Things To Do In SW Florida

By JOSH FUNK, Associated Press Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Rancher Brett Kenzy hopes President Donald Trump’s tariffs will make imported beef expensive enough that Americans will turn to cattle raised at home for all their hamburgers and steaks.

That might raise prices enough to give Kenzy and others the incentive they need to expand their herds for the first time in decades. But doing that would take at least two years, and it’s not clear if Trump’s tariffs on most of the world besides China are high enough to make that worth the investment.

“If we can just fix a few key things, I think that we can reinvigorate rural America,” said the South Dakota rancher. “Just get these imports under control, get them to a level that we can understand and plan on, and then let us fill the void. And I think that the American rancher can do that.”

Trump has enjoyed overwhelming support in rural parts of the country in his three campaigns for president. Still, the uncertainty created by the trade war he instigated has given some ranchers pause as they’ve watched cattle prices drop after the tariffs were announced. read more

By ELAINE KURTENBACH, Associated Press Business Writer

BANGKOK (AP) — The Trump administration has taken its next steps toward imposing more tariffs on key imports, launching investigations into imports of computer chips, chip making equipment and pharmaceuticals.

The Department of Commerce posted notices about the probes late Monday on the Federal Register, seeking public comment within three weeks. It had not formally announced them earlier.

Related Articles

• 
  Visa cancellations sow panic for international students, with hundreds fearing deportation

• 
  As Trump considers auto tariffs pause, parts exemptions could be key for US industry

• 
  Harvard’s challenge to Trump administration could test limits of government power

• 
  Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans from Colorado

• 
  Ranchers hope Trump’s tariffs boost demand for cattle but some fear market uncertainty

Although President Donald Trump paused most of his biggest tariff hikes last week for 90 days, apart from those for imports from China, he has said he still plans tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are wavering Tuesday in a rare quiet day for financial markets, for now at least.

Related Articles

• 
  Bank of America ordered to pay $540 million in long-running lawsuit from the FDIC

• 
  As Trump considers auto tariffs pause, parts exemptions could be key for US industry

• 
  Japan’s anti-monopoly watchdog accuses Google of violations in smartphones

• 
  Starbucks imposes new limits on what baristas can wear under their green aprons

• 
  Disney Cruise Line adding modern touches to new ‘Hercules’ show

The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged in afternoon trading, though it’s been prone to huge swings not just day to day but also hour to hour. The day before, it went from a gain of 1.8% to a slight loss back to a gain as it struggled to keep up with shifts in President Donald Trump’s trade war, which economists warn could cause a global recession unless it’s scaled back.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 11 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 1:40 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was also mostly unchanged. read more

The Tavares City Council is set to vote this month on a proposal to raise the city’s municipal impact fees for the first time in nearly two decades to help pay the costs of its rapid growth.

But the new rates would add thousands more to the cost of new homes and businesses.

The fees would be increased 233%, from $1,058 to $3,512 per new single-family home, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. The fees for apartments and non-residential uses would spike even more, in many cases by more than 300%.

Impact fees are one-time charges on new construction to pay for growth-related capital improvements. While Lake County assesses impact fees on new development for transportation and schools, cities in the county levy such fees to pay for municipal services such as police, fire and parks.

The City Council scheduled public hearings on the fee hikes for its next two meetings, with the first on Wednesday, after completing two workshops to review the impact fee study done by Raftelis, a consulting firm in Maitland. The study found the need for the increase based on “extraordinary circumstances” of population growth in the city and increased infrastructure costs to accommodate the growth. read more

By JOSH BOAK and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that he might temporarily exempt the auto industry from tariffs he previously imposed on the sector, to give carmakers time to adjust their supply chains.

Related Articles

• 
  Fire set at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home is the latest in a string of political violence

• 
  Majority Leader John Thune’s ‘old-fashioned’ approach to the Senate has kept Trump on board so far

• 
  Some top tech leaders have embraced Trump. That’s created a political divide in Silicon Valley

• 
  Plans to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary were underway. Then came the federal funding cuts

• 
  El Salvador President Bukele says he won’t be releasing a Maryland man back to the US

“I’m looking at something to help some of the car companies with it,” Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office. The Republican president said automakers needed time to relocate production from Canada, Mexico and other places, “And they need a little bit of time because they’re going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time. So I’m talking about things like that.” read more