From that article:
Last year, the U.S. government established a program meant to provide economic support to farmers affected by the trade war. A spokesman for the Agriculture Department confirmed the total amount paid out by that program as of Monday was $8.52 billion, with payments most heavily going to producers of soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton and sorghum.
But here we see the calculus laid bare: Farmers get $8.52 billion of the $18 billion paid in tariffs by consumers through April.
Seems pretty straightforward. So where's the BS?

Here is a little info from "Trump is taxing Americans to support farmers struggling from his trade war" that may serve to generalize a couple of the comments:

....here we see the calculus laid bare: Farmers get $8.52 billion of the $18 billion paid in tariffs by consumers through April...It’s important to remember that farmers are central to Trump’s political rhetoric and a key part of his base.

Hopefully this link works for those who do not subscribe to the Washington Post:
https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/14/trump-is-taxing-americans-support-farmers-struggling-his-trade-war/?utm_term=.56ac1cc45d2a

Well, after all, Uncle Sam needs income from whatever source possible to send money to @Ted for not growing stuff. $15 billion here, $15 billion there... pretty soon this starts to add up.

FYI: Tacking onto the past week's losses, yesterday was the first decline of over 2% in more than five months for the S&P 500 (SPY). Currently, every major index ETF has now declined over 4% in the past five days. Small caps and mid caps, in particular, have gotten hit hard as each one has fallen over 5%. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq (QQQ) has more dramatically underperformed, currently sitting just under 6% below where it was last week at this time. QQQ has still outperformed all other major index ETFs on a year to date basis, though. There is also no longer any major index ETF sitting above the 50-DMA. Whereas last week the group was entirely overbought, they head into trading today at either oversold levels or neutral and on the cusp of oversold. As seen through the long tails across each name in our Trend Analyzer, the movement towards this lower end of the ETFs' trading ranges has been rapid. But this pullback provides a good timing opportunity considering each one is still in an uptrend over the past six months
Regards,
Ted
https://www.bespokepremium.com/interactive/posts/think-big-blog/trend-analyzer-5-14-19-oversold-shift

The below chart is for the etf EEM beginning Oct. 31, 2007. I used this date, as this is near top + or - a week or two for a lot of equities worldwide; prior to the full market melt in 2008. The total return for EEM during this period (through May 13) is -7.9%.

What this shows is just that emerging markets have done slightly worse than, but in line with, developed foreign markets.
Try this plot, where I've added EFA into the mix.
FNMIX, EM Bond, EEM, EFA total return (Oct 31, 2007 through May 13, 2019)
Developed and emerging foreign markets seem to track pretty closely, at least from the visual. According to M*'s chart, EEM lost a total of 4.38% ($10K became $9,562), and EFA gained a total of 8% ($10K became $10,800).

Dear Mr. Brett Arends,
Your brief "bio" indicates some of your educational background includes Cambridge and Oxford, with my presumption being the well known higher education schools in England.
From Forbes, and an apparent self-bio: Contributor
Brett Arends
Most people are surprised that I used to be a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. So am I. (So were some of my colleagues at McKinsey, for that matter). Today I'm a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch. I've appeared on 60 Minutes, the NewsHour on PBS and numerous other radio and TV programs. I've also been a Fleet Street tabloid journalist, a research assistant at the London School of Economics, a Chartered Financial Consultant, and an extra on the stage at Covent Garden. I was educated at Oxford and Cambridge universities, and I’ve written three books nobody has read.
I reviewed his current twitter feed, and another article he posted in about the same time frame as this dribble writing about what the implications of tariffs are and would be to the U.S.; is a write about diets and the health benefits.
I can think of several folks here who are able to write a precise overview of tariff impacts with the same number of words.
His write blames the media for misdirection and yet he doesn't mention the misdirection from the verbal statements of Trump, Kudlow and other associates.
Sidenote as to the real tariff impacts: A budget minded married couple I know had to replace unreliable 15 year old clothes washer and dryer. This was in November of 2018. I happened to discover this and noted that they should do this now, if within their budget; as the new steel tariff was going to cause a price increase. When arriving at their local appliance store; the owner had already posted a large sign on the door stating that most appliance prices would increase 10% after Jan. 1, 2019. Their $1,200 dollar purchase was indeed going to cost $1,320 after Jan. 1.
Lastly, I won't be taking his investment advice any time soon. @Ted . This is your normal copy/paste with a link post. Have you no comment to add about the validity of this misinformation???
Take care,
Catch

Interesting reading. Jim Cramer (of all people) wrote another piece discussing "the other side of the story" complete with short term investing ideas for people so inclined...

President Trump has decided that the U.S. simply shouldn't do business with China and if you do you are going to have to pay the price.

https://realmoney.thestreet.com/jim-cramer/jim-cramer-you-better-strap-yourself-in-14957959

@hank et al
The below chart is for the etf EEM beginning Oct. 31, 2007. I used this date, as this is near top + or - a week or two for a lot of equities worldwide; prior to the full market melt in 2008. The total return for EEM during this period (through May 13) is -7.9%.
Note: the chart set only to May 9 at -5.3%; but -7.9% is correct through May 13
EEM total return chart (Oct. 31, 2007 through May 13, 2019)
Disclosure: we have not held any emerging markets equity for diversification; but have held EM bonds 6-10 years back.
ADD: FNMIX during this same time frame had a total return of +108%
The above(s) examples are with the consideration of buy and hold, beginning Oct. 31, 2007.

FYI: Are you kidding me?
I’m used to partisan, inaccurate drivel from all sides these days, but the media’s coverage of President Trump’s tariffs and the so-called “trade war” takes some kind of cake.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-media-is-lying-to-you-about-trumps-china-tariffs-2019-05-14/print

Lipper has SFGIX 78% Asia. But at least half of that is in Taiwan, Hong Kong Singapore and S. Korea, all of which are considered developed markets. I also noticed unusually heavy concentration at the top (37% in top 10 holdings). http://www.funds.reuters.wallst.com/US/funds/holdings.asp?YYY622_tNYDpo1qU/MLQg9W+6KX6RuZTH3KwZb8EX/lL+8rQLcFNPvJvJFoMad8BeSVDYky
Interesting name (Growth and Income). Price’s TRIGX was called G&I until maybe 5 years ago when they dropped that description and renamed it a “value” fund. When I looked at its 1-year performance, it’s done far worse than SFGIX with more than a 13% loss. But it never was a good performer. (TRIGX is concentrated in Europe.)
International have lagged U.S. equities for a while. One reason has been the very strong Dollar. While I like to hedge against the Dollar, I do it using less volatile EM and global bond funds. As far as being an EM in disguise, it’s hard to say. Even non-EM international funds usually dabble in EM. Sometimes that exposure can be “unlimited” per Prospectus.
No opinion on whether you should buy, sell, hold this one. Generally after I sell a fund it bounces back with outperformance. The financial media is hot with stories of how the EM markets stand to lose big in the Trump trade war. Again, by the time you and I hear this type news it’s likely already been discounted by the markets.

UBS warns stock down another 9%
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ubs-francois-trahan-sp-500-2550-fed-induced-slowdown-013457750.html
Why not 15-30%?...may need a larger haircut going forward

Thanks Mark. +/- VS Index +5
Derf

@Derf: Apparently the EM index is 74% Asia. Here's SFGIX, showing its benchmark alongside the fund's holdings (scroll down to "World Regions"):
Benchmark
And here's EEM, the MSCI index, corroborating the 74%:
EEM (EM index fund)
I recall the index as being in the 60s a few years back (haven't owned an EM equity fund in a while), so Asia's expanded.
There are different ways to parse what's EM and what's not, tho. Maybe the more developed east Asian nations skew the proportion if they're included in the count; I don't have Premium, so can't check the country-by-country list of the EM benchmark on M*, but the main portfolio page does show 25% developed Asian economies (per M*, apparently) in the "diversified EM" benchmark.

Hi O_S: thanks for stopping by . Jill S. was on the tube & said Intel, Apple, & Cat took the hardest hits today. I'd be with you on 2750 before putting some dry powder to work.
Good investing to all, Derf

Hi @Derf:
FWIW
I'm looking to do a little buying, in some of my good dividend paying equity funds, like (INUTX & SVAAX), should the S&P 500 Index venture into the 2750 range or below. INUTX has a yield of about 3.0% and SVAAX has a yield of about 3.5%. I'm not looking to add to my capital appreciation type equity funds, such as (KAUAX), at this time. US Treasuries simply are not offering enough yield for me to invest there when I can get a 1 year CD in the 2.4% to 2.5% yield range. Just last week I bought an 18mo CD paying 2.45%. In comparison, my money market mutual funds are currently paying north of 2.25%.

FYI:
Regards,
Ted
Lipper Equity Mutual Funds:
http://lipperalpha.refinitiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Investment_Objective_Performance_Summary-1.pdf
Lipper Fixed-Income Mutual Funds: (Taxable)
http://lipperalpha.refinitiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Taxable_Investment_Objective_Performance_Summary-1.pdf
Lipper 25 Largest Mutual Funds:
http://lipperalpha.refinitiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Performance_of_the_25_Largest_Funds-1.pdf

(The Closing Bell will be updated sometime after 4:00 PM CDST to include the latest updates from IBD and Bloomberg Evening Briefing.)
FYI: U.S. stocks slid Monday, extending a turbulent streak of trading, after officials in Beijing and the White House exchanged fresh threats in a trade fight that many fear could crimp growth.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 617 points, or 2.38%, to 25324, heading for its biggest one-day loss since January. The S&P 500 dropped 2.41% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 3.41%.
There is still time for the U.S. and China to carve out a trade agreement, analysts said, noting the two countries’ increased tariffs won’t hit goods in transit immediately. And U.S. indexes are still up solidly for the year: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are up double-digit percentages in 2019. Still, investors and analysts say a breakdown of trade talks risks damaging business and consumer confidence, potentially crimping spending at a time when growth is already widely expected to moderate.
UBS analysts estimate U.S. growth could drop by 0.75 to 1 percentage point and stocks could fall double-digit percentages if the U.S. hits all Chinese exports with 25% tariffs.
Shares of manufacturers and chip makers slid anew Monday, extending a slide from late last week.
Heavy machinery maker Caterpillar fell 5.2%, while Boeing lost 4.2% and memory-chip maker Micron Technology shed 4%. The group has been sensitive to developments on trade, especially because many analysts believe its profits are closely tied to global growth and demand from China.
iPhone maker Apple, which assembles almost all of its goods in China, slid 5.4%.
The Russell 2000 index of small-capitalization companies, which tends to be especially sensitive to U.S. growth prospects, lost 3.4%.
Stock indexes outside of the U.S. also came under selling pressure, with the Stoxx Europe 600 and Shanghai Composite losing 1.2% apiece.
Later this week, investors will be watching for reports on U.S. retail sales, as well as housing starts.
The bond market flashed fresh warning signs about growth Monday, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note sliding below 2.400% for the first time since March. Yields, which fall as bond prices rise, tend to decline when investors are less optimistic about the economic outlook.
Regards,
Ted
Bloomberg Evening Briefing:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-13/your-evening-briefing
MarketWatch:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dow-futures-drop-over-200-points-as-u-s-china-trade-talks-appear-stalled-2019-05-13/print
WSJ:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-stumble-on-renewed-trade-anxiety-11557734434?mod=article_inline
Bloomberg:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-12/yen-advances-yuan-slips-as-trade-war-escalates-markets-wrap?srnd=premium
IBD:
https://www.investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-tumbles-617-points-stock-indexes-break-support/
CNBC:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/us-markets-react-to-china-trade-war-news-and-more.html
Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks/wall-street-rout-worsens-as-china-hits-back-on-trade-idUSKCN1SJ159?il=0
U.K:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-stocks/ftse-100-falls-as-trade-dispute-escalates-investors-disconnect-from-vodafone-idUKKCN1SJ0N7
Europe:
https://www.reuters.com/article/europe-stocks/update-1-european-shares-hit-seven-week-lows-amid-u-s-china-trade-standoff-idUSL5N22P1NW
Asia:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-stocks-move-lower-monday-as-markets-react-to-failed-us-china-trade-talks-in-washington-2019-05-13/print
Bonds:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/us-bonds-us-china-trade-tensions-remain-in-focus.html
Currencies:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/forex-market-us-china-trade-war-g20-summit-in-focus.html
Oil:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/oil-market-us-china-trade-war-global-economy-in-focus.html
Gold
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/gold-market-us-china-trade-talks-tariff-war-in-focus.html
WSJ: Markets At A Glance:
https://markets.wsj.com/us
Major ETFs % Change:
https://www.barchart.com/etfs-funds/etf-monitor
SPDR's Sector Tracker:
http://www.sectorspdr.com/sectorspdr/tools/sector-tracker
SPDR's Bloomberg Sector Performance Pie Chart:
https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/sectors
Current Futures:
https://finviz.com/futures.ashx

https://www.fool.com/retirement/2019/05/12/3-essential-bond-buying-tips-for-newbies.aspx
3 tips for new bonds buying
Investing 101

FYI:
Regards,
Ted
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/05/13/cashin-china-may-boycott-1-or-2-treasury-auctions.html?&qsearchterm=Art Cashin

FYI: Lipper’s fund asset groups (including both mutual funds and ETFs) had net positive flows of $12.6 billion for the fund-flows trading week ended Wednesday, May 8. Money market funds (+$22.0 billion) paced the net inflows, followed by the taxable bond funds (+$1.8 billion) and municipal debt funds (+$1.5 billion) asset groups. Equity funds were the only group to suffer net outflows, as they saw $12.7 billion leave their coffers.
Regards,
Ted
http://lipperalpha.refinitiv.com/2019/05/lipper-u-s-weekly-fundflows-insight-report-funds-take-in-net-new-money-for-the-third-straight-week/?utm_source=Eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=00008DM_NewsletterLipperAlphaInsightFundInsightsWeekly_Other&utm_content=Newsletter_FundsWeekly_13May2019&elqTrackId=ad7932dd1e414252912ff7dbe6cf328c&elq=708248568024426c8622c9afa7968c90&elqaid=47053&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=166