Kate Spade’s Death Ruled Suicide by Hanging
07/06/2018
New York City’s chief medical examiner has ruled fashion designer Kate Spade’s death a suicide by hanging.
The determination was released Thursday, two days after the 55-year-old Spade was found dead in her Park Avenue apartment.
A housekeeper discovered her body in her bedroom. Police say she left a note that pointed to “a tragic suicide.”
Spade’s husband and business partner says she suffered from depression and anxiety for many years.
Andy Spade said in a statement Wednesday that his wife was seeing a doctor regularly and was taking medication to treat her disease.
He said she “sounded happy” the night before and her death was a complete shock.
Andy Spade said his main concern is protecting their 13-year-old daughter’s privacy as she deals with “unimaginable grief.”
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Формат зустрічей із Порошенком на саміті НАТО ще не визначений – Столтенберґ
07/06/2018
Президент України Петро Порошенко буде запрошений на саміт НАТО 11-12 липня в Брюсселі, але в якому форматі з ним будуть проводитися зустрічі, ще не вирішено, заявив генеральний секретар НАТО Єнс Столтенберґ.
«Президент Порошенко буде запрошений на саміт НАТО, однак ми ще не вирішили, в якому саме форматі й вигляді будуть із ним зустрічі. Він буде запрошений не лише тому, що ми вирішили, що в плані буде зустріч з державами-партнерами в рамках програми «Рішуча підтримка», – заявив голова альянсу 7 червня після зустрічі міністрів оборони країн НАТО в Брюсселі.
Згідно з інформацією дипломатичних джерел, нова міністр оборони Італії Елізабетта Трента на зустрічах із партнерами по НАТО порушувала й питання санкцій щодо Росії. Столтенберґ запевнив, що на нараді про економічні обмеження щодо Росії не йшлося.
«Я привітав міністра Тренту з тим, що це її перша зустріч із міністрами НАТО, але можу запевнити, що дискусій щодо санкцій на цих зустрічах немає», – заявив керівник Північноатлантичного альянсу.
Столтенберґ укотре наголосив, що «санкції надсилають чіткий сигнал Росії, що, коли вона порушує міжнародні закони, коли вона порушує суверенітет і територіальну цілісність сусіда, як це зроблено в Україні, то це повинно мати наслідки».
«Це і є причиною того, що міжнародна спільнота відповіла їй санкціями, і я їх підтримую», – зазначив Столтенберґ.
У рамках зустрічей НАТО 8 червня із робочим візитом у штаб-квартирі організації побуває й міністр оборони України Степан Полторак.
Нинішня зустріч у НАТО на рівні голів оборонних відомств відбувається за 5 тижнів до важливого саміту Північноатланчтиного альянсу, який має відбутися у Брюсселі.
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Формат зустрічей із Порошенком на саміті НАТО ще не визначений – Столтенберґ
07/06/2018
Президент України Петро Порошенко буде запрошений на саміт НАТО 11-12 липня в Брюсселі, але в якому форматі з ним будуть проводитися зустрічі, ще не вирішено, заявив генеральний секретар НАТО Єнс Столтенберґ.
«Президент Порошенко буде запрошений на саміт НАТО, однак ми ще не вирішили, в якому саме форматі й вигляді будуть із ним зустрічі. Він буде запрошений не лише тому, що ми вирішили, що в плані буде зустріч з державами-партнерами в рамках програми «Рішуча підтримка», – заявив голова альянсу 7 червня після зустрічі міністрів оборони країн НАТО в Брюсселі.
Згідно з інформацією дипломатичних джерел, нова міністр оборони Італії Елізабетта Трента на зустрічах із партнерами по НАТО порушувала й питання санкцій щодо Росії. Столтенберґ запевнив, що на нараді про економічні обмеження щодо Росії не йшлося.
«Я привітав міністра Тренту з тим, що це її перша зустріч із міністрами НАТО, але можу запевнити, що дискусій щодо санкцій на цих зустрічах немає», – заявив керівник Північноатлантичного альянсу.
Столтенберґ укотре наголосив, що «санкції надсилають чіткий сигнал Росії, що, коли вона порушує міжнародні закони, коли вона порушує суверенітет і територіальну цілісність сусіда, як це зроблено в Україні, то це повинно мати наслідки».
«Це і є причиною того, що міжнародна спільнота відповіла їй санкціями, і я їх підтримую», – зазначив Столтенберґ.
У рамках зустрічей НАТО 8 червня із робочим візитом у штаб-квартирі організації побуває й міністр оборони України Степан Полторак.
Нинішня зустріч у НАТО на рівні голів оборонних відомств відбувається за 5 тижнів до важливого саміту Північноатланчтиного альянсу, який має відбутися у Брюсселі.
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У банківській скриньці Вишинського знайшли пістолет і договір із «Россия Сегодня» – СБУ
07/06/2018
Співробітники Служби безпеки України провели санкціонований обшук у банківській скриньці, яка належить затриманому редакторові агентства «РИА Новости-Украина» Кирилу Вишинському.
«Під час санкціонованого обшуку правоохоронці виявили в банківській скриньці Вишинського понад 200 тисяч доларів США, предмет, зовні схожий на пістолет «Браунінг 1906», та прямий трудовий договір між фігурантом справи та МІА «Россия Сегодня» на керівництво представництвом на території України», – ідеться в повідомленні спецслужби, поширеному ввечері 7 червня.
Читайте також: Керівник «РИА Новости Украина» відмовився від громадянства України і просить допомоги в Путіна
«Міжнародне інформаційне агентство (МІА) «Россия Сегодня» – це російське «федеральне державне унітарне підприємство», створене указом президента Росії Володимира Путіна в грудні 2013 року. Базою для створення МІА «Россия Сегодня» стало формально ліквідоване агентство «РИА Новости», сайт якого зберігся і став частиною холдингу. За кордонами Росії МІА «Россия Сегодня» представлене, зокрема, під брендом Sputnik. Очолює «Россия Сегодня» відомий за роботою в Україні Дмитро Кисельов.
17 травня Херсонський міський суд заарештував керівника «РИА Новости Украина» Кирила Вишинського до 13 липня без права застави. 1 червня апеляційний суд залишив його під вартою.
Затриманому 15 травня в Києві Вишинському, який має громадянство України й Росії, але заявляє про відмову від українського, інкримінують державну зраду і проведення підривної інформаційної діяльності проти України. Йому загрожує до 15 років позбавлення волі в разі визнання винним.
Вишинський обвинувачення відкидає.
За даними Служби безпеки України, журналіст за завданням Москви готував спочатку інформаційні матеріали у Криму для виправдання анексії Росією українського півострова, а потім у Києві – для підтримки угруповань «ДНР» і «ЛНР». Він щомісяця отримував на цю діяльність 53 тисячі євро, гроші для цього, як заявили в СБУ, надходили з Росії через Сербію.
Через висвітлення діяльності підтримуваних Росією бойовиків на Донбасі Вишинський був внесений в базу українського сайту «Миротворець», а в 2014 році після анексії Криму журналіста нагородили в Росії медаллю «за об’єктивне висвітлення подій у Криму».
У банківській скриньці Вишинського знайшли пістолет і договір із «Россия Сегодня» – СБУ
07/06/2018
Співробітники Служби безпеки України провели санкціонований обшук у банківській скриньці, яка належить затриманому редакторові агентства «РИА Новости-Украина» Кирилу Вишинському.
«Під час санкціонованого обшуку правоохоронці виявили в банківській скриньці Вишинського понад 200 тисяч доларів США, предмет, зовні схожий на пістолет «Браунінг 1906», та прямий трудовий договір між фігурантом справи та МІА «Россия Сегодня» на керівництво представництвом на території України», – ідеться в повідомленні спецслужби, поширеному ввечері 7 червня.
Читайте також: Керівник «РИА Новости Украина» відмовився від громадянства України і просить допомоги в Путіна
«Міжнародне інформаційне агентство (МІА) «Россия Сегодня» – це російське «федеральне державне унітарне підприємство», створене указом президента Росії Володимира Путіна в грудні 2013 року. Базою для створення МІА «Россия Сегодня» стало формально ліквідоване агентство «РИА Новости», сайт якого зберігся і став частиною холдингу. За кордонами Росії МІА «Россия Сегодня» представлене, зокрема, під брендом Sputnik. Очолює «Россия Сегодня» відомий за роботою в Україні Дмитро Кисельов.
17 травня Херсонський міський суд заарештував керівника «РИА Новости Украина» Кирила Вишинського до 13 липня без права застави. 1 червня апеляційний суд залишив його під вартою.
Затриманому 15 травня в Києві Вишинському, який має громадянство України й Росії, але заявляє про відмову від українського, інкримінують державну зраду і проведення підривної інформаційної діяльності проти України. Йому загрожує до 15 років позбавлення волі в разі визнання винним.
Вишинський обвинувачення відкидає.
За даними Служби безпеки України, журналіст за завданням Москви готував спочатку інформаційні матеріали у Криму для виправдання анексії Росією українського півострова, а потім у Києві – для підтримки угруповань «ДНР» і «ЛНР». Він щомісяця отримував на цю діяльність 53 тисячі євро, гроші для цього, як заявили в СБУ, надходили з Росії через Сербію.
Через висвітлення діяльності підтримуваних Росією бойовиків на Донбасі Вишинський був внесений в базу українського сайту «Миротворець», а в 2014 році після анексії Криму журналіста нагородили в Росії медаллю «за об’єктивне висвітлення подій у Криму».
ФІФА не дозволила фан-зони чемпіонату світу в окупованому Криму
07/06/2018
Міжнародна федерація футболу (ФІФА) не надала дозволу на відкриття офіційних фан-зон чемпіонату світу з футболу в анексованому Росією Криму, повідомив російський міністр курортів і туризму півострова Вадим Волченко російській державній інформагенції «РИА Новости».
«Ми… не отримали відповіді. Така своєрідна позиція – немає ні відмови, ні відповіді. Причепитися начебто ні до чого, але по суті це є заборона на офіційні фан-зони чемпіонату світу з футболу», – повідомив Волченко і додав, що «неофіційна трансляція» може спричинити штрафні санкції.
На сайті ФІФА немає офіційної позиції організації щодо фан-зон у Криму.
У листопаді 2017 року російський глава окупованого Криму Сергій Аксьонов повідомляв, що обговорює питання створення на півострові фан-зон під час проведення чемпіонату світу.
Чемпіонат світу з футболу пройде в Росії з 14 червня до 15 липня 2018 року.
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ФІФА не дозволила фан-зони чемпіонату світу в окупованому Криму
07/06/2018
Міжнародна федерація футболу (ФІФА) не надала дозволу на відкриття офіційних фан-зон чемпіонату світу з футболу в анексованому Росією Криму, повідомив російський міністр курортів і туризму півострова Вадим Волченко російській державній інформагенції «РИА Новости».
«Ми… не отримали відповіді. Така своєрідна позиція – немає ні відмови, ні відповіді. Причепитися начебто ні до чого, але по суті це є заборона на офіційні фан-зони чемпіонату світу з футболу», – повідомив Волченко і додав, що «неофіційна трансляція» може спричинити штрафні санкції.
На сайті ФІФА немає офіційної позиції організації щодо фан-зон у Криму.
У листопаді 2017 року російський глава окупованого Криму Сергій Аксьонов повідомляв, що обговорює питання створення на півострові фан-зон під час проведення чемпіонату світу.
Чемпіонат світу з футболу пройде в Росії з 14 червня до 15 липня 2018 року.
…
Trump’s Solar Tariff Costs US Companies Billions
07/06/2018
President Donald Trump’s tariff on imported solar panels has led U.S. renewable energy companies to cancel or freeze investments of more than $2.5 billion in large installation projects, along with thousands of jobs, the developers told Reuters.
That’s more than double the about $1 billion in new spending plans announced by firms building or expanding U.S. solar panel factories to take advantage of the tax on imports.
The tariff’s bifurcated impact on the solar industry underscores how protectionist trade measures almost invariably hurt one or more domestic industries for every one they shield from foreign competition.
Trump announced the tariff in January over protests from most of the solar industry that the move would chill one of America’s fastest-growing sectors.
Utility-scale projects
Solar developers completed utility-scale installations costing a total of $6.8 billion last year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Those investments were driven by U.S. tax incentives and the falling costs of imported panels, mostly from China, which together made solar power competitive with natural gas and coal.
The U.S. solar industry employs more than 250,000 people, about three times more than the coal industry, with about 40 percent of those people in installation and 20 percent in manufacturing, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Solar was really on the cusp of being able to completely take off,” said Zoe Hanes, chief executive of Charlotte, North Carolina solar developer Pine Gate Renewables.
Companies with domestic panel factories are divided on the policy. Solar giant SunPower Corp opposes the tariff that will help its U.S. panel factories because it will also hurt its domestic installation and development business, along with its overseas manufacturing operations.
“There could be substantially more employment without a tariff,” said Chief Executive Tom Werner.
Lost profits, jobs
The 30 percent tariff is scheduled to last four years, decreasing by 5 percent per year during that time. Solar developers say the levy will initially raise the cost of major installations by 10 percent.
Leading utility-scale developer Cypress Creek Renewables LLC said it had been forced to cancel or freeze $1.5 billion in projects, mostly in the Carolinas, Texas and Colorado, because the tariff raised costs beyond the level where it could compete, spokesman Jeff McKay said.
That amounted to about 150 projects at various stages of development that would have employed 3,000 or more workers during installation, he said. The projects accounted for a fifth of the company’s overall pipeline.
Developer Southern Current has made similar decisions on about $1 billion of projects, mainly in South Carolina, said Bret Sowers, the company’s vice president of development and strategy.
“Either you make the decision to default or you bite the bullet and you make less money,” Sowers said.
Neither Cypress Creek nor Southern Current would disclose exactly which projects they intend to cancel. They said those details could help their competitors and make it harder to pursue those projects if they become financially viable later.
Both are among a group of solar developers that have asked trade officials to exclude panels used in their utility-scale projects from the tariffs. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it is still evaluating the requests.
Other companies are having similar problems.
Stockpiling panels
For some developers, the tariff has meant abandoning nascent markets in the American heartland that last year posted the strongest growth in installations. That growth was concentrated in states where voters supported Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
South Bend, Indiana-based developer Inovateus Solar LLC, for example, had decided three years ago to focus on emerging Midwest solar markets such as Indiana and Michigan. But the tariff sparked a shift to Massachusetts, where state renewable energy incentives make it more profitable, Chairman T.J. Kanczuzewski said.
Some firms saw the tariff coming and stockpiled panels before Trump’s announcement. For example, 174 Power Global, the development arm of Korea’s Hanwha warehoused 190 megawatts of solar panels at the end of last year for a Texas project that broke ground in January.
The company is paying more for panels for two Nevada projects that start operating this year and next, but is moving forward on construction, according to Larry Greene, who heads the firm’s development in the U.S. West.
‘A lot of robots’
Trump’s tariff has boosted the domestic manufacturing sector as intended, which over time could significantly raise U.S. panel production and reduce prices.
Panel manufacturers First Solar and JinkoSolar , for example, have announced plans to spend $800 million on projects to increase panel construction in the United States since the tariff, creating about 700 new jobs in Ohio and Florida. Last week, Korea’s Hanwha Q CELLS joined them, saying it will open a solar module factory in Georgia next year, though it did not detail job creation.
SunPower Corp, meanwhile, purchased U.S. manufacturer SolarWorld’s Oregon factory after the tariff was announced, saving that facility’s 280 jobs. The company said it plans to hire more people at the plant to expand operations, without specifying how many.
But SunPower has also said it must cut up to 250 jobs in other parts of its organization because of the tariffs.
Jobs in panel manufacturing are also limited because of increasing automation, industry experts said.
Heliene, a Canadian company in the process of opening a U.S. facility capable of producing 150 megawatts worth of panels per year, said it will employ between 130 and 140 workers in Minnesota.
“The factories are highly automated,” said Martin Pochtaruk, president of Heliene. “You don’t employ too many humans. There are a lot of robots.
…
Trump’s Solar Tariff Costs US Companies Billions
07/06/2018
President Donald Trump’s tariff on imported solar panels has led U.S. renewable energy companies to cancel or freeze investments of more than $2.5 billion in large installation projects, along with thousands of jobs, the developers told Reuters.
That’s more than double the about $1 billion in new spending plans announced by firms building or expanding U.S. solar panel factories to take advantage of the tax on imports.
The tariff’s bifurcated impact on the solar industry underscores how protectionist trade measures almost invariably hurt one or more domestic industries for every one they shield from foreign competition.
Trump announced the tariff in January over protests from most of the solar industry that the move would chill one of America’s fastest-growing sectors.
Utility-scale projects
Solar developers completed utility-scale installations costing a total of $6.8 billion last year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Those investments were driven by U.S. tax incentives and the falling costs of imported panels, mostly from China, which together made solar power competitive with natural gas and coal.
The U.S. solar industry employs more than 250,000 people, about three times more than the coal industry, with about 40 percent of those people in installation and 20 percent in manufacturing, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Solar was really on the cusp of being able to completely take off,” said Zoe Hanes, chief executive of Charlotte, North Carolina solar developer Pine Gate Renewables.
Companies with domestic panel factories are divided on the policy. Solar giant SunPower Corp opposes the tariff that will help its U.S. panel factories because it will also hurt its domestic installation and development business, along with its overseas manufacturing operations.
“There could be substantially more employment without a tariff,” said Chief Executive Tom Werner.
Lost profits, jobs
The 30 percent tariff is scheduled to last four years, decreasing by 5 percent per year during that time. Solar developers say the levy will initially raise the cost of major installations by 10 percent.
Leading utility-scale developer Cypress Creek Renewables LLC said it had been forced to cancel or freeze $1.5 billion in projects, mostly in the Carolinas, Texas and Colorado, because the tariff raised costs beyond the level where it could compete, spokesman Jeff McKay said.
That amounted to about 150 projects at various stages of development that would have employed 3,000 or more workers during installation, he said. The projects accounted for a fifth of the company’s overall pipeline.
Developer Southern Current has made similar decisions on about $1 billion of projects, mainly in South Carolina, said Bret Sowers, the company’s vice president of development and strategy.
“Either you make the decision to default or you bite the bullet and you make less money,” Sowers said.
Neither Cypress Creek nor Southern Current would disclose exactly which projects they intend to cancel. They said those details could help their competitors and make it harder to pursue those projects if they become financially viable later.
Both are among a group of solar developers that have asked trade officials to exclude panels used in their utility-scale projects from the tariffs. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it is still evaluating the requests.
Other companies are having similar problems.
Stockpiling panels
For some developers, the tariff has meant abandoning nascent markets in the American heartland that last year posted the strongest growth in installations. That growth was concentrated in states where voters supported Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
South Bend, Indiana-based developer Inovateus Solar LLC, for example, had decided three years ago to focus on emerging Midwest solar markets such as Indiana and Michigan. But the tariff sparked a shift to Massachusetts, where state renewable energy incentives make it more profitable, Chairman T.J. Kanczuzewski said.
Some firms saw the tariff coming and stockpiled panels before Trump’s announcement. For example, 174 Power Global, the development arm of Korea’s Hanwha warehoused 190 megawatts of solar panels at the end of last year for a Texas project that broke ground in January.
The company is paying more for panels for two Nevada projects that start operating this year and next, but is moving forward on construction, according to Larry Greene, who heads the firm’s development in the U.S. West.
‘A lot of robots’
Trump’s tariff has boosted the domestic manufacturing sector as intended, which over time could significantly raise U.S. panel production and reduce prices.
Panel manufacturers First Solar and JinkoSolar , for example, have announced plans to spend $800 million on projects to increase panel construction in the United States since the tariff, creating about 700 new jobs in Ohio and Florida. Last week, Korea’s Hanwha Q CELLS joined them, saying it will open a solar module factory in Georgia next year, though it did not detail job creation.
SunPower Corp, meanwhile, purchased U.S. manufacturer SolarWorld’s Oregon factory after the tariff was announced, saving that facility’s 280 jobs. The company said it plans to hire more people at the plant to expand operations, without specifying how many.
But SunPower has also said it must cut up to 250 jobs in other parts of its organization because of the tariffs.
Jobs in panel manufacturing are also limited because of increasing automation, industry experts said.
Heliene, a Canadian company in the process of opening a U.S. facility capable of producing 150 megawatts worth of panels per year, said it will employ between 130 and 140 workers in Minnesota.
“The factories are highly automated,” said Martin Pochtaruk, president of Heliene. “You don’t employ too many humans. There are a lot of robots.
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Blockchain Advances Could Revolutionize Daily Life
07/06/2018
As the internet continues to revolutionize communications, the next world-changing technology may already be here. Blockchain, a way of recording data and automatically storing it on computers around the world, has the potential to change everything from collecting crime scene evidence to creating new digital currencies. VOA’s Jill Craig visited a blockchain hackathon in Memphis, Tennessee, to learn more.
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Blockchain Advances Could Revolutionize Daily Life
07/06/2018
As the internet continues to revolutionize communications, the next world-changing technology may already be here. Blockchain, a way of recording data and automatically storing it on computers around the world, has the potential to change everything from collecting crime scene evidence to creating new digital currencies. VOA’s Jill Craig visited a blockchain hackathon in Memphis, Tennessee, to learn more.
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Emirates Seeks to Lead the Way to Windowless Planes
07/06/2018
Passenger jets of the future will be safer, lighter, faster, more fuel-efficient and … windowless.
So predicts Emirates Airlines chief Tim Clark. The Dubai-based airline has already introduced virtual windows in the first-class suites of its newest planes.
Instead of being able to see out a conventional window, the passengers will be able to enjoy the view on a full display of windows that will project live camera feeds on a high-definition screen.
Clark said the images are “so good, it’s better than with the natural eye.”
Clark told the BBC that the ultimate goal was to have a completely windowless plane.
“Now you have a fuselage which has no structural weaknesses because of windows. The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they’ll burn less fuel and fly higher,” he said.
But Emirates’ experiment has raised concerns that might not win it the votes of safety regulators. Some passengers have expressed concerns of possibly feeling claustrophobic on windowless planes.
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Emirates Seeks to Lead the Way to Windowless Planes
07/06/2018
Passenger jets of the future will be safer, lighter, faster, more fuel-efficient and … windowless.
So predicts Emirates Airlines chief Tim Clark. The Dubai-based airline has already introduced virtual windows in the first-class suites of its newest planes.
Instead of being able to see out a conventional window, the passengers will be able to enjoy the view on a full display of windows that will project live camera feeds on a high-definition screen.
Clark said the images are “so good, it’s better than with the natural eye.”
Clark told the BBC that the ultimate goal was to have a completely windowless plane.
“Now you have a fuselage which has no structural weaknesses because of windows. The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they’ll burn less fuel and fly higher,” he said.
But Emirates’ experiment has raised concerns that might not win it the votes of safety regulators. Some passengers have expressed concerns of possibly feeling claustrophobic on windowless planes.
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Federal Judge Backs Philadelphia in ‘Sanctuary City’ Case
07/06/2018
A federal judge has ruled in favor of the city of Philadelphia in attempts by the Trump administration to withhold federal funds from the city over how it deals with undocumented immigrants.
U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson ruled Wednesday that the city’s policy to defy the administration’s demand was “reasonable, rational” and “equitable.” He ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to enforce new conditions before releasing law enforcement grants was “arbitrary and capricious.”
Philadelphia had agreed to hand over undocumented immigrants to officers of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency only when provided with a warrant signed by a judge.
The city had refused to comply with Washington’s demands of unfettered access to imprisoned immigrants, being notified of their release dates and prohibiting restrictions on disclosure of anyone’s immigration status.
“The public statements of President (Donald) Trump and Attorney General (Jeff) Sessions, asserting that immigrants commit more crimes than native-born citizens, are inaccurate as applied to Philadelphia, and do not justify the imposition of these three conditions,” Baylson wrote.
Sessions has vowed to use law enforcement grants to force cities to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Department of Justice spokesman Devin O’Malley said the agency is within its right to attach conditions to the public safety grants.
“Today’s opinion from the district court in Philadelphia is a victory for criminal aliens in Philadelphia, who can continue to commit crimes in the city knowing that its leadership will protect them from federal immigration officers whose job it is to hold them accountable and remove them from the country,” O’Malley said in a statement.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called the ruling a “total and complete victory.”
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EPA Head Laughs Off Chick-fil-A Questions; Senior Aide Quits
07/06/2018
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt laughed off questions Wednesday about whether he used his office to try to help his wife get a “business opportunity” with Chick-fil-A, while a close aide abruptly resigned amid new ethics allegations against her boss.
Pruitt said in a statement that his scheduling director, Millan Hupp, 26, had resigned. It came two days after Democratic lawmakers made public her testimony to a House oversight panel that Pruitt had her do personal errands for him, including inquiring about buying a used mattress from the Trump International Hotel.
Last year, Pruitt also directed Hupp’s younger sister to reach out to a senior executive at Chick-fil-A to inquire about a “business opportunity.” At the time, Sydney Hupp, 25, was also working in Pruitt’s office as an EPA scheduler.
That business opportunity turned out to be Pruitt’s desire to acquire a fast-food franchise for his wife.
Federal ethics codes prohibit having staffers conduct personal errands and bar officials from using their position for private gain.
‘My wife is an entrepreneur’
On Wednesday, Pruitt laughed when a reporter asked about the reports he had tried to use his government position to financially benefit his spouse.
“I mean, look, my wife is an entrepreneur herself. I love, she loves, we love Chick-fil-A as a franchise of faith,” Pruitt told a reporter for Nexstar Media Group, which owns local television stations around the country.
A Republican former Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt added that there needs to be more locations of the fast-food chain in his hometown of Tulsa.
Founded in Atlanta, the Chick-fil-A chain is known for incorporating Christianity into its business code, including shutting down nationwide on Sundays. The two-generation family business has angered some customers and pleased others with its donations to conservative causes, including funding campaigns fighting same-sex marriage.
Democrats quickly pounced on Pruitt’s statement, accusing him of using religion to try to deflect from his misdeeds.
“He’s hiding behind a very cheap version of faith, in the form of chicken,” said Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on a House subcommittee on government operations. “This is somebody who is profoundly ethically challenged, who’s self-dealing. He’s in the trough with all four paws and snout. … We’re dealing with a real pattern here, and frankly it’s disgusting.”
Despite the mounting scandals, President Donald Trump continues to stand by Pruitt and lavished praise on him at a hurricane-preparedness briefing attended by Cabinet secretaries and agency heads.
“EPA is doing really, really well,” Trump told Pruitt on Wednesday. “And you know, somebody has to say that about you a little bit. You know that, Scott. But you have done — I tell you, the EPA is doing so well. … And people are really impressed with the job that’s being done at the EPA. Thank you very much, Scott.”
GOP members of Congress have largely followed Trump’s lead in sticking by Pruitt, though there were increasing signs cracks are developing in that support.
Iowan critical
Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst suggested this week that it might be time for Trump to tell Pruitt to go.
Pruitt “is about as swampy as you get here in Washington, D.C. And if the president wants to drain the swamp, he needs to take a look at his own Cabinet,” Ernst said Tuesday at an energy policy forum.
Pruitt is the subject of more than a dozen federal investigations into his spending on travel and security, his dealings with subordinates and other matters.
Millan Hupp was described by former EPA staffers as one of Pruitt’s closest and most loyal aides. She told the House panel that Pruitt had her ask about getting an “old mattress” from the Trump hotel at about the same time he was moving to a new apartment in Washington.
Pruitt also directed the elder Hupp, an Oklahoman like her boss, to book a personal trip to the Rose Bowl for him and search for housing for him in the Washington area, she told the investigators.
Pruitt’s statement announcing her resignation called Hupp “a valued member of the EPA team.” The EPA gave no reason for her departure.
She was the fourth senior EPA political appointee to resign in the last two months, since news first broke that Pruitt last year leased a bargain-priced Capitol Hill condo tied to an oil-and-gas lobbyist.
In appearances before congressional panels since then, Pruitt has repeatedly blamed subordinates for his alleged ethical lapses.
Cummings: Don’t blame Hupp
Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House oversight committee investigating Pruitt, said Hupp shouldn’t have to take the fall for her boss.
“Ms. Hupp cooperated with our investigation and should not become the latest scapegoat for Administrator Pruitt’s litany of abuses, his disregard for our nation’s ethics laws, and his refusal to accept responsibility for his own actions,” Cummings said.
Pruitt’s chief of staff, Ryan Jackson, and former top policy adviser Samantha Dravis are due to appear before the oversight committee’s investigators later this month.
For his part, Pruitt suggested the criticism, investigations and unending stream of negative revelations about him were all political attacks motivated by his efforts to roll back environmental regulations.
“I just think that with great change comes, you know, I think, opposition,” he said.
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Muslim Marine Initiative Brings Americans Into Muslim Homes
07/06/2018
Mansoor Shams believes the best way to understand a person is to walk a mile in their shoes. He’s the founder of MuslimMarine.org and a member of the Veterans for American Ideals. He recently started a new initiative with other Marine veterans called “#29For29”, which utilizes the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to promote understanding and to break down long-held misconceptions about Islam. VOA’s Niala Mohammad has more.
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Trump ‘Will Be Sticking to His Guns’ at G-7 Summit, Adviser Says
06/06/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump “will be sticking to his guns” at the upcoming Group of Seven summit despite criticism of his trade policies from allies, one of his key economic advisers told reporters Wednesday.
“The president is at ease with all these tough issues,” said Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council. “There’s always tension about something” between the United States and other G-7 members.
The comments in the White House press briefing room came shortly after both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is hosting the G-7 summit in Quebec’s Charlevoix region, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel forecast difficult discussions on Friday and Saturday.
Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said, “This is essentially a recipe for a G-6 plus one.”
Protecting American workers
Kudlow, in his remarks, denied the United States was engaged in a trade war with its strategic partners, as well as China, but said that the United States would do what was necessary to protect American workers and industries.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said it was too early to call the tariffs dispute a trade war and contended the United States was justified in demanding “fair and reciprocal” trade with its partners.
Mattis said economic disputes with allies were not expected to damage military and security relations.
Kudlow said that “the world trading system is a mess. It’s broken down.” But, he added, “Don’t blame Trump. Blame the nations that have broken away from those conditions.”
It is now clear that the United States and the other G-7 countries are “no longer singing from the same hymn book,” and that has serious ramifications for the global trading order, said Lynn Fischer Fox, a former deputy assistant secretary for policy and negotiations in the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration.
Fischer Fox, who led negotiations for a number of trade remedy disputes during former President Barack Obama’s administration, described Trump’s approach to trade as upsetting and unpredictable.
Asked by VOA News whether the administration would respect decisions of the World Trade Organization filed against the United States over recent tariffs imposed by Trump, Kudlow replied: “We are bound by the national interests here more than anything else. International multilateral organizations are not going to determine American policy.”
While there have been tensions between the United States and other G-7 leaders previously on strategic issues, such as the placement of nuclear weapons in Europe and the Iraq War, this rift appears far more fundamental, according to some analysts.
International rules
The United States has always followed the international rules, Fischer Fox told VOA. “And we’ve confronted other nations that use this kind of tactic of saber-rattling or hostage-taking, as it were, to try to get what they want out of the international system, outside of the rules,” she said.
Fischer Fox contended, “Violating the rules doesn’t give you a means to negotiate around the rules. If they [the Trump administration] want to negotiate the rules to be different, that’s what they should be putting on the table.”
The leaders of the other countries have no political choice now but to confront Trump, Kirkegaard, of the Peterson Institute, told VOA.
“If you do not sanction an American president who behaves like this, every president and administration after this will think that trade policy is something you can easily mess with,” Kierkegaard said.
Speaking in the Bundestag on Wednesday, Merkel warned that G-7 countries “must not keep watering down” previous summit conclusions committing the group to fair multilateral trade and rejecting protectionism.
“There must not be a compromise simply for the sake of a compromise,” Merkel said. If an acceptable agreement can’t be reached, a “chairman’s summary” by the Canadian hosts “is perhaps a more honest path — there is no sense in papering over divisions at will.”
Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said Wednesday that steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the United States coming into force on July 1 were illegal and that the Canadian response would be measured and proportionate.
Trump will be seeing many of the G-7 leaders again soon. He is set to meet British Prime Minister Theresa May in the United Kingdom next month. And he is also expected to attend the annual NATO summit to be held in Brussels in mid-July.
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У Європарламенті представили інтерактивну мапу політв’язнів у Росії: Сенцов, Балух та інші
06/06/2018
Фракція «зелених» у Європарламенті представила 6 червня інтерактивну мапу Росії з місцями тримання політичних в’язнів – серед яких є десятки українців. Автори карти ставлять собі за мету напередодні чемпіонату світу з футболу звернути увагу вболівальників на порушення прав людини в Росії.
На сайті «зелених» представлено дві мапи. На одній схематично зображені стадіони, де відбуватимуться футбольні матчі. Якщо перевести перемикач з положення «чесна гра» (Fair play) в положення «порушення правил» (Foul), то на мапі з’являються місця позбавлення волі, де перебувають політв’язні. На сайті також опубліковано підготовлений правозахисним центром «Меморіал» список з понад 100 людей, засуджених за політичними статтями. Серед цих людей – Олег Сенцов, Володимир Балух та інші українці.
Уряд Великої Британії оприлюднив 6 червня заяву щодо чотирьох українців, які голодують у російських тюрмах за висловлення незгоди з анексією Криму – Олега Сенцова, Олександра Кольченка, Олександра Шумкова та Володимира Балуха. «Позбавлення волі цих людей та багатьох інших українців, яких ув’язнили в Росії, здається політично мотивованим. Ми закликаємо російську влади негайно звільнити їх», – мовиться на урядовому сайті.
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США запровадили санкції проти української авіакомпанії за співпрацю з Іраном
06/06/2018
Сполучені Штати внесли українську авіакомпанію «Дарт» до списку санкцій через співпрацю з Іраном, повідомляє Федеральний реєстр США.
Як ідеться в поясненні Управління з контролю за іноземними активами (OFAC), такі дії вжиті «за надання допомоги, спонсорування або надання фінансової, матеріальної, технологічної підтримки або фінансових чи інших послуг на підтримку іранської Caspian Air».
Офіційно санкції проти української компанії набирають чинності 7 червня.
Читайте також: Українські чартери перекидали російських бойовиків «ПВК Вагнера» у Сирію?
У 2017 році дві українські авіакомпанії потрапили під санкції США проти Ірану. Тоді Міністерство фінансів США заявило, що «Хорс» і «Дарт» винаймали свої літаки авіакомпаніям із Ірану, що перебувають під американськими санкціями, і тому зазнали покарання й самі.
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ФІФА заборонила виступ на чемпіонаті світу Чичеріній, що відвідує окупований Донбас
06/06/2018
Міжнародна федерація футболу (ФІФА) заборонила російській співачці Юлії Чичеріній виступати перед уболівальниками чемпіонату світу з футболу в Ростові-на-Дону. Згідно з листом, який сама Чичеріна поширила у Facebook, організація стурбована, що наявність пісень на військову тематику в репертуарі Чичеріної може привернути негативну увагу ЗМІ і нашкодити репутації ФІФА.
У федерації також уточнили, що релігійні і політичні теми на заходах чемпіонату світу зачіпати заборонено, а Чичеріна асоціюється з військовою темою. ФІФА пропонує організаторам фан-фестивалю замінити Чичеріну, виступ якої планувався 15 червня, на іншого виконавця.
Сама співачка називає ФІФА «футболобандерівцями» і пов’язує заборону з тим, що «рок – музика протесту».
Чичеріна схвально ставиться до дій Росії проти України в період із 2014 року. Після початку збройного конфлікту на Донбасі співачка неодноразово відвідувала контрольовані гібридними силами території, де виступала, серед іншого, і перед бойовиками.
Збройний конфлікт на Донбасі триває від 2014 року після російської анексії Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці сепаратистів. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати лише російські «добровольці». За даними ООН, за час конфлікту загинули понад 10 тисяч людей.
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India’s Central Bank Raises Key Lending Rate to 6.25 Percent
06/06/2018
India’s central bank raised its benchmark lending rate Wednesday to tamp down rising inflation following an increase in oil prices.
The increase of one-quarter percentage point to 6.25 percent is the first since January 2014 and comes at a time when consumer inflation is at a four-year high.
The Reserve Bank of India said it expects inflation of 4.8 to 4.9 percent in the first half of the 2018-19 financial year, which started April 1.
More rate hikes are likely in coming months, said Shilan Shah of Capital Economics in a report.
The bank said crude oil prices have been volatile, causing uncertainty to the inflation outlook. There was a 12 percent increase in the price of Indian crude basket, which was sharper than expected.
The bank forecast GDP growth for the 2018-19 financial year at 7.4 percent, up from the previous year’s 6.7 percent.
That increase has been underpinned by improved rural demand on the back of a bumper harvest and the government’s emphasis on rural housing and infrastructure.
The bank said the forecast of a normal June-September monsoon is a good sign for agricultural.
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France, Germany, UK Seek Exemption From US Iran Sanctions
06/06/2018
Britain, France and Germany have joined forces to urge the United States to exempt European companies from any sanctions the U.S. will slap on Iran after pulling out of an international nuclear agreement.
In a letter made public Wednesday, ministers from the three European countries told U.S. officials they “strongly regret” President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran deal to which their nations also were signatories.
The agreement was meant to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Trump argued that it was insufficiently tough and has said sanctions will be imposed on any company doing business with Tehran.
The ministers — British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz — said they want the U.S. to “grant exemptions” for European Union companies that have been doing business with Iran since the nuclear deal took effect in 2016.
“As close allies, we expect that the extraterritorial effects of U.S. secondary sanctions will not be enforced on EU entities and individuals, and the United States will thus respect our political decision and the good faith of economic operators within EU legal territory,” they said in their letter to In a letter dated Monday to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dated Monday.
They also said that Iran should not be cut out of the SWIFT system for international money transfers.
Many companies from Europe and the U.S. have been steadily building up their investments in Iran in the wake of the nuclear deal, particularly in the fields of pharmaceuticals, banking and oil. Any sanctions could be damaging, especially if they affect business interests in the United States.
The ministers reiterated their view that the deal with Iran remains the “best means” to prevent the country from becoming a nuclear power.
They also warned that any Iranian withdrawal from the deal would “further unsettle a region where additional conflicts would be disastrous.”
The letter was published during a trip to Europe by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has backed Trump in declaring the nuclear deal too soft on Iran.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who both reiterated their support for the accord.
He met British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday. May said that Britain, like France and Germany, believes the nuclear deal “is the best route to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”
“We will remain committed to it as long as Iran meets its obligations,” she said.
The publication of the letter came a day after Iran said it was preparing for the resumption of uranium enrichment within the limits set by the 2015 agreement. The modest steps appeared mainly aimed at signaling that Iran could resume its drive toward industrial-scale enrichment if the nuclear accord unravels.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian sought to downplay the implications of the move and said it did not violate the terms of the deal.
“It shows a sort of irritation, and it is always dangerous to flirt with the red lines,” Le Drian said on Europe-1 radio.
“We must keep a sense of proportion and stick to the agreement,” he said. “And today, the agreement is not broken and Iran respects totally its commitments.”
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Colorado Wildfire Rages as Firefighters Make Gains in New Mexico, California
06/06/2018
Crews in Colorado, New Mexico and California continue to fight wildfires as the National Interagency Fire Center warns that warmer and drier-than-normal conditions have put large portions of the Western United States at above-average risk for significant wildfires between now and September.
A fire in Colorado, dubbed the “416 Fire,” grew to more than 1,200 hectares early on Tuesday and was only 10 percent contained, fanned by strong winds near Durango, Colorado.
The fire started on Friday and has already forced about 825 homes to be evacuated. On Tuesday, La Plata County issued evacuation orders for another 252 residences.
In New Mexico, authorities lifted evacuation orders issued to the residents of Cimarron after showers helped quell part of the blaze.
But more than 600 firefighters, using helicopters and bulldozers, continue to fight a separate fire in Ute Park, about 16 kilometers west of Cimarron.
The National Weather Service has placed large sections of the Four Corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah under an elevated fire risk.
Meanwhile, crews were making progress against a small wildfire that prompted evacuations in Southern California.
Two firefighters were injured in the fire that erupted late last week. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, officials said the largest wildfire in California’s modern history is officially extinguished, more than six months after it started.
The U.S. Forest Service says the Thomas fire, which started December 4, 2017, eventually burned 114,078 hectares.
The fire destroyed more than 1,000 structures across Southern California and was responsible for devastating mudslides in Montecito that killed 17 people and destroyed dozens of homes.
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Colorado Wildfire Rages as Firefighters Make Gains in New Mexico, California
06/06/2018
Crews in Colorado, New Mexico and California continue to fight wildfires as the National Interagency Fire Center warns that warmer and drier-than-normal conditions have put large portions of the Western United States at above-average risk for significant wildfires between now and September.
A fire in Colorado, dubbed the “416 Fire,” grew to more than 1,200 hectares early on Tuesday and was only 10 percent contained, fanned by strong winds near Durango, Colorado.
The fire started on Friday and has already forced about 825 homes to be evacuated. On Tuesday, La Plata County issued evacuation orders for another 252 residences.
In New Mexico, authorities lifted evacuation orders issued to the residents of Cimarron after showers helped quell part of the blaze.
But more than 600 firefighters, using helicopters and bulldozers, continue to fight a separate fire in Ute Park, about 16 kilometers west of Cimarron.
The National Weather Service has placed large sections of the Four Corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah under an elevated fire risk.
Meanwhile, crews were making progress against a small wildfire that prompted evacuations in Southern California.
Two firefighters were injured in the fire that erupted late last week. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, officials said the largest wildfire in California’s modern history is officially extinguished, more than six months after it started.
The U.S. Forest Service says the Thomas fire, which started December 4, 2017, eventually burned 114,078 hectares.
The fire destroyed more than 1,000 structures across Southern California and was responsible for devastating mudslides in Montecito that killed 17 people and destroyed dozens of homes.
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Report: US, ZTE Sign Deal to Get Chinese Firm Operating Again
06/06/2018
Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE has signed a deal with the United States that lets the crippled company get back in business, Reuters reports.
ZTE was almost totally shut down after the Trump administration cut off exports of U.S. made parts to the company. It was, in the words of one expert, “caught red-handed” putting the U.S. technology into products and selling them to countries under U.S. trade embargoes, including Iran and North Korea.
ZTE depends on U.S. parts for wireless stations, optical fiber networks and smartphones.
According to Reuters, the deal to get ZTE operating again included a $1 billion fine, regular inspections of its plants and the replacement of its team of executives.
Neither ZTE nor the U.S. Commerce Department has confirmed that any definitive deal was signed.
But the reports already have U.S. lawmakers angry that the Trump administration is willing to let ZTE resume using U.S.-made components.
“If these reports are accurate, this is a huge mistake,” Virginia Democrat Mark Warner of the Senate Intelligence Committee said. “ZTE poses a threat to our national security. That’s not just my opinion — it’s the unanimous conclusion of our intelligence community.”
Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called President Donald Trump someone who “roared like a lion and is governing like a lamb” when it comes to China and letting ZTE “off the hook.”
Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has also called ZTE a security risk and said a bill to block the U.S. from doing business with it would have huge support in Congress.
Trump said last month he was looking for a way to let ZTE “get back into business fast.”
“Too many jobs in China lost,” Trump tweeted as he ordered the Commerce Department “to get it done!”
Trump has often complained about China stealing U.S. jobs and having a huge trade deficit with the U.S. His tweets in support of China and ZTE perplexed Congress and many economic experts.
But the White House has said Trump’s tweets “underscore the importance of a free, fair, balanced and mutually beneficial economic trade and investment relationship between the United States and China.”
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Report: US, ZTE Sign Deal to Get Chinese Firm Operating Again
06/06/2018
Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE has signed a deal with the United States that lets the crippled company get back in business, Reuters reports.
ZTE was almost totally shut down after the Trump administration cut off exports of U.S. made parts to the company. It was, in the words of one expert, “caught red-handed” putting the U.S. technology into products and selling them to countries under U.S. trade embargoes, including Iran and North Korea.
ZTE depends on U.S. parts for wireless stations, optical fiber networks and smartphones.
According to Reuters, the deal to get ZTE operating again included a $1 billion fine, regular inspections of its plants and the replacement of its team of executives.
Neither ZTE nor the U.S. Commerce Department has confirmed that any definitive deal was signed.
But the reports already have U.S. lawmakers angry that the Trump administration is willing to let ZTE resume using U.S.-made components.
“If these reports are accurate, this is a huge mistake,” Virginia Democrat Mark Warner of the Senate Intelligence Committee said. “ZTE poses a threat to our national security. That’s not just my opinion — it’s the unanimous conclusion of our intelligence community.”
Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called President Donald Trump someone who “roared like a lion and is governing like a lamb” when it comes to China and letting ZTE “off the hook.”
Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has also called ZTE a security risk and said a bill to block the U.S. from doing business with it would have huge support in Congress.
Trump said last month he was looking for a way to let ZTE “get back into business fast.”
“Too many jobs in China lost,” Trump tweeted as he ordered the Commerce Department “to get it done!”
Trump has often complained about China stealing U.S. jobs and having a huge trade deficit with the U.S. His tweets in support of China and ZTE perplexed Congress and many economic experts.
But the White House has said Trump’s tweets “underscore the importance of a free, fair, balanced and mutually beneficial economic trade and investment relationship between the United States and China.”
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