The Biden-Biden Agenda: Trade and Jobs in the United States, in China, and on the Rise of Unfair Trade Practices

President Biden will slap tariffs on $18 billion of imports of goods from China including electric vehicles, semiconductors, and medical products to protect the strategic sectors and punish China for unfair trade practices.

In a statement, the treasury secretary said that she raised concerns about “artificially cheap Chinese imports” during her visit to Beijing. She said the new tariffs are necessary to protect American workers and companies from what could become a flood of unfairly traded products.

The move comes as Biden pushes forward to implement three pieces of legislation that contain hundreds of billions of subsidies to boost the domestic manufacturing and clean energy sectors — and ahead of a presidential election where trade and jobs will again be an issue.

Lael Brainard told reporters that China’s unfair practices had harmed communities in Michigan and Pennsylvania since President Biden had an investment agenda.

“One of the challenges is once tariffs have been imposed, it is quite difficult politically to reduce them — because the affected industry tends to get used to them, like them, operate with them as baked into their plans,” said Michael Froman, who was U.S. Trade Representative during the Obama administration.

The White House has tried to distinguish its strategy from Trump’s approach. It points to comments made by Trump in rallies and interviews that he would broaden tariffs on all imported goods, including targeting Chinese cars, if he wins the election — something that they said would hike consumer prices.

The White House claims that the issues have been discussed during meetings of top US and Chinese officials and are unlikely to lead to a new round of tariffs from China.

Michael Cohen returns to the stand: Biden to announce new Chinese tariffs; Michael Cohen cross-examination in the US-Kyiv border offensive

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. You have to subscribe to get it in your inbox, and you can listen to the Up First show to start your day.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv today. The unannounced visit comes less than a month after Congress passed a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. The meeting with the Ukrainian president is expected to emphasize Washington’s commitment to Ukraine as Russia ramps up attacks. Ukrainian troops are struggling to repel a new Russian offensive along the northeastern border.

Michael Cohen, the key prosecution witness in Trump’s hush-money case, will undergo cross-examination today as he returns to the stand in New York. Cohen, formerly Trump’s personal lawyer, confirmed two key details on the stand yesterday: That the former president knew about the $130,000 settlement negotiation to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels from revealing an alleged affair and that he directed Cohen to make that payment because of the 2016 election.

Source: Biden to announce new Chinese tariffs; Michael Cohen returns to the stand

Tracking the GPS with Hip-Hop Cyclotomies: A Compendium of Folklore and Popular Artifacts

How often do you rely on your GPS to get you where you need to go? I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag without the gps. People with no idea of where they’re going can change. Hugo Spiers, a neuroscience professor, stated that people with a good internal compass may have a deeper connection to the world around them. Try to improve your navigation skills with this advice.

Flavor Flav’s clock. Nicki Minaj’s Barbie pendant. Rick had a crown and eyepatch. The eagle cuff was owned by Ghostface Killah. These famous hip-hop symbols are currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as part of an exhibit called “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry.”