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President Donald Trump’s various U-turns are leaving Americans disillusioned — especially after he was elected on vows of guaranteeing economic prosperity.He has floated wanting to fire the Fed chair before backing off for now, and he slapped tariffs on China only to then promise compromise and mollification.”There is no chance the US flip-flops on trade the past month were remotely planned,” Joseph Grieco, professor of political science at Duke University, told AFP.”It’s been one improvisation after another.”In a Pew Research Center survey conducted in early April, when President Trump was already downgrading his trade war with many countries to focus his ire on China, just 40 percent of respondents approved of his job performance — a seven-point slide from February.With the exception of Bill Clinton and now Trump, US presidents dating back to Ronald Reagan have had an approval rating topping 50 percent after their first 100 days in office, Pew noted.However, the pollsters pointed out that the ratings for Trump, ever the divider who plays to his strengths, are essentially on par with those in 2017, at the same time in his first term.- Majority dissatisfied -Specifically, nearly six in 10 Pew respondents were critical of the Republican billionaire’s trade policies.Another opinion poll, by Reuters/Ipsos, notes that just 37 percent of Americans now say they are satisfied with the president’s economic approach.This is substantially below the upbeat numbers early in the first term for Trump, whose strong point, politically speaking, has always been the economy.Results of a YouGov poll from early April reinforced the bad news for the real estate tycoon. A majority of Americans, 51 percent, were now dissatisfied with Trump’s economic policies.That was a four-point slide from late March, before his earth-shaking tariff announcements — which were themselves followed a week later by a sweeping U-turn by Trump. Absent a clear White House strategy, the world’s markets are on edge, alternately soaring or plunging on the slightest remarks by Trump or his top officials on trade or monetary policy.Such whipsaws have brought anxiety to millions of American investors, especially those whose retirement savings are in stock-related plans.Concern only grew with the president’s amped-up criticism of US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, calling him a “loser” for refusing to cut interest rates.The attack on the central bank’s independence sent markets tumbling — before Trump backed off, assuring on Tuesday he had no intention of firing Powell.- Adulation, too -It is virtually impossible to know how the trade confrontation with China will play out, even as Trump says the 145 percent tariffs he has slapped on the world’s second-largest economy will be reduced sharply.According to a recent Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans believe their personal financial situation will worsen. Since 2001, the renowned polling organization has noted how most people it surveyed have expressed optimism about their wallets.Increasing worry would translate to a reluctance to consume, which could slow economic growth.While the major opinion polls reflect a growing mistrust of White House economic policy, most also agree that such pessimism has yet to reach Trump’s core base of supporters, whose adulation of the president largely has remained strong through thick and thin.In today’s hyper-divided political America, 70 percent of Republican voters and Republican-leaning independents still support Trump’s tariff hikes, while 90 percent of Democrats oppose them, according to Pew.

Tesla electric car sales in Europe plunged in the first three months of the year, industry data showed Thursday, in a fresh blow to its boss Elon Musk who has been criticised for his work in US President Donald Trump’s administration.Sales of the sleek machines fell 45 percent to just over 36,000 units in the first quarter of 2025 in the 27-nation bloc, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said in a report.They dropped by 36 percent just in March, suffering in both periods the biggest fall in sales of any of the major car groups tallied in the association’s report, despite a growth in electric vehicle sales overall.Tesla showrooms have been hit by vandalism, demonstrations and boycott calls in Europe and the United States in a backlash against public service cuts introduced by Musk in his role as a close adviser to Trump.On Tuesday the company reported a 71-percent drop in first-quarter profits, signalling a hit to demand due to what it called “changing political sentiment.”It reported profits of $409 million following a drop in sales, while revenues fell nine percent to $19.3 billion.Musk promptly announced he would scale back his work for the Trump administration in May to focus on Tesla.- Auto tariff concerns -Trump’s combative trade policies have raised concerns in the auto sector after he enacted 25-percent tariffs on cars imported into the United States to try to boost US manufacturing.”Uncertainty in the automotive and energy markets continues to increase as rapidly evolving trade policy adversely impacts the global supply chain and cost structure of Tesla and our peers,” Tesla said on Tuesday.”This dynamic, along with changing political sentiment, could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near-term.”Tesla pointed to tariffs as another headwind for the company and analysts have also cited a stale portfolio of vehicles as among the challenges facing the company.But Tesla said it was on track to launch new vehicles “including more affordable models” in the first half of 2025.Analysts warn of significant brand damage to Tesla from Musk’s leadership role in the “Department of Government Efficiency,” which has granted itself access to government databases with sensitive personal information and implemented thousands of job cuts.- EU electric car drive -Electric vehicle sales grew in several EU countries including Germany, as well as non-EU member Britain, the ACEA said — but they still only accounted for 15 percent of the auto market.Under ambitious efforts to combat climate change, the EU introduced a set of emission-reduction targets that should lead to the sale of fossil fuel-burning cars being phased out by 2035.But ACEA director-general Sigrid de Vries in a news release highlighted a “persistent gap between ambitious decarbonisation goals, and the ‘reality check’ of slower-than-expected consumer uptake” of electric cars.”It is vital that policymakers prioritise the measures that will incentivise a supportive ecosystem — from charging infrastructure to fiscal incentives — to ensure the uptake of zero-emission vehicles can accelerate meaningfully,” she said.Hybrid fuel-electric cars held the biggest share of the EU market: 36 percent compared to 29 percent for petrol-only vehicles.The bloc’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, the slow switch to electric vehicles and increased competition from China.Some manufacturers complain the switch is harder than expected as consumers have yet to warm to electric vehicles, which have higher upfront costs and lack an established used-vehicle market.Musk in a conference call on Tuesday reiterated his bullish outlook on the long-term prospects for Tesla, highlighting its leadership in key growth areas: robotics, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that Washington has “no currency targets” in its talks with Japan on tariffs, after repeated calls from President Donald Trump for a stronger yen.Japanese media reported meanwhile that a second round of talks in Washington was set for May 1, which will be closely watched as a barometer for efforts by other countries seeking tariff relief.Bessent said Washington is looking at “tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers, currency manipulation and government subsidy of labor and fixed capital investment” in the negotiations with Japan.But he added that there were “absolutely no currency targets.”Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said he was ready for “close consultations about exchange rates” with Bessent when they meet Thursday on the sidelines of an IMF gathering in Washington, Japanese media reported.A weak yen makes Japanese exports relatively cheaper, while a strong dollar means that US exports are less competitive.The yen rose significantly since Trump’s tariffs were announced — it was trading at 158 for a dollar in mid-January.The close US ally and world’s number four economy is subject to the same 10 percent baseline tariffs that have been imposed on most countries, plus steeper levies on cars, steel and aluminum. Trump also imposed “reciprocal” tariffs on Japan of 24 percent, but those have been paused for 90 days along with those on other countries except China.Japan’s envoy Ryosei Akazawa met Trump and other senior US officials last week, and Japanese media reported Thursday that he will return for another round on May 1.Japanese broadcaster NHK on Thursday quoted unnamed sources as saying that US negotiators have said Washington cannot make exceptions for Japan.Other media reports have suggested that Tokyo is eyeing concessions such as increasing imports into Japan of US rice and soybeans as well as easing auto safety rules.

Russia launched a missile attack Thursday on Kyiv, killing at least two and wounding dozens hours after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to accept Moscow’s occupation of Crimea as a peace deal.The Ukrainian capital was attacked “by enemy missiles” in the early hours, with flights of drones heard across the city by AFP journalists as residents hid in bomb shelters. City mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and 54 others wounded so far in the attack.Of these, “38 of them, including six children, were hospitalised,” he said, adding that the rest of the wounded were treated at the scene. In Ukraine’s east, the city of Kharkiv was hit by seven missiles, said city mayor Igor Terekhov, who later warned that “a massive drone attack on the city continues”. “Stay safe!” Terekhov said on Telegram.Hours earlier, Trump had said a peace deal was “very close” — and effectively closed with Moscow — but accused Zelensky of being “harder” to negotiate with.The Ukrainian president’s refusal to accept US terms for ending the conflict — which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 — “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field’,” he said.”I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky,” Trump told reporters. “I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky. So far it’s been harder.”Ahead of Trump’s broadside, Vice President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a peace deal where Russia would get to keep already occupied swaths of Ukraine, which include Crimea.Zelensky has rejected this as a violation of Ukraine’s constitution.That in turn prompted an outburst from Trump, in which he accused Zelensky of being “inflammatory” and taking a position “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”Zelensky “can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.Trump said Crimea — a lush Black Sea peninsula with longtime major Soviet and Russian naval facilities — “was lost years ago” and “is not even a point of discussion.”Zelensky responded by posting on social media a 2018 “Crimea declaration” by Trump’s then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, which said Washington “rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea.”As Kyiv was bombarded with a Russian missile attack, Zelensky’s top aide took to Telegram, saying “Russia is attacking Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities with missiles and drones right now”. “Putin shows only a desire to kill,” said Andriy Yermak. “The fire must stop. The attacks on civilians must stop.”- ‘Freeze’ Russia’s gains -Weeks into a US-initiated process, Trump’s patience was “running very thin,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.Intense US pressure on Ukraine to accept a deal comes after Trump regularly boasted on the campaign trail that he would resolve the conflict in 24 hours.He has put no equivalent visible pressure on Russia, while dangling a lifting of massive US economic sanctions against Moscow if the fighting stops.Meanwhile, on a trip to India, his deputy Vance gave the fullest public explanation of the US plan so far, saying the deal would “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today.””The Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own,” Vance said.Freezing the frontlines would mean Ukraine losing large areas to Russia.The vice president did not explain what territory Russia — which seized Crimea in 2014 — would have to give up.It was time for Moscow and Kyiv “to either say ‘yes,’ or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance said.Growing speculation over Washington being ready to recognise Russian rule over Crimea has alarmed European capitals.French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said “Ukraine’s territorial integrity and European aspirations are very strong requirements for Europeans.”A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters “it has to be up to Ukraine to decide its future.”Top Ukrainian officials wrapped up a round of talks in London on Wednesday with representatives from Britain, France, Germany and the United States.US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is to visit Moscow this week and Trump said he would likely meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after his trip to the Middle East in mid-May.The diplomatic wrangling and strikes on Kyiv came after a fresh wave of Russian air attacks that shattered a brief Easter truce, killing nine and wounding at least 30 more in the southeastern city of Marganets.In light of the attacks, Zelensky has called for an “immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire.”burs-sms/dhc/hmn

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday played up prospects of a “fair deal” on trade with China, but his top officials offered few details of how Washington might de-escalate its damaging tariff war with Beijing.Trump told reporters his country would have a “fair deal with China,” adding that “everything’s active” when asked if Washington was talking to Beijing.But how soon the tariffs can be lowered “depends on them,” Trump said, referring to Beijing, even as he maintained that he gets along “very well” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and hopes they can reach an agreement.Trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have soared as Trump ramped up levies on imports from China this year, imposing an additional 145 percent tariff on many products over practices Washington has deemed unfair, and other issues.Beijing in turn has countered with new 125 percent tariffs on US goods.Despite signals that Washington is looking towards a fair agreement, the state of discussions remains murky.Asked if there is direct US contact with China on trade, Trump said: “Every day.”But earlier Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that the two countries are “not yet” talking when it comes to lowering tariffs.”I think both sides are waiting to speak to the other,” he said at an event on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s spring meetings in Washington.He added that there is no unilateral offer from Trump to slash duties on Chinese goods.- ‘An embargo’ -Bessent said the staggeringly high tariffs both countries have imposed on each other’s goods have to come down before negotiations can occur.”I don’t think either side believes that the current tariff levels are sustainable, so I would not be surprised if they went down in a mutual way,” he added on the sidelines of an Institute of International Finance forum.”This is the equivalent of an embargo, and a break between the two countries in trade does not suit anyone’s interest,” Bessent said, stressing that “de-escalation by both sides is possible.”But he had no timeframe on how soon bilateral talks could take place.”It’s both a blessing and a curse that the strongest relationship is at the very top,” Bessent said, referring to Trump’s ties with Chinese counterpart Xi. But with “any de-escalation, the talks would not begin at the very top.”Joseph Grieco, professor of political science at Duke University, told AFP that Trump may continue to chase China for a deal “to keep the financial markets off his back.””I worry Trump will eventually offer President Xi a favorable deal, one that doesn’t address the serious economic problems the US actually has with China,” he said.While Trump has swiftly rolled out sharp tariffs on different countries and sectors, he has also been quick to introduce certain exemptions — most recently some temporary reprieve for tech products like smartphones and chipmaking tools.And he could widen the carveouts, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, saying Trump could exempt car parts from some tariffs on Chinese imports — alongside those on steel and aluminum.On Wednesday afternoon, Trump said he was not considering changes to US auto tariffs but noted that levies on Canada could rise in terms of cars.Separately, Bessent said he did not have a stance on whether the president had the authority to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he wanted to.He suggested Trump’s previous comment that the “termination” of Powell could not come fast enough might also refer to the end of the Fed chief’s term.Earlier Wednesday, Bessent said in a speech that Beijing’s export-reliant economic model is “unsustainable” and “not only harming China but the entire world.”He stressed US concerns around trade imbalances that the Trump administration says it hopes to address through sweeping tariffs.But Bessent maintained that “America first does not mean America alone.”He insisted the administration’s moves are broadly a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trading partners, while taking aim at policy choices by other countries that he said have hollowed out US manufacturing and put its security at risk.

YouTube on Wednesday celebrated more than 20 billion videos being uploaded to the platform since the first clip debuted two decades ago.The online video-sharing platform has evolved from a dinner party lark into a modern lifestyle staple poised to overtake US cable television in paid viewership.PayPal colleagues Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim conceived YouTube in 2005, reportedly during a dinner party. The domain YouTube.com launched on Valentine’s Day that year.Video uploading capabilities were added on April 23, when Karim posted the first video, titled “Me at the Zoo.” The 19-second clip showing Karim at the San Diego Zoo’s elephant exhibit has garnered 348 million views.Over the next 20 years, the site expanded beyond what was imagined possible back in 2005.YouTube says that it now sees an average of some 20 million videos uploaded daily.The platform hosts everything from concert clips and podcasts to political ads, tutorials and much more.YouTube has become the world’s largest digital video service in terms of time spent by viewers and ad revenue, according to eMarketer analyst Ross Benes.The platform reached more than 2.5 billion viewers globally last year, and hit 100 million subscribers to its music and premium tier, according to market tracker Statista. YouTube is projected to surpass all US cable television services in paid subscribers within two years, according to Benes. Users worldwide watch more than a billion hours of YouTube content daily on television sets alone, Google reported.YouTube said it will upgrade its TV viewing experience this summer with improved features and “quality tweaks,” though it did not provide further details.”If you go back 20 years, it would have seemed laughable that this website with kids making parody videos would become a threat to Disney, ABC, and CBS,” Benes said. “That’s what they were able to accomplish.”Analysts consider Google’s 2006 purchase of YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock a pivotal moment, combining Google’s search and advertising expertise with a video-sharing platform that had passionate users.Google used its advertising know-how to build a successful model, sharing revenue with creators who attracted significant audiences. The company enhanced technology and negotiated with studios to address copyright violations on what was once considered the Wild West of video content.YouTube also worked its way past concerns that disturbing content, like parody videos of popular cartoon characters in violent or risque situations, were being served up to children by its recommendation software.The platform now competes with streaming services like Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime, as well as short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram’s Reels.

President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered the closure of a US agency that invested billions in African and other developing countries’ infrastructure in return for good governance, effectively ceding ground to China.The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will immediately exit projects around the world, from building roads to modernizing electricity grids, likely leaving the works under construction unless other partners step in. An MCC executive at a staff meeting on Wednesday told staff that “we are coming to an orderly close” with all programs to be discontinued, according to an employee who was present.The meeting came after a staff-wide memo, seen by AFP, informed that billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was imposing a “significant reduction” at MCC and laid out practicalities for the majority of staff who will lose jobs.Founded in 2004 under former president George W. Bush with bipartisan support, MCC signs contracts for US investment in developing countries that meet standards on economic transparency and good governance.MCC has since invested $17 billion with numerous prominent projects underway.Just in October, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema — who has consolidated democracy at home — vowed to keep upholding “shared values” with the United States as he signed a half-billion-dollar agreement to improve roads, irrigation and electricity.Trump has made clear he has limited interest in sub-Saharan Africa and that he opposes development aid, which he sees as not directly benefiting the United States, earlier shuttering the US Agency for International Development, a much larger government body.The MCC employee, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid retribution, said the organization differed significantly from USAID.”We’re not doing humanitarian assistance. We’re not doing social justice. We’re very much building up an environment for private-sector investment in foreign economies,” she told AFP.”This is a very different thing, something that actually does put America first,” she said.”It’s interesting, if we’re worried about China’s influence in the world, that we would shutter MCC, which builds large-scale infrastructure that counters China’s influence.”- Area of competition with China -Infrastructure projects — roads, hospitals and other buildings — have been a signature selling point for China, which the United States sees as its primary adversary.Chinese President Xi Jinping in September vowed another $51 billion of investment in Africa over the next three years.The United States under former president Joe Biden acknowledged it cannot keep up with such high-profile, state-led spending but argued it can offer a more sustainable model.MCC will inform countries on Friday that compacts will be terminated within 40 days, the staffer said. After negotiations with Musk’s team, MCC was allowed extensions in four countries — Ivory Coast, Mongolia, Nepal and Senegal.In Nepal, Mongolia and Senegal, the MCC will have up to three months, with hopes of making construction sites safe.The goal is “so someone is not going to fall into a pit or something,” the employee said. “Whether or not we’ll be successful, I don’t know.”MCC was granted slightly longer in Ivory Coast where the project, which includes support for integrating major road arteries, is nearing completion.The Nepal project was sealed in 2022 despite street protests against it by leftists in Kathmandu.The $500 million grant in China’s small Himalayan neighbor aims to improve roads and increase cross-border electricity trading with US-friendly India.In Senegal, a $600 million initiative — $550 million from MCC and $50 million from the Senegalese government — has included ramping up electricity outside urban areas.Elizabeth Hoffman, executive director for North America at ONE, the anti-poverty group co-founded by Bono, voiced alarm at the shutdown.”MCC brings an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to development assistance that holds governments accountable and effectively counters malign foreign influences like China,” she said.MCC and Trump administration did not immediately comment on the cuts, which were first reported by development specialist site Devex.

A coalition of 12 American states filed a lawsuit Wednesday to challenge the Trump administration’s tariffs, saying the president cannot institute the levies without the approval of Congress.”President Trump’s insane tariff scheme is not only economically reckless — it is illegal,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement. The southwestern state is joined by Democratic-led Minnesota, New York, Oregon and others in the filing. Separately, California filed a similar suit a week ago.President Donald Trump has sent markets into tumult in his second term, turning decades of free trade policy on its head with his “Liberation Day” announcements of new tariffs against numerous countries.Trump has imposed an additional 145 percent import duties on China, and Beijing responded with its own 125 percent tariffs on US goods. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he’s working on a “fair deal with China.”Meanwhile he has imposed 10 percent tariffs on other trade partners — and he is threatening more punishing levies.In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, the states argue that the 1977 law invoked by Trump does not allow him to use emergency measures to impose tariffs, a power constitutionally reserved for Congress.”By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” the lawsuit alleges.Trump has said his protectionist policy will return manufacturing jobs to the United States. “No matter what the White House claims, tariffs are a tax that will be passed on to Arizona consumers,” Mayes said.On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Trump’s approval rating has fallen steadily during his first three months in office, hitting a low of 44 percent this week. Democrats are seizing the opportunity to illustrate how his policies are hurting pocketbooks.Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump’s tariff policy “the worst own-goal in the history of this country.”

Elon Musk says he will step back from his controversial White House role as the unofficial head of the cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” to focus more on his troubled Tesla car company.While classified as a mere “special government employee” and “senior advisor to the president,” the South African-born tycoon has left indelible marks on American politics as President Donald Trump’s most visible billionaire backer.- The ‘Nazi’ salute -Being Trump’s right-hand man took on a new meaning when the world’s richest person made headlines by dramatically throwing out his arm — twice — at a rally celebrating Trump’s January 20 inauguration.Standing at a podium bearing the presidential seal, Musk’s right arm was straight, his hand open, his palm facing down. Historians agreed with Democratic politicians that the sharp gesture looked exactly like a Nazi salute.The Tesla boss — whose electric vehicles were soon dubbed “swasticars” by critics — dismissed the claims, posting on his X social media platform: “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”Whatever the display meant, Nazi-related jokes and memes dominated public reactions to the day meant to mark Trump’s triumphant return to office.- Endorsing Germany’s extreme-right -Hot off his salute shock, Musk participated virtually at a January rally for Germany’s anti-immigration, ultra-nationalist AfD party.Musktold the crowd “you really are the best hope” for Germany and urged them to be “proud of German culture and German values.”His endorsement of the AfD shook mainstream German parties, which said they viewed it as foreign interference by Trump’s advisor. Vandals burned four Teslas in the streets of Berlin afterward.Despite record gains at the polls, AfD ultimately took second place in the election behind Germany’s conservatives. – Brings kid to work -Dressed down in MAGA hats andt-shirts, Musk became a near constant presence in the White House. For a while, so did his four-year-old son named X.During Musk’s first appearance before press since his arrival in Washington to run DOGE, the child was trotted out and Trump said, “This is X and he’s a great guy.”The boy was filmed picking his nose while his father boasted about his cost-cutting exploits standing next to the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk.- Brings chainsaw to budget -Unelected and unconfirmed by Senate, Musk has repeatedly bashed the “unelected, fourth unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy” and immediately made brutal cuts to the federal workforce and budget.To illustrate his management style, Musk donned sunglasses and brandished a chainsaw on stage at a conservative get-together in Washington.It was handed to him — not turned on — by right-wing Argentine President Javier Milei, who made the machine a symbol of slashing bureaucracy and state spending in his own country.- Overshadowing Trump’s cabinet -At Trump’s first cabinet meeting on February 26, Musk had a starring role even though he is not part of the cabinet. He stood looming near a doorway, wearing a t-shirt with words “Tech Support” across the chest as the cabinet met.Even without a literal seat at the table, the country’s most powerful officials were overshadowed by Musk, who helped bankroll Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.Trump downplayed this tension shortly before the meeting, posting on his social media platform: “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON.”- Trump the Tesla salesman -With Musk’s Tesla car company taking a battering on the stock market and sales dropping sharply, and with vandals targeting his brand, the White House hosted a highly publicized test drive to boost Tesla’s rep. With a Tesla Cybertruck and a Model S parked on the South Portico, Trump and Musk mounted a sale’s pitch.Trump even said he had purchased one.The stunt didn’t ultimately turn around Tesla’s plummeting sales, with the electric vehicle maker reporting a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits.- Fails to sway court election -Money can’t buy you everything, Musk discovered, after pouring $25 million into the most expensive court race in US history to try to get a pro-Trump Republican judge elected to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.Musk paid voters $100 to sign a petition opposing “activist judges” and even handed out $1 million checks to voters, beseeching the public to select the conservative judge. The court’s docket was packed with precedent-setting cases over abortion and reproductive rights, the strength of  public sector unions, voting rules and congressional district boundaries. The US state in April instead chose a liberal judge by a wide margin, dismaying the billionaire — who had spent roughly $277 million in 2024 in the national race to help get Trump elected.- Tariff dissenter -After Trump announced his sweeping US tariffs, deeply affecting major trading partners China and the European Union, Musk made the case for a free-trade zone between the US and Europe.This clashes with Trump trade policy.Shortly after, he called Trump’s economic adviser Peter Navarro, a longtime advocate for trade barriers, “dumber than a sack of bricks.”Navarro had taken aim at Tesla, saying the carmaker mostly sourced assembled major components from factories in Asia.Musk retorted with studies he said showed “Tesla has the most American-made cars.”White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later tried to play down the public feud, saying that “boys will be boys.”

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency called Wednesday on Iran to explain tunnels built around a nuclear site but voiced optimism that US-Iran talks would land a deal.The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington think tank, released satellite imagery on Wednesday that it said showed a new, deeply buried tunnel alongside an older one around the Natanz site, as well as a new security perimeter.”I’ve been raising this issue repeatedly, and I will continue to do so,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters on a visit to Washington.Grossi, who visited Tehran last week, said that all countries need to inform the IAEA of intentions for facilities around nuclear sites but that Iran has a stance “unique in the world” that it does not need to inform the agency ahead of time.”We’re asking them, what is this for? They are telling us, it’s none of your business,” Grossi said.Grossi said it “cannot be excluded” that the tunnels would store undeclared material but said he did not want to speculate on intentions.But Grossi also said that Iranian and IAEA experts would meet to follow up on his visit, including on reinstalling cameras on nuclear sites.”It was agreed that I am sending a technical team to continue our discussions on this very specific kind of things,” he said.”They are going to be meeting in the next few days in Tehran.”- Expectation of new deal -Iran and the United States have held two rounds of talks since President Donald Trump called for a diplomatic solution to avoid conflict. A new round of technical talks is expected this weekend.”I think there’s a general expectation that this goes well and that the agreement is verified by the IAEA,” Grossi said.He said that was “more or less the sense of what I’m getting when I’m talking to leaders,” mentioning specifically Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as hopeful for a US-Iran deal.Trump in 2018 ripped up an earlier nuclear agreement negotiated under Barack Obama and reimposed sweeping sanctions.But Trump has voiced hope in his second term for a new accord that would resolve the issue diplomatically, and has discouraged Israel from a military strike on Iran.Asked about a military option, Grossi said: “I should simply remind that attacks on nuclear facilities is something that could have potentially very, very serious consequences.”- US talks tough -The Obama deal, known as the JCPOA, allowed Iran to maintain uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent — far below the level needed for nuclear weapons — for civilian nuclear usage.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood firm in an interview released Wednesday that there should be no enrichment.”If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one, and that is they import enriched material,” he told the Honestly podcast.Rubio said the Trump team would not repeat the Obama deal which “gave Iran immediate and full sanctions relief in exchange for enrichment capabilities that at any point could be weaponized in the future.”Obama administration officials counter that the JCPOA worked in constraining Iran’s program until Trump walked away and that it is unrealistic to expect Iran to surrender its whole program.The Trump administration has kept up sanctions despite the diplomacy. On Tuesday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an Iranian shipping network and its purported owner.Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei responded that the move was in “clear contradiction with the United States’ demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America’s lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard.”burs-sct/mlm