Could Australia actually be better off under Trump's tariffs?
This week David Speers sits down with U.S. based economist, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute and professor at the University of Michigan Justin Wolfers to ask the question: are Trump's tariffs working?
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Minnesota lawmaker shot dead, another wounded in targeted attack
A gunman shot two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early Saturday, killing one and her husband and wounding the other, in what the northern US state's governor said were "politically motivated" attacks. The shootings came at a moment of deep political divisions in the United States, as thousands prepared to take to the streets in protest at the policies of Republican President Donald Trump. The suspected assailant was still at large, officials said, with a massive manhunt underway. US President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi decried what they called "horrific violence" and said the perpetrators would be prosecuted to "the fullest extent of the law." State representative Melissa Hortman -- the former speaker -- and her husband Mark were killed at their home near Minneapolis, Governor Tim Walz told a press conference. State senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded, the governor said, his voice breaking with emotion. He said officials remained "cautiously optimistic" they would recover. "This was an act of targeted political violence," Walz told reporters. "Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint." Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Hoffman and his wife were shot first, and as police investigated, Hortman and her husband were shot about 90 minutes later. The suspected gunman was able to escape during an exchange of gunfire with officers near Hortman's residence, Evans told reporters. "We're actively searching for that individual right now," he said. In both cases, authorities believe the assailant was impersonating a law enforcement officer, ABC News reported, quoting a source familiar with the investigation. Police are looking for a white man with brown hair, wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants, local TV station KSTP said. The United States has been deeply divided since Trump returned to the White House in January. The Republican president has drawn criticism from Democrats over his harsh deportation policy, his assault on universities and the media and a perceived flouting of limits on executive power as he pushes his agenda. "At this precipice moment we're on, this tragic act here in Minnesota should serve as a reminder to all of us," Walz said. "The democracy and the debates in the halls of Congress, in state houses, in school boards, is a way to settle our differences peacefully and move society to a better place."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Manhunt after two US politicians targeted in their homes by gunman
A manhunt is underway after two US state politicians were shot in their homes, one fatally, in pre-dawn attacks. Authorities have asked residents of two Minneapolis suburbs to stay inside as they searched for the suspect, who allegedly posed as a police officer and shot two Democrats, state senator John Hoffman and state House representative Melissa Hortman. Ms Hortman and her husband were both killed. Mr Hoffman and his wife were both injured after being shot multiple times, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said. Mr Walz said in a post on X that he was "briefed this morning on an ongoing situation involving targeted shootings in Champlin and Brooklyn Park. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement are on the scene". Amy Klobuchar, one of Minnesota's Democratic US senators, condemned the "stunning act of violence" in a post on X, saying her prayers "are with the Hortman and Hoffman families. Both legislators are close friends and devoted to their families and public service". Mr Walz said he had activated Minnesota's Emergency Operations Center and was providing the police in the two suburbs "the full resources" of the state. Reuters/ABC
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Ukraine warns against drop in aid due to Israel-Iran escalation
Ukraine said on Saturday it hoped the military escalation between Israel and Iran would not lead to a drop in aid to Kyiv, at a time when European support is stalling without US engagement. Israel unleashed large-scale attacks on Iran on Friday, targeting nuclear and military facilities, high-ranking generals and atomic scientists. Iran in return launched barrages of drones and missile at Israel. The escalation sparked international calls for restraint as fears of broader conflict grow. In Kyiv it also sparked anxiety about future supplies of military aid, fearing Washington might relocate more resources to beef up the defence of its close ally Israel. "We would like to see aid to Ukraine not decrease because of this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Last time, this was a factor that slowed down aid to Ukraine." The Ukrainian leader warned that Europe's support was already stalling without Washington's engagement. "Europe has not yet decided for itself what it will do with Ukraine if America is not there," he said. The return to the White House of US President Donald Trump has upended the West's provision of aid to Kyiv. It has left Europe scrambling to work out how it can fill any gap in supplies if Trump decides to pull US military, financial and intelligence support. Zelensky urged the United States to "shift tone" in its dialogue with Russia, saying it was "too warm" and would not help to end the war. Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow and held three phone calls with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin so far this year. He has stunned NATO allies with the stark change in policy from that of the previous US administration, which aborted almost all contacts with Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Israeli attacks on Iran also drove oil prices up, which Zelensky said would benefit Russia. "The attacks led to a sharp rise in oil prices. This is bad for us," he added, reiterating a call for the West to introduce price caps on Russian oil exports. The Ukrainian leader said he hoped to raise the issue of price caps at a possible meeting with Trump in the near future. He added, however, that the Israeli strikes might prove favourable for Kyiv if they lead to a drop in Iranian supplies of military equipment to Russia, which has relied heavily on Iranian-made attack drones. - More soldiers return home - Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners on Saturday, the fourth such swap this week, under agreements clinched in Istanbul earlier this month. Kyiv also said it had stopped Russian advances in the northeastern Sumy region. The deals to hand over killed soldiers and exchange captured ones are the only agreements to have come out of two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul. Russia has rejected calls to halt its three-year invasion. It has demanded Ukraine cede even more territory and renounce Western military support if it wants peace. Since Russia invaded in February 2022, the war has forced millions of people to flee their homes as towns and cities across eastern Ukraine have been flattened by heavy bombardments. As part of the Istanbul agreements, Kyiv also said it had received another 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia. It said Moscow had said they were those of "Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel" Ukraine did not say whether it returned any bodies to Russia. Meanwhile, Russia intensified its offensive along the front line, especially in the northeastern Sumy region, where it seeks to establish a "buffer zone". This zone is designed, ostensibly, to protect the Russian border region of Kursk, previously partly occupied by Ukraine. Zelensky said Russia's advance on Sumy was stopped and that Kyiv's forces had managed to retake one village. He said 53,000 men Russian soldiers were involved in the Sumy operation.
