Roy Moore, Luther Strange move to runoff for Ala. U.S. Senate race
Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and sitting Sen. Luther Strange will face off in a runoff election to decide the Republican nominee for the rest of Jeff Sessions’ Senate term. Republicans voting Tuesday did not give a single candidate more than 50 percent of the vote, resulting in the top two vote-getters moving on to a runoff election Sept. 26. Republican voters gave Moore an 8-point lead over Strange, 40 to 32 percent, with 66 of 67 counties reporting. Huntsville Republican Congressman Mo Brooks came in third at 20 percent, with state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County getting seven percent and Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson with less than one percent. Unofficial results put turnout at about 15 percent, with 500,390 votes cast of 3,281,781 total registered voters. More than 376,000 Republicans cast ballots. Other Republican candidates receiving less than one percent include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Mary Maxwell and Bryan Peeples. The contentious primary featured bitter accusations between Strange and Brooks, which cast no small doubt on whether the sitting incumbent — who enjoyed endorsements from both President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — could come in either first or second. What did not help was that Strange was appointed in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who later resigned in disgrace after a sex scandal. Strange also struggled with his association with McConnell, whose popularity plummeted among Republicans. Brooks constantly hammered McConnell, calling the Majority Leader the Senate’s “Swamp King.” McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund had run waves of negative ads during the primary — many supporting Strange, but much more against Brooks, calling him a “career politician” and blasting his nonsupport of Trump in 2016. Late in the race, Strange finally received Trump’s endorsement (on Twitter), even though Strange also did not publicly endorse the New York real estate mogul during last year’s presidential primaries. As for Democrats, former federal prosecutor Doug Jones looks to be winning the primary outright with more than 61 percent of the votes cast. Jones, received a late-primary endorsement from former Vice President Joe Biden. While he led polling throughout the primary season, Kennedy’s name recognition — despite being unrelated to the famous Kennedy clan — helped earn him only 21 percent of Democratic primary voters. Other Democrats in the race were pastor Will Boyd, a former Greenville, Illinois City Councilman (who received six percent); Talladega County Constable Vann Caldwell, businessman Jason Fisher (two percent); activist Michael Hansen (who also received seven percent) and Charles Nana. Given Alabama’s strong Republican lean (the state elected Trump by nearly 28 points over Hillary Clinton), whoever wins the runoff — either Moore or Strange — will most likely represent the state in the U.S. Senate. The general election is Dec. 12.
Maybe Birmingham Councilman Johnathan Austin just likes jail?
Among Birmingham’s biggest problems is crime. One of the easiest and proven solutions to juvenile crime is mentorship and having engaged people in the community to look up to. Which makes Birmingham City Councilman and Council President Johnathan Austin’s proposal for city officials to disregard the law almost laughable. We all know that Austin doesn’t think laws apply to him. To prove this, we have his earlier two arrests (yes, that’s two), one for DUI in 2014 and another for possession of drugs and drug paraphilia in 2003. but this week he decided to double down on his criminal history and make it official he believes laws just don’t apply to him But this week, Austin decided to double down on his criminal history, making it official he believes laws just don’t apply to him Apparently, the only rules suitable for Austin are ones Jonathan Austin likes. That’s a great example for an elected official to make to the city’s youth. If you don’t like a set of rules, screw it; just do your own thing. Consequences be damned! Earlier this week a crowd in North Carolina thought that too and removed a monument on their own. How did that work out for the woman who promoted and encouraged it? The “22-year-old woman was charged with participation in a riot with property damaging exceeding $1,500 and inciting others to riot, which are felonies, Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said. She was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of damage to property and disorderly conduct by injury to a statue”, CNN reported. Though in this case, I’d say it’s probably less about a law he doesn’t like than a publicity stunt. It seems Austin subscribes to the rule, “Never let a serious crisis go to waste.” No one would argue there’s not a national crisis brewing, so, of course, Austin wants to weigh in but not with a statement or peaceful solution. That would be too easy. He wants to do so in dramatic, illegal fashion. Why not? Councilman Austin is up for re-election next week, in an election where he’s expected to keep his seat. But for anyone curious about the other candidates, you can find their bios here on Al.com. Now back to the circus, issue at hand. Thankfully, we have Mayor William Bell who’s response to Austin was like that of a father to a child. “No dear, we’re not going to break the rules because we don’t like them. We’re going to go about this the right way. Now go to your room and play.” Okay, he didn’t say that at all. The mayor’s response was more dignified: “I am not in the business to break the law, I am charged to protect,” Bell said. Now there’s someone who’s working to keep the respect of those who entrusted him with their vote. Bell went on to say he’s looking for legal remedies to remove the statue which is all the supporters of its removal can hope for. I hope Birmingham Police Department is on standby for when Austin decides to take matters into his own hands. We really can’t afford to let people in this city believe they’re above the law. Not even our city councilors. In closing, thank you Mayor Bell! The city needed your show of leadership this week. We all know that, in the coming years, Austin has his eyes on your job. Looks like he’ll need a lot of time to get the maturity it takes not to grab every grandstanding opportunity that comes his way.
Birmingham councilman Johnathan Austin urges mayor to defy state law, remove Confederate monuments
The president of the Birmingham City Council called for the unlawful removal of Confederate monuments from public property on Tuesday. According to AL.com, Council President Johnathan Austin asked Mayor William Bell to defy state law and remove the monuments at a city council meeting. “We need to take them down,” Austin said. “We will deal with the repercussions after that.” The monuments are “offensive to our citizens,” Austin continued. Austin’s comments were made as the debate over confederate monuments has reignited nationwide in the response to the tragedy and chaos of the Charlottesville, Va., characterized starkly by the death of a 32-year-old woman after an Ohio man drove his car through a crowd of counter-protesters who challenged a white nationalist rally. Earlier this year, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law preventing the removal of historic statues that are more than 40 years old from public spaces, making the removal of the confederate monument found in Birmingham’s Linn Park illegal. “The goal of this bill is to protect all periods of Alabama’s history for our children and grandchildren to learn from,” said the bill’s sponsor Tuscaloosa Republican Sen. Gerald Allen back in March. “Too often, in convulsions of political correctness, a local official will hastily rip down a monument or a statue because it offends the sensibilities of someone, somewhere.” Nevertheless, Mayor Bell said he is actively looking into challenging the law. “I am not in the business to break the law, I am charged to protect,” Bell said.
Senate Leadership Fund predicts Luther Strange will make Senate runoff
The Senate Leadership Fund, a political committee controlled by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, tooted its own horn in an email sent out Tuesday. “In case you missed it, Senate Leadership Fund President and CEO Steven Law appeared on Fox News Channel this morning, where he predicted Sen. Luther Strange will make the runoff in the Alabama Senate race, citing the endorsement by President [Donald] Trump of Sen. Strange and the support of the Senate Leadership Fund,” the email said. The group included a link to a YouTube video of Law’s appearance on the 24-hour news network. The former Deputy Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush played up the importance of Trump’s endorsement, which came late in the special primary race, and also credited the Senate Leadership Fund for raising Strange’s standing in the polls. Law also predicted Strange would make into the runoff election. The political committee has dumped millions of dollars into the race, with much of it being used to run ads attacking U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks for not being supportive enough of Trump. Alabama voters head to the polls today to vote on the GOP nominee for senate seat, which was vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year. All signs point toward the state needing to go through with a Sept. 26 runoff election to determine the nominee. Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore are the likely to be the two candidates included in that race, though it is possible Brooks could take one of the two spots. Recent polls show Moore in the first place spot with 31 percent support, followed by Strange at 23 percent and Brooks at 18 percent. The general election will be held Dec. 12.
Oops? Donald Trump retweets critic saying ‘he’s a fascist’
President Donald Trump appears to have mistakenly retweeted a message from one of his critics saying “he’s a fascist.” Trump deleted his retweet Tuesday after about five minutes, but not before the message sent to his 35 million followers racked up a big response. Trump seems to have been trying to draw attention to a Fox & Friends article on a possible presidential pardon for former Phoenix-area Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of a crime for ignoring a U.S. court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. A Twitter handle identified as “@MikeHolden42” tweeted to Trump “He’s a fascist, so not unusual.” The user suggested in subsequent tweets that he was calling Trump a fascist, not Arpaio. Trump retweeted the message to his massive following, triggering an avalanche of replies. @MikeHolden42 responded: “I’m announcing my retirement from Twitter. I’ll never top this RT.” He later updated his description on Twitter as “Officially Endorsed by the President of the United States.” I’m announcing my retirement from Twitter. I’ll never top this RT. pic.twitter.com/HuGHkiPoyR — Mike Holden (@MikeHolden42) August 15, 2017 On Tuesday, Trump also retweeted and deleted a cartoon showing a train labeled “Trump” running over a man with “CNN” covering his face Monday morning. The retweets come after a national uproar over race-fueled clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia. It took two days of public equivocation and internal White House debate before the president condemned white supremacist groups by name on Monday, declaring “racism is evil.” Late Monday, Trump had retweeted Jack Posobiec, a conservative Trump supporter who used social media to draw attention to “pizzagate,” an unfounded conspiracy theory that claims Democrats harbor child sex slaves at a pizza restaurant. Posobiec’s tweet read: “Meanwhile: 39 shootings in Chicago this weekend, 9 deaths. No national media outrage. Why is that?” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Dr. Eric Ostermeier: Will Luther Strange lose Alabama’s GOP U.S. Senate nomination?
Only five out of 60 Republican appointed senators seeking to keep their seat over the last 100+ years lost their party’s nomination in the next election. With 10 Republican candidates appearing on Tuesday’s ballot – including the incumbent, a U.S. Representative, and a very well-known ex-state supreme court justice – a primary runoff for the GOP U.S. Senate special election in Alabama is all but assured with no candidate expected to capture a majority of the vote. Senator Luther Strange is hoping Donald Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement will ensure he is one of the top two candidates headed to the runoff, besting four-term Congressman Mo Brooks with former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore expected to emerge with a plurality. Should Strange fail to make or lose the subsequent September 26th primary runoff, he will become just the second appointed senator since the 1970s to come up short in such a bid. Overall, slightly less than two-thirds of appointed senators have run to keep their seat the next time it came up on the ballot in the direct election era – 126 of 196 appointees (64.3 percent). Prior to Strange, the vast majority of appointees who sought their party’s nomination were successful – 101 of 125 (80.8 percent), including 84.4 percent over the last half-century (27 of 32). [Note: A few of these 125 appointed senators did not run in the special election for the seat to which they were appointed, but ran instead in the election held simultaneously for the state’s other Senate seat]. Since 1980, appointees nearly have an unblemished mark with 21 of 22 U.S. Senators receiving their party’s nomination, including each of the last 12 aspiring to keep their seat since 1999. The only lawmaker who failed in such an attempt since 1980 was Kansas Republican Sheila Frahm in 1996. Frahm was appointed to the seat in June 1996 after Bob Dole resigned to focus on his presidential bid. Freshman U.S. Representative Sam Brownback defeated Frahm in the primary three months later by 13.1 points in a three-candidate field. Since 1967, just five such incumbents failed to win their party’s primary election. In addition to Frahm, the other four are: Democrat David Gambrell (Georgia, 1972): lost in a runoff to state Representative Sam Nunn Democrat Howard Metzenbaum (Ohio, 1974): lost to famed astronaut John Glenn by 8.7 points Democrat Paul Hatfield (Montana, 1978): lost to U.S. Representative Max Baucus by 45.9 points Democrat Maryon Pittman Allen (Alabama, 1978): lost in a runoff to Alabama State Senator Donald Stewart Of the 24 appointed Senators who failed to win their party’s nomination since 1913, more than 40 percent have come from the Southern region: 10 from the South, five each from the Midwest and West, and four from the Northeast. If Strange fails to emerge as the GOP nominee on Tuesday or in September’s runoff, he will become just the sixth Republican U.S. Senator to come up short in the direct election era out of 61 candidacies: Joseph Grundy (Pennsylvania, 1930): lost to U.S. Labor Secretary James Davis Frank Partridge (Vermont, 1931): lost to former St. Albans Mayor Warren Austin by 10.2 points Robert Upton (New Hampshire, 1954): lost to U.S. Representative Norris Cotton by 8.2 points Maurice Murphy (New Hampshire, 1962): lost to U.S. Representative Perkins Bass by 6.9 points Sheila Frahm (Kansas, 1996): lost to U.S. Representative Sam Brownback by 13.1 points Overall, there have been far fewer appointed U.S. Senators in recent decades, due in part to fewer members of the chamber dying in office to create an automatic vacancy in the first instance. During the first half-century of the direct election era, a total of 124 senators died in office including three or more members 23 times: in 1916, 1917, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1962. Since 1964, only 53 senators passed away while in office with at least three dying in a calendar year just once (Democrats Lee Metcalf of Montana, Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, and James Allen of Alabama in 1978). The 50+ month gap since the last death in the U.S. Senate (New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg in June 2013) is the fourth longest stretch without such a vacancy in 200 years. ___ Dr. Eric Ostermeier is the author of Smart Politics from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Center for the Study of Politics and Governance (CSPG).
Alabama Senate race tests Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell reach
Alabama Sen. Luther Strange was counting on support from President Donald Trump to help carry him to victory — or at least a runoff — in Alabama’s Republican primary, while his GOP rivals got in their last licks, calling him the candidate of the so-called Washington establishment. “The final pitch is: Listen to President Trump. The key is someone who will support him in Washington. He’s endorsed me,” Strange said as he encouraged Alabamians to get out and vote. Alabama’s Republicans and Democrats were casting ballots Tuesday to select party nominees in the closely watched race for the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The GOP race is testing the reach of both Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A super political action committee tied to McConnell spent millions of dollars on advertising to try to clear the way for Strange. Trump’s approval rating has hit a new low of 34 percent, according to Gallup, but strong currents of support for the president still flow through Alabama, where the Republican contenders have gone all-out to attract Trump voters and throw shade on the Washington, D.C. “swamp.” Trump weighed in making a recording for robo-calls Monday night urging Alabama Republicans to support Strange, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year and soon found himself in a tight race against firebrand challengers including former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who has a strong following among evangelical voters, and U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. The Democratic side is also crowded, but has escaped most of the drama of the bitter GOP race. Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney under the Clinton administration, is perhaps the best-known Democrat and is backed by former Vice President Joe Biden and some other national party figures. In the rural community of Gallant in northeast Alabama, Jimmy Wright, 41, showed up early Tuesday to vote for Moore. Aside from being a neighbor, Wright said, he likes the way the ousted judge conducted his campaign. “He’s the only one who hasn’t been talking crap about the others,” Wright said. Trump’s support for Strange didn’t matter to him, he said. Strange said he believes the “momentum is on our side with the President’s tweet and robocalls,” but cautioned that off-year special elections can be unpredictable. Brooks, meanwhile, hammered at Strange’s support from McConnell, asking voters Monday to send a message that “our Alabama Senate seat cannot be bought by special interests in Washington D.C.” “Alabama has a chance to send a message, a huge message — not only to Washington D.C. — but the United States of America. We can send a message that we are tired of this do-nothing Senate,” Brooks said. Brooks said he’s the candidate, not Strange, who best supports Trump’s agenda, including changing Senate filibuster rules. Brooks told The Associated Press by telephone Monday that it would send “chills down the spine” of McConnell if he and Moore make a runoff. Moore is considered a strong contender after gaining attention in the culture wars. Moore was twice removed from his duties as chief justice over his public display of the Ten Commandments and his resistance to gay marriage. “This is a very, very critical election. It’s a critical time in our country. Whether we move forward or we stay stagnant and do nothing, whether we put the hand to the plow and do something for our country to make it a better place,” Moore said. “I think the Washington crowd is watching this race because it’s kind of a bellwether,” Moore added. Strange was appointed in February by Gov. Robert Bentley, who soon resigned in scandal. Strange has said he did Bentley no favors, but his challengers have questioned the ethics of seeking the appointment while investigating the governor as attorney general. The crowded GOP field increases the odds none will get a majority on Tuesday, putting the top two finishers in a September runoff. Other Republicans on the ballot include Sen. Trip Pittman and Christian Coalition leader Randy Brinson. The Democratic side also includes environmental advocate Michael Hansen, who has urged Democrats to fully embrace progressive positions, and Robert Kennedy, Jr., a Navy veteran, unrelated to the famed Massachusetts political dynasty, who calls for building bridges with Republicans and independents. While Alabama has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in more than 20 years, some Democrats hope the special general election in December — particularly if Republicans end up with a polarizing nominee — could give them a chance. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Asked to serve, some CEOs say no more to Donald Trump
First it was the leader of a major U.S. pharmaceutical, then the CEO of an athletic gear company, and before the day had ended, the chief executive of a $170 billion tech giant. Three of the nation’s top executives resigned from a federal panel created years ago to advise the U.S. president. Now, others are pushing for more executives to refuse to serve President Donald Trump after what many believe to be an inadequate response to a rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one dead and dozens injured. Announcing his resignation Monday, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier cited the president’s failure to explicitly rebuke the white nationalists. He wrote on Twitter that “America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which runs counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal.” The response from the president was swift, throwing a jab at Frazier, a highly respected executive and one of only four African Americans to head a Fortune 500 company, according to the Executive Leadership Council. Trump tweeted that at least Frazier will now “have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!” The response, and the speed in which it arrived, caught many off guard. William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said he couldn’t “think of a parallel example” of any president responding as viciously as Trump to a CEO departing an advisory council. “Usually, certain niceties are observed to smooth over a rupture,” said Galston, who served as a domestic policy aide in the Clinton administration. Within hours, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, who has felt some blowback for his support of the president, resigned from the same panel, saying his company “engages in innovation and sports, not politics.” Plank did not specifically mention Trump or Charlottesville, but said his company will focus on promoting “unity, diversity and inclusion” through sports. But Intel CEO Brian Krzanich was more specific when he resigned a short time later, writing that while he had urged leaders to condemn “white supremacists and their ilk,” many in Washington “seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them.” The president followed up later in the day, tweeting that Merck “is a leader in higher & higher drug prices while at the same time taking jobs out of the U.S. Bring jobs back & LOWER PRICES!” Drugmakers have come under withering criticism for soaring prices in the U.S., including by Trump, though he has yet to act on a promise to contain them. The exchange lit up social media, with many people lauding Frazier and blasting the president. There was also a push online seeking more resignations from the remaining executives on the same panel, just over 20 of them. Trump eventually made a statement condemning bigotry Monday afternoon at a press conference, but already, other executives came to Frazier’s support. Unilever CEO Paul Polman wrote on Twitter, “Thanks @Merck Ken Frazier for strong leadership to stand up for the moral values that made this country what it is.” Frazier was not the first executive to resign from advisory councils serving Trump. Tesla CEO Elon Musk resigned from the manufacturing council in June, and two other advisory groups to the president, after the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. Walt Disney Co. Chairman and CEO Bob Iger resigned for the same reason from the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum, which Trump established to advise him on how government policy impacts economic growth and job creation. The manufacturing jobs council had 28 members initially, but it has shrunk since it was formed earlier this year as executives retire, are replaced, or, as with Frazier, Musk, Plank and Krzanich, resign. “We’ve learned that as president, Mr. Trump is behaving exactly as he did as a candidate,” Galston said. “He knows only one mode: When attacked, hit back harder.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Polls open for Alabama’s U.S. Senate special primary election
Polls have opened for voters casting their ballots in Alabama’s U.S. Senate special primary election for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday for both the Republican and Democratic primaries. Republican Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed in February to fill the post temporarily by former Gov. Robert Bentley, is seeking to stave off a bevy of GOP challengers including former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, and Christian Coalition of Alabama leader Dr. Randy Brinson. Other Republican candidates include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Mary Maxwell and Bryan Peeples. As for Democrats, polling gives Robert Kennedy, Jr. a lead in the 7-person field with former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones following behind. The remaining field took only single digits. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill last week said he’s expecting a low voter turnout for the primary. On Monday he said he’s projecting only 20-25 percent of voters will go to the polls. Merrill said a primary typically brings out 30-32 percent of voters. Unless one of the candidates can secure a 50 percent plus one majority of the vote in the Aug. 15 primary, Alabama voters will have to decide between the top two vote-getters in a Sept. 26 runoff. The general election is scheduled for Dec. 12. Polling closes statewide at 7:00 p.m.
Donald Trump seeks probe by his trade office of China’s practices
Even as he seeks Beijing’s help on North Korea, President Donald Trump asked his trade office on Monday to consider investigating China for the alleged theft of American technology and intellectual property. Trump, in the midst of a 17-day vacation, left his New Jersey golf club to return to the White House to sign an executive action on the probe. He suggested that more steps would be taken against China on trade issues. “This is just the beginning – I want to tell you that,” Trump said. “This is just the beginning.” There is no deadline for deciding if any investigation is necessary. Such an investigation easily could last a year. In a phone call Friday, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for backing the recent U.N. vote to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea, and the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But Trump also told Xi about the move toward a possible inquiry into China’s trade practices, according to two U.S. officials familiar with that conversation. They were not authorized to publicly discuss the private call and spoke on condition of anonymity. China announced Monday it will cut off imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore and other goods in three weeks under U.N. sanctions imposed against Pyongyang. In an editorial Monday, the China Daily, a mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, linked Trump’s trade announcement against China to his disappointment over China’s purported failure to rein in North Korea. The newspaper said a trade probe, which could lead to punitive tariffs on Chinese exports, would “poison” U.S.-China relations. Trump wants government officials to look at Chinese practices that force American companies to share their intellectual property in order to gain access to the world’s second-largest economy. Many U.S. businesses must create joint ventures with Chinese companies and turn over valuable technology assets, a practice that Washington says stifles U.S. economic growth. Trump’s action amounts to a request that his trade representative determine whether an investigation is needed under the Trade Act of 1974. If an investigation begins, the U.S. government could seek remedies either through or outside of the World Trade Organization. While Beijing has promised to open more industries to foreign companies, it also has issued new rules on electric car manufacturing, data security, internet censorship and other fields. An administration official contended that the possible investigation was unrelated to the showdown with North Korea. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the order before Trump’s formal announcement. As the crisis involving North Korea has unfolded, Trump has alternated praising China for its help and chiding it for not ratcheting up pressure on its Asian neighbor. “I think China can do a lot more,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “And I think China will do a lot more.” China, the isolated North’s main trading partner, has been reluctant to push leader Kim Jong Un’s regime too hard for fear it might collapse. But Beijing is increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang and supported a U.N. Security Council ban on Aug. 5 on coal and other key goods. The Chinese customs agency said Monday that it will stop processing imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ores and fish at midnight on Sept. 5. “After that, entry of these goods will be prohibited,” said an agency statement. Trump has escalated his harsh criticism of North Korea for days, tweeting Friday that the U.S. had military options “locked and loaded.” Xi, in his phone conversation with Trump, urged calm, the officials said. Trump, in the past, has tied trade policy to national security, leading to speculation that raising the possibility of a probe – without committing to one – could be a negotiating tactic to get China to step up its assistance with North Korea. The forced sharing of intellectual property with Chinese firms has been a long-standing concern of the U.S. business community, with reports suggesting that losses stemming from it could total hundreds of billions of dollars annually that cost the U.S. economy millions of jobs. Trump has requested similar inquiries on trade, but the reports haven’t been delivered on deadline. Trump made addressing the U.S. trade deficit with China a centerpiece of his campaign last year and has suggested raising tariffs on goods from China. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
