U.S. trade rep says he hopes Congress can approve USMCA legislation ‘very soon’ [Reuters]
The North American trade pact renegotiated under President Donald Trump is a “watershed development” for labor that will reduce incentives to outsource jobs, the U.S. Trade Representative said in prepared remarks to lawmakers on Tuesday. USTR Robert Lighthizer at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance committee continued his bid for lawmakers to prepare to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Democratic lawmakers, who took control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 election, have said that they want to see changes to the agreement.
Trump, Xi to have ‘extended meeting’ on trade at G-20 summit in Japan [Wall Street Journal]
President Trump set the stage for an “extended meeting” with China’s President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, saying the two leaders had a “very good” telephone conversation and he looks forward to their discussion later this month in Japan….Many lawmakers have argued that Mr. Trump’s tariff dispute with China may hurt his prospects for re-election in typically Republican states where agriculture is the dominant industry….People following the talks downplayed the chances of a broad deal between the U.S. and China at the summit in Japan, but the news boosted U.S. stocks and led business groups to welcome the renewed high-level contact with China.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-xi-to-have-extended-meeting-at-g-20-11560865968
How the trade war with China could crush California’s $2.7 trillion economy and hurt other states [CNBC]
Roughly one year into the U.S. trade war with China, importers and exporters are still finding workarounds for the tariffs. But with new tariffs going into effect this month and no end to the battle in sight, experts say it may be only a matter of time before the full impact is felt….At the Port of Oakland in California, Maritime Director John Driscoll said he was surprised last week when volume of containerized agricultural exports for May came in 8.4% higher than one year ago — the third consecutive monthly increase….Driscoll believes that in addition to finding alternative markets in Asia, some exporters are still “front-loading” — trying to get shipments in ahead of even steeper tariffs to come.
Why fighting for clean water with climate change money worries some California lawmakers [CALmatters]
…Those alarmed by the Legislature’s decision to dip into a greenhouse gas fund to pay for clean drinking water may need to get used to it: constitutional restrictions on spending that money are set to expire in 2021….Environmentalists who worked for years to find money for clean water are celebrating the decision as a victory despite the message for climate change goals….Adding water to the mix dilutes the fund’s emphasis on climate change prevention, making it more of an environmental catchall fund. It’s a controversial shift in political direction for a finite pot of money.
Wet California winter is a boon for skiers and water supply. But it brings a threat: Wildfires. [Washington Post]
…Awash in precious snow and water that will help meet the demands of the state’s 40 million residents, the wetness also is forcing California to confront an even greater threat of wildfire….But Trump’s push for more aggressive fuel-clearing measures — including controlled burns often opposed by the public and in conflict with state air quality regulations — is a rare point of agreement between those who manage the forests and his administration. The U.S. Forest Service has been ordered to increase by threefold the amount of fire fuel it clears each year through controlled burns and “thinning,” the more selective cutting down of trees. The agency also has been told to step up timber production, a policy that has traditionally bothered environmentalists.
Opinion: Let’s protect San Joaquin Valley residents from floods [Modesto Bee]
…While those in San Francisco worry about a large earthquake, in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, when residents think about “the big one,” they should be thinking about a flood….Governor Newsom has announced that his administration is developing a California Water Resilience Portfolio, as an alternative to Governor Brown’s narrow focus on the now-abandoned Delta twin tunnels project. Newsom’s portfolio plan should highlight the opportunity for smart floodplain projects to provide a remarkably broad range of benefits – protecting farms and cities from floods, recharging groundwater, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, and even providing new parks and recreation for underserved Valley communities.
https://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/community-columns/article231659643.html
