Here are my observations and opinions of my selected news of the day.

“STUNNED” BY LOWER TAX REFUND? – You shouldn’t be if you were paying attention, but leave it to the Washington Post to take advantage of the uninformed to blame President Trump and talk of a tax scam.

“Millions of Americans could be stunned as their tax refunds shrink,” read the headline as the piece by Heather Long immediately stated that Americans will be “surprised to learn that their refunds will be less than expected” after years of receiving refunds.

Evidently, Long saw the social media chatter of “tax scam” by people who say “they wouldn’t vote for Trump again after seeing their refunds slashed,” as a gift, another means to criticize the president.

Describing it as an “uproar,” she reminds her readers of the tax code overhaul “enacted with only Republican votes, and considered the biggest legislative achievement of Trump’s first year.”

She quoted John Pugh of New Jersey, who she says was “irate” when he discovered his tax refund would be $3,000 less than what he received last year. Being a resident of New Jersey, Pugh was affected by the $10,000 cap on state and local taxes.

Did people not read the information published by the IRS and the GAO following the passage of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act when they realized tax cuts in form of lower paycheck withholding?

Refunds are smaller because the IRS made changes in the withholding tables, an effort to set withholding levels so more people pay correct taxes, so they don’t owe the government at the end of the year, and possibly not receive a refund.

I am reminded of the many times I have heard people ecstatically say, “I’m getting a big refund this year.” Of course, it just meant that they simply gave the federal government an interest-free loan because they overpaid their taxes.

The IRS reports that few Americans reviewed their withholding level last year.

Unwilling to place the blame on complacent taxpayers, Long writes, “The refund situation marks the latest potential trouble for Republicans over their tax bill.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP SUPERHERO – Despite the efforts of the anti-Trump opposition media to paint the president being scorned almost universally overseas, with a dislike of him for standing up for national sovereignty, there’s “a rising tide of populist revolt, and Trump is their superhero, according to Thomas Lifson, writing in American Thinker.

“Stark evidence of this popularity of President Trump comes from Italy, where a populist government won power,” says Lifson. A giant likeness dubbed “God Emperor Trump,” with an uncanny resemblance to the “God-Emperor of Mankind,” a character in the popular tabletop fantasy wargame Warhammer 40,000, dominated the parade during the Carnival of Viareggio.

The bluebird logo of Twitter can be seen on the giant sword.

THE LEFT STRIKES AT TRUMP AGAIN – Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA), appearing on a panel with moderator Jake Tapper, was asked if she wanted the three Virginia Democrats involved in a racist scandal to resign. She gave a quick “no” and immediately shifted to her own topic, Trump.

“In today’s day and age with the president at the helm who has been one of the most divisive presidents, and frankly, a racist himself, is a conversation we do need to have.” As she went on to attack the president, CNN commentator Nina Turner entered the conversation.

When she opened with, “This is not about President Trump,” there was hope, “This is about racism in the United State of America. Congresswoman, I hear you, but this, we’re not blaming President Trump.”

Turner, who is black, went on to say, “I am not going to continue to let politicians use this man as the excuse to deal with racism in this country. It’s been going on for far too long in the United States of America. We need some real truth and reconciliation.”

So far so good, however, then she dropped the bomb: “Yes, President Trump is a racist. There is no doubt about it.” She went on to say, “But we have seen Democrats delve in racism as well.”

Turner concluded with, “We are traumatized, Jake, and we are sick of it. Politicians stop playing games.”

“We shouldn’t be throwing the word ‘racist’ around with abandon. We should be very careful how we use it.” – Brit Hume, Fox political analyst

MUSLIM REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN), who received special exemption to wear a hijab while many in Congress view MAGA caps “racist,” received a letter of condemnation signed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats over her use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters.

Though she was called upon to “immediately apologize for these hurtful comments,” we can expect her apology to be shallow.

Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) quickly responded to Omar’s remarks, with Engel saying that he “wouldn’t tolerate” such talk and found it “shocking” to hear a member of Congress invoke anti-Semitic comment. Nadler said that Omar had “failed a test of leadership.”

NATO AND NOW SOUTH KOREA – You will recall how President Trump insisted that NATO countries pay their fair share for defense, and how most countries have committed to do so. We now learn that South Korea has agreed to substantially increase its contribution to cover the cost of keeping U.S. troops in that country. Seoul said they would pay $924 million this year compared to the $830 million paid in recent years, according to PJMedia.

‘WHO’S AFRAID OF NAOMI RAO?” is the headline over a story in The Hill about the confirmation of Rao to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals that I first alerted you to on January 28, 2019.

Now 45-years of age, Rao is being hammered for what she wrote in the Yale Herald in 1994, an opinion piece on how to avoid potential date rape.

The Hill calls attention to a “disgusting” article in the Washington Post entitled, “Was everyone terrible 30 years ago?’ in which the leftist paper called Rao’s views “troubling” and seeks to lump her in with the scandal-ridden lawmakers in Virginia.

The truth be known, the left views Rao as dangerous potential Supreme Court nominee, says The Hill, because she is a brilliant conservative, who is also a woman, and a minority capable of undermining their mantra of white, male opposition.

The Post and Democrats, recognizing that those on the DC Court are considered on a fast-track to the Supreme Court (i.e. Roberts, Thomas, Ginsburg and Kavanaugh), need “to stop her now” reports The Hill.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, who has embarrassed herself and insulted the Cherokee Nation, continues to be a disgrace as a U.S. senator, insulting President Trump during an appearance in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Sunday. “By the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president,” she said, “In fact he may not even be a free person.”

Who is it that’s being divisive?

          May God bless the United States of America.