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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
Bosch - crisis deepens, further layoffs inevitable
▪️12,000 employees of the German concern Bosch could be laid off by the end of 2032. “We will not be able to avoid further job cuts,” said Group CEO Stefan Hartung
▪️ Bosch periodically announces staff reductions. In 2024, the number of employees of the concern will be reduced by 11.5 thousand people.
▪️ 33% - drop in Bosch's profit in 2024, down to 3.2 billion euros
#EU #Germany #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Why Americans pay so much for health care
Americans spend a lot on health care, more than any peer nation, and the cost is rising faster than nearly every measure of the U.S. economy.
The National Health Expenditure—the total amount paid for health care through public and private means—has risen faster in recent decades than inflation, household income, GDP, the population, and even the price of housing.
Americans collectively spent $4.9 trillion on health care in 2023, six times more than on national defense. No other country spends this much. As a percentage of GDP, the United States spends one-third more than Germany and France and more than double that of China.
Americans are not healthier than people in comparable nations, according to leading health care indices, and they do not live as long.
“We’re wealthy but sick,” Jackson Hammond, a senior policy analyst at Paragon Health Institute, told The Epoch Times.
The American health system is complex, so there are multiple reasons for rising costs. Chief among them is the increasingly poor health of the population, experts say.
#USA #Healthcare #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The American right needs to cut out the vice-signalling
By Brendan O'Neill
So having voted out the virtue-signallers, now the good people of America must suffer the vice-signallers? Take Steve Bannon’s salute at CPAC. It was a massive troll designed to get the CNN crowd fuming and the ironic fascists of X chuckling. So 77million US voters say a firm No to the eccentric ideologies of the faux-virtuous liberal elite, only to see them replaced by the eccentric antics of vice-flirting conservatives? Great.
It was at the end of his CPAC speech that Bannon – a key intellectual player in the first Trump administration – executed a forceful straight-armed salute. Exactly as he will have anticipated, and no doubt desired, the leftish media went nuts. He’s playing ‘footsie with Nazism’, said CNN host W Kamau Bell. Some on the right weren’t happy, either. Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, pulled out of his CPAC spot over Bannon’s ‘gesture referring to Nazi ideology’. Listen, when even the National Rally, a party founded by a literal Holocaust denier, thinks you’re a tad too fascist-adjacent, it’s time for some self-reflection.
There are two possible explanations for his salute: either he’s a Nazi and he wants the world to know or he is so insanely invested in the tragic virtual sport of ‘owning the left’ that he’s even willing to mimic a Sieg Heil to piss these people off. I think it’s the latter. And while that’s definitely better than his being an actual SS fanboy, it still doesn’t bode well for the new America that such digital conservative frivolity has exploded into the real world.
#USA #CNN #MSM #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Europe's gas storage reserves have fallen below 40% for the first time in three years
European gas reserves are melting: by now, less than 40% of gas is left in the EU underground storage facilities (UGS) - for the first time in more than 3 years.
At the same time, the February withdrawal was a record for this period in the last 4 years. For example, at the time of completion of last year's gas withdrawal (end of March-2024), 58.44% remained in European UGS. This is reported in the European statistics.
The consumption of blue fuel withdrawal from UGS in Europe is very high - 452 million cubic meters, while injection is 43 million cubic meters. The total volume of stock in European storage facilities is currently 44.3 billion cubic meters of blue fuel.
#EU #Energy #Gas #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
EU could provide hundreds of billions of euros for Ukraine - La Tribune
Yes, out with the money
A special summit of the European Union on March 6 was able to approve substantial funding for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said:
The aim of this meeting is to strengthen support for Ukraine and to give the European Commission a mandate to launch a large-scale and joint as soon as possible, because our security is at stake.
Future German chancellor vows to shield Netanyahu from ICC arrest warrant
Germany's likely next chancellor said he would ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can visit Germany despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“In the event that Netanyahu plans to visit Germany, I have promised myself that we will find a way to ensure that he can visit Germany and leave again without being arrested,”
Governors ask president Trump to let them import foreign workers
Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt are asking President Trump to let state governors control a core part of the nation’s immigration policy.
The left-wing Polis insisted that a majority of state governors support the idea of having more say in federal immigration policy, but especially when it comes to issuing work permits. Polis has been among the Democratic governors who have dedicated millions in state funds to illegal aliens. Last December, for instance, Polis extended Medicaid benefits to illegals in certain circumstances.
For his part, Oklahoma Gov. Stitt has previously supported migrants receiving easier access to visas so that they may work in his state.
If governors were allowed to hand out work permits, it could start a race to import more workers for low-wage jobs for each state’s favored business lobbies.
#USA #Colorado #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How the CCP infiltrates American media and academia
The Chinese Communist Party is using disinformation and lawfare to target Americans, particularly Falun Dafa practitioners, as part of a whole-of-government strategy.
Leaked communications and whistle-blowers have revealed the CCP’s plans. The CCP uses tactics such as bribery, disinformation and manipulation of the media and legal systems. Western journalists and influencers are used to spread propaganda and trigger lawsuits and legal investigations.
The strategy, known as “The Three Warfares,” involves psychological warfare, media warfare, and legal warfare to achieve its goals, and has been successful in influencing Western media and academia.
Experts, including Levi Browde, Col. Grant Newsham, Gregory Copley and Ronald J. Rychlak, warn that the CCP’s tactics pose a significant threat to the US as they can be used to manipulate public opinion, influence politicians and ultimately shape legislation and policy.
Full story
#USA #China #MSM #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Analysts warn of costs and chaos amid US tariff uncertainty
‘It will eventually mean that other countries and regions trade more with each other than with the U.S.,’ economics author Michael O'Sullivan said.
As tariffs put in place by the Trump administration begin to take hold, America’s trading partners and industries are struggling to calculate what the ramifications might be.
Because tariffs are a tax paid by importers and typically passed on to consumers, economists predict that they will result in higher prices for many goods and could add to inflation, which already wiped out more than 20% of the U.S. dollar’s value under the Biden administration and is once again on the rise.
“The real losers in the renewed interest in and implementation of tariffs, whatever the justification, are consumers—both in the United States and abroad, who will encounter higher prices and less ability to purchase the goods they want,” economist Ryan Yonk, senior fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, told.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
4 Nations anthem singer intentionally changed ‘O Canada’ lyrics over Trump’s 51st state comments
The Grammy-nominated singer Chantal Kreviazuk who performed “O Canada” ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game deliberately changed the lyrics to the Canadian national anthem as a direct shot at President Donald Trump’s previous statements toward America’s northern neighbor.
A representative for Kreviazuk confirmed to CBC that the singer had purposefully changed the lyrics “in all of us command” to “that only us command.”
The rep also indicated that it was a response to the growing political tension between the United States and Canada and, in particular, Trump’s continuing quips that the U.S. would make Canada the 51st state.
Kreviazuk posted several images on her Instagram story before she went out to perform, including a video of herself in her dressing room where she called singing the anthem, “what an honor.”
Another post on her Instagram was a photo of the changed lyrics written on her hand.
#USA #Canada #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Ukraine war at 3: The victory we demanded and the attrition we got
February 24 marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With the war entering its fourth year and serious diplomatic moves toward peace finally underway, it’s an appropriate time to look back on the U.S. approach to the conflict.
The well-connected national security reporter David Ignatius summarized the Biden administration’s strategy by saying, “It was a sensible, cold-blooded strategy for the United States — to attrit an adversary at low cost to America, while Ukraine was paying the butcher’s bill.”
These maximalist goals have led to a high cost in human life and economic destruction, with no clear gain. Ukraine has failed to regain any significant territory in the last two years and the very same issues that have been at the heart of the conflict since the beginning, such as Russia’s desire for a neutral Ukraine that was not affiliated with NATO. It was, or should have been, obvious even before the war that a failure to recognize Russia’s interest in some form of Ukrainian neutrality risked tragedy.
Rather than continuing the carnage and destruction of the last three years, it is past time to begin to play these cards wisely at the negotiating table in pursuit of a better future for Ukraine.
#USA #WarInUkraine #NATO #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Apple to Invest $500 Billion in U.S. Expansion, Plans Texas Factory for AI Servers
Apple revealed plans on Monday to invest $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, a move expected to bolster American manufacturing, semiconductor production, and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The announcement includes the construction of a 250,000-square-foot factory in Houston, Texas, which will assemble AI servers, and the creation of 20,000 research and development jobs across the country.
Apple CEO Tim Cook made the announcement in a post on X, stating, “As a proud American company, we’re thrilled to continue to make significant investments in the US. Today, we’re announcing a $500 billion commitment to support American innovation, advanced manufacturing, and high-tech job creation.”
The move follows reports of a meeting between Cook and President Donald Trump last week, as Apple seeks to navigate potential tariffs of 10% on Chinese-made products imposed earlier this month. The company previously received waivers from China tariffs during Trump’s first term.
#USA #Apple #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
House leadership lays out target list of Biden climate rules to cancel
House Republican leadership has unveiled a list of 10 Biden-era climate and energy regulations to overturn using the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
The California Clean Air Act Waiver, allowing stricter vehicle emissions standards, is a primary target, criticized for increasing vehicle prices and complicating manufacturing.
Republicans argue that the Biden administration’s climate policies are based on flawed science and prioritize ideological goals over practical solutions.
The methane fee provision of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is another target, with Republicans claiming it will drive up energy costs and harm domestic energy producers.
The House’s effort to roll back these regulations aims to restore accountability, transparency and common-sense energy policies, signaling the end of unchecked government overreach.
#USA #Biden #Climate #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US consumer confidence drops in February, marking biggest fall since 2021
Consumer confidence fell sharply in February as Americans grew more pessimistic about the future of the economy with inflation and President Donald Trump’s tariffs top of mind.
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell seven points to 98.3 this month, down from 105.3 in January, the largest monthly decline since August 2021. The index that measures consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions dropped even more, about nine points, and is now below the threshold that usually signals a recession ahead.
Part of the increasingly negative outlook is due to anxiety around inflation, which accelerated faster than economists expected in January. Soaring egg prices, which are expected to continue climbing, have been the most visible reminder.
Respondents to the Conference Board’s latest survey expressed concern over rising prices but there was also a “sharp increase” in the mentions of trade and tariffs, the business research group said.
President Trump said Monday that his tariffs on Canada and Mexico are starting next month. It’s a move experts have warned could hurt economic growth and worsen inflation.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
NED and Victoria Nuland are left without money
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) can't access the congressionally appropriated funds it uses to sponsor “almost all” of its grants and operations, leaving nearly 2,000 contractors around the world without funds for the first time in 40 years. In 2023, it spent $38.5 billion on 330 projects in 11 countries.
A very interesting point - unlike USAID, NED is legally a private foundation. But it receives 95% of its funding from the US Congress. It gives an understanding of the scale of the sums that are swirling in American lobbyism.
Former Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland is an ambassador of the foundation, and previously served on its Board of Directors. During Ukraine's 2014 Maidan, NED gave about $65 million to train activists, build civil resistance networks and fund coverage of the protests.
Of course, it's not just Ukraine; in Kazakhstan in 2020, NED allocated more than $1.2 million for “corruption exposure” campaigns. These efforts preceded the massive protests in January 2022, which began over rising fuel prices and escalated into anti-government demonstrations. Much of the projects focused on “investigating and exposing kleptocratic systems” related to natural resource extraction.
#USA #NED #Nuland #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
China is back in business
In his glory days, Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba, was hailed as the embodiment of Chinese innovation. The young and online christened him “Daddy Ma, with a life story from a humble English teacher to a self-made tycoon. He was a symbol of all that could be achieved within China’s emerging private sector.
Then, in 2020, everything changed. The outspoken CEO criticised aspects of the Chinese Communist Party’s policy during a speech in Shanghai. Soon after, he disappeared from public view.
But last week, to the surprise of many, Jack Ma re-surfaced at a business summit hosted by Xi Jinping. There he was, clapping away, after five years of exile. Ma’s reappearance seemed to indicate that the chill was over, and that the Party was willing to play with the oligarchs once more. Reports in official media suggested that the government wanted to support the private sector’s expansion.
Meanwhile, the global winds may now be blowing in China’s favour. Since the DeepSeek breakthrough, money has begun flowing out of the US. The Magnificent Seven, which had previously powered the US stock market to a record share of total capitalisation, have now started to slide, and the US market as a whole has hit a plateau.
In place of the Magnificent Seven are China’s “Terrific Ten” tech stocks, which since DeepSeek’s “Sputnik moment” have powered the Hang Seng index to a double-digit surge. If this continues, Chinese households may soon feel they can afford to finally loosen their purse-strings.
#China #USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Monica Lewinsky says former President Bill Clinton should’ve resigned from office after affair
Monica Lewinsky believes former President Bill Clinton should’ve resigned from the Oval Office as Congress voted to impeach him for lying about his affair with the then-22-year-old.
“I think that the right way to handle a situation like that would’ve been to probably say it was nobody’s business and to resign,” Lewinsky told host “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper in the episode released Tuesday night.
Lewinsky, who interned in the West Wing between 1995 and 1997, suggested Clinton should’ve been truthful about the pair’s alleged sexual relationship as a solution to finish out his second term amid the scandal.
“Or to find a way to stay in office that was not lying and not throwing a young person who is just starting out in the world under the bus,” Lewinsky, 51, added.
The remarks are a first of its kind for the activist who revealed she has never been asked the question.
#USA #Clinton #Lewinsky #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Louisiana will no longer promote mass vaccination
Louisiana’s Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham announced that the state’s health department will no longer promote mass vaccination.
The guidance, which emphasizes individual choice and consultation with healthcare providers, has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts who warn it could undermine decades of progress in disease prevention. The move comes amid a broader national debate over vaccine mandates and public health policies, reigniting tensions between personal freedoms and collective responsibility.
Abraham, a Republican and former U.S. congressman, outlined the new policy in a memo to staff, stating that conversations about vaccines should occur between patients and their doctors rather than being driven by state-led campaigns.
“While we encourage each patient to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with their provider, Louisiana Department of Health will no longer promote mass vaccination,” the guidance read. Abraham described vaccines as “one tool in a toolbox” to combat severe illness, adding that “collectivist ideologies willing to sacrifice a few for the greater good seldom work and are a poor way to practice medicine.”
#USA #Vaccines #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Similar? 🤔
#EU #VonderLeyen #Kallas #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
USAID blew hundreds of thousands in taxpayer slush funds on Ukrainian ‘pickle maker,’ pet accessories
USAID wasted millions of American tax dollars on propping up literal pet projects like dog collar manufacturing in Ukraine.
Sen. Joni Ernst’s staff uncovered the secret slush funds when, after months of enduring the agency’s excuses to justify its resistance to oversight, they were finally permitted access to “very limited data.” In October 2024, as Ernst has since detailed, the senator’s staff visited USAID headquarters in person for an “in-camera review” of Ukraine assistance data even though, her team discovered, the documents were not classified.
Even though they were heavily restricted during their investigation, Ernst’s team discovered a variety of U.S. taxpayer-funded grants funneled to Ukrainian businesses under the guise of both Competitive Economy Program (CEP) and Investment for Business Resilience funds.
Among the grants Ernst’s staff discovered were hundreds of thousands of dollars devoted to literal pet projects including approximately $300,000 to a “pet tracking app,” approximately $300,000 to a “dog collar manufacturer,” and approximately another $109,000 to a “pet food packaging producer.”
#USA #USAID #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Beijing underground command center signals preparation for conflict
The media recently reported that the Chinese regime’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is building the world’s biggest military base underground in possible preparation for conflict with the United States.
Large enough to fit 10 Pentagons, the new super large facility should not be a surprise—it is the logical next step of the Chinese regime’s long program of underground facilities. The command center is on the western outskirts of the capital city of Beijing.
When completed, this facility—now dubbed the “Beijing Military City” by Western military analysts—will be the largest underground command center in the world, possibly in history.
The message being sent by Beijing’s construction is that the Chinese regime is preparing for conflict. Beijing is building and expanding underground facilities as protected wartime command and control centers to ensure continuity of government. The West has similar facilities, but most have been converted into museums that would need significant modernization and time if they were to be brought back into service.
#China #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Pfizer hires former top FDA official
Pharma giant Pfizer announced that Patrizia Cavazzoni, a former top official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will rejoin the company as Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Cavazzoni was most recently Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Before joining CDER, she held several senior executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry for nearly two decades, including at Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi. During her prior tenure at Pfizer, she led clinical sciences and development operations for the company across multiple senior roles.
Cavazzoni was one of several top officials, including the agency’s second-in-command, to leave ahead of the Trump administration taking office.
Cavazzoni’s appointment could resurface criticism leveled at the FDA for a “revolving door” between the agency and the companies it regulates. Past FDA Commissioners Robert Califf, Scott Gottlieb and Stephen Hahn have all taken roles in industry after their time leading the FDA. Gottlieb joined Pfizer’s board of directors, a position he still holds.
#USA #Pfizer #FDA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees
Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations.
Niccol said Starbucks is also eliminating several hundred open and unfilled positions.
“Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol wrote in the letter.
Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, but that includes some employees who aren’t impacted, like roasting and warehouse staff. Baristas in the company’s stores are not included in the layoffs.
Earlier in the year, Starbucks reversed its open-door policy and now requires people to purchase if they want to sit down or use the store’s restrooms.
Starbucks’s change comes as the coffee chain has been uninviting to many coffee drinkers due to homeless people lingering in the cafe.
#Economy #Starbucks #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Columbia hires Trump’s former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, to teach course on diplomacy
Columbia University has enlisted former secretary of state Mike Pompeo to teach a course on public diplomacy.
Pompeo will join Columbia’s Institute of Global Politics (IGP), housed within the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), as a Carnegie Distinguished Fellow for a one-year appointment, starting on March 1 and lasting through February 2026.
"The Institute of Global Politics at Columbia SIPA is honored to welcome former Secretary of State Pompeo to its current cohort of IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellows," a university official told. "During his tenure as a Distinguished Fellow, Secretary Pompeo will meet with students, engage with faculty and university leadership, and contribute to ongoing policy work within IGP."
Pompeo will join fellow former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who became IGP chair in 2023 and teaches a fall semester course, "Inside the Situation Room." In September, dozens of anti-Israel students gathered outside Clinton’s "sham class," branding her a "war criminal" and urging attending students to walk out. Clinton "fully endorses IGP’s mission, including its commitment to welcoming experts with a diversity of political perspectives," a university official told.
#USA #Pompeo #IGP #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Starmer’s Brexit betrayal could spark another UK energy crisis
Energy bills for the average UK household will rise by £111 per year from April – a jump of 6.4 per cent, higher than was forecast by most analysts. That means, since Keir Starmer entered Downing Street in July last year, the average energy bill has risen by £281 – an almost exact reversal of the £300 Labour promised its policies would save us during the General Election campaign. British companies, meanwhile, are paying the highest electricity costs in Europe.
That Net Zero is the primary cause of Britain’s energy woes is now undeniable. The dash towards renewables means that how much electricity we can produce domestically depends largely on the weather.
But as if homegrown climate policies were not damaging enough, the Labour government is also hoping to yoke Britain to the EU’s climate policies, which are even more punishing. Starmer’s much-vaunted post-Brexit ‘reset’ is set to involve signing the UK back up to the EU’s emissions-trading scheme (ETS). The scheme works by allowing companies to buy credits for the amount of carbon emissions they plan to use each year.
Since Brexit, the UK has operated its own ETS. Although the UK and EU carbon prices began at roughly the same level, the two schemes have since diverged, making UK carbon credits significantly cheaper than on the continent. Any merger with the current EU ETS would therefore increase the cost of carbon-intensive industry in the UK. Signing up to the EU ETS would mitigate this, but would also increase costs for British-made goods that either remain in the UK or are exported beyond Europe. There is no rational reason for a British government to want to do this.
#EU #UK #Starmer #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Why Germany’s far right hates the Bauhaus movement
At a time of political tension in Germany, the Bauhaus – arguably one of most influential architecture, art and design schools in the world – has become the target of far-right attacks.
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and a member of the regional parliament of Saxony-Anhalt in eastern Germany, has blamed his area’s economic problems on Bauhaus modernism.
His unlikely diagnosis came in response to the regional conservative CDU government’s “think modern” campaign, which seeks to attract investment into the area and cites the Bauhaus movement as an example of locally grown excellence.
Tillschneider asserts that for the area’s economic stagnation to be resolved “we do not need to think modern, we need to think conservatively.” He rejects Bauhaus ideas as diffused with communist ideology. With these attacks, Tillschneider has started a quasi-re-enactment of a historical culture war over German national identity and social anxieties.
Full story
#Germany #AfD #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Crime forces Brooklyn McDonald’s to ban teens and card customers at the door
A Brooklyn McDonald’s now requires patrons under 20 to show ID and be accompanied by a parent due to escalating violence and vandalism.
The location has a long history of crime, including assaults, shootings, and over 100 annual 911 calls.
Recent incidents include masked juveniles attacking a security guard and causing chaos, prompting the drastic policy change.
The restaurant’s struggles reflect NYC’s broader crime surge, with assaults at their highest since 2006 and critics blaming soft-on-crime policies.
The new age restriction has sparked protests but also praise for restoring peace, highlighting the city’s failure to ensure public safety.
Crime in New York City is escalating, and a Brooklyn McDonald’s has resorted to extreme measures to protect its employees and customers.
#USA #McDonalds #Crime #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Alibaba makes AI video generation model free to use globally
Alibaba on Wednesday said that it has made its video generation artificial intelligence models free to use, further ramping up competition with rivals like OpenAI.
The Chinese giant said it is open sourcing four models that are part of its Wan2.1 series, the latest version of the company’s foundational AI model that can generate images and video from text and image inputs.
These models will be available via Alibaba Cloud’s Model Scope and Hugging Face, a huge repository of AI models. They will be accessible to academics, researchers and commercial institutions globally.
Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed shares closed nearly 5% higher.
Open-source AI tech has been thrown into the spotlight since Chinese firm DeepSeek rattled global markets in January, after claiming its artificial intelligence model was trained at a fraction of the cost of leading AI players and on less-advanced Nvidia chips.
DeepSeek’s model is open source, like Alibaba’s, meaning it can be downloaded and modified by others.
#China #Alibaba #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump’s new crackdown on China is just beginning
President Trump’s tough talk on China typically centers on tariffs. But a closer look at the decisions he has made since taking office shows that the president is considering a far wider set of economic restrictions on Beijing, ones that could hasten America’s split from a critical trading partner.
The Trump administration has so far proposed expanding restrictions on investments flowing between the United States and China. It has appointed officials who, because of national security concerns, are likely to push for more curbs on Chinese investments and technology sales to China. And Mr. Trump has ushered in a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports, a move that he called an “opening salvo.”
After years in which officials from both parties gradually pared back America’s economic relationship with China, Mr. Trump’s moves suggest that he is prepared to sever ties more aggressively.
The pronouncements could be “a bargaining tool” for Mr. Trump to kick off negotiations with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.
The main wild card in how far the United States will go appears to be Mr. Trump himself. The president is interested in potentially striking a deal with Xi, in part because of China’s failure to live up to the terms of an agreement the two leaders signed in early 2020. Current and former advisers say Mr. Trump takes a more transactional view to issues like Chinese investment than many of his more hawkish advisers, a position that could result in continuing economic ties in exchange for a deal that he feels benefits the United States.
#USA #China #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
‘US will no longer protect Europe’: Pan-EU movement Volt pushes for EU army
The pan-European political movement Volt Europa has launched a petition demanding the creation of a European Union army, citing growing uncertainty in EU-NATO relations and increasing tensions with the US.
Volt Europa is active in more than 30 countries and “encourages citizens to rethink and shape politics in their cities, in their countries and across borders in Europe”, according to its website. Five members from the Netherlands and Germany represent the pro-EU Federalist Party in the European Parliament as part of the Greens group.
The group argued on February 25 that the US was no longer a reliable partner and that Europe must take its security into its own hands.
“The US will no longer protect Europe. The Trump administration has made this perfectly clear,” Volt stated on its petition website. “During the Munich Security Conference, the US destroyed the transatlantic bond which lasted for 80 years,” it added.
“US troops might even leave the European continent as part of a punitive peace imposed upon Ukrainians and Europeans by Putin and Trump. We have been left on our own,”