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President Trump gives bungled response when asked about when tariffs will return after 90-day pause

President Trump gives bungled response when asked about when tariffs will return after 90-day pause

Independent11 hours ago
President Donald Trump offered a bungled response when asked about when tariff rates are going to return to April levels, with the 90-day pause on most levies set to end next week.
A week after implementing his so-called 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, which sent the stock market tumbling, the president announced a pause to his plan, delaying the 'reciprocal' levies from taking effect for 90 days. That pause is set to expire on Wednesday, July 9.
Speaking at Morristown Municipal Airport on Sunday evening, a reporter asked Trump to clarify when the tariff rates are set to resume: 'Mr. President, do the tariff rates change at all on July 9 or do they change on August 1?'
Perhaps not hearing clearly over the roar of Air Force One nearby, Trump leaned in and asked the reporter to repeat her question. He then didn't answer the question at all.
'They're going to be tariffs. The tariffs are going to be the tariffs. I think we'll have most countries done by July 9. Either a letter or a deal,' he said.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick then stepped in: 'But they go into effect August 1. Tariffs go into effect August 1.' Lutnick added: 'But the president is setting the rates and the deals right now.'
Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said about 100 letters will be sent to small countries 'where we don't have very much trade,' many of which are 'already at the baseline 10 percent' rate.
"President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don't move things along, then on August 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level. So I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly," Bessent told CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday.
The president has already touted trade agreements with the United Kingdom, China, and Vietnam.
"We are close to several deals. As always, there's a lot of foot-dragging on the other side," Bessent said. "I would expect to see several big announcements over the next couple of days."
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We banned cigarette ads for the good of public health – fossil fuels must be next
We banned cigarette ads for the good of public health – fossil fuels must be next

The Independent

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  • The Independent

We banned cigarette ads for the good of public health – fossil fuels must be next

There was a time when doctors in both the United States and the UK were only too happy to promote 'the health benefits of smoking '. From the 1920s right through to the 1950s, actors were taken on to play the part of doctors to promote different cigarette brands, with the companies vying in their claims for the level of support they had among the medical profession, as in 'more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette'. Today, this sounds completely outlandish. But I'm reminded that my own father, an eminent surgeon here in the UK, would have been completely comfortable about these adverts. As someone who smoked cigarettes (and then a pipe) enthusiastically for 60 of his 90-year lifespan, he was slow to embrace the increasingly authoritative research links between smoking and cancer. It was clear to me, as a rebellious teenager, that he was a complete addict. As was my mother. As was my sister. And brother. Unfortunately, many people are still addicted to nicotine today. But it's our addiction to fossil fuels that is causing by far the greatest damage to people and the planet. Improbably, back in 2006, it was the then US president, George W Bush, who acknowledged in his State of the Union address that 'we have a serious problem'. 'America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.' He was particularly concerned about imports from Iran. What comes around … That's why today's debate in Parliament is so important. MPs are discussing a petition calling for a ban on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship, much like the existing bans on tobacco advertising. The petition, signed by more than 110,000 people, argues that such advertisements 'encourage the use of products and sponsorship promotes a positive reputation and creates a social licence of trust and acceptability'. The debate reflects growing public concern about the legitimacy of fossil fuel companies sponsoring cultural, sporting and educational events. Societal addiction is even more of a problem than individual addiction. And those whose job it is today to reinforce that collective addiction to fossil fuels – through advertising, public relations, marketing and sponsorship – are no less reprehensible than those agencies which profited so handsomely from promoting cigarettes over many, many decades. It's a surreal situation we find ourselves in. Governments are committed in principle – with varying degrees of ambition, integrity and policy consistency – to transitioning away from fossil fuels, by far the most important priority in terms of getting to grips with the climate crisis. Yet their actions belie that intent at every turn. To cite but one example, government subsidies to fossil fuel companies in 2023 amounted to an astonishing $1.4 trillion. And this is just the tip of the problem, as the level of advertising by fossil fuel companies at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone at the weekend demonstrated. The easiest way to understand the astonishing reach of the fossil fuel incumbency is to see it as a global imperial power, operating in every corner of the Earth, regardless of the political status of countries – whether democracies, autocracies or failing states – subject only to partial and ineffective regulation by those countries once they've been effectively 'captured'. This is achieved by the limitless amounts of money and other inducements the industry has deployed throughout that time to persuade politicians where their best interests lie. Equally limitless amounts of money are available for marketing and advertising campaigns of every description, for sponsorship arrangements and for high‑profile charitable activities. What is even more extraordinary is that none of these companies has ever, at any stage in their history, been required to pay for the social and environmental costs incurred in bringing their products to market. 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EXCLUSIVE The inside story of why Taylor Swift spectacularly snubbed Kamala Harris on the campaign trail
EXCLUSIVE The inside story of why Taylor Swift spectacularly snubbed Kamala Harris on the campaign trail

Daily Mail​

time14 minutes ago

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EXCLUSIVE The inside story of why Taylor Swift spectacularly snubbed Kamala Harris on the campaign trail

Despite whispers and building anticipation that she could join Beyonce or Lady Gaga for the biggest political and pop culture spectacle in history, she never showed up on the campaign trail in support of Kamala Harris. Despite a debate night endorsement of Harris in September that sent Donald Trump spiraling, Taylor Swift decided to sit out the remainder of the 2024 cycle. The forthcoming book, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, reveals new details about who's at fault for there never being a Harris-Swift moment on the campaign trail that could've captivated and motivated the pop star's legion of fans. 'Swift proved to be a special challenge. Staffers who worked on celebrity appearances were instructed not to make any outreach to her universe; Doug Emhoff was handling it,' wrote journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf. Emhoff, the authors explained, had an in with Swift's team. 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She endorsed Joe Biden via social media in 2020 - though the COVID-19 pandemic and Biden's COVID-conscious campaign strategy meant that celebrity engagement was limited. But the Harris campaign 'dedicated huge resources in the final month to massive rallies with celebrity guests,' the authors noted. 'Harris and Walz said they were bringing joy back to politics, and massive celebrity-filled rallies - Meghan Thee Stallion performed in Atlanta, Maggie Rogers in Ann Arbor, Gracie Abrams and Mumford & Sons in Madison, Wisconsin - were key to that strategy.' Beyonce - who had been rumored to appear alongside Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August - finally hit the campaign trail at a special abortion rights rally in the songstress' hometown of Houston, Texas in late October. 'But privately, some campaign staff raised concerns that the major rallies may not be worth the millions of dollars they cost to stage or the staff investment,' the authors said. 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Las Vegas sees fall in tourists as 'ridiculous prices' hit
Las Vegas sees fall in tourists as 'ridiculous prices' hit

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