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The US Justice Department is suing Maine for allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday, the latest step in the government’s showdown with the northeastern state.US President Donald Trump clashed with the state’s governor on the topic in February, after earlier issuing an executive order barring transgender competitors from women’s sports.The Republican’s administration moved to cut Maine’s federal funding for public schools over the issue last week.”Today, the Department of Justice is announcing a civil lawsuit against the Maine Department of Education. The state of Maine is discriminating against women by failing to protect women in women’s sports,” Bondi told a news conference.Bondi accused Maine of violating Title IX, the landmark civil rights law that forbids discrimination on the basis of gender in educational facilities that receive federal support.Maine’s Democratic governor Janet Mills hit back in a statement called Wednesday’s move “the latest, expected salvo in an unprecedented campaign to pressure the State of Maine.””This matter has never been about school sports or the protection of women and girls, as has been claimed, it is about states’ rights and defending the rule of law against a federal government bent on imposing its will,” Mills added.- ‘See you in court’ -Trump had a heated exchange with Mills in February when the president raised his executive order targeting trans athletes while making televised remarks to a gathering of governors at the White House.”Two weeks ago I signed an executive order banning men from playing in women’s sports. Many Democrats are fighting me on that, I hope you continue because you’ll never win another race,” he said.”Are you not going to comply with it?” he asked Mills.”I’m complying with state and federal laws,” she responded.”Well, we are the federal law… You better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t,” the president said.”See you in court,” she responded.Trump’s order allows US government agencies to deny funds to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams.Republicans hammered Democrats on transgender issues — especially when it came to youth and sports — ahead of the 2024 election, capitalizing on a broader culture war over LGBTQ rights.Since his return to office earlier this year, Trump has demonized any recognition of gender diversity, attacking transgender people — a small minority of the population — and gender-affirming care for minors in both his rhetoric and in executive orders.Trump has said he will also push the International Olympic Committee to change its rules on transgender athletes before the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization’s headquarters finally sealed the deal at around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) Wednesday.”Tonight marks a significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.Five years after the emergence of Covid-19, which killed millions of people, devastated economies and upturned health systems, a sense of urgency hung over the talks, with new threats lurking — including H5N1 bird flu, measles, mpox and Ebola.The final stretch of the talks also took place under the shadow of cuts to US foreign aid spending and threatened tariffs on pharmaceuticals.- ‘It’s adopted’ -Right until the last minute, disagreement lingered over a few thorny issues.Negotiators stumbled over the agreement’s Article 11, which deals with transferring technology for pandemic health products towards developing nations.During the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer states accused rich nations of hoarding vaccines and tests.Countries with large pharmaceutical industries have strenuously opposed the idea of mandatory tech transfers, insisting they must be voluntary.But it appeared the obstacle could be overcome by adding that any transfer needed to be “mutually agreed”.The core of the agreement is a proposed Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), aimed at allowing the swift sharing of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to quickly start working on pandemic-fighting products.In the end, the 32-page agreement was entirely highlighted in green, indicating all of it had been fully approved by WHO member states.”It’s adopted,” negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou announced, to thunderous applause.”In drafting this historic agreement, the countries of the world have demonstrated their shared commitment to preventing and protecting everyone, everywhere, from future pandemic threats.”The finalised text will now be presented for sign-off at the WHO’s annual assembly next month.- ‘Excellent news’ -Congratulations quickly poured in.”Excellent news from Geneva,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X.”We have learnt the lessons of COVID. To beat a pandemic, you need tests, treatments and vaccines. And you equally need solidarity and global cooperation.”The EU had led the charge arguing for flexibility and voluntary measures in the text.The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), which participated in the talks, had also taken that stance.Looking ahead towards implementation, the leading pharma lobby said intellectual property and legal certainty would be essential for encouraging investment in high-risk research and development in the next crisis.”The pandemic agreement is a starting point,” insisted IFPMA chief David Reddy.Developing countries and NGOs also hailed the agreement, while acknowledging that not all of their ambitions were met.”While the process may not have yielded all the outcomes we aspired for, it has opened an important avenue for future collaboration,” Tanzania’s representative told the gathering, speaking on behalf of dozens of African countries.- ‘More equity’ -As intense talks in corridors and closed rooms drew towards an end late Tuesday, Tedros told reporters he thought a deal would bring “more equity”.While taking measures against pandemics could be costly, “the cost of inaction is much bigger”, he insisted.”Virus is the worst enemy. (It) could be worse than a war.”The United States, which has thrown the global health system into crisis by slashing foreign aid spending, was absent.US President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal from the United Nations’ health agency and from the pandemic agreement talks after taking office in January.The US absence, and Trump’s threat to slap steep tariffs on pharmaceutical products, still hung over the talks, making manufacturers and governments more jittery.But in the end, countries reached consensus.- ‘Real work begins now’ -Many saw the approval of the text as a victory for global cooperation.”At a time when multilateralism is under threat, WHO member states have joined together to say that we will defeat the next pandemic threat in the only way possible: by working together,” said New Zealand’s former prime minister Helen Clark, co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.As the congratulatory speeches continued on towards daybreak, Eswatini’s representative cautioned that “whilst we celebrate this moment, we need not rest on our laurels”.”The real work begins now.”

US President Donald Trump’s aggressive but fast-changing trade policy has foisted difficult questions on carmakers that they have not yet been forced to answer.While Trump has retreated from some of his most onerous tariffs, carmakers are on the hook for 25 percent levies on auto imports that went into effect on April 3.But so far, the effects of that levy have been muffled because carmakers are still selling vehicles from inventory. Auto companies and industry watchers expect this dynamic to persist for at least a few more weeks.But if the tariffs stay in place — a big if given Trump’s tendency to reverse course — automakers will need to decide how much of the hit to absorb and how much to pass on.”No one in this entire value chain can just absorb it,” Kjell Gruner, president of Volkswagen Group of America, said Tuesday.”We can’t say, ‘Oh the customers need to swallow it.’ That price increase would be too high,” Gruner told an industry conference. “We can’t also say the dealers need to. Nor can we.”A priority is clear communication to customers, said Gruner, adding that pricing changes would not be made overnight.Tariff talk dominated Tuesday’s Automotive Forum held just ahead of the annual New York International Auto Show.Since returning to the White House in January, Trump’s myriad tariff announcements have been at the center of his administration’s economic policy.Trump reversed course last Wednesday on the most onerous of his “reciprocal” tariffs for every country except China following upheaval in financial markets.But other tariffs have stayed in place, such as a 25 percent levy on steel and aluminum imports, which affects automakers, along with the direct levy on automobile imports. On Monday, Trump opened the door to walking back his 25 percent tariff on all auto imports, saying he was “looking at something to help some of the car companies.”One of Trump’s aims with tariffs is to boost US manufacturing. But industry experts note that automobile capital investments are multi-year commitments that require confidence in a stable commercial environment — something undermined by constant changes in policy.Patrick Manzi, chief economist at the National Automobile Dealers Association, opened Tuesday’s proceedings with a downcast outlook on the economy.”I expect to see consumers holding off on big-ticket items,” said Manzi, who has raised his odds for a US recession to 60 percent.- Aggressive pricing -Automakers emphasized their commitment to US investments, with Volvo touting its ramping of production at a South Carolina factory and Nissan pointing to a recent decision to maintain a second shift at a Tennessee assembly plant as the companies seek to boost US output.Hyundai North America chief Randy Parker pointed to the South Korean conglomerate’s announcement of a $21 billion new steel plant in Louisiana announced last month at a White House event with Trump.Parker, who quipped that US tariff policy might have changed since he last checked his phone, described the company’s strategy as “quite simple.””Our plan is to sell cars period,” he said. “Sell like hell.”Hyundai has promised to hold prices steady in the short run, joining other brands like Nissan and Ford that have announced consumer-friendly pricing actions amid the tariffs.These moves contributed to a surge in US auto sales in March as shoppers fast-forwarded purchases to get ahead of tariffs. These trends have continued thus far into April, said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at JD Power. King does not expect the US car market to see a significant hit from tariffs until the third quarter.But by the fourth quarter, King expects auto prices to be up around five percent due to the tariffs, resulting in about an eight percent drop in US auto sales.These figures are based on the current economic outlook. “If we were to have a recession, it would be obviously a bigger gap,” King said.

With President Donald Trump more unpredictable than ever and transatlantic ties reaching new lows, calls are growing louder for Europe to declare independence from US tech.From Microsoft to Meta, Apple to Uber, cloud computing to AI, much of the day-to-day technology used by Europeans is American.The risks that brings were hotly debated before Trump returned to power, but now Europe is getting serious — pushing to favour European firms in public contracts and backing European versions of well-known US services.As Europe faces Trump’s tariffs, and threatens to tax US tech unless the two sides clinch a deal averting all-out trade war, there is a growing sense of urgency.Tech sovereignty has been front and centre for weeks: the European Union unveiled its strategy to compete in the global artificial intelligence race and is talking about its own payment system to rival Mastercard.”We have to build up our own capacities when it comes to technologies,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen has said, identifying three critical sectors: AI, quantum and semiconductors.A key concern is that if ties worsen, Washington could potentially weaponise US digital dominance against Europe — with Trump’s administration already taking aim at the bloc’s tech rules.That is giving fresh impetus to demands by industry, experts and EU lawmakers for Europe to bolster its infrastructure and cut reliance on a small group of US firms.”Relying exclusively on non-European technologies exposes us to strategic and economic risks,” said EU lawmaker Stephanie Yon-Courtin, who focuses on digital issues, pointing to US limits on semiconductor exports as one example.- ‘Buy European’ push -The data paints a stark picture.Around two-thirds of Europe’s cloud market is in the hands of US titans Amazon, Microsoft and Google, while the share of European cloud providers has been in steady decline, falling to 13 percent in 2022.Twenty-three percent of the bloc’s total high-tech imports in 2023 came from the United States, second only to China — in everything from aerospace and pharmaceutical tech to smartphones and chips.Although the idea of a European social media platform to rival Facebook or X is given short shrift, officials believe that in the crucial AI field, the race is far from over.To boost European AI firms, the EU has called for a “European preference for critical sectors and technologies” in public procurement.”Incentives to buy European are important,” Benjamin Revcolevschi, chief executive of French cloud provider OVHcloud, told AFP, welcoming the broader made-in-Europe push.Alison James, European government relations lead at electronics industry association IPC, summed it up: “We need to have what we need for our key industries and our critical industries to be able to make our stuff.”There are calls for greater independence from US financial technology as well, with European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde advocating a “European offer” to rival American (Mastercard, Visa and Paypal) and Chinese payment systems (Alipay).Heeding the call, EU capitals have discussed creating a “truly European payment system”.Industry insiders are also aware building tech sovereignty requires massive investment, at a moment when the EU is pouring money into defence.In an initiative called EuroStack, digital policy experts said creating a European tech ecosystem with layers including AI would cost 300 billion euros ($340 billion) by 2035.US trade group Chamber of Progress puts it much higher, at over five trillion euros.- Different values -US Vice President JD Vance has taken aim at tech regulation in denouncing Europe’s social and economic model — accusing it of stifling innovation and unfairly hampering US firms, many of whom have aligned with Trump’s administration.But for many, the bloc’s values-based rules are another reason to fight for tech independence.After repeated abuses by US Big Tech, the EU created major laws regulating the online world including the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA).Much to the chagrin of US digital giants, the EU in 2018 introduced strict rules to protect European users’ data, and last year ushered in the world’s broadest safeguards on AI.In practice, supporters say the DMA encourages users to discover European platforms — for instance giving users a choice of browser, rather than the default from Apple or Google.Bruce Lawson of Norwegian web browser Vivaldi said there was “a significant and gratifying increase in downloads in Europe”, thanks in large part to the DMA.Lawson insists it’s not about being anti-American.”It’s about weaning ourselves off the dependency on infrastructure that have very different values about data protection,” Lawson said.Pointing at rules in Europe that “don’t necessarily exist in the United States”, he said users simply “prefer to have their data processed by a European company”. 

At a malnutrition treatment centre in Afghanistan’s capital, the cries of children have given way to a heavy silence, as patients are turned away and medical staff laid off due to US aid cuts. Entirely funded by Washington, the project had to shut down when the United States — until recently the largest aid donor in Afghanistan — froze all foreign assistance.The many children who would have come to the centre won’t be treated now, said Cobi Rietveld, country director for the non-governmental organisation Action Against Hunger (ACF), which manages the clinic in the west of Kabul.”If they don’t get treatment, there’s an extreme high risk of dying,” she told AFP. Without new funding, the stuffed animals, toys and baby bottles were put away and the pharmacy locked when the last patient left in March. “When malnourished patients come to our clinic, it’s a big challenge for our staff to explain the situation to them and to tell them that they need to go elsewhere for proper treatment,” said chief doctor Farid Ahmad Barakzai. After four decades of war and crises, Afghanistan faces the second-largest humanitarian crisis in the world, behind war-torn Sudan, according to the UN. – ‘So many shocks’ -On average, 65 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with complications were treated at the clinic every month. They stay there for several days with their mothers not only to be fed but to prevent them from spiralling into illness. “Every infection a child can get, a malnourished child will get as well, with an increased risk of dying,” said Rietveld. It’s “painful” for the staff, finishing their last days of work, Rietveld added, because “they have to send them somewhere else where they don’t have the same specialized treatment”. Child malnutrition in Afghanistan, where 45 percent of the population is under 14 years old, is one of the most significant challenges because it affects entire generations in the long term.Some 3.5 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition and the country has one of the highest rates of stunting in the world, according to the UN.Adults are also affected: 15 million Afghans are currently food insecure, including 3.1 million who are already on the brink of famine. Last week, the World Food Programme said the United States had ended funding for its work in Afghanistan, having gone back on cuts to other countries. “This is a country that’s been through so many shocks,” the World Health Organization representative in Afghanistan, Edwin Ceniza Salvador, told AFP.”So with a fragile system, even basic care of screening, those are even not there,” he said, underscoring that “of course the most vulnerable are the most affected”.- ‘Only place we could work’ -The funding crisis has also led to numerous layoffs in the humanitarian sector, in a country where the unemployment rate reached 12.2 percent in 2024, according to the World Bank. Since the US cuts, ACF has had to lay off around 150 of its 900 staff. “I have crying people in my office,” said Rietveld. “We listen, we offer support, but we can’t get them a job.” Hit hardest by the layoffs were women, who made up the majority of the 40 staff at ACF’s child nutrition centre and who face severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities since their return to power in 2021.They can no longer work in many sectors and are not allowed to study beyond primary school, unless they enrol in a religious school, leading the UN to label the system as “gender apartheid”.”For many of us, the only place we could work was in this health centre,” said 27-year-old nurse Wazhma Noorzai. “Now, we are losing even that.” To recover after the loss of US funding, which made up 30 percent of the ACF’s local budget, the organisation is “in the process of writing proposals” and “discussing with donors”, Rietveld said.”But I don’t think other donors can cover the gap.” 

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr rallied to the support of Harvard University on Wednesday, praising the US college’s refusal to submit to government oversight demanded by President Donald Trump.Kerr, who has regularly criticised Trump and campaigned for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris before last year’s election, arrived for his post-game news conference following Golden State’s victory against Memphis wearing a Harvard t-shirt.The 59-year-old revealed that he had been sent the shirt by Harvard basketball coach Tommy Amaker, who Kerr described as a friend.”It felt like a great day to wear it,” Kerr said, applauding Harvard’s defiance of the Trump administration edict.”I believe in academic freedom and I think it’s crucial for all of our institutions to be able to handle their own business the way they want to, and they should not be shaken down and told what to teach and what to say by our government.”That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. But it’s kind of par for the course right now. So yes, this is me supporting Harvard — way to go, way to stand up to the bully.”Trump threatened on Tuesday to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status as the feud with the college escalated. The president had already moved to freeze $2.2 billion of federal funding to Harvard over its refusal to bow to demands which include how the university selects students.

Donald Trump believes it is up to China to come to the negotiating table on trade, the White House said Tuesday, after the US president accused Beijing of reneging on a major Boeing deal.”The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” said a statement from Trump read out by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.”There’s no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger,” she told a briefing.Leavitt’s comments came after Trump said that China had “reneged” on a major deal with US aviation giant Boeing.This followed a Bloomberg news report that Beijing ordered airlines not to take further deliveries of the company’s jets.- China growth -Trump has slapped new tariffs on friend and foe since returning to the presidency this year, but has reserved his heaviest blows for China — imposing additional 145 percent levies on many Chinese imports.China on Wednesday said its economy grew a forecast-beating 5.4 percent in the first quarter as exporters rushed to get goods out of factory gates ahead of the US levies.Senior official Sheng Laiyun from China’s National Bureau of Statistics said that the US tariffs “will put certain pressures on our country’s foreign trade and economy”.Hong Kong’s postal service said meanwhile it will stop shipping goods bound for the United States in response to Trump’s “bullying” tariffs.Trump has scrapped the “de minimis” exemption allowed goods valued under $800 to enter without duties or certain taxes, a rule which helped the rapid growth of Chinese-founded online retailers Shein and Temu.Japan’s envoy for talks slated for later Wednesday in Washington said meanwhile that he was optimistic of a “win-win” outcome for both countries.Ryosei Akazawa, who was due to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, said he would “protect our national interest”.South Korea, another major exporter in particular of semiconductors and cars, said that finance minister Choi Sang-mok would meet Bessent next week.”The current priority is to use negotiations… to delay the imposition of reciprocal tariffs as much as possible and to minimise uncertainty for Korean companies operating not only in the US but also in global markets,” Choi said Tuesday.EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told German weekly Die Zeit that the European Union was “setting out our position clearly, and the Americans are doing the same.”Ottawa on Tuesday offered automakers tariff relief if they maintain production in Canada, fearing a flight of the key manufacturing sector to the United States.- ‘Zero respect’ -Trump took aim at Beijing again on Tuesday, saying on Truth Social that China did not fulfill its commitments under an earlier trade deal. He appeared to be referencing a pact that marked a truce in both sides’ escalating tariff war during his first term.The US president said China bought only “a portion of what they agreed to buy,” charging that Beijing had “zero respect” for his predecessor Joe Biden’s administration.Since the start of the year, Trump has imposed steep duties on imports from China, alongside a 10 percent “baseline” tariff on many US trading partners.His administration recently widened exemptions from these tariffs, excluding certain tech products like smartphones and laptops from the global 10 percent tariff and latest 125 percent levy on China.Trump also vowed to protect US farmers on Tuesday, noting on social media that they were often “put on the Front Line with our adversaries, such as China,” when there were trade tussles.Many Chinese imports still face the total 145 percent additional tariff, or at least an earlier 20 percent levy that Trump rolled out over China’s alleged role in the fentanyl supply chain.In response, Beijing has introduced counter-tariffs targeting US agricultural goods, and it later retaliated with a sweeping 125 percent levy of its own on imported US products.China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to AFP queries on the aircraft deliveries, and Boeing has declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.Chip stocks across Asia slumped after Nvidia said it expects a $5.5-billion hit due to a new US licensing requirement on the primary chip it can legally sell in China.Trump also ordered a probe Tuesday that may result in tariffs on critical minerals, rare-earth metals and associated products such as smartphones.China dominates global supply chains for rare metals and has imposed export controls on several rare earth elements since the trade war with the United States erupted.burs-stu/hmn

Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization’s headquarters sealed the deal at around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) Wednesday.”Tonight marks a significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.”The nations of the world made history in Geneva today.”Five years after Covid-19 killed millions of people and devastated economies, a growing sense of urgency hung over the talks, with new health threats lurking, ranging from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola.The final stretch of negotiations also took place with cuts to US foreign aid spending and threatened tariffs on pharmaceuticals casting a shadow over the talks.- ‘It’s adopted’ -Right until the last minute, disagreement had lingered over a few thorny issues.Negotiators stumbled over the agreement’s Article 11, which deals with transferring technology for pandemic health products towards developing nations.During the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer states accused rich countries of hoarding vaccines and tests.Countries with large pharmaceutical industries have strenuously opposed the idea of mandatory tech transfers, insisting they must be voluntary.But it appeared the obstacle could be overcome by adding that any transfer needed to be “mutually agreed”.The core the agreement is a proposed Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), aimed at allowing the swift sharing of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to quickly start working on pandemic-fighting products.In the end, the 32-page agreement was entirely highlighted in green, indicating it had been fully approved by WHO member states.”It’s adopted,” negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou announced, to thundering applause.”In drafting this historic agreement, the countries of the world have demonstrated their shared commitment to preventing and protecting everyone, everywhere, from future pandemic threats.”The finalised text will now be presented for sign-off at the WHO’s annual assembly next month.- ‘More equity’ -As intense talks in corridors and closed rooms drew towards an end late on Tuesday, Tedros joined the negotiations, telling reporters he thought the current draft was “balanced”, and that a deal would bring “more equity”.While taking measures to coordinate pandemic prevention, preparedness and response could be costly, “the cost of inaction is much bigger”, he insisted.”Virus is the worst enemy. (It) could be worse than a war.”The United States, which has thrown the global health system into crisis by slashing foreign aid spending, was not present.US President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal from the United Nations’ health agency and from the pandemic agreement talks after taking office in January.However, the US absence, and Trump’s threat to slap steep tariffs on pharmaceutical products, still hung over the talks, making manufacturers and governments more jittery.But in the end, countries reached consensus.Many saw the approval of the text as a victory for global cooperation.”At a time when multilateralism is under threat, WHO member states have joined together to say that we will defeat the next pandemic threat in the only way possible: by working together,” said former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.As the congratulatory speeches continued on towards daybreak, Eswatini’s representative stressed that “whilst we celebrate this moment, we need not rest on our laurels”.”The real work begins now.”

US President Donald Trump ordered a probe Tuesday that may result in tariffs on critical minerals, rare-earth metals and associated products such as smartphones, in an escalation of his dispute with global trade partners.Trump has upended markets in recent weeks with his sweeping on-off levies, and this investigation could see him impose further tariffs if it shows that imports of critical minerals and their derivatives endanger US national security.China dominates global supply chains for rare metals.Without naming any other countries, the order says that the United States is dependent on foreign sources that “are at risk of serious, sustained, and long-term supply chain shocks.”It states that this dependence “raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience.”The imports targeted include so-called critical minerals like cobalt, lithium and nickel, rare-earth elements, as well as products that partly require these resources, such as electric vehicles and batteries.The order states that critical minerals and their derivatives are essential for US military and energy infrastructure, noting their use in jet engines, missile guidance systems and advanced computing, among others.The Department of Commerce will have up to 180 days to deliver its report to Trump, the order says, adding that any recommendations for action should consider the imposition of tariffs.It follows a similar “national security” investigation that Trump ordered Monday into pharmaceutical imports, and another on semiconductors and chip-making equipment.The process is based on a 1962 law that was seldom used before Trump, during his first 2017-2021 term, called on it to justify imposing taxes on steel and aluminum imports. The US president again resorted to this law, known as Section 232, to reintroduce in mid-March tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminum, and on automobiles. Trump has slapped new tariffs on friend and foe since returning to the presidency this year in a wide-ranging but often chaotic attempt to reorder the world economy by using levies to force manufacturers to relocate to the United States. 

Joe Biden, in his first major speech since leaving the White House, railed Tuesday against his successor Donald Trump’s frenetic government overhaul, claiming the “hatchet” effort put Americans’ retirement benefits at risk.”Fewer than 100 days, this administration has done so much damage, and so much destruction — it’s kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon,” Biden told a conference of disability advocates in Chicago.”They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security administration, pushing 7,000 employees out the door,” said the former president, referring to the national agency which pays out retirement and disability benefits.Wearing a blue suit and tie, and standing in front of American flags, the 82-year-old Democrat spoke for around a half-hour, displaying at times the signs of aging that prompted him to abandon his re-election campaign last year.He stumbled over some sentences as he read from a teleprompter and struggled to get through winding off-the-cuff anecdotes, cutting himself off with a favorite phrase, “anyways.”President Trump, in a jab at Biden, posted a short video on social media of one of the rambling anecdotes, without comment.Biden’s choice of topic, Social Security, aimed to ramp up pressure on Trump over his rampaging government overhaul efforts.He highlighted staff reductions at the agency that Trump and his billionaire aide Elon Musk have pushed as part of their “Department of Government Efficiency,” saying the Social Security “website is crashing” and hindering retirees from getting their benefits.The program, which more than 65 million Americans rely on, is colloquially known in Washington as the “third rail of politics” for its sensitivity to voters.Many Americans “literally count on social security to buy food, just to get by,” Biden said, and “many of these beneficiaries, it’s their only income. If it were cut or taken away, it would be devastating, devastating for millions of people.”He bashed Trump’s commerce secretary, former hedge fund manager Howard Lutnick, over a recent remark in which he said “fraudsters” would complain about a missing check, but not his mother-in-law.Biden scoffed at that characterization, saying “what about the 94-year-old mother living all by herself — who doesn’t have a billionaire in the family?”