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The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) broke ground Tuesday on its third factory in Arizona, widening the Trump administration’s push to yank critical chip production out of China’s shadow, according to the Department of Commerce. The new fab — backed by some $6.6 billion in CHIPS Act grants and part of a broader $100 billion expansion pledge TSMC made in March — is slated to provide thousands of local jobs and anchor a domestic supply chain for everything from smartphones to fighter jet avionics, according to a TSMC press release “It’s the key,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said of domestic...

The United States and Ukraine are on the verge of signing a mineral deal after months of fraught and chaotic negotiations, although a last-minute snag still needs to be ironed out. Ukraine's prime minister said First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was flying to Washington on Wednesday to sign the deal, which is central to Kyiv's efforts to mend ties with President Donald Trump and the White House as the U.S. president tries to secure a peace settlement in Russia's war in Ukraine. ... However, a snag arose as Svyrydenko’s plane headed to Washington, with U.S. officials reportedly demanding that...

China has created a list of US-made products that would be exempted from its 125 per cent tariffs and is quietly notifying companies about the policy, two people familiar with the matter said, as Beijing seeks to ease the impact of its trade war with Washington. China has already granted tariff exemptions on select products, including select pharmaceuticals, microchips and aircraft engines and was asking firms to identify critical goods they need levy-free, Reuters reported on Friday (Apr 25). However, the existence of a so-called 'whitelist' had not been previously reported. The quiet approach allows Beijing, which has repeatedly said...

PUC Public Comment Hearing Info re: Xcel Energy JTS.. ... The PUC invites community members to provide comments regarding Xcel Energy’s Just Transition Plan (JTS), Proceeding 24A-0442E. The JTS is Xcel Energy’s next Electric Resource Plan to address the acquisition of new utility resources to meet future electricity needs on its system. The primary objectives of the JTS include fulfilling resource adequacy and providing reliable service; continuing progress on emissions reductions; and, delivering a just transition in communities where generation assets are retiring. Xcel Energy’s Unit 3 coal-fired facility in Pueblo will retire no later than Jan. 1, 2031, and...

With the closure of Hayden Station approaching, Routt County and Hayden are at a crossroads, facing not only the loss of a major economic engine, but also the challenge of ensuring a just transition for workers and the broader community. At the regular meeting of the Routt County commissioners on Tuesday, local residents and stakeholders gathered for an educational presentation hosted by the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate, aimed to demystify the complex regulatory process and prepare the public for Thursday’s critical Public Utilities Commission hearing in Hayden.. Routt County and Hayden are seeking an $89 million unified settlement...

[Note: This article has been updated to include a new response from the office of Hakeem Jeffries.] HOUSE MINORITY LEADER Hakeem Jeffries was asked Monday whether Democrats should continue to advocate for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and the other men wrongly shipped to El Salvador, by making the trip to the country to put a spotlight on the issue. “Our reaction is that Donald Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president in modern American history,” Jeffries responded. But while Jeffries may be publicly agnostic on El Salvador trips like the one Reps. Robert Garcia, Yassamin Ansari,...

Inflation fell to zero in March, a welcome reprieve after persistent inflation under President Biden and the best reading in nearly five years, even as consumer spending accelerated sharply and incomes rose solidly — a powerful signal of economic improvement at the start of the Trump administration. The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, was flat in March, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Core PCE — which strips out food and energy — was also unchanged, marking the tamest monthly inflation reading since early 2020. Compared with a...

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) backs President Donald Trump on tariffs, he made clear during an appearance at an Axios News Shapers event this week. Trump has the backing of Johnson, who said according to Axios that the tariffs “are working.” “I think the executive has a broad array of authority that’s been recognized over the years,” Johnson said. “If it gets close to where the imbalance is there, then we would step in.” However, if it came to that, Johnson said the first line of defense would be calling Trump directly. “But I think the first protocol, to be...

On Wednesday, it was reported that China had quietly compiled a list of US-made goods exempt from its 125% tariffs, aiming to ease trade tensions without public concessions. Companies, particularly those reliant on US technologies — such as pharmaceuticals and chipmakers — are being discreetly informed about these exemptions, Reuters reported. The list appears to be expanding: For instance, China recently waived tariffs on US ethane imports. This approach allows Beijing to maintain a firm public stance while offering behind-the-scenes relief. Reports emerged last week that China quietly rolled back tariffs on some US semiconductor products, easing pressure on its...

The U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter despite underlying strength in consumer and business spending. Gross domestic product contracted at an annualized rate of 0.3 percent, the Department of Commerce said on Wednesday. The decline in U.S. gross domestic product marks a sharp reversal from the 2.4 percent growth rate recorded at the end of last year. This was the lowest rate of growth since 2022, when the economy avoided an official recession but contracted for two consecutive quarters. Final sales to private domestic purchasers, a closely watched measure of business and consumer health, expanded at a healthy pace...

The U.S. economy contracted in the first three months of 2025, as businesses rushed to stock up on imports ahead of tariffs and consumers eased their pace of spending. The Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—fell at a seasonally and inflation adjusted 0.3% annual rate in the first quarter. That was the steepest decline since the first quarter of 2022. The reading fell short of the 0.4% growth that economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected. The decline in GDP in the first quarter reflected front-running ahead of...

Planning a vacation in Hawaii? Might be better to make it sooner rather than later as local lawmakers are ready to hike a tax imposed on travelers staying in hotels, vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations. AP reports the first-of-its-kind impost will earmark the funding boost for programs to cope with “climate change” with the politicians responsible pointing to the wildfires that devastated parts of Hawaii in 2023 as evidence that something must be done. State leaders highlight projects like replenishing sand on eroding beaches, helping homeowners install hurricane clips on their roofs and removing invasive grasses as a starting...

President Donald Trump speech to announce new fighter jets to the Michigan National Guard0:17 well I guess they think we're going to 0:18 save this place and you know what 0:21 they're right 100% right we're going to 0:23 save it and make it better actually so 0:26 at ease everybody at ease enjoy yourself 0:28 sit down if you can if those are chairs 0:31 yeah they are in a sense thank you very 0:34 much it's an honor to be back in the 0:38 great state of Michigan and as you know 0:41 we had big victory in...

"Spain's power grid ran entirely on renewable energy".. Spain was supposed to be Europe’s Green Energy success story. With massive amounts of renewables in the power grid, Spain was going to save the planet. Here’s Red Electrica, Spain’s state-owned power company, last year bragging about its renewables. “Renewable energies generated 56% of Spain’s electricity mix in 2024 Renewable generation increased by almost 11% in a record-breaking year on two fronts: achieving the highest renewable electricity generation ever recorded and capturing its largest share since records began.” Now, Red Electrica is trying to explain why all the lights went out. Spain...

President Trump signed an executive order Monday that requires commercial truck drivers in the United States to be proficient in English. The text of the order acknowledges the essential role that truck drivers play in the U.S. economy and the livelihood of American people. “Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently,” the order said. Trump designated English as the country’s official language in an executive order in March. In his order Monday, the president said proficiency in English should be nonnegotiable for professional drivers....

Housing activity for new residential construction climbed in March, spurred by a greater supply of houses during a crucial spring period. Sales of new homes rose 7.4% in March to a seasonally adjusted rate of 724,000 units, up from February's rate of 676,000, according to the Census Bureau data released on Wednesday. The reading came in well above Bloomberg's consensus forecast of 685,000. Inventory also ticked up, with 503,000 homes for sale at the end of March, a 0.6% increase from the prior month and the highest level since 2007, according to Bloomberg. Regionally, sales in the South jumped at...

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday teased that the Trump administration has reached its first trade deal, but said it was not fully finalized and declined to name the country involved. “I have a deal done, done, done, done, but I need to wait for their prime minister and their parliament to give its approval, which I expect shortly,” Lutnick told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan. The stock market rose to its highs of the session following the comments, as Wall Street is watching closely for signs of progress in trade negotiations. Lutnick did say that he was not dealing directly with...

according to Bloomberg News. Most of the hikes in US prices came on Friday, with markups significantly higher in some categories than others, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. The average price for the top 100 products in the beauty and health category increased by 51% from Thursday, with several of the items more than doubling in price. For home and kitchen products and toys, the average jump was more than 30%, led by a massive 377% increase in the price of a 10-piece set of kitchen towels. For women’s clothing the rise was 8%. E-commerce shopping platforms like...

WASHINGTON — President Trump signed executive orders Monday evening, kicking off a crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and all of New York — after previously calling for their federal funding to be cut. One order the 78-year-old inked behind closed doors in the Oval Office gives Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem 30 days to draw up a list of cities and states that “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” “Immediately following each publication… the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify each sanctuary jurisdiction regarding its defiance...

To hear the Democrats say it, the country is in chaos, the economy is collapsing, and it’s all Trump’s fault. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Trump administration marked its first 100 days with impressive economic achievements, as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent detailed in Tuesday's briefing. Leavitt revealed strong job growth numbers, announcing, "345,000 jobs have already been added since the start of President Trump's term. Last month's jobs report saw nearly 100,000 more jobs than economists predicted." "It was the fourth highest month for private payroll growth in the...