Trump signs tariffs on steel, aluminum as national security 'necessity' "In a meeting with factory workers at the White House, [President Donald J.] Trump said the tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum keep his campaign pledge to rescue the domestic industries and protect national security," Dave Boyer reports in The Washington Times. "We want our workers to be protected. We have to protect and build our steel and aluminum industries," President Trump said before he signed the two proclamations in the Roosevelt Room. Click here to read more. ------------ In The Seattle Times, Benjamin Romano writes that "many retailers have announced plans to spend their tax-cut windfalls on one-time employee bonuses or more enduring wage increases. As retail pay is boosted, Costco intends to keep compensation for its more than 239,000 workers ahead of the pack, executives said Wednesday as the company reported its quarterly results." Romano notes that Costco "plans to invest the tax savings in its employees [while] lowering prices." ------------ "After ruling Gaza with an iron fist for a decade, Hamas has a pathetic track record," Assistant to President Trump Jason Greenblatt writes today in The Washington Post. Greenblatt, who serves as the President's special representative for international negotiations, says that America is "ready to work with any party truly interested in peace to reach this goal. Solving the situation in Gaza is an important step toward resolving the ultimate problem." ------------ "President Trump may have just forced North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un to come the negotiating table," Andrew O'Reilly writes in Fox News. O'Reilly reports that according to experts, the President's "strategy dealing with the rogue regime" is working. "Evidence came this week, when Kim told a delegation from South Korea his regime is willing to discuss nuclear disarmament with the United States." ------------ In The Wall Street Journal, Joseph Semprevivo writes that "J.M. Smucker Co. announced last month that it would donate $1 million to charity, invest $20 million in employee pension plans, and give $1,000 bonuses to some 5,000 employees. The food manufacturer is hardly alone. More than 400 U.S. employers have announced similar moves as a result of tax reform's passage. What House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi calls 'crumbs' so far has amounted to a $30 billion income boost for millions of Americans." Semprevivo adds that President Trump's tax reform has given hope to small business owners like himself. "The U.S. economy is roaring—and small businesses like mine have a lot to do with it." ------------ "White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner on Tuesday announced that the Trump Administration has a plan for making access to health records and interoperability a priority," Tom Sullivan reports in Healthcare IT News. "The president is determined to make interoperability a reality for all Americans," Kushner said in remarks at the HIMSS18 conference.