TRUMP’S TAXES AND TARIFFS
US President Donald Trump is trying to rattle by his lengthy, lengthy checklist of marketing campaign guarantees in his first week again within the Oval Workplace and has now turned (a few of) his consideration to world affairs.
On Wednesday, writing on his Fact Social platform, Trump threatened to impose “excessive ranges of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions” on Russia and its allies if it doesn’t cease its invasion of Ukraine, The Guardian stories. (Reminder: Trump claimed he would be capable to finish the struggle in Ukraine inside 24 hours of changing into president).
It’s a protracted submit and I’m not planning on making a behavior of together with his countless posts in each Worm, however given we’re within the early levels of the second Trump administration and the subject material, I believed it was value sharing the total textual content:
“I’m not seeking to damage Russia. I like the Russian folks, and all the time had an excellent relationship with President Putin — and this regardless of the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We should always remember that Russia helped us win the Second World Conflict, shedding nearly 60,000,000 lives within the course of. All of that being mentioned, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economic system is failing, and President Putin, a really massive FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous Conflict! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and shortly, I’ve no different selection however to place excessive ranges of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on something being bought by Russia to the US, and varied different taking part international locations. Let’s get this struggle, which by no means would have began if I have been President, over with! We will do it the simple method, or the exhausting method — and the simple method is all the time higher. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!,” Trump mentioned.
Now whether or not he’s truly going to place any tariffs and sanctions on Putin and Russia very a lot stays to be seen. Trump’s threats of tariffs was the main world concern forward of his return to workplace, having beforehand pledged to hit China with a 60% tariff on its items, Mexico and China with 25% import taxes, and a lot of the remainder of the world with 10% tariffs.
The BBC stories the US president as an alternative acknowledged this week that he was contemplating imposing a ten% tariff on imports of Chinese language-made items from February. These tariffs could be “based mostly on the truth that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada”, he claimed.
The British broadcaster says China’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded by promising to “safeguard its nationwide pursuits”, including: “Now we have all the time believed that commerce wars and tariff wars don’t have any winners.” Trump has additionally claimed the European Union “deal with us very, very badly … In order that they’re going to be in for tariffs. It’s the one method you’re going to get again. It’s the one method you’re going to get equity.”
On Wednesday, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded with: “Europe won’t cower and conceal, however as an alternative be a constructive and assertive associate.” He added: “Europe should be sturdy and resilient in world that’s, to place it mildly, in movement,” The Guardian mentioned.
Scholz made the feedback throughout a go to to Paris to satisfy French President Emmanuel Macron. Throughout a joint information convention on the Elysee Palace, Scholz additionally mentioned Trump “can be, and a lot is already clear, a problem”, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle stories.
On the World Financial Discussion board’s annual convention in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday JPMorgan Chase’s chief government Jamie Dimon known as tariffs a precious “financial weapon”, The New York Instances stories.
“If it’s somewhat inflationary, nevertheless it’s good for nationwide safety — so be it,” Dimon advised CNBC. “Recover from it,” he added. The NYT notes Dimon mentioned a number of occasions in 2018, throughout Trump’s first time period, that tariffs have been a menace to the economic system.
In different developments, the BBC says “the State Division has halted refugee processing and journey plans after Trump mentioned he would droop refugee admissions to the US from 27 January.” It additionally highlights that federal authorities’ capacity to hold out swift deportations have been expanded. The Related Press says the previous resolution has left 1000’s stranded, together with “greater than 1,600 Afghans looking for to flee Taliban rule”. The newswire additionally stories officers have claimed the Pentagon will “start deploying as many as 1,500 lively obligation troops to assist safe the southern border within the coming days”.
Fox Information stories President Trump will sit down with host Sean Hannity for the primary Oval Workplace interview of his second time period. The interview will air at 9pm ET (1pm AEDT).
In the meantime, the Trump administration’s massive infrastructure announcement on Tuesday turned out to be a $500 billion AI venture dubbed Stargate — involving OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank — which plans to construct knowledge centres throughout America.
We’ve not gone 24 hours because it was introduced and Elon Musk (sure I’m afraid we’ve to say him once more) has been overtly questioning the funding for the venture on his social media platform X. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has responded with a reasonably blunt “incorrect, as you certainly know.” His full reply is right here.
The opposite main worldwide information story this morning is Prince Harry’s authorized workforce saying a settlement has been reached with Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group Information Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of illegal data gathering.
Reuters writes Prince Harry has declared it a “monumental” victory after the writer “settled his lawsuit, admitting illegal actions at its Solar tabloid for the primary time and paying substantial damages”.
The Guardian stories an announcement learn to the courtroom mentioned: “NGN affords a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the intense intrusion by the Solar between 1996 and 2011 into his personal life, together with incidents of illegal actions carried out by personal investigators working for the Solar.” It additionally apologised to the 40-year-old for “the influence on him of the intensive protection and severe intrusion into his personal life in addition to the personal lifetime of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mom, specifically throughout his youthful years”, The New York Instances mentioned. NGN’s full assertion is right here.
The BBC mentioned it understood the settlements to Prince Harry and his fellow claimant, former Labour deputy chief Lord Tom Watson, “have price NGN greater than £10 million in pay outs and authorized charges”. The broadcaster mentioned NGN “spent upwards of £1 billion in damages and prices to those that declare their telephones have been hacked and their privateness invaded by the Information of the World and the Solar”.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN INTERVIEWS
In home information we’ll first deal with the tennis, with Alex de Minaur saying his straight units loss to world No.1 Jannik Sinner within the quarter-finals felt like being “slapped throughout the face”, the ABC stories.
“After taking part in some nice tennis on residence soil and gaining a lot, you are feeling such as you simply have been slapped throughout the face, to complete off like that,” he advised reporters after his 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 defeat. “I’ll survive. I’ll preserve bettering. And if something, I simply want to sit down with my workforce and work out a solution to damage Jannik on the courtroom… as a result of in the meanwhile we don’t have it. So, again to the drafting board, like I’ve carried out my entire profession.”
Additionally making headlines in a single day was 22-year-old American Ben Shelton, who after making it by to his first Australian Open semi-final, criticised the match’s on-court interviews as “disrespectful”, Guardian Australia says.
Following on from Novak Djokovic’s criticism of Channel 9, Shelton mentioned on Wednesday: “I’ve been somewhat bit shocked this week with how gamers have been handled by the broadcasters,” the ABC stories. He added: “I really feel like there’s simply been quite a lot of negativity. I believe that’s one thing that should change.”
In political information, The Sydney Morning Herald is flagging its newest polling with analysis firm Resolve Strategic, which it claims exhibits “Australians have swung extra assist behind Opposition Chief Peter Dutton amid new indicators of frustration over the price of dwelling, as 46% of voters say they anticipate their actual wages to fall this 12 months.” The polling additionally confirmed 50% of respondees anticipated inflation to worsen within the close to future.
Which is clearly considerably at odds to different polling we flagged earlier within the week, which advised Australians have been feeling extra optimistic in regards to the economic system and their funds in 2025.
What can we be taught from this? Effectively, the same old — take every bit of polling you learn with an enormous dose of wholesome scepticism.
Lastly, Overseas Affairs Minister Penny Wong and the brand new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have met in Washington and agreed to work collectively to safe a “affluent Indo-Pacific area free from coercion” and to “proceed safety cooperation by AUKUS and bilateral defence initiatives”, The Australian stories.
The paper mentioned Wong had additionally spoken on the Australian embassy and declared: “President Trump has made it clear that he’s going to do issues in another way.”
Which is sort of the understatement.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE…
You’ve heard of Snakes on a Airplane — nicely at present it’s the flip of a cat on a airplane to make the headlines.
The Related Press stories an eight-year-old cat named Mittens made three journeys in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia earlier this month after its cage was left within the airplane’s cargo maintain.
Mittens had been booked on a one-way journey from Christchurch to Melbourne as her household relocated to Australia. After touchdown in Australia, proprietor Margo Neas was knowledgeable her pet had been unloaded from the airplane, however after ready for 3 hours with no signal of Mittens she was advised the airplane had returned to New Zealand with the cat nonetheless on board.
The newswire stories Neas was advised a wheelchair had obscured a baggage handler’s view of Mittens’ cage, leading to it being missed. After being advised of Mittens’ presence, the Air New Zealand pilot made certain the heating was on within the maintain to maintain Mittens comfy because the cat flew again to Christchurch after which again to Melbourne once more.
“She mainly simply bumped into my arms and simply snuggled up in right here and simply did the largest cuddles of all time. It was simply such a reduction,” Neas mentioned of her eventual reunion with Mittens.
Air New Zealand apologised and mentioned it might reimburse all prices related to Mittens’ journey, AP added.
Say What?
The so-called Bishop who spoke on the Nationwide Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left exhausting line Trump hater, She was nasty in tone, and never compelling or sensible… She and her church owe the general public an apology!
Donald Trump
The president of the US of America posted on his social media platform about Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde after she pleaded with the 78-year-old to have mercy on immigrants and members of the LGBTQIA+ group throughout her sermon on the Nationwide Prayer Service at Washington Nationwide Cathedral on Tuesday, at which Trump was current.
CRIKEY RECAP
Elon Musk is perhaps antisemitic, however he’s OUR antisemite, so palms off!
Since then, antisemites and Nazis have “flourished” on X; Musk has additionally reinstated the accounts of Holocaust deniers who’ve known as for the killing of Jews. He has endorsed the far-right German political celebration Different for Germany (AfD) as the one celebration that may save the nation, regardless of AfD’s historical past of utilizing Nazi slogans, downplaying the Holocaust and glorifying German historical past; he’s additionally backed the UK Reform Occasion regardless of its repeated hyperlinks with antisemitic candidates.
It’s unsurprising, then, that Musk celebrated the inauguration of Donald Trump with a Nazi salute. Effectively, it’s a Nazi salute in accordance with historians, in accordance with antisemites and Nazis themselves, and in accordance with Israeli newspapers. However what would they know? In response to US media, it wasn’t a Nazi salute in any respect. CNN known as it an “odd-looking salute“. The Washington Publish — managed by Trump-truckling billionaire Jeff Bezos — known as it a “straight arm gesture“. The Monetary Assessment, taking its reside feed from The New York Instances, known as it a “unusual salute”. 9 known as it an “odd gesture“. Even the ADL baulked at criticising Musk, claiming that it was a “delicate second” and that it was solely “an ungainly gesture in a second of enthusiasm”.
So, who’re you going to consider — your individual eyes, historians and even Nazis themselves? Or media retailers and foyer teams frightened about their publicity to a vengeful Trump and his acolytes and enablers? There’s just one check that counts in figuring out whether or not it was any form of Nazi salute: what would the protection have been if a distinguished progressive determine had carried out it? The consequence would have been blaring headlines, an avalanche of ferocious denunciation and acres of op-eds arguing it confirmed that the left is basically antisemitic. There wouldn’t have been an “odd gesture” in sight.
Will taking a ‘tough-on-crime’ method to tackling antisemitism work?
If Opposition Chief Peter Dutton and NSW Premier Chris Minns handle to make regulation of their proposed new plans to fight antisemitism, they are going to be following a worldwide sample of more durable hate speech penalties enacted because the Hamas assaults on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Terrorism offences would appeal to a minimal of six years in jail beneath the Coalition’s proposed legal guidelines, whereas these displaying terrorist organisation indicators, Nazi symbols or performing a Nazi salute would face not less than a 12 months behind bars.
Minns has mentioned hate speech legal guidelines are anticipated to be strengthened when the NSW Parliament reconvenes in February, regardless of a nine-month-long evaluation headed by Regulation Reform Fee president Tom Bathurst concluding the reforms might not be the simplest technique of combatting antisemitism.
“Our authorities goes to… strengthen legal guidelines, in order that if somebody’s preaching hatred in the neighborhood, it doesn’t present itself two or three months later in a firebombing, an assault or one thing worse,” Minns mentioned. “No stone can be left unturned.”
Whereas some Jewish teams have welcomed the more durable legal guidelines, different teams have raised questions on whether or not measures like necessary sentences will cut back incidents.
Donald Trump is the primary pump-and-dump president
It defies perception that Trump comprehends even probably the most primary factor about memecoins. I problem you to think about him utilizing a pc. However I guess you that the economics of it makes intuitive sense to him. In spite of everything, the enchantment of a memecoin is more-or-less the identical as Trump as a politician. He’s our first pump-and-dump president.
Just like the memecoins pumped and dumped each single day, everyone is aware of that we will’t all be winners within the Trump presidency. Peeling again the bluster and hype, the one method that individuals can acquire beneath Trump’s plans is that if another person loses. In actual fact, a part of the enchantment is the depraved delight of seeing a sure form of particular person lose — whether or not it’s a rube who was silly sufficient to purchase in late or the kid of an unlawful immigrant whose citizenship may now be retracted beneath a brand new government order.
Key to all of it although is the assumption — maybe the delusion — that the Trump supporter won’t be the one that loses. Individuals vote for Trump and purchase $TRUMP as a result of they consider it’ll make their lives nice once more.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
May ‘criminals for rent’ be behind some antisemitic assaults in Australia? Right here’s what we all know (Guardian Australia)
Judges, medical doctors warn of ‘unacceptable threat’ to public security (The Sydney Morning Herald) ($)
‘F–okay it: Launch ’em all’: Why Trump embraced broad Jan. 6 pardons (Axios)
TikTokers provided $5,000 to hitch Fb and Instagram (BBC)
Netflix refines its sports activities plan as Jake Paul helps wow traders (AFR)
Europe braces for a brand new Trump period, unsure about what it means (The New York Instances) ($)
THE COMMENTARIAT
I do know what Trump means for our planet. I nonetheless select hope – Aaron Regunberg (The New Republic): However anger alone is just not sufficient to push again the forces of despair, which proper now — for me, not less than — are ever-present, ready within the wings for an opportunity to brush throughout the stage and take management. To maintain these forces at bay, we additionally want to search out our sources of hope.
That may be powerful. With local weather change, it usually seems like every day, every headline, builds the case for despair: Local weather change is accelerating quicker than all our predictions. Harmful suggestions loops — the place small quantities of warming set off bodily modifications like melting sea ice or political modifications just like the rise of rightwing authoritarianism that then trigger the planet to heat even quicker — are looming, and the catastrophic results we’re beginning to see are going to be growing not linearly, however quite exponentially. Shit goes to get actually dangerous — like, actually dangerous — and I believe ahead of even the extra cynical of us predict.
Towards that backdrop, no-one with a passing information of local weather science can lay a robust declare to the form of pure, unalloyed hope that claims every little thing’s gonna be okay. The reality is, it isn’t. As an alternative, we have to work out the best way to come to phrases with a grimmer, rougher form of hope that admits that there are quite a lot of stable empirical causes on this second to decide on despair, but additionally asks a vital, and sensible, query — what does despairing get us?
Donald Trump’s new local weather paradigm — The Australian Editorial (The Australian): The influence of Trump’s modifications extends past authorities. Six of the largest US banks have abruptly stop the UN’s Web Zero Banking Alliance. Main funding funds are reassessing their dedication to mandating local weather funding and net-zero targets.
This leaves Australia dedicated to a regulation-heavy method to local weather motion and anxious to be seen to be a part of the Paris Settlement institution. Some have argued that Australia can bypass the Trump administration and deal straight with particular person states resembling California. This may need labored beneath Trump Mark I however is prone to be a lot much less productive now.
The truth is the UN course of and Paris Settlement recognise nationwide governments as state events. Australia will need to have a protracted, exhausting take a look at what are its greatest pursuits. Little doubt, the Trump regime won’t final without end. However the net-zero transition is shedding traction in Europe in addition to the US. The world’s main emitters, together with China and India, should not certain by the identical guidelines because the US and can proceed to prioritise industrial improvement over carbon dioxide emissions reductions. The Albanese authorities, in the meantime, is doubling down on subsidies that reduce our aggressive edge and do little to cut back emissions in a worldwide sense. Australia should take a worldwide perspective to what’s going on and keep away from doing pointless self-harm.
