Nippon Steel's US Steel bid hinges on terms
Nippon Steel's ambition to acquire US Steel looks to depend on whether it can quell American concerns about national security and management.
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Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
Republican lawmakers try to dodge Trump-Musk crossfire
U.S. Republican lawmakers are trying to dodge the crossfire between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, with members saying they hope the billionaire brawl will subside without hurting their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm elections. "It's just not helpful. When you have division, divided teams don't perform as well," Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican whose Nebraska district is perennially among the most competitive House of Representatives races. "I'm a military guy. I commanded five times. If you have division in your team it's not good," said Bacon, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years. Musk, the world's richest person and CEO of Tesla, was the biggest donor in the 2024 election cycle and a prominent fixture in Trump's White House as he ran a controversial campaign to slash the federal government before stepping down last week. Their buddy-movie dynamic evaporated this week as Musk and Trump openly feuded over a sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that Musk blasted as likely to add significantly to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt. He called for Trump's impeachment — something the Republican-controlled Congress is unlikely to take up — and mused publicly about the creation of a new political party. While Republican lawmakers did not regard that as a serious prospect, they signaled concern about the rift as they look to defend narrow majorities in the House and Senate next year. "I don't think lashing out on the internet is the way to handle any kind of disagreement, especially when you have each other's cell phones," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who runs a Musk-inspired government efficiency subcommittee. "So I hope this gets worked out," said Greene, who has a history of posting inflammatory rhetoric on social media that is often aimed at Democratic opponents. Greene represents a solidly Republican district, but Republicans will need to break with historical precedent in 2026 if they are to win the roughly three-dozen competitive seats that determine the House majority. Their path is easier in the Senate, where Democrats have fewer opportunities to win seats, according to nonpartisan analysts. Throughout Musk's tirade, he also took credit for both Trump's win and the Republicans' 220-212 House majority and 53-47 Senate edge. He made nearly $300 million in political donations, with most of the money going to his own super PAC which was focused on helping Trump return to the White House. He played a smaller role in down-ballot races, which accounted for about 10% of his America PAC's spending. Musk also gave $10 million to a super PAC that backs Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate. Musk is a divisive figure and his track record on elections is not unblemished. Earlier this year, Musk and political groups tied to him poured more than $21 million into a Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The Republican he supported was soundly defeated. "Elon Musk is free to spend his money however he so chooses to do so," said Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a Republican who unseated an incumbent Democrat in Pennsylvania, "If you do the right thing and fight for your district, I'm not really worried about much." Lawmakers signaled little concern over Musk publicly toying with the idea of a third political party. "I think he'll find that a very hard thing to do, but he's spent a lifetime doing very hard things," said Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican. They were more worried about Musk succeeding in killing the tax-cut bill, stung by the memory that he had succeeded in December in blocking the first version of a bill meant to avert a government shutdown. Deficit hawks welcomed his efforts to push for deeper spending cuts. "I welcome people like Elon Musk that try to hold our feet to the fire. I'll take as much air cover as I possibly can get," Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican, who voted for the House version of the bill despite spending concerns. "We often disappoint our voters when we don't do the cuts that we campaign on, when we're not fiscally responsible." Many Democratic lawmakers, faced with their own questions on how to win back congressional power, have watched the Trump-Musk fight with glee. "My heart goes out to both of them," Rep. Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat, said. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, asked whether the Republicans' infighting could help their political prospects, said, "I can tell you for certain that the extreme and reckless budget, the GOP tax scam, Trump's one big ugly bill, will be a central part of the contrast that exists between House Democrats and House Republicans in the context of the midterm elections."
Japan Times
5 hours ago
- Japan Times
Trump can bar AP from some White House events for now, U.S. appeals court says
President Donald Trump is free to bar the Associated Press from some White House media events for now, after a U.S. appeals court on Friday paused a lower court ruling mandating that AP journalists be given access. The divided ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit temporarily blocks an order by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who ruled on April 8 that the Trump administration must allow AP journalists access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and White House events while the news agency's lawsuit moves forward. The 2-1 ruling was written by U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, joined by fellow Trump appointee U.S. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas. Rao wrote that the lower court injunction "impinges on the President's independence and control over his private workspaces" and that the White House was likely to ultimately defeat the Associated Press' lawsuit. The Associated Press in a statement said it was disappointed by the decision and weighing its options. Trump in a statement on his social media platform Truth Social called the D.C. Circuit order a "Big WIN over AP today." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement on X said the Associated Press "is not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations." She said the White House "will continue to expand access to new media." In a dissent, Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard, an appointee of former U.S. President Barack Obama, said her two colleagues' ruling cannot be squared with "any sensible understanding of the role of a free press in our constitutional democracy." The AP sued in February after the White House restricted the news outlet's access over its decision to continue referring to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage despite Trump renaming the body of water the Gulf of America. The AP's lawyers argued the new policy violated the First Amendment of the Constitution, which protects free speech rights. McFadden, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, said in his ruling that if the White House opens its doors to some journalists it cannot exclude others based on their viewpoints. Trump administration lawyers said the president has absolute discretion over media access to the White House and that McFadden's ruling infringed on his ability to decide whom to admit to sensitive spaces. "The Constitution does not prohibit the President from considering a journalist's prior coverage in evaluating how much access he will grant that journalist,' lawyers for the administration said in a court filing. On April 16, the AP accused the Trump administration of defying the court order by continuing to exclude its journalists from some events and then limiting access to Trump for all news wires, including Reuters and Bloomberg. Reuters and the AP both issued statements denouncing the new policy, which puts wire services in a larger rotation with about 30 other newspaper and print outlets. Other media customers, including local news organizations that have no presence in Washington, rely on the wire services' real-time reports of presidential statements as do global financial markets. The AP says in its stylebook that the Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years and, as a global news agency, the AP will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.
Japan Times
5 hours ago
- Japan Times
Modi to attend G7 summit in Canada in sign of warming ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the Canada-hosted Group of Seven summit later this month as ties between the two nations improve. The South Asian country is not a member of the G7, a grouping of seven of the world's richest countries, comprising the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan. But this will be India's 12th time participating and Modi's sixth consecutive invitation to the summit. In a post on X, Modi said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited him to the G7 summit and he looks forward to their meeting. The development signals improving relations between the two nations, which have been frayed over the Modi government's alleged involvement in homicides and extortion targeting Sikhs in Canada who advocate for carving out a separate homeland for followers of the faith. The rift started in September 2023 when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian officials of masterminding the assassination of prominent Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. The Indian government denied any involvement, calling the accusations absurd. Carney's office said in a readout of the phone call that he and Modi discussed the longstanding relationship between Canada and India, including "deep people-to-people ties and significant commercial links.' "Importantly, there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns,' the readout said, adding the two leaders "agreed to remain in contact and looked forward to meeting at the G7 Leaders' Summit later this month.' The invitation comes as the South Asian nation is expected to overtake Japan and become the fourth-largest economy by March next year, according to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, though it will still be among the world's low per-capita economies. Trade between Canada and India totaled at least $12 billion in 2024. That's minor compared to the U.S.-India trade relationship, which totaled almost $130 billion and U.S.-Canada trade, which topped $700 billion, according to data from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. But the barrage of tariffs being imposed by President Donald Trump means both Canada and India are looking to strengthen trade ties with nations other than the United States. This may prompt the two countries to reset their relations. Canada is a major supplier to India of potash, a fertilizer critical to the agricultural sector. It also exports timber, paper and mining products. India supplies Canada with pharmaceuticals, gems and jewelry, textiles, and machinery. The South Asian country is also a significant source of international students to Canada. The World Sikh Organization of Canada, a group that advocates for the country's large Sikh diaspora, expressed shock and hurt at Modi's invitation. It sent a letter in May urging Carney not to invite the Indian prime minister, pointing to his government's well-documented campaign of transnational repression targeting Sikhs in Canada. "This is a complete betrayal of our community. It's second-class citizenship and it's hurtful,' Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesperson for the WSO, said in an interview. "This is really a line that has been crossed.' "Justin Trudeau had the respect of our community. We've seen that he had flaws, but he took a principled stand. But Mark Carney has shown that all that matters to him and his government is going to be the dollar, and that's unfortunate. That's a betrayal of Canadian values.'
