Politics
Cease-fire in US-China trade war doesn’t bridge differences
Published
7 years agoon
WASHINGTON (AP) — Once again, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have hit the reset button in trade talks between the world’s two biggest economies, at least delaying an escalation in tension between the U.S. and China that had financial markets on edge and cast a cloud over the global economy.
But when U.S. and Chinese negotiators sit down to work out details, the same difficult task remains: getting China to convince the United States that it will curb its aggressive push to challenge American technological dominance — and then to live up to its promises.
At the Group of 20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, Trump and Xi agreed to a cease-fire in the trade conflict . Trump said Saturday he would hold off for the “time being” on plans to impose tariffs on $300 billion more in Chinese imports — on top of the $250 billion he’s already targeted. This decision will jump-start trade talks that stalled last month.
“We’re going to work with China where we left off,” Trump said Saturday. He also said China had agreed to buy more American farm products.
Andy Rothman, an investment strategist with Matthews Asia and a former economic official with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said the Trump-Xi meeting was more conciliatory than he expected. He was struck by Trump’s use of the term “strategic partner” to describe U.S. relations with China after other administration officials have played up the geopolitical rivalry between the two countries.
Addressing another contentious issue, Trump said he will now allow U.S. companies to sell some components to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which last month was put on an American blacklist as a threat to national security. Trump said that Huawei will stay on the blacklist, however, and that its future won’t be decided until the end of the trade talks.
Neil Shearing, London-based chief economist at Capital Economics, predicted that financial markets will rally with relief when they reopen Monday. “But I don’t think this marks the turning of the tide,” he said. “Talks will ebb and flow, but the direction over the next 12 months will be toward renewed escalation because issues around industrial strategy will prove to be so intractable.”
The Trump administration says China is trying to cheat its way to dominance in the cutting-edge technologies of the future such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
In a report last year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative accused Beijing of resorting to predatory tactics to challenge American technological supremacy.
These include forcing foreign companies to hand over technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market; subsidizing its own companies (especially those owned by the state) while burying foreign firms in regulations; providing government money so Chinese firms can buy sensitive foreign technology at above-market prices; and stealing trade secrets outright.
Eleven rounds of talks failed to end the standoff. The United States has imposed 25% import taxes on $250 billion in Chinese products and threatened to target $300 billion more — a move that would extend the tariffs to virtually everything China ships to the United States.
China has lashed back with tariffs on $110 billion in American goods, focusing on agricultural products in a direct and painful shot at Trump supporters in the U.S. farm belt.
The last time Trump and Xi met — in early December at a G-20 gathering in Buenos Aires, Argentina — they also reached a cease-fire that injected new life into the talks. But the momentum didn’t last.
Until May, it appeared that the two countries were slowly closing in on a deal. But then U.S. officials accused their Chinese counterparts of reneging on commitments they’d made earlier, and talks broke down.
Getting them back on track could prove difficult. Beijing is reluctant to end subsidies to Chinese companies and to write any commitments into Chinese law. The Chinese also want the United States to drop its tariffs as a condition of any deal. But the Trump administration insists on keeping tariffs to use as leverage to make sure that China keeps its promises.
For now, business groups are relieved that the tariffs aren’t expanding and optimistic the two countries can reach a deal.
“We are encouraged that China and the United States have agreed to continue negotiations without further escalation of the mutually damaging trade war,” said Jason Oxman, president of the Information Technology Industry Council. “We are also relieved that President Trump has reconsidered his threat to impose additional tariffs, which would have accelerated harm to all American consumers, workers, and businesses of all sizes.”
Still, the decision to go easy on Huawei drew immediate fire politically. “Huawei is one of few potent levers we have to make China play fair on trade,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “If President Trump backs off, as it appears he is doing, it will dramatically undercut our ability to change China’s unfair trades practices.”
The Commerce Department put the firm on a blacklist because of the possibility its equipment could be used for cyberespionage. Trump suggested that his administration will review the company’s status on Commerce’s so-called Entity List and cleared the way for U.S. firms to sell it some components.
Both countries have economic and political incentives to reach a deal. Xi is overseeing a decelerating economy and likely won’t want to be engaged in a destructive trade war when China’s ruling Communist Party meets in October.
Trump, too, is confronted with an economy that, though still healthy, has looked a bit wobbly. And the trade hostilities with China have hurt his supporters in rural America as he campaigns for re-election in 2020.
“This is a truce for now – for Xi, ahead of the Communist Party celebrations in October and for Trump, dependent on how his re-election campaign progresses,” said Diana Choyleva, chief economist at Enodo Economics. “But as we’ve said before, fundamentally, this dispute is about much more than trade – it’s part of a longer-term Great Decoupling that stems from a conflict over technological supremacy and geopolitical power. This is about redefining the world political and economic order, a process that will see periods of relative calm and also periods of significant turbulence.”
“Both Chinese and U.S. leaders recognize the importance of bringing the relations back to the right track,” said Li Yong of the China Association of International Trade.
“President Xi said we hoped to see normal relations. It’s hard to predict what will happen tomorrow, so I cannot say when the relations will return to right track.”
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Florida
Central Florida Lawmakers Challenge DeSantis Redistricting Map as Lawsuits Mount
Published
4 days agoon
May 6, 2026By
Willie DavidORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The Central Florida Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials held a press conference on the steps of Orlando City Hall, criticizing a new congressional map signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Speakers included U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost, State Senator Lavon Bracy-Davis, State Representative Bruce Antone, Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell, representatives from Equal Ground, and the Central Florida Urban League. Officials argued the map weakens minority representation and follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that scaled back key protections under the Voting Rights Act.
Florida National News has learned that three lawsuits have been filed seeking to block the newly approved congressional map following the redistricting process. The map is widely viewed as an effort to expand Republican representation in Florida’s congressional delegation ahead of upcoming elections.
IMPACT ON BLACK REPRESENTATION
Leaders warned the redistricting plan could significantly reduce the influence of Black voters in Central Florida and across the state. They argued that dismantling historically minority-access districts undermines decades of progress in equitable representation.
LEGAL CHALLENGES UNDERWAY
At least three lawsuits have been filed challenging the legality of the new map. Civil rights advocates contend the redistricting plan violates federal protections and could further erode voting rights following the Supreme Court’s recent decision.
FUTURE OF BLACK CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
Elected officials and advocacy groups expressed concern about the long-term effects on Black congressional representation. They emphasized the need for continued legal action and community engagement to protect fair representation in future elections.
Florida
DeSantis’ New Florida Congressional Map Could Spark Lawsuits, Legislative Showdown, and Statewide Protests
Published
2 weeks agoon
April 27, 2026TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled a proposed congressional redistricting map that could significantly reshape Florida’s representation in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposal, released Monday, outlines districts that could favor Republicans in 24 seats, compared to four Democratic-leaning districts. Currently, Florida’s congressional delegation includes 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with one vacant seat.
REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL & POLITICAL IMPACT
The governor said the new map reflects Florida’s population changes and fulfills his commitment to mid-decade redistricting. Lawmakers have been called into a special legislative session to consider the proposal.
The map appears to eliminate four Democratic-held seats, including a Tampa-area district represented by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, an Osceola County district held by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto—the first Puerto Rican elected to Congress from Florida—and a Palm Beach-Broward district that could displace U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz.
The proposal also affects a majority-Black voting district spanning Palm Beach and Broward counties, previously represented by former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, raising concerns about the future of minority representation.
Supporters, including Evan Power, say the map could better align districts with voter distribution. Critics, including Nikki Fried, have called the proposal unconstitutional gerrymandering. Florida law prohibits partisan gerrymandering, setting up potential legal challenges.
Rep. Tray McCurdy, D-Orlando and Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville sit on the Florida Seal in protest as debate stops on Senate Bill 2-C: Establishing the Congressional Districts of the State in the House of Representatives Thursday, April 21, 2022 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Rep. Daisy Morales, D-Orlando, joins the protest, holding a sign. The session was halted on the protest. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
LOOKING BACK: 2022 PROTESTS OVER REDISTRICTING
The current debate mirrors tensions from 2022, when Democratic lawmakers staged a sit-in protest on the Florida House floor in opposition to a previous congressional map backed by DeSantis.
Lawmakers including Yvonne Hinson, Angie Nixon, Travaris McCurdy, Felicia Robinson, and Daisy Morales participated in the protest, temporarily halting legislative proceedings.
Morales, a member of the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee and the only Hispanic lawmaker involved in the sit-in, strongly criticized the map at the time.
“Our democracy is being attacked. The governor eliminating two Black congressional seats is a power grab and it’s wrong,” Morales said in a written statement. “Stripping seats from Black representation is the same as saying the Black voice—the Black vote—doesn’t matter.”
She also warned about potential impacts on Hispanic representation:
“With this map passing, I’m deeply concerned it could target the only Puerto Rican representing Florida in Congress, Darren Soto, to benefit partisan interests. We don’t want to disenfranchise the 1.2 million Puerto Ricans in Florida.”
WHAT COMES NEXT IN 2026
As lawmakers prepare to debate the new proposal, Democrats are expected to push back through legal challenges, legislative opposition, and public advocacy.
The outcome of Florida’s redistricting battle could play a pivotal role in shaping control of the U.S. House and influence the national political landscape heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Politics
Gov. Ron DeSantis Orders Flags at Half-Staff for Slain Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy M. Metayer Bowen
Published
3 weeks agoon
April 16, 2026TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy M. Metayer Bowen, who was killed April 1 in what authorities describe as a domestic violence incident.
The directive calls for U.S. and Florida state flags to be lowered from sunrise to sunset Friday, April 17, 2026, at the State Capitol in Tallahassee and at all local and state buildings, installations and grounds throughout Coral Springs.
According to Coral Springs Police, officers conducted a wellness check at Metayer Bowen’s home after city staff raised concerns when she missed scheduled meetings and could not be reached. Responding officers found her deceased inside the residence.
Investigators said the killing appears to be a domestic violence incident. Her husband, Stephen Bowen, was later taken into custody and faces charges of premeditated murder and tampering with evidence. The case remains under active investigation.
State and local leaders say the half-staff order honors Metayer Bowen’s service and legacy in the Coral Springs community, where she was recognized for her leadership and commitment to public service.
What We Know About Her Death
Police say Metayer Bowen was killed April 1 at her Coral Springs home. Officers discovered her body during a wellness check prompted by her unexplained absence from official duties and lack of communication.
Husband Arrested, Faces Charges
Authorities arrested her husband, Stephen Bowen, who now faces premeditated murder and evidence-tampering charges. Investigators have identified the case as an apparent domestic violence incident.
State Honors Her Legacy
Gov. DeSantis ordered flags lowered across key government buildings in Tallahassee and Coral Springs, recognizing Metayer Bowen’s public service and the impact of her loss on the community.