Japan Ruling Bloc Likely to Lose Upper House Majority, NHK Says
The NHK poll showed that the ruling coalition is likely to secure about 32-51 seats, likely leaving it short of the 50 seats needed to maintain a majority in the chamber.
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San Francisco Chronicle
9 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: Justice Department to meet with Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell
Justice Department officials are set to meet on Thursday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned girlfriend of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a person familiar with the matter. The meeting in Florida, which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday he was working to arrange, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of President Donald Trump's base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation. A replica Oval Office on display near the White House just got a Trump makeover The replica Oval Office now looks exactly like President Trump's. But it's not the blingy version he's currently using. Visitors starting Thursday will experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it's redecorated again next year to incorporate the golden touches and other flourishes Trump brought to the workspace after he returned to power in January. 'Just like the White House itself, our Oval Office is a living space, so it changes and evolves as the actual Oval Office changes,' Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said Wednesday as he led The Associated Press on a tour of the space as it was being revamped. The mock-up is inside 'The People's House: A White House Experience,' an educational center the association opened last year one block west of the Executive Mansion. House subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena Justice Department for Epstein files A House subcommittee voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the Epstein case after Democrats successfully goaded GOP lawmakers to defy Trump and Republican leadership to support the action. The vote showed the intensifying push for disclosures in the Epstein investigation even as House Speaker Mike Johnson — caught between demands from Trump and clamoring from his own members for the House to act — was sending lawmakers home a day early for its August recess. Meanwhile, Democrats on a subcommittee of the powerful House Oversight Committee made a motion for the subpoena Wednesday afternoon. Three Republicans on the panel voted with Democrats for the subpoena, sending it through on an 8-2 vote tally. Democrats cheered the action as proof that their push for disclosures in the Epstein investigation was growing stronger. The committee agreed to redact information on victims, yet Democrats successfully blocked a push by Republicans to only subpoena information that was deemed to be 'credible' — language that Trump has also used when discussing what he would support releasing. Bondi facing Democratic calls to testify following report she told Trump he was in Epstein files Bondi is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress after the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that she told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures mentioned in the files, which the Justice Department this month said it would not be releasing despite a clamor from online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of Trump's base. Trump's personal ties to Epstein are well-established and his name is already known to have been included in records related to the wealthy financier. Sen. Adam Schiff responded to the report by calling on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Justice Department declined to comment on the report but issued a joint statement from Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying that investigators had reviewed the records and 'nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.' The mere inclusion of a person's name in Epstein's files does not imply wrongdoing and he was known to have been associated with multiple prominent figures, including Trump. Senate Democratic Leader calls for closed-door briefing on the Epstein files Democrats aren't letting up on their calls for disclosure from the Trump administration on the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer started the morning off with a speech calling for a closed-door briefing for senators from the Trump administration on the Epstein files. While the administration is unlikely to comply with the New York Democrat's demand, Democrats are pouncing on the issue and have found some success this week by daring Republicans to join them in votes to demand disclosure of the files. 'A good number of people voted for Trump because he promised to be their voice against the so-called deep state. But now they've seen he's very much part of that deep state. He's right in the middle of it,' Schumer said. Lara Trump says she's sitting out the North Carolina Senate race The president's daughter-in-law formally made her decision public Thursday in a post on X, as news of RNC Chair Michael Whatley's expected entrance into the race emerged. Lara Trump said she was 'deeply grateful' for encouragement to seek the open seat in her home state and appeared not to close the door to a possible future run, saying she looked 'forward to the future, wherever that leads.' Lara Trump served alongside Whatley as RNC co-chair during last year's elections and had been seen as having the right of first refusal to seek the seat, which Democrats see as a top pickup opportunity in next year's midterms. Biden's former chief of staff appears on Capitol Hill for House Republican age inquiry Ron Klain, who served as former President Joe Biden's first chief of staff, entered the House Oversight Committee's hearing room just before 10 a.m. for testimony as part of House Republicans' probe into Biden's age and alleged cognitive decline. Klain took no questions as he entered the room. UnitedHealth stocks dip The stock price dropped 2%, or $6.13, to $286.50 on Thursday morning. Company shares have mostly shed value since December, when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan on his way to the company's annual investor meeting. What to know about UnitedHealth Group The company's business covers more than 8 million people as the nation's largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. The business has been under pressure in recent quarters due to rising care use and rate cuts. UnitedHealth also runs one of the nation's largest health insurance and pharmacy benefits management businesses. It also operates a growing Optum business that provides care and technology support. UnitedHealth says it is under a federal investigation and cooperating Shares of UnitedHealth Group dove early Thursday after the health care giant said it was under a Department of Justice investigation. The company said it has started complying with both criminal and civil requests from federal investigators and it was working cooperatively with them. '(UnitedHealth) has a long record of responsible conduct and effective compliance,' the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal said federal officials had launched a civil fraud investigation into how the company records diagnoses that lead to extra payments for its Medicare Advantage, or MA, plans. Those are privately run versions of the government's Medicare coverage program mostly for people ages 65 and over. RNC Chair Michael Whatley plans to run for an open Senate seat in North Carolina That's according to two people familiar with his thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't permitted to speak on the record. President Trump, according to one of the people, asked him to make the run after Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, mulled the seat. Politico first reported news of Whatley's plans. Democrats see North Carolina as their top pickup opportunity next year after Sen. Thom Tillis announced his surprise retirement after clashing with Trump. While Lara Trump had been seen as having the right of first refusal, Whatley is considered by national Republicans to be a strong contender for the seat, thanks, in part, to the large fundraising network he's cultivated as RNC chair and his perceived loyalty to the president. He's a well-known name in the state, having served as GOP chair there, and has no voting record that could be used against him by Democrats. — Jill Colvin Trump's trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland President Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. He'll be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the U.K. 'I'm not proud that he (has) Scottish heritage,' said Patricia Sloan, who says she stopped visiting the Turnberry resort on Scotland's west coast after Trump bought it in 2014. 'All countries have good and bad that come out of them, and if he's going to kind of wave the flag of having Scottish heritage, that's the bad part, I think.' Trump's schedule, according to the White House 3 p.m. ET — Trump will sign executive orders 4 p.m. — Trump will visit the Federal Reserve Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself The man charged with attempting to assassinate Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court Thursday to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She didn't rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case. Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Japan Trade Deal Raises Fears He Gave Away Too Much
(Bloomberg) -- US industries and protectionists are raising alarms with President Donald Trump's pact with Japan, saying it risks undercutting his stated goals of rebalancing America's trading relationships and reviving domestic manufacturing. Trump Awards $1.26 Billion Contract to Build Biggest Immigrant Detention Center in US Why the Federal Reserve's Building Renovation Costs $2.5 Billion The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Salt Lake City Turns Winter Olympic Bid Into Statewide Bond Boom Trump and his top negotiators on Wednesday hailed the deal as a potential model for other countries hoping to win tariff concessions, citing Tokyo's pledge to create a $550 billion fund for US investments. The president's decision to grant Japan relief on automobiles, however, provoked criticism that the agreement wouldn't address the main source of the US's trade deficit with Japan even as it disadvantages Detroit's Big Three. Around 80% of the US-Japan trade gap is in cars and car parts. Tuesday's announcement marked the latest signal that Trump is willing to negotiate on industry-specific duties on products including chips and pharmaceuticals, potentially undermining the most durable pillar of his tariff strategy. The reaction underscores the risks of the president's transactional negotiating style. Industries that have championed much of Trump's trade strategy and stand to benefit from robust levies on foreign rivals could be left in the lurch as his plans shift. 'Any deal that charges a lower tariff for Japanese imports with virtually no US content than it does North American built vehicles with high US content is a bad deal for the US industry and US auto workers,' said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council that represents Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV. Trump defended his approach, which resulted in a deal to reduce Japan's country-specific rate to 15% and put US levies on cars and parts at the same level — lower than the 25% global charge on vehicles. 'I WILL ONLY LOWER TARIFFS IF A COUNTRY AGREES TO OPEN ITS MARKET. IF NOT, MUCH HIGHER TARIFFS! Japan's Markets are now OPEN (for first time ever!). USA BUSINESSES WILL BOOM!' Trump posted. His Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, on Thursday called gripes from US automakers 'silly' and said that manufacturing executives he spoke to 'are cool with it.' 'When your competitor goes from 25% against them to 15% against them, I guess you're a little bummed out. But come on, there's no tariff if you build it in America,' Lutnick said on CNBC. Lutnick argued in a Bloomberg Television interview on Wednesday that the deal was also ratcheting up pressure on South Korea and Europe to make additional concessions or risk their automakers being left at a significant disadvantage. And White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's approach was breaking down barriers for US products abroad. 'Thanks to President Trump, these countries around the world are agreeing to open their markets to American-made products and goods for the first time, which will lead to a boom in sales and profits for American businesses right here at home,' she told reporters Wednesday. Even so, automakers and other industry stakeholders were crying foul Wednesday. They warned that giving Japan an unlimited reduction on auto tariffs undermines the use of those levies not just for cars, but also metals, semiconductors and other goods. 'Unlimited imports at tariff rates below existing Section 232 rates critically undermine' the intention of the law and could actually encourage offshoring, said Jon Toomey, executive director of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, an advocacy group representing import-threatened industries that supports tighter trade controls. The provision on Japanese autos is far more expansive than the steel and aluminum tariff reduction Trump gave the UK, which allows a limited quota of imports to enter the US at a reduced rate. Industry-specific tariffs imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act are seen as a more lasting tool than Trump's country-based tariffs for boosting the competitiveness of US-made goods, since they rest on stronger legal footing, and some have endured across multiple presidencies. Industry groups also say the product-specific rates provide certainty needed to drive investment in domestic manufacturing plants. Other countries already are clamoring for sectoral tariff relief, and the US-Japan trade deal sends a signal that they are up for negotiation, people familiar with the matter said. Two of those individuals predicted the agreement will also add leverage to the auto and oil industries' pleas for relief from steel duties. 'It doesn't make sense to allow for unlimited vehicle imports at 15%, while charging rates of 25% on auto parts and 50% on steel,' Toomey added. It's also unclear how and when the $550 billion investment fund might come to pass — or if it will prove to be as illusory as investment pledges Trump secured during his first term from China in exchange for scaling down tariffs. Although Beijing promised in 2020 to buy $200 billion in additional US agricultural commodities and other goods, ultimately only 58% of those purchases materialized amid the pandemic, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Trump administration officials cast the Japan deal, as well as frameworks with Indonesia and the Philippines, as incentive for other major partners, including the European Union and South Korea, to bring their best investment and purchasing pledges to the table. 'It spurs other deals along,' White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said in a Bloomberg Television interview. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made clear the investment plan helped Japan secure its tariff reduction, telling Bloomberg Television: 'They got the 15% rate because they were willing to provide this innovative financing mechanism.' Lutnick said on the network that under the arrangement Japan will serve as a financier providing equity, loans and other support for manufacturing plants, infrastructure and other projects in the US. Other countries will be under pressure to follow the investment model, said a senior administration official who asked for anonymity because details haven't been formally announced. The investment deals could prove especially attractive to Trump, who frequently extols planned spending in the US announced since his January inauguration. The president and top administration officials also regularly tout the surge in revenue from new tariffs, which have already brought in $113 billion this year, according to the Treasury Department. The US-Japan deal's emphasis on investment suggests the promise of more revenues has taken priority over the push to protect domestic industries, one person familiar with the matter said. While direct foreign investment in the US could help expand domestic manufacturing and artificial intelligence capacity, it won't necessarily make the country's exports more competitive on its own. And some analysts raised doubts about whether Japan's promises to open its markets to US products would prove meaningful. The administration cast Japan's concession to accept cars made to US federal motor vehicle safety standards instead of subjecting them to additional regulatory requirements as a boon for Detroit. Even so, a major impediment to US auto sales in Japan is the American designs themselves — not just trade barriers. Put simply, Japanese consumers are less interested in driving Fords and GMs than Americans are in Toyotas and Hondas. Japan sells the US about 84 cars for every one the US sells there. 'American cars that are big just don't comport well with the needs, desires and demands of the Japanese public' said Colin Grabow, an associate director at the Cato Institute's trade policy center. 'It's unclear what the payoff here is.' --With assistance from Keith Laing, Hadriana Lowenkron, Joe Mathieu, Tyler Kendall and Stephanie Lai. (Adds Lutnick comments in ninth and 10th paragraph) Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fox News
40 minutes ago
- Fox News
Leavitt says Russia attempted to sow 'distrust' in 2016 election but Obama team manufactured collusion claims
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed Wednesday that Russia did try to sow "distrust" in the 2016 election results, but Obama intelligence officials manufactured claims of Trump–Russia "collusion."
