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Former CIA director John Brennan continued to criticize President Donald Trump, demanding a “smarter” and “more sophisticated” approach to Iran and China. “Using tariffs as a blunt force instrument against allies and partners is not only short-sighted but also plays into the hands of Russia and China,” Brennan wrote on Twitter. “Same is true with bombastic rhetoric against Iran. We need to be smarter, more sophisticated, more strategic.”

"Think about trying to live today on the income you had 15 years ago." That's how agriculture expert Chris Hurt describes the plight facing U.S. farmers today. The unequal economy that's emerged over the past decade, combined with patchy access to health care in rural areas, have had a severe impact on the people growing America's food. Recent data shows just how much. Farmers are dying by suicide at a higher rate than any other occupational group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The suicide rate in the field of farming, fishing and forestry is 84.5...

The U.S. Agriculture Department on Tuesday plans to announce a $12 billion package of emergency aid for farmers caught in the midst of President Trump’s escalating trade war, two people briefed on the plan said, the latest sign that growing tensions between the United States and other countries will not end soon. Trump ordered Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to prepare a range of options several months ago, amid complaints from farmers that their products faced retaliatory tariffs from China and other countries. The new package of government assistance funds will be announced Tuesday and is expected to go into effect...

Many U.S. manufacturers are shrugging off concerns over tariffs and trade tensions as strong demand at home and abroad is yielding stronger-than-expected profits.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) tells @burgessev and me outside GOP lunch that $12 billion in trade assistance to farmers from Trump administration "this is becoming more and more like a Soviet-type of economy here" with "commissars" sprinkling around benefits.

WASHINGTON — The government announced a $12 billion plan Tuesday to assist farmers who have been hurt by President Donald Trump's trade disputes with China and other trading partners. The plan focuses on Midwest soybean producers and others targeted by retaliatory measures. The Agriculture Department said the proposal would include direct assistance for farmers, purchases of excess crops and trade promotion activities aimed at building new export markets. Officials said the plan would not require congressional approval and would come through the Commodity Credit Corporation, a wing of the department that addresses agricultural prices. "This is a short-term solution that...

Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sent U.S. President Donald Trump a letter calling for a swift conclusion to NAFTA negotiations and pledging his wish to reset relations between the two countries, Mexican officials said on Sunday. Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sent U.S. President Donald Trump a letter urging a swift end to NAFTA negotiations and suggesting the leaders could work well together due to their shared anti-establishment style, Mexican officials said on Sunday. The letter was delivered during a recent meeting in Mexico with senior U.S. officials, and details were disclosed once Trump had received it, said...

President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday released a seven-page letter he sent to U.S. President Donald Trump detailing how he plans to improve Mexico's economy and security when he takes office in December so that Mexicans do not feel the need to migrate. "There will be many changes," he promised in the letter. "And in this new atmosphere of progress with well-being, I'm sure we can reach agreements to confront together the migration phenomenon as well as the problem of border insecurity." Lopez Obrador also suggested the two countries draft a development plan backed by public funds and invite...

President Donald Trump is making his first visit to Illinois since becoming president, making a stop in Granite City on Thursday where he is expected to tout the reopening of a U.S. Steel Corp. mill. The White House announced Sunday night Trump will swing through Granite City, in southern Illinois near St. Louis and Dubuque, Iowa, on Thursday. The Trump administration has been highlighting U.S. Steel’s Granite City mill as a trade war success story even as the tariffs have sparked concerns in other sectors, with alarms sounded by Illinois farmers whose main crop is soybeans. The visit will have...

Reuters) - The value of China's trade with North Korea in the first half of 2018 tumbled 56.1 percent from a year earlier to $1.1 billion, customs data showed on Monday. In the same period, imports from North Korea dropped sharply by 87.9 percent on-year to $107.3 million, while exports were down 38.8 percent to $997.3 million. China's June total trade with North Korea was valued at $217.16 million, down from $230.87 million in the previous month.

As the editors of The Weekly Standard suggested last week, Congress could pass a resolution of censure for the president’s conduct and his subsequent comments. Congress can also take steps with concrete consequences: • Pass legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia in the event of any future attacks on our democratic process. Dare President Trump to veto it. Override him if he does. • Hold hearings that would include in-depth testimony from the national security team on the Russian attacks, putting the case on the record (again), while putting pressure on members of the administration to correct the president’s comments....

Many topics discussed, including Trade Deficits, Federal Reserve policy, Russia, Jobs-training, Surprisingly fair interview, IMHO. The President made several good points on a variety of topics.

Every time the President talks about trade negotiations, it makes the news. On July 18, he mentioned – for the umpteenth time – that he might prefer to break NAFTA up into two agreements, and the press went ballistic again. We have hundreds of major issues in United States politics – taxes, unemployment, crime, foreign policy – and people can talk comfortably about them because they are always on the collective mind. But trade is different; it’s only an issue once every generation or so. So this is an issue with tons of misconceptions, not only in the electorate, but...

European stocks fell Friday, with auto and bank shares among those losing ground as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a significant expansion in tariffs on Chinese imports, underscoring concerns that a global trade war will crimp global economic growth and corporate profits. ---snip--- European stocks extended losses after Trump, in an interview with CNBC, said he’s “ready” to put tariffs on all Chinese goods imported to the U.S., which would amount to more than $500 billion. Trump had previously said he’s looking at targeting $200 billion in Chinese imports, and that would be on top of tariffs already in effect...

President Donald Trump has indicated that he’s willing to hit every product imported from China with tariffs, sending U.S. markets sliding before the opening bell Friday. In a taped interview with the business channel CNBC, Trump said “I’m willing to go to 500,” referring roughly to the $505.5 billion in goods imported last year from China. The administration to date has slapped tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods in a trade dispute over what it calls the nation’s predatory practices. Dow futures which had already been pointing modestly lower slid sharply after the comments were aired by CNBC early...

As President Trump made clear at the NATO summit with European leaders, “other countries trade barriers” have for years harmed U.S. businesses and hurt American workers while U.S troops have defended their borders. These same countries are now attacking criticizing the U.S. for levying its own tariffs to protect our own national defense. As some of America’s largest aluminum producers, we strongly support Trump’s leadership on the steel and aluminum tariffs to protect our own national security. Since Trump announced the historic tariffs in March, the American public has been inundated with “sky is falling” rhetoric from entrenched special interests...

Nucor posted the highest second-quarter profit in its history as the steelmaker ramped up output to meet demand from President Trump's 25 percent tariffs on imports from overseas competitors. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company has benefited as Trump's duties reduced so-called dumping of illegally subsidized metals in the U.S. from foreign producers, said Chief Executive Officer John Ferriola. China, in particular, has long been criticized for undercutting steel prices, which harms American manufacturers. "The tariffs send a clear message that the U.S. is done asking nicely for compliance with the rules of trade and is serious about demanding changes in the...

OTTAWA—Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday shook up his cabinet to prioritize trade diversification, signaling Canada’s growing unease about U.S. trade policy just as it faces further tariff threats from the U.S. On Wednesday the U.S. Commerce Department launched a probe on whether uranium imports threatened national

The European Union says it is already preparing measures to retaliate against the United States if President Donald Trump puts tariffs on imported cars and auto parts. The auto industry is a big employer and exporter in Europe, and the new tariffs could hit the region hard, as well as consumers and manufacturers in the U.S., where prices would rise. ...snip For Europe, there is a lot at stake as companies like BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, and Fiat Chrysler send $46.6 billion worth of vehicles every year to the U.S. Some 13.3 million people, or 6.1 percent of the employed population...

There’s a flip side to the U.S. trade deficit that President Donald Trump rails against—the flow of capital from abroad that covers that gap. It leaves the U.S. vulnerable to other kinds of retaliation. As the world’s biggest debtor, the U.S. depends on investors abroad to continue to invest in America. And among the biggest investors is the country that Trump is targeting for its big bilateral surplus with the U.S. and its alleged unfair trade practices: China. As the largest holder of U.S. Treasury securities, China helps fund both legs of the so-called twin deficits—the budget shortfall as well...