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Apr 28, 2025 - World

It remains unclear whether President Donald Trump spoke with President Xi Jinping about tariffs on China and both sides continue to give different answers. Last week, Trump told reporters that he was "actively" negotiating with China on a tariff deal, according to The Los Angeles Times. However, China responded, denying the claim, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent contradicted the president, stating that talks have yet to begin.Trump reiterated that Xi had called him to discuss the negotiations."He's called. And I don't think that's a sign of weakness on his behalf," Trump is quoted as saying on Friday, but he didn't provide specifics, FoxNews.com pointed out. Then, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Xi had not spoken to Trump. ALSO READ: 'We’ve made a mistake': Trump’s trade war sends GOP into frenzy"As far as I know, the two heads of state have not called each other recently," Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson, told Reuters. "I would like to reiterate that China and the U.S. have not conducted consultations or negotiations on the tariffs issue."The back and forth continues to be a question, and CNBC's "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen asked Bessent about it Monday. "Okay. Where are we?" asked Kernen. "I know that there are a lot of questions. We just mentioned China. Let's start with China. Where are we with China? Are there negotiations? Was there a phone call with President Xi and President Trump?""You know, you know, Joe, treasury secretary does a lot of things, running the White House switchboard isn't one of them," Bessent replied. "So, they, you know, all aspects of government are in contact with China. And in terms of trade negotiations, we see where this goes. But, as I've repeatedly said, I believe that it's up to China to de-escalate because they sell five times more than we sell them. And so, 125%, 145% tariffs are unsustainable."The comment comes less than a week after the Chinese Foreign Ministry told the U.S. to be more polite, Politico reported. “If a negotiated solution is truly what the U.S. wants, it should stop threatening and blackmailing China and seek dialogue based on equality, respect, and mutual benefit,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday before Bessent's speech to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “To keep asking for a deal while exerting extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with China and simply will not work.”See the CNBC interview with Bessent below or at the link here.

Apr 28, 2025 - World

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order at 5 p.m. Monday requiring commercial truck drivers in the United States to speak English, "America's official language," according to his spokeswomanWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted a link to a Breitbart article on Monday morning.A document reviewed by Breitbart said, "President Trump believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English."Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be directed “to rescind and replace guidance to strengthen inspection procedures for compliance with English proficiency requirements,” the document said.Read the Breitbart article here.

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Self-described moderate Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) had his hands full during a Sunday night town hall in his suburban Hudson Valley swing district, according to reporting inThe New York Times and a variety of videos posted to social media.Local police expected more than 1,200 constituents to jam the high school auditorium where Lawler was speaking in Rockland County, but first they had to follow Lawler's rules as posted outside the venue: participants were required to provide proof of residency for New York's 17th district; were warned against shouting, screaming, or yelling; and were forbidden from making "audio or video recordings." But the rowdy constituents ignored those last two directives, as evidenced by cell phone video posted to X.Also read: 'This is our shot': Dems believe MTG's new job gives 'golden opportunity' to destroy GOPIn one video, a constituent asked, "What are you doing to stand in opposition to this administration, and what specifically are you doing that warrants the label 'moderate'"?The question drew whoops and applause from the audience. When Lawler began to answer, saying, "Again, my record speaks for itself. I've been rated the fourth most bipartisan for a reason," the audience laughed and groaned.In another clip, constituents chanted, "blah, blah, blah" as Lawler tried to justify President Donald Trump's tariffs that have caused the upending of the stock markets.The article described "shouts, groans and mockery."Times reporter Nicholas Fandos wrote that, "The congressman got a rare round of applause when he defended the use of vaccines and criticized Mr. Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has cast doubt on the efficacy of vaccination."But overall, the town hall was both "combative and catty" and looked less like "the kind of respectful town-hall conversation Americans venerate than a shouting match where both sides accuse the other of acting in bad faith," Fandos wrote.He added that, "For much of the night, acrimony carried the room. Attendees provoked confrontations with fellow attendees, with Mr. Lawler’s staff members and with the police. No one was satisfied, including supporters of the congressman who mostly watched in silence."Read The New York Times article here,

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Three months into Donald Trump's second presidency, journalists Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer covered a lot of ground with him during a late April interview for The Atlantic — from foreign policy to immigration.The reporters also addressed embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose critics are calling for him to resign over a series of controversies — which include firings at the Pentagon and a security breach in which Hegseth discussed a military operation in Yemen on the messaging app Signal.Trump not only defended Hegseth during the interview — he also made it sound like Democrats, not members of his administration, are the ones surrounded by chaos.Trump said of Hegseth, "I think he's gonna get it together. I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him."Trump said he told his staff, "Maybe don't use Signal, OK?"According to Parker and Michael Scherer, Trump "spoke of his opposition with earnest befuddlement, if not actual pity."Trump told the reporters, "I think that the Democrats have lost their confidence in the truest sense. I don't think they know what they're doing. I think they have no leader. You know, if you ask me now, I know a lot about the Democrat Party, right? I can't tell you who their leader is. I can't tell you that I see anybody on the horizon."READ MORE:'I just want to reach out and smack him': Lindsey Graham struggles to explain Trump flip-floppingAshley Parker and Michael Scherer's full interview with President Donald Trump for The Atlantic is available at this link (subscription required).

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Exclusive: Countries are struggling to manage expensive loans, with much of debt transacted through LondonDiplomats from eight southern and east African countries have signed a letter calling on the UK government to support a private member’s bill that aims to speed up debt restructurings, after economic crises meant countries were unable to pay back loans.Poor countries’ economies have been hit by a series of global events in recent years, including the coronavirus pandemic, which reduced growth; the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which sent inflation soaring; and raised US interest rates, which have pushed up the cost of international loans to often unaffordable levels. Continue reading...