Trump posts fake video showing Obama arrest
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The fake video purports to show FBI agents bursting into the meeting, pushing Obama into a kneeling position and putting him in handcuffs as Trump looks on smiling, while the song 'Y.M.C.A.' by the Village People plays. Later, the fake video shows Obama in an orange jumpsuit pacing in a cell. The start of the video shows a compilation of actual footage of Democratic leaders, including Obama and former President Joe Biden, saying, 'no one is above the law.'
Advertisement
Obama's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the video.
Trump regularly reposts AI-generated or mocked-up videos and photographs on his Truth Social account.
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said last week that the latest report released by her offices showed a 'treasonous conspiracy in 2016' by top Obama administration officials to harm Trump. She said she would make a criminal referral to the FBI based on recently released documents.
Advertisement
A link to real video footage from an interview that Gabbard gave to Fox News on Sunday on the subject was also posted to Trump's social media.
Democrats have denounced the administration's effort to discredit Obama as politically motivated and riddled with errors, and contradicting previous reviews of the assessment.
The latest document, issued last week, did not show Russian manipulation of the election, and instead reinforced the view of intelligence officials who found no evidence that Russia hacked voting systems to change votes.
Democrats have cited reports by intelligence agencies and Senate investigators who found that, while Russian hackers probed election systems to see if they could change vote outcomes and extracted voter registration data in at least two states, there was no evidence that they attempted to change votes.
The Obama administration's assessment also did not say that Russian hackers manipulated votes.
Trump has been trying to change the conversation among his supporters, after the Justice Department walked back its promise to release the full collection of files about Epstein, a multimillionaire financier and convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019.
That decision angered some of the president's most ardent supporters. Some have questioned Trump's judgment on the matter, causing strife within the MAGA movement that powered Trump to two presidential election victories.
This article originally appeared in
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump tariffs live updates: Japan says $550 billion 'investment' in US could finance Taiwanese chipmaker; Trump says EU deal '50-50'
President Trump last week touted a $550 billion investment in the US that Japan made as part of trade negotiations "to lower their tariffs a little bit," as he described it. On Saturday, Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa suggested the money could be used to help finance a Taiwanese chipmaker building plants in the US, Reuters reported. Akazawa did not name a specific Taiwanese company, but in March, Taiwan's TSMC announced a $100 billion investment in the US, on top of plans to build three plants in Arizona, one of which is already operating. "For example, if a Taiwanese chipmaker builds a plant in the U.S. and uses Japanese components or tailors its products to meet Japanese needs, that's fine too," he said. Trump announced the deal on Tuesday, which includes a 15% tariff on imported goods along with the $550 billion Japanese investment. However, the sides do not seem aligned on profit sharing, with Japan seeking a split based on contributions, while the US says it would keep 90%. EU trade deal possible On Friday, Trump put the odds of a trade deal with the European Union at "50-50," even as negotiators from both sides have expressed optimism about reaching a deal before the Aug. 1 deadline. "I would say that we have a 50-50 chance, maybe less than that, but a 50-50 chance of making a deal with the EU," Trump told reporters before departing on a trip to his golf course in Scotland. European Commission President is set to meet Trump in Scotland this weekend in a bid to secure a deal. Trump also said that letters dictating tariff rates for over 200 countries would go out soon while his administration works to clinch deals with larger trade partners, including the EU, India, and Canada. Trump said the US hasn't had a "lot of luck" with Canada and suggested he may impose threatened 35% levies on goods not covered by the US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement. The US and China have the "confines of a deal" as the two sides prepare to meet next week, Trump also said. In any case, the Japan trade deal may have set a precedent for Trump's new baseline tariff rate. As the US finalized the deal with Japan and advanced talks with the EU, Trump said tariffs would range from 15% to 50%, with tougher partners facing higher rates. Trump's April "Liberation Day" tariffs had set a baseline rate of 10% on all US trading partners. Earlier this week, Trump also said the US had also struck a trade deal with the Philippines, which will see the country's imports face a 19% tariff into the US. The White House also unveiled new details of a confirmed trade agreement with Indonesia. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reported that a 19% tariff will apply to Indonesian goods. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world. Japan says $550 billion investment could finance Taiwanese chipmaker in US The $550 billion President Trump said Japan gave to the US "to lower their tariffs a little bit," could be used to help finance a Taiwanese chipmaker building plants in the US, the Associated Press reported Saturday. Trump on Thursday called the $550 billion "seed money" and that 90% of profits from the money invested would go to the US. "It's not a loan or anything, it's a signing bonus," Trump said. Read more here More cracks form in the US-Japan trade agreement We detailed earlier (keep scrolling) some initial, if gentle, pushback from the Japanese side on the US portrayal of the countries' trade deal. The Financial Times has a good, detailed look at some of the "cracks" forming: Read more here (subscription required). EU head to meet with Trump this weekend in bid to clinch deal Bloomberg reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with President Trump this weekend as he travels to his golf club in Scotland in a bid to secure a trade deal. The meeting will come as the two sides race to secure a deal ahead of next Friday — Trump's self-imposed deadline for 30% tariffs on EU goods to kick in. On Friday, Trump put the odds of a deal at "50-50." From the report: Trump: 'We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada' President Trump on Friday expressed pessimism on US trade negotiations with Canada, suggesting he may simply impose threatened 35% tariffs on Canadian goods not covered by the existing US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement. "We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where there's just a tariff, not really a negotiation," he said. More from Reuters: Boston Beer Company says strong profits helped brewer absorb tariff costs The Boston Beer Company (SAM) continues to feel the effects of President Trump's tariffs, but a strong quarter of sales and profit is helping the Samuel Adams brewer absorb some of those cost increases. Boston Beer expects tariffs to add about $15 million to $20 million in costs for the full year. Previously, it modeled tariff costs of $20 million to $30 million. Expect the company to raise prices by 1% to 2% to offset some of the costs as well, executives said. Boston Beer did see tariffs negatively affect its gross margin toward the end of the second quarter, but it benefited from improved brewery efficiencies. For the second quarter, the company reported profits of $5.45 per share on revenue of $625 million, versus estimates for earnings of $4.00 per share on $588 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Right now, I think we're very happy with the performance," Boston Beer CEO Michael Spillane said on the earnings call. "Not only that, but that's allowed us to offset some of the tariffs that we've seen so far." Some headlines from Trump on tariffs this morning Via Bloomberg: Trump: US will sell 'so much' beef to Australia President Trump said on Thursday that the US will sell "so much" beef to Australia, following Canberra relaxing import restrictions. Trump added that other countries who had refused US beef products were on notice. Reuters reports: Read more here. World's No. 3 automaker Kia takes $570M tariff hit in Q2 Reuters reports: Read more here. Puma shares dive after warning of full-year loss, US tariff impact Puma ( shares fell 17% on Friday after the sportswear brand said that it now expects an annual loss due to a decline in sales and US tariffs denting profit. Reuters reports: Read more here. LG Energy Solution warns of slowing EV battery demand due to U.S. tariffs, policy headwinds Reuters reports: South Korean battery firm LG Energy ( Solution warned on Friday of a further slowdown in demand by early next year due to U.S. tariffs and policy uncertainties after it posted a quarterly profit jump. Its major customers Tesla (TSLA) and General Motors (GM) warned of fallout from U.S. tariffs and legislation that will end federal subsidies for EV purchases on September 30. "US tariffs and an early end to EV subsidies will put a burden on automakers, potentially leading to vehicle price increases and a slowdown in EV growth in North America," CFO Lee Chang-sil said during a conference call. Read more here. Japan, US differ on how trade-deal profits will be split Japan said Friday that profits from the $550 billion investment deal with the US will be shared based on how much each side contributes. A government official suggested the US will also put in significant funds, but details of the scheme remain unclear. The White House had announced earlier in the week that the US would retain 90% of the profits from the $550 billion US-bound investment and loans that Japan would exchange in return for reduced tariffs on auto and other exports to the US. This would mean that returns would be split 10% for Japan and 90% for the US, according to the White House official, and that it would be "based on the respective levels of contribution and risk borne by each side." Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. US business activity rises; tariffs fuel inflation concerns US business activity rose in July, but companies increased the prices for goods and services, supporting the view from economists that inflation will accelerate in the second half of 2025 and it will mainly be due to tariffs on imports. Reuters reports: Read more here. It sounds like Trump now has a new minimum tariff rate: 15% President Trump set a new rhetorical floor for tariffs on Wednesday night in comments in a shift that raises the president's baseline rate from 10%. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul writes: Read more here. Keurig Dr. Pepper brewer sales volume drops 22%, CEO says tariff impacts 'will become prominent' Keurig Dr. Pepper CEO Tim Cofer said that tariffs are putting additional pressure on the company in an earnings call Thursday, especially when it comes to its coffee business, which KDP expects to be "subdued" for the remainder of the year. "Commodity inflation will build as we roll into the back half and we roll into our higher cost hedges on green coffee," Cofer said. "The tariff impacts will become prominent. And we all know that tariff situation is a bit fluid." Keurig is one of the biggest coffee importers in the US, along with Starbucks (SBUX) and Nestle (NSRGY). The US sources most of its coffee from Brazil, which is set to face 50% tariffs on its products on Aug. 1, and Colombia, which faces a tariff rate of 10%. In Keurig's coffee business, appliance volume decreased 22.6% during the quarter, reflecting impacts of retailer inventory management, and K-Cup pod volume decreased 3.7%, reflecting category elasticity in response to price increases, the company reported. "Our retail partners will likely continue to manage their inventory levels tightly, in particular on brewers," Cofer commented. "And then finally, you know we did a round of pricing at the beginning of the year. We've announced another round of pricing that will take effect next month, and we'll need to closely monitor how that elasticity evolves." Read more about Keurig earnings here. The EU's Trump insurance As my colleague detailed below, EU member states voted to impose tariffs on over $100 billion of US goods from Aug. 7. The Financial Times reported that this move that allows the bloc to impose the levies quickly at any point in the future should its trade relationship with the US take a turn for the worse. From the report: Read more here (subscription required). Europe approves $100B-plus tariff backup plan A report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday said that the European Union has now approved its retaliatory tariff package on US goods that could start in August if no trade agreement is reached. The EU announced on Wednesday that it will hit the US with 30% tariffs on over $100 billion worth of goods in the event that no deal is made and if President Trump decides to follow through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after Aug. 1. The US exports, which would include goods such as Boeing (BA) aircraft, US-made cars and bourbon whiskey would all face heavy tariffs that match Trump's 30% threat. The approval of the package comes despite the growing optimism that the US and EU will reach a deal that would put baseline tariffs on the bloc at 15%, matching the level the US applied to Japan. The EU is keen to reach a deal with the US but as a cautionary measure has approved 30% tariffs if a deal is not made. Trump tariffs wreaking havoc in Brazil's citrus belt Reuters reports: Read more here. South Korea weighs US investment pledge to trim auto tariff Trade discussions between the US and South Korea have led both sides to investigate the idea of creating a fund to invest in American projects. A report said this possible deal would be similar to the agreement Japan struck Tuesday with President Trump. The details of the plan are still not clear, but the US has been seeking pledges totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. However, further talks on a deal between the two sides may have to wait as a trade meeting between the US and South Korea has been postponed after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent became unavailable due to a scheduling conflict, South Korea's Finance Ministry said Thursday. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Hyundai Motor warns of bigger hit from US tariffs after Q2 profit fall Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF) reported a drop in second-quarter operating profit on Thursday. The company cited US tariffs on vehicles and parts as the reason for the decline and that President Trump's trade war had weighed on its bottom line, the automaker also warned of a bigger impact in the current quarter. The group's South Korean shares fell 2% Thursday. Reuters reports: Read more here. Trump lifts tariff baseline rate, warns countries face 15-50% range President Trump appears to have raised the minimum US tariff rate to 15%, up from 10%, as he prepares to set new reciprocal tariffs before his Aug. 1 deadline. 'We'll have a straight, simple tariff of anywhere between 15% and 50%,' Trump said Wednesday at an AI summit in Washington. 'A couple of — we have 50 because we haven't been getting along with those countries too well.' Trump's latest statement that tariffs would begin at 15% is a new twist in his efforts to impose duties on almost every US trading partner. The US and Japan reached a trade agreement this week of 15%, which could be one reason why the US president has decided to increase the baseline tariff rate. The European Union said on Wednesday that it is getting ready to impose 30% tariffs on over $100 billion worth of US goods if no deal is made and if Trump decides to follow through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after the Aug. 1 deadline. Reports from The Financial Times on Wednesday have said that the EU and the US are now closing in on a 15% trade deal on European imports. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Japan says $550 billion investment could finance Taiwanese chipmaker in US The $550 billion President Trump said Japan gave to the US "to lower their tariffs a little bit," could be used to help finance a Taiwanese chipmaker building plants in the US, the Associated Press reported Saturday. Trump on Thursday called the $550 billion "seed money" and that 90% of profits from the money invested would go to the US. "It's not a loan or anything, it's a signing bonus," Trump said. Read more here The $550 billion President Trump said Japan gave to the US "to lower their tariffs a little bit," could be used to help finance a Taiwanese chipmaker building plants in the US, the Associated Press reported Saturday. Trump on Thursday called the $550 billion "seed money" and that 90% of profits from the money invested would go to the US. "It's not a loan or anything, it's a signing bonus," Trump said. Read more here More cracks form in the US-Japan trade agreement We detailed earlier (keep scrolling) some initial, if gentle, pushback from the Japanese side on the US portrayal of the countries' trade deal. The Financial Times has a good, detailed look at some of the "cracks" forming: Read more here (subscription required). We detailed earlier (keep scrolling) some initial, if gentle, pushback from the Japanese side on the US portrayal of the countries' trade deal. The Financial Times has a good, detailed look at some of the "cracks" forming: Read more here (subscription required). EU head to meet with Trump this weekend in bid to clinch deal Bloomberg reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with President Trump this weekend as he travels to his golf club in Scotland in a bid to secure a trade deal. The meeting will come as the two sides race to secure a deal ahead of next Friday — Trump's self-imposed deadline for 30% tariffs on EU goods to kick in. On Friday, Trump put the odds of a deal at "50-50." From the report: Bloomberg reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with President Trump this weekend as he travels to his golf club in Scotland in a bid to secure a trade deal. The meeting will come as the two sides race to secure a deal ahead of next Friday — Trump's self-imposed deadline for 30% tariffs on EU goods to kick in. On Friday, Trump put the odds of a deal at "50-50." From the report: Trump: 'We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada' President Trump on Friday expressed pessimism on US trade negotiations with Canada, suggesting he may simply impose threatened 35% tariffs on Canadian goods not covered by the existing US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement. "We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where there's just a tariff, not really a negotiation," he said. More from Reuters: President Trump on Friday expressed pessimism on US trade negotiations with Canada, suggesting he may simply impose threatened 35% tariffs on Canadian goods not covered by the existing US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement. "We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where there's just a tariff, not really a negotiation," he said. More from Reuters: Boston Beer Company says strong profits helped brewer absorb tariff costs The Boston Beer Company (SAM) continues to feel the effects of President Trump's tariffs, but a strong quarter of sales and profit is helping the Samuel Adams brewer absorb some of those cost increases. Boston Beer expects tariffs to add about $15 million to $20 million in costs for the full year. Previously, it modeled tariff costs of $20 million to $30 million. Expect the company to raise prices by 1% to 2% to offset some of the costs as well, executives said. Boston Beer did see tariffs negatively affect its gross margin toward the end of the second quarter, but it benefited from improved brewery efficiencies. For the second quarter, the company reported profits of $5.45 per share on revenue of $625 million, versus estimates for earnings of $4.00 per share on $588 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Right now, I think we're very happy with the performance," Boston Beer CEO Michael Spillane said on the earnings call. "Not only that, but that's allowed us to offset some of the tariffs that we've seen so far." The Boston Beer Company (SAM) continues to feel the effects of President Trump's tariffs, but a strong quarter of sales and profit is helping the Samuel Adams brewer absorb some of those cost increases. Boston Beer expects tariffs to add about $15 million to $20 million in costs for the full year. Previously, it modeled tariff costs of $20 million to $30 million. Expect the company to raise prices by 1% to 2% to offset some of the costs as well, executives said. Boston Beer did see tariffs negatively affect its gross margin toward the end of the second quarter, but it benefited from improved brewery efficiencies. For the second quarter, the company reported profits of $5.45 per share on revenue of $625 million, versus estimates for earnings of $4.00 per share on $588 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Right now, I think we're very happy with the performance," Boston Beer CEO Michael Spillane said on the earnings call. "Not only that, but that's allowed us to offset some of the tariffs that we've seen so far." Some headlines from Trump on tariffs this morning Via Bloomberg: Via Bloomberg: Trump: US will sell 'so much' beef to Australia President Trump said on Thursday that the US will sell "so much" beef to Australia, following Canberra relaxing import restrictions. Trump added that other countries who had refused US beef products were on notice. Reuters reports: Read more here. President Trump said on Thursday that the US will sell "so much" beef to Australia, following Canberra relaxing import restrictions. Trump added that other countries who had refused US beef products were on notice. Reuters reports: Read more here. World's No. 3 automaker Kia takes $570M tariff hit in Q2 Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Puma shares dive after warning of full-year loss, US tariff impact Puma ( shares fell 17% on Friday after the sportswear brand said that it now expects an annual loss due to a decline in sales and US tariffs denting profit. Reuters reports: Read more here. Puma ( shares fell 17% on Friday after the sportswear brand said that it now expects an annual loss due to a decline in sales and US tariffs denting profit. Reuters reports: Read more here. LG Energy Solution warns of slowing EV battery demand due to U.S. tariffs, policy headwinds Reuters reports: South Korean battery firm LG Energy ( Solution warned on Friday of a further slowdown in demand by early next year due to U.S. tariffs and policy uncertainties after it posted a quarterly profit jump. Its major customers Tesla (TSLA) and General Motors (GM) warned of fallout from U.S. tariffs and legislation that will end federal subsidies for EV purchases on September 30. "US tariffs and an early end to EV subsidies will put a burden on automakers, potentially leading to vehicle price increases and a slowdown in EV growth in North America," CFO Lee Chang-sil said during a conference call. Read more here. Reuters reports: South Korean battery firm LG Energy ( Solution warned on Friday of a further slowdown in demand by early next year due to U.S. tariffs and policy uncertainties after it posted a quarterly profit jump. Its major customers Tesla (TSLA) and General Motors (GM) warned of fallout from U.S. tariffs and legislation that will end federal subsidies for EV purchases on September 30. "US tariffs and an early end to EV subsidies will put a burden on automakers, potentially leading to vehicle price increases and a slowdown in EV growth in North America," CFO Lee Chang-sil said during a conference call. Read more here. Japan, US differ on how trade-deal profits will be split Japan said Friday that profits from the $550 billion investment deal with the US will be shared based on how much each side contributes. A government official suggested the US will also put in significant funds, but details of the scheme remain unclear. The White House had announced earlier in the week that the US would retain 90% of the profits from the $550 billion US-bound investment and loans that Japan would exchange in return for reduced tariffs on auto and other exports to the US. This would mean that returns would be split 10% for Japan and 90% for the US, according to the White House official, and that it would be "based on the respective levels of contribution and risk borne by each side." Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Japan said Friday that profits from the $550 billion investment deal with the US will be shared based on how much each side contributes. A government official suggested the US will also put in significant funds, but details of the scheme remain unclear. The White House had announced earlier in the week that the US would retain 90% of the profits from the $550 billion US-bound investment and loans that Japan would exchange in return for reduced tariffs on auto and other exports to the US. This would mean that returns would be split 10% for Japan and 90% for the US, according to the White House official, and that it would be "based on the respective levels of contribution and risk borne by each side." Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. US business activity rises; tariffs fuel inflation concerns US business activity rose in July, but companies increased the prices for goods and services, supporting the view from economists that inflation will accelerate in the second half of 2025 and it will mainly be due to tariffs on imports. Reuters reports: Read more here. US business activity rose in July, but companies increased the prices for goods and services, supporting the view from economists that inflation will accelerate in the second half of 2025 and it will mainly be due to tariffs on imports. Reuters reports: Read more here. It sounds like Trump now has a new minimum tariff rate: 15% President Trump set a new rhetorical floor for tariffs on Wednesday night in comments in a shift that raises the president's baseline rate from 10%. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul writes: Read more here. President Trump set a new rhetorical floor for tariffs on Wednesday night in comments in a shift that raises the president's baseline rate from 10%. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul writes: Read more here. Keurig Dr. Pepper brewer sales volume drops 22%, CEO says tariff impacts 'will become prominent' Keurig Dr. Pepper CEO Tim Cofer said that tariffs are putting additional pressure on the company in an earnings call Thursday, especially when it comes to its coffee business, which KDP expects to be "subdued" for the remainder of the year. "Commodity inflation will build as we roll into the back half and we roll into our higher cost hedges on green coffee," Cofer said. "The tariff impacts will become prominent. And we all know that tariff situation is a bit fluid." Keurig is one of the biggest coffee importers in the US, along with Starbucks (SBUX) and Nestle (NSRGY). The US sources most of its coffee from Brazil, which is set to face 50% tariffs on its products on Aug. 1, and Colombia, which faces a tariff rate of 10%. In Keurig's coffee business, appliance volume decreased 22.6% during the quarter, reflecting impacts of retailer inventory management, and K-Cup pod volume decreased 3.7%, reflecting category elasticity in response to price increases, the company reported. "Our retail partners will likely continue to manage their inventory levels tightly, in particular on brewers," Cofer commented. "And then finally, you know we did a round of pricing at the beginning of the year. We've announced another round of pricing that will take effect next month, and we'll need to closely monitor how that elasticity evolves." Read more about Keurig earnings here. Keurig Dr. Pepper CEO Tim Cofer said that tariffs are putting additional pressure on the company in an earnings call Thursday, especially when it comes to its coffee business, which KDP expects to be "subdued" for the remainder of the year. "Commodity inflation will build as we roll into the back half and we roll into our higher cost hedges on green coffee," Cofer said. "The tariff impacts will become prominent. And we all know that tariff situation is a bit fluid." Keurig is one of the biggest coffee importers in the US, along with Starbucks (SBUX) and Nestle (NSRGY). The US sources most of its coffee from Brazil, which is set to face 50% tariffs on its products on Aug. 1, and Colombia, which faces a tariff rate of 10%. In Keurig's coffee business, appliance volume decreased 22.6% during the quarter, reflecting impacts of retailer inventory management, and K-Cup pod volume decreased 3.7%, reflecting category elasticity in response to price increases, the company reported. "Our retail partners will likely continue to manage their inventory levels tightly, in particular on brewers," Cofer commented. "And then finally, you know we did a round of pricing at the beginning of the year. We've announced another round of pricing that will take effect next month, and we'll need to closely monitor how that elasticity evolves." Read more about Keurig earnings here. The EU's Trump insurance As my colleague detailed below, EU member states voted to impose tariffs on over $100 billion of US goods from Aug. 7. The Financial Times reported that this move that allows the bloc to impose the levies quickly at any point in the future should its trade relationship with the US take a turn for the worse. From the report: Read more here (subscription required). As my colleague detailed below, EU member states voted to impose tariffs on over $100 billion of US goods from Aug. 7. The Financial Times reported that this move that allows the bloc to impose the levies quickly at any point in the future should its trade relationship with the US take a turn for the worse. From the report: Read more here (subscription required). Europe approves $100B-plus tariff backup plan A report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday said that the European Union has now approved its retaliatory tariff package on US goods that could start in August if no trade agreement is reached. The EU announced on Wednesday that it will hit the US with 30% tariffs on over $100 billion worth of goods in the event that no deal is made and if President Trump decides to follow through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after Aug. 1. The US exports, which would include goods such as Boeing (BA) aircraft, US-made cars and bourbon whiskey would all face heavy tariffs that match Trump's 30% threat. The approval of the package comes despite the growing optimism that the US and EU will reach a deal that would put baseline tariffs on the bloc at 15%, matching the level the US applied to Japan. The EU is keen to reach a deal with the US but as a cautionary measure has approved 30% tariffs if a deal is not made. A report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday said that the European Union has now approved its retaliatory tariff package on US goods that could start in August if no trade agreement is reached. The EU announced on Wednesday that it will hit the US with 30% tariffs on over $100 billion worth of goods in the event that no deal is made and if President Trump decides to follow through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after Aug. 1. The US exports, which would include goods such as Boeing (BA) aircraft, US-made cars and bourbon whiskey would all face heavy tariffs that match Trump's 30% threat. The approval of the package comes despite the growing optimism that the US and EU will reach a deal that would put baseline tariffs on the bloc at 15%, matching the level the US applied to Japan. The EU is keen to reach a deal with the US but as a cautionary measure has approved 30% tariffs if a deal is not made. Trump tariffs wreaking havoc in Brazil's citrus belt Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. South Korea weighs US investment pledge to trim auto tariff Trade discussions between the US and South Korea have led both sides to investigate the idea of creating a fund to invest in American projects. A report said this possible deal would be similar to the agreement Japan struck Tuesday with President Trump. The details of the plan are still not clear, but the US has been seeking pledges totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. However, further talks on a deal between the two sides may have to wait as a trade meeting between the US and South Korea has been postponed after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent became unavailable due to a scheduling conflict, South Korea's Finance Ministry said Thursday. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Trade discussions between the US and South Korea have led both sides to investigate the idea of creating a fund to invest in American projects. A report said this possible deal would be similar to the agreement Japan struck Tuesday with President Trump. The details of the plan are still not clear, but the US has been seeking pledges totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. However, further talks on a deal between the two sides may have to wait as a trade meeting between the US and South Korea has been postponed after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent became unavailable due to a scheduling conflict, South Korea's Finance Ministry said Thursday. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Hyundai Motor warns of bigger hit from US tariffs after Q2 profit fall Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF) reported a drop in second-quarter operating profit on Thursday. The company cited US tariffs on vehicles and parts as the reason for the decline and that President Trump's trade war had weighed on its bottom line, the automaker also warned of a bigger impact in the current quarter. The group's South Korean shares fell 2% Thursday. Reuters reports: Read more here. Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF) reported a drop in second-quarter operating profit on Thursday. The company cited US tariffs on vehicles and parts as the reason for the decline and that President Trump's trade war had weighed on its bottom line, the automaker also warned of a bigger impact in the current quarter. The group's South Korean shares fell 2% Thursday. Reuters reports: Read more here. Trump lifts tariff baseline rate, warns countries face 15-50% range President Trump appears to have raised the minimum US tariff rate to 15%, up from 10%, as he prepares to set new reciprocal tariffs before his Aug. 1 deadline. 'We'll have a straight, simple tariff of anywhere between 15% and 50%,' Trump said Wednesday at an AI summit in Washington. 'A couple of — we have 50 because we haven't been getting along with those countries too well.' Trump's latest statement that tariffs would begin at 15% is a new twist in his efforts to impose duties on almost every US trading partner. The US and Japan reached a trade agreement this week of 15%, which could be one reason why the US president has decided to increase the baseline tariff rate. The European Union said on Wednesday that it is getting ready to impose 30% tariffs on over $100 billion worth of US goods if no deal is made and if Trump decides to follow through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after the Aug. 1 deadline. Reports from The Financial Times on Wednesday have said that the EU and the US are now closing in on a 15% trade deal on European imports. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. President Trump appears to have raised the minimum US tariff rate to 15%, up from 10%, as he prepares to set new reciprocal tariffs before his Aug. 1 deadline. 'We'll have a straight, simple tariff of anywhere between 15% and 50%,' Trump said Wednesday at an AI summit in Washington. 'A couple of — we have 50 because we haven't been getting along with those countries too well.' Trump's latest statement that tariffs would begin at 15% is a new twist in his efforts to impose duties on almost every US trading partner. The US and Japan reached a trade agreement this week of 15%, which could be one reason why the US president has decided to increase the baseline tariff rate. The European Union said on Wednesday that it is getting ready to impose 30% tariffs on over $100 billion worth of US goods if no deal is made and if Trump decides to follow through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after the Aug. 1 deadline. Reports from The Financial Times on Wednesday have said that the EU and the US are now closing in on a 15% trade deal on European imports. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here.
Boston Globe
27 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Should universities negotiate with the Trump administration?
Advertisement Understanding the current turmoil requires holding in mind several distinct realities despite the tensions between them. First, higher education, particularly major research universities, is central to American preeminence in many scholarly and economic domains. Wildly exaggerated claims that they've been reduced to organizations promoting woke and Marxist indoctrination, are simply absurd, captured in the phrase ' That said, major problems in higher education have evolved to threaten our capacity to develop new knowledge and transmit existing knowledge to students and the broader society. Some fields within the humanities and social sciences have unfortunately evolved to resemble intellectual monocultures wherein engagement with legitimate alternative perspectives is rare, and a culture of self-silencing replaces vigorous engagement. Real and attempted Advertisement These and other problems must be addressed, and this requires internally-driven reform, as difficult as that is in the complex and Byzantine culture and governance of higher education. Accelerated by problems identified in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, progress on these matters has been made, though much more slowly than ideal. In that setting, the second Trump administration announced a war on higher education and made clear its intention to employ all the financial and regulatory weapons at its disposal to profoundly transform the university in a direction far from one dedicated to truth-seeking, but rather subservient to its specific ideology. The federal government has enormous power in this regard, some of it wielded in a manner that should be rejected by the courts, a direction that I fully support. But a reality causing confusion to many is that some of the inappropriate and illegal federal demands do overlap with real problems previously identified by many of those promoting internal reform. Given the disruption and crisis caused by the government stopping awarded grants, taxing endowments, threatening accreditation and other actions, and the attention drawn to this conflict by those extreme actions, might a settlement that accomplishes desirable outcomes, while defending against interventions that are inappropriate and illegal be possible? That is indeed the key question. Advertisement It is certainly possible that the pace of appropriate reform could be accelerated by the current moment of turbulence. Indeed, many of the external demands from the president, such as a policy of But the integrity and sustained impact of those reforms would be undermined if they are seen as responses to demands — 'capitulation' — rather than appropriate and justified university actions. There are internal constituencies content with current realities and opposed to such reforms, and they are more than happy to proclaim any actions as capitulation. And the Trump administration would gladly claim victory for any internal reforms as well. Navigating a path to produce appropriate reform acceptable to both skeptical elements of the faculty and a combative Trump administration will be a formidable challenge to Harvard President Alan Garber's leadership. Beyond the immediate reaction to a particular settlement, another issue looms. Is there good reason to believe that follow-up to such a settlement will not include additional demands and punishments based on claims that many vague negotiated terms have been insufficiently achieved? Should such reasonable concerns about the integrity of the other side cause a university like Columbia or Harvard to eschew negotiations, endure the profound punishment in the hope that the legal system comes to the rescue? This is not an entirely unreasonable position. But it's not the path I currently support. Let's take Harvard, reported now to be in negotiations of some kind. I'd like to see university leadership identify issues in response to federal demands that they are prepared to support and defend on their merits . As described above, some of these have already been announced, others, such as a possible university-wide institute to promote open inquiry, have been in development and could be announced in this setting. Advertisement If so, the reasons for taking such actions must be articulated and defended with great clarity as advancing core university values. And nothing beyond that should be agreed to. As in any negotiation, some issues will reside at the fuzzy border, requiring the judgment expected of strong leaders and for which they should be held accountable. But clear lines to protect academic freedom and institutional autonomy must be drawn and articulated. The reality is that we are at a totally unanticipated moment of both opportunity and threat to higher education. The mounting need for reform is confronting demands from a powerful and illiberal government that is using real problems to justify interventions designed to bring the institutions under their control. The threats are real, and immediate. And so is the opportunity. With eyes open, and their deepest values held close, university leaders and the communities that support them should explore the boundaries for reform offered by this rare moment of opportunity, fully cognizant of the threats of both action and inaction. The world is watching.
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Alina Habba Defies Judges' Ouster: 'Broken'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Alina Habba, former personal defense lawyer to President Donald Trump, is pushing back forcefully against efforts to remove her from her post as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey—vowing to fight what she describes as a politically motivated campaign to oust her. "To put it in really simple terms, it's a complicated mechanism—what's happening—and it's, frankly, I think, a broken one," she said during an interview with political commentator Benny Johnson. Why It Matters It comes after a panel of federal judges in New Jersey declined to extend Habba's term as the state's interim top prosecutor. Trump tapped Habba to serve as interim U.S. attorney in late March and nominated her on July 1 to be the U.S. attorney in a permanent capacity, which would have removed her interim status by the end of this week. But a DOJ spokesperson told The New York Times on Thursday that the president has withdrawn her nomination, which will allow her to continue serving in a temporary capacity. Alina Habba speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Allentown, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Alina Habba speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Allentown, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP What To Know During the interview, Habba said the Senate's blue slip courtesy—a nonbinding tradition—is being used to block presidential appointments of U.S. attorneys, which she says effectively amounts to stalling or undermining the president's authority. The blue slip tradition is a Senate custom that gives home-state senators significant influence over federal judicial and U.S. attorney nominations in their state. It allows a senator to approve or block a nominee by returning or withholding a blue-colored form, known as the "blue slip," to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In Habba's case, both of New Jersey's Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, withheld their blue slips, signaling formal opposition and preventing her nomination from moving forward through the Senate Judiciary Committee. Booker and Kim allege that she has pursued politically motivated prosecutions against Democratic lawmakers to serve Trump's agenda. During Habba's tenure as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark was charged with trespassing following a congressional visit to an immigration detention facility. The case was dropped days later, and a federal judge condemned the arrest as a "worrisome misstep," warning it should not be used as a political tool. Meanwhile, Representative LaMonica McIver was charged with assaulting federal agents during the same protest. McIver and critics called the prosecution politically motivated, especially given her congressional oversight role. Legal experts observed the case appeared "spectacularly inappropriate," claiming Habba bypassed required DOJ supervisory approval for charges against elected officials. Habba also launched investigations into Democratic Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin, focused on New Jersey's decision to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement—a move viewed by critics as aligned with Trump's political priorities. But Habba said the decision to remove her from her post was an attempt to thwart President Trump's powers. "What we're seeing is a systemic problem, where they are using the blue slip courtesy—it's not a law—as a mechanism to block the appointment of U.S. attorneys by the president, per the Department of Justice," Habba said. "That puts those U.S. attorneys in a position where they're kind of stuck. You're in this freeze, and you can't get out. Then they'll run the clock on you, and basically, what ends up happening is they're attempting to thwart the president's powers. "What we saw in my situation, the Senate minority leader sent direct instructions on Twitter telling the judges to vote and block me. Once it's out of Senate ownership, the judges can vote to keep you. I stepped down as interim and am now the acting attorney.. You have 120 days in the interim, I stepped down the day before." Trump has the power to remove U.S. attorneys who have been appointed by judges. A panel of federal judges in New Jersey ruled on Tuesday to replace Habba with her handpicked top deputy in the U.S. attorney's office, Desiree Leigh Grace, after her 120 day term was up. Soon after the court's decision, the Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, fired Grace and accused the judges of political bias meant to curb the president's authority. In response, Trump's team withdrew Habba's nomination for the permanent role—allowing her to resign as interim U.S. Attorney, then be appointed First Assistant U.S. Attorney, and automatically ascend to the role of acting U.S. Attorney under relevant vacancy laws, extending her tenure for another 210 days. What People Are Saying Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, previously told Newsweek in a statement: "President Trump has full confidence in Alina Habba, whose work as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey has made the Garden State and the nation safer. The Trump Administration looks forward to her final confirmation in the U.S. Senate and will work tirelessly to ensure the people of New Jersey are well represented." What Happens Next Habba will remain in her role as interim U.S. attorney in New Jersey for at least the next 210 days.
