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US Senate rejects bid to block Trump’s tariffs

US Senate rejects bid to block Trump’s tariffs

Three Republican senators join Democrats in voting for resolution to oppose US president’s trade policy. The United States Senate has rejected an effort to block US President Donald Trump’s tariffs amid bipartisan concerns about the impact of his trade salvoes on the economy. The upper house of the US Congress voted 49-49 to knock back the resolution on Wednesday, hours after government data showed that the US economy shrank for the first time in three years. Three Republican senators – Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – voted for the measure in a rare rebuke of Trump from within his own party, along with all present Democrats and Independents. “The United States Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness,” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, who represents Oregon, said ahead of the vote. “The Congress has the power to set tariffs and regulate global trade.” The resolution was widely viewed as a symbolic gesture since it was unlikely to have gained traction in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and would ultimately be subject to Trump’s veto power. Advertisement “It’s still a debate worth having, because, you know, if a month from now, we have massive tariffs go on, and we have a massive sell off in the stock market, and we didn’t have a first good quarter in growth, and if it’s worse again in the second quarter, people would start asking, ‘Is it good policy, or is it a bad policy?’” Paul, who co-sponsored the resolution, said of the failed vote. Trump has played down fears that his sweeping tariffs, including a 145 percent duty on China, could tip the US into recession. The US Department of Commerce on Wednesday reported that the economy contracted 0.3 percent during the first three months of the year, a period that occurred before Trump imposed his steepest tariffs. A recession is typically defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Adblock test (Why?)

Lakers-Timberwolves: Gobert stars, knocks LeBron, Doncic out of playoffs

Lakers-Timberwolves: Gobert stars, knocks LeBron, Doncic out of playoffs

Rudy Gobert’s 27-point, 24-rebound game for Minnesota Timberwolves knocks Los Angeles Lakers out of the NBA playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves sent LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tumbling out of the NBA playoffs at the first hurdle, producing a clinical 103-96 win to complete a 4-1 series victory. Minnesota’s French centre Rudy Gobert delivered a dominant display at both ends of the court on Wednesday, finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds as the Lakers exited the postseason in the first round for the second straight year. The Wolves advance to a Western Conference semifinal showdown against the winner of Golden State’s series against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers, meanwhile, were left to reflect on another disappointingly short postseason campaign after a regular season that had built impressive momentum after the stunning trade for Luka Doncic in February. The Lakers’ failure to acquire an authentic defensive big after Anthony Davis’s departure to Dallas came back to haunt them on Wednesday as Gobert dominated around the rim. The Lakers – who had surged to third seed following Doncic’s arrival – were also found wanting offensively, with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves making just five three-pointers between them. Advertisement “It feels great,” Gobert told TNT television after the win. “We had a season with ups and downs so to come here and play the way we did means a lot. “We just have a bunch of guys that want to win. And a lot of guys who have been through adversity throughout their career and their life and we love each other … all the things we went through throughout the season prepared us for this moment.” Gobert’s contribution was backed by 23 points from Julius Randle while Anthony Edwards added 15 points with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Doncic led the Lakers scoring with 28 points while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 23 points and James 22. The Los Angeles Lakers ‘Big-3’ of Luka Doncic #77, LeBron James #23 and Austin Reaves #15 bow out of the first round of the NBA playoffs in Game 5 of the Western Conference, first-round playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 30, 2025, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California, US [Juan Ocampo/Getty Images via AFP] Rockets avoid elimination against Warriors In Wednesday’s other playoff game, Houston kept their series against Golden State alive with a 131-116 thrashing of the Warriors, narrowing the gap in their Western Conference series to 3-2. Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 points and five steals and Dillon Brooks chipped in 24 for the Rockets, who led by as many as 31 points and were up by 29 when Warriors coach Steve Kerr waved the white flag, pulling Stephen Curry and the rest of his starters with 5:50 left in the third quarter. Advertisement With their season on the line after an agonising loss in a game-four thriller, the Rockets blasted out of the gate. They connected on 64.7 percent of their shots in the first quarter on the way to a 40-24 lead. VanVleet drilled three of Houston’s six first-quarter three-pointers and the Rockets made all 13 of their free throws in their opening period blitz. The Warriors looked powerless to respond, with Curry and Jimmy Butler failing to score in the opening quarter, and the team turned the ball over five times. Curry’s first basket was a three-pointer midway through the second quarter. But the Warriors could make few inroads in the face of Houston’s suffocating defence and the Rockets led 76-49 at halftime. Kerr said he had no qualms about pulling his starters in a potential clinching game, a decision that gave some rest to 37-year-old Curry – playing through a thumb injury – Draymond Green and Butler, who missed game three with a pelvic injury. They can still close out the series when they host game six on Friday. “We can’t come out with that lack of defensive focus and energy and expect to beat a great team on their home floor,” Kerr said. “They took it to us – they were awesome tonight.” Curry finished with 13 points and Butler scored eight for the Warriors. Moses Moody scored 25 points and led the Warriors reserves in a late comeback bid that saw them pull within 13 points with five minutes left. Then things got chippy again, with Warriors’ reserve Pat Spencer ejected for head-butting Houston centre Alperen Sengun – and the Rockets pulled away to close out the Game 5 win. Jalen Green #4 of the Houston Rockets looks to pass the ball between Gui Santos #15 and Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 30, 2025 in Houston, Texas, US [Alex Slitz/Getty Images via AFP] Adblock test (Why?)

Meta, Microsoft report strong earnings despite trade war uncertainty

Meta, Microsoft report strong earnings despite trade war uncertainty

Tech giants beat Wall Street expectations after weeks of volatility in US stocks. Tech giants Microsoft and Meta posted better-than-expected results in the first quarter of the year, offering some reprieve to investors after months of turbulence unleashed by United States President Donald Trump’s trade war. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported a net quarter profit of $16.64bn, or $6.43 per share, for the January–March period – up 35 percent year-on-year. Revenue rose 16 percent, ending at $42.31bn and higher than Wall Street expectations of about $41.4bn. Microsoft posted a net quarter profit of $25.8bn, or $3.46 per share, and up 18 percent year-on-year. The company’s revenue came to $70.1bn, up 13 percent year-on-year and ahead of analysts’ expectations. Both companies cited artificial intelligence (AI) as a major driver of growth, helping to ease investors’ concerns about a possible slowdown in demand for the burgeoning technology. Meta recently incorporated AI tools into its advertising business, its top source of revenue, while Microsoft reported strong growth in its cloud computing business. Advertisement Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which has also invested heavily in AI, last week reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue of $90.23bn. The results are a boost for the US tech sector, whose share prices have been on a rollercoaster ride since Trump returned to the White House on January 20. The market value of the top seven US tech companies – Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Apple and Alphabet – plunged by 24 percent, or $4.2 trillion, in the first 100 days after Trump’s inauguration. Trump’s tariffs, including a 145 percent duty on China, have disrupted businesses and unnerved investors, who are anxiously awaiting his next moves following his announcement of a 90-day pause on so-called “reciprocal” duties targeting almost all countries. The US economy shrank 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025, the US Department of Commerce said on Wednesday, adding to fears that the US is likely to tip into a recession this year. In an earnings call with investors, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta is “well-positioned to navigate the macroeconomic uncertainty” of recent months. The company also released a standalone AI app this week, MetaAI, and plans to spend between $64bn and $72bn on capital expenditure in 2025 to complete construction on data centres. Adblock test (Why?)