BUSINESS LOBBY WARNS TRUMP ON CHINA TARIFFS
America’s largest WASHINGTON business lobby is warning President Donald Trump against slapping big tariffs on Chinese imports. The U. S. Chamber of Commerce is sounding the alarm as the White House weighs whether to punish China for forcing U. S. companies to hand technology to Chinese companies.
“Simply put, tariffs are damaging taxes on American consumers,” U. S. Chamber President Thomas Donohue said in a statement Thursday . Citing reports that the administration is considering tariffs worth $ 30 billion a year, Donohue noted that such a tax on Chinese imports would wipe out much of the windfall American families are getting from December’s tax cuts. Donohue also warned that sanctions against China “could lead to a destructive trade war with serious consequences for U. S. economic growth and job creation.”
Rihanna criticizes Snapchat ad.
LOS ANGELES
» An ad on Snapchat asking users if they’d rather “Slap Rihanna” or “Punch Chris Brown” has spawned widespread outrage, including from the singer herself, and brought profuse apologies from the company behind the visual- messaging app.
Snapchat said it is investigating how the ad for a mobile video game called “Would You Rather” made it to the app.
Rihanna, who Brown was convicted of assaulting when she was his girlfriend in 2009, posted an angry statement on her Snapchat and Instagram accounts.
“You spent money to animate something that would intentionally bring shame to DV ( domestic violence) victims and made a joke of it!!!”
“Shame on you” she goes on to say, “Throw the whole appoligy away.”
Complaint made against Trump lawyers.
PANAMA CITY
According to a complaint filed with the anti- corruption division of Panama’s chief prosecutor, lawyers for President Donald Trump’s family hotel business threatened a Panamanian judicial official handling a business dispute related to Trump Hotels’ management of a 70- story luxury hotel. Trump’s lawyers dispute the claims. Trump’s team was eventually evicted from the hotel.
Mortgage rates fall for first time in 2018.
WASHINGTON
Long- term U. S. mortgage rates fell this week for the first time this year as the spring homebuying season begins. The decline comes after nine straight weeks of increases.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on 30- year fixed- rate mortgages slipped to 4.44 percent from 4.46 percent last week.
Georgia high court upholds $ 40M judgment.
ATLANTA
Georgia’s highest court on Thursday ruled against Fiat Chrysler, which had appealed a $ 40 million judgment awarded to the family of a 4- year- old boy who died in a Jeep fire.
Remington “Remi” Walden died in 2012 after a Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding in was hit from behind and burst into flames. In the lawsuit, the boy’s parents argued that mounting the fuel tank behind the rear axle in the 1999- model Jeep left it vulnerable in a crash.