Trump phone

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday that OPEC had not pressed him to ask U.S. oil producers to reduce their output to support global prices, which have been hard-hit by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump said U.S. oil production had already fallen, anyway. "I think it's happening automatically but nobody's asked me that question yet so we'll see what happens," the president told a press briefing Monday afternoon. Major oil producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia are likely to agree to cut production at a Thursday meeting but only if the United States joins the effort, three sources involved told Reuters on Monday. “Without the U.S., no deal,” one of the sources said. Worldwide oil demand has dropped by roughly 30per cent, or about 30 million barrels a day as the coronavirus pandemic brings the world economy to a standstill, at the same time that Saudi Arabia and Russia have been flooding markets with extra supply. That has been a … [Read more...] about Trump says OPEC has not asked him for a US oil production cut

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW: US and Russian energy officials held rare talks about oil after crude prices crashed to levels last seen about two decades ago, while President Donald Trump said oil that was cheaper "than water" was hurting the industry. Oil prices fell nearly 70 per cent from January highs as lockdowns due to the coronavirus hammered demand and as Saudi Arabia and Russia have flooded the market in a race for market share after a deal they engineered on supply curbs broke down. US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette spoke with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak about the price slump and they agreed to hold future discussions involving other major world oil producers and consumers. The call occurred a day after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone conversation to have their top energy officials discuss global oil market turmoil. Trump said on Tuesday he would join Saudi Arabia and Russia, if need be, for talks about the fall in oil prices, which at … [Read more...] about Russia, US hold energy talks, as Trump complains about oil cheaper than water

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump spoke with the biggest U.S. internet and mobile phone providers on Tuesday to talk about how the networks are holding up as tens of millions of Americans work from home. The Federal Communications Commission has said U.S. networks are performing well and has granted temporary access to additional spectrum blocks to help providers manage traffic. The chief executives of AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc, Charter Communications Inc, Comcast, Altice USA, LionTree and Sprint Corp took part in the call, as did the incoming chief executive of T-Mobile US Inc and chairman of Liberty Media. The White House said Trump thanked the firms "for not only rising to the increased demand, but extending services to all Americans at no additional cost and for waiving bills and late fees for those experiencing financial hardship." FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said last week "the data show that the recent surges in Internet traffic are well within the … [Read more...] about Trump holds call with US internet, mobile phone providers

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is holding a call with seven of the biggest U.S. internet and mobile phone providers on Tuesday to talk about how the networks are holding up as tens of millions of Americans work from home. The Federal Communications Commission has said U.S. networks are performing well and has granted temporary access to additional spectrum blocks to help providers manage traffic. AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc, Charter Communications Inc, Comcast, Altice USA, T-Mobile and Sprint Corp are expected to take part in the call. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said last week "the data show that the recent surges in Internet traffic are well within the capacity of U.S. networks." Major firms, including all those Trump is speaking to, agreed earlier this month not to terminate service for subscribers for 60 days if they are unable to pay their bills due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus. They also agreed to waive any late fees residential or small … [Read more...] about Trump to hold call with US internet, mobile phone providers

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump decided late on Saturday (Mar 28) against imposing a broad lockdown on New York and its neighbors after a strong pushback from local political leaders and warnings of the panic it could spark. "A quarantine will not be necessary," Trump tweeted, some eight hours after he stunned the New York metropolitan region, hit heavily by the coronavirus epidemic, with a proposal to place it under quarantine to prevent residents from leaving. Trump had indicated he could make a decision later on Saturday, even as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Trump hadn't mentioned the idea in a phone call earlier in the day. Trump himself has residences in New York and Florida. READ: US COVID-19 deaths surge past 2,000 READ: In rare case, US infant dies from COVID-19 US EPICENTRE The New York area has been the most seriously hit by COVID-19 in the United States, with more than 52,000 cases in New York state. Cuomo said a quarantine had not … [Read more...] about Trump drops idea of New York lockdown as US death count crosses 2,000