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A U.S. electric vehicle battery manufacturer with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has suspended its permit application to build a plant near a Michigan National Guard base following fierce opposition.

Chuck Thelen, CEO of Gotion Inc. — a “wholly owned and controlled” subsidiary of Chinese company Hefei Gotion High-Tech Power Energy Co. Ltd. (Gotion High-Tech) — said the decision stemmed from the firm’s ongoing breach of contract lawsuit against Green Charter Township, according to the Big Rapids Pioneer. The township soured on the $2.4 billion project in November 2023 after voters recalled numerous officials following a series of reports revealing Gotion and its Chinese parent company’s ties to the CCP.

“I applaud the people of Mecosta County as Gotion pauses their permitting process, but their fight is not over,” Republican Michigan Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the CCP, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Gotion must announce it will finally listen to the people, and end its projects for good.”

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Questions about Gotion’s CCP-ties began to arise around March 2023 when The Midwesterner reported Gotion High-Tech’s “Articles of Association” required the firm to establish a “Party organization and carry out Party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.”

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The House Select Committee on the CCP investigated Gotion High-Tech in 2024 and “found their supply chains are reliant on forced labor as part of the CCP’s ongoing genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang Province,” Mooleenaar told the DCNF.

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Meanwhile, Michigan residents — like Joseph Cella, the director of the Michigan-China Economic and Security Review Group — engaged in grassroots activism to oppose the CCP-tied company. Cella served as the U.S. Ambassador to Fiji during the first Trump administration.

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“[They] refused to follow the directives given to state and local governments on dealings with China-based companies to exercise vigilance, conduct due diligence, and ensure transparency, integrity, and accountability are built into the partnership to guard against potential foreign government exploitation,” Cella said. “It is important that executive branch agencies, Congress, the Michigan Legislature, and citizens continue to scrutinize and investigate this ‘deal.’”

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Resolution that would block tariffs passes 51-48 in Senate, in vote that shows Republican unease over president’s plans

Turmoil on financial markets deepened on Friday, as China hit back at tariffs announced by Donald Trump, raising the likelihood of an extended trade war and damage to the global economy.

All three major stock indexes in the US plunged more than 5%, with the S&P 500 ending the day almost 6% lower, as the sell-off sparked by the tariffs announcement spread.

In the UK, the FTSE 100 plunged almost 5% - its steepest fall in five years, while Asian markets also dropped and exchanges in Germany and France faced similar falls.

The global stock market has lost trillions in value over two days, a rout sparked by Trump's announcement of sweeping new 10% import taxes on goods from every country.

Analysts say the moves, some of which are due to go into effect as soon as Saturday, amount to the biggest tax increase in the US since 1968.

They expect the measures to lead to a contraction in trade, and have warned they could drive many countries into an economic recession. In a note to investors, JP Morgan said it now put the odds of a global economic recession this year at 60%

President Donald Trump on Thursday demanded that a reporter stop asking about the group messaging scandal involving members of his Cabinet and other high-level officials.

While traveling on Air Force One, a reporter asked Trump if he wanted to weigh in on the inspector general investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to discuss highly sensitive military plans.

At first, Trump was unclear on the question. “What is it?” Trump said.

“There’s an IG investigation into the secretary of defense’s use of the Signal app,” she said.

Trump got irritated.

“Oh, is that? You’re bringing that up again?” a miffed Trump fired back. “Don’t bring that up again. Your editor’s probably, that’s such a wasted story.”

‘For $5 million, this could be yours,’ Trump says of card available to wealthy immigrants to buy a right to live and work in the U.S.

https://archive.ph/WNlaP

Trade Review Act would require greater checks on tariffs in further sign of congressional disquiet over president’s plans

tl;dr: Bernie Sanders and AOC are trying to get grassroots organizers organized to fight Trumpism in purple-red districts. He wants you to join.

https://archive.is/2025.04.04-011423/https://www.wsj.com/economy/trump-economic-vision-tariff-manufacturing-262180a4

Former TV pitchman has close relationship with boss RFK Jr but regularly encourages Americans to get vaccinated

Tech executives had argued that backing Trump might improve U.S. regulatory reform and expand investments in AI