Canada Launches WTO Complaint On US Steel, Aluminium Tariffs– www.ndtv.com
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Excerpt:Canada launched a complaint with the World Trade Organization on Thursday over US President Donald Trump’s across-the-board imposition of 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
The steep levies, which came into force on Wednesday, contained no exemptions despite countries’ efforts to avert them.
“Canada has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding the imposition by the United States of import duties on certain steel and aluminium products from Canada,” the WTO said.
“Canada claims that the measures, which terminate Canada’s exemption from additional duties on certain steel and aluminium products and increase duties on aluminium articles, and which took effect on March 12, are inconsistent with US obligations,” the global trade body said.
06 Market
Trump threatens to put 200% tariff on French Champagne and other EU spirits– www.cnbc.com
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U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to put a 200% tariff on alcohol from France and other European nations in the latest escalation of global trade tensions.
The U.S. tariff comes after the European Union moved to reinstate an import tax on American whiskey.
“The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50% Tariff on Whisky. If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES. This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.,” Trump said on Truth Social.
USDA Rolls Out $1 Billion Plan To Combat Bird Flu After Egg Prices Rise – Aberdeen Insider
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it plans to spend up to $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to try to reduce the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry.
The virus, also known as bird flu or H5N1, has disrupted the work of poultry farmers for years and began infecting dairy herds last year. But a recent spike in egg prices has led to renewed public attention to the disease.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the new five-point plan would implement increased biosecurity measures for poultry farms to help reduce interactions between domestic flocks and wild birds, provide funding for farmers to quickly repopulate after having to cull infected flocks, remove some regulations, import eggs from other countries and research a vaccine.
Rollins said she was “confident” that the firing of probationary federal employees and efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce wouldn’t negatively affect USDA.
“As we look to streamline and make more efficient the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will we have the resources needed to address the plan I just laid out?” she said. “We are convinced that we will, as we realign and evaluate where USDA has been spending money, where our employees are spending their time.”
Trump Org. sues Capital One after alleged debanking: ‘Clear attack on free speech’ – The Christian Post
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The Trump Organization is suing Capital One after the ninth-largest bank in the United States allegedly “debanked” them in 2021.
The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County on March 7, endeavors “to hold the bank accountable for their egregious conduct in unjustifiably terminating over 300 of the company’s bank accounts without cause,” Eric Trump wrote in an X post.
Eric Trump said the Trump Organization had banked with Capital One for more than a decade as “a clear attack on free speech and free enterprise that flies in the face of the bedrock principles and freedoms that define our country.”
Trump administration reverses policy, allows full Social Security overpayment clawbacks – MSN
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Musk and Rubio spar with Polish minister over Ukraine’s use of Starlink – BBC.com
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk have clashed with Poland’s foreign minister over the use of the tech billionaire’s Starlink satellite internet system in Ukraine.
Musk said on X that Ukraine’s “entire front line” would collapse if he turned the system off. Radoslaw Sikorski responded, saying his country paid for its use in Ukraine and a threat to shut it down would result in a search for another network.
Rubio dismissed Sikorski’s claims and told him to be grateful, while Musk called him a “small man”.
The exchange appeared to lead to Polish PM Donald Tusk calling on his country’s allies to show respect for their weaker partners, rather than arrogance.
Starlink’s system is part of SpaceX’s venture to provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas. It has been used extensively by the Ukrainian military.
Donald Trump’s tariffs hurting US business, Republican lawmakers warn – US politics live | Donald Trump– www.theguardian.com
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US president Donald Trump has not treated Greenlanders with respect since expressing his renewed interest in acquiring the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island, Greenland’s prime minister was quoted on Monday as saying.
Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring the island during his address to Congress last Tuesday, painting a picture of prosperity and safety for the “incredible people” of Greenland, an autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, Reuters reported.
Trump reaffirmed that message in a Truth Social post early on Monday, writing: “We will continue to keep you safe, as we have since World War II. We are ready to invest billions of dollars to create new jobs and make you rich.”
Greenland’s prime minister Mute Egede told Danish public broadcaster DR in an interview aired on Monday: “We deserve to be treated with respect, and I don’t think the US president has done that recently since he took office.”
“I think that the recent things the American president has been doing means that people don’t want to get as close to (the US) as they might have wanted in the past,” he added.
“We need to draw a line in the sand and put more effort into (cultivating relations with) the countries that show us respect for the future we want to build,” said Egede, in comments aired a day before Greenland holds a general election.
Trump dodges recession talk as global markets plunge– www.dailykos.com
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Excerpt:President Donald Trump has refused to rule out that his economic policies could trigger a recession and pushed for a “period of transition” that global markets have already responded to negatively.
In an interview that aired on Sunday, with Fox Business conspiracy theorist Maria Bartiromo, Trump was asked if he expected a recession.
“I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we’re doing is very big, we’re bringing wealth back to America,” Trump said.
Trump’s statement is false. He has repeatedly throughout his political career predicted economic calamity, usually in the context of attacks against his Democratic rivals like former President Joe Biden and Sec. Hillary Clinton.
Mark Zuckerberg Offered China Full Censorship Control And User Data Access, Says Meta Whistleblower: ‘Working Hand In Glove With The Chinese Communist Party’ – Benzinga
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A former Meta Platforms, Inc. executive has accused the company and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of going to extraordinary lengths—including enabling censorship and offering data access—to gain a foothold in China.
What Happened: In a whistleblower complaint filed with the SEC in April, Sarah Wynn-Williams, Meta’s former global policy director for China, made these allegations.
She stated that the company, formerly Facebook, developed a China-specific censorship system in 2015 and proposed installing a “chief editor” to manage and potentially shut down content during periods of social unrest.
The 78-page whistleblower complaint, reviewed by The Washington Post, claims Meta was prepared to give the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) oversight of all Facebook content in China and store user data locally—making it more accessible to government surveillance.
Taiwan’s president flexes independence in National Day speech – MSN
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Taiwanese President William Lai on Thursday took a shot at mainland China’s claims of sovereignty over self-governing Taiwan, saying, “The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.” The remarks, delivered in a closely watched speech marking the 113th anniversary of the revolution that founded the Republic of China (Taiwan’s formal name), won’t sit well with Beijing.
The People’s Republic of China maintains the so-called “One China” policy and sees democratic Taiwan as a rebellious province that will eventually be reunified with the mainland. The only question, from Beijing’s perspective, is whether that happens militarily or politically, and rhetoric like Lai’s seems to make the window for a peaceful resolution even smaller.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly ordered his military to be prepared to retake Taiwan by 2027, although that doesn’t mean he will actually attack that year. Some members of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang Party, including former President Ma Ying-jeou, worry that Lai is endangering Taiwan by antagonizing China.
In response to Lai’s speech, Taiwanese officials expect China to conduct military drills around the island — a demonstration large enough to show Beijing’s displeasure with Lai’s statements. However, China’s economic malaise is occupying much of the leadership’s focus, and the odds of seeing more provocative military measures are low.
Judge permanently blocks Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban – MSN
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Salesforce cuts diversity hiring goals, joining Meta and Google in scaling back DEI initiatives – Business Insider
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Salesforce cuts diversity hiring goals, joining Meta and Google in scaling back DEI initiatives Business Insider
US House Panel Issues Subpoena to Google’s Parent Company Alphabet – ChannelNews
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The US House Judiciary Committee has ramped up its scrutiny of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google and YouTube, by issuing a subpoena seeking internal communications between the company and the Biden administration.
The move stems from ongoing concerns about the tech industry’s role in moderating content, particularly related to Covid-19 misinformation and the broader conversation about censorship and free speech.
The Republican-majority committee is looking for detailed communications between Alphabet and the executive branch, as well as any discussions involving third parties concerning content moderation policies during President Joe Biden’s administration.
The subpoena notably mentions concerns about Google’s role in the federal government’s approach to censorship, with particular attention to YouTube’s involvement in moderating content tied to Covid-19 and conservative viewpoints.
10 Democrats join with Republicans to censure Rep. Al Green for Trump speech protest – madison365.com
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Ten Democrats joined with House Republicans on Thursday to censure Rep. Al Green for his protest during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress this week — a formal condemnation of the Texas Democrat’s actions.
The vote highlights divisions within the Democratic Party over how some members protested the president’s Tuesday night remarks. Locked out of power in Washington, Democrats are searching to find a compelling, unified message to counter Trump and the new administration – a struggle playing out not only on Capitol Hill but across the country.
Divergent tactics were on full display during the president’s speech to Congress, with some Democrats holding signs, walking out of the address or boycotting it altogether, while others took a more muted approach.
Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Threatens ‘All Necessary Measures’ to Get ExxonMobil out of Guyana – Breitbart
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Socialist dictator of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro threatened on Wednesday to take “all necessary measures” to stop American oil company ExxonMobil’s operations in the Essequibo region, historically contested by Venezuela and Guyana.
The Essequibo is a 61,600-square-mile region rich in oil and other natural resources currently administered by Guyana that represents roughly two-thirds of Guyana’s entire territory. Neighbors Venezuela and Guyana maintain an over 120-year-old territorial dispute over the contested region that is yet to reach a final, conclusive ruling at international organizations.
Trump says he is suspending tariffs on many Mexican goods for one month – US politics live | Trump administration– www.theguardian.com
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President Donald Trump has announced that after speaking with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum he has agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on anything that falls under the US-Mexico-Canada-Agreement until 2 April.
His post reads:
After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This Agreement is until April 2nd. I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl. Thank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation!
President Donald Trump announced a 30-day pause on newly enacted tariffs on Canada and Mexico but was met with mixed signals from Canada. On one hand, Canada appeared ready to move more aggressively on cutting down fentanyl traffic across the border, but on the other, Canada has not ended all its recently enacted tariffs, only the ones in response to Trump’s latest round of tariffs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered the most bellicose response, announcing plans to increase their electricity fee by 25 percent for Americans in Minnesota, New York, and Michigan. Ford said of Trump’s announced tariff pause, “The only thing that’s certain today is more uncertainty. A pause on some tariffs means nothing. Until President Trump removes the threat of tariffs for good, we will be relentless.”
Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Canada and Mexico after they pledge to boost border enforcement – AP News
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President Donald Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada as America’s two largest trading partners took steps to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
The pauses provide a cool-down period after a tumultuous few days that put North America on the cusp of a trade war that risked crushing economic growth, causing prices to soar and ending two of the United States’ most critical partnerships.
“I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a 30 day period to see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured,” Trump posted on social media. “FAIRNESS FOR ALL!”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted Monday afternoon on X that the pause would occur “while we work together,” saying that his government would name a fentanyl czar, list Mexican cartels as terrorist groups and launch a “Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.”
Never mind Trump’s tariffs. The Chinese Communist Party remains defiant. – The Washington Post
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Never mind Trump’s tariffs. The Chinese Communist Party remains defiant. The Washington Post
Trump threatens further tariff hikes after Canada retaliates | Trade War News– www.aljazeera.com
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US president posts warning on social media after Canada PM Trudeau slammed ‘dumb’ trade war.
US President Donald Trump has warned Canada that he will escalate his trade war after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced retaliatory tariffs on US goods.
Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada took effect on Tuesday, prompting Trudeau to announce retaliatory tariffs on more than $100bn of American goods that will take effect over 21 days.
The US president responded on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, saying: “Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the US, our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!”
Trump Tariffs Will Raise Prices ‘Within Days,’ Target CEO Says – MSN
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President Donald Trump’s new tariffs went into effect on Tuesday, rattling businesses and consumers. Target CEO Brian Cornell said on Tuesday that shoppers will see higher prices on the shelves as soon as this week.
The Details: Cornell told CNBC in an interview that prices for fresh fruits and vegetables will rise, including avocados, strawberries and bananas imported from Mexico due to the 25% tariff now in place.
China reveals its response to Trump’s surprise tariff: New taxes of up to 15% on U.S. chicken, cotton, pork, soybeans and other farm products– fortune.com
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The tariffs announced by China’s Commerce Ministry are due to take effect from March 10. Read More
New inflation data shows ‘very gradual slowing,’ expert says– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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The Center Square — The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its Personal Consumption Expenditure Index, a key marker of inflation, which showed an increase of 0.3% last month.
Since inflation nearly always rises, what economists look for is not whether or not it rose, but how quickly it rose. These latest numbers came in as experts expected.
“This was as expected, consistent with a very gradual slowing, and ~2.5% underlying inflation,” Harvard economic professor and former advisor to President Barack Obama, Jason Furman, wrote on X.
The index rose 2.5% from the same time last year, 2.6% when excluding food and energy costs. Economists had hoped inflation would have come down more by now, but the figures are still far lower than the rapid inflation rates seen during the Biden administration.
“Nothing in these data change the narrative much. Inflation appears to be gently slowing and that could give optimists hope that it will continue to do so,” Furman added. “But core inflation is also stuck above 2.5% — much higher than the 2.1% that forecasters had expected just a year ago.”
Washington Post Faces Mass Cancellations After Jeff Bezos’ Editorial Changes – MSN
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Newspapers rely on digital subscriptions to survive. Losing subscribers is a big deal, especially for a major publication.
The Washington Post is now facing a wave of cancellations. More than 75,000 digital subscribers have reportedly canceled their memberships, according to Digi24.
This follows changes made by the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos.
NPR reported that the cancellations were linked to new restrictions on opinion coverage. The number came from an anonymous source who feared backlash from the company.
The Washington Post declined to comment on the figures. It also did not respond to criticism about the changes.
Bezos announced a new editorial approach on Wednesday. He said the newspaper would focus on supporting personal freedoms and free markets.
Trump directs Lutnick to investigate US lumber imports– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday that orders an investigation into U.S. imports of wood products, an industry that the president sees as “essential to the national security, economic strength, and industrial resilience” of the United States.
The order directs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to lead an investigation into the national security implications of the U.S.’s current imports of timber, lumber, and manufactured wood products. This will include looking into demand for timber and lumber in the U.S., if domestic production can meet domestic demand, the significance of major foreign exporters in meeting U.S. demand, as well as any predatory trade practices that affect the U.S.’s competitiveness in the industry.
A report on this that details these potential national security concerns and includes policy recommendations such as tariffs, which Trump has floated on lumber as recently as mid-February, will be due by late November.
Mark Zuckerberg hints at the end for Meta’s programmers, with more companies expected to follow suit by 2025 – Glass Almanac
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The coming years will be pivotal. With Meta, Salesforce, and other tech giants leading the charge, AI-driven automation in programming is no longer a question of “if” but “when”.
The real challenge now is how the industry—and society—will adapt. Will programmers evolve alongside AI, or will they be left behind? One thing is certain: 2025 is set to be a turning point in the way we think about software development, automation, and the future of work itself.
Supreme Court allows Kentucky’s GOP attorney general to defend controversial abortion law – The Sentinel
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The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for Kentucky’s Republican attorney general to step in to defend a controversial abortion law, after the Democratic governor declined to continue doing so.The law restricts a standard second-trimester abortion method known as “dilation and evacuation” that is used after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It was signed into law in 2018 but has so far been blocked by the courts.
The Supreme Court’s ruling doesn’t address the constitutionality of the law. Instead, the dispute involved a procedural issue: whether the attorney general could step in to defend the law after other state officials said they would no longer pursue an appeal.
Delta plane flips on landing at Toronto airport, injuring 18– japantoday.com
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A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday amid windy weather following a snowstorm, injuring 18 of the 80 people on board, officials said.
Three people on the flight that originated at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport suffered critical injuries, among them a child, authorities added.
Delta said a CRJ900 aircraft operated by its Endeavor Air subsidiary was involved in a single-aircraft accident with 76 passengers and four crew aboard. The CRJ900, made by Canada’s Bombardier, can seat up to 90 people.
Canadian authorities said they would investigate the cause of the crash, which was not yet known.
“The aircraft is upside down and burning,” an emergency worker told the air traffic control tower after a controller noted that some passengers were walking near the crashed plane, according to a recording of the incident posted on liveatc.net.
China criticizes Trump’s tariffs at WTO, U.S. calls Beijing’s economy ‘predatory’ – Profit by Pakistan Today
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China condemned tariffs imposed or threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump during a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on Tuesday, warning that such “tariff shocks” could destabilize the global trade system.
The U.S. dismissed the concerns as hypocritical, with U.S. envoy David Bisbee criticizing China’s economic policies.
Trump has announced 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to respond with retaliatory measures and a WTO dispute against Washington. At the closed-door meeting, China’s ambassador to the WTO Li Chenggang said, “These ‘Tariff Shocks’ heighten economic uncertainty, disrupt global trade, and risk domestic inflation, market distortion, or even global recession.”
Wall Street banks scrub DEI language from websites in latest retreat from corporate wokeness: report – New York Post
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Major Wall Street banks are reportedly scrubbing DEI verbiage from their websites in the latest industry retreat since Donald Trump took office and took aim at corporate wokeness.
JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup have been erasing so-called diversity, equity and inclusion language from their websites, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Wells Fargo and Bank of America have also started to scrutinize their own DEI language, some of the people told the Journal.
Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and HSBC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Who are the frontrunners to be elected next pontiff after Pope Francis? – New York Post
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As Pope Francis, the oldest pope in over a century, continues to decline in health, speculation is percolating as to who will next be elected as the most powerful Catholic in the world.
The 88-year-old pontiff developed pneumonia in both lungs over the weekend and will remain hospitalized as he battles the infection, according to the Vatican.
Technically any Roman Catholic man can be elected as the heir to St. Peter, though invariably one of the 253 cardinals from around the world will don the papal tiara.