06 Market

Trump delays increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser January 5, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks.

Trump’s order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture and 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities.

Defense stocks soar; U.S. strike on Venezuela heralds ‘hard power’ era– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser January 5, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Defense stocks in Europe and Asia surged on Monday as investors assessed how the dramatic overthrow of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro could herald a significant geopolitical shift that will boost the rearmament trade in the long run.

Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms manufacturer, gained over 8%, while military technology and surveillance specialist Hensoldt rose more than 7%. Italy’s Leonardo added more than 5%, while German counterpart Renk added around 8%.

Swedish fighter jet maker Saab added more than 6%.

US economy adds 64,000 jobs in November, beats expectations | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser December 16, 2025 0

Blurb:

The largest gain in jobs was in the healthcare sector, with 46,000 jobs added.

The US economy added 64,000 jobs in November, beating economists’ expectations. The unemployment rate has remained little changed from September, at 4.6 percent for the year’s penultimate month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed on Tuesday. The release of November’s jobs report was delayed due to the government shutdown that went from October 1 through November 12, and the October jobs report was not released due to the shutdown.

The largest gain in jobs was in the healthcare sector, with 46,000 jobs added. Of that total, 24,000 were in ambulatory health care services, 11,000 were in hospitals, and 11,000 were in nursing and residential care facilities. Construction saw 28,000 jobs added, and 18,000 jobs were added in social assistance. Transportation and warehousing saw a decrease in 18,000 jobs. The BLS noted that the federal government went down by 6,000 jobs, with a total of federal government employment going down by 271,000 since January.

Tanker seizure: Trump has Venezuela’s Maduro over a barrel– www.americanthinker.com

pgnewser December 16, 2025 0

Blurb:

It’s getting nightmarish for Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolas Maduro.

First, there was the tanker seizure.

According to Axios:

The Trump Administration dramatically escalated its standoff with Venezuela on Wednesday by seizing a large tanker loaded with crude oil bound for Cuba.

Why it matters: President Trump’s pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has now struck at the heart of Venezuela’s oil-based economy.

Tariff package on Asian imports will protect 350,000 jobs: Monday’s mañanera recapped– mexiconewsdaily.com

pgnewser December 16, 2025 0

Blurb:

The resurgence of the political right in Latin America and Mexico’s recently approved tariffs were among the issues spoken about at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Monday morning press conference.

Here is a recap of the president’s Dec. 15 mañanera.

Sheinbaum: Shift to the right won’t happen in Mexico 

Citing the victory of José Antonio Kast in Chile’s presidential election on Sunday as well as the results of recent elections in Argentina and Bolivia, a reporter asked the president about the shift to the right of “some voters in Latin America.”

Sheinbaum responded that the situation in “each country” would need to be analyzed to determine why voters in some Latin American nations have recently supported right-wing candidates and parties in large numbers.

China Hawks Face Setback With Trump’s Nvidia Deal, National Security Strategy– foreignpolicy.com

pgnewser December 16, 2025 0

Blurb:

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will permit semiconductor giant Nvidia to export its high-end H200 chips to China, potentially handing Beijing a boost in the battle for artificial intelligence supremacy. In characteristic fashion, Trump is insisting on the U.S. government taking a 25 percent cut of the sales.

The H200 isn’t Nvidia’s most advanced chip, but it outclasses the cut-down models that Nvidia had designed especially for the Chinese market. The deal is undoubtedly a product of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s lobbying in Washington, but it also appears designed to curry favor with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom Trump hopes to secure a significant trade agreement.

The move comes amid a flurry of conciliatory behavior toward China. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is reportedly tasked with blocking any U.S. government action that could jeopardize a potential trade deal with Beijing. Vice President J.D. Vance has been echoing Chinese rhetoric, and the administration effectively killed legislation that would have required U.S. firms to offer the government first-purchase rights on key chips.

Trump Admin Announces Huge TN Deal That Will Lower Our Reliance on China’s Rare Earth Metals – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser December 16, 2025 0

Blurb:

Korea Zinc announced on Monday a $7.4 billion smelter project in Tennessee that will be backed by the U.S. government and which will lessen our reliance on China for critical minerals used in defense systems, electronics, and so much more that powers our modern world.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took to X to laud the news:

Seismic Power Shift Looms as Bolivia May Rewrite Lithium Deals Involving China to Favor U.S.– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser December 16, 2025 0

Blurb:

 

Another South American country has gone “far-right” and the timing couldn’t be better for the U.S. as it seeks to secure its critical mineral supply chain.

Several weeks ago, Bolivia elected Rodrigo Paz as its new president. He promptly planned to scrap a ream of taxes as one of his first moves since becoming the nation’s first conservative leader in nearly two decades.

The government has also repaired relations with Washington after years of anti-American hostility dating back to when ex-President Evo Morales, a charismatic coca-growing union leader, kicked out the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2008 and cozied up to Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

The U.S. State Department has already announced agreements on nuclear cooperation and security assistance, and Paz has said his administration will allow Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate in Bolivia for the first time, after his predecessor refused to give it an operating license last year.

U.S. Federal Reserve cuts key rate but signals higher bar for future reductions– japantoday.com

pgnewser December 12, 2025 0

Blurb:

The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by a quarter-point for the third time in a row Wednesday but signaled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months, a move that could attract ire from President Donald Trump, who has demanded steep reductions to borrowing costs.

In a statement released after a two-day meeting, the Fed’s rate-setting committee suggested further rate cuts would depend on signs that the economy is faltering. And in a set of quarterly economic projections, Fed officials signaled they expect to lower rates just once next year.

Wednesday’s cut reduced the rate to about 3.6%, the lowest it has been in nearly three years. Lower rates from the Fed can bring down borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards over time, though market forces can also affect those rates.

‘Gold-Standard’ Immigration Bill Slows In Indiana Amid Redistricting– thefederalist.com

pgnewser December 12, 2025 0

Blurb:

While the Indiana legislature’s congressional redistricting efforts generate massive national attention, a weaker immigration enforcement bill is quietly moving faster than a stronger, “gold-standard” bill supported by Gov. Mike Braun and border czar Tom Homan.

The two immigration bills, Senate Bill 76 and House Bill 1039, include a lot of identical language. But SB 76 weakens and drops a number of HB 1039’s provisions.

SB 76 is sponsored by Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, who faces primary challenger Darren Vogt after she single-handedly blocked an immigration enforcement bill similar to HB 1039 earlier this year. SB 76 passed the judiciary committee Brown chairs Tuesday afternoon 6-2. In response to a Federalist query about whether she’d give HB 1039’s Senate companion sponsored by ranking member Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, an equal hearing, Brown’s spokeswoman told The Federalist, “Sen. Brown is focused first on getting her bill through Committee and then she’ll see what the House does.”

US preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela’s coast after first ship taken, sources say– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser December 12, 2025 0

Blurb:

Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA did not reply to a request for comment. Venezuela’s government this week said the US seizure constituted a “theft.” The White House National Security Council did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The US has assembled a target list of several more sanctioned tankers for possible seizure, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

The US Justice Department and Homeland Security had been planning the seizures for months, according to two of the people.

A reduction or halt in Venezuelan oil exports, the main generator of revenue for the Venezuelan government, would strain the Maduro government’s finances.

Trump Admin Uncovers Huge Number of Dead People Receiving SNAP Benefits– slaynews.com

pgnewser November 25, 2025 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump’s administration has revealed sweeping fraud inside the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), top officials have announced.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins revealed that at least 186,000 deceased individuals were receiving benefits.

However, the huge number is expected to grow further once data from Democrat-run states is finally disclosed.

Rollins detailed the findings while addressing concerns surrounding SNAP, describing the scale of fraud as staggering.

Serbia faces oil refinery shutdown as US sanctions deadline looms– www.euronews.com

pgnewser November 25, 2025 0

Blurb:

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has warned the Western Balkan country faces a major crisis as its largest oil refinery prepares to shut down unless US sanctions authorities approve an operating license by Thursday.

The Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) refinery is currently operating in “warm circulation” — a reduced-capacity mode — and has four days until complete shutdown unless approval comes from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, Vučić said in an address to the nation.

“It will take 14 days to restart, but in reality it will be more than that. Count on 20 days or more,” he said. “That means the refinery would not be operating until the New Year and even after that.”

Nvidia shares fall 3% on report Meta will use Google AI chips– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser November 25, 2025 0

Blurb:

Nvidia shares fell on Tuesday after The Information reported that Meta is considering using chips designed by Google.

Shares of Nvidia were 3.6% lower in premarket trade. Google-parent Alphabet was trading 2.6% higher.

On Monday, The Information reported that Meta is considering using Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs) in its data centers in 2027. Meta may also rent TPUs from Google’s cloud unit next year, the publication reported.

Google launched its first-generation TPU in 2018 and it was initially designed for its own internal use for its cloud computing business. Since then, Google has launched more advanced versions of its chip that are designed to handle artificial intelligence workloads.

‘Commonsense’: White House defends Trump’s H-1B stance; clarifies he doesn’t want US workers replaced– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser November 25, 2025 0

Blurb:

US president Donald Trump has a “nuanced and commonsense” view on H-1B visas and does not believe American workers should be replaced, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Leavitt stressed that Trump’s position has often been misunderstood. When asked about the use of H-1B workers, she said the president wants foreign companies investing in the US to hire Americans in the long run. But in the early stages of building highly technical factories like battery or chip plants, companies may need to bring in skilled workers from abroad to get operations started

Seattle’s new socialist mayor claims she has a plan to prevent businesses from being allowed to close and leave the city– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser November 21, 2025 0

Blurb:

 

According to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, “Access to affordable, healthy food is a basic human right.” This is why she refuses to “allow giant grocery chains to stomp all over communities and close stores at will.” She claims this will “leave behind food deserts.” This is why she will “explore public option grocery stores.”

There are so many things wrong with this statement that it’s hard to know where to begin.

Firstly, I don’t ever recall a time in human history when the government was able to adequately provide food for the entire population. Do you? I didn’t think so. That’s because whenever the government attempts to take over the food supply, people always seem to starve. Weird how that is.

Scaling innovation in manufacturing with AI– www.technologyreview.com

pgnewser November 21, 2025 0

Blurb:

“AI-powered digital twins mark a major evolution in the future of manufacturing, enabling real-time visualization of the entire production line, not just individual machines,” says Indranil Sircar, global chief technology officer for the manufacturing and mobility industry at Microsoft. “This is allowing manufacturers to move beyond isolated monitoring toward much wider insights.”

A digital twin of a bottling line, for example, can integrate one-dimensional shop-floor telemetry, two-dimensional enterprise data, and three-dimensional immersive modeling into a single operational view of the entire production line to improve efficiency and reduce costly downtime. Many high-speed industries face downtime rates as high as 40%, estimates Jon Sobel, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sight Machine, an industrial AI company that partners with Microsoft and NVIDIA to transform complex data into actionable insights. By tracking micro-stops and quality metrics via digital twins, companies can target improvements and adjustments with greater precision, saving millions in once-lost productivity without disrupting ongoing operations.

Trump To Withhold Millions From Dem-Controlled State Over Terrorist Trucker Scandal– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser November 21, 2025 0

Blurb:

The Trump administration is threatening to hit Pennsylvania where it hurts, warning the state it could lose tens of millions in federal dollars after a suspected terrorist managed to snag a commercial truck license.

Federal officials say Pennsylvania broke safety rules by handing out non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses to foreign nationals who shouldn’t have qualified. In a letter to state leaders, the Department of Transportation said Pennsylvania issued CDLs to migrants without verifying their legal status. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency will withhold $75 million in federal funding unless Harrisburg cleans up its CDL program quickly.

The fight erupted after the arrest of Akhror Bozorov, an illegal migrant from Uzbekistan accused back home of ties to terrorism. Bozorov, who authorities say spread jihadist propaganda online and recruited for extremist groups, picked up a Pennsylvania-issued CDL before immigration agents arrested him this month.

ICE Operation in Charlotte Exposes Huge Scale of Illegal Migration Across Construction Industry– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser November 21, 2025 0

Blurb:

The construction industry’s use of illegal labor force has been revealed by the Trump administration’s “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Construction has reportedly come to a near halt in Charlotte as the Trump administration’s immigration campaign remains in full swing.

Reports of stymied construction projects have flooded social media during the first week of the immigration enforcement operation.

A man who claims to be a subcontractor in the construction industry in Charlotte posted a video blasting ICE for chasing off the workers he usually encounters every day.

In other social media posts, Mexican restaurants are closing up shop since so many illegals are no longer out and about in the town. In one, an ice cream shop owner said he has told his Hispanic employees to stay home.

Another man hyperbolically complained that “no one is safe,” despite that immigration agents are only seeking lawbreaking illegals.

One man working at a Charlotte barber shop told agents he became a naturalized U.S. citizen ten years ago, but can’t say it to the agents in English.

Fire prompts evacuations at UN climate talks in Brazil, and 13 people suffer smoke inhalation– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser November 21, 2025 0

Blurb:

BELEM, Brazil — A fire briefly spread through pavilions being used for U.N. climate talks in Brazil and prompted evacuations Thursday on the next-to-last day of the conference, and officials said 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation.

Organizers said the fire was controlled in about six minutes. Fire officials ordered the evacuation of the entire site for the conference, known as COP30, and the venue remained closed for about seven hours following the fire.

Attendees trickled back into the COP30 venue after it reopened. Some posed for pictures in the nighttime glow of the signage at the entrance. Others returned to rooms further from the pavilions to resume negotiations or to retrieve belongings that had been left behind. Security staff were stationed behind metal barricades to keep people out of the pavilions and a curtain veiled off the area that the blaze had destroyed.

New Research Shows How AI Could Transform Math, Physics, Cancer Research, and More– www.scientificamerican.com

pgnewser November 21, 2025 0

Blurb:

A new report from OpenAI and a group of outside scientists shows how GPT-5, the company’s latest AI large language model (LLM), can help with research from black holes to cancer‑fighting cells to math puzzles.

Each chapter in the paper offers case studies: a mathematician or a physicist stuck in a quandary, a doctor trying to confirm a lab result. They all ask GPT-5 for help. Sometimes the LLM gets things wrong. Sometimes it finds a faster route to an already known result. But other times, with careful human guidance, it helps push the boundaries of what was previously known.

In one experiment involving how waves behave around black holes, GPT-5 worked through the math to independently produce results that had previously been shown to be correct, showing it was capable of doing this level of scientific calculation. In another project involving nuclear fusion, GPT-5 developed a model that accelerated the research.

Hungary to mount court challenge to EU’s planned phase-out of Russian energy, Orbán says– www.euronews.com

pgnewser November 19, 2025 0

Blurb:

Hungary will challenge the European Union’s plan to end Russian energy imports and take the case to an EU court, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday.

Speaking on state radio, Orbán accused the bloc of trying to sidestep his veto power over sanctions on Russian energy by instead using trade rules in its plan to phase out all imports of Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027.

“We are turning to the European Court of Justice in this matter,” Orbán said.

“This is a flagrant violation of European law, the rule of law and European cooperation … They will pay a very high price for this.”

Illegal Immigration Drove Soaring Housing Prices– townhall.com

pgnewser November 19, 2025 0

Blurb:

 

 

Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran told Fox News that deportations are slowing inflation.

“A significant amount of the inflation that we experienced for years is because we through millions of new people into the country without sufficiently expanding the housing stock and sufficient expansion of other forms of fixed capital,” Miran said.