Trump tariffs live updates: Trump, Xi Jinping speak as focus turns to US trade deals
President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke on Thursday, and both countries pledged to restart tariff and trade talks in the coming days.
Trump hailed the call as "positive," with both leaders inviting the other to visit their respective countries. Chinese state media said Xi urged Trump to remove "negative" trade measures on his country.
The call came after weeks of Trump publicly pushing for the talk, as US-China tensions have risen in the aftermath of the countries' trade truce reached in mid-May in Geneva. Both countries have accused the other of breaching that truce while ratcheting up pressure on other issues.
The US and China are also now using their control over certain key materials to gain control in the trade war. Bloomberg reported on Friday that the US dominates in ethane, a gas used to make plastics, and China buys nearly all of it. Washington is now tightening control by requiring export licenses.
Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
Trump's call with Xi came as the US is pushing countries to speed up trade talks. The White House confirmed that the US sent a letter to partners as a "friendly reminder" that Trump's self-imposed 90-day pause on sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs is set to expire in early July.
White House advisers have for weeks promised trade deals in the "not-too-distant future," with the only announced agreement so far coming with the United Kingdom. US and Indian officials held trade talks this week and agreed to extend those discussions on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the July 9 deadline.
Also this week, effective Wednesday, June 4, Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%
Meanwhile, Trump's most sweeping tariffs face legal uncertainty after a federal appeals court allowed the tariffs to temporarily stay in effect, a day after the US Court of International Trade blocked their implementation, deeming the method used to enact them "unlawful."
Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world.
Bet you were wondering how long we could go before mentioning Elon Musk's feud with President Trump in this blog (lots more on that here, here, and here).
Yes, the remarkable back and forth included Trump threatening Musk's government contracts — and Musk seeming to agree with a call to impeach Trump, while also throwing in an "Epstein files" mention.
But as Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul details, Musk is now going to war with many of the biggest pillars of Trump's agenda. There was a tariff mention as part of that.
Specifically, Musk not only criticized the tariffs — he's now on record saying he thinks they will cause a recession this year.
As Ben writes:
Read more here.
Trade talks between the US and India were set to wrap up this Friday, but now they are being extended into next week as officials on both sides aim to work out an interim deal before a July 9 deadline.
Indian government sources said the discussions, which have focused on tariff cuts in the farming and auto sectors, will continue next Monday and Tuesday. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are looking to double trade by 2030 and cement a trade pact by fall 2025.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
US and Chinese officials exchanged jabs at an event held by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai on Friday, as the chamber appealed for more clarity for American businesses operating in China.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
India's Tata Steel has warned that it might be excluded from tariff-free access to the US under the UK's trade agreement with the Trump administration. This exclusion risks putting more than $180M worth of annual exports at risk.
The FT reports:
Read more here.
Two of the largest economies in the euro zone saw industrial production decline in the first month of President Trump's sweeping tariffs, indicating a economic slowdown after a stronger-than-expected year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday.
Wall Street Journal:
Read more here.
The EU said on Friday that it is open to reducing tariffs on US fertiliser imports as a trade bargaining tool in talks with the Trump administration. However, the EU said it would not weaken its food safety standards in pursuit of a deal.
EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen told Reuters: "That is definitely an option," Hansen said, of reducing US fertiliser tariffs.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
If car buyers think they will be able to beat President Trump's tariffs, they should think again. The trade war has already led to an increase in US auto prices and some of these hikes are invisible to consumers.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
According to a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, most US firms with operations in china are not budging. The survey revealed that some US don't want to leave the country and in fact would ramp up production in China, despite the the challenges posed by tariffs.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
We know what President Trump wants in trade discussions with China. But what does China's Xi Jinping want?
Bloomberg News reports
Read more here.
Both the US and China are using their control over key materials in a deepening trade war standoff.
On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Washington is restricting ethane shipments, a gas China heavily relies on for plastics production. This follows Washingtons block on chip exports to China.
'Ethane is no longer just a byproduct of shale — it's now a geopolitical weapon,' said Julian Renton, lead analyst covering natural gas liquids at East Daley Analytics. 'China bet billions building infrastructure around US ethane, and Washington is now questioning whether that bet should continue to pay off.'
But the US is not the only one weaponising their grip on vital materials. China has tightened control on rare earths, a crucial element used for technology products.
However, on Thursday President Trump got a commitment from China to restore flow of rare earth magnets.
These moves by the US and China marks a shift toward using strategic resources as leverage.
President Trump confirmed his call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Truth Social, saying the call lasted one and half hours and "resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries."
"I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal," President Trump said.
Trump added that the call focused on trade, including rare earth minerals, and that the two leaders did not discuss the Russia-Ukraine war or Iran.
Notably, Trump outlined that he and Xi agreed on next steps for trade talks, which will take place "shortly."
Trump is sending Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to meet with Chinese officials. Trump also said he and the first lady had been invited to visit China and that he extended the same invitation to President Xi.
Read more here.
The US trade deficit shrank in April as imports fell sharply, mainly due to President Trump's tariffs and companies who had previously raced to beat high import costs, no longer rushing in goods ahead of new levies.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
Chinese state media reported Thursday morning that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone call at Trump's request.
Anticipation had been building as to when the two leaders would speak, as trade tensions between the US and China reignited after Trump and Chinese officials each stated the other had broken their informal Geneva agreement.
Trump had publicly pushed for a phone call, which press secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted would come this week. The call appears to mark the first talk between the two leaders during Trump's second term in office.
Indian and US officials are holding high-level talks this week in New Delhi to hammer out a finalized trade deal that could be announced this month, two government sources told Reuters.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
The tit-for-tat game between the US and China continues. A Bloomberg report on Thursday said that the Trump administration plans to broaden restrictions on China's tech sector with new regulations to include subsidiaries of companies under US curbs.
This follows China's curbs on rare earths which have led to the US, the EU, Japan and global car companies sounding the alarm on supply chain issues.
The Geneva tariff talks between the US and China were meant to help prevent trade tensions between the two nations and put a stop to escalating tariffs. However, it seems both sides are unwilling to back down.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
US business optimism has fallen sharply, reflecting a trend seen in the first quarter of the year and a reversal from the buoyant mood after President Trump was elected.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
The world's largest consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble (PG), said on Thursday it will cut 7,000 jobs, approximately 6% of its total workforce, over the next two years as part of a new restructuring plan to combat falling consumer demand and higher costs due to tariffs.
P&G said it also plans to exit some product categories and brands in certain markets.
P&G, which makes popular brands such as Pampers and Tide detergent, said the restructuring plan comes when consumer spending is pressured. Like P&G, other consumer companies are also facing a drop in demand, such as Unilever.
President Trump's tariffs on trading partners have deeply impacted global markets and led to recession fears in the US, which is the biggest market for P&G. A Reuters poll revealed that Trump's trade war has cost companies over $34B in lost sales and higher costs.
My colleague Brian Sozzi highlights some of P&G's changes within his latest piece, stating that the consumer goods brand knows how to do a "few things very well."
P&G was forced to raise prices on some products in April. Pricing and cost cuts were the main levers, CFO Andre Schulten said.
On Thursday, Schulten and P&G's operations head Shailesh Jejurikar acknowledged that the geopolitical environment was "unpredictable" and that consumers were facing "greater uncertainty."
Read more here.
Instead of passing on tariff costs to consumers, tonic maker Fevertree Drinks (FQVTY) announced on Thursday it would equally split costs of the 10% tariff imposed on UK imports to the US with brewer Molson Coors (TAP).
The British company, known for its premium cocktail mixers, counts the United States as its largest market, where it continues to deliver strong momentum bolstered by its partnership with the US beer maker Molson Coors.
Read more here.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
British firms are brushing off President Trump's tariffs, according to a survey released on Thursday by the Bank of England.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
Bet you were wondering how long we could go before mentioning Elon Musk's feud with President Trump in this blog (lots more on that here, here, and here).
Yes, the remarkable back and forth included Trump threatening Musk's government contracts — and Musk seeming to agree with a call to impeach Trump, while also throwing in an "Epstein files" mention.
But as Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul details, Musk is now going to war with many of the biggest pillars of Trump's agenda. There was a tariff mention as part of that.
Specifically, Musk not only criticized the tariffs — he's now on record saying he thinks they will cause a recession this year.
As Ben writes:
Read more here.
Trade talks between the US and India were set to wrap up this Friday, but now they are being extended into next week as officials on both sides aim to work out an interim deal before a July 9 deadline.
Indian government sources said the discussions, which have focused on tariff cuts in the farming and auto sectors, will continue next Monday and Tuesday. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are looking to double trade by 2030 and cement a trade pact by fall 2025.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
US and Chinese officials exchanged jabs at an event held by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai on Friday, as the chamber appealed for more clarity for American businesses operating in China.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
India's Tata Steel has warned that it might be excluded from tariff-free access to the US under the UK's trade agreement with the Trump administration. This exclusion risks putting more than $180M worth of annual exports at risk.
The FT reports:
Read more here.
Two of the largest economies in the euro zone saw industrial production decline in the first month of President Trump's sweeping tariffs, indicating a economic slowdown after a stronger-than-expected year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday.
Wall Street Journal:
Read more here.
The EU said on Friday that it is open to reducing tariffs on US fertiliser imports as a trade bargaining tool in talks with the Trump administration. However, the EU said it would not weaken its food safety standards in pursuit of a deal.
EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen told Reuters: "That is definitely an option," Hansen said, of reducing US fertiliser tariffs.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
If car buyers think they will be able to beat President Trump's tariffs, they should think again. The trade war has already led to an increase in US auto prices and some of these hikes are invisible to consumers.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
According to a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, most US firms with operations in china are not budging. The survey revealed that some US don't want to leave the country and in fact would ramp up production in China, despite the the challenges posed by tariffs.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
We know what President Trump wants in trade discussions with China. But what does China's Xi Jinping want?
Bloomberg News reports
Read more here.
Both the US and China are using their control over key materials in a deepening trade war standoff.
On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Washington is restricting ethane shipments, a gas China heavily relies on for plastics production. This follows Washingtons block on chip exports to China.
'Ethane is no longer just a byproduct of shale — it's now a geopolitical weapon,' said Julian Renton, lead analyst covering natural gas liquids at East Daley Analytics. 'China bet billions building infrastructure around US ethane, and Washington is now questioning whether that bet should continue to pay off.'
But the US is not the only one weaponising their grip on vital materials. China has tightened control on rare earths, a crucial element used for technology products.
However, on Thursday President Trump got a commitment from China to restore flow of rare earth magnets.
These moves by the US and China marks a shift toward using strategic resources as leverage.
President Trump confirmed his call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Truth Social, saying the call lasted one and half hours and "resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries."
"I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal," President Trump said.
Trump added that the call focused on trade, including rare earth minerals, and that the two leaders did not discuss the Russia-Ukraine war or Iran.
Notably, Trump outlined that he and Xi agreed on next steps for trade talks, which will take place "shortly."
Trump is sending Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to meet with Chinese officials. Trump also said he and the first lady had been invited to visit China and that he extended the same invitation to President Xi.
Read more here.
The US trade deficit shrank in April as imports fell sharply, mainly due to President Trump's tariffs and companies who had previously raced to beat high import costs, no longer rushing in goods ahead of new levies.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
Chinese state media reported Thursday morning that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone call at Trump's request.
Anticipation had been building as to when the two leaders would speak, as trade tensions between the US and China reignited after Trump and Chinese officials each stated the other had broken their informal Geneva agreement.
Trump had publicly pushed for a phone call, which press secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted would come this week. The call appears to mark the first talk between the two leaders during Trump's second term in office.
Indian and US officials are holding high-level talks this week in New Delhi to hammer out a finalized trade deal that could be announced this month, two government sources told Reuters.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
The tit-for-tat game between the US and China continues. A Bloomberg report on Thursday said that the Trump administration plans to broaden restrictions on China's tech sector with new regulations to include subsidiaries of companies under US curbs.
This follows China's curbs on rare earths which have led to the US, the EU, Japan and global car companies sounding the alarm on supply chain issues.
The Geneva tariff talks between the US and China were meant to help prevent trade tensions between the two nations and put a stop to escalating tariffs. However, it seems both sides are unwilling to back down.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
US business optimism has fallen sharply, reflecting a trend seen in the first quarter of the year and a reversal from the buoyant mood after President Trump was elected.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
The world's largest consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble (PG), said on Thursday it will cut 7,000 jobs, approximately 6% of its total workforce, over the next two years as part of a new restructuring plan to combat falling consumer demand and higher costs due to tariffs.
P&G said it also plans to exit some product categories and brands in certain markets.
P&G, which makes popular brands such as Pampers and Tide detergent, said the restructuring plan comes when consumer spending is pressured. Like P&G, other consumer companies are also facing a drop in demand, such as Unilever.
President Trump's tariffs on trading partners have deeply impacted global markets and led to recession fears in the US, which is the biggest market for P&G. A Reuters poll revealed that Trump's trade war has cost companies over $34B in lost sales and higher costs.
My colleague Brian Sozzi highlights some of P&G's changes within his latest piece, stating that the consumer goods brand knows how to do a "few things very well."
P&G was forced to raise prices on some products in April. Pricing and cost cuts were the main levers, CFO Andre Schulten said.
On Thursday, Schulten and P&G's operations head Shailesh Jejurikar acknowledged that the geopolitical environment was "unpredictable" and that consumers were facing "greater uncertainty."
Read more here.
Instead of passing on tariff costs to consumers, tonic maker Fevertree Drinks (FQVTY) announced on Thursday it would equally split costs of the 10% tariff imposed on UK imports to the US with brewer Molson Coors (TAP).
The British company, known for its premium cocktail mixers, counts the United States as its largest market, where it continues to deliver strong momentum bolstered by its partnership with the US beer maker Molson Coors.
Read more here.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
British firms are brushing off President Trump's tariffs, according to a survey released on Thursday by the Bank of England.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
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Ohio food banks strain as Trump slashes federal aid programs
By P.J. Huffstutter COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) -On a warm spring morning, volunteers at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective plucked cucumbers from a greenhouse where a state psychiatric hospital once stood and the land lay fallow. Now the state's largest food bank is working that ground again, part of an urgent effort to shore up supplies amid shrinking federal support, including deep funding cuts under President Donald Trump. They are planting more. Prepping soil for fruit trees, and installing hives for honey. In the greenhouse, crates of romaine and butterhead lettuce were packed for delivery, bound for a pantry across town. Back at headquarters in Grove City, staff chased leads from grocers, manufacturers, even truckers looking to unload abandoned freight. Every pallet helped. Every pound counted. In a state that handed Trump three straight wins, where Trump flags flap near food aid flyers pinned on bulletin boards, the cost of his austerity push is starting to show. "Food banks will still have food," said Mid-Ohio CEO Matt Habash. "But with these cuts, you'll start to see a heck of a lot less food, or pantries and agencies closing. You're going to have a lot of hungry, and a lot less healthy, America." For decades, food banks like Mid-Ohio have been the backbone of the nation's anti-hunger system, channelling government support and donations from corporations and private donors into meals and logistics to support pantries at churches, non-profits and other organizations. If a food bank is a warehouse, food pantries are the store. Outside one of those – the Eastside Community Ministry pantry in rural Muskingum County, Ohio – Mary Dotson walked slow, cane in hand. The minute she stepped through the doors, her whole body seemed to lift. They call her Mama Mary here, as she's got the kind of voice that settles you down and straightens you out in the same breath. The regulars grin as Dotson, 77, pats shoulders, swaps recipes. She had tried to do everything right: built a career, raised five children, planned for the quiet years with her husband. But after he died and the kids moved away, the life they'd built slipped out of reach. Now her monthly Social Security check is $1,428. She budgets $70 of that for groceries, and she gets $23 in food benefits as well. She started as a volunteer at Eastside. Simple math convinced her to become a customer. 'I figured if I'm going to take these things,' Dotson said, 'I'm going to work here, too.' CAMPAIGN FODDER The Mid-Ohio Food Collective was born out of church basements and borrowed trucks nearly a half-century ago, when factory closures left more families hungry. It's now the state's largest food bank, feeding more than 35,000 Ohio families a week. It supplies more than 600 food pantries, soup kitchens, children and senior feeding sites, after-school programs and other partner agencies. When Trump returned to office in January, Mid-Ohio was already slammed. Pantry visits across its 20 counties hit 1.8 million last year, nearly double pre-COVID levels, and are continuing to grow this year. The biggest surge came from working people whose paychecks no longer stretch far enough due to pandemic-era inflation under Joe Biden's presidency, staff said. Then came the Trump cuts. In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cancelled the pandemic-era Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which funded about $500 million annually for food banks; and froze about $500 million in funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), one of the agency's core nutrition programs that supplies food to states to pass on to food banks for free. Much of the food Mid-Ohio distributes is donated, but donations alone can't stock a pantry consistently. Its current $11.1 million purchasing budget, built from federal, state and private dollars, helps fill the gaps. The March cuts wiped out about 22% of Mid-Ohio's buying power for next fiscal year – funds and food that staff are trying to replace. In early December, Mid-Ohio ordered 24 truckloads filled with milk, meat and eggs for delivery this spring and summer. The food came through the TEFAP program, using about $1.5 million in government funding. The first delivery was scheduled to show up April 9. The only thing to arrive was a cancellation notice. USDA said in a statement Secretary Brooke Rollins is working to ensure federal nutrition spending is efficient, effective and aligned with the administration's budget priorities. More cuts could come. Last month, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed Trump's tax and spending bill. It called for $300 billion in cuts to food benefits for low income people under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which fed nearly 1.4 million Ohioans in January, according to the latest state data. If the cuts survive the Senate and are passed into law, it annually would cost Ohio at least $475 million in state funding to maintain current SNAP benefits, plus at least $70 million for administrative program costs, said Cleveland-based The Center for Community Solutions, an independent, nonpartisan policy research group. That would consume nearly every state-controlled dollar in Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services budget, roughly 95% of the general revenue meant to help fund everything from jobless claims to foster care. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and other lawmakers in this GOP supermajority state capitol, facing a constitutional requirement to pass a balanced budget, told Reuters that extra money for food banks isn't there. The proposed fiscal 2025 Ohio budget would set food bank funding back to 2019 levels – or about 23% less than what it spent this year, in a state where nearly one in three people qualify for help. Federal safety-net programs have become campaign fodder, too. At a recent Ohio Republican Party fundraiser in Richland County, Ohio, voters in suits and Bikers for Trump gear alike listened to Vivek Ramaswamy, the tech millionaire turned presidential candidate now running for Ohio governor. He spoke out against "a culture of dependence on the entitlement state that has festered in our country for 60 years." SAVING A PENNY So what happens when the government pulls back and supplies thin? If you're Victoria Brown and her small team of four, it means working the phones, chasing leads, watching markets, and moving fast. At Mid-Ohio's offices in Grove City, the food bank's director of sourcing sipped her coffee and squinted at her screen, eyes tracking the price-per-pound of cucumbers down to the cent. Saving a penny might seem inconsequential, unless you're trying to buy 40,000 pounds. In a supply chain that has relied on steady government support, food donations have become even more important, even as they grow more haphazard in both timing and what's available. Outside Brown's office, one staffer was trying to track down a shipment of pineapples. The rest were on the road, talking crop conditions with farmers, negotiating delivery times with suppliers and checking with grocers to see what might be sitting in the back, waiting for a second life. Brown glanced at her inbox, where new offers stacked up: At 11:10 a.m., one pallet of frozen chicken. I'll find out why it's being donated, a staffer promised. At 11:13 a.m., four pallets of cereal, bulk packed in industrial totes. Brown jotted a note for the volunteer coordinator: Anyone available to scoop a thousand pounds of cereal into small bags? RACING THE CLOCK Some of that food may be headed for Mid-Ohio's Norton Market, a modern food pantry built to feel like a real store in Columbus. The man in charge here is Denver Burkhart. He moves with the kind of precision the military teaches and life reinforces. At 35, he looks every bit the soldier he still is – broad-shouldered and lean, squared off at the edges. Fifteen years in the Army, two tours in Afghanistan, one in Iraq, now he has a mission back home until he serves overseas again with the Ohio Army National Guard. He started the morning as he always does: at a laptop in the back cramped office, racing to secure whatever free or discounted goods Brown's team had found. He leaned over the keyboard, one eye on the clock, the other on the blinking screen. The inventory system had just refreshed. The race was on to fill his mental list. His fingers clicked fast, steady, practiced. He hovered over baby formula. More moms have been showing up lately. Forty cases into the cart. Maybe too many – but if he waited, they'd be gone. "I rely heavily on the free product," he said. "Without it, we'd be hurting really bad." "WATER DAYS" Across town, Shannon Follins checks on her ice supply. It's for what she calls the "water days." Follins, 37, is raising three kids, including 3-year-old twins. One is autistic; he hasn't found his words yet. Until recently, Follins worked third shift at Waffle House for $5.25 an hour, and now she's studying for a degree in social services. Family brings groceries when they can. But it's the pantry at Broad Street Presbyterian Church, stocked by Mid-Ohio, that lets her make meals that feel like more than survival. One recent night, her daughter Essence twirled barefoot across their kitchen floor, dancing to the sounds of boiling pasta and chicken simmering in the pan. When there was nothing else to eat, she filled her kids' bellies with tap water and a mother's promise that tomorrow might be better. "It gives me a sense of security," she said, nodding toward the plastic jugs stacked in her freezer. If the government cuts food aid? She's prepared for more water days.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
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Chinese bioterror suspects' arrests signal communist country plotting 'something worse' than COVID: expert
After the pattern of recent covert communist Chinese infiltrations of the U.S. continued with the arrest of two suspected "bioterrorists" in Michigan this week, one expert said it's time to sever relations with China completely. "The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China," attorney and Chinese Communist Party expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital. "And I know people think that's drastic, but we are being overwhelmed, and we are going to get hit. And we are going to get hit really hard. Not just with COVID, not just with fentanyl, but perhaps with something worse." Chang was responding to recent news of Chinese nationals Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, 34, who, over a two-year period, were allegedly smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the U.S. and studying it in labs. Jian was a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan, whose research was funded in part by the People's Republic of China. Patel: Chinese Nationals Charged With Smuggling 'Known Agroterrorism Agent' Into Us Is A 'Direct Threat' Fusarium graminearum is a toxic fungus that causes a crop-killing "head blight," a disease of wheat, barley, maize and rice that "is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year," according to the Department of Justice. It is also toxic to humans, and can cause vomiting, liver damage and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." Read On The Fox News App "This couple should be sent to Guantánamo," Chang said. "This Chinese government has declared a 'People's War' on us." A "People's War" is a military strategy developed by brutal former Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, who died in 1976, known for killing tens of millions of Chinese people via starvation and political persecution. Such a war calls for a protracted military and political onslaught meant to exhaust the enemy. Jian and Liu were arrested earlier this week and charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud. "We're Americans, so we think we're entitled to ignore the propaganda of hostile regimes," Chang said. "But for a communist party, [a People's War] has great resonance, and what they're doing with their strident anti-Americanism is creating a justification to strike our country." Suspected Chinese Bioterrorists Smuggled Killer Agent Into Us In Boots, Officials Say "This means, for example, that this couple should be sent to Guantánamo," he said. "This was an attack on the United States at a time when China thought it was at war with us." Since the 2019 People's War decree referenced by Chang, a laundry list of Chinese and Chinese-aligned infiltrators have been caught red-handed in the U.S., especially at American universities. Here's a look back at some of those instances: In 2020, two Chinese nationals who were graduate students at the University of Michigan pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a breach at a Naval air station in Key West, Florida, where they were caught illegally entering and photographing defense infrastructure. Charles Lieber is not a Chinese national, but was convicted in 2021 of making false statements to authorities and failing to report income from his work with China's Wuhan University of Technology. He also had a contract with China's Thousand Talents Program, which "incentivize [their] members to steal foreign technologies needed to advance China's national, military, and economic goals," according to the FBI. He was sentenced to time served, which was two days in prison, and two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement. He also paid various fines and restitution of more than $88,000. In 2022, Ji Chaoqun, a Chinese national who had been a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was convicted after attempting to commit espionage and theft of trade secrets. Chaoqun gathered information from American defense contractors and engineers as part of a plot by high-level Chinese intelligence officials to glean information about U.S. technology advancements. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. In 2024, the FBI filed charges against five Chinese nationals, all students at the University of Michigan, after they were caught allegedly photographing a joint American-Taiwanese training exercise at Camp Grayling, a National Guard training facility in Michigan. Their studies were part of a joint program with Shanghai-based Jiao Tong University. Late last year, a University of Minnesota student and Chinese national named Fengyun Shi was convicted in federal court for illegally taking photos of Norfolk, Virginia, naval bases using a drone. He was sentenced to six months in jail and then deported in May of this year. Chinese Official Claims No Knowledge Of Fungus Situation, Says China Requires Citizens 'Abide By Local Laws' "We can lose our country, even though we're the far stronger nation, because we are not defending ourselves with the vigor and determination that is necessary," Chang told Fox News Digital. Chang also noted that in 2020, Americans in all 50 states received seeds from China unsolicited, which he said "was an attempt to plant invasive species" in the U.S. He also noted that this year, Chinese online retailer Temu did the same. "Imagine walking into your local grocery store and seeing empty shelves where bread, cereal, and even pet food used to be," Jason Pack, a former FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News Digital. "Prices spike. Supply chains slow down. All because a foreign actor deliberately targeted the crops that keep America fed. That may sound far-fetched, but it's exactly the kind of scenario that becomes possible when someone brings a dangerous agricultural pathogen into the United States. "It doesn't take a bomb to disrupt an economy. It takes a biological agent like Fusarium graminearum introduced into the wrong place at the wrong time. Food prices rise. Livestock suffer. Exports stop. The economic ripple effects are enormous."Original article source: Chinese bioterror suspects' arrests signal communist country plotting 'something worse' than COVID: expert
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Could Musk-Trump feud stoke GOP divisions ahead of midterms? ANALYSIS
Even by the standards of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's relationship -- an unprecedented alliance punctuated by a meme-inspired reshaping of the government, numerous rocket launches, assassination attempts, a quarter-billion-dollar political gamble and electric car photo-ops -- it's been an unusual week. For months, Musk had been the closest of Trump's advisers -- even living at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and spending time with the president's family. More recently, Trump gave Musk a congratulatory Oval Office sendoff from his work leading cost-cutting efforts in his administration, giving him a golden key with a White House insignia. But the billionaire's muted criticisms of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" grew louder and more pointed, culminating in posts Thursday on his social media platform taking credit for Trump's November win and Republicans' takeover of the Senate. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk posted. "Such ingratitude." Some lawmakers and Republicans worry Musk's apparent acrimonious departure from Trump's orbit could create new uncertainties for the party -- and stoke GOP divisions that would not serve Republicans well heading into a critical legislative stretch before the midterm elections. The back-and-forth attacks, which continued into the weekend and took a sharply personal turn, reverberated across a capital they have both reshaped. Trump on Friday told several reporters over the phone that he was not thinking about Musk and told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl that Musk had "lost his mind." In the near term, Trump and the GOP are trying to muscle their signature tax and domestic policy megabill through the House and Senate, with the slimmest of margins and no shortage of disagreements. MORE: Speaker Johnson tries to protect fate of megabill from Trump-Musk crossfire Any shift on the key issues could topple the high-wire act needed to please House and Senate Republicans. A nonstop torrent of criticism from Musk's social media megaphone could collapse negotiations, harden the position of the bill's critics and even undermine other pieces of Trump's first-term agenda. "You hate seeing division and chaos," Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who represents a swing district, told ABC News about the Trump-Musk fracas. "It's not helpful." Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, called Musk a "credible voice" on "debt and spending" issues. "It's never helpful when he says those things. He's a believable person and he has a broad reach, but I think he's frustrated and people understand the context," Arrington said, predicting that both men will eventually resolve their dispute. Republican operatives watching the spat unfold this week told ABC News it is too early to say how the feud between Trump and Musk could affect the next election. The billionaire spent more than anyone else on the last election, pouring $270 million into groups boosting Trump and other Republicans up and down the ballot, according to Federal Election Commission filings. MORE: Trump-Musk feud leaves some DOGE staffers worried about their futures: Sources He already suggested he would cut back on his political donations next cycle, more than a year out from the midterm elections. In the final stretch of the 2024 race, he relocated to Pennsylvania, hosting town halls and bankrolling his own get-out-the-vote effort in the critical swing state. Since his foray into Washington, Musk has become a deeply polarizing and unpopular figure, while the president's approval rating has ticked up in some recent surveys. Groups affiliated with Musk spent $20 million this spring on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, only for the liberal candidate to win -- signaling to some Republicans the limits of Musk's political pull. While his support may be missed by Republicans next cycle, Trump has continued to raise millions of dollars to support his future political plans, a remarkable sum for a term-limited president that underscores his central role in the party and undisputed kingmaker status. MORE: Trump tells ABC Musk 'lost his mind,' as CEO's dad says 'make sure this fizzles out' Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who is mulling a gubernatorial bid in 2026, downplayed the tensions or political implications, suggesting that reporters "spend way more time worrying about these things than most average people." "I'm sure they will make peace," Lawler told ABC News on Friday. There were some signs of a détente. While Musk continued to hurl insults at Trump ally and critic Steve Bannon, his social media activity appeared to cool off on Friday, and the billionaire said one supporter was "not wrong" for saying Trump and Musk are "much stronger together than apart." Through nearly a decade in politics and three campaigns for the White House, Trump has demonstrated a remarkable ability to move past disputes or disagreements with many intraparty rivals and onetime critics, including some who now serve in his Cabinet. Now, some Republicans left Washington this week asking themselves if Musk is willing to do the same. Could Musk-Trump feud stoke GOP divisions ahead of midterms? ANALYSIS originally appeared on
