In a significant shift in U.S. trade policy, President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on nearly all of the U.S.’s trading partners took effect shortly after midnight.
These tariffs aim to impose additional costs on U.S. businesses importing products.
Major trading partners, including the European Union and Vietnam, will face significant new taxes, with increases of 20% and 46% respectively on imported goods.
Trump has indicated a willingness to negotiate on these tariffs.
The argument supporting these tariffs suggests they serve as a tool for negotiation, reflecting Trump’s image as a master dealmaker.
He has claimed to speak with leaders from several countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.
However, tensions persist, particularly with China, which retaliated by imposing tariffs that have surged to at least 104%.
The Chinese government is framing these retaliatory tariffs as a moral issue, portraying itself as a champion of free and fair trade in contrast to what it calls the U.S.’s selfish and irresponsible actions.
Beijing’s stance suggests confidence that it can endure economic challenges and believes that the long-term consequences of the trade war could inflict more damage on the U.S.
In response to earlier trade tensions, China has doubled down on policies aimed at bolstering its self-sufficiency since 2018.
In another development, the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the Trump administration to proceed with the firing of 16,000 probationary federal employees.
This decision is not regarded as a complete victory for the administration, as the court refrained from ruling on the legality of the firings.
NPR’s Nina Totenberg reported that the plaintiffs in this case were not the affected employees, but rather non-profit organizations that struggled to prove they faced any harm from the decision.
Affected employees have the option to challenge their firings through the Merit Systems Protection Board, the agency tasked with safeguarding civil service rights.
Totenberg added that a class action suit representing dismissed employees might be the most effective strategy for challenging the Trump administration’s actions.
As President Trump approaches his first physical examination of his second term, scheduled for Friday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, health concerns related to his age remain a topic of public discourse.
At 78, Trump is the oldest president to initiate a second term, a distinction he shares with former President Joe Biden, who also took office at the same age and exhibited noticeable signs of decline during his tenure.
Although there has been growing speculation about Trump’s health during the 2024 campaign, he has been less forthcoming with health information in recent years.
The examination is expected to cover key health areas in line with his age and history.
The state of the First Amendment is also in the spotlight, following Trump’s recent declaration during a congressional address that he has “stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America.”
This week, NPR’s Morning Edition will focus on perspectives regarding free speech under Trump’s administration.
Discussions will explore who feels empowered to express their views and who may feel silenced, as well as consider how the constitutional right to free speech may be evolving, either positively or negatively.
For many Americans, the concepts of free speech and a free press are deeply intertwined.
In recent years, Trump has employed legal avenues to target major U.S. television networks regarding unfavorable interview coverage.
Local officials and business leaders have also resorted to lawsuits or else used threats of legal actions to retaliate against publications that deliver unflattering news coverage.
Michel Martin of Morning Edition is set to interview New York Times editor David Enrich, whose new book, “Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful,” takes center stage in this discussion.
At the heart of Enrich’s book is the Supreme Court case The New York Times v. Sullivan, decided in 1964.
Enrich emphasizes that safeguarding free press and speech is crucial to ensuring that people do not live in fear of speaking out.
This exploration of current threats to free press in the U.S. promises to shed light on ongoing challenges faced by media and individuals alike.
Shifting focus to economic concerns, Google searches for the term “recession” have surged since Trump announced the new tariffs.
Economists from prominent investment banks are now warning that the chances of a recession have increased.
A common guideline for identifying recessions is two consecutive quarters of diminishing gross domestic product (GDP).
GDP is the most comprehensive measure of overall economic activity.
The National Bureau of Economic Research Business Cycle Dating Committee has been responsible for declaring the beginning and end of economic cycles since 1978.
Recessions can have wide-ranging effects, such as increased unemployment, lower stock market performance, and higher borrowing rates for consumers and businesses alike.
Since 1857, the U.S. has experienced a total of 34 recessions, with durations varying from two months to over five years, according to data from the NBER.
In other news, a pair of nearly 100-year-old Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises celebrated the arrival of four hatchlings, contributing positively to the critically endangered species’ population.
In a significant ruling, a federal judge has mandated the Trump administration to allow Associated Press journalists immediate access back into the Oval Office and other critical areas for news reporting.
This order comes in response to the administration’s previous attempts to block the agency’s access due to disagreements over language choices.
Additionally, biotech company Colossal Biosciences has announced that it used novel gene-editing techniques to breed three gray wolf pups that exhibit key physical traits of the long-extinct dire wolf.
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