Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Mueller's questions show just how far-reaching the Russia probe is - NBC News

Mueller's questions show just how far-reaching the Russia probe is
First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter
by Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann / May.01.2018 / 10:54 PM ET

Special counsel Robert Mueller leaves after a closed meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 21, 2017.Alex Wong / Getty Images file
WASHINGTON — Yes, the reported list of questions that special counsel Robert Mueller wants to ask President Trump, according to the New York Times, appears to be just starter questions. And yes, the list comes from Trump’s orbit (the Times says the questions were “read by the special counsel investigators to the president’s lawyers, who compiled them into a list. That document was provided to The Times by a person outside Mr. Trump’s legal team”).

But taken together, the questions underscore the magnitude of the Russia probe — a story that’s been reported in bits and pieces over the last 17 months. (The list has not been verified by NBC News.)

They ask if Trump was aware of Russian hacking during the campaign, and if anyone from the campaign reached out to Russia for assistance: What knowledge did you have of any outreach by your campaign, including by Paul Manafort, to Russia about potential assistance to the campaign?... During the campaign, what did you know about Russian hacking, use of social media or other acts aimed at the campaign?
They ask if Trump discussed business with Russian interests during the campaign: What communication did you have with Michael D. Cohen, Felix Sater and others, including foreign nationals, about Russian real estate developments during the campaign?
They ask if Trump and his team discussed policy with Russians during the campaign: What discussions did you have during the campaign regarding Russian sanctions?... What involvement did you have concerning platform changes regarding arming Ukraine?
They ask if Trump knew about calls that incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was making to Russia’s ambassador during the transition — so before Trump became president: What did you know about phone calls that Mr. Flynn made with the Russian ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak, in late December 2016?... How was the decision made to fire Mr. Flynn on Feb. 13, 2017?... After the resignations, what efforts were made to reach out to Mr. Flynn about seeking immunity or possible pardon?
And they ask about Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey: What did you mean when you told Russian diplomats on May 10, 2017, that firing Mr. Comey had taken the pressure off?... What did you mean in your interview with Lester Holt about Mr. Comey and Russia [when Trump said: “When I decided to just do it, I said to myself – I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story”]?
The Russia story has always been complicated. But these questions — taken together — combine all of the different strands of the potential story. And they’re a reminder that the obstruction angle — regarding Comey and Flynn — might be the smallest part of this investigation.

Oh, and one other thing: If Mueller is asking these questions, the possibility exists that he already knows the answers.

This morning, Trump tweeted about the Times’ reported list of questions. “So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were ‘leaked’ to the media. No questions on Collusion. Oh, I see...you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!”

But as the Times makes clear, the questions came from Trump’s orbit (“That document was provided to The Times by a person outside Mr. Trump’s legal team”), and that it DOES ask questions about possible collusion/conspiracy with Russians (“What knowledge did you have of any outreach by your campaign, including by Paul Manafort, to Russia about potential assistance to the campaign?”)

5 ways you can travel the world for (nearly) free - CNBC News

May 1, 2018

5 ways you can travel the world for (nearly) free
Jimmy Im | @Realjimmyim 

The best things in life are free, or close to it — even travel. It's easier than you'd think to take a trip without cracking open your wallet, and plenty of savvy travelers know the tricks of the trade.

Lee Abbamonte, travel expert and entrepreneur who has visited every country in the world, says, "If you really put some effort in, you can travel for free often by maximizing miles and points, social media and other specials."


Try these strategies below to take a dream vacation without spending much, or any, money.

1. Use all your frequent flier miles

Flying for free helps you get on your journey for less. If you have a stash of frequent flier miles, use them now. Miles lose value every day and often expire, so redeem them for a free trip while they have value.


To get the best deal/reward ticket, Lee says pay attention: "Check fares and redemptions on airline websites often to get the saver fares, and plan your travel around them." Airlines often promote deals and flash sales with low redemptions for mileage tickets exclusively in their newsletters.

The Points Guy, a travel site dedicated to frequent flier points, regularly posts mileage deals.

2. Sign up for credit cards with travel rewards

"Credit cards are a great way, perhaps the fastest way, to earn free travel quickly," says Lee. A sign-up bonus alone often equals a free trip. For example, Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card offers 50,000 points ($500 value), which can be used to purchase a flight almost immediately when you sign up.

3. Work in the travel industry

Free travel is a major incentive to work in the travel industry. Airline cabin crew, like pilots and flight attendants, get to see the world on company dime and other professions related to travel have the same perks, like hotel managers, travel agents and publicists at a travel PR firm.

4. Get active on social media

Content creators and bloggers with a large number of followers are known to get free travel, including hotel rooms, meals and often flights, in exchange for posts on various social media platforms like Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. "The beauty of the whole social media game is that anyone can do it," says Lee, "and it's the easiest way for people with a following to leverage it for some publicity."

But, he warns, "you have to work it right and be genuine. PR folk are savvy at detecting scammers, like those who buy fake followers."

5. Get lucky in a contest

Companies often offer "dream travel job" contests for one lucky winner, like The New York Times' search for someone to travel the world researching destinations (the company received 13,000 applicants). ThirdHome paid one lucky winner $10,000 a month to travel to and stay in multi-million-dollar rental homes for their Best Job on the Planet contest last year.

Iceland's flagship budget carrier WOW Air is currently holding its WOW Travel Guide competition, seeking two people to make Reykjavik their home base this summer while taking short trips to 38 locations the airline serves. In exchange for creating digital guides, the duo will get $4,000 each in stipend, as well an apartment.

The dark web and how to access it - CNBC News

The dark web and how to access it
MacKenzie Sigalos Published 10:00 AM ET Sat, 14 April 2018  Updated 11:40 PM ET Sat, 14 April 2018

CNBC.com
 Dark web: how the unseen internet is accessed Dark web: how the unseen internet is accessed 
9:45 AM ET Mon, 23 April 2018 | 03:39
In 2015, the founder of a website called the Silk Road was sentenced to life in prison. The billion-dollar black market site was once the premiere online bazaar for drugs and other contraband, but it remained hidden from casual internet users for years because of something called the dark web.

Here's how that dark side of the internet actually works.

Anatomy of the internet
If you think of the web like an iceberg, you have the surface web up top. It's the internet you see and use every day and consists of all the websites indexed by traditional search engines like Google. It's where you shop on Amazon and listen to music on Spotify.

What's submerged is the deep web — an anonymous online space only accessible with specific software. Then there's the dark web, which is the part of the deep web that hides your identity and location.

It's basically just "a series of encrypted networks that serve to anonymize peoples' use on the internet," said Matthew Swensen, a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security with an expertise in cyber crimes.

It's relatively easy for anyone to access this encrypted network. All it takes is downloading darknet software. Swensen said the most common dark web networks are Tor, I2P, and Freenet, but "Tor is, by far and away, the most popular."

Tor
Tor stands for "the onion routing project." It was developed by the U.S. Navy for the government in the mid-1990s. But it was open-sourced in 2004, and that's when it went public. Tor is now the dark web browser that the vast majority of people use to anonymously surf the internet.

To understand how Tor actually works you need to know what happens when you typically search the web. Think of your IP address as an online identity. Any device you use to connect to the internet has one. Each time you visit a website, you can be traced back to your exact location thanks to that IP address.


The Tor browser looks like any other, except that there's a whole lot happening that you don't see. Instead of your connection request bouncing from its origin right to its destination, Tor sends your request on a much more roundabout route.

Let's say you're in New York and you want to search a site hosted in New Jersey. Instead of connecting you directly, the Tor browser takes you on at least three random detours called relays. Your request could go from New York to South Africa, from South Africa to Hong Kong and from Hong Kong to New Jersey.


Tor is comprised of people from all over the planet who are donating their computers to the network. It has more than 7,000 relays to choose from. Bouncing your request around to random computers all over the world makes it much harder for people to find you.

Software firm Hyperion Gray put together a map showing all 6,608 dark web sites crawled during January 2018. Each screenshot is a site, and the content ranges from the nefarious to the noble.

Map of the Dark Web.
For some users — like journalists or whistleblowers — the dark web is about identity protection. It's where individuals can share anonymous tips with the press on secure drop sites. But more often than not, it's tied to the world of cybercrime. Special agents like Swensen are looking for the kinds of users who want this full cloak of anonymity in order to mask their illegal activity.

Putting a stop to this kind of crime has been described as a "never-ending game of whack-a-mole" for law enforcement. But even with the odds seemingly stacked against it, the anonymity of the dark web can sometimes play to the law's advantage. No ID and no location means you never really know who's communicating with you.

— CNBC's Ylan Mui and Karen James contributed to this report.

Omarosa tweet to Nigerian President: 'He ( Trump) said it' - African countries are shit holes - CNN News

Omarosa tweet to Nigerian President: 'He said it'
Caroline Kenny
By Caroline Kenny, CNN

Updated 0213 GMT (1013 HKT) May 1, 2018
Conflicting accounts on Trump's January meeting comments

Conflicting accounts on Trump's January meeting comments 02:30
Washington (CNN)Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman seemed to say Monday that President Donald Trump did call certain African nations "shithole countries" during a January meeting in the Oval Office.

In a tweet on Monday afternoon, the former "Apprentice" star turned assistant to the President and communications director for the Office of Public Liaison addressed visiting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and wrote, "President @MBuhari FYI he said it. #Naija."
Earlier this year, Trump denied making that remark after news reports about it and assured reporters who questioned him about it that he was not a racist.
Trump did not discuss 's---hole countries' remark with Nigerian president
Trump did not discuss 's---hole countries' remark with Nigerian president
Trump had been asked about the comments Monday during a news conference with Buhari and made no such denial.
"You do have some countries that are in very bad shape and very tough places to live in," he said in the Rose Garden. "We didn't discuss it, because the President knows me, and he knows where I'm coming from and I appreciate that."

OMAROSA

@OMAROSA
 President @MBuhari FYI he said it. #Naija 🇳🇬

5:43 AM - May 1, 2018

When asked for his side, Buhari had said he didn't know whether to believe news reports about Trump's remarks.
"The best thing for me is to keep quiet," he said.
CNN has reached out to Manigault-Newman for comment.
Manigault-Newman has been increasingly critical of Trump since she departed the White House last year. During an appearance on the show "Celebrity Big Brother" in February, she said she would never "in a million years" vote for him again.
Though she issued a tweet herself Monday, she previously said she wasn't a fan of her former boss' activity on Twitter.
Everything we learned from Omarosa during her 'Celebrity Big Brother' stint
Everything we learned from Omarosa during her 'Celebrity Big Brother' stint
"I was haunted by tweets every single day, like what is he going to tweet next?" a tearful Manigault-Newman said in a "Celebrity Big Brother" clip.
Manigault-Newman resigned from her position at the White House in December. She reportedly had a tense relationship with White House chief of staff John Kelly; both Kelly and former chief of staff Reince Priebus wanted to let her go, a former White House official told CNN.
CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Dan Merica and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.

Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates both do this mundane chore that may have significant mental benefits - CBNC News

Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates both do this mundane chore that may have significant mental benefits
Marguerite Ward | @forwardist  11:47 AM ET Fri, 10 Nov 2017

Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates may be the two richest men on the planet, but that doesn't mean they're above doing the dishes.

Both billionaires say they take care of their family's dirty plates and glasses every night.

In a 2014 interview with Business Insider CEO Henry Blodget, Bezos said that doing the dishes is a part of his daily routine.

"I do the dishes every night," said Bezos, who's currently worth almost $95 billion. "I'm pretty convinced it's the sexiest thing I do," he joked.

Gates, who is currently the world's second-richest man, not only does the dishes every night, he enjoys it.

Bill Gates, the co-Founder of the Microsoft company and co-Founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Bill Gates, the co-Founder of the Microsoft company and co-Founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
When asked in a 2014 Reddit Ask Me Anything, "What is something you enjoy doing that you think no one would expect from you?" Gates, who is now worth $89.2 billion, replied, "I do the dishes every night — other people volunteer, but I like the way I do it."

While both businessmen have their own individual reasons for doing the daily chore, science suggests they may be on to something. Multiple independent studies have found that doing the dishes can reduce stress and boost creativity.

A Florida State University study found that students who were primed to be mindful while washing dishes (i.e. focus on breathing and the touch, smell and feel of the task) saw a decrease in their stress levels and a boost in inspiration. Concentrating on the feeling of the warm water or the smell of the soap stimulated the brain.

Another study by the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that doing mindless tasks allows the brain to wander and engage in creative problem-solving.

For instance, people who first completed a "boring" task, like copying numbers from a phone directory, were able to think more creatively afterward, according to a study by the University of Central Lancashire.

 The evening routine that helps Bill Gates relax and boost his creativity The evening routine that helps Bill Gates relax and boost his creativity 
Think about it: When do you get your best ideas? Is it when you're at your desk willing them to come? Or is it when you're mindlessly taking a shower or working out that a brilliant thought suddenly pops into your head?

The less-than-thrilling process of doing the dishes could provide the same opportunity.

So the next time you see a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, follow these billionaires' lead and dive in. The task could help you feel calmer and more creative.

Critics say Israel's controversial barriers to keep out 'wild beasts' are counterproductive to its security concerns. - Al Jazeera

May 1, 2018

Israel's walled-in approach to nationhood
Critics say Israel's controversial barriers to keep out 'wild beasts' are counterproductive to its security concerns.

by Alasdair Soussi

Advocates of Israel's various barriers point to the need for the state to protect itself against outside threats.
Advocates of Israel's various barriers point to the need for the state to protect itself against outside threats

Speaking during a 2016 visit to a newly completed security barrier along Israel's border with Jordan near the southern Red Sea city of Eilat, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to one day see the entirety of the Jewish nation fenced in.

"In the end in Israel, as I see it, there will be a fence like this that surrounds the whole country," Netanyahu said.

"I'll be told, 'this is what you want, to protect the villa?' The answer is yes. Will we surround all of the state of Israel with fences and barriers? The answer is yes. In the environment we live in, we need to protect ourselves from wild beasts."

"Wild beasts" - also translated as "predators" - was, for many, a phrase targeted at both Palestinians and the citizens of surrounding Arab states. It was, too, a choice of words in keeping with this controversial statesman who has enjoyed jousting with his Middle Eastern neighbours in a colourful career that also sees him currently facing accusations of corruption at home.

Yet, 70 years after the state of Israel was established, questions have been raised over the long-term viability of its penchant to erect barriers and its future plans to further insulate itself in the region.


WATCH: 'Gaza is almost dead': Palestinians growing frustrated with their leaders (2:35)

'Behind fences'
Yossi Mekelberg, a professor of international relations at Regent's University London, said the 708km West Bank wall - which most Israelis claim is a security barrier against "terrorism", but which is seen by Palestinians and others as a segregation fence - "is a product of the [Israeli] occupation".

"Israel has put itself behind fences instead of reaching peace agreements. It has confined itself to quite an isolated life in the region," Mekelberg told Al Jazeera.

"The region is not an easy region. Israel has legitimate security concerns. But the way that it deals with [them], exaggerates and exacerbates [matters] at the same time."

The construction of the West Bank wall was given the green light in 2002. Critics contend that far from being a legitimate Israeli security tool, the wall has simply acted as a land-grab that has annexed Palestinian territory inside the occupied West Bank, confining Palestinians to a ghettoised life.

The West Bank wall is widely seen as the inspiration for President Donald Trump's pledge to erect an impenetrable barrier between the United States and Mexico. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump declared: "We have to build a wall. Walls work. Just ask Israel. Walls work. They work."

Other Israeli barriers include the fence along the border with Egypt, which was completed in 2012 in order to deter the flow of African migrants.

"How could we have guaranteed a Jewish-democratic state with 50,000 and after that 100,000, and it would have reached 1.5 million [African immigrants]?" declared Netanyahu in defence of the barrier earlier this year.

It is also currently constructing a cement separation wall along its northern border with Lebanon - which Lebanon's Higher Defence Council has deemed an aggressive act - while continuing its blockade of the Gaza Strip, despite Israel's "disengagement" from the Palestinian territory in 2005.

'Animals in the jungle'
Haggai Matar is executive director of Israeli-based 972 - Advancement of Citizen Journalism, a non-profit publisher that opposes the occupation and provides first-hand reporting and analysis of events in Israel and Palestine. He said by fencing off a besieged Gaza and presiding over a wall in the occupied West Bank Israel "can avoid making tough decisions".

Walls of Shame: West Bank Separation Wall
"The notion that 'we're the villa in the jungle' and we need these walls to defend ourselves against the animals in the jungle around us - that Israel is the front line of Western civilisation or the European island in the Arab Middle East - are metaphors [for how Israel sees itself]," Matar said to Al Jazeera. "And the walls are the embodiment of these metaphors."

The one-time Israeli conscientious objector, who spent time in jail for refusing to serve in the Israeli army, continued: "The walls signify us not being part of this area - of being foreign, of being eternally a foreign object in the Middle East. The walls are there to maintain that notion to help [Israelis] reconceptualise themselves as foreign and superior to everything around us."

Advocates of Israel's various barriers, fences and walls point to the need for the state to protect itself against outside threats in a "hostile environment".

Richard Verber, senior vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told Al Jazeera that "Israel faces many challenges - from a security perspective above all."

"You've got Hamas, which is a terrorist organisation in Gaza, [the Palestinian movement] Fatah, which under [Mahmoud] Abbas is, at best, holding in there, while his successors are jostling for power, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, with thousands of rockets they have from Iran and unrest in Syria. It's a very dangerous neighbourhood."

Outdoor prison
But others argue Israel's security concerns as a sovereign state go hand-in-hand with the political choices it has made over its short existence. For instance Gaza, largely by way of Israel's unrelenting air, land and sea blockade, has been variously described as the largest outdoor prison in the world.

"What's happening in Gaza, in my mind, is something that is unacceptable," said Mekelberg. "Even if Israelis are not the only culprits in what is happening in Gaza, it's definitely playing a major, major part. The blockade hurts the Gazan people severely."

Many of those who have accused Israel of assuming a walled-in approach to nationhood - both physically, in the stark terms that Netanyahu set out, and mentally - see an ominous future for the state in its current form.

"This was exactly against what the founding fathers of the state of Israel and the Zionists wanted," contended Mekelberg. "They wanted to liberate Jews out of this mentality of living behind borders and being isolated from the world.

"This siege mentality is, I'm afraid, becoming more and more ingrained [in Israeli society]."

Follow Alasdair Soussi on Twitter: @AlasdairSoussi

8 proven habits for ultimate success - CNBC News ( source : Entrepreneur.com )

8 proven habits for ultimate success
1:47 PM ET Mon, 23 April 2018
The Oracles

Finocchiaro | The Oracles
We are the result of our repeated behavior. Or as Aristotle put it, "Success is not an action, but a habit."

Here, top entrepreneurs and members of The Oracles weigh in on the one mental habit that drove their success and how to cultivate it in yourself.

1. Visualize your goals

Since I was an athlete in high school, I've envisioned my goals as if they were already happening. I've used this visualization practice for decades now, and it's supported my athletic career, my business achievements, and my current endeavor to make a massive global impact through the media.

There's no right or wrong way to visualize your goals. It's a matter of setting time aside every morning or night to close your eyes and play a movie in your mind of what your life will be like when you've achieved your dream.

This practice primes your mind to believe your end goal has already happened, so when the time comes to perform, you're confident and ready. —Lewis Howes, former pro athlete, global top 100 podcast host, NYT-bestselling author of The School of Greatness, and creator of The Millionaire Morning; follow Lewis on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube


2. Update your mental tapes

We all have old tapes in our head that we put on replay whenever a new opportunity arises. I was a terrible student in school, so for years, the tape that ran in my head reinforced old, negative beliefs about myself. I would play the tape and go into a meeting convinced that I was not likely to succeed or get what I wanted.

I soon realized that my old tapes had outlived their usefulness and were getting in my way. So, I formed a new mental habit of updating the content of these tapes. I swapped out, "You're not very good at this!" for "You're just amazing! Show them what you've got!"

Recording over my old mental tapes was the one habit that has contributed most to my success. —Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group and Shark on "Shark Tank"

3. Rewire your beliefs in just five minutes a day

While visualization and goal-setting are essential, one simple, daily practice can bring your goals to life. Set aside five minutes each day to write your goals down in the present tense with a specific result, as if you have already accomplished them.

For example, you may write, "We have 2,500 clients paying us $99/month for copywriting services," or, "We operate 32 buildings and generate $128,000/month in rental income."

The act of writing and rewriting your goals daily from memory rewires your nervous system to create a unique singularity of focus. It also gives you total clarity on what your subconscious should be focusing on every single day. —Sharran Srivatsaa, angel investor and president of brokerage (western region) at Douglas Elliman; grew Teles Properties 10X in five years

4. Arrive 15 minutes early to everything

Punctuality alone will get you very far in life. Growing up, I made it a point to be early to everything. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I was priming myself to become a successful businessman.

My motto is, "The tardy salesman never makes the sale." This couldn't be more true. Being late to a meeting inevitably starts the discussion off on the wrong foot. It's very hard to recover from that poor first impression. Being late essentially says, "My time is more important than yours." These are words no businessperson ever wants to hear.

For those who have not cultivated this essential skill and are perpetually tardy, my suggestion would be to make a conscious effort to arrive 15 minutes early to everything you do. Whether it's your gym class, a dinner reservation, or the business meeting of your dreams, be early.

This will give you time to collect your thoughts and soothe any anxious feelings you may have. As the great philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, "In the ordinary business of life, punctuality is ... necessary." —Jonathan Gilinski, serial entrepreneur, executive director of CapsCanada, and founder of Capsuline; follow Jonathan on LinkedIn and Twitter

5. Go for 'No'

Everyone yearns to hear "Yes," but the way you handle hearing "No" will make you great.

Most people only set their sights on "Yes" targets throughout their day; they worry about hearing "No," and feel deflated when it happens. But in trying to avoid "No," you place too much pressure on yourself,leaving you uptight, not having fun, and ultimately, less successful.

I learned that "No" is an important part of the "Yes Process." Embrace it. Rather than avoiding "No," I learned to "Go for No!" It became my primary goal to reach each day. The difference between "Wanting No" and "Avoiding No" made all the difference. My natural fear of rejection practically went away. I became better, faster, and made a lot more money.

Remember: all of the "Yeses" you want are buried in a sea of "No's." Set a goal for how many "No's" should you target each day. "Go for No!" I bet it'll become the number one habit that builds your empire. —Shaun Rawls, lifelong entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Rawls Consulting

6. Remove all distractions

I've always been fond of the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry quote, "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

This summarizes how I like to approach business, my software platform, and life. With so many available distractions, the true essence of progress is deep thought, coupled with simplicity. To achieve simplicity, you must remove the unnecessary.

Give this a try: log your daily activities for a few days. After a fixed period, assess. You'll be astounded by the amount of unnecessary and time-consuming distractions you have in your life.

Remove these distractions, and you'll have time for the life-changing deep thought and profound advances in your career that can only come if you make room for them. —Kenny Rueter, co-founder of Kajabi

7. Put yourself in a bubble

Growing up, my friends were preoccupied with trending news and pop culture. Since I threw my TV out at 16 years old, I became somewhat of an outcast. Instead of mimicking the distracted behavior of my peers, I put myself in a bubble and only surrounded myself with other driven individuals.

Defying the "norm" and focusing on my greater mission made it harder to relate to the average person. However, to pursue excellence, you sometimes have to distance yourself from the average.

Ultimately, the willingness to make the social sacrifices necessary to prioritize my mission helped me succeed more than anything. I've since made so many more valuable connections: people who root for my success, want me to win, and see my business thrive. Focus your time on the things that matter; it will change your whole perspective on people and business. —Sweta Patel, founder of Silicon Valley Startup Marketing who has advised over 200 early stage startups and high-growth companies; connect with Sweta on Facebook and Instagram

8. Invest in yourself and take action

Success is the ability to do what you love every day. To be successful, you have to know what you love, who you are at your core, and be courageous enough to take action.

Investing in yourself requires perseverance and determination. You can do anything you set your mind to, but to achieve your goals, you must be willing to face your fears. You may feel scared investing in yourself. However, not investing in yourself is actually worse, once you realize what your inaction has cost you: opportunity, time, learning, and your potential.

The only difference between who you are and who you want to be is the action you take and what you do. — Marina Rose, QDNA® , founder and developer of Quantum DNA Acceleration®, a revolutionary technique for quantum growth in health, life, and business; connect with Marina on Facebook

Want to share your insights like those above in a future column? If you're an experienced entrepreneur, please get in touch here.

Want to suggest a future topic for these entrepreneurs to answer? Email suggestion@theoracles.com, and it's very possible we'll make your suggestion the focus of a future article!

Follow The Oracles on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.com.

Sprint and T-Mobile Announce Agreement to Form New Combined Company - TIME Business


Sprint and T-Mobile Announce Agreement to Form New Combined Company

Posted: 29 Apr 2018 10:08 AM PDT


(NEW YORK) — T-Mobile and Sprint reached a $26.5 billion agreement Sunday to combine in a deal that would reshape the U.S. wireless landscape by reducing it to three major cellphone providers.

The big unknown is whether the deal will win approval from the Trump administration’s antitrust regulators. The two companies have been considering a combination for years, but a 2014 attempt fell apart amid resistance from the Obama administration.

Consumers worry a less crowded telecom field could result in higher prices, while workers unions are concerned about potential job losses.

In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure acknowledged that getting regulatory approval is “the elephant in the room,” and one of the first things the companies did after sending out the deal’s news release was to call Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
The companies stressed that they plan to have more employees following the combination, particularly in rural areas, than they do as stand-alone companies.

They also emphasized that the deal would help accelerate their development of faster 5G wireless networks and ensure that the U.S. States doesn’t cede leadership on the technology to China.

And they said the combination would allow them to better compete not only with AT&T and Verizon but also with Comcast and others as the wireless, broadband and video industries converge.

“This is going to be causing even more competition than this country has seen,” said John Legere, T-Mobile chief executive. He would be the CEO of the combined company, which will be called T-Mobile.

The all-stock deal values each share of Sprint at slight more than 0.10 T-Mobile shares. Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent, would own about 42 percent of the combined company. Japan’s SoftBank, which controls Sprint, would own 27 percent, and the remainder would be held by the public.

The companies said they expect the deal to close by the first half of 2019 and would result in about $6 billion in annual cost savings.

Investors have been anticipating a deal like this for some time. Sprint dropped a bid for T-Mobile more than three years ago following concerns by the Obama administration about wireless competition. The two were also poised to combine in October, but that deal was called off, too.

The agreement will have to be reviewed by the Justice Department and the FCC.

National carriers had not been able to get a deal through under President Barack Obama. But the FCC in September deemed the wireless market “competitive” for the first time since 2009, which some analysts say could make it easier to present a deal.

The 5G aspirations are at the heart of the agreement, and the new technology could allow companies to provide faster service to peoples’ homes.

Sprint’s Claure likened going from 4G to 5G to switching from black-and-white television to color. The combined company plans to invest up to $40 billion in its network in the first three years, which executives said would drive more hiring and better service for customers.

Sprint has a lot of debt and has posted a string of annual losses. It has cut costs and made itself more attractive to customers, BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk said, but it hasn’t invested enough in its network and doesn’t have enough airwave rights for quality service in rural areas.

T-Mobile, meanwhile, has been on a yearslong streak of adding customers. After the government nixed AT&T’s attempt to buy the company in 2011, T-Mobile led the way in many consumer-friendly changes, such as ditching two-year contracts and bringing back unlimited data plans.

Consumers are paying less for cellphone service thanks to T-Mobile’s influence on the industry and the resulting price wars.

Verizon and AT&T have been expanding their video-content businesses, while cable companies have been moving into wireless. That allows a single company to combine home and wireless internet and use content to support the communications businesses.

Comcast, the cable giant that finished buying NBCUniversal in 2013, offers customers wireless service by reselling access to Verizon’s network. So does another dominant cable company, Charter.

Warren Buffett explains how to invest in stocks when inflation hits markets - CNBC News

Warren Buffett explains how to invest in stocks when inflation hits markets
Warren Buffett has been vocal on the subject of inflation in past periods of rising prices.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he devoted significant portions of the Berkshire Hathaway annual letter to investing in stocks during inflationary periods.
He warned before the financial crisis that inflation would cause a shock, and after the crisis that central banking policy would ultimately force a reckoning in stocks.
Eric Rosenbaum | @erprose
Published 8:31 AM ET Mon, 12 Feb 2018  Updated 2:23 PM ET Wed, 14 Feb 2018
CNBC.com
Warren Buffett has always been a firm believer that staying invested in stocks is the only course.

If anything, Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is famous for the ultimate statement on dip buying: Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.

But these Buffett-isms may mask the fact that, throughout his life, Buffett has offered many wise words on just how much inflation can ding stocks. Now that inflation is back in the crosshairs of the markets, as investors try to understand what has caused such a swift correction in stocks, it's worth looking back at what Buffett has said about inflation in the past.

Buffett devoted significant portions of Berkshire annual letters in the late 1970s and early 1980s — amid high inflation in the United States — to discussing what rising prices mean for stocks, corporate balance sheets and investors. Buffett lived and invested through a period when inflation hit 14 percent and mortgage rates spiked as high as 20 percent — amid what some called the greatest American macroeconomic failure of the post-World War II period.

He never lost that focus on — or fear of — inflation, either.

In June 2008, as the price of gas went above $4, Buffett said "exploding" inflation was the biggest risk to the economy. "I think inflation is really picking up," Buffett said on CNBC. "It's huge right now, whether it's steel or oil," he continued. "We see it everywhere."

Do you remember what happened after that?

In 2010, as the Federal Reserve continued its quantitative easing program, Buffett sent the government a "thank you note" (in the form of an op-ed) for its actions, rather than its paralysis or politicking, after the crisis. But he also warned that same year, "We are following policies that unless changed will eventually lead to lots of inflation down the road."

He added, "We have started down a path you don't want to go down."

As the markets sank in the past two weeks, headlines suggested that the end of the central bank easy money era was finally "sinking in." At the 2013 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Buffett had already warned, "QE is like watching a good movie, because I don't know how it will end. Anyone who owns stocks will reevaluate his hand when it happens, and that will happen very quickly."

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In a classic piece for Fortune magazine in 1977, Buffett outlined his views on inflation: "The arithmetic makes it plain that inflation is a far more devastating tax than anything that has been enacted by our legislatures. The inflation tax has a fantastic ability to simply consume capital. ... If you feel you can dance in and out of securities in a way that defeats the inflation tax, I would like to be your broker — but not your partner."

The world, and economy, are very different places now than when Buffett's annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders took up inflation and investing. Income-tax rates have changed. Back then, bond yields were much, much higher, as were savings rates. And it's just the first signs of inflation that now have been spotted. It was the rise in wages in the last nonfarm payroll report that first rattled markets. And the Consumer Price Index did rise more than expected in the latest data, released on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Other economic factors are eerily, or at least partially, similar. In the Vietnam War era the government's rapid increase of the federal deficit began the inflation cycle that peaked in the late '70s. The latest projections from a government budget watchdog forecasts that the annual deficit will double from what was expected just two and half years ago ($600 million), to $1.2 trillion in 2019, due to the tax cuts and just-approved spending package.

It's worth remembering that the worst stock performance of the 1970s came not when inflation peaked but when it first spiked rapidly. From 1972 to 1973, inflation doubled to more than 6 percent. By 1974 it was 11 percent. In those two years, the S&P 500 declined by a combined 40 percent. Inflation was higher in 1979 and 1980, topping out at 13.5 percent, by which time the S&P 500 had long returned to positive performance, though on an inflation-adjusted base. It was a lost decade for stocks.

So who better than Buffett to explain some of the basic mechanisms at work when stocks run into inflation? As Buffett stated in one of his inflationary era letters, when it comes to inflation and stocks, there is one unsolvable problem: "Berkshire has no corporate solution to the problem. (We'll say it again next year, too.) Inflation does not improve our return on equity."

Here are some other thoughts from Buffett on investing during inflationary periods.

1. When you are doing great, it is the time to remember inflation.
Buffett wrote at a moment of good performance for Berkshire, "Before we drown in a sea of self congratulation, a further — and crucial — observation must be made. A few years ago, a business whose per-share net worth compounded at 20 percent annually would have guaranteed its owners a highly successful real investment return. Now such an outcome seems less certain. For the inflation rate, coupled with individual tax rates, will be the ultimate determinant as to whether our internal operating performance produces successful investment results — i.e., a reasonable gain in purchasing power from funds committed — for you as shareholders.

"A business earning 20 percent on capital can produce a negative real return for its owners under inflationary conditions not much more severe than presently prevail."

2. During high inflation, earnings are not the dominant variable for investors.
"Unfortunately, earnings reported in corporate financial statements are no longer the dominant variable that determines whether there are any real earnings for you, the owner. For only gains in purchasing power represent real earnings on investment. If you (a) forego 10 hamburgers to purchase an investment; (b) receive dividends which, after tax, buy two hamburgers; and (c) receive, upon sale of your holdings, after-tax proceeds that will buy eight hamburgers, then (d) you have had no real income from your investment, no matter how much it appreciated in dollars. You may feel richer, but you won't eat richer.

"High rates of inflation create a tax on capital that makes much corporate investment unwise - at least if measured by the criterion of a positive real investment return to owners.

"This 'hurdle rate' the return on equity that must be achieved by a corporation in order to produce any real return for its individual owners — has increased dramatically in recent years. The average tax paying investor is now running up a down escalator whose pace has accelerated to the point where his upward progress is nil."

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3. Understand the math of the 'Misery Index.'
"The inflation rate plus the percentage of capital that must be paid by the owner to transfer into his own pocket the annual earnings achieved by the business (i.e., ordinary income tax on dividends and capital gains tax on retained earnings) — can be thought of as an 'investor's misery index.' When this index exceeds the rate of return earned on equity by the business, the investor's purchasing power (real capital) shrinks even though he consumes nothing at all. We have no corporate solution to this problem; high inflation rates will not help us earn higher rates of return on equity."

4. Inflation is a 'tapeworm' that makes bad businesses even worse for shareholders.
"A further, particularly ironic, punishment is inflicted by an inflationary environment upon the owners of the 'bad' business. To continue operating in its present mode, such a low-return business usually must retain much of its earnings — no matter what penalty such a policy produces for shareholders.

"... Inflation takes us through the looking glass into the upside-down world of Alice in Wonderland. When prices continuously rise, the 'bad' business must retain every nickel that it can. Not because it is attractive as a repository for equity capital, but precisely because it is so unattractive, the low-return business must follow a high retention policy. If it wishes to continue operating in the future as it has in the past — and most entities, including businesses, do — it simply has no choice.

"For inflation acts as a gigantic corporate tapeworm. That tapeworm preemptively consumes its requisite daily diet of investment dollars regardless of the health of the host organism. Whatever the level of reported profits (even if nil), more dollars for receivables, inventory and fixed assets are continuously required by the business in order to merely match the unit volume of the previous year. The less prosperous the enterprise, the greater the proportion of available sustenance claimed by the tapeworm.

... The tapeworm of inflation simply cleans the plate."

5. Focus on companies that generate rather than consume cash.
"Our acquisition preferences run toward businesses that generate cash, not those that consume it. As inflation intensifies, more and more companies find that they must spend all funds they generate internally just to maintain their existing physical volume of business. There is a certain mirage-like quality to such operations. However attractive the earnings numbers, we remain leery of businesses that never seem able to convert such pretty numbers into no-strings attached cash."

 Markets to struggle until inflation fears calm: Expert Markets to struggle until inflation fears calm: Expert 
3:01 PM ET Fri, 9 Feb 2018 | 03:47
6. Look for companies that can increase prices and handle a lot more business without having to spend a lot.
Of course, most of us are not billionaire buyers of corporations outright, but Buffett's words on what makes for a great acquisition in the 1981 letter touch on inflation as one of two key factors that make a great acquisition candidate:

"Companies that, through design or accident, have purchased only businesses that are particularly well adapted to an inflationary environment. Such favored business must have two characteristics: (1) an ability to increase prices rather easily (even when product demand is flat and capacity is not fully utilized) without fear of significant loss of either market share or unit volume, and (2) an ability to accommodate large dollar volume increases in business (often produced more by inflation than by real growth) with only minor additional investment of capital. Managers of ordinary ability, focusing solely on acquisition possibilities meeting these tests, have achieved excellent results in recent decades. However, very few enterprises possess both characteristics, and competition to buy those that do has now become fierce to the point of being self-defeating."

7. Always be thinking about tomorrow, especially when the pace of change picks up.
"Several decades back, a return on equity of as little as 10 percent enabled a corporation to be classified as a 'good' business — i.e., one in which a dollar reinvested in the business logically could be expected to be valued by the market at more than 100 cents. For, with long-term taxable bonds yielding 5 percent and long-term tax-exempt bonds 3 percent, a business operation that could utilize equity capital at 10 percent clearly was worth some premium to investors over the equity capital employed. That was true even though a combination of taxes on dividends and on capital gains would reduce the 10 percent earned by the corporation to perhaps 6 percent to 8 percent in the hands of the individual investor.

"Investment markets recognized this truth. During that earlier period, American business earned an average of 11 percent or so on equity capital employed and stocks, in aggregate, sold at valuations far above that equity capital (book value), averaging over 150 cents on the dollar. Most businesses were "good" businesses because they earned far more than their keep (the return on long-term passive money). The value-added produced by equity investment, in aggregate, was substantial

"That day is gone. But the lessons learned during its existence are difficult to discard. While investors and managers must place their feet in the future, their memories and nervous systems often remain plugged into the past. It is much easier for investors to utilize historic p/e ratios or for managers to utilize historic business valuation yardsticks than it is for either group to rethink their premises daily. When change is slow, constant rethinking is actually undesirable; it achieves little and slows response time. But when change is great, yesterday's assumptions can be retained only at great cost. And the pace of economic change has become breathtaking."

8. Corporations cannot out-manage government.
"One friendly but sharp-eyed commentator on Berkshire has pointed out that our book value at the end of 1964 would have bought about one-half ounce of gold and, 15 years later, after we have plowed back all earnings along with much blood, sweat and tears, the book value produced will buy about the same half ounce. A similar comparison could be drawn with Middle Eastern oil. The rub has been that government has been exceptionally able in printing money and creating promises, but is unable to print gold or create oil.

"We intend to continue to do as well as we can in managing the internal affairs of the business. But you should understand that external conditions affecting the stability of currency may very well be the most important factor in determining whether there are any real rewards from your investment in Berkshire Hathaway."

9. There is no solution to inflation, but there's reason (maybe just a little) for hope.
Buffett wrote in 1980, "The chances for very low rates of inflation are not nil. Inflation is man made; perhaps it can be man-mastered. The threat which alarms us may also alarm legislators and other powerful groups, prompting some appropriate response."

The recent action in stocks does not suggest faith in that response being adequate, but the chance that it's adequate isn't "nil," either.

Puerto Rico schools receive $500 million, but 283 schools slated to close - ABC News

Puerto Rico schools receive $500 million, but 283 schools slated to close
By JOSHUA HOYOS MARK OSBORNE May 1, 2018, 3:47 AM ET

The Puerto Rico Governor’s Office announced on Monday that the island will be receiving $589 million in federal disaster assistance from the U.S. Department of Education as the island continues to recover from the ravages of Hurricane Maria last fall.

The federal agency announced Monday it would be disbursing a total of approximately $693 million to Puerto Rico, California and Texas to aid in disaster recovery.

The money granted to Puerto Rico is to assist in the rebuilding process of the education system following Hurricane Maria.

"This economic injection by the federal government will be key in the recovery process for the Department of Education. It will benefit both the teaching staff, the student body and the non-teaching staff to fully recover the normality in the education that is taught in the education system," Rossello said in a statement.

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The funds are just the first in a multi-phased process, according to the U.S. Department of Education. A total of $2.5 billion will eventually be awarded.

"As communities get back on their feet in disaster affected regions, we continue to support them in every way we can," said Secretary Betsy DeVos in a statement. "This additional funding will ensure students, teachers and staff have ongoing access to the services they need to fully recover and rebuild."

The Puerto Rico Department of Education told ABC News in recent weeks that 283 schools are slated to close because of declining student enrollment following Hurricane Maria.

A spokesperson for the department says there are 319,000 students on the island compared to 346,000 enrolled students as of May 2017. The department projects that there will be 311,000 enrolled students this August. Half of schools on the island are at 60 percent of capacity.

In this Oct. 13, 2017 file photo, children discuss their thoughts about Hurricane Maria at Ramon Marin Sola Elementary School in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.AP
In this Oct. 13, 2017 file photo, children discuss their thoughts about Hurricane Maria at Ramon Marin Sola Elementary School in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.more +
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Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria death toll climbs to 64, as FEMA assistance tops $1 billion
Puerto Rico continues to recover from Hurricane Maria, which hit the island as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 20, and leveled unrivaled destruction on the U.S. territory. The official death toll from the storm is 64, though studies, including one by The New York Times in early December, showed over 1,000 people more than usual died on the island following the storm.

The whole island was without power for weeks and only stood at 68 percent in mid-December, according to the Puerto Rico Power Energy Authority (PREPA). Just two weeks ago, the entire island lost power for over 24 hours when construction crews accidentally damaged the power grid.

PHOTO: Residents gather to receive food and water from FEMA in a neighborhood without grid electricity or running water on Oct. 17, 2017 in San Isidro, Puerto Rico.Mario Tama/Getty Images
Residents gather to receive food and water from FEMA in a neighborhood without grid electricity or running water on Oct. 17, 2017 in San Isidro, Puerto Rico.more +
California's Department of Education will receive just over $14.3 million to help address damage caused by the 2017 wildfires, while Texas received over $89.4 million to address damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

Harvey, especially, was damaging to the Houston area. The storm killed 39 people, dumped 51.88 inches of rain in nearby Cedar Bayou, Texas, and caused $97 billion in damages, according to Moody's Analytics.

China Is Set to Take a Hard Line on Trump’s Trade Demands - New York Times

China Is Set to Take a Hard Line on Trump’s Trade Demands
By KEITH BRADSHERAPRIL 30, 2018

A container port in China’s eastern province of Shandong. The Trump administration wants Beijing to curb its $300 billion plan to bankroll China’s push into advanced technologies. Credit Reuters
BEIJING — Staking an assertive negotiating stance, China says it will refuse to discuss President Trump’s two toughest trade demands when American officials arrive in Beijing this week, potentially derailing the high-level talks.

The Chinese government is publicly calling for flexibility on both sides. But senior Beijing officials do not plan to discuss the two biggest requests that the Trump administration has made over the past several months, according to people involved in Chinese policymaking. Those include a mandatory $100 billion cut in America’s $375 billion annual trade deficit with China and curbs on Beijing’s $300 billion plan to bankroll the country’s industrial upgrade into advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electric cars and commercial aircraft.

The reason: Beijing feels its economy has become big enough and resilient enough to stand up to the United States.

[On other trade fronts, even American allies aren’t sure what the Trump administration plans. Read more about their concerns.]

A half-dozen senior Chinese officials and two dozen influential advisers laid out the Chinese government’s position in detail during a three-day seminar that ended here late Monday morning. The officials and most of the advisers at the seminar gave an overview of China’s economic policies, including an in-depth review of the country’s trade policy, to make sure China’s stance would be known overseas. All of the officials and most of the advisers at the seminar insisted on anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities.

It is not clear what will happen when the two sides sit down this week or whether either will find a reason to waver. Still, the Chinese and American positions are so far apart that China’s leaders are skeptical the two sides can find common ground by the end of this week. They are already raising the possibility that Chinese officials may fly to Washington a month from now for further talks.

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“I don’t expect a comprehensive deal whatsoever,” said Ruan Zongze, the executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, which is the policy research arm of China’s Foreign Ministry. “I think there is a lot of game playing here.”

Beijing is frustrated with Mr. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on $150 billion in Chinese goods and dismayed by suggestions in the West that China has a weak bargaining position. Chinese officials think the country’s one-party political system and President Xi Jinping’s enduring grip on power — particularly after the repeal of presidential term limits in March — mean that China can outlast the United States and Mr. Trump in any trade quarrel.

The Chinese government believes Mr. Trump’s background as a businessman means that at some point he will agree to a deal. Seminar participants also reaffirmed previous Chinese trade policy offers to further open the country’s financial and automotive sectors, though not in ways that would impact China’s industrial modernization program, called Made in China 2025. They also suggested that China would be willing to tighten its intellectual property rules so as to foster innovation within China as well as protect foreign technologies from counterfeiting and other illegal copying.

China is insisting that the parameters of any negotiations be limited, and that the tariff threat be removed before a final deal can be struck.

Chinese officials have reached out to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has reacted positively to China’s overtures in the auto and financial sectors. Mr. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive who will be on the Trump administration’s team in Beijing later this week, has sought to calm investors worried that the rhetoric between Washington and Beijing could break out into a full-blown trade war.

The U.S.-China Trade Conflict: How We Got to This Point
American companies want a level playing field with their Chinese counterparts. China wants to build its industries into sophisticated global competitors. This week, both countries demonstrated a willingness to escalate trade tensions to defend their positions.


China’s position is that the bilateral trade imbalance arises from differences in savings rates. Households in China save roughly two-fifths of their income. Americans, on average, save almost nothing. So money from China tends to flow to the United States, buying factories, technology companies, real estate and more, and Americans in turn spend much of that money to buy goods from China. Many economists in the United States, including some at the Treasury, share that view.

A worker making carbon fiber on a production line in Lianyungang, in China’s Jiangsu province. The material is used in aerospace and other applications. The Chinese government is frustrated with Mr. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on $150 billion in Chinese goods. Credit Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By contrast, many trade lawyers, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and Mr. Trump contend that the trade deficit stems to a large extent from unfair practices, including cheap loans by state-controlled banks to exporters.

China is ready to discuss shrinking the $375 billion annual trade deficit. But it wants to do so by buying more high-tech American goods. Washington has long blocked such deals because of concerns that they may have military value. China is also willing to buy more oil, natural gas, coal and other goods from the United States, and to help finance the extra pipelines and other infrastructure that would be needed to move them to China.

A senior Chinese government official said that Beijing is unwilling to negotiate with the United States on any curbs on Made in China 2025, which includes large-scale government assistance to favored industries in advanced-technology manufacturing. China perceives the American demands as an attempt to stop China’s economic development and technological progress, the senior Chinese official said

Germany and other countries also have industrial policies, and the United States has not objected to them, he added. American and European officials have argued that those policies elsewhere are much narrower and less ambitious.

Other advisers and officials said that the United States had misunderstood the Made in China 2025 industrial policy. They expressed hope that it might be possible to resolve differences by explaining the program better and making very small tweaks to it — a stance that still may not appease the Trump administration.

The Chinese government is not simply throwing money, land and other resources to favored industries like robotics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and aircraft manufacturing, they said. China is engaged instead, they contended, in a carefully thought-out program that measures potential profits for each dollar of investment. So China’s program bears some resemblance, they said, to private sector investment programs in the West.

One subject was repeatedly and conspicuously avoided by all officials throughout the seminar, even when advisers occasionally speculated about it: whether China might someday try to link trade disputes to national security issues.

China has been deeply involved in international pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, an issue of high importance to the Trump administration. Beijing also wants to someday assert control of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that Beijing regards as a renegade territory.

Tsinghua University’s new Academic Center for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking organized the seminar, which was held at Tsinghua and two other venues in western Beijing. President Xi graduated from Tsinghua, which is in Beijing and is China’s top university, and he has filled much of the senior ranks of his government with Tsinghua professors and graduates.

In some respects, the hard stance struck by Chinese officials reflects a hardening of public attitudes in China.

In mid-April, the United States barred American companies from selling their wares to a Chinese telecom equipment maker, ZTE. The move is seen as potentially crippling to the Chinese company, which needs American chips and software to power the smartphones and equipment it sells around the world.

Washington officials cited ZTE’s repeated violations of sanctions against Iran and North Korea, but many in China saw it as a reminder by the United States that sizable sectors of the Chinese economy still rely on American-made goods. Much of the Made in China 2025 policy is aimed at reducing that dependence.

The ZTE case “has changed a lot of Chinese people’s opinion,” said Mr. Ruan, of the China Institute of International Studies. “In the past, people saw us as interdependent.”

Follow Keith Bradsher on Twitter: @KeithBradsher.

Taiwan loses diplomatic ally as Dominican Republic switches ties to China - BBC News

May 1, 2018

Taiwan loses diplomatic ally as Dominican Republic switches ties to China

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (r) with Dominican Republic's Chancellor Miguel Vargas
The Dominican Republic has established diplomatic relations with China and cut its ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan has said that it is "deeply upset" by the Caribbean nation's decision, which deepens its diplomatic isolation.

The governments in Beijing and Taipei insist that countries cannot recognise both of them.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province. Taiwan is now left with only 19 diplomatic allies.

The island's foreign ministry said the Dominican Republic had accepted "false promises of investment and aid by China".

Taipei also "strongly condemns China's objectionable decision to use dollar diplomacy to convert Taiwan's diplomatic allies".

The Dominican Republic said it believed the switch would be "extraordinarily positive for the future of our country" and that it recognised Taiwan as "an inalienable part of the Chinese territory".

It said that even without formal diplomatic ties, China was already its second largest supplier of imported products.

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Presidential legal adviser Flavio Dario Espinal told a news conference that the government was grateful to Taiwan.

"However, history and the socioeconomic reality force us now to change direction," he explained.

China-Taiwan ties have worsened since the island elected Tsai Ing-wen president in 2016
The number of countries recognising Taiwan as a state has dwindled in recent years as China's diplomatic influence has strengthened.

The last countries before the Dominican Republic to switch allegiance had been Panama last year and the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe in 2016.

Only 19 countries have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, most of them small island states or in Central and South America - regions that in the past had limited economic ties with China. They are:

Latin America and the Caribbean: Belize, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras and Saint Lucia
Africa: Burkina Faso and Swaziland
Europe: The Vatican
The Pacific: Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Relations between the two have worsened since the island elected Tsai Ing-wen as president in 2016.

Ms Tsai has not formally endorsed the "one China" policy - an agreement in 1992 where both sides agreed there was only one China, but had different interpretations of what that meant.

Beijing fears she will push for Taiwan's formal independence, but Ms Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo.

Since her election, Beijing has intensified its efforts to isolate Taiwan and persuade its supporters to switch sides.

Given China's rapid growth as an economic and political global power, it has been increasingly easy for Beijing to sway countries to its side.

Just asking! Trump seeks opinions on Twitter for Korea meeting - BBC News

Just asking! Trump seeks opinions on Twitter for Korea meeting
30 April 2018

The border village of Panmunjom, which Donald Trump has suggested as a location for a summit
Donald Trump has tweeted to suggest the North-South Korea border for his feverishly anticipated summit with Kim Jong-un, before adding: "Just asking!"

The US president is preparing for historic talks with his North Korean counterpart. "Numerous locations" were still being considered, he said.

But Peace House, on the border between the Koreas, would be a "Representative, Important and Lasting" venue, he mused.

The house hosted the recent summit between North and South Korea leaders.

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump
 Numerous countries are being considered for the MEETING, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the Border of North & South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country? Just asking!

10:19 PM - Apr 30, 2018

Mr Kim met the South Korean president Moon Jae-in there last week to discuss denuclearisation of the North - a key issue for any talks with the US.

It was not clear who exactly Mr Trump's breezy tweet was addressed to. His tone belied the historic nature of the planned summit, which if it goes ahead will be the first ever meeting between US and North Korean leaders.

Speaking at a rally in Washington, Michigan at the weekend, the president said he expected the summit to take place "over the next three or four weeks".

David Frum

@davidfrum
 Trying to imagine any other president addressing a petty local dictator with a "just asking" plea

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump
Numerous countries are being considered for the MEETING, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the Border of North & South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country? Just asking!

10:45 PM - Apr 30, 2018

Some groundwork has been laid for the meeting - in his previous role as head of the CIA, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this month secretly visited the North Korean capital Pyongyang to meet Mr Kim.

But a venue has yet to be confirmed. Mr Trump said in his tweet on Monday that "numerous" locations were being considered. Mongolia and Singapore are understood to be frontrunners.

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A meeting at Peace House would make life easy for Mr Kim, for whom foreign travel is exceedingly rare. It was not until last month that he made his first foreign trip as leader, travelling to China in a bulletproof train so heavy its maximum speed is just 37mph.

It would also save the North the potential embarrassment of having to borrow a plane. There are reports that none of North Korea's aging fleet of state aircraft would be capable of reaching some of the further away locations suggested for the US summit.

Israel's Iran documents show nuclear deal 'was built on lies' - BBC News

May 1, 2018

Israel's Iran documents show nuclear deal 'was built on lies'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled on Monday what he claims to be Iran's secret atomic archive
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says a landmark nuclear deal with Iran was "built on lies", after Israel claimed to have proof of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons programme.

Mr Pompeo said documents revealed by Israel's prime minister were authentic.

Analysts say they show nothing new, highlighting that concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions led to the deal.

US President Donald Trump, who opposes the accord, has until 12 May to decide whether to abandon it or not.

Other Western powers, including signatories Britain and France, say Iran has been abiding by the deal and it should be kept.

Could the nuclear deal collapse?
Why the bomb is back
What is Iran accused of?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of conducting a secret nuclear weapons programme, dubbed Project Amad, and said it had continued to pursue nuclear weapons knowledge after the project was shuttered in 2003.

That followed the revelation in 2002 by an exiled Iranian opposition group that Iran was constructing secret nuclear sites in breach of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which Iran was a signatory.

Mr Netanyahu presented what he said was evidence of thousands of "secret nuclear files" that showed Iran had lied about its nuclear ambitions before the landmark deal was signed in 2015.

Tension between the long-standing enemies has grown steadily since Iran built up its military presence in Syria, which lies to the north-east of Israel.

Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons, and agreed three years ago to curb its nuclear energy programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

The Israeli prime minister did not provide evidence that Iran had violated the accord since it went into effect in early 2016. But he insisted that Project Amad had continued at the Iranian defence ministry - citing the head of the programme as saying: "Special activities will be carried out under the title of scientific know-how developments."

Israel's claim to have stolen and accessed files from a secret Iranian nuclear archive in a warehouse in Tehran may be a tale of daring espionage, but beyond that there is not much new, says the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus.

Mr Netanyahu said he had shared the files with the US, and they would be submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

What does the US say?
"The documents obtained by Israel from inside Iran show beyond any doubt that the Iranian regime was not telling the truth," Mr Pompeo said in a statement.

"Iran hid a vast atomic archive from the world and from the IAEA - until today," the new secretary of state added.

Mr Pompeo also warned that the US was now "assessing what the discovery of Iran's secret nuclear files means for the future".

Mr Trump, who has been vocal about his opposition to the Obama-era deal, said he had viewed part of Mr Netanyahu's presentation and said the situation was "not acceptable".

He said he would make a decision on whether to retain the deal in the next 12 days.

What other reaction has there been?
Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the move by Mr Netanyahu was a "childish" stunt to influence Mr Trump's decision on whether the US should stick with the nuclear deal.

A spokesman for the UK government, a signatory of the deal, said it would continue to back the deal, adding: "We have never been naive about Iran and its nuclear intentions."

Rob Malley, who was on the Iran negotiating team under the Obama administration, played down the allegations, saying they were "nothing new".

Skip Twitter post by @Rob_Malley

Rob Malley

@Rob_Malley
 For those who have followed the Iranian nuclear file, there is nothing new in Bibi's presentation.  All it does is vindicate need for the nuclear deal

But the Israeli prime minister has an audience of one: Trump

And he's unfortunately unlikely to reach the same conclusion.

3:42 AM - May 1, 2018

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the documents have not put into question Iran's compliance with the 2015 deal and said they should be analysed by the IAEA.

How is the 2015 deal meant to work?
The agreement signed between Iran, the US, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain lifted crippling economic sanctions in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme.

There had been fears that Iran would use the programme to create a nuclear weapon.

Under the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran is committed to slashing the number of its centrifuges, which are machines used to enrich uranium.

It is also meant to cut its stockpile of enriched uranium drastically and not enrich remaining uranium to the level needed to produce nuclear weapons.

The number of centrifuges installed at Iran's Natanz and Fordo sites was cut drastically soon after the deal while tonnes of low-enriched uranium were shipped to Russia.

Furthermore, monitors from the IAEA have been able to carry out snap inspections at Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran nuclear deal: Key details
Why is Trump unhappy about it?
The US president has not held back in voicing his opposition to the deal, which he has described as the "worst ever".

He has twice already refused to certify to Congress that Iran is complying with the agreement, and warned that the US would withdraw completely on 12 May - the next deadline for waiving sanctions - unless European signatories to the deal and Congress addressed his concerns.

He is unhappy that it only limited Iran's nuclear activities for a fixed period and had failed to stop the development of ballistic missiles.

He also said it had handed Iran a $100bn (£72bn) windfall that it used "as a slush fund for weapons, terror, and oppression" across the Middle East.