Friday, March 2, 2018

Trump steel tariffs: Trade wars are good, says Trump - BBC News

2/3/2018
Trump steel tariffs: Trade wars are good, says Trump
Trump on new tariffs: 'We haven't been treated fairly'
US President Donald Trump has said "trade wars are good", amid controversy over his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
He tweeted that the US was "losing billions of dollars on trade" and would find a trade war "easy to win".
On Thursday he said steel imports would face a 25% tariff and aluminium 10%.
Canada and the EU said they would bring forward their own countermeasures. Mexico, China and Brazil have also said they are considering retaliatory steps.
Critics argue that the tariffs would fail to protect American jobs and would ultimately put up prices for consumers.
The news sent shares in both Asia and Europe down on Friday.
Steel tariffs: what impact will they really have?
What would China do in a US trade war?
Where Trump stands on world trade
'We win big'
In a tweet early on Friday, Mr Trump said the US will "win big" in a trade war.
@realDonaldTrump
When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!
9:50 PM - Mar 2, 2018
The combative post follows Thursday's assertion on Twitter that US steel and aluminium industries had been "decimated" by trade policies.
"We must not let our country, companies and workers be taken advantage of any longer," he said.
The US imports steel from more than 100 nations and brings in four times more steel from abroad than it exports.
Since 2000, the steel industry has suffered, with production dropping from 112m tons to 86.5m tons in 2016, and employee numbers in steel work falling from 135,000 to 83,600 in the same period.
Mr Trump's tariff announcement has been met with international condemnation, at a time when the US is renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) with Canada and Mexico.

Hundreds gather at church for blessing ceremony featuring AR-15s - CBS News ( source ; Associated Press )


CBS This Morning
AP February 28, 2018, 11:23 AM
Hundreds gather at church for blessing ceremony featuring AR-15s

Last Updated Feb 28, 2018 3:48 PM EST

NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. -- Hundreds of crown-wearing worshipers clutching AR-15 rifles drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows in a commitment ceremony at a Pennsylvania church on Wednesday, prompting a nearby school to cancel classes. With state police and a smattering of protesters standing watch outside the church, brides clad in white and grooms in dark suits brought dozens of unloaded AR-15s into World Peace and Unification Sanctuary for a religious event that doubled as an advertisement for the Second Amendment.

World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland believes the AR-15 symbolizes the "rod of iron" in the biblical book of Revelation.

The Rev. Sean Moon, who leads the church, prayed for "a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing."

Moon is the son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, which critics regard as a cult. The younger Moon's congregation is a breakaway faction of the Unification Church, which had distanced itself from Wednesday's event.

An attendant checked each weapon at the door to make sure it was unloaded and secured with a zip tie, and the elaborate commitment ceremony went off without a hitch.

Church Ceremony AR15 Rifles
A woman wears a crown and holds an unloaded weapon during services at the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, Wednesday Feb. 28, 2018, in Newfoundland, Pa. AP
Tim Elder, Unification Sanctuary's director of world missions, told worshippers the ceremony was meant to be a blessing of couples, not "inanimate objects," calling the AR-15 a "religious accoutrement." The church has held at least one other ceremony featuring assault-style rifles.

But Wednesday's event, coming on the heels of the high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17, rubbed emotions raw. Authorities say the shooting suspect, Nikolas Cruz, used an AR-15 in the attack.

"It's scaring people in the community," one protester told a church member. "Are you aware of that?"

The ceremony prompted Wallenpaupack Area School District to move students at an elementary school down the street to other campuses.

Lisa Desiena, from Scranton, protested outside the church with a sign that called the group an "armed religious cult."

She said she owns a gun, but "I don't need a freaking assault weapon to defend myself. Only thing they're good for is killing. Period. That's all that weapon is good for, mass killing. And you want to bless it? Shame on you."

Why the AR-15 is America's gun
Why the AR-15 is America's gun
But 41-year-old Sreymom Ouk -- who attended the ceremony with her husband, Sort Ouk, and came with their AR-15 -- said the weapon is useful for defending her family against "sickos and evil psychopaths."

"People have the right to bear arms, and in God's kingdom, you have to protect that," she said. "You have to protect against evil."

Read Ben Carson's explanation for the $31,000 dining set - CNN

Read Ben Carson's explanation for the $31,000 dining set
Updated 1809 GMT (0209 HKT) March 1, 2018
Complaint filed over Carson's office expenses


Complaint filed over Carson's office expenses 02:58
(CNN)Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson requests that the order for a $31,000 dining set be canceled in a statement provided exclusively to CNN by longtime adviser Armstrong Williams.

Read Carson's full statement
From: Benjamin Carson Sr
Date: March 1, 2018 at 8:31:31 AM EST
Office redecoration:
Before I actually occupied my office, I was told what previous secretaries did when they redecorated. I was asked what I wanted to do.
I visited the basement where previously used furniture was kept and my wife visited as well. We selected some chairs and made some minor changes. Additionally drapes that had previously hung in my office were brought back and blinds were put on the windows. The total redecoration cost was less than $3500. This is considerably less than the historical norm.
Dining room redecoration:
The secretary's dining room is used for business luncheons with a wide variety of people and groups. The furniture is 30 to 50 years old and is very worn. It has also been characterized as unsafe.
See HUD's $31,000 mahogany dining set
See HUD's $31,000 mahogany dining set
I did not request new furniture, but asked if it could be remediated. I was subsequently told that it was beyond repair and needed to be replaced.
I briefly looked at catalogs for dining furniture and was shocked by the cost of the furniture. My wife asked if used furniture was an option. Our acquisition process did not allow for that.
We were told there was a $25,000 budget that had to be used by a certain time or it would be lost. I indicated that they needed to take care of the needs of the deputy secretary out of that money too. My wife also looked at catalogs and wanted to be sure that the color of the chair fabric of any set that was chosen matched the rest of the decour.
I made it known that I was not happy about the prices being charged and that my preference would be to find something more reasonable.
I left this matter alone to concentrate on much bigger issues. I was as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered. I have requested that the order be canceled. We will find another solution for the furniture replacement.
Benjamin S Carson Sr MD

Female-led investor group to buy Weinstein Co assets - Reuters

MARCH 2, 2018 / 10:42 AM / UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO
Female-led investor group to buy Weinstein Co assets
Lisa Richwine, Karen Freifeld


(Reuters) - A former Obama administration official on Thursday reached a deal to purchase assets of The Weinstein Company and said she will use a majority-female board to rebuild the Hollywood studio tarnished by sexual misconduct allegations.


Former Small Business Administration chief Maria Contreras-Sweet plans to launch a new company, save about 150 jobs, protect the small companies that are owed money, and create a victims’ compensation fund that will supplement existing insurance coverage for those who have been harmed, she said in a statement.

“This next step represents the best possible pathway to support victims and protect employees,” Contreras-Sweet said.

The Weinstein Company’s board of directors confirmed it had reached a deal with Contreras-Sweet and supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle.


The studio nearly went bankrupt after more than 70 women accused co-founder Harvey Weinstein, then one of Hollywood’s most influential men, of sexual misconduct including rape. Weinstein denies having non-consensual sex with anyone.

The company last month was close to inking a deal for more than $500 million to be taken over by investors led by Contreras-Sweet and Burkle.

But New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman upended the negotiations on Feb. 11 by filing a suit against the Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein and his brother, Bob, alleging that Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed employees and the company failed to respond. The company early this week said it planned to file for bankruptcy.

FILE PHOTO: Harvey Weinstein speaks at the UBS 40th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, NY, U.S., December 5, 2012. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo
On Thursday evening, Contreras-Sweet, the Weinstein Co and Schneiderman said they had worked together to bring about the deal. In a statement, Schneiderman said he had received commitments that a well-funded victims compensation fund would be created, that new policies would protect employees in the new company and that“bad actors” would not be unjustly rewarded.

He said he would ensure the final deal honored the agreed terms and that the lawsuit would remain active in the mean time.

A person familiar with the matter said the parties hammered out the deal in a conference room in Schneiderman’s office on Thursday evening. The compensation fund will be $80-90 million, the person said.

Launched in October 2005, the studio produced and distributed critically acclaimed hits including“The King’s Speech” and“Silver Linings Playbook.” Harvey Weinstein was known as the leading tastemaker for independent film and a master at Academy Awards campaigns.

His company also produced television series including the long-running fashion competition show“Project Runway.”

When the allegations against Harvey Weinstein became public, the company’s board fired him, and Hollywood heavyweights distanced themselves from the studio.

Since then, similar allegations have been leveled against many powerful men in business, politics and entertainment, and the #MeToo movement of victims has emerged, using social media to share their stories of harassment and abuse.

Reporting by Lisa Richwine, Jessica DiNapoli, Karen Freifeld and Greg Roumeliotis; Editing by Peter Henderson, Daniel Wallis & Shri Navaratnam