Bloomberg Daybreak: President Trump's Tariff Agenda
On today's podcast: 1) A federal appeals court temporarily blocks a ruling that threatens to throw out the bulk of President Trump's tariff agenda. Traders are reassessing their appetite for riskier assets amid concerns over weaker growth and fiscal strain, with the setup being "quite pessimistic" according to an investment officer. 2) President Trump pushes Fed Chair Jay Powell to lower rates at a meeting at the White House. The president told Powell that not lowering rates is putting the US at an economic disadvantage to China and other countries, and Powell stressed that the path of policy will depend on incoming economic information. 3) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says trade talks with China have stalled. Bessent believes more talks will happen with Chinese officials "in the next few weeks" and sees the personal involvement of both country leaders as essential.
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Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Bill Maher Finds Common Ground With Donald Trump: 'Kernel of a Good Idea'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Comedian Bill Maher touted some common ground with President Donald Trump during his Friday evening TV show, saying the White House's targeting of Harvard University is a "kernel of a good idea." Maher described the elite Ivy League institution as an "a**hole factory," and said he'd long been critical of the university. Newsweek has reached out to Harvard and the White House via email for comment on Saturday morning. Why It Matters Maher has been a consistent Trump critic, routinely mocking the president for years on his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher. At the same time, while the comedian continues to identify as a Democrat, he often criticizes the "woke" views of many in his political party. He also regularly invites Republicans on his show, and in late March had dinner with Trump at the White House. After the meeting, Maher spoke favorably of the president's personal interactions with him, sparking criticism from many liberal critics. Trump's recent actions against Harvard have drawn backlash from Democrats and other critics. However, Maher has suggested some agreement with the president on the issue. What to Know During his Friday evening show, Maher hosted CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, on his panel. During the discussion, the comedian brought up the Trump administration's actions against Harvard. "The Harvard situation. Trump has declared full scale war on Harvard. And like so many things he does, there's a kernel of a good idea there. I mean, I've been s****ing on Harvard long before he was," Maher said. Tapper jumped in, quipping, "Well, you went to Cornell [University], so I mean...." "That's not why," Maher responded, with the exchange drawing laughter from the audience and the comedian. "No, it's because Harvard is an a**hole factory in a lot of ways, that produces smirking f*** faces." He then asked Moulton, "Are you from Harvard?" To which Tapper pointed out that the Democratic congressman has "three degrees from Harvard." "Present company accepted," Maher quickly added. Bill Maher attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 2 in Beverly Hills, California. Inset: President Donald Trump is seen at the Memorial Amphitheatre in... Bill Maher attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 2 in Beverly Hills, California. Inset: President Donald Trump is seen at the Memorial Amphitheatre in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 26. More Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic/Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images How Trump Is Going After Harvard The dispute between Trump and Harvard University began earlier this year when his administration accused Harvard of failing to adequately address antisemitism on its campus, citing "pro-terrorist conduct" at protests. The administration responded by freezing more than $2 billion in federal research grants to Harvard in April and has since attempted to terminate the university's ability to enroll international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The State Department is now also investigating the B-1 (business visas) and B-2 (tourist visas) associated with Harvard University, according to Fox News. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made moves to eliminate Harvard's student visa program, saying the university had refused to comply with a request to provide behavioral records of student visa holders. Trump, meanwhile, has demanded the names and countries of origin of all international students, saying that federal support entitled the government to such information. He wrote on Truth Social last Sunday: "We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS." Harvard insists it has complied with government requests, "despite the unprecedented nature and scope of the demand." On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs stepped in and issued a preliminary injunction, which stopped the Trump administration from revoking the school's SEVP certification without first following the legally mandated procedures. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump to reporters on Wednesday: "Harvard's got to behave themselves. Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect. And all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper and got to behave themselves, you know. I'm for the for Harvard. I want Harvard to do well. I want Harvard to be great again, probably, because how could it be great? How could it great." Harvard President Alan M. Garber in a statement after a court win this week: "This is a critical step to protect the rights and opportunities of our international students and scholars, who are vital to the University's mission and community. Many among us are likely to have additional concerns and questions. Important updates and guidance will continue to be provided by the Harvard International Office as they become available." Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: "Harvard's attitude is, 'We can do what we want, and we have a constitutional right to your money.' I think they're wrong, and I think they're going to find out how wrong they are." Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov, a Democrat, wrote on X on Thursday in response to attacks on Harvard: "When you deport young people and cancel the visas of their friends, you become public enemy number one very quickly." Representative Seth Moulton wrote on X on Wednesday: "Trump's sad obsession with schools he doesn't like continues. These policies will mean that we are less competitive, less credible, and less innovative in the future. Nobody wins." What Happens Next? The Trump administration's actions targeting Harvard continue to be litigated in the courts.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pardoning celebs like NBA YoungBoy doesn't mean Trump is after the Black vote
I like the rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, also known as NBA YoungBoy. Not in a recite-his-lyrics sense, but if I hear him at LA Fitness, his melodic delivery can carry me through a tough bench press. And frankly, if you like rap music, he's impossible to avoid. He's a chart-topping platinum-selling — well, what are 'platinum sales' in an era where everyone streams (read: rents) music? — artist, and he's got a 28-city tour planned. So, the success and popularity is real. When Donald Trump pardoned NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, from his gun-related charges, some might imagine the president was trying to reach me. Trump's clemency also included commuting the federal sentence of Larry Hoover, an aging Chicago gangster whom rappers like Drake, Chance the Rapper and Kanye West have long advocated for, further advancing the idea that he's making for my demo. After all, I'm Black. I only yawned, like, four times at my last rap concert, which means I can still claim youth-adjacency until the grays take over. I'd rather our country's criminal legal system pursue alternative means of holding people accountable for serious misconduct than stuffing them in a prison cell. I'm glad YoungBoy is home. Rolling Stone's Andre Gee, the strongest modern chronicler of the intersection of hip hop, politics and the potential for a rightward shift, described it as a 'cheap appeal to Black voters.' If Gee is right, this move was particularly destitute. For starters: Hoover still has to serve his state-level multiple life sentences. Though just a few months into his second term, Trump has sought to censor the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture's frank chronicling of racial history and promised to 'Strengthen and Unleash America's Law Enforcement' by reducing measures for police accountability. (What was that NWA song? 'Hug Tha Police'? Forgive me, I only heard the Kids Bop version.) Who really wants a president who pardons the occasional Black celebrity but bans your ability to explain how they ended up behind bars and why you want them freed? This administration doesn't merely demand cognitive dissonance; its contradictions are enshrined in law. The Trump regime has attacked diversity initiatives at every chance, smearing efforts intended to increase Black (among other underrepresented groups) opportunity in business and education and defunding scientific inquiry intended to benefit Black people. Which is why I'm unsure that I am in Trump's target audience. I don't believe he's after my demographic of young, Black male rap fans eligible to vote, either. But, if you're reading this and you don't identify as a young minority, I think he's going after you. In February, I watched a right-wing PAC-sponsored Black History Month teaching event and left with a different education than they intended. Rather than hearing thoughtful analysis of Martin and Malcolm, Rosa and Fannie, Sojourner, Harriet and the intertwined legacies of Black scholars, politicians, activists, and entertainers of the past, I witnessed a Black man teach his mostly white audience how to persuade Black people to vote for Republicans. I wrote at the time that persuading Black people to adopt racially conservative politics was an 'uphill battle.' A few months passed, and I no longer believe that was the primary concern, the more important goal was validating and reinforcing the worldview of people who were already racial conservatives. Trump's onslaught of plainly discriminatory, violent policies might be the greatest threat to racial conservatism. Many of Trump's anti-DEI pushes have loudly backfired — the administration was more or less shamed out of stripping Jackie Robinson's military history from the Department of Defense. Retail giant Target's compliance with the Trump administration provoked significant boycotts with plummeting earnings. The ugly, often illegal and frequently terrifying disappearances, including graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, Real Madrid superfan Jerce Reyes, and makeup artist Andry Hernandez Romero, is hardly winning friends to the movement. Some Trump voters won't care. As Tarrant County Republican chair Bo French loves to remind his X (formerly Twitter) followers, he voted for this! You might enjoy, for example, that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the father of three who was mistakenly deported still remains in a Salvadorian cell, despite the pleas of his wife and community. But maintaining such a stance probably puts you in the minority: a recent NYT/Sienna poll found that just 31% of Americans approve of how Trump handled Abrego's case, and 51% overall disapprove of his approach to immigration, an issue that was once a winning part of the Trump campaign's appeal to voters. Which brings me back to understanding the political utility of pardoning YoungBoy or Hoover. (Or, from Trump's first term, Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.) Positive press and a photo op around a Black celebrity isn't recruitment so much as it rallies the troops, allowing those who desire a chance to rationalize what they've done. Such stunts may pick up a few Black supporters. Not that many, but some. But whatever gains Trump may make with Black Americans pale in comparison to what it means symbolically for his base. Establishing his soft spot for the occasional Black celebrity indicates that maybe he's not so bad. And if he's an all-right guy, well, so are his voters. We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news — and to publish those views in the Opinion section. • Letters should be no more than 150 words. • Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. • Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: • Email letters@ (preferred). • Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic.
Wall Street Journal
28 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
The South Is Having Second Thoughts About Trading Pine Trees for Solar Panels
PERRY, Ga.—Hunters, botanists, residents worried about water quality and people citing Scripture lined up to oppose the installation of 2,100 acres of solar panels next to a wildlife preserve. But it was the plight of the local black bears that doomed the proposal from Silicon Ranch, one of the South's largest solar operators.
