[MSN Morning Review] Manual transmissions have been fading from new pickup trucks for years, but 2026 marks a sharper turning point. With rivals shifting entirely to automatics, only one model is expected to carry a clutch pedal into the new model year, turning a once common configuration into a niche choice for a shrinking group of drivers who still want to row their own gears.
That last holdout is the Toyota Tacoma, a midsize truck that now shoulders the entire burden of keeping the stick-shift pickup alive in the United States. As other brands retire their manuals in favor of efficiency, technology, and ease of use, the Tacoma’s continued three-pedal option says as much about changing buyer habits as it does about the stubborn appeal of an old-school driving experience.
By 2026, the manual transmission pickup in America is no longer a category, it is a single truck. Reporting across the industry converges on the same point: the Toyota Tacoma is the only pickup still offered new with a manual gearbox, making it the lone survivor in a market that once treated stick shifts as standard equipment. That reality turns a routine spec-sheet detail into a milestone, because the Tacoma is not just another option, it is the final link between modern trucks and the analog feel that defined them for decades.
#1
Toyota Tacomas are currently manufactured primarily in Mexico, with historical production also in the United States.
Current Manufacturing Locations
As of 2026, Toyota Tacomas are produced at two main plants in Mexico: the Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California (TMMBC) in Tijuana, Baja California, and the Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Guanajuato (TMMGT) in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajuato. These facilities handle the majority of Tacoma production for the North American market, operating under Toyota’s global quality standards to ensure consistent durability and performance. (Bing Co-Pilot web search)
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
04/15/2026 11:38 Comments ||
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#4
My mom had two rules for her sons:
- No straws
- Drive manual
I bought a Yaris in 2007, and choose manual. They did not tell me they would actually have to wait for a manufacturing run to produce the car.
9 months later, finally got it.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] At least 250 people are missing after a ship sank in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Bangladesh. The Dhaka Tribune reported on April 14.
According to the newspaper, women and children are among the missing. On board were Bangladeshi citizens and members of the Rohingya ethnic minority. The vessel left the southern region of Bangladesh, Teknaf, and was heading towards Malaysia.
The ship's sinking was caused by strong gusts of wind, a severe storm, and significant overload.
Especially the significant overload — the Third World in a nutshell.
A search and rescue operation is currently underway in the area.
Whatever the market will bear. Anyway, it’s not like soccer is an American sport, so it won’t be real locals who’re being skinned for it, right?
[NYPost] NJ Transit plans to raise prices to an eye-popping $100 for riders traveling from New York Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for the eight FIFA World Cup games being held in the Garden State.
The 18-mile trip from Manhattan to the East Rutherford, NJ, stadium, including a stop at Secaucus station, typically runs $12.90, but the state’s largest transit provider plans to charge an egregious 775% premium for tickets during the World Cup.
The New York Times first reported the news, citing sources familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity.
An NJT spokesperson told the outlet Monday, “The ticket prices for match day travel have not been finalized and any reference to cost would be unconfirmed speculation. However, as the governor clearly stated at an earlier press conference this morning with NJ Transit, the cost for the eight matches will not be borne by our regular commuters.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said at the press conference, “We are not going to be paying for moving the people who are viewing the World Cup on the back of New Jersey taxpayers and New Jersey commuters.”
The astronomical ticket prices will reportedly apply across the board, even on tickets for seniors, children and disabled passengers, which are typically discounted.
The Jets and Giants both play at MetLife Stadium. NYPCS for the New York Post
The transit system is expected to make a final decision about World Cup train ticket pricing in the coming days, the outlet writes.
#8
Public entities are not even pretending to operate in the "public interst" anymore.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
04/15/2026 14:13 Comments ||
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#9
They have been pre-emptivly blame-casting projected low interest and even attendance for a few months now (Trump damaged American international prestige boo bew boo rolls on ground holding shin).
These kinds of things are all adding up to further dampen the experience.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/15/2026 21:27 Comments ||
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#12
Always thought that adding a second ball would make the game immensely more entertaining for players and fans alike. Maybe even a third? I mean, the whole idea of a 90 minute no-hands running wankathon as a spectator sport?
Posted by: Pearl Untervehr1398 ||
04/15/2026 22:23 Comments ||
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#13
like Pachinko
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/15/2026 23:14 Comments ||
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#14
#12 Always thought that adding a second ball would make the game immensely more entertaining for players and fans alike. Maybe even a third? I mean, the whole idea of a 90 minute no-hands running wankathon as a spectator sport?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A large plasma ejection occurred on the Sun, headed toward Venus. This was reported on April 14 by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to her data, the ejection occurred on April 13 at around 9:00 PM Moscow time. Its source was an active region on the far side of the star.
"The event has no effect on Earth—the plasma is now flying back almost directly toward the planet Venus," the institute reported on its Telegram channel.
On April 2, the Institute of Applied Geophysics reported a solar flare of the penultimate magnitude. It lasted over an hour. This event was accompanied by plasma emissions, and when such clouds reach Earth, they can trigger magnetic storms.
[Just The News] President Donald Trump has already commuted the sentences of over 1,500 Proud Boys and Oath Keeper members, including some of its leaders, but the motion goes further to erase the convictions.
The Justice Department filed paperwork Tuesday to dismiss seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keeper leaders related to the January 6 riot in 2021.
The department asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions, including of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, according to the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump has already commuted the sentences of over 1,500 Proud Boys and Oath Keeper members, including some of its leaders, but the motion goes further to erase the convictions.
"The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
The dismissal requests include convictions of Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola and Oath Keepers Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins.
[FoxNews] The Department of Justice on Tuesday filed motions to vacate the convictions of several high-profile defendants involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
The filings, submitted to the Court of Appeals by the United States, specifically seek to vacate criminal judgments against identified members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys organizations, most of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy.
"In the Executive Branch’s view, it is not in the interests of justice to continue to prosecute this case or the cases of other, similarly situated defendants," federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia wrote in one filing.
The move follows a presidential proclamation on Jan. 20, 2025, when President Donald Trump commuted the prison sentences of the defendants to "time served," allowing them to be released without serving additional time.
Tuesday’s filings — which mark an attempt to clear some of the final charges still standing in the probe — also asked to dismiss the indictments "with prejudice," meaning the charges would be permanently dismissed and could not be brought again by the government.
At least eight primary defendants were named in two similar appeals filed Tuesday.
A major high-profile defendant referenced in the filings is Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, whom prosecutors previously said plotted to "oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power" when Trump lost the 2020 election. Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges.
Other mentioned Oath Keepers members include Kelly Meggs, the leader of the Florida chapter of the organization, as well as Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins.
Among the Proud Boys members mentioned, Ethan Nordean, one of the group’s leaders, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy alongside Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, who are also named.
The Justice Department is also seeking to vacate the conviction of Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola, who was caught on camera smashing a Capitol window with a riot shield. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Officials noted that they are also filing similar motions for other related defendants in related cases.
Hours after returning to office in January, Trump either pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly all individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. More than 1,500 people were arrested in connection with the protest.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/15/2026 00:41 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1785 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
I’m not buying Todd Blanche. I’ld like to see Harmeet in whichever position calls the shots at DOJ.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/15/2026 5:58 Comments ||
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[Breitbart] Prosecutors said Monday that a man accused of throwing a lit Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home last week was attempting to kill him to prevent the “impending extinction” of humanity at the hands of AI.
CNBC reports that the suspect, identified as Daniel Moreno-Gama, is facing attempted murder charges in connection with the attack, according to an announcement from the San Francisco District Attorney. He is also subject to federal charges that include attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm, the Department of Justice said in a release.
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said in a statement, “The charges announced today reflect a deeply concerning escalation from intent to action targeting a private residence and a technology company with violence.” At a press conference on Monday, Cobo added, “This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious.”
Following Moreno-Gama’s arrest after the Friday attack, San Francisco Police Department officers found a document on him that outlined his intentions, according to a complaint filed in San Francisco federal court. In the document, Moreno-Gama stated his goal to kill Altman and warned of humanity’s “impending extinction” caused by AI.
According to police, the document’s first section, titled “Your Last Warning,” included Moreno-Gama’s statement that he “killed /attempted to kill” Sam Altman, the complaint said. It also contained the names and addresses of multiple other AI executives, board members and investors. A second section, titled “some more words on the matter of our impending extinction,” discussed what Moreno-Gama described as risks AI poses to humanity. He ended the document with a letter directly to Altman, writing that, “if by some miracle you live, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself.”
According to the complaint, Moreno-Gama threw “a lit Molotov cocktail-style incendiary device at” Altman’s home at approximately 3:37 a.m. on Friday. The device started a fire at the top of the driveway gate, but no one was injured, and the suspect fled the scene.
Roughly an hour and a half later, at about 5:00 a.m., Moreno-Gama arrived at OpenAI’s headquarters, threw a chair against the glass doors and threatened “to burn it down and kill anyone inside,” the filing stated. Officers responded and arrested him at the scene.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack in a statement on Friday, saying, “Thankfully, no one was hurt.” The company also said, “We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
On his personal blog on Friday, Altman addressed the attack and posted a photo of his family. He wrote that he “underestimated the power of words and narratives,” describing the past few years as “extremely intense, chaotic, and high-pressure.” He urged those in the AI industry to reduce the intensity of “the rhetoric and tactics.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that the agency and its partners carried out an operation in Texas related to the attack on Altman’s home.
Altman’s home appeared to be targeted in a second attack on Sunday involving gunfire, and two individuals were arrested in connection with that incident.
Remember all those closed convenience stores after 9/11, when all those Pakistani and Indian Moslems fled home rather than register with the government and be noticed as being here illegally? I would not be surprised to read that the same is happening again, this time with non-Moslem Indians who had stayed here illegally.
[Breitbart] The parent company of 7-Eleven is planning to close 645 stores in North America this year, but it is not clear which locations will be affected.
Seven & i Holdings is working toward shutting down the locations during its 2026 fiscal year, and the closures include stores that will be converted into wholesale fuel locations, Fox 5 reported Monday.
However, 7-Eleven is also planning to open 205 convenience stores between now and February.
“The latest projections follow two previous years of negative growth in North America,” the outlet said. “The company’s numbers show there were more than 13,000 7-Eleven convenience stores across North America in the spring of 2024. By next March, that total is expected to have declined to 12,272.”
Seven & i Holdings is working to “streamline operations and optimize its store portfolio,” Fox Business reported Tuesday.
In 2024, more than 400 North American 7-Elevens were slated to close due to underperformance, Breitbart News reported at the time:
In its “store performance optimization” improvements outlined in the Friday report, 7-Eleven’s Japanese parent company, Seven & i Holdings, said 444 stores will be shut down.
The company did not publicly specify which locations would be closed, with 13,000 stores located across the U.S. and Canada and over 21,000 in Japan, according to a business report from Fox 5 San Diego.
According to its website, the first of what later became 7-Eleven was opened in 1927 and it has since become a global brand with more locations than any other retailer, boasting iconic offerings including Slurpee and Big Gulp drinks “that have become a part of American culture.”
The site said it opened the world’s first convenience store on the dock of an icehouse in Dallas, Texas, and the expansions later took up the idea of being open 24/7 to serve customers.
“7-Eleven becomes an even bigger family of brands. The acquisitions of Sunoco and Speedway adds over 5,000 new stores across the U.S.,” the company noted on a timeline. “They bring new ideas, people, and products that make us stronger and better. Welcome to Speedway, Stripes, APlus, and Laredo Taco Company.” Need Iranian missile workers?
#1
Does this mean I can loot the nearest gas station? Asking for a black friend.
Posted by: chris ||
04/15/2026 3:31 Comments ||
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#2
Central DTSD: three or four within a five minute walk of, say, the Grant, and four or five more within ten, every one of 'em exemplifying multiple forms of 7-Eleven suckage.
Posted by: Pearl Untervehr1398 ||
04/15/2026 4:50 Comments ||
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#3
In 2024, more than 400 North American 7-Elevens were slated to close due to underperformance.
#6
I remember when they were SpeedeeMarts, and American-owned by the Southland Corp
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/15/2026 8:06 Comments ||
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#7
Southland built a 42 story office building beside the Central Expressway, opening in 1988. Southland was bought out in 1987. There were plans for an identical tower, on the other side of the expressway. They cleverly bought enough Brazilian Red granite facing for both towers, no doubt an economy move. The matching tower was cancelled and the property sold in 1989.
I helped build the 3.5 mile transit tunnel under the expressway. My PE seal is on the alignment plans, (but I only checked the genius that designed the route). Now there is a light-rail transit station serving the tower area, 120 feet below grade.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/15/2026 8:49 Comments ||
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[DM] A teen armed with five guns killed at least nine people and wounded at least 13 more at a Turkish school on Wednesday, the second such attack in as many days.
The armed attack, carried out by a 14-year-old pupil, took place at the Ayser Calık Secondary School in Kahramanmaras.
It follows an attack on Tuesday which saw a 17-year-old gunman storm a school in Turkey's Siverek district and injure 16 people with gunfire before turning the weapon on himself.
Harrowing images from Kahramanmaras captured pupils and teachers fleeing the school building, with people even seen frantically jumping from open windows.
Eyewitnesses told local media that parents also rushed to the school, where they were seen embracing their children before running in panic. Some also said that intense gunfire was heard during the incident.
Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer confirmed in a statement that nine people had lost their lives during the attack, including a teacher and eight students.
Speaking to reporters at the scene earlier, the governor said the attacker was an eighth-grade boy who had brought weapons into the school before carrying out the shooting and dying at the scene.
'The 8th-grade student who caused the incident is one of our students, and his father is a former police officer. We suspect he took his weapons,' Unluer said.
'He came with five guns and seven magazines and entered two classrooms.
'He also passed away. He shot himself during the commotion. Whether it was suicide or if he shot himself during the commotion is currently unknown.'
No other details were immediately available, and local authorities have stated that the attacker's identity has not yet been determined.
Following the initial reports of the shooting, emergency medical teams and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene.
It comes just a day after a 17-year-old gunman stormed a school in Turkey's Siverek district, leaving 16 people injured.
The attacker then took his own life with his shotgun when police attempted to apprehend him at the scene.
Governor Hasan Sildak said the shooter was a former student of the school and entered the school grounds before he began firing randomly.
The assailant had attended the school for one year in the ninth grade, the governor added.
He also confirmed that the attacker had no prior criminal record and that the school had previously been classified as safe by police.
An official statement issued by the Turkish interior ministry said that a total of 10 students, four teachers, one police officer and one canteen operator were injured in the attack.
"...Turkey has strict gun laws that require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and severe penalties for illegal possession."
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
04/15/2026 12:14 Comments ||
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[DM] World leaders and billionaires gathered in Washington this weekend for the notoriously top-secret annual Bilderberg meeting.
With no minutes recorded, press reports published or interviews given to the media, the infamous conference is shrouded in mystery and has been the longtime subject of countless conspiracy theories.
Critics have accused it of being a basis for the creation of a secret government, or a mysterious new world order.
The high-level networking event was formed in 1954 to foster dialogue between the US and Europe in order to prevent another war, but now the aim is purportedly to allow Western leaders to share innovatory ideas.
Now in its 72nd year, the global elite congregated between April 9-12 to discuss a number of topics, from the future of AI and modern warfare to cryptocurrency.
Attendees included a number of billionaires, such as Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp, who is working on Donald Trump's $185 billion 'Golden Dome' project, Spotify founder Daniel Ek, and the former CEO of Google Eric Schmidt.
King Charles III, David Cameron, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson have all taken part in previous meetings.
Ahead of this year's gathering, a security cordon was put up surrounding the luxury Salamander hotel, as 128 military leaders, tech moguls and politicians prepared for days of covert talks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived at the meeting following a 'very frank' conversation with the US President at the White House, amid a time of immense crisis and uncertainty for the trans-Atlantic alliance.
Trump has in recent weeks repeatedly attacked NATO as nothing more than a 'paper tiger', threatening to ditch the 32-country organisation over a lack of support for his war against Iran.
One item listed on the agenda was the 'Trans-Atlantic Defence-Industrial Relationship', implying that the shaky future of the alliance is an urgent problem gripping the leaders of the Western world.
[FoxBusiness] A humanoid robot known as Edward Warchocki was captured on video chasing a group of wild boars in Warsaw, Poland, in a bizarre encounter that has quickly gained traction online.
Video of the incident shows the robot moving toward a small group of boars gathered near the roadside, prompting the animals to scatter and retreat as the machine advances.
The brief clip highlights the unusual sight of a human-like machine confronting wildlife in an urban setting.
Edward Warchocki is a humanoid robot with an online presence in Poland, where it appears in public-facing content and social media videos, according to its official website.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Biologists from China have discovered a new virus, POH-VAU, in shrimp and fish that can be transmitted to humans and cause a rare eye disease. The study's results were published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
Infection occurs through consumption of raw seafood. Over 70% of infected patients experience persistent ocular hypertension—inflammation and increased intraocular pressure. In some cases, this can lead to irreversible vision loss.
The authors of the study emphasize that such viruses were previously thought to be dangerous only to marine life and incapable of infecting human tissue. New data refute this belief, demonstrating the blurred boundaries of interspecies pathogen transmission.
According to Greek City Times, there is currently no cure for POH-VAU. Doctors limit themselves to symptomatic treatment, including anti-inflammatory medications and methods to reduce intraocular pressure.
Lesson: Don’t eat raw fish or shellfish from China.
[NYPost] Amazon said Tuesday it would acquire Globalstar in an $11.57 billion deal, bolstering its fledgling satellite business as it tries to catch up with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Tech companies are pouring in billions of dollars to capture the lucrative market for satellite-based connectivity, but it will be a tall order to match Starlink’s 10,000-unit-strong network.
Through the deal, Amazon adds Globalstar’s two dozen satellites to its existing network of more than 200.
Amazon has been working to ramp up its network by deploying about 3,200 satellites in Earth’s low orbit by 2029, with roughly half required to be in place by a July regulatory deadline.
It is also preparing to roll out its satellite internet services later this year.
Globalstar’s satellite network is designed for reliable, low-data connections directly to mobile devices, or Direct-to-Device (D2D).
The technology removes the need for devices to connect to ground-based cellular towers, making them crucial in powering emergency services and delivering connectivity in areas with limited cellular coverage.
The deal will help Amazon deploy D2D from 2028, the companies said.
Meanwhile, Starlink already serves more than nine million users globally.
The SpaceX unit, which provides high-speed broadband through user terminals, is also developing D2D services through partnerships with telecom operators such as T-Mobile.
“Amazon has been falling behind Starlink on satellite broadband. Acquiring Globalstar allows them to catch-up on their D2D spectrum position, and leap ahead on D2D deployment,” said Armand Musey, president & founder of Summit Ridge Group.
Shares of Louisiana-based Globalstar rose more than 9% in early trading, after gaining over 6% in the past two weeks on media reports of the companies’ discussions.
#1
Hot potato with a shocking twist (no really… it shocks you). Toss the spud around with two or more players, and whoever's holding it when the music stops gets zapped. It has three modes — including a music-only option for the less adventurous — and is a hilarious game you'll be addicted to.
[PJMedia] Last year, Chinese Communist Party boss Xi Jinping played the rare earths card, forcing President Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... to slow his roll on decoupling from the Middle Kingdom. This year, Trump played the oil card against China — first in Venezuela
...a country in Central America that sits on an enormous pool of oil. Formerly the most prospereous country in the region, it became infested with Commies sniffing almost unlimited wealth. It turned out the wealth wasn't unlimited, the economy collapsed under the clownish Hugo Chavez, the murder rate exceeded places like Honduras and El Salvador. A significant proportion of the populace refugeed to Colombia and points south... , then in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... — and he just slapped it on the table again in Indonesia.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that the U.S. and Indonesia "are elevating our relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership."
Their summit in Beijing next month already promised to be interesting, with the U.S. enjoying significant leverage over Venezuela, Iran in tatters, and the U.S. Navy taking charge of the Strait of Hormuz. Until very recently, both countries served as Beijing's reliable sources of discounted oil.
Today, Xi might ask, "Et tu, Indonesia?" If he spoke Latin, that is.
It might have seemed like one of those dry, bureaucratic, almost meaningless announcements on Monday, when War Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that the U.S. and Indonesia "are elevating our relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership."
According to a joint statement, the partnership covers "military modernization and capacity building," "training and professional military education," "exercises and operational cooperation," and I can hear you snoring already.
But a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership is kind of a big deal — and it's aimed directly at China's oil imports. China's difficulties begin in the Strait of Hormuz, but they peak at Malacca.
Nearly two-thirds of China’s imports — largely the raw materials that keep its export machine humming — and a whopping 80% of its energy imports pass through Indonesia’s Strait of Malacca. But that hardly means Beijing minds its manners around its southern neighbor.
While the two countries maintain a close strategic partnership, there are also persistent strains, particularly around Beijing's claims in the South China Sea, Chinese fishing boat fleets intruding on Indonesian waters, resulting in naval tensions, and ongoing trade disputes.
And here comes Washington — with no territorial ambitions and no invading fishing fleets — with an MDCP.
An MDCP usually means regular joint military exercises, interoperability training, and streamlined access to U.S. weapons systems. In other words, even though an MDCP is less than a formal military alliance, it allows the U.S. and its partners to effectively act as allies, should the need arise.
The MDCP with Indonesia, just announced by Hegseth, even includes military overflight access.
Unlike NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... , there's no Article Five-type guarantee requiring us to come to Indonesia's defense, but should the need arise to act against China, our two militaries ought to have enough familiarity with one another to make it work.
In response to Trump's tariffs last year, Beijing used its control over the majority of rare earth processing to get a better deal. But rare earths aren't actually all that rare, and the U.S. sits on major deposits. Our problem is that we outsourced the processing to China. We're working to correct that mistake.
When Trump and Xi meet in May, the balance between our two countries will have shifted significantly in our favor since 2025. Seen that way, our new defense partnership with Indonesia is just another brick in Trump's Great Wall Around China.
#2
If we can work out an understanding with Indonesia that if the SHTF, we can base/rearm subs and aircraft, the Chinese will be one bad day away from having its energy lifeline snipped without any hope of recovery.
Really hard to fight a war to retake Taiwan if everybody is on rationed fuel.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
