Trump's Quest for His Own Sovereign Fund Gets $550 Billion Boost From Japan
As part of a trade deal reached this week, Japan agreed to invest $550 billion in projects across strategic U.S. industries, including energy, semiconductor manufacturing and shipbuilding. The White House said Trump would have final say over where the money goes and that the U.S. would keep 90% of profits on any investments.
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Mecklenburg County commissioners take next step in sales tax for transit plan
We've been telling you about Mecklenburg County's new transit plan for a year now, but county commissioners spent the afternoon telling voters why they want to add an additional sales tax to the November ballot. There was a lot of discussion around what to include in the resolution at a special county commission meeting on Wednesday. Commissioner Susan McDowell-Rodriguez represents southern Mecklenburg County, including Matthews, where residents are upset they won't get rail service in this plan. She wanted the resolution to specify that 40% of the revenue will go to 'rail' only, and how long the tax will last. 'It provides wiggle space. And that's not what we need. We need people to understand exactly what they're voting for. That this is a permanent tax increase that is gonna go on forever,' she said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City of Charlotte releases draft legislation for new transit plan Charlotte Area Transit System approves ambitious transit plan Gov. Josh Stein signs transit bill into law The county attorney recommended against some of her recommendations, which were ultimately not adopted. Some local advocates for better transit wanted to see more explanation in the actual language that voters will see on the ballot. 'I would love for it to say you are voting on a 1% tax increase that takes the overall tax rate in Charlotte up to 8.5 percent for a tax that's in perpetuity,' said Robert Dawkins with Action NC. The rate would actually be 8.25 percent if voters approve the referendum, but the wording has already been set. It is specified in the state legislature's bill. Voters will see a for or against box, with this statement: 'one percent local sales and use taxes, in addition to the current local sales and use taxes, to be used only for roadway systems and public transportation systems.' Larry Shaheen, an attorney who was instrumental in the process, told Channel 9 that the language was developed locally, then included in the state legislature's bill. Dawkins also says he wants to see better representation on the board of the transit authority that will be created. 'Meaning the people that ride the bus have seats on the board so you have representation for your taxation,' Dawkins said. So commissioners have now set the language of the county's resolution. Next step is for them to hear from you, which will be at a public hearing next Wednesday. After that meeting, they'll decide whether to officially add the referendum to November's ballot. (VIDEO: 'Make a seat': Transit plan includes funding for bus stop improvements Solve the daily Crossword

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CVR Energy names Mark Pytosh as CEO, adds Brett Icahn to board
(Reuters) -Carl Icahn-backed CVR Energy on Wednesday named Mark Pytosh as chief executive officer and appointed Brett Icahn to its board. Pytosh will assume the top role effective January 1, 2026, succeeding Dave Lamp, who announced plans to retire from the position effective December 31. Icahn's activist investment firm Icahn Enterprises currently holds a 68.5% stake in the U.S. refiner and is working to further boost its ownership to 84%. Brett Icahn is the son of billionaire Carl Icahn. He will join the refiner's board, effective August 1. The activist investor believes CVR's shares are undervalued in the market and represent an attractive investment opportunity at a time when U.S. refining margins have slumped from the highs reached in 2022. The company also reported a net loss of $114 million for the second quarter, compared with a year-ago profit of $21 million. Its shares fell 4.5% after the bell. Sign in to access your portfolio
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Ted Cruz Is Weirdly Invested In The Backlash To Sydney Sweeney's Jeans Ad
Add Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) to the chorus of conservatives who are defending Sydney Sweeney amid heated backlash to her American Eagle campaign. On Tuesday, the Texas Republican offered a snide, politically charged take on the controversy on X, formerly Twitter. 'Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women,' Cruz wrote alongside a New York Post article about the campaign. 'I'm sure that will poll well...' He doubled down on his remarks while appearing on Fox News in a segment that aired later on Tuesday, using the Sweeney furor as an example of 'how extreme' he feels the Democratic Party has become. 'This week the Democrats have decided, with the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad, that they hate beautiful women,' he said. 'That's just a little nuts for them to say, 'I'm sorry, we're the Democrats. Beautiful women are no longer acceptable in our society.'' Sweeney, best known for her portrayal of Cassandra 'Cassie' Howard on HBO's 'Euphoria,' has faced a barrage of criticism this week following the release of her American Eagle ads, which play off the words 'genes' and 'jeans.' 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,' the actor explains in one of the ads. 'My jeans are blue.' A narrator then reads the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Though the ad seems to be an intended as an homage to Brooke Shields' 1980 Calvin Klein campaign ― also controversial for its time ― some fans on social media felt it contained white supremacist undertones. Watch one of Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ads below. 'Having Sydney Sweeney talk about her genes/jeans is already a bad look for American Eagle, but calling her genes/jeans 'blue' takes it even further, hinting at 'blue blood,' a term historically tied to whiteness and aristocratic lineage,' the Instagram account Style Analytics wrote. 'It's a nod to eugenics, aligning the brand with the growing conservative/right-wing/white supremacy movement ... This is just one way brands have recently been attempting to plaicate to conservatives.' Many echoed those sentiments, including one TikTok user who called the ad 'what happens when you have a bunch of white folk who all look and think the same.' Added another on X: 'This is so Hitler like what.' Neither Sweeney nor American Eagle have yet to respond to the criticism over the campaign. Cruz, however, is among a growing number of conservatives, including White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, in defending the ads. Related... Doja Cat Trolls Sydney Sweeney's Controversial American Eagle Ad In Viral Video Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell Dating Rumors Have Gone Wild — Here's A Breakdown Donald Trump Jr. Swoons Over Dad In Freaky Parody Of AI Sydney Sweeney American Eagle Ad