Month: April 2017
Trump Turns Up Heat on International Trade
01/04/2017
President Donald Trump doubled down on his tough talk on trade with a pair of executive orders Friday, which he says are designed to level the playing field and reduce the $500 billion US trade deficit, more than half of which is with China. As Mil Arcega reports, the issue of unfair trade is likely …
More US Cities Aim to Make Chinese Travelers Feel at Home
01/04/2017
Hotels offer congee and other Chinese staples for room service. Casinos train staff members on Chinese etiquette. Restaurants, tourist sights and shopping malls translate signs, menus and information booklets into Mandarin. The American hospitality industry is stepping up efforts to make Chinese visitors feel more welcome, since they are projected to soon surpass travelers from …
First Fiscal Quarter Ends on Financial High Note
01/04/2017
Friday marked the end of the week, the month and the first fiscal quarter of 2017. The first-quarter statistics were pretty impressive with the NASDAQ Composite delivering the best return of the three main indices of nearly 10 percent as the index broke through another record high on Friday, led by heavyweights like Apple (AAPL) …
Questions, Answers About US Legal Immunity Process
01/04/2017
A lawyer for former national security adviser Michael Flynn says he’s in talks with congressional committees to testify before them in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Those committees are investigating Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election and potential ties between Russia and associates of President Donald Trump. Trump’s attorney, Robert Kelner, said Thursday …
Hungary Pressed to Allow Soros-Funded University to Remain
01/04/2017
Pressure is growing on the Hungarian government to withdraw a draft bill on higher education that could lead to the closure of the Central European University in Budapest, which was founded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros. The U.S. State Department as well as dozens of academics in Hungary and abroad Friday called on Prime Minister …
Poland Expects to Sign Patriot Missile Deal With US Firm
01/04/2017
Poland’s defense minster said Friday that he expected to sign a multibillion-dollar deal with U.S. firm Raytheon to buy eight Patriot missile defense systems this year. Antoni Macierewicz told reporters in Warsaw that the $7.6 billion deal was necessary in light of what he called “a growing threat from the East.” Poland has increased efforts …
White House Financial Disclosures: Kushner Retains Scores of Real Estate Holdings
01/04/2017
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and daughter are holding onto scores of real estate investments — part of a portfolio of at least $240 million in assets — while they serve in White House jobs, according to financial disclosures released publicly late Friday. Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser, resigned from more than 260 entities and sold …
Georgian Entrepreneurs Look to Silicon Valley for Funding
01/04/2017
Boris Kiknadze, chief executive of Pawwwn, took a deep breath as he looked out to the crowd of Silicon Valley venture capitalists and began his pitch. With just 10 minutes to speak, Kiknadze rapidly described his business idea — Pawwwn, an online payment and management system to make transactions easier for pawnshop owners and their …