Trump modifies tariff rate for Lesotho to 15% as small country reels from tariff impacts

Trump modifies tariff rate for Lesotho to 15% as small country reels from tariff impacts

By Christian Martinez (Reuters) -The small African country Lesotho received a modified tariff rate of 15% Thursday from U.S. President Donald Trump as the nation continued to reel from high tariffs the administration had threatened to implement earlier this year. In an executive order, Trump modified reciprocal tariff rates for dozens of countries, including Lesotho, which had been under threat of a 50% rate since April, the highest of any U.S. trading partner. The Trump administration defended its tariff rate on the mountain kingdom in Southern Africa as reciprocal, stating that Lesotho charged 99% tariffs on U.S. goods. Lesotho officials have said they do not know how the White House arrived at that figure. After announcing the barrage of reciprocal tariffs in April, the administration paused implementation to give countries time to negotiate. Under the tariff threat and uncertainty, many U.S. importers canceled orders of Lesotho-produced textiles, leading to mass layoffs. "If we still have these high tariffs, it means we must forget about producing for the U.S. and go as fast as we can ... (looking for) other available markets," Teboho Kobeli, owner of Afri-Expo, which makes jeans for export, told Reuters earlier this year. (Reporting by Christian Martinez; Editing by Jamie Freed)

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

July 31, 2025

Trump modifies tariff rate for Lesotho to 15% as small country reels from tariff impacts

Trump modifies tariff rate for Lesotho to 15% as small country reels from tariff impacts By Christian Martinez (Reuters) -The small African...

Read More

Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites

Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites

Washington— U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are heading to Gaza on Friday to survey food and aid distribution sites and meet with people living there, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Their visit is prompted by a direhumanitarian crisis, as children and adults in Gaza are struggling to survive off insufficient food and thedeath tollfor people trying to get aid in Gaza mounts. President Trump said earlier this week that the U.S. and Israel will partner to run newfood centersin the region, but he said Israel would preside over the centers to "make sure the distribution is proper." Leavitt said Witkoff and Huckabee have been in Israel meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders about the situation in Gaza. Netanyahu has said, incorrectly, that there is "no starvation" in Gaza, despite emerging photos of emaciated children and repeated warnings from food security experts. "President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart," Leavitt said during Thursday's White House press briefing. "And that's why he sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis. Tomorrow, special envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza to inspect to the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food, and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground. The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region." Leavitt said the administration will provide more details once the president approves a plan. She also said the meetings Witkoff and Huckabee have had with Netanyahu and other leaders have been productive. Mr. Trump earlier this week contradicted Netanyahu's assessment denying grave hunger in Gaza. The U.S. president said the children in Gaza "look very hungry." "There is real starvation in Gaza — you can't fake that," he told reporters. Also at issue is the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private food distribution organization that has facedheavy criticismfor its food delivery methods and the number of people who have beenkilledtrying to reach its distribution sites in Gaza. The U.S. and Israel have both supported the relatively new GHF to deliver aid in Gaza over the United Nations. A group of Democratic senators, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, is urging the Trump administration to "immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need," the senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A senior U.S. official told CBS News on Wednesday that the U.S. has committed $30 million for aid in Gaza and those funds would be distributed "in the next day or so." "The United States of America supports GHF, but we would support any other mechanism that delivers food and the other needs of the Gazan people in a safe, secure fashion that does not get manipulated or distorted or taken advantage of by Hamas, the official said, adding, "I'd like to think that some of the NGOs that are not succeeding right now would turn to GHF and say, let's work together for the sake of the Gazans in Gaza." Watch: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green gives update on tsunami warning Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi gives tsunami warning update Tsunami warning issued for Hawaii after 8.7 earthquake near Russia

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

July 31, 2025

Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites

Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites Washington— U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Is...

Read More

White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like

White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like

President Donald Trump continues to put his personal stamp on the White House with a new $200 million ballroom. Work will begin on the site in September and will be paid for by Trump and unidentified donors, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt announced the project at her press briefing on Thursday, showing renderings of what the finished product will look like. She said it will be completed "long before" Trump's term is up. "We are proud to announce that the construction of the new White House ballroom will begin. For 150 years, presidents, administrations and White House staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed," she told reporters. "The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building's entrance," she said. This is the latest change Trump is making to the White House. Currently, the famous Rose Garden is also under construction with pavement replacing the grass. He also paid to have two, 88-foot-tall flagpoles put up on the White House North and South Lawns. Trump also redecorated the Oval Office with an extensive amount of gold details, including on picture frames and in furnishings surrounding the fireplace. The artist renderings of what the new ballroom will look like shows it, too, will be filled with gold trim, similar to decorations at the ballroom at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Trump has long said he wanted to build a ballroom at the White House akin to the one at Mar-a-Lago -- which Trump in his first term dubbed at times his "Winter White House." At his Turnberry golf property in Scotland this past weekend, Trump told European Council President Ursula von der Leyen, "You know, we just built this ballroom, and we're building a great ballroom at the White House." Trump spoke about the project later Thursday during an executive order signing in the Roosevelt Room, saying they retained "the best architects and engineers" to build it and it will be "top of the line." "I'm good at building things. And we'll get it built quickly and on time. It'll be beautiful," he said. "I always said I was going to do something about the ballroom because they should have one. So we'll be leaving it. It'll be a great legacy project and I think it'll be special," Trump added. The ballroom addition will be separated from the main building and positioned off the White House East Wing. "It won't interfere with the current building ... It'll be near it, but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite," Trump said. When asked how much of the East Wing will be torn down for the upcoming construction -- which currently holds the office of the first lady, the White House military office, and the visitor office -- Leavitt said offices in the East Wing would be vacated while it is "modernized." "The necessary construction will take place," Leavitt said. In a press release, the White House said Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning. "The President and the Trump White House are "fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the special history of the white House, while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future administrations and generations of Americans to come," White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said. "President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail," Wiles said.

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

July 31, 2025

White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like

White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like President Donald Trump continues to put his personal stamp o...

Read More

Former Stanford football coach Troy Taylor files defamation lawsuit against ESPN

Former Stanford football coach Troy Taylor files defamation lawsuit against ESPN

FormerStanford footballcoachTroy Taylorhas filed a lawsuit against ESPN and one of its reporters over a story that led to his dismissal. Taylor, 57, filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in the Northern District of California, citing an investigative story that ran in March by author Xuan Thai. The lawsuit alleges that Thai published "repeated defamatory statements about Taylor, knowing full well that the statements were false, for the purpose of smearing Taylor's reputation and injuring him in his profession." The Sacramento Beefirst reported the filing of the lawsuit, and USA TODAY Sports has obtained a copy of the complaint. REQUIRED READING:Arch Manning rumor madness with Nick Saban and Cleveland Browns -- and a whole lot of dumb Stanford and GM Andrew Luck announced the firing of Taylor on March 25, six days after ESPN's report was released. Taylor had been the head coach for theCardinalfor two seasons, leading the program to a 6-18 record. Thai's story alleged that Taylor "bullied and belittled female athletic staffers," citing a pair of previously undisclosed third-party investigations in 2023 and 2024 after "multiple employees filed official complaints regarding Taylor's behavior." A month later, on April 16, a follow-up article from ESPN's look into Stanford and Taylor began "in response to a single complainant who alleged gender bias and 'a culture problem in football.'" The article states that despite interviews "with at least 20 Stanford athletic department staffers regarding four allegations against Taylor. Three of the allegations regarding belittling and inappropriate behavior toward multiple women were deemed to have merit." Taylor's lawsuit states: "Defendents' false reporting about Taylor was not caused by negligence and did not result from any honest or good faith mistakes. Rather, Defendents' intentionally twisted the facts to advance a particular narrative and made (repeated) patently false statements about Taylor for the purpose of harming his reputation and pressuring Stanford to fire him." Luck, the former Stanford quarterback star and No. 1 overall NFL pick, became Stanford's GM in November. He reportedly knew Taylor's situation before taking the position, but did not decide to fire Taylor until ESPN's report was released ahead of spring practices. Stanford hired Taylor on Dec. 10, 2022, following a three-year stint coaching Sacramento State at the FCS level. He led the Hornets to three playoff appearances in three seasons. Following the departure of long-time coach David Shaw following a pair of 3-9 seasons, Taylor was brought in. In his two seasons leading the Cardinal, Taylor also went 3-9, marking the fourth straight season with the same record for the program. Stanford's last winning record in a full season came back in 2018, when it went 9-4 and won the Sun Bowl. Following the firing of Taylor, Luck tabbed his former Indianapolis Colts coach, Frank Reich, as the new interim head coach. Reich was hired under the condition that he would not be considered for the permanent role. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Former Stanford coach Troy Taylor files defamation lawsuit vs ESPN

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

July 31, 2025

Former Stanford football coach Troy Taylor files defamation lawsuit against ESPN

Former Stanford football coach Troy Taylor files defamation lawsuit against ESPN FormerStanford footballcoachTroy Taylorhas filed a lawsuit ...

Read More

MLB trade deadline: Orioles reportedly trade slugger Ryan O'Hearn, Ramón Laureano to Padres

MLB trade deadline: Orioles reportedly trade slugger Ryan O'Hearn, Ramón Laureano to Padres

One of the more coveted power bats on the free-agent market has found a new home. Baltimore Orioles slugger Ryan O'Hearn was dealt to the San Diego Padres on Thursday, along with outfielder Ramón Laureano, per multiple reports. In return, Baltimore reportedly receives a slew of Padres prospects — six in total, perMLB Network's Jon Morosi. Pitchers Boston Bateman, Tyson Neighbors and Tanner Smith, infielders Cobb Hightower and Brandon Butterworth, and infielder/outfielder Victor Figueroa will all join the Orioles as part of the deal. It's the latest move in what has been a very busy trade deadline for Padres general manager and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. Prior to picking up O'Hearn and Laureano, Preller acquired catcher Freddy Fermin, closer Mason Miller and starter J.P. Sears earlier on Thursday. BREAKING: The San Diego Padres are acquiring All-Star slugger Ryan O'Hearn and OF Ramón Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles, per@ByRobertMurrayand@JeffPassan.pic.twitter.com/1247MIpXCt — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)July 31, 2025 O'Hearn, 31, is enjoying arguably the best season of his career. The slugging first baseman and designated hitter is slashing .284/.375/.452 with 12 home runs. That performance earned O'Hearn his first All-Star nod in July. He startedthe contestfor the American League, going 0 for 2 in the National League's win. It has been quite a road for O'Hearn to reach this point. After an excellent rookie season with the Kansas City Royals in 2018, in which he slashed .262/.353/.597 in 44 games, O'Hearn saw his numbers crater. He hit just .211/.282/.351 over his next four seasons, and it looked like his major-league career was in jeopardy. But a 2023 trade to the Orioles resurrected his bat. Utilized as a platoon player, O'Hearn hit .275/.329/.450 in his first two years in Baltimore, and his slugging numbers might've been better over that period if not for the Orioles' raised outfield wall in 2024. The team reverted that change for the 2025 season, and then O'Hearn's home slugging numbers took a big step forward. As for Laureano, this marks the third straight year the right fielder has been traded midseason. After time with the Cleveland Guardians and Atlanta Braves last year, Laureano signed a one-year deal with Baltimore in the offseason. The outfielder has a .290 batting average and .884 OPS in 259 plate appearances this year, putting him on pace for a career season. O'Hearn wasfar from the biggest name on this year's trade market. Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and even Luis Robert Jr. have overshadowed O'Hearn's production in recent seasons. But of that group, only Suarez has a higher wRC+ in 2025. Because of that, O'Hearn could prove to be an underrated trade-deadline acquisition. If O'Hearn's production can carry over to the Padres, he stands to benefit quite a bit. He'll be a free agent at the end of this season and could earn himself a significant payday if he can continue to excel in the NL West. AJ Preller has never seen a big trade he didn't like, and that continued Thursday. After acquiring closer Mason Miller and starter J.P. Sears at the beginning of the day, Preller took care of his team's other needs, adding both outfielder Ramon Laureano and first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn from the Baltimore Orioles. O'Hearn was one of the best hitters in the American League this season, and while he doesn't have the power of some other DHs, his strength is his ability to get on base at a high clip. He gives San Diego a player who can be extremely productive at the DH spot. And Laureano is the perfect fit in left field for the Padres. San Diego has been looking for anyone to take its left-field job, and finally they have a player who not only can field the position well but also has grown into a strong player offensively. The new Padres outfielder is a reverse-splits guy, ranking 13th in MLB with a .930 OPS against right-handed pitching. —Dorsey

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

July 31, 2025

MLB trade deadline: Orioles reportedly trade slugger Ryan O'Hearn, Ramón Laureano to Padres

MLB trade deadline: Orioles reportedly trade slugger Ryan O'Hearn, Ramón Laureano to Padres One of the more coveted power bats on the fr...

Read More