California opens inquiry into whether Paramount violated state bribery, competition laws, Semafor reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The California State Senate has opened an inquiry into whether Paramount violated state laws against bribery and unfair competition, Semafor reported on Friday.
The investigation comes after the network reportedly offered President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign $15 million to settle a lawsuit filed against CBS over an edited interview with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, the Wall Street Journal previously reported.
According to Semafaor, the Senate's communications committee and judiciary committee has invited two former CBS News officials to testify.
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Trump says Putin told him in phone call he will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attacks
President Donald Trump said he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, but that the conversation would not yield an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. The call came after an audacious Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airfields over the weekend. Trump said he discussed the matter with Putin in their 75-minute phone call. 'We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.' 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,' he went on. Trump said he also discussed Iran with Putin as he works to complete a nuclear agreement with Tehran. 'We also discussed Iran, and the fact that time is running out on Iran's decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!' he wrote. 'I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement.' He said Putin would likely join discussions with Iran. 'President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion. It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!' Trump wrote. This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's 50% tariffs on imported steel, aluminum go into effect
Tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum to the U.S. doubled to 50% starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, after President Donald Trump followed through on his plan to increase the duties. Trump said on Friday during a visit to a Pittsburgh-area steel mill that he would increase the tariff to 50%, upping the levy to protect steelworker jobs in the U.S. He signed an executive order formalizing the tax increase on Tuesday. 'We don't want America's future to be built with shoddy steel from Shanghai, we want it built with the strength and the pride of Pittsburgh,' Trump said from the U.S. Steel facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania The 50% tariffs 'will more effectively counter foreign countries that continue to offload low-priced, excess steel and aluminum in the United States market and thereby undercut the competitiveness of the United States steel and aluminum industries,' the executive order said. In addition to raising steel and aluminum import tariffs to 50%, Trump said he would sign off on a deal in which Japan's Nippon Steel will acquire U.S. Steel for $14 billion. The U.S. is the world's largest steel importer, with imports accounting for about 25% of the steel used in the country annually, according to the International Trade Administration. CNN reported that in 2024, the U.S. imported $31.3 billion worth of iron and steel and $27.4 billion of aluminum, according to the Commerce Department. Canada is the largest supplier of steel to the U.S., followed by Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. Canadian authorities said they are working to have the tariffs on steel and aluminum removed. 'Canada's new government is engaged in intensive and live negotiations to have these and other tariffs removed as part of a new economic and security partnership with the United States,' the office of Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement to CTV News on Tuesday. Unifor, Canada's largest labor union, called for retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminium to match the 50% tariff imposed by Trump. 'These tariffs are killing investment in our steel, aluminum, and auto sectors, and we are already seeing the consequences in lost jobs and economic instability,' Unifor National President Lana Payne said Wednesday in a news release. 'We need immediate and forceful action to defend good jobs and safeguard our national economic security.' The 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum apply to all countries, except the United Kingdom, which announced a preliminary trade deal with the Trump administration in May. The rate for steel and aluminum imports from the U.K. remains at 25% until at least July 9. The tariff hike arrives about three months after Trump implemented 25% duties on all imported steel and aluminum, including Mexico and Canada, its partners in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the 50% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are in violation of the USMCA. 'It's an unfair measure,' Sheinbaum said Wednesday during her daily morning news conference. 'In Mexico's case, it's unfair because Mexico imports more steel and aluminum than it exports. Formally, a tariff is imposed when there's a deficit for the United States, in other words, as if Mexico were exporting more than it was importing. It has no legal basis because there's a national treaty. It's being considered for U.S. security reasons. It's unsustainable.' The post Trump's 50% tariffs on imported steel, aluminum go into effect appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
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Large majority of Germans want tighter controls on arms exports to Israel
BERLIN (Reuters) -Some 73% of Germans want tighter controls on arms exports to Israel, including 30% who favour a total ban, a poll showed on Wednesday, reflecting growing public unease over the government's Israel policy. Since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Germany has remained one of Israel's staunchest allies and its second largest arms supplier, despite Israel's increasing international isolation and rising criticism over its devastating war in Gaza. Between Hamas' attack and mid-May this year, Germany approved military equipment exports to Israel worth 485 million euros ($553.72 million), according to a response to a parliamentary inquiry published on Tuesday. The deliveries included firearms, ammunition, weapons parts, special equipment for the army and navy, electronic equipment, and special armoured vehicles. No lawsuit challenging German arms exports to Israel has yet succeeded, including a case brought by Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice. But Germany's stance shifted last week when new Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Israel's intensified airstrikes in Gaza, calling them no longer justified or comprehensible. His foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, warned of possible consequences - hinting at steps towards arms export sanctions. Three out of four Germans back Merz's criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a poll by public broadcaster ARD. The survey, conducted among 1,292 respondents on June 2-3, also found that 55% reject the idea that Germany bears a special responsibility to protect Israel due to the legacy of the Nazi-era Holocaust of European Jews. Thirteen percent of those surveyed believe Germany should stand unconditionally with Israel in the Middle East conflict, while 74% opposed such a stance. Additionally, 63% said Israel's military response in Gaza has gone too far, an increase of six percentage points since August, while 73% consider Israeli military actions unjustified. ($1 = 0.8759 euros)
