The U.S. trade war with China just got kicked up another notch.
The White House on Wednesday proposed a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, more than double the 10 percent tax rate originally planned.
U.S. trade representatives are trying to re-engage China in trade talks to de-escalate tensions between the two countries. Advisers reportedly told President Trump that China's authorities would be more likely to yield if higher tax rates were imposed.
Last month, the administration imposed a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods, mostly machines and components. When Beijing immediately retaliated, Trump proposed additional taxes on $200 billion in importsーthis time affecting more consumer goods like furniture and computers.
Raising the proposed tax rate on those goods means extending the deadline for public comment on the plan from August 30 to September 5.
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves won reelection on Tuesday, while Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to an abortion and other forms of reproductive health care. In Virginia, Democrats swept legislative elections in a blow to GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
A Jewish man in California has died after a confrontation during dueling protests over the Israel-Hamas war, and police said Tuesday they had identified a suspect who called 911 after the altercation.
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case revolving around Second Amendment rights. The Biden administration is appealing a ruling that struck down a federal law that bans a person subject to a domestic violence protective order from possessing a firearm.
The Air Force is asking Congress to restrict further construction of the towering wind turbines that have edged closer to its nuclear missile sites in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado.
Voters around the U.S. are heading to the polls Tuesday and some races could have major implications for how things turn out in the presidential election next year.
