National News at a Glance

Trump Hits China With Stiff Trade Measures

President Donald Trump put China squarely in his cross hairs Thursday, imposing tariffs on as much as $60 billion worth of Chinese goods to combat the rising threat from a nation the White House has called “an economic enemy." The measures are Trump’s strongest trade action yet against a country that he says is responsible for thousands of lost U.S. jobs and billions in lost revenues. Financial markets plunged on fears of a potential trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The White House said it was taking action in retaliation for China’s use of pressure and intimidation to obtain U.S. technology and trade secrets.

Stock Markets Tumble Amid Heightening Concerns Over Trade

Global markets shuddered Thursday as investors began to take seriously the prospect of a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Stocks in the United States fell for a second straight day, as President Donald Trump announced $60 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese imports, and concerns about growing trade tensions mounted. After wobbling throughout the day, the S&P’s 500 index turned decisively lower, closing down 2.5 percent. That put the index into negative territory for the year. The trade measures against China were announced a day before tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports were expected to take effect.

AT&T Antitrust Trial Offers Dueling Views of TV’s Future

The much-watched antitrust trial between the Justice Department and AT&T began Thursday, with opening statements that presented starkly different visions for how the company’s blockbuster merger with Time Warner would fit into a media industry upturned by the internet. The Justice Department, which is suing to block the $85 billion deal, argued that AT&T, with its nationwide wireless and satellite TV business, could use Time Warner’s content as a “weapon” by raising licensing fees those channels command. AT&T and Time Warner said they would disprove the notion that the deal would raise prices. And they said the combined company could compete with Silicon Valley’s giants: Amazon, Facebook, Netflix and Google.

An Orchestra in Motion, With Not a Speaker in Sight

Advances in technology and changes in consumer tastes have caused antennas, eight-tracks, cassette decks and CD players to disappear from our vehicles. Next to go might be the speakers. But the sound will still be there. It’ll just be coming from the car itself. German auto-components supplier Continental developed technology that makes parts of the car’s interior create high-fidelity audio on a par with any premium sound system on the road now. The rear window becomes a subwoofer. The windshield, floor, dashboard and seat frames produce the midrange. And the posts between the windshield and the doors become tweeters, said Dominik Haefele, leader of the team that developed the technology.

Citigroup Sets Restrictions on Gun Sales by Business Partners

Citigroup is setting restrictions on the sale of firearms by its business customers, making it the first Wall Street bank to take a stance in the divisive nationwide gun control debate. The policy, announced Thursday, prohibits the sale of firearms to customers who have not passed a background check or who are younger than 21. It also bars the sale of bump stocks and high-capacity magazines. It would apply to clients who offer credit cards backed by Citigroup or borrow money, use banking services or raise capital through the company. The rules represent the boldest such move to emerge from the banking sector.

YouTube Will Ban Some Gun Videos

YouTube said this week that it would tighten restrictions on some firearm videos, its latest policy announcement since coming under scrutiny after last month’s mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school. The video-streaming service, which is owned by Google, said it would ban videos that promote either the construction or sale of firearms and their accessories. The policy, developed with expert advice over the past four months, will go into effect next month, it said. The announcement comes days before planned student-led protests against gun violence Saturday. It was met with frustration from gun rights advocates.