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A pair of wolf cubs explore their surroundings in Dallas, Texas, on April 7, 2025.
Hard Numbers: Trump explores drones over Mexico, House Dems go big, Dominican roof collapse leads to tragedy, Electricity generation crosses green threshold, South African citrus goes bad, Dire wolves are back (sort of)
5: Five years ago, President Donald Trump suggested firing missiles into Mexico as a way to curtail drug cartels, according to former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s memoir. While that never happened, the commander-in-chief is exploring something similar, but this time with drones. Plans are still in their early stages, but American forces have already started reconnaissance flights – with Mexico’s approval – in a bid to acquire more information about the cartels.
35: Last week’s special elections in Florida appear to have House Democrats all giddy, as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of the House Democratic Caucus, released a list of 35 Republican-held seats that it plans to target in next year’s midterms. Some are realistic, others less so: Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) is on the list, despite winning reelection last year by 26 points.
98: At least 98 people have died and scores more were injured in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed early Tuesday. The authorities reported that rescuers made 134 trips to the hospital, sometimes carrying two to three patients at a time due to the overwhelming number of casualties. One video captured the extent of the damage.
40: Environmental think-tank Ember found that electricity generated from low-carbon sources – solar, wind, hydropower, nuclear – exceeded 40% in 2024, the first time it has crossed this threshold since the 1940s. The fast rise of solar underscored this milestone, but the report also had some sobering news for environmentalists: Carbon dioxide emissions reached an all-time high last year.
35,000: The Trump administration’s expansive new tariffs are a sour fruit to swallow for South Africa’s citrus industry, as the new 31% duty on imports from the Rainbow Nation could spoil some 35,000 jobs, according to the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa. Pretoria exports $100 million worth of citrus to the United States each year.
>10,000: Over 10,000 years since dire wolves went extinct, Biotech firm Colossal claims to have effectively brought them back from the dead. Using preserved DNA, Colossal scientists rewrote the code of a common gray wolf and used domestic dogs to birth three dire-like wolves, called Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi. The species became a feature of public consciousness after they starred in the hit show “Game of Thrones.” Experts are skeptical about how closely these three pups resemble the dire wolf; one paleogeneticist suggested that these lupine creatures are grey wolves with dire wolf-like characteristics.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025.
Trump slaps tariffs on the world
During a speech in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday, Donald Trump announced a 10% across-the-board tariff on US imports, with higher rates for countries that have a larger trade surplus with the United States – to the tune of 20% for the EU, 54% for China, and 46% for Vietnam, to name a few of the hardest-hit. Trump also confirmed that he’s imposing 25% levies on foreign-made cars and parts.
There are some exceptions: Neither Canada nor Mexico were singled out for “reciprocal” tariffs. While they are subject to automobile and steel tariffs, products compliant with the USMCA agreement – around 38% of imports from Canada and 50% from Mexico – will not be subject to any tariffs.
How are countries responding? The 10% tariffs will take effect on April 5, followed by the extra “reciprocal” duties on April 9. This timeline gives countries a chance to retaliate, and many have vowed to do so by imposing equally high tariffs on US imports. The EU said on Thursday that it would impose countermeasures if negotiations with the White House don’t go anywhere. China echoed the Europeans’ approach, threatening countermeasures if the US doesn’t pull back. Other countries were more muted, though: India said it would be “measured” in response, while Australia won’t counter at all.
The Trump administration is betting that some may choose to negotiate, either by lowering their own tariffs or increasing investments in the US. “My advice to every country right now is, do not retaliate,” warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Fox News. “If you retaliate, there will be escalation. If you don’t, this is the high watermark.”
Financial markets react. S&P and NASDAQ futures declined by 3.5% and 4.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, New York copper futures are experiencing the sharpest drop, plunging as much as 4%, while crude oil fell by over 3%.
Promises made, promises kept. From the blue-collar workers scattered throughout the Rose Garden crowd to the Teamsters union shoutout, the goal of the tariffs was clear: Trump wants to reshore manufacturing to the US. He also hopes that the revenue collected from tariffs will pay for the tax cuts making their way through Congress.
Trump is making a political gamble that the short-term pain from tariffs — price inflation and possibly even a recession — will be offset by economic benefits from tax cuts, deregulation, and expanded manufacturing. He’s betting that these benefits will arrive before the 2026 midterm elections. If he’s wrong, his party is likely to pay a heavy price at the ballot box.People gather for the "Elbows up" rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on March 9, 2025.
China, Mexico, and Canada take different paths to tackle tariffs
On March 4, 2025, US President Donald Trumpincreased tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. The same day, the US imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. Two days later, Trump announced that goods and services covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, aka USMCA, would be exempt until April 2, when reciprocal tariffs are set to take effect against all countries around the globe. Canadian energy and potash remain tariffed at 10%, while its steel and aluminum are tariffed at 25%.
Faced with these realities, Mexico, China, and Canada are pursuing very different strategies. What’s working, what’s not, and what’s next?
Mexico has opted for a “respectful” approach prioritizing dialogue over reprisals. In January, President Claudia Sheinbaum launched “Plan Mexico” to address her country’s $105 billion trade imbalance with China by boosting domestic production and attracting investments. She also aggressively tackled drug cartels and migration, Trump’s two pet peeves at the border. In a phone call on March 5, Trump told her, “You’re tough,” and announced his intent to grant Mexico its USMCA reprieve until April 2.
China has taken decisive retaliatory actions – but also sees an opportunity. Vowing to fight “to the bitter end,” Beijing imposed additional tariffs ranging from 10% to 15% on specific American imports, notably soybeans, pork, beef, chicken, and cotton, which will hurt Trump’s Midwestern voters. But China will also leverage America’s April 2 tariffs to boost trade with other nations, potentially offsetting losses in the US market.
Canada has been the most aggressive, going “elbows up” – a hockey term signaling defiance. Ottawa imposed counter-tariffs that could imperil 3.7 million jobs in red US states, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to impose a surcharge on electricity exports (which he later withdrew). This week, newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Europe to shore up trade with the UK and France, rather than engaging first with Washington.
Why the tough stance? For Canada, this isn’t just about tariffs. Trump’s continuous talk of making Canada the 51st US state has enraged Canadians, who are canceling US holidays and boycotting American products. It has also upended the next Canadian election, which Carney is expected to call within days, and which he could now win on the back of anti-Trump sentiment.A drone view shows a flooded area in the city of Bahia Blanca, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Hard Numbers: Deadly Argentinian floods, Palestinian protester arrested, Mexico’s grim discovery, DRC sets rebel bounties, America losing its butterflies, Internet shutdowns imperil democracy
13: The port city of Bahia Blanca, Argentina, was devastated by a massive rainstorm this weekend that dumped a year’s worth of rain in just a few hours, killing 13 people and displacing hundreds. A similarly devastating rainstorm in December 2023 also claimed 13 lives in Bahia Blanca.
200: A grim discovery was made in a clandestine crematorium in Jalisco, Mexico: 200 pairs of shoes. The footwear is believed to belong to people killed by organized criminal gangs. It was uncovered by relatives of some of Jalisco’s 15,000 missing people, the most of any state in Mexico, where over 100,000 people are registered as “disappeared.”
5 million: The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of three M23 rebel leaders, and a $4 million reward for the arrest of two journalists in exile deemed as “accomplices.” But with the DRC’s army increasingly outmatched by rebel forces, the chances of capture are considered slim.
22: A new study reveals that America’s butterfly population has declined by 22% since 2000, with the Southwest hardest hit with a drop of over 50%. The change is primarily attributed to insecticides, climate change, and habitat loss, and it could imperil certain crops, including Texas cotton, of which half is pollinated by butterflies.
296: The latest twist in cyber warfare? Internet shutdowns. In 2024, 296 shutdowns were reported across 54 countries, compared with 283 shutdowns in 39 countries the previous year. Shutdowns were used for political control, to suppress dissent, and to disrupt elections, and they were particularly acute in Africa, where at least five have been in place for over a year.
President Donald Trump talks with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Plenary Session at the NATO summit in Watford, Britain, in December 2019.
Mexico, Canada get tariff reprieve
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced a one-month tariff reprieve on all Mexican and Canadian goods governed by the USMCA, as well as potash,until reciprocal tariffs are imposed worldwide on April 2.Canada supplies 80% of US potash, a critical component of fertilizer. The decrees follow Wednesday’s one-month tariff reprieve for America’s Big 3 automakers: Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors.
What will be tariff-free? According to senior administration officials, 50% of goods entering the US from Mexico and 38% of goods from Canada would qualify. Some Canadian energy products will still be subject to a 10% tariff, and some Mexican products, like computers, will still face a 25% tariff.
How have Canada and Mexico responded? Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had not imposed tariffs but was set to announce them Sunday if no deal was reached.
Canada’s initial set of tariffs on $30 billion in American goods imposed on Tuesday will remain. A second wave of $150 billion set to take effect after 20 days has reportedly been suspended until April. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also said that Canada would be imposing a 25% tariff on electricity exports starting Monday, regardless of whether tariffs would be lifted. Canadian provinces have also removed US-made alcohol from store shelves and barred American firms from procurement contracts, and there is no sign that this measure will be reversed.
Why did Trump change course? Trump said “I wasn’t even looking at the market” but major stock indexes plummeted this week, as investors were spooked by the uncertainty. In the Oval Office, Trump said “This is about companies and countries that have been ripping off our country and they won’t be ripping off our country anymore.”
Trump’s reprieve on Mexico specifically mentioned actions taken to stem the flow of illegal aliens and fentanyl into the US. This contrasts with his conversation Wednesday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in which Trump claimed Canada’s efforts on fentanylwere insufficient to drop US tariffs.
But the US president has citedother reasons for tariffs on Canada, including accusing the country of not allowing US banks to operate there and falsely claiming that the US “subsidizes” Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick alsoaccused Canada of having a “national tariff” on US products because it has a 5-15% federal-provincial sales tax.Trump grants some tariff relief – but it’s temporary
US President Donald Trump gave America’s Big Three automakers a one-month tariff reprieve but expects them to use the time to shift production from Canada and Mexico to the United States. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the temporary exemption Wednesday after Trump held a call with the CEOs of Stellantis, Ford, and GM, at their request. Levitt also made it clear that, as of April 2, reciprocal tariffs will go into effect worldwide.
What are they? In a nutshell, Trump will slap tariffs on other countries that match the tariffs those countries place on the US.
Which countries would be most affected? India, Argentina, South Korea, and Brazil had the highest tariff regimes as of 2023. India recently cut levies on many US imports, including motorcycles, but still has tariffs on imported cars of up to 110%, leaving small exporters demanding further reductions from Delhi. Argentinian President Javier Milei recently praised Trump’s plan for reciprocal tariffs and said he wants to pursue a reciprocal trade pact, even if it means leaving the Mercosur trade pact with neighboring South American countries.
Will Trump reverse course? It’s possible but unlikely. Trump has long been a believer in tariffs. In his address to Congress on Tuesday evening, he said “Tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs. They’re about protecting the soul of our country.”Staff remove bottles of US alcohol from the shelves of a Liquor Control Board of Ontario store as part of retaliatory moves against tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, in Toronto, Canada, on March 4, 2025.
Canada, Mexico, and China retaliate against Trump’s tariffs
It’s official: The United States is now waging a full-blown trade war against three of its largest trading partners. On Tuesday, Washington imposed tariffs of 10% on energy and 25% on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico and doubled its existing tariffs on Chinese imports from 10 to 20%. All three countries responded with harsh words and retaliatory measures.
Canada imposed an immediate 25% retaliatory tariff on $30 billion worth of US goods, with an additional $125 billion worth of products to be tariffed in 21 days. Provincial liquor stores removed American alcohol and Ontario Premier Doug Ford ripped up a $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink. Ford alsothreatened a 25% retaliatory tariff on electricity exports. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tariffs “dumb,” prompting US President Donald Trump to repeat his taunt of “Governor Trudeau” and promiseeven higher tariffs in response to retaliatory efforts.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum took a slower approach. “We have said it in different ways: cooperation and coordination, yes; subordination and interventionism, no,” she said. Sheinbaum plans to speak with Trump by phone on Thursday and will announce retaliatory measures on Sunday if no deal is reached.
China, meanwhile, placed an additional 10% to 15% tariffs on imported US goods, including chicken, wheat, soybeans, and beef as of March 10. Beijing says it will “fight to the bitter end of any trade war” but left the door open for talks, advising the US to “return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation before it is too late.”
The tariff war had immediate economic effects.Markets plunged, the price of a Dodge Ram truck reportedly rose from $80,000 to $100,000, and by mid-March American gas prices could rise by as much as40 cents per gallon, while Ford said the auto manufacturing sector in Canada could shut down.
Could Trump change course? We’ll be watching for further market volatility as well as blowback from consumers, businesses, and politicians. But stay tuned for a possible course correction: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick already hinted Tuesday that Trump is considering “relief for USMCA-compliant goods” and “may roll back Canada and Mexico tariffs tomorrow.”
Members of Mexico's National Guard queue to board a vehicle upon disembarking from a plane, after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to bolster border enforcement efforts in response to Trump's demand to crack down on immigration and drug smuggling, in Tijuana, Mexico, on Feb. 4, 2025.
HARD NUMBERS: Mexican troops head to the border, Carney promises defense binge, Critics call on Canada to suspend US agreement, Tariff talk tops tickers
7,000: Earlier this week, at least 7,000 Mexican troops were on their way to the US-Mexico border as part of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s deal with the Trump administration to postpone, for one month, the imposition of a 25% US tariff on all Mexican goods. Experts say that the deployment, meant to meet Trump’s demands that Mexico crack down on fentanyl traffickers and illegal migrants, represents a reshuffling among the tens of thousands of troops that Mexico already deploys throughout the country to tackle these issues.
2 in 5: Mark Carney, who is campaigning for the Liberal Party leadership, has pledged to meet a target of spending 2% of GDP on defense. That would be two years earlier than stipulated under current commitments made by outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The matter has taken on fresh urgency in light of US President Donald Trump’s demands that NATO allies raise the benchmark to 5% of GDP – and his threats to annex Canada.
21: Immigration advocates and lawyers are calling on Ottawa to suspend a 21-year-old agreement with the United States under which Canada sends asylum-seekers apprehended at the border back into the US for processing. Critics say that the Trump administration’s recent moves to drastically restrict refugees’ access to asylum petitions fall afoul of international law, and they warn that Canada should not be complicit in these violations by sending people back to the US.
200: What’s the word among Wall Street analysts these days? Tariffs. Tariffs. Tariffs. So far this year, the term has come up at least once in more than 200 earnings calls with top companies listed on the S&P, a major stock index of American firms. The big question, of course, is how are companies planning to cope either with higher US tariffs themselves, or with the broader political and economic uncertainty about if, when, and how heavily Trump will use them.