Latest news with #President Trump

One Big Beautiful Bill, Wine Tariffs, Wearable Technology, Monetary Policy & AI

Bloomberg

9 hours ago

Business
Bloomberg

One Big Beautiful Bill, Wine Tariffs, Wearable Technology, Monetary Policy & AI

This week, Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers says President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill cuts many Americans' safety net. And we take a look at how the US wine industry will be threatened by tariffs that are intended to protect domestic businesses. Plus, is wearable technology the new fountain of youth? Later, a look at how AI could shape the future of monetary policy. (Source: Bloomberg)

Why Mexican Coke is a fan favorite and where to buy it after Trump's sweet announcement

Fox News

15 hours ago

Politics
Fox News

Why Mexican Coke is a fan favorite and where to buy it after Trump's sweet announcement

Coca-Cola fans are rejoicing over the prospect of their beloved Coke getting a sweet makeover. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, President Trump claimed that Coca-Cola agreed to start using real cane sugar in the U.S., just like the beloved Mexican version. "It's just better!" Trump, a known Diet Coke enthusiast, said. Many people agree and have long paid a premium for imported Mexican Coke, which is sold in old-school glass bottles and made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. So, what's the hype behind the Mexican cola? For many, it's about nostalgia and novelty. In a thread called "Ask an American," one Redditor said Mexican Coke tastes "like how U.S. Coke used to taste a long time ago." The Mexican version is still made with cane sugar, which the U.S. swapped out for corn syrup in the 1980s. Mexican Coke's "cult following" grew through the early 2000s, and it was featured in news stories and on food blogs as critics taste-tested and compared the two. Grocers began stocking vintage glass bottles of Mexican Coke, but it remained more expensive and harder to find. Fans fizzed with excitement in April when Costco started selling a variety pack of cane sugar Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite – and were willing to spend nearly $36 for a 12-pack. "You're not just buying soda; you're investing in nostalgia, perfectly calibrated sweetness, and glass bottle clout," one person wrote in a Reddit thread about Costco. Some swear it all comes down to sipping from glass instead of plastic or aluminum. "The big difference is the glass bottle," another Redditor said. "I love the feel of the cold, glass bottle." For others, it's about avoiding high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a liquid sweetener made from cornstarch that has declined in popularity since the 1990s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to ban it, along with seed oils and synthetic food dyes. While American Coke and Mexican Coke both contain carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine, Mexican Coke is sweetened with cane sugar, also known as sucrose, instead of HFCS. Many assume cane sugar is a healthier option. But Dr. Ehsan Ali, an internal medicine doctor known as the Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor, says that nutritionally, the sweeteners are equals. "Yes, cane sugar is less processed … but in terms of how your body processes them, it's a wash," Ali told Fox News Digital. "Cane sugar might feel like the 'cleaner' option, but too much of it still puts stress on your liver, affects blood sugar levels, and adds unnecessary calories.' While both beverages have 39 grams of sugar, Mexican Coke has 150 calories and 85 milligrams of sodium, and American Coke has 140 calories and 45 milligrams of sodium. In a post on X, Coca-Cola insisted HFCS is "just a sweetener made from corn." "It is safe," the company said. The Food and Drug Administration has said there is no evidence of a difference in safety between foods that have HFCS and those that contain sugar and other sweeteners, and that everyone should limit consumption of all added sugars. "Cane sugar just sounds gentler, and we like to feel better about our choices, even if the science doesn't fully back that up," Ali said. But the difference in sweeteners could be why some aficionados say Mexican Coke has a cleaner, crisper and lighter taste. "Completely different mouth feel and a more rounded as opposed to pointy flavor," one Reddit purveyor said. Both sweeteners are made up of fructose and glucose, but HFCS has slightly more fructose, which tastes sweeter. It can cause a more syrupy taste and longer-lasting aftertaste. "The sugary taste is less intense in Mexican coke, which allows you to enjoy the actual coke taste," another Redditor said. "It tastes more like vanilla and its other flavors." The different sodium content, possibly caused by the different sweeteners and bottling practices, could also alter the flavors and carbonation. "The carbonation is also right on point for the taste," the person added. "I feel like the carbonation in [Mexican] Coke are big fat bubbles, while American Coke is a lot more small carbonation bubbles." Coca-Cola has not confirmed Trump's announcement and declined to answer questions about it. In a statement, it said: "We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca‑Cola brand. More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca‑Cola product range will be shared soon." Until then, "hecho en Mexico" – made in Mexico – Coke can still be bought in many Mexican restaurants, specialty shops and grocery stores. According to their websites, these major retailers offer the cane sugar soft drink, though availability may vary:

Ride the Volatility Wave With These ETFs

Yahoo

a day ago

Business
Yahoo

Ride the Volatility Wave With These ETFs

Persistent economic uncertainty and a volatile global trade landscape have elevated investors' anxiety, pushing them toward safe-haven assets. Over the past week, the S&P 500 has faced increased volatility, with the broad market index falling 0.29% and then rebounding 0.37% (as of July 16). The CBOE Volatility Index increased over the past week, indicating rising market turmoil. Any blow to investor sentiment or risk appetite can add to the headwinds that the S&P 500 already faces in the near term. Key Drivers of Market Turbulence Economists' concerns about renewed inflationary pressures triggered by President Trump's tariffs have proven accurate. According to recent data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as quoted on CNBC, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% in June, lifting the annual inflation rate to 2.7%. According to Reuters, top Wall Street bank executives have expressed concern over rising inflation and the potential weakening of the U.S. economy as new tariffs take effect, anticipating a slowdown in consumer spending in the second half of the year if price pressures continue to escalate. Concerns over U.S. debt levels are weighing on investor confidence, increasing risk aversion and market anxiety. The passage of President Trump's tax-cut and spending bill has renewed concerns over the United States' mounting long-term debt risks. Lawmakers raised the U.S. government's borrowing limit by an additional $5 trillion, potentially adding at least $3 trillion to the already staggering $37-trillion U.S. debt load. The geopolitical landscape in 2025 can best be described as complex and unstable, with ongoing tensions, particularly in the Middle East, adding another layer of volatility to global markets. President Trump's comments about Fed Chair Jerome Powell, hinting at a possible leadership change, have added pressure to the markets. If Trump were to move forward with firing Powell, it would likely trigger a sharp negative reaction, sparking an equity selloff and deepening investor uncertainty. However, Trump downplayed the possibility of a leadership change, calling it unlikely, though the uncertainty continues to linger over the markets, according to Reuters. ETFs to Explore In periods of rising uncertainty, increasing exposure to volatility ETFs in the short term can be a winning move for investors. These funds have delivered short-term gains during periods of market chaos and may climb further if volatility endures. In the current economic environment, volatility-focused funds and strategies are ideal to reassess volatility exposure and for investors with a short-term horizon. With the potential for heightened volatility, driven by geopolitical and policy risks, adding these ETFs may be a smart strategic move (See: all Volatility ETFs here). iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN VXX iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN seeks to track the performance of the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index Total Return and has amassed an asset base of $439.4 million. The index offers exposure to a daily rolling long position in the first and second month VIX futures contracts. VXX charges an annual fee of 0.89% and has a one-month average trading volume of 4.65 million shares. iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN has gained 17.87% over the past three months and 16.56% over the past year. ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF VIXY ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF seeks to track the performance of the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index and has amassed an asset base of $218.6 million. The index measures the movements of a combination of VIX futures and is designed to track changes in the expectation for one month in the future. The fund is ideal for investors looking to gain from an increase in expected volatility of the S&P 500. VIXY has a one-month average trading volume of 1.25 million shares. ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF has gained 17.48% over the past three months and 14.66% over the past year. The fund charges an annual fee of 0.85%. ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETFVIXM ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF seeks to track the performance of the S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures Index and has amassed an asset base of $24.1 million. The index measures the movements of a combination of VIX futures and is designed to track changes in the expectation for VIX five months in the future. The fund is ideal for investors looking to gain from an increase in expected volatility of the S&P 500. VIXM has a one-month average trading volume of about 151,000 shares. ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF has gained 12.64% over the past three months and 22.03% over the past year. The fund charges an annual fee of 0.85%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX): ETF Research Reports ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (VIXY): ETF Research Reports ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF (VIXM): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos

In U.S.-EU trade dispute, Trump claims Europe doesn't buy American cars or food. Is that true?

CBS News

2 days ago

Business
CBS News

In U.S.-EU trade dispute, Trump claims Europe doesn't buy American cars or food. Is that true?

The U.S. and European Union have just weeks to reach a new trade deal before President Trump plans to impose a 30% tariff on most imports from the 27 EU member countries starting Aug. 1. The EU negotiates trade policy as a single entity and was the U.S.'s top goods trading partner in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. In 2024, the U.S. imported around $606 billion in goods from the EU and exported around $370 billion worth of products to it. EU leaders have warned they're prepared to impose higher tariffs on hundreds of U.S. imports unless a deal can be reached in the coming weeks. Economists say the dispute could drive up consumer prices on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Trump has defended tariffs as necessary to protect American workers, pointing to the trade imbalance on goods and higher EU tariffs as evidence the bloc has treated the U.S unfairly for years. The president has also repeatedly said the European Union does not buy American cars or agricultural products. However, trade data from 2024 shows that's inaccurate. While the U.S. has imported more cars and agricultural products from Europe in recent years than it exports there, the EU remains a significant market for these American products. Here's a breakdown of the data. President Trump has repeatedly suggested Europe does not buy agricultural goods from U.S. farmers and producers. "The European Union is, in many ways, nastier than China, OK?," President Trump said at an event May 12. "They sell us their agricultural products. We sell them virtually none. They don't take our products." But according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the EU was the fourth-largest buyer of American agricultural products in 2024, purchasing a record $12.8 billion in these goods. Top exports to the EU included oilseeds like sunflower and sesame seeds, nuts and processed nut products like peanut butter, and soybeans. By comparison, the U.S. imported $36 billion in agricultural products from the EU in 2024 — buying billions of dollars worth of European wine, animal products, and grains and feeds. The White House has not responded to a request for clarification on the president's claim. Before Mr. Trump raised tariffs to a baseline of 10% in April, the EU maintained a higher average tariff on foreign agricultural products than the United States. In 2023, the EU average tariff on foreign agricultural goods was 10.8%, compared to the U.S. rate of 5%. Certain American food products are also less available in Europe because of consumer preferences and regulations, as the EU bans some American food products that contain certain additives they have deemed unsafe for human consumption. Another frequent target of President Trump's criticism is the EU's trade imbalance on cars. "They sell us 13 million cars. We sell them none," Mr. Trump claimed at an event in May. It is true that the United States imports far more European vehicles than the number of American-made vehicles it exports to the EU, but the EU does buy some American cars. In 2024, the EU imported about 165,000 American vehicles, valued at roughly $8.8 billion at current exchange rates, according to a report by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. By comparison, the same data shows the U.S. imported about 750,000 vehicles from the EU in 2024, worth $43 billion. Both trading partners have long imposed tariffs on foreign vehicles. The EU charges a 10% tariff on U.S. passenger cars, while the U.S. charged 2.5% on EU passenger cars until Mr. Trump raised the tariff on all foreign vehicles to 25%. The U.S. has also maintained a 25% tariff on EU pickup trucks since the 1960s. Apart from tariffs, industry analysts say U.S. cars are less competitive in the EU market for a number of other reasons, including that the member nations tend to have higher fuel economy standards, higher gas costs, and their buyers tend to prefer smaller cars. Though Mr. Trump often focuses on cars, they're not the biggest sector. Biological products and medication are actually the top commodities the U.S. imports from the EU, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This is driven partly by some American pharmaceutical companies maintaining manufacturing facilities in EU countries with lower corporate tax rates like Ireland. In recent weeks, President Trump has floated tariff rates as high as 200% on foreign-made pharmaceuticals unless companies onshore manufacturing to the U.S. On the export side, the top U.S. exports to the EU include oil and natural gas, airplanes, and immunological products like blood plasma. Over the weekend, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU still hopes to reach a new agreement with the U.S. "We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution," von der Leyen said, adding, "We will continue to prepare countermeasures so we are fully prepared."Rachel Gold contributed to this report.

Podcast: Stock Indexes Close Mixed Amid New Trade Deal

Wall Street Journal