Getty Images President Donald Trump speaks as Nikki Haley, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, looks on in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump accepted the resignation of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday, as he was expected to announce allowing more ethanol in gasoline and said he was weighing locations for a second North Korea summit.
HALEY’S RESIGNATION ACCEPTED
Trump called Haley a “fantastic person” who’d done an “incredible job” as the U.S.’s representative to the world body, and told reporters: “She got to know China, Russia, India. She knows everybody on a first-name basis, and they like her, except maybe a couple, which is normal. They can’t all like you, but they do.” Haley will stay in her job through the end of the year, Trump said.
Also see: Nikki Haley’s 2-year stint as Trump’s U.N. ambassador not unusual for a job that’s often been a revolving door.
Trump also said that he is preparing for a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and that three or four different locations are under consideration. “I like him. He likes me,” he said about Kim. Trump’s comments came a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he and Kim made “significant progress” toward an agreement for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
ETHANOL PLAN TO BE UNVEILED
Trump is moving to allow the year-round sale of gasoline containing a higher percentage of ethanol. The Wall Street Journal, citing a senior White House official, wrote that Trump has endorsed pushing the maximum to 15% and views it as a way to help farmers and expand biofuels. He is set to make the announcement before leaving for a political rally in Iowa, the leading corn- and ethanol-producing state.
Trump also plugged his deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement in tweeting that he’d be going to Iowa for a rally. “The Farmers (and all) are very happy with USMCA!” he tweeted, referring to the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement.
Also read: What’s new, and what’s not, in Trump’s Nafta do-over with Canada.
EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR HURRICANE
Trump declared that an emergency exists in Florida, in advance of Hurricane Michael making landfall in the state’s panhandle. The declaration authorizes federal assistance for emergency measures.
Oil futures CLX8, +0.78% rose Tuesday as market participants eyed any risks to energy infrastructure as the storm headed for the Gulf of Mexico.
See: Oil boosted by signs Iran crude exports falling, Hurricane Michael threat.
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