Politics – MyNorthwest.com Seattle news, sports, weather, traffic, talk and community. Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:52:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 /wp-content/uploads/2024/06/favicon-needle.png Politics – MyNorthwest.com 32 32 Judge pauses Trump administration’s push to expand fast-track deportations /national/judge-pauses-trump-administrations-push-to-expand-fast-track-deportations/4116548 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:52:11 +0000 /national/judge-pauses-trump-administrations-push-to-expand-fast-track-deportations/4116548

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge to temporarily block the Trump administration’s efforts to expand fast-track deportations of immigrants who legally entered the U.S. under a process known as humanitarian parole — a ruling that could benefit hundreds of thousands of people.

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Department of Homeland Security exceeded its statutory authority in its effort to expand “expedited removal” for many immigrants. The judge said those immigrants are facing perils that outweigh any harm from “pressing pause” on the administration’s plans.

The case “presents a question of fair play” for people fleeing oppression and violence in their home countries, Cobb said in her 84-page order.

“In a world of bad options, they played by the rules,” she wrote. “Now, the Government has not only closed off those pathways for new arrivals but changed the game for parolees already here, restricting their ability to seek immigration relief and subjecting them to summary removal despite statutory law prohibiting the Executive Branch from doing so.”

Fast-track deportations allow immigration officers to remove somebody from the U.S. without seeing a judge first. In immigration cases, parole allows somebody applying for admission to the U.S. to enter the country without being held in detention.

Immigrants’ advocacy groups sued Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to challenge three recent DHS agency actions that expanded expedited removal. A surge of arrests at immigration courts highlights the lawsuit’s high stakes.

The judge’s ruling applies to any non-citizen who has entered the U.S. through the parole process at a port of entry. She suspended the challenged DHS actions until the case’s conclusion.

Cobb said the case’s “underlying question” is whether people who escaped oppression will have the chance to “plead their case within a system of rules.”

“Or, alternatively, will they be summarily removed from a country that — as they are swept up at checkpoints and outside courtrooms, often by plainclothes officers without explanation or charges — may look to them more and more like the countries from which they tried to escape?” she added.

A plaintiffs’ attorney, Justice Action Center legal director Esther Sung, described the ruling as a “huge win” for hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their families. Sung said many people are afraid to attend routine immigration hearings out of fear of getting arrested.

“Hopefully this decision will alleviate that fear,” Sung said.

Since May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have positioned themselves in hallways to arrest people after judges accept government requests to dismiss deportation cases. After being arrested, the government renews deportation proceedings but under fast-track authority.

President Donald Trump sharply expanded fast-track authority in January, allowing immigration officers to deport someone without first seeing a judge. Although fast-track deportations can be put on hold by filing an asylum claim, people may be unaware of that right and, even if they are, can be swiftly removed if they fail an initial screening.

“Expedited removal” was created under a 1996 law and has been used widely for people stopped at the border since 2004. Trump attempted to expand those powers nationwide to anyone in the country less than two years in 2019 but was held up in court. His latest efforts amount to a second try.

ICE exercised its expanded authority sparingly at first during Trump’s second term but has since relied on it for aggressive enforcement in immigration courts and in “workplace raids,” according to plaintiffs’ attorneys.

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Spagat reported from San Diego.

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Trump administration freezes $339M in UCLA grants and accuses the school of rights violations /national/trump-administration-freezes-339m-in-ucla-grants-and-accuses-the-school-of-rights-violations/4116529 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:19:39 +0000 /national/trump-administration-freezes-339m-in-ucla-grants-and-accuses-the-school-of-rights-violations/4116529

The Trump administration is freezing $339 million in research grants to the University of California, Los Angeles, accusing the school of civil rights violations related to antisemitism, affirmative action and women’s sports, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The federal government has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against private colleges but this is one of the rare cases it has targeted a public university.

Several federal agencies notified UCLA this week that they were suspending grants over civil rights concerns, including $240 million from the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, according to the person, who spoke about internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity.

The Trump administration recently announced the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division found UCLA violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “by acting with deliberate indifference in creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students.”

Last week, Columbia agreed to pay $200 million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into the government’s allegations that the school violated federal antidiscrimination laws. The agreement also restores more than $400 million in research grants.

The Trump administration plans to use its deal with Columbia as a template for other universities, with financial penalties that are now seen as an expectation.

The National Science Foundation said in a statement it informed UCLA that it was suspending funding awards because the school isn’t in line with the agency’s priorities.

UCLA’s chancellor Julio Frenk called the government’s decision “deeply disappointing.”

“With this decision, hundreds of grants may be lost, adversely affecting the lives and life-changing work of UCLA researchers, faculty and staff,” he said in a statement.

The Department of Energy said in its letter it found several “examples of noncompliance” and faulted UCLA for inviting applicants to disclose their race in personal statements and for considering factors including family income and ZIP code. Affirmative action in college admissions was outlawed in California in 1996 and struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023.

The letter said the school has taken steps that amount to “a transparent attempt to engage in race-based admissions in all but name,” disadvantaging white, Jewish and Asian American applicants.

It also said UCLA fails to promote an environment free from antisemitism and discriminates against women by allowing transgender women to compete on women’s teams.

Frenk said that in its letter the federal government “claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons” to freeze the funding but “this far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination.”

Earlier this week, UCLA reached a $6 million settlement with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor who sued the university arguing it violated their civil rights by allowing pro-Palestinian protesters in 2024 to block their access to classes and other areas on campus.

UCLA initially had argued that it had no legal responsibility over the issue because protesters, not the university, blocked Jewish students’ access to some areas. The university also worked with law enforcement to thwart attempts to set up new protest camps.

The university has said that it’s committed to campus safety and inclusivity and will continue to implement recommendations.

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Rodriguez reported from San Francisco and Binkley from Washington.

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US warns of corruption and reported bribery aimed at destabilizing Haiti as crisis deepens /world/us-warns-of-corruption-and-reported-bribery-aimed-at-destabilizing-haiti-as-crisis-deepens/4116512 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:48:05 +0000 /world/us-warns-of-corruption-and-reported-bribery-aimed-at-destabilizing-haiti-as-crisis-deepens/4116512

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — U.S. officials announced Friday they are aware of “reported bribery attempts” aimed at destabilizing Haiti, raising concerns that the troubled country could sink further into crisis.

The announcements were made on X by the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Officials did not provide details except to say that they commended members of Haiti’s transitional presidential council “for their rejection of corruption” and for collaborating with the current prime minister to “work together” to stabilize the country.

“We will hold accountable anyone who attempts to undermine this collaboration,” the embassy wrote on X.

The announcement comes as infighting threatens the stability of the council while gangs that control up to 90% of Haiti’s capital continue to seize more territory in Port-au-Prince and in Haiti’s central region.

The council’s voting members did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Neither did the U.S. Department of State nor the office of Haiti’s prime minister.

Some people on social media mocked the announcement as they accused some council members of being corrupt.

In October last year, Haiti’s anti-corruption unit accused three council members of bribery and corruption involving the government-owned National Bank of Credit. No one has been charged, and the council members remain in their positions.

Haiti’s political stability has been fragile ever since a powerful gang federation known as “Viv Ansanm” launched attacks early last year on critical government infrastructure including police stations and the country’s main international airport, forcing it to close for nearly three months.

The attacks prevented then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to Haiti. He eventually resigned, unable to enter his homeland following an official visit to Kenya to talk about a U.N.-backed mission that police from the eastern African country are currently leading to try and quash gang violence.

The council is under pressure to hold general elections by February 2026, with the previous ones held nearly a decade ago. No date has been set yet.

The council was created in April 2024 as the international community scrambled to meet with Haitian officials to rebuild the country’s government after Henry resigned. Political stability remains fragile, with three prime ministers having been appointed in the past year.

Meanwhile, gang violence continues to surge in the aftermath of the July 2021 killing of President Jovenel Moïse.

In a report released Friday, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti noted that at least 1,520 people were killed and more than 600 injured from April to the end of June. Nearly 80% of those incidents happened in Port-au-Prince, with nearly 20% reported in Haiti’s central region.

More than 60% of the killings and injuries occurred during operations by security forces against gangs, with another 12% blamed on self-defense groups.

The report noted that Johnson André, best known as “Izo” and considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader, was injured in drone strikes earlier this year, as was gang leader Renel Destina, who goes by “Ti Lapli” and leads the Grand Ravine gang.

From April to June, more than 400 homes and other buildings including schools and health centers “were ransacked, burned or destroyed by gangs,” the report stated.

Gang violence also has displaced more than 1.3 million people in recent years.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti contributed.

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Lawyer says he’s not been allowed to see 5 immigrants deported by the US to a prison in Eswatini /national/lawyer-says-hes-not-been-allowed-to-see-5-immigrants-deported-by-the-us-to-a-prison-in-eswatini/4116501 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:30:47 +0000 /national/lawyer-says-hes-not-been-allowed-to-see-5-immigrants-deported-by-the-us-to-a-prison-in-eswatini/4116501

MANZINI, Eswatini (AP) — Five immigrants deported by the United States to Eswatini in a secret deal last month had served their criminal sentences before they were sent to be held in a prison in the African country, a lawyer working on their cases said Friday.

The Eswatini lawyer also said the men from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Vietnam sent to southern Africa under President Donald Trump’s third-country deportation program have been denied access to legal representation while being held in Eswatini’s main maximum-security prison.

The lawyer, Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, said he hasn’t been allowed to see the men and that he filed court papers Thursday against the head of Eswatini’s correctional services department and the country’s attorney general, demanding access to them.

He said he is representing them on behalf of lawyers in the U.S. and was prevented from seeing them by Eswatini prison officials on July 25. It’s unlawful for the men, who have been in Eswatini for around two weeks, to be denied access to a lawyer, he added.

The Eswatini government has said the men will be held in solitary confinement until they can be deported to their home countries, which could take up to a year.

“They have served their sentences,” Nhlabatsi told The Associated Press. “If a person has committed a crime and they have served a sentence, why are you then keeping them in a prison?”

Nhlabatsi said the men have not been able to communicate with their families or receive visitors since arriving in Eswatini, although prison officials said they were in the process of setting up devices to allow them to speak with their families.

He alleged their ongoing detention could have legal implications for Eswatini, a small country bordering South Africa and one of the world’s last absolute monarchies, ruled by a king accused of cracking down on dissent.

The Trump administration has come under scrutiny for its choice of African countries to strike deportation deals with. It deported eight immigrants described as violent criminals to South Sudan in early July in an operation that was halted by a legal challenge in the U.S. The eight were held for weeks in a converted shipping container at an American military base in nearby Djibouti while the case was decided. A Supreme Court ruling eventually cleared the way for them to be sent to South Sudan.

Both South Sudan, which is in danger of tipping into civil war, and Eswatini have poor rights records and governments accused of being repressive. Critics say the deportees, who the administration says were in the U.S. illegally, will likely be denied due process in those countries.

The five sent to Eswatini were also described by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as serious criminals. Their convictions included murder and child rape, the department said in social media posts, calling them “uniquely barbaric.”

The department, which did not say if they had completed their sentences, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

An Eswatini government spokesman also declined to comment on Nhlabatsi’s allegations, saying it was now a matter for the courts.

Nhlabatsi said the deportees are being held at the Matsapha Correctional Complex near the administrative capital, Mbabane, the same prison said to hold pro-democracy activists on trumped up charges. The government has declined to say where the five men are being held, citing security concerns.

Eswatini’s statement about the five men ultimately being deported to their home countries appears to contradict claims by the U.S. that their home countries refused to take the men back.

Activists in Eswatini have demanded that the details of the agreement with the U.S. be made public but the government has said they are “classified.” South Sudan has also declined to give details of its agreement to take deportees from the U.S.

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AP news on the Trump administration: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump

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Matsapha Correctional Complex is seen in Matsapha, near Mbabane, Eswatini, Thursday July 17, 2025. ...
Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down after being defunded by Congress, targeted by Trump /national/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-to-shut-down-after-being-defunded-by-congress-targeted-by-trump/4116485 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:23:17 +0000 /national/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-to-shut-down-after-being-defunded-by-congress-targeted-by-trump/4116485

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a cornerstone of American culture for three generations, announced Friday it would begin taking steps toward its own closure after being defunded by Congress.

This announcement marks the end of a nearly six-decade era in which it fueled the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and even emergency alerts.

The demise of the corporation, known as CPB, is a direct result of President Donald Trump’s targeting of public media, which he has repeatedly said is spreading political and cultural views antithetical to those the United States should be espousing. The closure is expected to have a profound impact on the journalistic and cultural landscape — in particular, public radio and TV stations in small communities across the United States. CPB helps fund both PBS and NPR.

The corporation also has deep ties to much of the nation’s most familiar programming, from NPR’s “All Things Considered” to, historically, “Sesame Street,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and the documentaries of Ken Burns.

The corporation said its end, 58 years after being signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, would come in an “orderly wind-down.” passage of a package that included defunding and the decision Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee to exclude funding for the corporation for the first time in over 50 years. The corporation had hoped that the new budget might restore its funding, but that did not happen.

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” said Patricia Harrison, the corporation’s president and CEO.

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Trump seeks to fire official overseeing jobs data after weak employment report /national/trump-seeks-to-fire-official-overseeing-jobs-data-after-weak-employment-report/4116461 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:42:17 +0000 /national/trump-seeks-to-fire-official-overseeing-jobs-data-after-weak-employment-report/4116461

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday called for the firing of the head of the agency that produces the monthly jobs figures after a report showed hiring slowed in July and was much weaker in May and June than previously reported.

Trump in a post on his social media platform alleged that the figures were manipulated for political reasons and said that Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, should be fired.

“I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said on Truth Social. “She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified.”

Friday’s jobs report showed that just 73,000 jobs were added last month and that 258,000 fewer jobs were created May and June than previously estimated.

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President Donald Trump speaks as Cody Campbell, left, and professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau lis...
Trump orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev /national/trump-orders-us-nuclear-subs-repositioned-over-statements-from-ex-russian-leader-medvedev/4116447 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:06:03 +0000 /national/trump-orders-us-nuclear-subs-repositioned-over-statements-from-ex-russian-leader-medvedev/4116447

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a warning to Russia, President Donald Trump said Friday he’s ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines “based on the highly provocative statements” of the country’s former president Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump posted on his social media site that based on the “highly provocative statements” from Medvedev he had “ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”

The president added, “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what impact Trump’s order would have on U.S. nuclear subs, which are routinely on patrol in the world’s hotspots, but it comes at a delicate moment in the Trump administration’s relations with Moscow.

Trump has said that special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia to push Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine and has threatened new economic sanctions if progress is not made. He cut his 50-day deadline for action to 10 days, with that window set to expire next week.

The post about the sub repositioning came after Trump, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, had posted that Medvedev was a “failed former President of Russia” and warned him to “watch his words.” Medvedev responded hours later by writing, “Russia is right on everything and will continue to go its own way.”

Medvedev was president from 2008 to 2012 while Putin was barred from seeking a second consecutive term but stepped aside to let him run again. Now deputy chairman of Russia’s National Security Council, which Putin chairs, Medvedev has been known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since the start of the war in 2022, a U-turn from his presidency, when he was seen as liberal and progressive.

He has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks.

Trump and Medvedev have gotten into online spats before.

On July 15, after Trump announced plans to supply Ukraine with more weapons via its NATO allies and threatened additional tariffs against Moscow, Medvedev posted, “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”

Earlier this week, he wrote, “Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10″ and added, “He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.”

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Associated Press writer Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

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States sue Trump, saying he is intimidating hospitals over gender-affirming care for youth /national/states-sue-trump-saying-he-is-intimidating-hospitals-over-gender-affirming-care-for-youth/4116399 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:04:42 +0000 /national/states-sue-trump-saying-he-is-intimidating-hospitals-over-gender-affirming-care-for-youth/4116399

Seventeen Democratic officials accused President Donald Trump’s administration of unlawfully intimidating health care providers into stopping gender-affirming care for transgender youth in a lawsuit filed Friday.

The complaint comes after a month in which at least eight major hospitals and hospital systems — all in states where the care is allowed under state law — announced they were stopping or restricting the care. The latest announcement came Thursday from UI Health in Chicago.

Trump’s administration announced in July that it was sending subpoenas to providers and focusing on investigating them for fraud. It later boasted in a news release that hospitals are halting treatments.

The Democratic officials say Trump’s policies are an attempt to impose a nationwide ban on the treatment for people under 19 — and that’s unlawful because there’s no federal statute that bans providing the care to minors. The suit was filed by attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia, plus the governor of Pennsylvania, in U.S. District Court in Boston.

“The federal government is running a cruel and targeted harassment campaign against providers who offer lawful, lifesaving care to children,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

Trump and others who oppose the care say that it makes permanent changes that people who receive it could come to regret — and maintain that it’s being driven by questionable science.

Since 2021, 28 states with Republican-controlled legislatures have adopted policies to ban or restrict gender-affirming care for minors. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have a right to enforce those laws.

For families with transgender children, the state laws and medical center policy changes have sparked urgent scrambles for treatment.

The medical centers are responding to political and legal pressure

The Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the biggest public provider of gender-affirming care for children in teens in the U.S., closed in July.

At least seven other major hospitals and health systems have made similar announcements, including Children’s National in Washington D.C., UChicago Medicine and Yale New Haven Health.

Kaiser Permanente, which operates in California and several other states, said it would pause gender-affirming surgeries for those under 19 as of the end of August, but would continue hormone therapy.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center cited “an increasingly complex and evolving landscape” for winding down care.

Other hospitals, including Penn State, had already made similar decisions since Trump returned to office in January.

Alex Sheldon, executive director of GLMA, an organization that advocates for health care equity for LGBTQ+ people, said the health systems have pulled back the services for legal reasons, not medical ones.

“Not once has a hospital said they are ending care because it is not medically sound,” Sheldon said.

Trump’s administration has targeted the care in multiple ways

Trump devoted a lot of attention to transgender people in his campaign last year as part of a growing pushback from conservatives as transgender people have gained visibility and acceptance on some fronts. Trump criticized gender-affirming care, transgender women in women’s sports, and transgender women’s use of women’s facilities such as restrooms.

On his inauguration day in January, Trump signed an executive order defining the sexes as only male and female for government purposes, setting the tone for a cascade of actions that affect transgender people. About a week later, Trump called to stop using federal money, including from Medicaid, for gender-affirming care for those under 19.

About half of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of transgender issues, an AP-NORC poll found. But the American Medical Association says that , and the group opposes policies that restrict access to gender-affirming health care.

Gender-affirming care includes a range of medical and mental health services to support a person’s gender identity, including when it’s different from the sex they were assigned at birth. It includes counseling and treatment with medications that block puberty, and hormone therapy to produce physical changes, as well as surgery, which is rare for minors.

In March, a judge paused enforcement of the ban on government spending for care.

The court ruling didn’t stop other federal government action

In April, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed government investigators to focus on providers who continue to offer gender-affirming care for transgender youth. “Under my leadership, the Department of Justice will bring these practices to an end,” she wrote.

In May, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a report discouraging medical interventions for transgender youth and instead focusing solely on talk therapy. The report questions adolescents’ capacity to consent to life-changing treatments that could result in future infertility. The administration has not said who wrote the report, which has been deeply criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates.

In June, a Justice Department memo called for prioritizing civil investigations of those who provide the treatment.

In July, Justice Department announced it had sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in gender-affirming care for youth, saying they were part of investigations of health care fraud, false statements and other possible wrongdoing.

And in a statement last week, the White House celebrated decisions to end gender-affirming care, which it called a “barbaric, pseudoscientific practice”

Families worry about accessing care

Kristen Salvatore’s 15-year-old child started hormone therapy late last year at Penn State Health. Salvatore said in an interview with The Associated Press before the lawsuit was announced that it was a major factor in reduced signs of anxiety and depression. Last month, the family received official notice from the health system that it would no longer offer the hormones for patients under 19 after July 31, though talk therapy can continue.

Salvatore has been struggling to find a place that’s not hours away from their Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, home that would provide the hormones and accept Medicaid coverage.

“I’m walking around blind with no guidance, and whatever breadcrumbs I was given are to a dead-end alleyway,” she said.

The family has enough testosterone stockpiled to last until January. But if they can’t find a new provider by then, Salvatore’s child could risk detransitioning, she said.

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FILE - Protesters chant slogans while demonstrating against the closure of the trans youth clinic a...
The Smithsonian removes a Trump impeachment reference from an exhibit but says it’s temporary /lifestyle/the-smithsonian-removes-a-trump-impeachment-reference-from-an-exhibit-but-says-its-temporary/4116391 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:54:05 +0000 /lifestyle/the-smithsonian-removes-a-trump-impeachment-reference-from-an-exhibit-but-says-its-temporary/4116391

NEW YORK (AP) — The Smithsonian Institution has removed from an exhibit a reference to President Donald Trump’s two impeachments, a decision that comes as the White House exerts pressure to offer a more positive — and selective — view of American history. A spokesperson said the exhibit eventually “will include all impeachments.”

A label referring to impeachment had been added in 2021 to the National Museum for American History’s exhibit on the American presidency, in a section called “Limits of Presidential Power.” Smithsonian spokesperson Phillip Zimmerman said Friday that the section, which includes materials on the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and the Watergate scandal that helped lead to President Richard Nixon’s resignation, needed to be overhauled. He said the decision came after the museum was “reviewing our legacy content recently.”

“Because the other topics in this section had not been updated since 2008, the decision was made to restore the Impeachment case back to its 2008 appearance,” Zimmerman said in an email.

He said that in September 2021, the museum installed a temporary label on content concerning Trump’s impeachments. “It was intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time,” he said. But the label remained in place.

“A large permanent gallery like The American Presidency that opened in 2000 requires a significant amount of time and funding to update and renew,” he said. “A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments.”

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the Smithsonian has “highlighted divisive DEI exhibits which are out of touch with mainstream America” for too long.

“We are fully supportive of updating displays to highlight American greatness,” he said in a statement that did not address the missing reference to Trump’s impeachments.

Trump’s impeachments were more recent

Trump is only the president to have been impeached twice — in 2019, for pushing Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden, who would defeat Trump in the 2020 election; and in 2021 for “incitement of insurrection,” a reference to the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters attempting to halt Congressional certification of Biden’s victory.

The Democratic majority in the House voted each time for impeachment. The Republican-led Senate each time acquitted Trump. Soon after Trump’s first impeachment, the history museum saying that curators “will determine which objects best represent these historic events for inclusion in the national collection.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has cut funding, forced out officials and otherwise demanded changes across a range of Washington cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The current administration has targeted interpretations of history

In March, Trump issued an executive order entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” in which he alleged that the Smithsonian was beholden to “a divisive, race-centered ideology.” He has placed Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of an effort to ensure no funding goes to “exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”

Congressional Democrats issued a statement in April calling Trump’s order a “flagrant attempt to erase Black history.”

Last week, artist Amy Sherald canceled a planned exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery after officials raised concerns over her painting “Trans Forming Liberty, 2024,” in which she depicts a nonbinary transgender person posing as the Statue of Liberty. Sherald is best known for her painting of then-first lady Michelle Obama, which was commissioned by the Portrait Gallery.

Founded in the 19th century, the Smithsonian oversees a network of cultural centers that includes the portrait gallery, the history museum, the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Gardens. News of the Trump impeachment label being removed was first reported by The Washington Post.

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What consumers can expect from import taxes as the US sets new tariff rates /national/what-consumers-can-expect-from-import-taxes-as-the-us-sets-new-tariff-rates/4116386 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:31:52 +0000 /national/what-consumers-can-expect-from-import-taxes-as-the-us-sets-new-tariff-rates/4116386

American businesses and consumers woke up Friday to find the contours of President Donald Trump’s foreign trade agenda taking shape but without much more clarity on how import taxes on goods from dozens of countries would affect them.

Late Thursday, Trump ordered new tariff rates for 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands. Among them: a 40% tariff on imports from Laos, a 39% tariff on goods from Switzerland and a 30% tariff on South African products.

Other trade partners, such as Cambodia, had the tax rates on their exports to the U.S. reduced from levels the president had threatened to impose. Trump postponed the start date for all of the tariffs from Friday until Aug. 7.

Wendong Zhang, an associate professor in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, said U.S. consumers may be feeling some relief with the tariff rates announced, since many were lower than Trump initially threatened. Indonesia’s rate was 19%, for example, down from the 32% Trump announced last spring.

But tariffs are a tax, and U.S. consumers are likely to foot at least part of that bill.

“Prices are still going up, they just won’t go up as much as in the worst-case scenario,” Zhang said.

Companies are dealing with tariffs in various ways. Many automakers appear to be swallowing tariff costs for now. But the world’s largest eyewear maker, EssilorLuxottica, said it raised U.S. prices due to tariffs. The maker of Ray-Bans grinds lenses and sunglasses in Mexico, Thailand and China and exports premium frames from Italy.

Here’s what we know about the tariffs and what their impact will be on U.S. consumers:

How we got here

President Donald Trump unveiled on goods coming into the U.S. from nearly every country in April. He said the tariffs were meant to boost domestic manufacturing and restore fairness to global trade.

A week later, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs but did leave in place a 10% tax on most imports. In early July, Trump began sending letters to dozens of countries saying higher tariffs would go into effect Aug. 1 unless they reached trade deals.

The administration announced new rates for dozens of countries on Thursday but delayed their implementation until Aug. 7.

In the meantime, Trump announced a 35% tariff on imports from Canada would take effect Friday. But Trump delayed action on Mexico and China while negotiations continue.

Other duties not specific to countries also remained in place Friday, like a 50% tariff on imported aluminum and steel announced in June.

What tariffs are in place already

The Trump administration has reached deals with the European Union, Japan and South Korea that put 15% tariffs in place. A deal with the Philippines puts 19% tariffs in place while a deal with Vietnam imposes a 20% levy. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods from India and a 50% tariff on goods from Brazil.

Tariffs are already impacting prices

The U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday that prices rose 2.6% in June, up from an annual pace of 2.4% in May and higher than the Federal Reserve’s goal of 2%. Many goods that are heavily imported saw price increases, including furniture, appliances and computers.

Zhang, the Cornell economist, said U.S. consumers could see higher prices in the coming months for appliances and other products that contain a large amount of steel and aluminum. Toys, kitchenware, electronics and home goods could also see price spikes.

But Zhang said a 15% tariff doesn’t mean prices will immediately rise by 15%. Companies were aware of the tariff deadlines and have been trying to stockpile goods and take other measures to mitigate the impacts.

Some Americans will see benefits

Zhang noted that Trump’s trade deals often contain specific provisions designed to boost U.S. exports. The agreement with the European Union, for example, calls for European companies to purchase $750 billion worth of natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel from the U.S. over three years.

Zhang said semiconductor firms and military contractors could also see bumps in trade.

Some U.S. farmers could also see a potential upside, Zhang said. As part of its trade deal, Vietnam agreed to purchase $2 billion in U.S. agricultural products over three years, including corn, wheat and soybeans, according to the International Trade Council.

But Zhang cautioned that agricultural agreements tend to be short-lived. Over the longer term, the uncertainty over tariffs could cause countries like China to back away from U.S. agricultural markets and look for other partners, Zhang said.

Food and drink prices will climb

The tariffs will almost certainly result in higher food prices, according to an analysis released this week by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. The U.S. simply doesn’t make enough of some products, like bananas or coffee, to satisfy demand. Fish, beer and liquor are also likely to see price hikes, the foundation said.

Conagra Brands, the maker of Hunt’s canned tomatoes, Reddi-wip and other brands, said in July that tariffs – particularly the 50% tax on imported aluminum and steel — will add $200 million annually to its costs. The company said it’s shifting some of its suppliers but also expects to raise prices.

Ben Aneff, managing partner at Tribeca Wine Merchants and president of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance, said that beginning Friday shoppers will see prices rise 20% to 25% at his store and others because of tariffs and the declining value of the dollar.

“Nobody can afford to eat the tariff. It gets passed on,” Aneff said.

Aneff said shoppers haven’t felt the impact from higher duties until now because distributors and retailers accelerated shipments from France and other European countries earlier in the year. But with the tariff rate bumping to 15%, Aneff expects European wine prices to jump 30% in September.

Clothing and shoe prices are already creeping up

Ninety-seven percent of clothing and shoes sold in the U.S. are imported, primarily from Asia, according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association said. China leads the pack, but companies have been shifting more of their sourcing to Vietnam, Indonesia and India.

And prices are already on the rise. Steve Lamar, president and CEO of of the trade group, declined to estimate price increases because he said the situation continues to be in flux. He also said shoppers will see higher costs from tariffs play out in other ways starting this fall. Companies may drop products because they’re too expensive or reduce promotions, he said.

Matt Priest, president and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, estimates prices for shoes are starting to go up for the back-to-school shopping season. He estimates price increases in the 5% to 10% range.

Lululemon said in June that price increases will be modest and apply to a small portion of its assortment, while Ralph Lauren said it would be hiking prices for this fall and next spring to offset tariffs.

Bjorn Gulden, CEO of Germany-based Athletic wear giant Adidas, told investors Wednesday that the company is reviewing different price increases for products for the U.S. but no decision has been made.

“Tariffs (are) nothing else than a cost,” he said. “And regardless of what people are saying, you can’t just throw a cost away. It’s there.”

Car prices hold steady — so far

Some automakers have already raised prices to counteract tariffs. Luxury sports car maker Ferrari said Thursday it was waiting for more details of Trump’s trade deal with the European Union before scaling back a 10% surcharge it put in place in April on most vehicles in the U.S.

But for the most part, automakers haven’t been raising prices as they wait for details of the trade deals. Kelley Blue Book, which monitors car pricing, said the average U.S. new car cost $48,907 in June, which was up just $108 from May.

But that could change. General Motors said last week that the impact of the tariffs could get more pronounced in the third quarter of this year. GM has estimated that the tariffs will cost it $4 billion to $5 billion this year.

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AP Business Writer Colleen Barry reported from Milan.

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Trucks transporting containers undergo X-ray scanning at entry gates at the Long Beach Container Te...
The Latest: Trump signs order for more tariffs on US partners to go into effect in 7 days /national/the-latest-trump-signs-order-for-more-tariffs-on-us-partners-to-go-into-effect-in-7-days/4116334 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:39:52 +0000 /national/the-latest-trump-signs-order-for-more-tariffs-on-us-partners-to-go-into-effect-in-7-days/4116334

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday placing tariffs on many U.S. trade partners — the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and alliances. They are set to go into effect in seven days, and not the Friday deadline that the president initially set.

The extension reflects the government’s need for more time to harmonize the tariff rates, according to a senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity. The order applies to 68 countries and the 27-member European Union. Nations not listed in the order would face a baseline 10% tariff.

Here’s the Latest:

Questions swirl around the tariffs despite Trump’s eagerness

As the clock ticked toward Trump’s self-imposed deadline, few things seemed to be settled other than the president’s determination to levy the taxes he has talked about for decades.

The very legality of the tariffs remains an open question as a U.S. appeals court on Thursday heard arguments on whether Trump had exceeded his authority by declaring an “emergency” under a 1977 law to charge the tariffs, allowing him to avoid congressional approval. Attorney General Dan Rayfield of Oregon, one of the states that filed suit, asserted that the judges “didn’t buy’’ the Trump administration’s arguments.

He said Trump’s tariffs — which are paid by importers in the United States who often try to pass along the higher costs to their customers — amount to one of the largest tax increases in American history, “done all by one human being sitting in the Oval Office.”

Dozens of countries with no deals face new tariffs as trade deadline looms

Some of the United States’ biggest trading partners have reached agreements, or at least the outlines of one, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Even so, those countries face much higher tariffs than were in effect before Trump took office.

Other large trading partners — most notably China and Mexico — received an extension to keep negotiating, but they will likely end up paying more.

Trump orders a 35% tariff for goods from Canada, asserting a lack of cooperation on illicit drugs

Trump has raised the tariff rate on to 35% from 25%, effective Friday. The announcement from the White House late Thursday said Canada had failed to “do more to arrest, seize, detain or otherwise intercept … traffickers, criminals at large, and illicit drugs.”

A small amount of fentanyl is smuggled into the U.S. from Canada, much less than through other routes. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds (19.5 kilograms) of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds (9,570 kilograms) at the Mexican border.

The new tariffs build off ones announced in the spring

Trump initially imposed the Friday deadline after his previous “Liberation Day” tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates then led to recession fears, prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty agreements.

Swiss imports will now be taxed at a higher rate, 39%, than the 31% Trump threatened in April, while Liechtenstein saw its rate slashed from 37% to 15%. Countries not listed in the Thursday night order would be charged a baseline 10% tariff.

Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines, claiming victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates.

Which countries have a trade agreement?

In a flurry of last-minute deal-making, Trump announced several agreements that were short on details.

On Thursday, the U.S. and Pakistan reached a trade agreement expected to allow Washington to help develop Pakistan’s largely untapped oil reserves and lower tariffs for the South Asian country.

And on Wednesday, Trump announced a deal with South Korea that would impose 15% tariffs on goods from that country. That is below the 25% duties that Trump threatened in April.

Agreements have also been reached with the European Union, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. The agreement with the Philippines barely reduced the tariff it will pay, from 20% to 19%.

Will this next Aug. 7 deadline hold?

Trump’s original announcement threatened to impose import taxes of up to 50% on nearly 60 countries and economies, including the 27-nation European Union. Those duties, originally scheduled for April 9, were then postponed twice, first to July 9 and then Aug. 1.

On Wednesday, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social, “THE AUGUST FIRST DEADLINE IS THE AUGUST FIRST DEADLINE — IT STANDS STRONG, AND WILL NOT BE EXTENDED.”

Thursday afternoon, White House representatives — and Trump himself — were still insisting that no more delays were possible. But when Trump pushed back seven days so that the tariff schedule could be updated.

The change — while potentially welcome news to countries that had not yet reached a deal with the U.S. — injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what’s going to happen and when.

Dozens of countries with no deals face new tariffs as trade deadline looms

Numerous countries around the world now face the prospect of new tariffs on their exports to the United States on Aug. 7, a potential blow to the global economy, because they haven’t yet reached a trade deal with the Trump administration.

Trump intends the duties to bring back manufacturing to the United States, while also forcing other countries to reduce their trade barriers to U.S. exports. Trump argues that foreign exporters will pay the cost of the tariffs, but so far economists have found that most are being paid by U.S. companies. And measures of U.S. inflation have started to tick higher as prices of imported goods, such as furniture, appliances, and toys rise.

Countries without an agreement face duties ranging between 10% and 40%, according to Trump’s executive order signed on Thursday. That includes large economies such as Taiwan and India, as well as many smaller countries like South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and even tiny Lesotho.

▶ Read more about the countries facing new tariffs and a new deadline

Trump injects new dose of uncertainty in tariffs as he pushes start date back to Aug. 7

Trump has been promising the world economy would change on Friday with his new tariffs in place.

But when Trump Thursday night imposing new tariffs, the start date of the punishing import taxes was pushed back seven days so that the tariff schedule could be updated. The change injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what’s going to happen and when.

Trump has promised that his tax hikes on the nearly $3 trillion in goods imported to the U.S. will usher in newfound wealth, launch a cavalcade of new factory jobs, reduce the budget deficits and, simply, get other countries to treat America with more respect.

The vast tariffs risk jeopardizing America’s global standing as allies feel forced into unfriendly deals. As taxes on the raw materials used by U.S. factories and basic goods, the tariffs also threaten to create new inflationary pressures and hamper economic growth — concerns the Trump White House has dismissed.

▶ Read more about the delay in the tariff start date

Trump’s new tariffs give some countries a break, while shares and US dollar sink

Trump’s new striking deals with America’s trading partners.

The new rates are due to take effect on Aug. 7, but uncertainty over what Trump might do next remains. The way ahead for China, which runs the largest trade surplus with the U.S., is unclear after talks earlier this week in Stockholm produced no deal. Trump has yet to say if he’ll extend an Aug. 12 pause on painfully high import duties on Chinese products.

Initial reaction from financial markets was muted. Benchmarks fell in Asia, with South Korea’s Kospi dropping nearly 4% after the tariff rate for the U.S. ally was set at 15%. The U.S. dollar weakened against the Japanese yen, trading at more than 150 yen per dollar.

▶ Read more about the impact of Trump’s new tariffs

‘These are dark days,’ Biden warns in blistering speech about Trump

Former President Joe Biden also accused the Trump administration administration of “doing its best to dismantle the Constitution” with the help of the Republican-controlled Congress and the Supreme Court.

“Our future is literally on the line,” Biden said in the speech to a National Bar Association convention in Chicago on the the 100th anniversary of the organization, which was founded to support Black lawyers at a time when they were excluded from the legal profession.

Biden celebrated the diversity of his judicial appointments and recounted his work on civil rights throughout a five-decade political career before turning to Trump.

“In our lives, the life of our nation, there are moments so stark that they divide all that came before from everything that follows,” Biden said. “Moments that force us to confront hard truths about ourselves, our institutions and democracy itself. We are, in my view, at such a moment in American history.”


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President Donald Trump signs an executive order restarting the Presidential Fitness Test in public ...
Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan /national/democrats-launching-summer-blitz-to-press-republicans-on-trump-spending-plan/4116331 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:36:33 +0000 /national/democrats-launching-summer-blitz-to-press-republicans-on-trump-spending-plan/4116331

NEW YORK (AP) — Democrats are launching a nationwide summer blitz designed to force vulnerable Republicans to defend President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill — especially Medicaid cuts that will leave millions of Americans without health care coverage.

Republican leaders in Washington, meanwhile, have encouraged their members to promote more popular aspects of the bill during smaller controlled appearances where GOP officials are less likely to face difficult questions or protests.

The Democratic National Committee’s so-called “Organizing Summer” will feature events in all 50 states, beginning with Alaska, Texas, Colorado and California over the coming week. The party’s message will be reinforced by online advertising and billboard trucks at state and county fairs in the coming days targeting vulnerable House Republicans in Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey, among other states.

“As Democrats, our job is to ensure that every American across the country understands the devastating impacts of this bill,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said. “Democrats will be holding events, highlighting Republican hypocrisy, and ensuring Americans across the country know exactly who is responsible for taking away health care, food, construction jobs, and nursing homes in order to give massive handouts to billionaires.”

The massive Republican-backed tax and spending package that Trump called “big, beautiful” and signed into law on July 4 may ultimately become the defining issue of next year’s midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress for Trump’s final two years in office.

Republicans are touting the bill as a tax cut for all Americans, but polling suggests that voters have been slow to embrace the GOP’s message. The new law will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits through 2034, leave more than another 10 million people without health insurance and leave millions of others without food stamps, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

For much of the year, Republican officials have avoided town hall meetings with constituents or public appearances where they might face protesters or unscripted questions from voters. GOP members of Congress may be slightly more visible this summer, however, according to a memo distributed this week by the House Republican campaign arm.

The memo encourages Republicans to be proactive in selling Trump’s bill during the August recess, although the National Republican Campaign Committee suggests its members focus on tax cuts in smaller settings they can control.

Among the NRCC’s suggestions outlined in the memo: “Visit a local hospital and discuss how you voted for no tax on overtime,” “stop by a restaurant to highlight your vote on no tax on tips” and “work the counter at a local store and chat about your work to lower costs.”

The monthlong August break “is a critical opportunity to continue to define how this legislation will help every voter and push back on Democrat fearmongering,” the Republican memo says.

Democrats are planning a decidedly more public campaign this month than their Republican rivals, although they’ll also offer “multi-day intensive bootcamps” as part of a training program for political operatives and community leaders.

Events are being planned for all 50 states with special focus on 35 of the most competitive congressional districts in the country. Current and former Democratic officials will be featured, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who emerged as a leader against gun violence since her 2011 assassination attempt.

As part of the new effort, the Democratic National Committee is also launching a new digital advertising campaign initially targeting vulnerable Republicans in Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia. That’s in addition to the DNC sending mobile billboard trucks to county fairs in the districts of Republicans in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

“Trump’s big ugly bill: $4 trillion giveaway to billionaires. The rest of us pay the price,” read the billboards, which will feature the name and face of each Republican congressman.

And as Republicans search for an effective message to sell Trump’s bill, Democrats are increasingly confident.

“The big, ugly law is a political disaster,” said Viet Shelton, spokesman for the House Democrats campaign arm. “Everyone hates it and vulnerable House Republicans know it, which is why they’re scared to face their constituents in person during the August recess.”

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People ask questions as Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., holds a town hall meeting Friday, July 25, 2025, in...
Trump administration weighs fate of $9M stockpile of contraceptives feared earmarked for destruction /world/trump-administration-weighs-fate-of-9m-stockpile-of-contraceptives-feared-earmarked-for-destruction/4116316 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:48:54 +0000 /world/trump-administration-weighs-fate-of-9m-stockpile-of-contraceptives-feared-earmarked-for-destruction/4116316

BRUSSELS (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration says it is weighing what to do with family planning supplies stockpiled in Europe that campaigners and two U.S. senators are fighting to save from destruction.

Concerns that the Trump administration plans to incinerate the stockpile have angered family planning advocates on both sides of the Atlantic. Campaigners say the supplies stored in a U.S.-funded warehouse in Geel, Belgium, include contraceptive pills, contraceptive implants and IUDs that could spare women in war zones and elsewhere the hardship of unwanted pregnancies.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said Thursday in response to a question about the contraceptives that “we’re still in the process here in terms of determining the way forward.”

“When we have an update, we’ll provide it,” he said.

Belgium says it has been talking with U.S. diplomats about trying to spare the supplies from destruction, including possibly moving them out of the warehouse. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Florinda Baleci told The Associated Press that she couldn’t comment further “to avoid influencing the outcome of the discussions.”

The Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which managed foreign aid programs, left the supplies’ fate uncertain.

Pigott didn’t detail the types of contraceptives that make up the stockpile. He said some of the supplies, bought by the previous administration, could “potentially be” drugs designed to induce abortions. Pigott didn’t detail how that might impact Trump administration thinking about how to deal with the drugs or the entire stockpile.

Costing more than $9 million and funded by U.S taxpayers, the family planning supplies were intended for women in war zones, refugee camps and elsewhere, according to Marco Rubio from U.S. senators Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, and Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski.

They said destroying the stockpile “would be a waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars as well as an abdication of U.S. global leadership in preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths — key goals of U.S. foreign assistance.”

They urged Rubio to allow another country or partner to distribute the contraceptives.

Concerns voiced by European campaigners and lawmakers that the supplies could be transported to France for incineration have led to mounting pressure on government officials to intervene and save them.

The executive branch of the European Union, through spokesman Guillaume Mercier, said Friday that “we continue to monitor the situation closely to explore the most effective solutions.”

The U.S. branch of family planning aid group MSI Reproductive Choices said it offered to purchase, repackage and distribute the stock at its own expense but “these efforts were repeatedly rejected.” The group said the supplies included long-acting IUDs, contraceptive implants and pills, and that they have long shelf-lives, extending as far as 2031.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders said incineration would be “an intentionally reckless and harmful act against women and girls everywhere.”

Charles Dallara, the grandson of a French former lawmaker who was a contraception pioneer in France, urged President Emmanuel Macron to not let France “become an accomplice to this scandal.”

“Do not allow France to take part in the destruction of essential health tools for millions of women,” Dallara wrote in an appeal to the French leader. “We have a moral and historical responsibility.”

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Leicester reported from Paris. Matthew Lee contributed from Washington, D.C.

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FILE - Irene A Kerkulah, the health officer in charge at the Palala Clinic, looks at an almost-empt...
Trump calls on Federal Reserve board to wrest full control of central bank from Fed Chair Powell /national/trump-calls-on-federal-reserve-board-to-wrest-full-control-of-central-bank-from-fed-chair-powell/4116310 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:45:51 +0000 /national/trump-calls-on-federal-reserve-board-to-wrest-full-control-of-central-bank-from-fed-chair-powell/4116310

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday called for the Federal Reserve’s board of governors to usurp the power of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, criticizing the head of the U.S. central bank for not cutting short-term interest rates.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Powell “stubborn.” The Fed chair has been subjected to vicious verbal attacks by the Republican president over several months.

The Fed has the responsibility of stabilizing prices and maximizing employment. Powell has held its benchmark rate for overnight loans constant this year, saying that Fed officials needed to see what impact Trump’s massive tariffs had on inflation.

If Powell doesn’t “substantially” lower rates, Trump said, “THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!”

Trump sees the rate cuts as leading to stronger growth and lower debt servicing costs for the federal government and homebuyers. The president argues there is virtually no inflation, even though the Fed’s preferred measure is running at an annual rate of 2.6%, slightly higher than the Fed’s 2% target.

Trump has called for slashing the Fed’s benchmark rate by 3 percentage points, bringing it down dramatically from its current average of 4.33%. The risk is that a rate cut that large could cause more money to come into the economy than can be absorbed, possibly causing inflation to accelerate.

The Supreme Court suggested in a May ruling that Trump could not remove Powell for policy disagreements. This led the White House to investigate whether the Fed chair could be fired for cause because of the cost overruns in its $2.5 billion renovation projects.

Powell’s term as chair ends in May 2026, at which point Trump can put his Senate-confirmed pick in the seat.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the Federal Reserve System at https://apnews.com/hub/federal-reserve-system.

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President Donald Trump speaks as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell listens during a visit to t...
Trump’s new tariffs give some countries a break, while shares and US dollar sink /world/trumps-new-tariffs-give-some-countries-a-break-while-shares-and-us-dollar-sink/4116278 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:07:03 +0000 /world/trumps-new-tariffs-give-some-countries-a-break-while-shares-and-us-dollar-sink/4116278

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s new of up to 41% on U.S. imports from dozens of countries drew expressions of relief Friday from some countries that negotiated a deal or managed to whittle them down from rates announced in April. Others expressed disappointment or frustration over running out of time after hitting Trump’s Aug. 1 deadline for striking deals with America’s trading partners.

The new rates are due to take effect on Aug. 7, but uncertainty over what Trump might do next remains. The way ahead for China, which runs the largest trade surplus with the U.S., is unclear after talks earlier this week in Stockholm produced no deal. Trump has yet to say if he’ll extend an Aug. 12 pause on painfully high import duties on Chinese products.

The reaction from financial markets was muted. Benchmarks fell in Asia, with South Korea’s Kospi dropping nearly 4% after the tariff rate for the U.S. ally was set at 15%. The U.S. dollar weakened against the Japanese yen, trading at more than 150 yen per dollar.

For Canada and Switzerland, regret and disappointment

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government was disappointed by Trump’s move to raise the U.S. tariff on goods from America’s northern neighbor to 35% from 25%, effective Friday. Goods transshipped from unspecified other countries face a 40% import duty.

Trump cited what he said was a lack of cooperation in stemming trafficking in illicit drugs across the northern border. He also slammed Canada’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state and has expressed frustration with a trade deficit largely due to U.S. oil purchases.

“Canada accounts for only 1% of U.S. fentanyl imports and has been working intensively to further reduce these volumes,” Carney said in a statement.

Many of Canada’s exports to the U.S. are covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and face no tariff. But steel, lumber, aluminum and autos have been subject to still higher tariffs.

Switzerland was reeling after Trump ordered a 39% tariff rate for the land of luxury watches, pharmaceuticals and financial services. That was up from his original proposal of a 31% duty.

“The Federal Council notes with great regret that, despite the progress made in bilateral talks and Switzerland’s very constructive stance from the outset, the U.S. intends to impose unilateral additional tariffs on imports from Switzerland,” the government said in a post on X. It said it would continue to seek a negotiated solution.

Still working on it

New Zealand officials said Friday they would keep lobbying Trump to cut the 15% tariff he announced for their country’s exports to the U.S., up from the original 10% baseline set in April.

“We don’t think this is a good thing. We don’t think it’s warranted,” Trade Minister Todd McClay told Radio New Zealand. The exporter of meat, dairy, wind and farm machinery ran a $1.1 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in 2024, according to U.S. Trade Representative data.

McClay said New Zealand exporters had reported they could absorb a 10% tariff or pass it on to U.S. consumers through increased costs. A further increase would “change the equation,” he said.

Neither New Zealand nor its neighbor Australia have struck tariff deals with the Trump administration. Australian steel and aluminum exports have faced a steep 50% tariff since June.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said the 10% overall tariff on Australia’s exports to the United States was a vindication of his government’s “cool and calm negotiations.” But he said even that level was not justified. The U.S. exports twice as much to Australia as it imports from its bilateral free trade partner, and Australia imposes no tariffs on U.S. exports.

Japan watches, while Taiwan keeps trying for a deal

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi was cautious in welcoming Trump’s executive order setting Japan’s tariff at 15% after the two sides worked out an agreement, much to Tokyo’s relief.

“We believe it is necessary to carefully examine the details of the measure,” Hayashi said. “The Japanese government will continue to urge the U.S. side to promptly implement measures to carry out the recent agreement, including reducing tariffs on automobiles and auto parts.”

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said the self-ruled island had yet to engage in final negotiations with the U.S. side owing to scheduling difficulties and that he was hopeful the final tariff rate would be reduced even further after a final round of talks.

The Trump administration lowered its tariff for Taiwan to 20% from the originally proposed 32%. Taiwan is a key supplier of advanced semiconductors needed for many products and technologies.

“20% from the beginning has not been our goal, we hope that in further negotiations we will get a more beneficial and more reasonable tax rate,” Lai told reporters in Taipei Friday.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s largest ally even though it does not formally recognize the island. “We want to strengthen U.S. Taiwan cooperation in national security, tech, and multiple areas,” Lai said.

For some trading partners, relief that tariffs are lower than they might be

Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, who led his nation’s trade talks with the United States, thanked Trump for setting the tariff rate on Cambodian goods at 19% and said his country will impose zero tariffs on American goods.

The rate for Cambodia that Trump proposed in April was 49%, one of the highest in the world. He said the U.S. estimated average Cambodian tariffs on U.S. exports at 97%.

Cambodia has agreed to up purchases of U.S. goods. Sun said it would purchase 10 passenger aircraft from Boeing in a deal they hoped to sign later this month. Several other nations had already announced similar aircraft purchase deals as part of their trade packages.

Trump had threatened to withhold trade deals from Cambodia and Thailand if they didn’t end an armed conflict over border territory. The two nations agreed on a ceasefire that began Tuesday.

Thailand also is subject to a 19% tariff, a rate that its Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said “reflects the strong friendship and close partnership between Thailand and the United States.” That was down from 36% proposed earlier.

“The outcome of this negotiation signals that Thailand must accelerate its adaptation and move forward in building a stable and resilient economy, ready to face global challenges ahead,” he said.

For Bangladesh, a new 20% tariff warded off an earlier threat of a 35% import duty for the South Asian exporter of garments and other light manufactured goods. “That’s good news for our apparel sector and the millions who depend on it,” said Khalilur Rahman, the country’s national security advisor and lead negotiator.

“We’ve also preserved our global competitiveness and opened up new opportunities to access the world’s largest consumer market” Rahman said. “Protecting our apparel industry was a top priority, but we also focused our purchase commitments on U.S. agricultural products. This supports our food security goals and fosters goodwill with U.S. farming states.”

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AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report.

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Trump orders a 35% tariff for goods from Canada, citing a lack of cooperation on illicit drugs /national/trump-orders-a-35-tariff-for-goods-from-canada-citing-a-lack-of-cooperation-on-illicit-drugs/4116270 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 05:47:07 +0000 /national/trump-orders-a-35-tariff-for-goods-from-canada-citing-a-lack-of-cooperation-on-illicit-drugs/4116270

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the tariff rate on to 35% from 25%, effective Friday.

The announcement from the White House late Thursday said Canada had failed to “do more to arrest, seize, traffickers, criminals at large, and illicit drugs.”

Trump earlier had threatened to impose the higher tariff on Canada if no deal was reached by Friday, his deadline for reaching trade agreements with dozens of countries.

Canada was not included in Trump’s updated on other countries announced late Thursday. Those import duties are due to take effect on Aug. 7.

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Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a statement at the Walters Group Steel fabrication pla...
The Latest: US trade partners around the world react to Trump’s new tariffs /national/the-latest-us-trade-partners-around-the-world-react-to-trumps-new-tariffs/4116304 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 05:00:04 +0000 /national/the-latest-us-trade-partners-around-the-world-react-to-trumps-new-tariffs/4116304

U.S. trade partners reacted Friday to President Donald Trump’s executive order that would introduce new tariffs on many of them in seven days, as the global economy and alliances face another test from the president’s trade agenda.

Trump’s order issued Thursday night came after a flurry of tariff-related activity in recent days as the White House announced agreements with various nations and blocs before a deadline set by the president for Aug. 1.

Trump ordered a 35% tariff for goods from Canada, effective from Friday, citing a lack of cooperation on illicit drugs. He also said Thursday that he would extend trade negotiations with Mexico for 90 days.

Here’s the latest:

Thailand says 19% rate reflects ‘close partnership’ with US

Thailand’s finance minister says the 19% tariff rate imposed by the U.S. “reflects the strong friendship and close partnership” between the two countries.

Thailand’s new rate of 19% was reduced from 36%, similar to other rates imposed on Southeast Asian nations, such as Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira wrote in a social media post on Friday that it would “maintain Thailand’s competitiveness on the global stage” and opens the “door to economic growth,” but also acknowledged it would pose problems for some sectors of the economy and said that “comprehensive support measures have been prepared.”

Speaking to reporters at a news conference in Bangkok later Friday, Pichai said that the deal will still need more time to be hammered out in details.

Pakistan welcomes 19% tariffs under US trade deal

Pakistan on Friday welcomed a new tariff arrangement with the United States that sets a 19% duty on Pakistani exports, calling it a positive step that could boost trade and economic growth.

The new rate is lower than the 29% tariff initially announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and below the 25% currently imposed on neighboring India.

The Finance Ministry said the agreement reflects a “balanced and forward-looking approach” by U.S. authorities and will help keep Pakistani goods competitive in the American market compared to other South and Southeast Asian countries.

The ministry said the revised tariff is expected to benefit key export sectors, particularly textiles, which remain the backbone of Pakistan’s export economy. The ministry said that Pakistan will continue to engage closely with Trump and the U.S. administration to promote the shared goals of economic development and mutual prosperity.

Norway wants ‘zero tariffs’

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told newspaper VG that he believes the Scandinavian country should have “zero tariffs.”

Gahr Støre, following the White House’s announcement, said Norwegian officials are still in talks with Washington in the hopes of eliminating the duties altogether.

Norway got hit with an expected 15% tariff.

Switzerland hit with 39% tariff and will try to negotiate

The land of luxury watches, pharmaceuticals and secretive financial services was reeling Friday, Switzerland’s National Day, upon learning it had been slapped with a 39% tariff, although U.S. President Donald Trump had proposed a 31% rate in April.

The Swiss government said officials will continue to seek a negotiated solution.

“The Federal Council notes with great regret that, despite the progress made in bilateral talks and Switzerland’s very constructive stance from the outset, the US intends to impose unilateral additional tariffs on imports from Switzerland,” the government said in a post on X.

Trump orders 35% tariff on Canadian goods

U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the tariff rate on U.S. imports from Canada to 35% from 25%, effective Friday, citing a lack of cooperation on illicit drugs.

The announcement from the White House late Thursday said that Canada had failed “to do more to arrest, seize, detain, or otherwise intercept drug trafficking organizations, other drug or human traffickers, criminals at large, and illicit drugs.”

Trump earlier had threatened to impose the higher tariff on Canada if no deal was reached by Friday, his deadline for reaching trade agreements with dozens of countries.

Canada wasn’t included in Trump’s updated list of tariff rates on other countries announced late Thursday. Those import duties are due to take effect on Aug. 7.

Malaysia hails ‘significant achievement’ in 19% tariff rate

Malaysia’s Trade Ministry said Friday that the U.S. tariff reduction from 25% to 19% was a “significant achievement” as the deal was struck without compromising key national interests.

“The 19% rate roughly tracks the rate of other countries in the Southeast Asian region,” the ministry said in a statement. “Most importantly, Malaysia had stood firm on various ‘red line’ items, and the 19% tariff rate was achieved without compromising the nation’s sovereign right to implement key policies to support the nation’s socio-economic stability and growth.”

The ministry said that Malaysia’s economy remains resilient despite global headwinds, citing strong domestic demand and ongoing structural reforms.

The statement didn’t give further details, but officials previously said that nontariff barriers such as halal certification, which affects U.S. beef and poultry exports, along with digital trade and government procurement were sticking points. It’s unclear what concessions Malaysia made.

Cambodia will impose zero tariffs on all American goods

Cambodia’s deputy prime minister, who led trade talks with the U.S., thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for setting the tariff rate on Cambodian goods at 19% and said the government would impose zero tariffs on all American goods.

When Washington originally posted its list of notional “reciprocal” tariffs, the rate for goods from Cambodia was 49%, one of the highest in the world. It had estimated that Cambodian tariffs on U.S. imports averaged 97%.

Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol also said Cambodia would purchase 10 passenger aircraft from Boeing in a deal they hoped to sign later this month. Several other nations had already announced similar aircraft purchase deals as part of their trade packages.

Trump had threatened to not conclude a deal with reduced tariffs if Cambodia and Thailand didn’t stop a recent armed conflict over border territory. The two nations agreed on a ceasefire beginning Tuesday that appears to be holding.

Cambodia publicly celebrated Trump’s peace initiative, suggesting he deserved a Nobel Prize for his intervention. Sun Chanthol said Friday that Cambodia would nominate him for the honor.

Australia says 10% rate gives country competitive advantage

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell says gaining the minimum 10% U.S. tariff on exports including beef, lamb, wine and wheat gave Australia a competitive advantage over some competitors.

Farrell told reporters Australia did not introduce tariffs on U.S. goods at any point, and added, “I haven’t seen any case or any example where the retaliatory imposition of tariffs has resulted in a country being in a better position.”

Farrell argues that no U.S. tariffs can be justified because Australia imposes no tariffs on its bilateral free trade partner. The United States has enjoyed a trade surplus with Australia for decades.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticized for failing to secure a face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss trade.

Japan welcomes Trump’s signing of executive order

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s signing of the executive order setting Japan’s new reciprocal tariffs as a step that would reduce uncertainty of the U.S. trade policy and its negative impact on the global economy, including that of Japan.

Hayashi, however, said Japan still needs to closely examine the measures and continue urging prompt implementation by the U.S. government to carry out the agreement, including reduction of tariffs on automobiles and auto parts.

Hayashi acknowledged that Japan’s new tariff rate of 15% is a “major reduction” from the initially imposed 25%, but his government will continue to watch and mitigate its impact on Japanese exports, including by providing financial assistance for small and medium-sized businesses.

New Zealand looks to lobby for lower tariff rates

New Zealand officials said they would lobby the administration for a change to the 15% tariff announced for the country’s exporters to the U.S. It’s an increase from the original 10% baseline announced for New Zealand in April.

“We don’t think this is a good thing. We don’t think it’s warranted,” Trade Minister Todd McClay told Radio New Zealand Friday. He said New Zealand appeared to have been targeted for a larger levy because the country sells more to the U.S. than it imports, but that the gap of about half a billion dollars each year was “not significant or meaningful.”

Neighboring Australia dodged an increase to remain at 10%, but it buys more from the U.S. than it exports, McClay added.

The United States in January overtook Australia to become New Zealand’s second-largest export partner, behind China. New Zealand exports are largely made up of meat, dairy, wine and agricultural machinery.

Taiwan president says final tariff negotiations yet to come

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan had yet to engage in final negotiations with the U.S. owing to scheduling difficulties and that he was hopeful the final tariff rate would be reduced even further after a final round of talks.

The Trump administration hit Taiwan with 32% tariffs, and lowered it to 20% on Thursday. Taiwan was notified on Thursday by the administration of the lower rate.

“Twenty percent from the beginning has not been our goal. We hope that in further negotiations we will get a more beneficial and more reasonable tax rate,” he told reporters in Taipei on Friday.

Lai also linked trade talks to security issues, as the U.S. is Taiwan’s largest ally even though it does not formally recognize the island. “We want to strengthen U.S. Taiwan cooperation in national security, tech, and multiple areas,” he said Friday.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s most important export market and strategic ally, Lai said in an earlier statement Friday morning.

Cambodia prime minister thanks Trump for dropping tariff rate

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump for the dropping of tariffs from 36% to 19% and he called the reduction “good news” for Cambodia.

Posted on his social media platform, Hun Manet said Trump hadn’t only helped broker a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand forces after nearly a weeklong clash, but also assisted Cambodia’s economy by lowering tariffs.

“This is good news for the people and economy of Cambodia to continue developing the country,” Hun Manet said.

Thailand successfully negotiates lower tariff rates

Thailand’s government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Thailand says the U.S. agreed to reduce the tariffs rate from 36% to 19%, a rate similar to those imposed on many other Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

“It’s one of the major successes of Team Thailand in a win-win approach, to secure the country’s export base and economic security in a long run,” he said in a statement. He didn’t immediately say what was the latest offer Thailand made to the U.S.

The agreement came days after a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia to halt the nearly weeklong clashes that killed at least 41 people. It was brokered with U.S. pressure as President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t move forward with trade agreements if the conflict continued.

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FILE - Cranes work on stacks of containers at the Bangkok Port in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Apri...
Trump injects new dose of uncertainty in tariffs as he pushes start date back to Aug. 7 /national/trump-injects-new-dose-of-uncertainty-in-tariffs-as-he-pushes-start-date-back-to-aug-7/4116228 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 01:49:55 +0000 /national/trump-injects-new-dose-of-uncertainty-in-tariffs-as-he-pushes-start-date-back-to-aug-7/4116228

WASHINGTON (AP) — For weeks, President Donald Trump was promising the world economy would change on Friday with his new tariffs in place. It was an ironclad deadline, administration officials assured the public.

But when Trump Thursday night imposing new tariffs on 68 countries and the European Union, the start date of the punishing import taxes was pushed back seven days so that the tariff schedule could be updated. The change — while potentially welcome news to countries that had not yet reached a deal with the U.S. — injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what’s going to happen and when.

Trump has promised that his tax hikes on the nearly $3 trillion in goods imported to the United States will usher in newfound wealth, launch a cavalcade of new factory jobs, reduce the budget deficits and, simply, get other countries to treat America with more respect.

The vast tariffs risk jeopardizing America’s global standing as allies feel forced into unfriendly deals. As taxes on the raw materials used by U.S. factories and basic goods, the tariffs also threaten to create new inflationary pressures and hamper economic growth — concerns the Trump White House has dismissed.

Questions swirl around the tariffs despite Trump’s eagerness

As the clock ticked toward Trump’s self-imposed deadline, few things seemed to be settled other than the president’s determination to levy the taxes he has talked about for decades. The very legality of the tariffs remains an open question as a U.S. appeals court on Thursday heard arguments on whether Trump had exceeded his authority by declaring an “emergency” under a 1977 law to charge the tariffs, allowing him to avoid congressional approval.

Trump was ebullient as much of the world awaited what he would do.

“Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again,” he said Thursday morning on Truth Social.

Others saw a policy carelessly constructed by the U.S. president, one that could impose harms gradually over time that would erode America’s power and prosperity.

“The only things we’ll know for sure on Friday morning are that growth-sapping U.S. import taxes will be historically high and complex, and that, because these deals are so vague and unfinished, policy uncertainty will remain very elevated,” said Scott Lincicome, a vice president of economics at the Cato Institute. “The rest is very much TBD.”

The new tariffs build off ones announced in the spring

Trump initially imposed the Friday deadline after his previous “Liberation Day” tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates unveiled then led to recession fears, prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty agreements.

Swiss imports will now be taxed at a higher rate — 39% — than the 31% Trump threatened in April, while Liechtenstein saw its rate slashed from 37% to 15%. Countries not listed in the Thursday night order would be charged a baseline 10% tariff.

Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines — allowing the president to claim victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates. He said on Thursday there were agreements with other countries, but he declined to name them.

Thursday began with a palpable sense of tension

The EU was awaiting a written agreement on its 15% tariff deal. Switzerland and Norway were among the dozens of countries that did not know what their tariff rate would be, while Trump agreed after a Thursday morning phone call to keep Mexico’s tariffs at 25% for a 90-day negotiating period.

European leaders face blowback for seeming to cave to Trump, even as they insist that this is merely the start of talks and stress the importance of maintaining America’s support of Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already indicated that his country can no longer rely on the U.S. as an ally, and Trump declined to talk to him on Thursday.

India, with its 25% tariff announced Wednesday by Trump, may no longer benefit as much from efforts to pivot manufacturing out of China. While the Trump administration has sought to challenge China’s manufacturing dominance, it is separately in extended trade talks with that country, which faces a 30% tariff and is charging a 10% retaliatory rate on the U.S.

Major companies came into the week warning that tariffs would begin to squeeze them financially. Ford Motor Co. said it anticipated a net $2 billion hit to earnings this year from tariffs. French skincare company Yon-Ka is warning of job freezes, scaled-back investment and rising prices.

It’s unclear whether Trump’s new tariffs will survive a legal challenge

Federal judges sounded skeptical Thursday about Trump’s use of a 1977 law to declare the long-standing U.S. trade deficit a national emergency that justifies tariffs on almost every country on Earth.

“You’re asking for an unbounded authority,” Judge Todd Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit told a Justice Department lawyer representing the administration.

The judges didn’t immediately rule, and the case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court.

The Trump White House has pointed to the increase in federal revenues as a sign that the tariffs will reduce the budget deficit, with $127 billion in customs and duties collected so far this year — about $70 billion more than last year.

New tariffs threaten to raise inflation rates

There are not yet signs that tariffs will lead to more domestic manufacturing jobs, and the U.S. economy now has 14,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than it did in April.

On Thursday, one crucial measure of inflation, known as the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, showed that prices have climbed 2.6% over the 12 months that ended in June, a sign that inflation may be accelerating as the tariffs flow through the economy.

The prospect of higher inflation from the tariffs has caused the Federal Reserve to hold off on additional cuts to its benchmark rates, a point of frustration for Trump, who on Truth Social, called Fed Chair Jerome Powell a “TOTAL LOSER.”

But ahead of Trump’s tariffs, Powell seemed to suggest that the tariffs had put the U.S. economy and much of the world into a state of unknowns.

“There are many uncertainties left to resolve,” Powell told reporters Wednesday. “So, yes, we are learning more and more. It doesn’t feel like we’re very close to the end of that process. And that’s not for us to judge, but it does — it feels like there’s much more to come.”

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AP writer Paul Wiseman contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shake hands after rea...
Judge extends TPS expiration dates for 60,000 people from Central America and Nepal /national/judge-extends-tps-expiration-dates-for-60000-people-from-central-america-and-nepal/4116215 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:20:05 +0000 /national/judge-extends-tps-expiration-dates-for-60000-people-from-central-america-and-nepal/4116215

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in California extended on Thursday protected status for 60,000 people from Central America and Asia that was ended by the Trump administration.

The order affects about 7,000 people from Nepal along with 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans. The order came as the people from Nepal’s protection was set to expire Tuesday while people from Central America were set to have their protections expire on Sept. 8. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the government had determined that conditions in their home countries no longer warranted protections.

Temporary status protections have allowed Hondurans and Nicaraguans to reside and work lawfully for more than 25 years, but the secretary said that both countries had made “significant progress” in recovering from 1998’s Hurricane Mitch.

Temporary Protected Status is a temporary protection that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary to people of various nationalities who are in the United States, which prevents them from being deported and allows them to work. The Trump administration has aggressively been seeking to remove the protection, thus making more people eligible for removal.

U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson in San Francisco said that plaintiffs had provided evidence that the government’s decision to end protections was racially motivated, granting the request for an extension made by the National TPS Alliance, an advocacy group that alleges the terminations were unlawful.

“Color is neither a poison nor a crime,” she wrote.

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U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sits on a horse as she speaks to the press upon arriva...
Colorado deputies disciplined for helping federal immigration agents /national/colorado-deputies-disciplined-for-helping-federal-immigration-agents/4116179 Thu, 31 Jul 2025 22:24:31 +0000 /national/colorado-deputies-disciplined-for-helping-federal-immigration-agents/4116179

DENVER (AP) — Two Colorado deputies have been disciplined for violating state law by helping federal agents make immigration arrests, and their sheriff says officers from other agencies have done the same.

One of the deputies, Alexander Zwinck, was sued by Colorado’s attorney general last week, after his cooperation with federal immigration agents on a drug task force was revealed following the June arrest of a college student from Brazil with an expired visa.

Following an internal investigation, a second Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputy and task force member, Erik Olson, was also found to have shared information. The two deputies used a Signal chat to relay information to federal agents, according to documents released Wednesday by the sheriff’s office.

Zwinck was placed on three weeks of unpaid leave, and Olson was given two weeks of unpaid leave, Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell said in a statement. Both were removed from the task force.

Two supervisors also were disciplined. One was suspended without pay for two days, and another received a letter of reprimand. A third supervisor received counseling.

State laws push back against Trump crackdown

The lawsuit and disciplinary actions come as lawmakers in Colorado and other Democratic-led states have crafted legislation intended to push back against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Since Trump took office, pro-immigrant bills have advanced through legislatures in Illinois, Vermont, California, Connecticut and other states. The measures include stronger protections for immigrants in housing, employment and police encounters.

Trump has enlisted hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies to help identify immigrants in the U.S. illegally and detain them for potential deportation. The Republican also relaxed longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches and hospitals.

Zwinck was sued under a new state law signed by Gov. Jared Polis about two weeks before the arrest of the student from Brazil. It bars local government employees including law enforcement from sharing identifying information about people with federal immigration officials. Previously, only state agencies were barred from doing that. It’s one of a series of laws limiting the state’s involvement in immigration enforcement passed over the years that has drawn criticism and a lawsuit from the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey, alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws.

Officers say they were following established procedures

Zwinck and Olson told officials they thought they were operating according to long-standing procedures.

However, the internal investigation found they had both received and read two emails prior to the passage of the new law about previous limits on cooperation with immigration officials. The most recent was sent on Jan. 30, 2025, after an official for Homeland Security Investigations, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had asked state and local law enforcement officers at a law enforcement meeting to contact HSI or ICE if they arrested a person for a violent crime who was believed not to be a citizen, the investigation documents said. The email said not to contact HSI or ICE.

Zwinck said he didn’t know about the new law and was not interested in immigration enforcement.

“When I was out there, I wanted to find drugs, guns and bad guys,” Zwinck said at a July 23 disciplinary hearing. “And sending that information to HSI they provided the ability to give me real time background information on the person I was in contact with,” he said.

Olson, who said he had been with the sheriff’s office 18 years, testified at his disciplinary hearing that it was “standard practice” to send information up to federal agents during traffic stops.

“It was routine for ICE to show up on the back end of a traffic stop to do their thing,” Olson said. “I truly thought what we were doing was condoned by our supervision and lawful.”

A lawyer at a law firm listed as representing both deputies, Michael Lowe, did not immediately return a telephone call or email seeking comment.

Rowell said drug task force members from other law enforcement agencies, including the Colorado State Patrol, also shared information with immigration agents on the Signal chat. The state patrol denied the claim.

The sheriff faulted Attorney General Phil Weiser for filing the lawsuit against Zwinck before a local internal investigation was complete. He called on the Democrat, who is running for governor, to drop it.

“As it stands, the lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s Office sends a demoralizing message to law enforcement officers across Colorado — that the law may be wielded selectively and publicly for maximum political effect rather than applied fairly and consistently,” he said.

Weiser said last week that he was investigating whether other officers in the chat violated the law.

Spokesperson Lawrence Pacheco said Weiser was presented with evidence of a “blatant violation of state law” and had to act.

“The attorney general has a duty to enforce state laws and protect Coloradans and he’ll continue to do so,” Pacheco said.

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

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This image from police body camera footage provided by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office shows sheri...