Latest news with #Howard Lutnick
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis: ‘Appropriate' to pursue redistricting in Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on Thursday it would be 'appropriate' to pursue redistricting in Florida in the middle of the decade due to population shifts and what he called 'defects' in the way congressional lines have been drawn. The governor's comments came after he scored a win last week when the Florida Supreme Court upheld a congressional map that blocked a challenge to the elimination of a majority-Black congressional district in the north of the state that previously was represented by former Rep. Al Lawson (D). The area that comprised the former congressional district is now divided among three Republican lawmakers. 'Just last week the Florida Supreme Court upheld the map that all of the naysayers were saying was somehow defective,' DeSantis told reporters at a press conference in Manatee County. 'I think if you look at that Florida Supreme Court analysis, there may be more defects that need to be remedied apart from what we've already done. I also think the way the population has shifted around Florida just since the census was done in 2020, I think the state was malapportioned. So I do think it would be appropriate to do a redistricting here in the middecade,' he said. DeSantis went on to say he believed that his state got a 'raw deal' in the census when Florida only gained one congressional district, arguing that the state should have garnered at least two seats due to population growth. The governor said he relayed his concerns to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after he was sworn in earlier this year. 'They said they were going to redo the count in time for 2026,' the governor said. 'They would have to do that relatively soon because you need time to draw maps and you need time to get that done.' Florida has seen an uptick in population growth following the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. A number of Democratic-held congressional seats could be impacted if redistricting were to take place, including those held in South Florida by Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel. Rep. Kathy Castor (D) in the Tampa area and Rep. Darren Soto (D) outside of Orlando have also been floated as possible targets. Republicans and Democrats in the states have been engaged in a tit-for-tat of sorts over redistricting in recent weeks. Texas Republicans are moving ahead with redrawing district lines, while speculation has mounted that Republicans in other states like Florida could follow suit. Democrats from California to New Jersey in turn have ramped up calls to redraw their maps in an effort to blunt the GOP's efforts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Bloomberg
3 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
US Made Trade Deals With Thailand and Cambodia, Lutnick Says
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the US had reached trade agreements with Cambodia and Thailand, days after the Southeast Asian neighbors agreed to a ceasefire at President Donald Trump's urging after deadly clashes along their disputed border. 'And you know what we did today? We made trade deals with Cambodia and Thailand,' Lutnick said Wednesday night in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. He didn't elaborate before the interview ended.
Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
South Korean officials, business leaders in Washington to push for U.S. trade deal
Three cabinet-level South Korean officials met U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington for trade talks, Seoul said on Wednesday, as top business leaders were also reported to be flying in to help lobby for a deal on U.S. tariffs. South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol joined Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, who have been in Washington since last week, for two hours of talks with Lutnick, a ministry spokesperson said in Seoul. The finance ministry spokesperson did not offer details of the discussions. U.S. President Donald Trump has set an August 1 deadline for 25% tariffs to kick in against South Korea, a major U.S. ally and powerhouse exporter of chips, cars and steel. The South Korean government is negotiating with the U.S. by 'setting up a package that focuses on areas where South Korea and the U.S. can achieve mutually beneficial results to the extent that we can bear them,' the presidential office said in a statement. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told his ministers to 'engage in the difficult consultation with confidence' as he was briefed on the status of the talks on Wednesday, his office said. The latest meeting came as the Wall Street Journal reported that Lutnick had urged the South Korean team to bring their best and final offer to the table during a meeting he had with Kim and Yeo in Scotland. Lutnick told the South Korean officials they need to 'bring it all' when they make their final offer to Trump, the report said. Trump says India deal not finalized, warns of higher tariffs before August deadline Mexico grapples with Trump's unrelenting demands South Korea's benchmark KOSPI stock index rose 0.7% on Wednesday to hit a near four-year high, as the flurry of U.S. visits by government and company officials raised optimism around the country's trade negotiations. Koo, who arrived in Washington on Tuesday, has said he hopes to convince the United States the package of trade and related offers of industrial co-operation, including in shipbuilding, is to the allies' mutual benefit. Koo also plans to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the visit. The heads of some of South Korea's largest global companies were converging on Washington to lend support to government negotiators, media reports said. Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung was reported to be departing for Washington on Wednesday. Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and the vice chairman of the Hanwha Group, Kim Dong-kwan, whose affiliate Hanwha Ocean has unveiled a major investment plan in the United States, were also in Washington, D.C. Hyundai Motor, which along with its affiliate Kia Corp is the world's third-largest auto maker, will face a significant impact in the absence of a waiver or reduction in a 25% import duty on cars given that the U.S. is a major export destination. South Korean officials were also discussing potential co-operation in chips, batteries and biotechnology under a package proposal, South Korea's chief presidential policy secretary Kim Yong-beom said. Kim Yong-beom said last week currency policy had not been part of trade negotiations with the U.S. beyond regular consultations, but a foreign exchange official travelled to Washington to be prepared if the U.S. raises the issue, according to the finance ministry. In late April, South Korea agreed to consult on foreign exchange via a separate channel at the opening round of trade talks. Pressure has been mounting on South Korea since Japan clinched a deal to cut Trump's threatened tariffs to 15% last week. This was followed by a U.S.-EU trade deal over the weekend, and Trump's top aides, including Bessent, are now working to close a deal with China. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is also travelling to Washington this week to assist with the tariff negotiations.
CNA
20 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
South Korea officials, business leaders join last-ditch push for US trade deal
SEOUL: Three South Korean cabinet-level officials met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington in a push to close a trade deal, Seoul said on Wednesday (Jul 30), squaring off with a key US official driving a hard bargain just ahead of a deadline. South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol joined Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, who have been in Washington since last week, for two hours of talks with Lutnick, a ministry spokesperson said in Seoul. The finance ministry spokesperson did not offer details of the discussions. US President Donald Trump has set an Aug 1 deadline for 25 per cent tariffs to kick in against South Korea, a major US ally and powerhouse exporter of chips, autos and steel. The latest meeting came amid a Wall Street Journal report that Lutnick had urged the South Korean team to bring their best and final offer to the table during a meeting he had with Kim and Yeo in Scotland. Lutnick told the South Korean officials they need to "bring it all" when they make their final offer to Trump, the report said. Koo, who arrived in Washington on Tuesday, has said he hopes to convince the United States the package of trade and related offers of industrial cooperation, including in shipbuilding, was to the allies' mutual benefit. Koo also plans to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the visit. Pressure has been mounting on South Korea since Japan clinched a deal to cut Trump's threatened tariffs to 15 per cent last week. This was followed by a US-EU trade deal over the weekend, and Trump's top aides, including Bessent, are now w orking to close a deal with China.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan's finance minister heads to US to finalise trade deal
Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has left for his second visit to the United States in two weeks to finalise a trade deal with Washington, his office said late on Monday. The trip comes after Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the U.S. and Pakistan were "very close" to a trade deal that could come within days, but comments from the U.S. after Dar met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned no timeline. "A final discussion on the Pakistan-U.S. trade dialogue will take place during the visit," Pakistan's Finance Ministry said in a statement, adding that a trade agreement will benefit both countries. Aurangzeb said he held "productive trade talks" in meetings with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer during his previous visit on July 18. The negotiations, focused on reciprocal tariffs, are part of a broader push to reset economic ties at a time of shifting geopolitical alignments and Islamabad's efforts to avoid steep U.S. duties on exports. Pakistan faces a 29% tariff on exports to the U.S. under President Donald Trump's measures to target countries with large trade surpluses with Washington. Pakistan's surplus was around $3 billion in 2024. To offset the imbalance and ease tariff pressures, Islamabad has offered to import more U.S. goods, including crude oil, and to open up investment opportunities through concessions for U.S. firms in Pakistan's mining sector. U.S.-Pakistan relations enjoyed a major boost when Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House last month for an unprecedented meeting. Pakistan aims to expand bilateral trade relations into both traditional and non-traditional sectors, the finance ministry said. There is significant potential for partnerships in key sectors such as information technology, minerals, and agriculture, it added.
