DECOUPLING: US probe finds China unfairly dominates shipbuilding, paving way for penalties, sources say.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has concluded China uses unfair policies and practices to dominate the global maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, three sources familiar with the results of a months-long trade investigation told Reuters.

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai launched the probe in April 2024 at the request of the United Steelworkers and four other U.S. unions under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the U.S. to penalize foreign countries that engage in acts that are “unjustifiable” or “unreasonable,” or burden U.S. commerce.

Investigators concluded that China targeted the shipbuilding and maritime industry for dominance, using financial support, barriers for foreign firms, forced technology transfer and intellectual property theft and procurement policies to give its shipbuilding and maritime industry an advantage, said one of the sources who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Beijing also “severely and artificially suppressed China’s labor costs in the maritime, shipbuilding and logistics sectors,” that person added, citing excerpts of the report.

None of this comes as a huge surprise and all of it was probably inevitable the moment the West welcomed a Communist regime with a billion people into an international economic system meant for free countries.

SETH BARRETT TILLMAN: Recent Academic Writing on the End of the Rule of Law. “Trump never had a chance to remove Special Counsel Jack Smith. Smith resigned days before Trump will take office. And before he left, Smith actively closed down the D.C. and Florida federal prosecutions. If these things were wrongful for Trump to do, was it not also wrongful for Smith to do? And if so, do Finkelstein and Painter think Smith should be impeached for wrongdoing in office amounting to high crimes and misdemeanours? Or should Smith be indicted for criminal obstruction of justice?”

No, silly. Some laws only apply to Donald Trump. That’s what “Rule of Law” means in 2025.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Nancy Mace Understands the Republicans’ Assignment for 2025. “Present-day Democrats in Washington are awful people, and feigned tolerance for their antics in vomit-inducing at this point. In addition to being a paste-eating idiot, Jasmine Crockett is a perennially shrieking confrontation monger; Nancy Mace’s response to her was perfect.”

LAYING OFF THE COPY EDITORS WAS A MISTAKE (CONT’D): Ann Althouse has a lengthy analysis of the NYT fashion analysis of Pete Hegseth, but what leapt off the page to me was this (from the Times story): “Unseen was the Uncle Sam jacket linings that Mr. Hegseth [has] occasionally flashed.” Unseen was the linings?. Really?

AT LEAST THE EMPTY SUIT IS A NICE ONE:

HEGSETH HAS A LOT OF DEADWOOD TO CLEAR OUT OF THE PENTAGON:

Three years of this war and the people who should get it about drones still don’t get it about drones.

I GUESS THAT MEANS GLENN JACOBS WILL BE RUNNING FOR U.S. SENATE: Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs endorses Sen. Marsha Blackburn for governor. “Blackburn and Jacobs, who are close friends, are both strong allies of President-elect Donald Trump and many of their political views align. Instead, Jacobs is likely to position himself for an appointment to Blackburn’s would-be vacant Senate seat if she wins. And his endorsement does just that.”

TO BE FAIR, THAT’S BECAUSE DEI IS STUPIID:

Related:

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A.:

CRISIS BY DESIGN: Colorado apartment complex occupied by Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua will be closed.

An apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, occupied by members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is being closed by court order, city officials said Monday.

The complex drew national attention in August 2024 following a viral video of armed gang members entering a unit.

Aurora city officials were pursing a lawsuit to declare all but one building at the complex a criminal nuisance.

Last week, they asked a judge to close the property in the meantime because the situation had reached a “breaking point” following the kidnapping and assault in December of two residents, according to CNN.

The court granted the request Friday, ahead of a court hearing Monday on the matter.

Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a court filing that the complex had become a frequent place for crime and there has been a “criminal element that has exerted control and fear” for residents.

However, he later made clear gang members had not taken over the complex and that the main problem was the lack of management and oversight by the property’s owners.

That must be an awfully fine line between a “criminal element that has exerted control and fear” and “gang members had not taken over the complex.”

ROLE MODEL:

OPEN THREAD: Wherever you go, that’s where you are.

AMERICA’S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD IS SEVERELY TEMPTING FATE HERE:

14 HIGHLIGHTS FROM CES 2025 IN AI, ROBOTS, GLASSES, HEALTH AND MORE:

CES went big on humanoid robots, from robots shaking hands and doing dishes to massive agricultural robots from John Deere. These innovations show how personal and industrial tasks can be automated with human-like precision, reducing labor strain and increasing productivity.

My favorites were Realbotix, who unveiled Aria, a life-size AI robot capable of expressing emotions and engaging in conversations. Aria showcases advanced motor technology for fluid movements and modular design, making her suitable for various applications, including personal companionship and travel convenience.

Additionally, Hangzhou Yushu Technology and Unitree presented next-generation robots with improved agility, interaction, and functionality for both industrial and personal use, further blurring the line between humans and machines.

However, while innovation is accelerating, the cost remains a barrier for mainstream adoption. The window cleaning robot was priced at $1,200, the personal companion robot at $175,000, and the all-in-one home robot capable of dishwashing and multitasking was also priced prohibitively high. Even the robot pet feeder came with a premium price tag. Reducing these costs will be essential for wider household adoption of these technologies.

I don’t think Robbie and C3P0, let alone Rachel and Pris from Blade Runner, will be losing much sleep about their competition though, at least this year: