, the high cost of living, the kind of oppressive civil policies and business policies, the high taxes, all of those things that they were willing to stay put over because it was what they needed for their job," Pesavento said.

California saw its first-ever population decline in 2020 when the state imposed rigid lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. From January 2020 to July 2022, the state lost well over half a million people, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by almost 700,000.

I knew what would happen to California when Gavin Newsom was elected governor. So I decided to get out and move to New Mexico five (almost six) years ago. I am glad I did and never looked back. New Mexico isn't perfect, but I am still happy I moved to where I did.

I've only been to Los Angeles once since I moved. It was for our high school 50th reunion a year ago. The visit reinforced my decision to leave in spades.

To read more, go here.

RPNM Statement On Trump Arraignment

 

RPNM Statement on Trump Arraignment America is facing an epidemic of political injustice. Albuquerque, April 4 — Today, former President Donald Trump voluntarily surrendered himself to Manhattan authorities to hear his indictment charges and formally respond to them. The former president's previously unsealed indictment charges were made public this afternoon. Trump pleaded not guilty to all thirty-four felony counts made against him. Republican Party of New Mexico and former Congressman Steve Pearce issued the following statement: "The charges released today only add more questions about the credibility of this indictment. No new information was given in the unsealed documents. Federal and district prosecutors previously decided not to charge the same allegations made against former President Trump almost seven years ago. Prosecuting district attorney Alvin Bragg was rightfully asked today, 'Why now?' We all know why. It's disheartening that cases of political vengeance can prevail in America. Our country is facing an epidemic of political injustice, something New Mexicans experience daily. Progressives refuse to hold violent criminals accountable and release them back onto our streets. Alvin Bragg also has a long, disturbing history of letting violent criminals off the hook. Some of the most alarming cases include him offering a sweetheart plea deal to a suspect charged in the brutal anti-Semitic beating of a Jewish man. Additionally, he gave a sweetheart plea deal and released a man accused of raping his teenage relative who then went on to allegedly commit five more sex crimes. People are fed up and can see through the hypocrisy. In a CNN poll, 76% of people said they believe politics played a role in former President Trump's indictment. We cannot allow our justice system to be politicized, but unfortunately, that's exactly what the left is doing."

Soros Family Pushed DA Bragg Into Power

Since the latest round of the persecution of former President Donald Trump began, New York D.A. Alvin Bragg has been under closer scrutiny, especially his ties to the George Soros and his family.

Fox News posted an article on how the Soros family helped pushed Bragg into office within the past eight hours.

It begins with: 

The Manhattan grand jury indictment Thursday night of former President Donald Trump is sparking new scrutiny of the George Soros-supported district attorney who led the investigation into Trump's alleged violations of state campaign finance laws.

The former president is expected to surrender to District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office early next week, following his indictment stemming from Bragg's investigation into Trump's alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that in May 2021, financier George Soros pushed $1 million to the Color of Change PAC, which turned around and spent big, backing Bragg's candidacy. 

Soros' son, Jonathan Soros, and Jonathan's wife, Jennifer Allan Soros, also donated directly to Bragg's campaign, according to New York campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

To read more, go here.