Beltway Insider: Trump/Tariffs, China, Tech Exceptions, Menendez Brothers, Bernie Sanders, Boston Brothel, Prada/Versace

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Saturday, 12 April 2025 20:50

Written by Janet Walker

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi-Jinping has continued a vicious retaliatory, blow for blow, increase in tariffs for various products traded between the two nations, and by week's end each leader had calmed themselves and regrouped.

The President's job approval rating, according to The New York Times for the period ending April 12, 2025,  has an approval rating of 43% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as president remains at 53%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Trump/Liberation Day, Tariffs, China, World Leaders Respond, UHC Killer, NYC/Adams

Trump's Spinning Wheel Week of Yo-Yo Tariffs

Since the announcement of across the board tariff on all products, from any trading partner of the United States, nations around the world have stepped lightly on responding to the President's harsh, and nearly crippling taxes.

Every nation except China, who has taken an aggressive adversarial position and hit the president back with higher tariffs against certain product imported from the United States, into the third largest trading partner with the U.S.

"Beijing is demonstrating it can hit back hard — while still leaving room to pivot if negotiations progress," said Lizzi C. Lee, an expert on China's economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis," reported The Washington Post.

While the president has stated the high levies on Chinese products are geared toward Beijing's failure to stop the flow of fentanyl and the related chemicals it requires to manufacture the drug.

China Hits Back, Trump Hits Harder

As the two leaders continue their flexing, both are becoming more creative in the choice of which products to target. Just as the summer and holiday tentpole seasons are approaching the China Film Administration has announced the trade war will result in less film being released in the second largest film market in the world.

"We will follow market rules, respect the audience's choice, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported. China is the world's second largest film market. We have always adhered to a high level of opening up to the outside world and will introduce more excellent films from the world to meet market demand," reported The Mirror.

Trump Exempts Electronics

President Trump announced he would exempt electronics, including smart phones, laptops, computers and other electronics predominately manufactured in China, from the proposed tariffs, which as of this printing as increased to at least 145%, which equates to about a $700 dollar tax per every $1000 dollar electronic device that would be passed on to consumers.

"The announcement follows Beijing's raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125 percent in response to Trump's escalating trade war, with China's State Council warning Friday that it will "fight to the end," reported The Washington Post.

However, even as consumers and tech companies are taking a slight breath of relief over the exceptions, other companies are crying foul and quid pro quo favoritism, as the president who received financial support from tech companies during his campaign, is now returning the favor.

World News: China Responds to U.S. Tariffs

Bernie Sanders Continues to Energize Crowds

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, (I), and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (D, NY), continue to energize crowds across the nation. Arriving in Los Angeles, the pair received a rousing welcome from a crowd estimated at 36,000 people.

Sanders who has used his career to fight against the principles the Trump Administration embraces, his message, especially now, as the administration continues to tilt the axis toward oligarchy, where a few control the nation, and further from the democratic ideals the nation was founded upon, is welcomed by those who believed the current administration has scammed them.

Faiz Shakir, a longtime Sanders adviser who ran for Democratic National Committee chair earlier this year, said Sanders is ascendant in this moment because he is channeling the wrath of regular people toward the billionaire class and "the hubris and lack of humanity" in people like Musk. Sanders remains popular at a time when the Democratic brand has hit historic lows because he's known as "a class-based populist warrior against concentrations of wealth and power," Shakir said," reported The Washington Post.

AP Allowed To Return

The Associated Press, a news service of record, which has provided coverage of presidential politics for more than 100 years, has for the last two months, been restricted from covering the Trump White House, due to what is considered "viewpoint discrimination."

After a refusal to acknowledged the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, the Associated Press was unceremoniously stripped of its opportunity to access the White House press briefings, Air Force One, and other presidential events.

"In his ruling Tuesday granting the AP's request for a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden agreed, though he delayed his order lifting the restrictions for five days to give the administration a chance to officially protest the ruling or to prepare for its application," reported The Washington Post.

With history as the guide the AP should not be restricted from access to the White House or any presidential activities, as "the press was to serve the governed, not the governors," said Justice Hugo L. Black.

Hollywood Week: Tariffs Target Films, Eric Dane, Cannes Lineup, Richard Khan

Menendez Brothers Permitted to Seek Resentencing

Lyle Menendez, 57, and Eric Menendez, 54, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, have been granted the opportunity to seek a new sentencing hearing by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic.

A growing effort, fueled by a Netflix documentary, to have the pair released from prison was sidelined after the former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon was defeated in the November election and replaced by Nathan Hochman. Hochman requested the motion for resentencing be withdrawn.

Hochman has stated it is the opinion of the Los Angeles District Attorney's office that the brothers should remain in prison.

The siblings were tried separately during the first trial, in which the abuse claims were permitted. As they each were tired separately, they each had separate juries. Both trials resulted in a mistrial. The second trial began in 1996, with both brothers utilizing the same attorney, Leslie Abramson. The presiding judge ruled that the evidence of abuse could not be presented. The jury convicted both of first degree murder and they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in July 1996.

A resentencing could allow them to be immediately eligible for parole under California law. The could also receive clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The next hearings are scheduled for April 17 and April 18, 2025.

Coronavirus Total

At the order of the President of the United States, the U.S. no longer recognizes the value of The World Health Organization. The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens should receive at least one shot of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, annually.  The death toll from Covid-19 has dramatically decreased, as has transmission of the virus. Even as confirmed new cases continue each week, fewer are dying from the newer variants.

For the seven days ending April 12, 2025, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by the World Health Organization increased by 6,665 confirmed cases totaling 777,691,501. The total worldwide death toll increased by 547 to 7,093,267 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated March 30, 2025, from the World Health Organization).

Boston's Brothel Scandal

While it hasn't been given a telling undercover name, the Boston Brothel Sex Scandal, and the televised criminal proceedings, labeled "The Cambridge Brothel Hearings," have become more addicting than any fictionalized serials, as Bostonians, and others are glued to the shocking, sordid and sexual revelations.

Every so often, a high end madam selling sex is exposed; Heidi Fleiss, The Hollywood Madam, Sydney Biddle Barrows, The Mayflower Madam, and the usually big deal clientele, the johns, unable to withstand the sexual freedoms these sex workers are paid to deliver, become the talk, some are prosecuted, some not.

In Boston, home to Harvard, MIT, biotech companies, heavy hitters in industries that could one day discover cures and advanced treatment for cancers, a city of intellectuals, the Cambridge Brothel Hearings are sending shockwaves through the high end neighborhoods as these titans have been exposed for paying as high as $600 dollars per hour for traditional sex services.

Money News: Understanding Tariffs and Their Impact on Americans

Having lost the court battle to maintain anonymity, the johns, which include a local councilman, who is refusing to resign, several CEOs of billion dollar cutting edge companies, are feeling the sting of public exposure.

"While naming and shaming johns is a longstanding deterrent against prostitution, police typically target sex traffickers and workers. In this case, a desire by prosecutors to target buyers, legal action by media organizations, and the brothel's impeccable customer records pushed the clientele into the spotlight," reported The Wall Street Journal.

U. S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, explained her office has forwarded the now known titans of the biotech industry and local political leaders, some of whom purchased services more than a dozen times to the respective districts for prosecution.

The Madam Han Lee has been sentenced to four years and ordered to forfeit $5.5million in profits. Not the traditional Madam, the fact that her clients were giants in industry attested to her meticulous and careful procurement of clientele. Each of the prospective clients had to be vetted through a due diligence process that would shame some legitimate businesses. If the potential client passed, they were introduced and permitted to engage in the elite services. Lee wanted high end clients and no kink. She allowed her workers to keep fifty percent of their wages, and "decline services if they chose."

Like other more famous sex scandals, the johns, who are now known for their frequent visits to the Cambridge Brothel, are fighting in court to save their careers, as they have already lost the effort to keep their identities private.

Prada Buys Versace; Upends Fashion World

The luxury brand Prada, owned by the Prada Group, has announced they are purchasing Versace, the label founded by the late Gianni Versace, and run by his sister, Donatella, since his death in 1997, for 1.25 billion euros. The deal is expected to be finalized later this year.

"Prada and Versace are, on the surface, a study in contrasts. Versace made its name on a celebration of flash and fantasy, reveling in sun, sex, the male gaze and the tightrope between bad taste and elegance. Prada, by contrast, embraced a contrarian exploration of the meaning of femininity, gender politics and the strange allure of ugly chic," reported The New York Times.

As many luxury brands are facing a downturn in sales, both Prada and Versace appear to be holding steady, and the acquisition of Versace positions the Prada Group's holdings in a place that can challenge holding companies such as LVHM and Kering. The Versace brand also includes bridge lines, resort wear and ready to wear, as well as accessories, which creates a more diverse revenue stream.

For more information on President Donald Trump: Whitehouse.gov.

Sources: Various © Articles covered by Copyright protection.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is completing the non-fiction narrative, "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," which is expected to be released in early 2025. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a former member of the International Federation of Journalists.