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March 27, 2026: Boots on the Ground, Knocks on the Door

Don’t miss this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack

March 27 marks four weeks since the U.S.-Israel bombardment of Iran began. We’re a month into the war of choice. U.S. Central Command announced that the U.S. has hit more than 10,000 targets in just under four weeks: Iran war latest: Trump ‘pauses’ threat to bomb Iran’s energy facilities for 10 days – and says talks ‘going very well’ | World News | Sky News.

On March 24, our Criminal-in-Chief was heard saying that the war in Iran has been won and we’ve achieved regime change: Trump declares Iran war ‘won’ as Tehran denies claims of peace talk progress – The Washington Post. Apparently, the Iranians are not acting as if the war has been lost and is now over.

Indeed, even as the words of our victory pass the Criminal-in-Chief’s lips, he’s ordering the deployment of additional ground troops to the region. The thousands being deployed to the region will add to the roughly 50,000 U.S. military personnel who were already there. US expected to send thousands of soldiers to Middle East, sources say.

Based on the announced deployments, the U.S. will increase the number of Marines in the region by approximately 5,000 (U.S. orders more warships, thousands of Marines to the Middle East) and Army soldiers by 2,000 to 3,000: More than 2,000 troops from Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division are headed to the Middle East | WUNC News.

As contradictory statements of winning and escalation emanate from the White House, it isn’t surprising to read that members of the Criminal-in-Chief’s political party are frustrated. The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the Pentagon wasn’t providing sufficient information about its aims in the Middle East. Even Republicans Flip Out After Classified Pentagon Briefing on Iran – NewsBreak. Even Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace walked out of a classified briefing, commenting that the administration is trying to drag the country into another Iraq: MAGA rep sounds alarm on war after walking out of meeting.

Sustaining any losses and casualties is painful. Thus far, despite the mixed and contradictory messaging regarding the many U.S. objectives of this war of choice, we have not sustained a high number of casualties. A late March report indicated that thirteen service members have been killed and over 230 injured: Iran war takes mounting toll on America’s military. We should be thankful that all the Iranian missiles and drones aimed at U.S. personnel have not caused more death and injury.

Unfortunately, with the possibility of inserting thousands of ground troops into the war effort, we must ask ourselves how many more U.S. service members may be killed and injured. We should demand a better, clearer statement of purpose and mission before placing more service members in harm’s way. Given the erratic decision-making already displayed, it is frightening to think that our Criminal-in-Chief may be baited by Iranian taunts urging the U.S. to “come closer”: zambianobserver.com

More American service members on the ground and in the direct line of fire will undoubtedly mean more dreaded knocks on the door. Sadly, we have a history of wars dragging on, resulting in ever-growing lists of names of those who give their lives and those who incur war-related injuries. The prospect of boots on the ground means even more knocks on the door to notify family members of those lost and injured.

Before additional marines and soldiers arrive in the region, before they are confronted with the reality of war, before the knocks on the door become a daily or hourly occurrence, will our elected members of Congress do their job? Will they act and demonstrate to us that they truly believe that those who serve in uniform are our nation’s treasure, or is that, too, empty political rhetoric? Before the number of door knocks grows, I want to see proof that those who serve are treated as national treasures, at least as important and valuable to the country as the Criminal-in-Chief.

We shouldn’t have to wait for the list of those killed and injured to grow before demanding a more thorough explanation from this administration of what is being asked of our military, the people, is worthy of their sacrifice.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

March 20, 2026 — Degradation of Civility Trump Style

Don’t miss this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack

The death of Robert Mueller III was announced on March 21, 2026. During his 81 years, Mr. Mueller achieved what many wish they could in a lifetime. Before he became a household name in the spotlight, he served in the country’s most unpopular war. His service as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam resulted in earning the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and two Navy Commendation Medals. He eventually became head of the FBI and, as Special Prosecutor, oversaw investigations into Trump and whether the president’s associates had colluded with Russia in its covert operations to sway the 2016 election: Robert Mueller, Former FBI Director Who Led Trump Inquiry, Dies at 81 – The New York Times.

Reading his biography, it is hard to argue that anyone whose life included these accomplishments would deny that Mr. Mueller’s life was about service and sacrifice for his country. His decisions and pursuits reflect a man who understood that when duty called, it was his responsibility to answer that call.

Contrasting Mr. Mueller’s character is that of the criminal who occupies the White House. Instead of remaining silent, our Criminal-in-Chief is quoted saying “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead,” Robert Mueller, Former FBI Director Who Led Trump Inquiry, Dies at 81 – The New York Times.

Let’s be honest, the United States has an occupier of the White House who cares nothing about anything other than self-enrichment and self-aggrandizement. The current U.S. regime is all about propping up and ensuring that the Criminal-in-Chief and his supporters, including pardoned criminals, profit off the backs of everyday Americans.

Trump’s comments regarding Mr. Mueller’s death underscores his disdain, his disrespect for anyone who would attempt to live by the rule of law and respect the constitution. It is a given that our Criminal-in-Chief is incapable of understanding a man, like Mr. Mueller, who would deliberately put himself in harm’s way and potentially give his life for the ideals of what the United States is all about.

What our Criminal-in-Chief fails to understand is that there may be many who have the same sentiments about him as he has about Mr. Mueller when he says, “I’m glad he’s dead.” It is sad day when it’s a person who has the title of “President of the United States” who verbalizes this level of disrespect for a man, his service and his sacrifice.

Click here to read more of Tim’s blog posts.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

March 13, 2026 — U.S.: More War, Less Peace

Check out this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack

Once again, the U.S. is at war somewhere in the world. An in-depth look into U.S. military hostile engagements and covert hostile activities abroad will educate us and inform us about the extent to which we are pro-war and pro-regime change. During the post-World War II period, extended periods of peace are rare. Anyone signing up to serve in the military and making it a career is bound to find him or herself serving during a period of conflict given our history.

The last 80 years of U.S. History demonstrates our broad “national interests” and the lengths to which we go to protect those interests. While they are admirable at times, there have been other times when our pursuit to protect our national interests is much less than honorable.

As we are now forced to live through a war of choice initiated by our government, it’s important to recognize the extent to which the U.S. has been mired in conflicts around the world. It’s impossible to list them all, but highlighting a few may help people see just how much the U.S. has been involved abroad and the duration of these conflicts.

It’s likely that very few have come across the joint U.S.-U.K. effort at regime change in Albania. There were legitimate reasons to be concerned about the Soviet Union’s control over many Eastern European countries in the late 1940s in the aftermath of World War II. This effort at regime change, code named Operation Valuable Fiend, involved the CIA. It didn’t go well. OBOPUS BGFIEND VOL. 14 (BGFIEND OPERATIONS)_0088.pdf.

The Korean War: June 1950-1953. The war begins when North Korean troops invade South Korea. U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts | Congress.gov | Library of Congress.

Vietnam: 1955-1975: The Vietnam “Era” begins in 1955 with the U.S.’s Military Assistance and Advisory Group to train and provide military aid to South Vietnam’s army. U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts | Congress.gov | Library of Congress.

The decade of the 1980s was a busy time of U.S. engagements abroad both militarily and in that fuzzy area of regime change as the list of activity includes: Lebanon (1982-1983), Grenada (1983), and Panama (1989-1990). U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. The decade of the 80s would not be complete without mention of our messy involvement in Nicaragua and the Contra War. U.S. aid to Contras signed into law | October 18, 1986 | HISTORY.

The last thirty-five years have been marked by the U.S.’s military engagements in the Middle East. The brief Persian Gulf War (August 1990-April 1991) was followed by the prolonged operations after the September 11, 2001, attacks. In succession, we have had Operation Enduring Freedom (October 2001-December 2014), Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (January 2015-August 2021), Operation Enduring Sentinel (October 2021-no end date). Concurrent with these operations were other named operations in Iraq such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts | Congress.gov | Library of Congress.

On February 28, 2026, the U.S. committed itself to Operation Epic Fury which continues in Iran. Interestingly, we have heard a list of reasons for initiating our campaign of “Fury”. We shouldn’t be surprised by Joe Kent’s statement that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” as he states in resigning his position as the country’s top counterterrorism official. Joe Kent, a Top Counterterrorism Official for the Trump Administration, Resigns, Citing Iran War – The New York Times.

Trump is not the first president to lie about the reasons for getting the country into war. Sadly, it has happened far too many times with the loss of lives on all sides. Whether covert or overt, we have all too often initiated actions that have resulted in making situations worse. Our arrogance combined with ignorance and use of military force and power do more harm than good and will cultivate more enemies than friends given our current conduct and behavior.

For the citizens of the United States, heightened vigilance is not a choice, it is a necessity for everyday living

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

March 6, 2026: Welcome to the World of Gray

Check out this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack

This year has begun with a bang, literally. Lots of government-sanctioned violence and gunfire. I’m talking U.S. Government-sanctioned violence and gunfire, and that excludes all the Government-sanctioned gunfire within the borders of the country (but let’s not forget what’s going on domestically).

We started with a military action that abducted the head of a country in Venezuela: Spies, drones, and blowtorches: How the US captured Maduro. The abduction of Maduro was just the start of things to come. Who knew?

The pace of U.S. military involvement in violence is picking up! The U.S. offered intelligence assistance for Mexican authorities to take action against a cartel boss that, in turn, resulted in shootings and additional killings in Mexico: Mexican military kills cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ in US-backed raid | Reuters. It’s easy to be cynical and not believe the U.S.’s claim that it provided only intel support. Given what occurred, it’s just as believable that U.S. DEA or other agency or military assets were on the ground to assist the Mexican authorities.

The U.S. has also intensified a blockade of Cuba: A New U.S. Blockade Is Strangling Cuba – The New York Times. The U.S. action, which sounds similar to one of Iran’s stated objectives, is aimed at regime change. The U.S. has deployed U.S. Coast Guard vessels to enforce the current blockade. Trump has raised the prospect of the U.S. engaging in a “friendly takeover” of Cuba: Trump raises prospect of ‘friendly takeover’ of Cuba, says Rubio in talks | Reuters.

Now, we’re engaged in hostilities with Iran after having obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities last summer. We must obliterate them again because . . . we were lied to then (remember having been lied to about those weapons of mass destruction in Iraq years ago? Remember having been lied to about . . . never mind, lying is par for the course when the U.S. seeks to start wars).

After a few days of bombing our Criminal-in-Chief has said that “Just about everything’s been knocked out:” Trump says ‘everything’s been knocked out’ in Iran but offers no clear plan for war. Nevertheless, we’ll keep bombing all those previously obliterated targets that don’t exist. In retaliation, Iran has struck countries that it sees as assisting the U.S./Israel attacks and has stretched the war zone to the whole of the region and beyond. Perhaps not to be outdone, the U.S. reported the sinking of an Iranian navy vessel in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka: US submarine sinks Iranian warship as war expands | AP News.

And, perhaps while you were absorbed by the news related to what’s going on in Iran and that region of the world, the U.S. has special forces working with Ecuadorean authorities to combat drug traffickers there: US, Ecuadorean forces take action in Ecuador to combat drug trafficking | Reuters.

During the first 70 days of 2026, the U.S. has engaged in more international military “adventures” than many countries would enter into in a decade. We seem to have a bloodthirsty administration intent on satisfying the Criminal-in-Chief’s desire to project his false macho image by using the military to project U.S. power.

Given this Criminal-in-Chief’s transactional way of doing everything, the only question is how many people, regardless of nationality, will have to die in the name of the Trump family’s ultimate financial gain? Neither Trump nor those at the top of this administration have anyone in harm’s way.

For those in the U.S. who think the U.S. is always the white-hatted good guys, think again. How much pain and suffering are innocent people around the world enduring because of our Criminal-in-Chief? How many more lives in the Middle East, South America, Asia and the U.S. will be lost or made more difficult because of his need to use and project power?

While the Criminal-in-Chief and his minions will point fingers at countries around the world as bad guys or dangerous or an imminent threat to the security of the United States, it’s practically impossible to identify another of our adversaries that has engaged in the kind of behavior the U.S. has engaged in around the world. It begs the question: Are we the white hats or the black hats?

There are some real truths here as we see hostile U.S. military activity expanding geographically: No one in the Trump family will serve in uniform and be in harm’s way. Trump and his family will never get a knock at the door informing them about the loss of a loved one. They will never feel the pain of the ultimate loss and sacrifice that his decisions cause. Trump and his family will profit from his bullying of others.

Americans need to stop seeing themselves as the white-hatted good guys of the world and get real. At best, we wear the gray hats because we are also involved in so much global violence.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Watch

Listen Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio March 2026, Ep11 Tim’s Travails: An Invisible Public Servant is the month’s feature on Peter Fowler, former Senior Counsel, Office of Policy and International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Peter Fowler retired in January 2026 after more than 30 years at the USPTO. What are his takeaways from his tenure? What advice does he have for other public servants? Read

March 2026, Ep11 Tim’s Travails: An Invisible Public Servant is the month’s feature on Peter Fowler, former Senior Counsel, Office of Policy and International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office

March 2026 — This month on IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer’s podcast/video show we meet Peter Fowler, former Senior Counsel, Office of Policy and International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Today’s Topic: An Invisible Public Servant — It’s the Mission

Don’t miss it!

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About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video sereis, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduce us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.

Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.

Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.  Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor. 

Stay tuned for more episodes on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv, and of course, log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, www.TimothyTrainer.com.

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Feb. 27, 2026: The Ultimate Steal and Death of a Country

Don’t miss this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack

What a surprise to see a headline stating “Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency:” Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency – The Washington Post. We have Trump supporters and activists urging the issuance of an order because “the president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes. That causes a national emergency where the president has to be able to deal with it.”

It’s always worth going back to the beginning.

The U.S. Constitution states in Article 1, Section 4 that “The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations, except as to the places of choosing Senators:” United States Constitution. Yes, there’s language that provides for Congress to make changes, but it is also clear from this latest article that if Trump confronts a reluctant Congress, he’s ready to unilaterally do what the Constitution does NOT allow him to do.

As the Constitution vests the primary role of electoral processes and procedures to the states, it is worth reminding everyone that the states have done their job competently. Despite all the accusations of voter fraud or theft in 2020, as proclaimed by Trump and his supporters, they came up empty in the courts in proving the existence of this fraud and theft that they screamed about in the election’s aftermath.

Republican Liz Cheney stated that “The president and many around him pushed this idea that the election had been stolen. And that is a dangerous claim. It wasn’t true. There were over 60 court cases where judges, including judges appointed by President Trump and other Republican presidents, looked at the evidence in many cases and said there is no widespread fraud:” Results of Lawsuits Regarding the 2020 Elections | Campaign Legal Center.

Attorney Marc Elias pointed out that “It is 63 losses by Trump and his allies” in an effort to convince the courts of voter fraud. PolitiFact | Joe Biden is right that more than 60 of Trump’s election lawsuits lacked merit. U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Bibas, a Trump appointee, noted in dismissing a challenge in Pennsylvania that “Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious.

But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations, followed by proof.

We have neither here:” PolitiFact | Joe Biden is right that more than 60 of Trump’s election lawsuits lacked merit. Just as we have listened to years of evidence-free claims of voter fraud and a stolen election, one has to ask what emergency exists as the basis for an executive order that undermines U.S. elections that have been deemed to be safe and secure?

The mere fact that a Trump friend and lawyer makes the statement that “there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes” is not evidence, Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency – The Washington Post. It’s simply a bald statement.

As Trump and his cult followers look for any opportunity and avenue to take over the country and undermine our Constitution and rule of law, it’s worth wondering where the dangers come from and who has undermined our security. And, ultimately, who’s responsible for creating this emergency threat as an excuse to throttle the election system?

When the Criminal-in-Chief considers yet another step toward an unconstitutional or illegal act, we must remind ourselves that the clamor of external threats is a diversion.

No foreign power fired the three-star general whose honest assessment of the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear capabilities wasn’t in line with the Criminal-in-Chief’s bragging. Because of the more honest assessment, the administration let go of the man in charge of the Defense Intelligence Agency: Hegseth fires head of Defense Intelligence Agency – NBC News.

Emergencies in this administration are self-created. The Criminal-in-Chief allowed Hegseth to fire a general who was in charge of both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. The firing was without any rationale. National Security Agency and Cyber Command chief, Gen. Tim Haugh, ousted – The Washington Post. His firing was based on input from a right-wing activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. How far-right activist Laura Loomer is shaping the Trump administration | PBS News.

The U.S., like any nation, has many adversaries. And, like many nations, we have developed capabilities to keep a check on what those adversaries are doing through various agencies of the government. Firing people who head agencies like the NSA, Cyber Command, DIA, and others for no apparent reason other than officers providing honest assessments is what causes self-made emergencies to occur. These actions provide adversaries with opportunities. Removal of experienced, competent leadership simply because officers or civilian personnel fail to make outlandish claims causes gaps in competency.

Letting a conspiracy theorist influence personnel decisions undermines critical agency operations. Letting cultist lawyers draft executive orders will lead to illegal and unconstitutional acts by the government.

As the Criminal-in-Chief seeks new ways to trample the Constitution and the rule of law, he gives aid and comfort to our adversaries. By seeking ways to undermine our elections, he seeks to oppress the people, and by doing so, he’s actually behaving in ways no different than the leadership of countries like Iran and China. While his cultist supporters look abroad for reasons to destroy democracy, he and his followers create this homegrown emergency. It’s time to say aloud what so many fear to say: the greatest threat and enemy of the United States occupies the White House.

Image: Pubkgroup

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

Feb. 16: President’s Day 2026 — Are we supposed to be celebrating something today?

Don’t miss this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

On President’s Day, are we supposed to be celebrating something? If so, it’s difficult to identify what that would be, given the speed with which the current president has undermined the constitution, the rule of law, and defied the courts.

Trump’s great 2020 election complaint about having the election stolen is worth keeping in mind. The spotlight should be on who really wants to steal an election or, going beyond that, eliminate future elections: Donald Trump pushes harder for nationalizing elections despite backlash. There’s no confusion about who is truly the wannabe thief: it’s the current occupant of the White House. And there’s no confusion as to who is consumed with the idea of going beyond stealing an election to cancelling them altogether.

On the flip side, despite the U.S.’s involvement in global wars, elections were held during both world wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the war on terror as we engaged in warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, any rhetoric by the Criminal in Chief about future elections is all about how he can fulfill his desire for the greatest election theft of all time, eliminating them and keeping power.

On this President’s Day, we see daily how this President defies the Constitution, laws, and court orders.

I’ve previously written about judges who have pushed back on ICE tactics and ICE’s routine violation of the rights of people, whether immigrants or citizens. A recent Reuters report dove into court actions arising from ICE’s actions and found that the courts have ruled over 4,000 times on how ICE has imprisoned people illegally.

Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped. | Reuters. “ICE and CBP agents have routinely stopped vehicles and questioned the occupants in apparent retaliation for being followed by community members monitoring their activities.” How ICE Went Rogue: Analysis of the Legal Authorities Governing ICE – American Immigration Council.

Trump likes political protests abroad and is willing to threaten foreign governments with U.S. military action when a foreign government clamps down against protestors. “White House weighs whether to respond to the crackdown on this popular uprising against the Iranian clerical establishment, long hostile to America. President Trump has both threatened ‘strong’ military action against Iran should more demonstrators be killed”. Trump threatens ‘strong’ military action as Iran protest deaths rise: NPR. But this same man is too fragile to allow Americans to exercise their rights in protesting his actions that the courts have found violate the fundamental rights of Americans.

One of the many outlandish rationales for all the rights violations was a DHS Assistant Secretary justifying arrest and prolonged detention of an individual because she had “a conviction for passing bad checks,” and passing bad checks “does not make for an upstanding lawful permanent resident.” And how much was this check: $25 (Twenty-five dollars). She bounced a $25 check in 2014. ICE tried to deport her. – The Washington Post.

Now that DHS has clarified what undermines good character and what conduct falls short of being an upstanding, lawful person, we should ask all these government job-holding cult followers how they support a convicted criminal in the White House. The Criminal in Chief’s criminal conduct is so far beyond a $25 bad check that it does not register on a comparison meter or chart.

On this President’s Day, the only thing to remind ourselves about is whether there are any rights still available in practice to U.S. citizens. Trump’s efforts to gut the United States of its democratic principles and rights will progress without people speaking out, and defying his version of the Gestapo: DHS/ICE. While those wearing badges and carrying guns are doing the dirty work, none of this would be possible without approval from the very top. As the small sign once read: the buck stops here and “here” is the President’s desk.

This President is not worthy of any respect, not worthy of deference, and most definitely not worthy of us voting for anyone who supports his anti-American mode of governing.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

Feb. 5, 2026: National Insecurity is Center Stage

Don’t miss this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author and podcaster Timothy Trainer

Follow Tim on Substack

After a year of Trump II, there are so many ways in which this administration has demonstrated to us (U.S.) and the world its fragility, fears, and insecurities. What is astonishing is how much this administration fears the very things millions abroad viewed as our strengths.

A recent headline made by our Secretary of Cosmetics, sorry, Secretary of “War”, regarding his threats to the Scouts is a perfect example. A Washington Post headline on February 3, 2026, reads, “Pentagon warns Scouts to make ‘core value reforms’ or lose military support:” Pentagon warns Scouts to make ‘core value reforms’ or lose military support – The Washington Post. The Pentagon takes the view that the Scouts do not embrace core values and will not retain support from the military unless it implements core values.

Whose values? Is there some committee at the Pentagon that determines what constitutes “core values”? Is there a room full of generals who do this? Are core values determined by a group of angry old white males? Nothing in the article tells us this.

One suggestion is for the Secretary of Cosmetics to learn more about the people who serve in uniform. According to some of the most recent demographic information available, nearly a third of active-duty military personnel (32.5%) self-identify as a member of a racial minority group (Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Multi-racial, or Unknown): 2024 Demographic Profile Active-Duty Members.

Something else that might shock the faux macho man is that women now account for about 17.9% of all active-duty troops: 2024 Demographic Profile: Active-Duty Members.

In 1994, a female F-18 pilot became the first American woman to fly a combat mission: Meet the First American Women to Fly Combat Missions | Smithsonian Voices | National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Magazine. Perhaps someone at the Pentagon should read bedtime military history stories to our Pentagon chief.

The Pentagon chief, given his narrow-minded approach, is likely ignorant of the fact that in 2017 the Department of Defense released a new table of “Faith and Belief Codes” listing over 200 denominations and religious groups. How the US military embraced America’s religious diversity. This development acknowledges how diverse the military active-duty community is regarding religious affiliation.

Before attacking the scouts, Hegseth should understand the core values that make the men and women in uniform strong as a fighting and defense force. He should spend more time understanding the demographics of those serving in uniform because those people who are serving are representing core values, not his shallow values.

The saddest thing about this “core values” talk from the Secretary of Cosmetics (War?) is that he deliberately ignores and overlooks the fact that DEI was, in many ways, led by the military even if it was involuntary at the beginning. The diversity and inclusiveness within the armed forces began decades before Hegseth took his first breath. His constant attack on DEI simply reflects his own insecurities and those of his ultimate boss. Having lived the military life and served on active duty before Hegseth took his first step, his so-called “core values” are not in keeping with the tradition of the military’s diversity and inclusiveness and is a betrayal of the military’s post-World War II history.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Watch

Listen Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio February 2026, Ep10 Tim’s Travails: School safety is the theme of this month’s interview with Luis D. Aponte, author of “A Safe Place” February 2026: In this month's podcast interview, Tim asks author Luis Aponte — What inspired you to dedicate seven years of your life to researching school shootings and writing this book? Was there a specific moment or event that motivated you to take on this project? Your book emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mastery in preventing school shootings. Can you share practical tips for parents and educators to help children develop these skills? And so much more! Read

February 2026, Ep10 Tim’s Travails: School safety is the theme of this month’s interview with Luis D. Aponte, author of “A Safe Place”

February 2026 — This month on IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer’s podcast/video show we meet school safety expert, author, and podcaster Luis D. Aponte.

Today’s Topic: The Real Story Behind School Safety — How to Prevent the Next School Shooting

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About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video sereis, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduce us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.

Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.

Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.  Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor. 

Stay tuned for more episodes on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv, and of course, log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, www.TimothyTrainer.com.

Read

January 20, 2026: “Year One of Trump II — Thank You”

Don’t miss this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author and podcaster Timothy Trainer

Follow Tim on Substack

Time provides perspective and context for things. As a result, it seems appropriate that as we mark a year since Trump II began that we or, specifically, I give thanks even though it isn’t Thanksgiving.

Before giving thanks, it’s worth reminding ourselves that the popular vote result of the 2024 presidential election was closer than many might think. The popular vote percentage won by the two major party candidates was Trump/Vance 49.8% v. Harris/Walz 48.3%: 2024 | The American Presidency Project. Those who helped place a flawed man, correction, a criminal in the Oval Office have informed me more about the United States than anything in all the previous decades that I’ve experienced.

It is accurate to refer to the man in the Oval Office as a criminal because of the guilty verdict delivered in New York by a jury finding him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn star: Trump hush money verdict: Guilty of all 34 counts | AP News.

Placing a man who has been adjudicated as a sexual abuser: Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse, awards E. Jean Carroll $5M | AP News, Federal appeals court upholds sexual abuse verdict against Trump | CNN Politics, and a fraudster: Trump fraud ruling adds to his string of legal losses in New York – CBS News into the White House a second time might’ve been a hint as to what would unfold. He told the electorate what consumed him, angered him, drove him: retribution and exercising power. Ignoring the complete lack of integrity and honesty of this man educates me about millions of my fellow citizens. Thank you for showing me how little character, integrity and honesty really matter.

Placing a known fraudster into the Oval Office was bound to lead the country into dangerous waters. Who can ignore the warning as far back as 2016. “Pillage is Trump’s business model. Trump has been embroiled in hundreds of lawsuits for refusal to pay contractors and workers at his projects across the country:” Billionaire Trump Fleeces Workers, Small Businesses – United Steelworkers. I extend a big thank you to my fellow blue collar, hard-working citizens who supported a man well known to stiff hard-working, blue-collar citizens. Apparently, a fraudster and known fleecer was more attractive to vote for than a woman of color who did not have any history of cheating people out of their pay checks.

Voting a known fraudster and sexual abuser into the Oval Office exposed a myth. Despite the self-proclamation of millions to be on the side of good simply because they are seen in pews and houses of worship, they support the criminal. It’s difficult if not impossible to excuse them the second time around. Millions speak of the importance of integrity and honesty then turn and support the criminal unable to speak the truth about anything. Millions opted to see no evil and hear no evil. These millions are worthy of my thanks for justifying my skepticism of those who self-promote their faith and religion too loudly.

I’m thankful to the millions who support the false patriot occupying the Oval Office, draping himself in the flag while undermining everything it represents. The loudmouth man in the Oval Office evaded service when it was his time but talks like a tough guy while surrounded by his secret service detail. To suggest that this self-centered man is a patriot is an insult to every person who has ever taken the oath and worn the uniform to protect and defend the country. Yes, I’m thankful knowing that millions give lip-service to that phrase “thank you for your service” as many put a draft evader on a pedestal while he undermines the constitution and the rule of law that many have given their life and blood to defend.

For decades, I suspected that there was a quiet underlying level of racism/bigotry waiting to erupt. Now, it has. Millions applaud and are proud of the way masked federal law enforcement officers are dragging people of color and immigrants out of cars, houses, stores. Suddenly, even when law enforcement officers attack citizens, it is acceptable to many. I’m thankful that we have fully exposed the level of racism, bigotry and violence people are willing to support and accept from our masked federal officers as long as it’s someone else.

I’m thankful knowing that millions embrace the fraud, the lies, the twisting of facts. I’m thankful knowing that millions of fellow citizens no longer believe in research, science, and the value of learning as we turn away from so much that has contributed to what was the greatest country on earth. Millions oppose high standards and goals in all those areas that attracted the best and brightest to our shores.

I’m thankful for a spineless corps of elected officials who fear a few insults from the criminal in the Oval Office. They’d rather cower to the criminal than fulfil their oath to represent the people. It’s much easier to despise these elected officials given their cowardice.

Recent days have been filled with a demonstration of U.S. bullying, saber rattling and chaos creation. From threats to military actions in various countries, cutting ties with allies over Greenland, and continuing to allow masked, armed federal officers to wreak havoc in U.S. cities, it’ nice to know that the only people who seem immune and happy over all of this is the mega-rich as the stock market keeps returning riches to the rich.

As year one of Trump II ends, we should all be thankful knowing how we’ve allowed a criminal to break a country so easily and quickly.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

Jan. 12, 2026: “Regression as Progress?” by IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer

We are on the verge of reaching that one-year milestone since this administration came to be. About the only thing that represents progress are the hourly, daily reports about artificial intelligence (AI) and how that is changing our world in so many ways. Is that progress?

In the United States, aside from AI as a modern-day miracle that allows non-human ways of doing so much, there are signs of regression. There are developments in numerous areas where regression is the new norm, and there are far too many to list. Having recently mentioned the issue of the increased numbers of some childhood diseases due to the current anti-vaccination stance of many, a few other areas of regression are noted below.

Decades of work to evolve into an inclusive and knowledgeable society is now halted by overly sensitive and “snowflake” conservatives. We have an administration that fears facts and historical events and that comes through with executive orders titled in ways that describe its fears: Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling – The White House and Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History – The White House. Witnessing this administration’s undermining of teaching historical facts and its efforts at erasing events exposes the fear it has of basic history.

A nation that can’t face up to and teach its history of slavery, its unequal treatment of certain groups of people, its withholding of benefits based on gender or race, its continuing inability to recognize the uniqueness of certain individuals demonstrates its weaknesses and fears.

The administration’s immigration policies, reflecting the fears of many that people of color might someday make up the majority population, expose its racial tendencies. How else to explain an executive order that paved the way for white South Africans to enter the United States as refugees (DCPD-202500239.pdf) while issuing other executive orders banning immigrants from numerous countries where the population is made up of people of color: Restricting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats – The White House. The immigration policy complements the policy on education by focusing less on people of color and women.

For all the talk about making the country great again, the administration has gone to great lengths to weaken the country through its drastic cuts to research funding. Billions of dollars have been cut to university research: Will higher education researchers leave for opportunities abroad? | Higher Ed Dive. This leaves researchers in a state of limbo. More importantly, it makes them vulnerable to being approached by universities and governments abroad to continue research in critical areas. This impact can have negative effects on future economic growth.

As a result of the cuts to research, the European Research Council has reported that the number of U.S. applicants for research grants has tripled since 2024: Brain drain: Many scientists see better research options overseas | STAT. As the U.S. is seen as a less favorable place for scientific research, it gives China an opening to approach and offer incentives to U.S. researchers left out in the cold.

Finally, another indicator of this administration’s commitment to the past is its April 2025 Executive Order emphasizing continued reliance on coal: Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241 – The White House. This administration is bent on remaining married to the past while cancelling projects that would move the country to cleaner energy production: Wind and solar power frozen out of Trump permitting push | Reuters. Overall, whether it is energy production or auto industry conversion to electric vehicles and hybrids, the administration looks to the past more than the future.

The recent abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro and the subsequent reporting about the impact on China’s oil deal with that country says a lot about our backward-looking government. CNN reported that “the US intervention in Venezuela could only reinforce China’s pursuit of energy independence — attempting to produce more of its own energy at home and break reliance on foreign sources of energy that can be disrupted.” Trump wants to own Venezuela’s oil, but its largest oil customer is speeding toward clean energy | CNN.

China pursues its independence by including significant levels of solar and wind energy. It includes nuclear power as part of its overall strategy, and it is working aggressively to get fusion energy up and running in the country.

The article quotes a director at the Asia Society Policy Institute as observing that “The largest economy in the world is embracing a petrostate approach. It just reinforces this notion that the United States is increasingly going backward on the energy transition and on top of that, is very willing and able to deploy military forces to achieve that goal.”

This is where we are: the U.S. is willing to use advanced technology to develop military weapons systems and use those assets to go backward. Policies that take us backward will make it much more difficult to close gaps with adversaries who are looking forward.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Read

Jan. 5, 2026 — Venezuela: Not Embracing the “Saving Lives” Justification, by Timothy Trainer

In this week’s blog post by IP attorney and award-winning author Timothy Trainer, he takes a look at two issues facing the US, and the world. Scroll down for more. Follow Tim on Substack.

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Who accepts the stated justification for the abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro as saving U.S. lives because of Venezuela’s role in supplying drugs to the United States? We should remind ourselves that just weeks ago, Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who was convicted in a U.S. court for his involvement in drug trafficking. The drug angle is undermined by Trump’s own actions.

Additional information weakens Trump’s argument. According to our own Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.N.’s Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), most illegal fentanyl enters the country from Mexico and there’s no evidence that there are significant levels of that drug produced in South America: Get the Facts: Is Venezuela a primary drug trafficker to the United States?, KCRA3 TV.

This article notes that “Venezuela is not among the primary direct traffickers of cocaine to the U.S.” and “there is no known direct cocaine trade route from Venezuela to the U.S. via sea. The only known direct Venezuela to U.S. trafficking route is via air, according to drug seizure data from UNODC. Cocaine could still arrive from Venezuela to the U.S. through intermediary countries.”

There’s another glaring reason why one should be skeptical about the claims that this administration took this action to protect U.S. lives.

If this administration was serious about U.S. lives, it wouldn’t be ignoring decades of science and medical research when it comes to vaccination of children. On New Year’s Eve, the Washington Post reported that the country is “experiencing its highest annual measles case tally in at least 33 years:” As U.S. vaccination rates fall, see how your school compares, The Washington Post. The Post article reported that “South Carolina this month [December 2025], a measles outbreak topped 175 cases, mostly among unvaccinated individuals, with hundreds quarantined.”

The measles outbreak began in 2024 as the U.S. experienced a significant drop in childhood vaccination rates. About 93 per cent of the 2025 cases affected those who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown: US measles cases surpass 2,000 for first time in 30 years, The Times.

One has to ask the question: Do parents who have embraced the anti-vaccine (anti-science) position then turn around and take their ill children to the hospital where science/research backed treatment occurs?

Take any medicines prescribed or over the counter? Do they suddenly rely on science AFTER a child is sickened by taking advice from a doctor or giving an ill child the medicine as recommended by a physician?

One major observation of the dynamics at play is that we have an anti-science/research crowd at the top of agencies who ignore decades of proven medicine and science that leads to illness and, sometimes, death. This administration tells us how much they care about the lives of citizens while convincing tens of thousands not to do everything possible to prevent children from severe illnesses and death thereby contradicting their own stated position of wanting to save lives in this country. Apparently, the administration discounts the value of children.

My reading is that the Venezuela adventure is not about life saving because information and facts exist that contradict that justification. As it has been in the past with other U.S. administrations, it’s about oil and money plain and simple. In the aftermath of the abduction, Trump is quoted as saying, “We built Venezuela’s oil industry with American talent, drive and skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us.

Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars. They took all of our property:” Trump pledges US return to Venezuela oil industry after Maduro’s capture, Fox Business. He makes clear what this military operation was all about: “We are going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken oil infrastructure and start making money for the country.”

What Trump says underscores what everything is about: MONEY. It will never be about others and saving the lives of the people of these United States. It has never been about lifesaving. If the lives of THE PEOPLE mattered to this administration, it wouldn’t be undermining policies that have kept the children of this country safe from preventable diseases for decades.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Watch

Listen Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio January 2026, Ep9 Tim’s Travails: Today we invite you to listen to two attorney turned authors talk about their journeys, art and craft as Tim welcomes award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers Tim gets the down and dirty on: Why is it that when a DC resident is the victim, few seem to care, but earlier this year when someone who was part of the DOGE army was a victim, it got the attention of the White House. Similarly, the recent shooting of National Guard members caused the White House to threaten a more uniformed presence. Why such a different reaction? And so much more! Read

January 2026, Ep9 Tim’s Travails: Today we invite you to listen to two attorney turned authors talk about their journeys, art and craft as Tim welcomes award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers

January 2026 — This month on IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer’s podcast/video show we meet attorney turned award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers

Today’s Topic: Author to Author • Attorney to Attorney

Tim will talk with Chris about:

• How does being a life-long Washington, D.C., resident influence your writing?
• What allows you to capture the “gritty” aspects of your novels?
• Washington, D.C., has historically been viewed as a high-crime city, but that crime is often concentrated in neighborhoods where the victims are nameless, faceless people. Yet, if a staffer from Capitol Hill or someone with political connections is a victim of crime, it hits the front page and national media, how do you reconcile this, or is that possible?
• Why is it that when a DC resident is the victim, few seem to care, but earlier this year when someone who was part of the DOGE army was a victim, it got the attention of the White House. Similarly, the recent shooting of National Guard members caused the White House to threaten a more uniformed presence. Why such a different reaction?

Don’t miss it!

About our guest: Chris is a lecturer at Georgetown University, Chair of the International Conflict Resolution Center and is General Counsel to a not-for-profit benefitting HBCUs: Student Housing of America. He is the author of the Angela Bivens thriller series for Random House, The Rocket Crockett pulp noir series, and Black Pulp for Prose-Press, and editor, along with Gary Phillips, of The Darker Mask graphic short story collection, the Bronze Buckaroo Rides Again: Honoring Harlem’s Herb Jeffries. He was a finalist in 2008 for the PEN/Malamud Short Story Award for “Leviathan.”

He’s contributed short stories to The Obama Inheritance: 15 Stories of Conspiracy Noir (Three Rooms Press) and is the winner of the Anthony Award. The Black Panther: Tales Of Wakanda, The Faking of the President, and Midnight Hour, Witnesses for the Dead with Gar Anthony Haywood–all major award-winning collections and bestsellers. His noir hardboiled mystery Scavenger (2020) won a starred review and profile in Publishers Weekly; the sequel Standalone sees the return of the indestructible homeless addict turned PI Dickie Cornish, patrolling the unforgiving city streets ravaged by COVID, with the third in the trilogy Streetwhys in 2025. His next Marvel contribution is in Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson.

About Chris’s latest book, “Street Whys:” We again meet Washington, DC’s notorious detective, former street denizen Dickie Cornish, who faces off with bloodthirsty cops and the justice department. Underground detective Dickie Cornish faces a vindictive murder rap from his past if he doesn’t agree to help prove that the fentanyl ravaging the streets of DC is bankrolled by shadowy donors of a certain former president. Broke and desperate, Cornish soon finds himself on a collision course with shady public defenders and corrupt police officers, forcing him to use his street connections to flip their plan. Or die.

The Dickie Cornish series has met with widespread critical acclaim: Publishers Weekly dubbed the series debut, Scavenger, “[A] no-holds-barred crime novel…a 21st-century twist on traditional hardboiled noir.” The Strand Magazine selected Standalone, the second book in the series, as one of the “Top 25 Mystery Novels of the Year,” adding, “It’s apparent that the modern heir to Chandler, Woolrich, and Cain is Christopher Chambers, enough said.” And renowned crime author George Pelecanos raves that the series “really nails Washington, DC in the current environment.” Click here to buy the book.

Learn more: ChrisChambersNoir.com

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About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video sereis, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduce us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.

Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.

Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.  Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor. 

Stay tuned for more episodes on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv, and of course, log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, www.TimothyTrainer.com.

Watch

Listen Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio December 2025, Ep8 Tim’s Travails: Meet Chen Wang, CEO of Steelike, Inc., and former Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Affairs of the American Intellectual Property Law Association This month on IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer's podcast/video show, we meet Chen Wang, the co-founder and CEO of Steelike, and former Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Affairs of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Read

December 2025, Ep8 Tim’s Travails: Meet Chen Wang, CEO of Steelike, Inc., and former Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Affairs of the American Intellectual Property Law Association

December 2025 — This month on IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer’s podcast/video show, we meet Chen Wang, the co-founder and CEO of Steelike, and former Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Affairs of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

This month’s topic: Women in Engineering

Questions for Chen:

• How did you decide to enter this area? What were your interests and influences as a child? How did that impact your decision to become an engineer, and then a lawyer?
• How do the areas of engineering and law complement each other?
• As the CEO of Steelike, how do you see the role of AI impacting your industry? What are some of the upsides and downsides?
• What do you believe is the role of personal relationships in the age of the Internet and AI? How do you see it playing out in the next 3-5 years, and beyond?

About Chen: Based in Springfield, VA, Steelike supplies a proprietary ultra-high-performance composite material, known as Steelike UHPC, for the construction, repair, preservation, and protection of infrastructure. Previously, she was Deputy Executive Director for Regulatory Affairs of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), based in Arlington, Virginia, where she served as a senior advisor to the Executive Director, and had day-to-day responsibility for AIPLA’s domestic and international intellectual property policy work and regulatory issues of concern to the Association.

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About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video series, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduces us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.

Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.

Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.  Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor. 

Stay tuned for more episodes on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv, and of course, log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, www.TimothyTrainer.com.

Read

Dec. 22, 2025 — “U.S.: All Over the Map,” by IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer

Check out this latest blog post by IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer •  Be sure to follow Tim on Substack

Dec. 22, 2025 — We’ve entered that time of year. Millions will sit by their televisions and other devices watching endless football games. Time will be spent with family and friends as great meals are prepared and consumed. People will unwrap gifts, and some will wonder what to do with a necktie that’ll never be knotted because of casual work settings, and sweaters never worn because they will never be cold enough to be needed.

‘Tis the season of diversion from the routine. As holiday-related travel and the holidays themselves consume our attention, Trump and his crew may do things hoping that we will take no notice.

The administration is all around the world stirring the pot in our name. In addition to killing people and taking out small boats in the Caribbean, the U.S. is seizing oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and Trump recently announced the closure of airspace over Venezuela: Trump orders the closure of Venezuelan airspace l POLITICO.

We began Christmas week by appointing a special envoy to Greenland. This is an unnecessary act provoking immediate reaction from both officials in Greenland and Denmark: Trump appoints envoy to Greenland, stirs backlash | Reuters. This administration delivers great lessons on how not to interact with friends and allies.

This holiday week also included reporting that the U.S. is stepping up surveillance flights over Nigeria: US conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria after Trump intervention threat | Reuters. One has to wonder what makes Nigeria a priority for overall U.S. security. While the reporting notes the existence of a militant group in Nigeria, this country isn’t the only one that has such groups and far from the only one that has groups not friendly to the U.S.

There is no doubt that Nigeria’s domestic politics and the numerous groups operating within the country that are battling each other challenge governance. The Reuters article notes that armed groups attack both the Muslim and Christian populations within the country.

The justification for a lot of the U.S. military-related activity in Nigeria is the Trump Administration’s view that Nigeria has failed to protect Christians (but it’s okay for Muslim’s to be killed?). The U.S. Defense Department has been instructed to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria if the country fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.

This is not the time of year to have our attention diverted. On any given day and in your name, the U.S. Government could veer in the direction of even broader killing. How ironic it is that during this festive time, when millions celebrate Christmas and all that it is supposed to represent, the U.S. Government prepares a rapid military response team to kill in the name of religion.

Of course, there is nothing to suggest that Trump, his appointees, and many elected GOP officeholders are truly committed to Christianity. The evidence is provided daily in the way they govern in our country. They have little to no desire to take care of and assist those in most need. By cutting and reducing assistance to those needing health care and those needing assistance for food, the idea of trying to “protect” Christians abroad rings hollow as the current majority party acts in complete contradiction of so many values Christians and those of other religions hold dear.

Nigeria is a religious ploy. Greenland is a diversion, and Venezuela is showing all how we can bully. Wishing all a safe and happy holiday season and hoping you’ll remain attuned to what is being done in our name.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

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Dec. 8, 2025: “Lawlessness: The Headlong Dive,” by IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer”

Dec. 8, 2025 — Check out the latest blog post by IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer •  Be sure to follow Tim on Substack

How can anyone be surprised or shocked? The man who is at the head of government is himself lawless. In addition to being lawless himself, he silently admires other criminals based on their actions. And, yes, there’s evidence to support this.

There is no slow, gradual descent into lawlessness by the head of government or those he has appointed to top jobs. There has been acceptance of the lawlessness and an embrace of it by his GOP cult followers from the very start. And, it started well before Trump ever took office in 2017, but the habit and culture of Trump’s lawlessness is far too long a history to reprise it here. It is, however, worth mentioning some.

Despite Trump’s stated reason for wanting more uniformed officers on the streets to quell criminal activity, it’s clear from his own conduct that this is simply a political or vengeful decision that targets cities and states primarily run by his political opponents. It is also a way to garner support from his cult followers.

He contradicts his own stated reasons about the need to combat crime and drug use. Trump is so anti-crime and anti-violence that he recently pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras.

Hernandez was prosecuted in a U.S. court of law and convicted. What was Honduras ex-president convicted of and why has Trump pardoned him? Unlike those being blown out of the water based on questionable evidence at best, prosecutors who successfully got a conviction against Hernandez provided evidence in a court of law in the United States. The evidence against Hernandez included “intercepted phone calls, ledgers which recorded bribes paid by drug traffickers to Hernández, and photographs of Hernández with members of the Valle cartel at the 2010 World Cup.” While Trump pardons a man convicted based on actual evidence, he and his military kill based on shaky allegations, with no hard evidence ever being presented.

The more one looks and reads, the greater Trump’s anti-crime ploy rings hollow. The Washington Post found that Trump wasted no time in pardoning another convicted drug lord by taking that action on his first full day in office in January. Ross Ulbricht, the man who benefited from this pardon, was convicted in a court of law for “creating the largest online black market for illegal drugs and other illicit goods.” Trump pardons major drug traffickers despite his anti-drug rhetoric – The Washington Post. Trump may have campaigned on the issue of the terrible drug crisis, but his crackdown is really a crackdown against enforcing penalties against convicted felons who were proven to be involved in trafficking drugs. He has “granted pardons or commutations to almost 90 others for drug-related crimes”.

Of course, for a man who has been dealt multiple blows by the U.S. justice system, there are reasons for his disdain of law and justice. Given all the legal activity that surrounds the criminal-in-chief who is referred to as POTUS (President of the United States), some can be forgiven if they overlook a few of his legal transgressions. Let’s recall that he agreed to pay $25 million due to the fraud case arising from Trump University. Trump paying $25M after judge approves Trump University deal | AP News And, the New York state fraud case against Trump, though ultimately resulting in finding the financial penalty excessive, left intact the lower court’s finding of fraud by Trump et. al.

Trump’s entanglements that have resulted in findings of fraud extend beyond his profitable endeavors. A New York state judge ordered Trump “to pay $2 million to a group of nonprofit organizations as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit stemming from persistent violations of state charities laws.” The payment resolves a case brought by the New York attorney general’s office after the Trump Foundation held a fundraiser for military veterans during the 2016 campaign. President Donald Trump ordered to pay $2M to collection of nonprofits as part of civil lawsuit – ABC News. Trump and his adult children were accused of “conflating charity with politics, repeatedly using charitable donations for personal, political and business gains, including legal settlements, campaign contributions and even to purchase a portrait of Trump to hang at one of his hotels.”

Beyond all the fraud cases, Trump’s life of lawlessness includes a jury finding him to have sexually abused E. Jean Carroll. Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse, awards E. Jean Carroll $5M | AP News. Her claims of Trump’s improper and illegal behavior toward women are not isolated as more than a dozen other women have accused him of sexual assault and harassment. There’s also this pesky criminal conviction where a jury found him guilty of 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actress. Trump hush money verdict: Guilty of all 34 counts | AP News.

Given Trump’s affinity to criminal conduct of various types, it’s no surprise that within weeks of being back in office, he issued an executive order “Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security”. Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security – The White House. A significant reason for the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is to stop bribery between individuals and entities engaged in business with foreign officials and governments. Criminal Division | Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit. Trump’s business playbook seems to ignore such limitations and accept or offer payments of all sorts. Putting aside or relaxing rules on bribery appears to fall within his business practices.

Unlike a cute rom-com movie like Sleepless in Seattle, the reality in the U.S. under this administration’s leadership is the nation’s head-long dive into Lawless in America. Indeed, we see a wholesale attack on the rule of law every day and, given the news of the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker just off the coast of Venezuela, U.S. lawless activity will extend beyond our borders. Is our international bullying a way for Trump to imitate Putin?

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Read

Nov. 27, 2025 — “Thanksgiving: Thanking a Few Judges,” by IP attorney Timothy Trainer

This week’s blog post from Timothy Trainer — On any given day, hundreds of decisions are issued by judges at state and federal court levels. Americans have gotten used to reading articles about “activist” judges. Usually, this tag is applied to a judge whose decision is disliked by those who disagree with that decision.

Here’s something to keep in mind about judges, generally:

• First, judges do not file a complaint that initiates a lawsuit. Cases that reach any judge are filed by prosecutors, people, and entities.
• In addition, those who initiate cases are the ones who identify the laws or regulations they believe are being violated, thereby informing the court (the judge) what the case is about.
• Third, federal judges do not pick and choose which cases they will oversee. In federal courts, there is a system of randomly assigning cases, although there are always exceptions.
• Lastly, the job of judges is to apply the facts and evidence presented and determine whether the laws and regulations at the heart of the legal controversy have been violated.

This year has been one that has placed judges in the crosshairs more than ever, given the many cases involving fundamental constitutional issues about not just the rights of citizens, but basic rights of people.

While some of the cases have been appealed and reversed, or decisions stayed until higher courts have an opportunity to review lower court decisions, judges in some cases have reminded us of the important role they occupy in our system and in our country.

As a lawyer and a citizen, I applaud the judges (and their clerks) who are taking the time to write thoughtful and thorough decisions that remind us about our rights despite the attempts of government officials, including law enforcement officers, to violate our laws and our rights as provided for in the Constitution.

Despite threats to both their personal safety and their jobs, many continue to do what they took an oath to do: respect the laws and the Constitution of the United States.

It is impossible to list and comment on all the cases in which judges have provided detailed legal analysis of fundamental rights and what the government can and can’t do.

About Judge William G. Young’s opinion:

While lengthy at 160 pages, Judge Young’s opinion (25-cv-10685-WGY, September 2025) regarding free speech is worthy of reading. He writes that one’s right to free speech is not limited to only U.S. citizens. While the U.S. government threatened deportation because of non-citizens exercising free speech, this judge ruled that the right of free speech does not depend upon one’s citizenship status.

After a lengthy analysis of facts and evidence presented, Judge Young writes on page 123 that “[o]n its face, the First Amendment does not distinguish between citizens and noncitizens; rather, it states simply, ‘Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.’”

Judge Young writes his decision very much aware of the current political climate and is not deterred. He explains a problem President Trump has with the First Amendment, writing “his fixation with ‘retribution’. ‘I am your retribution’ he thundered famously while on the campaign trail. Yet government retribution for speech (precisely what’s happened here) is directly forbidden by the First Amendment.

The President’s palpable misunderstanding that the government simply cannot seek retribution for speech he disdains poses a great threat to Americans’ freedom of speech.” Unsurprisingly, the Trump Administration indicated it would appeal the decision.

About Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong’s ruling:

Another federal district court judge who issued a significant ruling is Judge Frimpong (25-cv-05605-MEMF-SP, July 7, 2025). Judge Frimpong referenced testimony from individuals regarding the situations involved in the arrests and detentions, noting:

“Agents approached and prevented a non-white individual from walking away, but not those who appeared to be Caucasians. In another case, the agents arrived in unmarked vehicles, pointed a gun, and demanded to see identification without providing a reason for the stop. Yet in a different context, the agents provided no reason for stopping individuals at a church. Since they began on June 6, 2025, federal immigration raids have led to the arrest of over 1,500 people. Agents and officers approached suddenly, in military or SWAT-style clothing, heavily armed, masked, and wearing large vests with generic “POLICE” patches.

In addition to describing some of the tactics, Judge Frimprong writes that “attorneys and legal representatives from CHIRLA and ImmDef attempted to gain access to B-18 to advise detainees of their rights and assess their eligibility for relief, but they were not permitted to enter.”

Judge Frimprong provides the public with a civics lesson by citing previous court proceedings for all of us to read. She cites language from a case in 2000 where the appellate judges wrote that “Hispanic appearance is, in general, of such little probative value that it may not be considered as a relevant factor where particularized or individualized suspicion is required. Moreover, we conclude, for the reasons we have indicated, that it is also not an appropriate factor.”

The judge references another earlier case in 2006 by reminding all of us that “[a]n individual’s inability to speak English may support an officer’s reasonable suspicion that the individual is in this country illegally, [but] [by] itself, however, an individual’s inability to understand English will not justify an investigatory stop because the same characteristic applies to a sizable portion of individuals lawfully present in this country.”

Although Judge Frimpong’s decisions are on appeal, she provides a detailed lesson on the rights of individuals who are targeted by law enforcement. She makes clear that those detained have the right to legal counsel and to a phone call. She also writes that, in the absence of a reasonable suspicion of a violation of immigration laws, these detentions are not in accordance with the law. More importantly, she clarifies what reasonable suspicion requires by writing that:

• Defendants [the government] may not rely solely on the factors below, alone or in combination, to form reasonable suspicion for a detentive stop, except as permitted by law:
• Apparent race or ethnicity;
• Speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent;
• Presence at a particular location (e.g. bus stop, car wash, tow yard, day laborer pick up site, agricultural site, etc.); or
• The type of work one does.

Judge Frimprong’s 52-page ruling is important, even if she’s overturned on appeal as it provides significant bases for consideration about a person’s freedom of movement without fear of being stopped by law enforcement officers.

Lastly, while many will disagree, federal judges at the district court and appeals court levels have prevented public schools from displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms in Texas and Louisiana. However, the cases arising from these two states will be heard by a full panel of appellate court judges in January.

What has become clear in recent months is that, at the state and federal levels, those who have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution have been actively undermining what they claim to believe. The conduct of many elected officials contradicts what they say and what they’ve sworn to uphold.

We can only hope that there continue to be judges at all levels who still believe in the constitution and laws to protect anyone and everyone from the government’s intrusion into our private lives and will continue to order the government to desist from arbitrary and baseless enforcement actions that threaten our freedoms.

Through their written decisions, these judges are reminding us of the standards to which we must hold the government to account and for that, I thank them.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.

Watch

Listen Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio November 2025: Ep7 Tim’s Travails — Meet dystopian author Joe Relk talking about how fiction imitates reality in his book series, “Sins of our Saviors” About Sins of the Saviors Book 1: Escape from the Culling Box — No one escaped from hell. Until David, who returns to a twisted shadow of the country and family he left decades ago. The 2028 election was our last – democracy traded for an AI-directed utopia. The network saved humanity from existential threats and curbed our violent tendencies, but it came with a heavy price. Read

November 2025: Ep7 Tim’s Travails — Meet dystopian author Joe Relk talking about how fiction imitates reality in his book series, “Sins of our Saviors”

November 2025 — If you are tracking the news, you’ll be fascinated by this interview with IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer’s podcast/video show and fellow author Joe Relk.

Today’s Topic: How fiction imitates reality — now, more than ever!

Some of the questions that Tim asks Joe include: 

• Let’s talk about what’s happening today in the fall of 2025 here in the US, including the abandonment of the rule of law. It’s a big theme in your book. How it fiction imitating reality?
• What was your forecast when you started writing your book in 1991?
• In “Sins of our Saviors,” there is a line that says, “Only I can fix it.” That is happening today with the US president. Tell us about your thoughts as an author and military expert.
• Let’s also talk about your thoughts on legalizing corruption.
• And so much more! Don’t miss it!

About our guest: Joe Relk is an analyst, manager, and strategic communicator with more than 30 years developing and implementing influential reporting plans, interagency strategies, and public relations initiatives. He joined the State Department as Foreign Service Officer in 2002. Joe has served in Venezuela, Bolivia, Germany, Ecuador, Guatemala, Suriname, and Afghanistan.

As the Stabilization Coordinator at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command from July 2020 until July 2022, he shaped conflict stabilization and prevention aspects of military plans and exercises. Joe was the Political-Economic Section Chief at Embassy Paramaribo between 2018 and 2020. He led an Embassy election observation mission during the height of the global pandemic and coordinated efforts to evacuate Embassy staff and U.S. citizens.

Joe also developed and led an Afghan refugee counseling and release process during Operation Allies Welcome. That system was adapted to process more than 15,000 Afghan refugees. He served at the Office for Afghanistan in Washington, where he developed the first State Department training regimen for civilians deployed in Afghanistan. During his tenure with the Office of Interagency Provincial Affairs (IPA) in Afghanistan, Relk created a retrospective of the civilian surge. He also authored “Afghanistan Through the Humvee Window” and “The Network Apostate.” His prior professions include U.S. Army cryptology analyst, public relations specialist, journalist, talk show host, and photographer. He is originally from Idaho and graduated from Boise State University.

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About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video sereis, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduce us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.

Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.

Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.  Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor. 

Stay tuned for more episodes on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv, and of course, log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, www.TimothyTrainer.com.

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An ode to Veterans Day, “Wondering, Waiting, Worrying,” by Army brat and veteran Timothy Trainer, author, “The Fortunate Son”

There’s a home to be kept

And beds to be made

There’s an empty space in the bed

And a minute of worrying and a quickening pulse

There are children to raise

And lunches to be wrapped

There are bills to be paid

And a lawn to be mowed

There’s the sun rising in the sky

And a moment looking out wondering

There’s a car that needs repair

And a water leak to be plugged

There’s daily waiting for a message or mail

And the sound of people and cars passing by

There are birthdays to celebrate

And holiday feasts to prepare

There’s that empty chair

And the never-ending worrying

There are aging parents to visit

And meeting friends as a diversion

But the weight of the wait and wondering refuse to lessen

There are teachers to meet

And doctors to see

But the mind preoccupies with worry

There’s only fitful sleep

And mornings of slow rising

There’s the knock on the door, the ringing of the doorbell

And the heart pounds in the chest, feeling every beat

Is there a telegram or people at the door

Is it death or catastrophic injury

There’s life-altering news when that moment comes

And before the door opens, thoughts scramble

There’s no avoiding whatever the fate

And it’s like a branding iron burning that moment forever into the conscience

There’re the combatant and the waiting, worrying, wondering family members

And they are bound as one

And life for all is changed forever

There’s no more waiting, no more wondering

Veterans Day, sacrifices made by many every day

Remember those who serve, their spouses, children, parents, siblings

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Nov. 11, 2025 — “Veterans Day 2025: The Undoing?” by Timothy Trainer, author, The Fortunate Son

November 11, 2025 — The confrontations in the streets of U.S. cities between law enforcement and the people have already caused law enforcement agents and officers to be equated with Germany’s secret police of the 1930s, the Gestapo, because of the tactics used to pursue those illegally in the United States. The fully masked officers and agents whose indiscriminate conduct in pursuing suspects, including U.S. citizens, has caused them to be seen as enemies of the people in the eyes of many.

We’ve seen National Guard troops deployed to various cities around the country. Activated by governors or the president, they are in our cities and on our streets wearing military uniforms. To the civilian citizens who see and encounter these part-time soldiers, there’s likely to be no distinction made between the National Guard, reserve service members, and full-time active army troops.

The U.S. military is supposed to protect, yet it has experienced decades of mistrust. Many in society regarded the millions who served in Vietnam in a negative light for a prolonged period of years after the war. There was outright contempt toward those who served in the military during the Vietnam era. They carried with them the weight of a negative reputation for having served in an unpopular war that was decided by politicians. Very few Vietnam veterans escaped the war without physical injuries and/or mental traumas that resulted.

Those millions who served honorably during the Vietnam era were at the mercy of politicians. One could make a convincing argument that it was those politicians in Washington, D.C., who failed to act as honorably as those in uniform, fulfilling their obligations dutifully. The change in sentiment toward Vietnam veterans and the more positive light in which they now live have been hard-won recent developments.

In recent years, the public sentiment toward Vietnam veterans and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has been more positive as far as recognizing their service and sacrifice. The public seems to be able to distinguish between those who serve in uniform and those who make the political decision to send our troops into harm’s way, sometimes for unjustified and political reasons.

As we confront the real possibility that the current White House occupant will order active-duty military units onto the streets of our country to oppose their fellow citizens, I fear that we will undermine our military in ways that will, again, take decades to repair.

If army troops are ordered to quash the right of fellow citizens to exercise their free speech rights or to exercise their right to assemble, or for the media to cover a demonstration of people and citizens opposed to Trump policies and actions, what will the public’s view of our military be? How do citizens reconcile the true mission of the U.S. military with scenes of uniformed soldiers confronting citizens seeking to exercise their basic rights as citizens?

The excuse that “I’m just following orders” should not be acceptable if the actions deprive U.S. citizens of the rights the soldiers themselves took an oath to protect and defend.

Let us remind ourselves of the oath these soldiers took at the time they entered the U.S. military:

“I, __________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 502.

There is an interesting twist to the language of the oath, given that soldiers are required to obey the orders of the President and officers while still adhering to actions in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Like many things, it’s arguable that being ordered to deprive U.S. citizens of their rights under the Constitution is not a lawful order if it is simply to satisfy the whims of a president who simply wants to exercise authoritarian power without regard to the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

Essentially, we are seeing Trump use those in uniform as his pawns to punish anyone who disagrees, who fails to knuckle under, who fails to remain silent, and raises a voice against him.

The U.S. Army and the other branches of service exist to protect the country, not a person, not one man’s ego or reputation. Are we about to lose our balance and fall into a precipice with armed soldiers used as Trump’s private army to deprive U.S. citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed rights?

In my experience and opinion, I believe that if Trump uses the army as his private army, it may be undermined as a respected organization for years to come. And like the millions who served in Vietnam, those serving and following the orders of a wannabe authoritarian may endure years of having their service tainted for doing Trump’s dirty work on U.S. soil against U.S. citizens. It’s never easy to rebuild trust and reputation once damaged, just ask our Vietnam veterans.

This Veterans Day, our thoughts are not limited to those who have served, but also to those serving today.

The men and women in uniform are, once again, serving in a perilous time. Sadly, the current threats confronting our military members are many. One of those threats could be characterized as emanating from a domestic foe who occupies the White House and has no regard for either the U.S. Constitution or the nation’s laws.

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About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.

Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. 

Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.

In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.

In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.

Learn more about this book and Tim’s writing process when he’s interviewed by author Jeffrey James Higgins’ for his new Inkandescent podcast and video show: Elaine’s Literary Salon.

Learn about Tim’s work and books: timothytrainer.com