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Comic-Con fans pulled out their lightsabers Sunday to welcome “Star Wars” creator George Lucas to the prominent pop culture convention for the very first time.Attendees lined up for hours to grab a seat inside the 6,500-person capacity venue in San Diego, California to see the legendary filmmaker behind the “Indiana Jones” franchise speak at the event on its final day.Comic-Con, which draws some 130,000 attendees, has become an important platform for movie studios and their stars to showcase the latest film and television offerings, especially those with a genre fan base.”We’ve been waiting five decades for this!” said panel moderator Queen Latifah, who oversaw the discussion by Lucas and other filmmakers.Instead of discussing his film works, however, Lucas graced the convention to preview the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art — opening in Los Angeles in 2026 — which the director co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson.”I’ve been collecting art since I was in college,” Lucas, 81, told the crowd, adding that he has amassed tens of thousands of pieces in his collection.”I’ve been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that what am I going to do with it all because I, I refuse to sell it.”I could never do that, it’s just, it’s not what I think art is — I think it’s more about an emotional connection,” the director said.In his description of the museum, Lucas said the institution will feature a blend of works.They include illustrations by Normal Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N.C. Wyeth; artworks by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; and pieces by cartoonists and artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby.”This is sort of a temple to the people’s art,” he said in summation.The museum, housed in a sleek, curved building, will also feature items from Lucas’s films and other exclusive pieces.For the “Star Wars” mastermind, the museum aims to be a tribute to the importance of narrative art.”When you’re born, the baseline is fear. And as you go through life, you’re curious about things, but you’re especially curious about things you don’t understand, and therefore that’s a threat to you.”And as a result, you make up stories to make it feel good,” he continued.”Science fiction is a myth… but we’ve made it real because of science fiction books and art.”- ‘A critical moment’ -Among the other members of the panel were Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, who shaped the aesthetic of the “Star Wars” universe for decades.”What’s remarkable about George is that he leads from the heart, and this museum is him,” Chiang said. Del Toro, who will release his latest film “Frankenstein” in November, said many of the museum’s pieces will celebrate freedom of speech.”We are in a critical moment in which one of the things they like to disappear is the past, you know, and this is memorializing a popular, vociferous, expressive and eloquent moment in our visual past that belongs to all of us,” Del Toro said. The fantasy filmmaker also described comics as a medium with “a lot of social conscience” and joked that comic artists “were the first one to punch a Nazi” in their works.”What a panel!” said attendee Jesse Goldwater, who traveled to San Diego from Los Angeles. “They are the embodiment of Comic-Con itself, without them Comic-Con wouldn’t exist.”

The United States and European Union on Sunday clinched what President Donald Trump described as the “biggest-ever” deal to resolve a transatlantic tariff stand-off that threatened to explode into a full-blown trade war.Trump emerged from a high-stakes meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf resort in Scotland to announce that a baseline tariff of 15 percent would be levied on EU exports to the US.The deal, which the leaders struck in around an hour, came as the clock ticked down on an August 1 deadline to avoid an across-the-board US levy of 30 percent on European goods.”We’ve reached a deal. It’s a good deal for everybody. This is probably the biggest deal ever reached in any capacity,” said Trump.Trump said the 15-percent tariff would apply across the board, including for Europe’s crucial automobile sector, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.As part of the deal, Trump said the 27-nation EU bloc had agreed to purchase “$750 billion worth of energy” from the United States, as well as make $600 billion in additional investments.Von der Leyen said the “significant” purchases of US liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels would come over three years, as part of the bloc’s bid to diversify away from Russian sources.Negotiating on behalf of the EU’s 27 countries, von der Leyen had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services.”It’s a good deal,” the EU chief told reporters.”It will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That’s very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said.She said bilateral tariff exemptions had been agreed on a number of “strategic products,” notably aircraft, certain chemicals, some agricultural products and critical raw materials.Von der Leyen said the EU still hoped to secure further so-called “zero-for-zero” agreements, notably for alcohol, which she hoped to be “sorted out” in coming days.Trump also said EU countries — which recently pledged to ramp up their defence spending within NATO — would be purchasing “hundreds of billions of dollars worth of military equipment.”- ‘Best we could get’ -The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House.It is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatened to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario.The bloc had been pushing hard for tariff carve-outs for critical industries from aircraft to spirits, and its auto industry, crucial for France and Germany, is already reeling from the levies imposed so far.”Fifteen percent is not to be underestimated, but it is the best we could get,” acknowledged von der Leyen.Any deal will need to be approved by EU member states — whose ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated by the commission Sunday morning. They were set to meet again after the deal struck in Scotland.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rapidly hailed the deal, saying it avoided “needless escalation in transatlantic trade relations”.But German exporters were less enthusiastic. The powerful BDI federation of industrial groups said the accord would have “considerable negative repercussions” while the country’s VCI chemical trade association said the accord left rates “too high”. The EU had pushed for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the United States before tariffs would apply.Trump appeared to rule that out, saying steel was “staying the way it is”, but the EU chief insisted later that “tariffs will be cut and a quota system will be put in place” for steel.- ‘The big one’ -While 15 percent is much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it mirrors the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.Had the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by August 1.Asked what the next deal would be, Trump replied: “This was the big one. This is the biggest of them all.”burs-gv/jj

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Disney’s hotly anticipated reboot of the Marvel Comics superhero franchise, conquered the North American weekend box office, earning $118 million and sidelining “Superman,” industry estimates showed Sunday.”Fantastic Four” — starring actor-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things’) — tells the story of a team of heroes trying to save a retro-futuristic world from the evil Galactus.”This is an outstanding opening,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “‘Fantastic Four’ was a modest and struggling superhero series; it just caught up with the biggest and the best.””Superman,” the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios, slipped to second place at $24.9 million, Exhibitor Relations said.That puts the global take of the film, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, over the $500 million mark.”Jurassic World: Rebirth” — the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga — finished in third place at $13 million. Its worldwide total stands at $672.5 million.The Universal film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, takes viewers to an abandoned island research facility, where secrets — and genetically mutated dinosaurs — are lurking. “F1: The Movie,” the Apple and Warner Bros. flick starring Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets one last shot at redemption, moved up to fourth place at $6.2 million.”Smurfs,” the latest film featuring the adorable blue creatures and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, slipped to fifth place in only its second week in theaters with $5.4 million in North American ticket sales.”The box office is on an excellent run that started two weeks ago,” Gross said.”These are not the good old days, but ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Superman’ are performing extremely well. Superheroes are showing some swagger, and it’s good news for the industry.”Rounding out the top 10 were:”I Know What You Did Last Summer” ($5.1 million)”How to Train Your Dragon” ($2.8 million)”Eddington” ($1.7 million)”Saiyaara” ($1.3 million)”Oh, Hi!” ($1.1 million)

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen clinched an agreement Sunday with US President Donald Trump to avoid crippling tariffs from hitting the bloc, with both leaders hailing a “good deal”.The stakes were high with a looming August 1 deadline and $1.9 trillion transatlantic trading relationship on the line.Many European businesses will breathe a sigh of relief after the leaders agreed the 27-country bloc will face a baseline levy of 15 percent instead of a threatened 30 percent — but the deal will not satisfy everyone.Here is what we know so far:- What did EU, US agree? -Both sides confirmed there will be a 15-percent across-the-board rate on a majority of EU goods — the same level secured by Japan this month — with bilateral tariff exemptions on some products.The deal will bring relief for the bloc’s auto sector, employing around 13 million people — and hit by Trump with 25-percent tariffs, on top of a pre-existing 2.5 percent.”Obviously, it is good news for the car industry. So Germany will be happy. And all the EU members with auto supply chains, they go from 27.5 to 15 percent,” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute For International Economics.A 15-percent levy will remain “costly” for German automakers, “but it is manageable”, said trade geopolitics expert Elvire Fabry at the Jacques Delors Institute.While 15 percent is much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods — averaging 4.8 percent — it mirrors the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent imposed by Trump since April.The EU also committed to buy $750 billion of liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels from the United States — split equally over three years — to replace Russian energy sources.And it will pour $600 billion more in additional investments in the United States.Trump said EU countries — which recently pledged to ramp up their defence spending within NATO — would be purchasing “hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment”.- Are there exemptions? -Von der Leyen said the 15-percent rate applied across most sectors, including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals — a critical export for Ireland, which the bloc has sought to protect.Trump in April launched probes that could lead to significantly steeper tariffs on the two key sectors, warning this month he could slap 200-percent levies on drugs.Brussels and Washington agreed a bilateral tariff exemption for key goods including aircraft, certain chemicals, semiconductor equipment, certain agricultural products and critical raw materials, von der Leyen said.The EU currently faces 50-percent tariffs on its steel exports to the United States, but von der Leyen said a compromise on the metal had been reached with Trump.”Between us, tariffs will be cut and a quota system will be put in place,” she said.It is understood that European steel would be hit with 50-percent levies only after a certain amount of the metal arrived in the United States, but no details were initially provided on the mechanism.- What happens next? -The deal needs to be approved by EU member states, whose ambassadors will meet first thing Monday morning for a debrief from the European Commission.And there are still technical talks to come, since the agreement needs to be fully fleshed out.Von der Leyen described the deal as a “framework” agreement. “Details have to be sorted out, and that will happen over the next weeks,” she said.In particular, she said there has yet to be a final decision on alcohol, critical since France and The Netherlands have been pushing for carve-outs for wine and beer respectively.”This is something which has to be sorted out in the next days,” von der Leyen said.

US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Sunday announced they had reached a deal to end a transatlantic tariffs standoff and avert a full-blown trade war.The agreement came as the clock ticked down on an August 1 deadline for the European Union to strike a deal with Washington — or face an across-the-board US levy of 30 percent.”We have reached a deal. It’s a good deal for everybody,” Trump told reporters following a high-stakes meeting with von der Leyen at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.Trump told reporters the deal involved a baseline levy of 15 percent on EU exports to the United States — the same level secured by Japan — including for the bloc’s crucial auto sector, which is currently being taxed at 25 percent.”We are agreeing that the tariff straight across, for automobiles and everything else, will be a straight across tariff of 15 percent,” Trump said.He also said the bloc had agreed to purchase “$750 billion worth of energy” from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country.Negotiating on behalf of the EU’s 27 countries, von der Leyen’s European Commission had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services.”It’s a good deal,” the EU chief told reporters, sitting alongside Trump following their hour-long talks.”It will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That’s very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said.- No carve-outs -The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario.Brussels has been focused on getting a deal to avoid sweeping tariffs that would further harm its sluggish economy — with retaliation held out as a last resort.But the deal as outlined by Trump appeared to fall short of EU expectations.The bloc had been pushing hard for tariff carve-outs for critical industries from aircraft to spirits, and its auto industry, crucial for France and Germany, is already reeling from the levies imposed so far.Any deal will also need to be approved by EU member states — whose ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated by the commission Sunday morning. They were set to meet again after the deal struck in Scotland.Trump said pharmaceuticals — a key export for Ireland, which the bloc has lobbied to shield — “won’t be part of” any deal.”We have to have them built, made in the United States,” the president said. This month, Trump suggested the possibility of a 200-percent tariff on drugs imported into the United States, which would deal a crushing blow to the sector in Europe.The EU had also hoped for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the United States before tariffs would apply, but Trump ruled that out, saying steel was “staying the way it is”.- Auto sector -While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.Had the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Brussels was also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target.Beyond that, countries including France say Brussels should not be afraid to deploy a so-called trade “bazooka” — EU legislation designed to counter coercion that can involve restricting access to its market and public contracts.Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by August 1.US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had said Sunday the August 1 deadline was firm and there will be “no extensions, no more grace periods”.

US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen met Sunday for make-or-break talks in Scotland, aimed at ending a months-long transatlantic trade standoff, as negotiations went down to the wire.Trump again told reporters he felt the two sides had a 50-50 chance of a deal with the European Union. The bloc faces an across-the-board US levy of 30 percent unless it strikes a trade pact by August 1.Washington warned Sunday there would be “no extensions” and Trump confirmed “the deals all start on August 1”.Von der Leyen’s European Commission, negotiating on behalf of EU countries, is pushing hard for a deal to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services.The EU chief said at the start of the talks at Trump’s luxury golf resort in southwestern Turnberry that if they reached a deal “I think it would be the biggest deal each of us has ever” made.According to an EU diplomat briefed ahead of the meeting, the contours of a deal are in place, but key issues still need settling.”A political deal is on the table — but it needs the sign-off from Trump, who wants to negotiate this down to the very last moment,” the diplomat told AFP.The proposal, they said, involves a baseline levy of around 15 percent on EU exports to the United States — the level secured by Japan — with carve-outs for critical sectors including aircraft and spirits, though not for wine.Any deal will also need to be approved by EU member states — whose ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated by the commission Sunday morning. They would meet again after any accord.According to the EU diplomat, the 27 countries broadly endorsed the deal as envisaged — while recalling their negotiating red lines.- Baseline 15 percent -The Trump-von der Leyen meeting was taking place in the president’s luxury golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland’s southwestern coast.The 79-year-old Trump said Friday he hoped to strike “the biggest deal of them all” with the EU.The EU is focused on getting a deal to avoid sweeping tariffs that would further harm its sluggish economy — while holding out retaliation as a last resort.Under the proposal described to AFP, the EU would commit to ramp up purchases of US liquefied natural gas, along with other investment pledges.Pharmaceuticals — a key export for Ireland — would also face a 15-percent levy, as would semi-conductors.The EU also appears to have secured a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the United States before tariffs would apply, the diplomat said.But Trump said Sunday trade tariffs with the EU would not be lower than 15 percent.- Auto sector -The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario.It was unclear how the proposed deal would impact tariff levels on the auto industry, crucial for France and Germany. Carmakers are already reeling from the levies imposed so far.While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.Should talks fail, EU states have greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Brussels is also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target.Beyond that, countries including France say Brussels should not be afraid to deploy a so-called trade “bazooka” — EU legislation designed to counter coercion that can involve restricting access to its market and public contracts.But such a step would mark a major escalation with Washington.- Ratings dropping -Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by August 1.US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday the August 1 deadline was firm and there will be “no extensions, no more grace periods.”Polls suggest however the American public is unconvinced by the White House strategy, with a recent Gallup survey showing his approval rating at 37 percent — down 10 points from January.Having promised “90 deals in 90 days,” Trump’s administration has so far unveiled five, including with Britain, Japan and the Philippines.

US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen prepared to meet Sunday in Scotland in a push to resolve a months-long transatlantic trade standoff that is going down to the wire.Trump has said he sees a 50-50 chance of reaching a deal with the European Union, having vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs unless they hammer out a pact with Washington by August 1.The EU is currently facing the threat of an across-the-board levy of 30 percent from that date.Von der Leyen’s European Commission, negotiating on behalf of the EU’s member countries, has been pushing hard for a deal to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services. Any deal with the United States will need approval by all 27 member states. EU ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were to meet Sunday morning to discuss the latest negotiations — and again after any accord.Sunday’s sit-down between Trump and the EU chief was to take place at 4:30 pm (1530 GMT) in Turnberry, on Scotland’s southwestern coast, where Trump owns a luxury golf resort.The 79-year-old American leader said Friday he hoped to strike “the biggest deal of them all” with the EU.”I think we have a good 50-50 chance” of a deal, the president said, citing sticking points on “maybe 20 different things”.He praised von der Leyen as “a highly respected woman” — a far cry from his erstwhile hostility in accusing the EU of existing to “screw” the United States.But late-night EU talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Saturday to hammer out the final details were “combative at times,” The Financial Times reported.As of Saturday evening, there were “still quite a few open questions” — notably on pharmaceutical sector tariffs, said one EU diplomat.Tariff levels on the auto sector were also crucial for the Europeans — notably France and Germany — and the EU has been pushing for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the United States before tariffs would apply.- Baseline 15 percent -According to European diplomats, the deal on the table involves a baseline levy of around 15 percent on EU exports to the United States — the level secured by Japan — with carve-outs for critical sectors including aircraft, lumber and spirits excluding wine.The EU would commit to ramp up purchases of US liquefied natural gas, along with a series of investment pledges.Hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House, the EU is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario.The EU has focused on getting a deal with Washington to avoid sweeping tariffs that would further harm its sluggish economy, with retaliation as a last resort.While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods — at 4.8 percent — it would mirror the status quo, with companies already facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.Should talks fail, EU states have greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Brussels is also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target.Beyond that, countries like France say Brussels should not be afraid to deploy a so-called trade “bazooka” — EU legislation designed to counter coercion through trade measures which involves restricting access to its market and public contracts.But such a step would mark a major escalation with Washington.- Ratings dropping -Trump has embarked since returning to power on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world.But polls suggest the American public is unconvinced, with a recent Gallup survey showing his approval rating at 37 percent — down 10 points from January.Having promised “90 deals in 90 days,” Trump’s administration has so far unveiled five, including with Britain, Japan and the Philippines.Early Sunday, ahead of his meeting with Von der Leyen, Trump was out again on the golf course, having spent most of Saturday playing at Turnberry amid tight security.The trip to Scotland has put physical distance between Trump and the scandal around Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier accused of sex trafficking who died in prison in 2019 before facing trial.In his heyday, Epstein was friends with Trump and others in the New York jet-set, but the president is facing backlash from his own MAGA supporters demanding access to the Epstein case files.With the uproar refusing to die down, a headline agreement with the EU — in addition to bolstering Trump’s dealmaker credentials — could bring a welcome distraction. 

The US central bank is widely expected to hold off slashing interest rates again at its upcoming meeting, as officials gather under the cloud of an intensifying pressure campaign by President Donald Trump.Policymakers at the independent Federal Reserve have kept the benchmark lending rate steady since the start of the year as they monitor how Trump’s sweeping tariffs are impacting the world’s biggest economy.With Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff approach — and the levies’ lagged effects on inflation — Fed officials want to see economic data from this summer to gauge how prices are being affected.When mulling changes to interest rates, the central bank — which meets on Tuesday and Wednesday — seeks a balance between reining in inflation and the health of the jobs market.But the bank’s data-dependent approach has enraged the Republican president, who has repeatedly criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not slashing rates further, calling him a “numbskull” and “moron.”Most recently, Trump signaled he could use the Fed’s $2.5 billion renovation project as an avenue to oust Powell, before backing off and saying that would be unlikely.Trump visited the Fed construction site on Thursday, making a tense appearance with Powell in which the Fed chair disputed Trump’s characterization of the total cost of the refurbishment in front of the cameras.But economists expect the Fed to look past the political pressure at its policy meeting.”We’re just now beginning to see the evidence of tariffs’ impact on inflation,” said Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics.”We’re going to see it (too) in July and August, and we think that’s going to give the Fed reason to remain on the sidelines,” he told AFP.- ‘Trial balloon’ -Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed a 10 percent tariff on goods from almost all countries, as well as steeper rates on steel, aluminum and autos.The effect on inflation has so far been limited, prompting the US leader to use this as grounds for calling for interest rates to be lowered by three percentage points.Currently, the benchmark lending rate stands at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent.Trump also argues that lower rates would save the government money on interest payments, and floated the idea of firing Powell. The comments roiled financial markets.”Powell can see that the administration floated this trial balloon” of ousting him before walking it back on the market’s reaction, Sweet said.”It showed that markets value an independent central bank,” the Oxford Economics analyst added, anticipating Powell will be instead more influenced by labor market concerns.Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in May 2026.- Jobs market ‘fissures’ -Analysts expect to see a couple of members break ranks if the Fed’s rate-setting committee decides for a fifth straight meeting to keep interest rates unchanged.Sweet cautioned that some observers may spin dissents as pushback on Powell but argued this is not necessarily the case.”It’s not out-of-line or unusual to see, at times when there’s a high degree of uncertainty, or maybe a turning point in policy, that you get one or two people dissenting,” said Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic.Fed Governor Christopher Waller and Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman have both signaled openness to rate cuts as early as July, meaning their disagreement with a decision to hold rates steady would not surprise markets.Bostjancic said that too many dissents could be “eyebrow-raising,” and lead some to question if Powell is losing control of the board, but added: “I don’t anticipate that to be the case.”For Sweet, “the big wild card is the labor market.”There has been weakness in the private sector, while the hiring rate has been below average and the number of permanent job losers is rising.”There are some fissures in the labor market, but they haven’t turned into fault lines yet,” Sweet said.If the labor market suddenly weakened, he said he would expect the Fed to start cutting interest rates sooner.

At a strip mall in Maryland, a miniature landscape extends across a table between Dash Krempel and his friend as a war game unfolds. But their hobby is becoming more expensive as US tariffs take a toll.Krempel, 29, told AFP the cost of models for tabletop games have surged from inflation, and continued rising since US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on trading partners this year.UK-made figurines that cost $60 around three years ago now go for $94.50, he said.”Prices have gotten bigger,” he added. “It’s a very expensive hobby to begin with, so it’s maybe pricing a lot of people out.”Instead of buying more products, he now tries to support retailer Game Kastle College Park by renting tables to play in-store.For the shop’s owner, Boyd Stephenson, stocking new board games, paints and hobby supplies has only become more challenging.To avoid the harshest of Trump’s tariffs, some suppliers had to delay shipments or postpone new releases.As they raised their suggested retail prices, so has Stephenson at Game Kastle.About a fifth of his store’s products have seen cost hikes, with increases ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent.”If we see higher prices or higher tariffs, I’m going to see higher wholesale prices, and then I have to raise my prices accordingly,” he said.Asked what percentage of his store relies on imports, Stephenson replied: “Almost all of it.”- No capacity -Stephenson estimates some 7,000 board games were released last year from 5,000 different companies.”You’re really looking at 5,000 different approaches (to tariffs),” he said.”Some producers are saying, ‘We’re going to eat the cost.’ Some producers are saying, ‘We’re passing the cost through all the way.’ And other producers are doing some sort of mix of that.”Like other US retailers, Stephenson could face more cost pressures come August 1, when steeper tariffs are set to hit dozens of economies like the European Union and India.The elevated rates mark an increase from the 10 percent levy Trump imposed on goods from most economies in April.While China — a crucial manufacturing hub for games — is temporarily spared, Trump has separately imposed fresh 30 percent tariffs on products from the world’s second biggest economy this year.US tariffs on Chinese products could return to higher levels from August 12 if officials fail to extend their truce.Yet, there is no quick fix to return manufacturing to the United States.”US manufacturers just don’t have the capacity to do that anymore,” said Stephenson, showing an intricate board game figurine.”Really, the people that are good at that, that’s China,” he said. “The best modeling paints come from Spain.””So if you see tariffs get put up on the EU, then all of a sudden I’m going to have to pay higher prices on modeling paint when I bring it into the country,” he added.Trump has threatened the bloc with a 30 percent tariff.- ‘Universally bad’ -Stephenson tries to absorb some cost hikes, but said: “I have to be able to pay the staff, pay the electric company, pay the landlord.”Trump’s on-again, off-again approach to duties has also made suppliers’ price changes more unpredictable.”What is always universally bad for business is uncertainty,” Stephenson said.He usually stocks up on inventory ahead of the year-end holiday season, but expects to be more strategic with purchases this year to avoid unwelcome surprises.Many companies are delaying merchandise imports as they lack certainty, said Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation.”When the product is brought into the country and entered into commerce, you have 15 days to pay your tariff bill,” he said.This causes problems when tariff rates change and businesses lack funds to pay for orders.Some businesses, and industry group the Game Manufacturers Association, have mounted legal challenges against Trump’s blanket tariffs hitting various countries, noting nearly 80 percent of tabletop games sold in the US are made abroad.But such complaints are an uphill battle.”The damage, especially for small retailers, has been significant,” Gold said.

At least 11 people were injured in a stabbing at a Walmart store in the Midwestern state of Michigan on Saturday, with police saying it appeared to be a random attack.A 42-year-old male suspect was in custody, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea told a press conference. “Based on the information that we have at this time, it appears they were random acts,” Shea said of the attack in Traverse City, Michigan.”The victims were not predetermined,” Shea said, adding that the suspect, a Michigan resident, apparently acted alone and used a “folding knife.”Six victims were in critical condition late Saturday, and five were in serious condition, Munson Healthcare said in a statement.At least three of the victims were undergoing surgery, according to Shea. The victims included six men and five women.Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was in touch with law enforcement regarding the “horrible news.””Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence,” Whitmer said in an X post.Eyewitness Julia Martell told The New York Times she heard screaming and saw a man with a knife running through the store’s pharmacy section.Martell said she saw the man shoving and stabbing people as he moved through the store.The 30-year-old witness described seeing three people with stab wounds and “blood everywhere.”Shea said the stabbing spree initially started near the checkout area of the store.”It is very uncommon for our area,” he said of the violence, adding that citizens in the Walmart “assisted” in apprehending the suspect.Traverse City is a popular tourist destination located on the shore of Lake Michigan.FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents were providing “any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart.”