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Federal courts have blocked some of those changes, and the administration has walked back others. Still, the past six months have left many university students and officials feeling unsettled.
With the fall semester approaching, the Morning newsletter team wants to hear from students, parents, teachers and administrators, and anyone who might be considering, or reconsidering, studying in the United States. What questions do you have about the coming school year?
We plan to answer some of these questions in an upcoming edition of the Morning newsletter. We won't publish your response without following up with you, verifying your information and hearing back from you. And we won't share your contact information outside the Times newsroom.
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CBS News
11 minutes ago
- CBS News
China standing firm against U.S. demands that it stop buying oil from Russia and Iran
U.S. and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the U.S. demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia. "China will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests," China's Foreign Ministry posted on X on Wednesday following two days of trade negotiations in Stockholm, responding to the U.S. threat of a 100% tariff. "Coercion and pressuring will not achieve anything. China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests," the ministry said. The response is notable at a time when both Beijing and Washington are signaling optimism and goodwill about reaching a deal to keep commercial ties between the world's two largest economies stable - after climbing down from sky-high tariffs and harsh trade restrictions. It underscores China's confidence in playing hardball when dealing with the Trump administration, especially when trade is linked to its energy and foreign policies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, emerging from the talks, told reporters that when it comes to Russian oil purchases, the "Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously." "We don't want to impede on their sovereignty, so they would like to pay a 100% tariff," Bessent said. On Thursday, he called the Chinese "tough" negotiators, but said China's pushback hasn't stalled the negotiations. "I believe that we have the makings of a deal," Bessent told CNBC. Gabriel Wildau, managing director of the consultancy Teneo, said he doubts President Trump would actually deploy the 100% tariff. "Realizing those threats would derail all the recent progress and probably kill any chance" for Mr. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to announce a trade deal if they should meet this fall, Wildau said. In seeking to restrict oil sales by Russia and Iran, a major source of revenue for both countries, the U.S. wants to reduce the funding available for their militaries, as Moscow pursues its war against Ukraine and Tehran funds militant groups across the Middle East. A CBS News investigation has revealed that China is still secretly buying Iranian oil and evading U.S. sanctions by using what's known as a "dark fleet" to transfer oil from ship to ship in the middle of the sea. When Mr. Trump unveiled a sweeping plan for tariffs on dozens of countries in April, China was the only country that retaliated. It refused to give in to U.S. pressure. "If the U.S. is bent on imposing tariffs, China will fight to the end, and this is China's consistent official stance," said Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. WTO is the acronym for the World Trade Organization. Negotiating tactics aside, China may also suspect that the U.S. won't follow through on its threat, questioning the importance Mr. Trump places on countering Russia, Tu said. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Beijing is unlikely to change its posture when it sees inconsistencies in U.S. foreign policy goals toward Russia and Iran, whereas Beijing's policy support for Moscow is consistent and clear. It's also possible that Beijing may want to use it as another negotiating tool to extract more concessions from Mr. Trump, Kennedy said. Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Beijing now sees itself as "the one holding the cards in its struggle with Washington." He said Mr. Trump has made it clear he wants a "headline-grabbing deal" with Xi, "so rejecting a U.S. demand to stop buying oil from Iran or Russia is probably not seen as a deal‑breaker, even if it generates friction and a delay." Continuing to buy oil from Russia preserves Xi's "strategic solidarity" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and significantly reduces the economic costs for China, Russel said. "Beijing simply can't afford to walk away from the oil from Russia and Iran," he said. "It's too important a strategic energy supply, and Beijing is buying it at fire‑sale prices." A 2024 report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that roughly 80% to 90% of the oil exported by Iran went to China. The Chinese economy benefits from the more than 1 million barrels of Iranian oil it imports per day. After the Iranian parliament floated a plan to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in June following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, China spoke out against closing the critical oil transit route. China also is an important customer for Russia, but is second to India in buying Russian seaborne crude oil exports. In April, Chinese imports of Russian oil rose 20% over the previous month to more than 1.3 million barrels per day, according to the KSE Institute, an analytical center at the Kyiv School of Economics. This past week, Mr. Trump said the U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. India's Foreign Ministry said Friday its relationship with Russia was "steady and time-tested." Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and a top policy adviser, said Mr. Trump has been clear that it is "not acceptable" for India to continue financing the Ukraine war by purchasing oil from Russia. "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil," Miller said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures." He said the U.S. needs "to get real about dealing with the financing of this war." Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, is pushing for sanctions and tariffs on Russia and its financial backers. In April, he introduced a bill that would authorize the president to impose tariffs as high as 500% not only on Russia but on any country that "knowingly" buys oil, uranium, natural gas, petroleum products or petrochemical products from Russia. "The purpose of this legislation is to break the cycle of China - a communist dictatorship - buying oil below market price from Putin's Russia, which empowers his war machine to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians," Graham said in a June statement. The bill has 84 co-sponsors in the 100-seat Senate. A corresponding House version has been introduced, also with bipartisan support. Republicans say they stand ready to move on the sanctions legislation if Mr. Trump asks them to do so, but the bill is on hold for now.
Bloomberg
41 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
US Dollar Seen at Risk From Trump's Moves to Pick Policymakers
The dollar and other US assets are vulnerable to further selloffs on threats to the credibility of the country's institutions, strategists and economists said. US President Donald Trump now has a chance to choose a replacement for Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler following her resignation Friday, creating a dynamic that could undermine Chair Jerome Powell's influence.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Social Security Retirees Just Got Bad News From President Donald Trump
Key Points President Trump imposed a hiring freeze across federal agencies that has hindered the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) ability to track inflation. Questionable inflation data raises concerns about whether Social Security's 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be accurate. President Trump's firing of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer threatens to politicize the independent agency and further erode confidence in inflation data. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › President Trump promised on several occasions to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid during his campaign last year. He has not overtly broken his promise not to cut Social Security benefits, but his federal hiring freeze and decision to fire Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Dr. Erika McEntarfer could still hurt retirees and other beneficiaries. Read on to learn more. President Trump's federal hiring freeze threatens the integrity of data needed for Social Security's 2026 COLA President Trump instituted a federal hiring freeze after his inauguration on January 20. The freeze has twice been extended and is currently effective until October 15. Importantly, while it does not directly hurt Social Security beneficiaries, it has forced the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to use a less accurate guesswork to track inflation, according to The Wall Street Journal. That matters because inflation data gathered between July and September will be used to calculate Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026. Should that data underestimate true inflation, benefits would lose buying power next year because the COLA would be too small. Of course, it is equally possible the data overestimates inflation, in which case benefits would gain purchasing power because the COLA would be too large. Nevertheless, questionable inflation data will make the 2026 COLA suspect, and the timing is particularly bad. The Senior Citizens League, a nonprofit advocacy group, estimates 20% of Social Security's buying power has been stripped by insufficient COLAs since 2010. Additionally, most retired workers think the last two COLAs were too small, according to research from The Motley Fool. President Trump's decision to fire the BLS commissioner could further undermine data integrity President Trump ousted BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Friday, August 1, when the agency not only published dismal employment numbers for July, but also downwardly revised estimates from May and June. Details are provided below: Nonfarm payrolls increased 73,000 in July, well short of the consensus estimate that said employment would increase by 110,000 workers. Nonfarm payrolls were originally reported to have increased 147,000 in June, but that figure was revised down to 14,000 workers. Nonfarm payrolls were originally reported to have increased 144,000 in May, but that figure was revised down to 19,000 workers. Importantly, downward revisions to nonfarm payroll numbers are common because the survey results used to tabulate employment continue to roll in for several months after the initial report. But the magnitude of the latest downward revision was the largest since 2020 and second largest since 1980. Trump, without offering any evidence, insinuated the downward revisions were a politically motivated attack. He promptly told his team to fire Commissioner McEntarfer, much to the dismay of many economists. Her predecessor, Trump-appointee William Beach, called the decision "totally groundless." He also said it "sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau." Many economists have echoed that opinion, noting that Trump himself is probably responsible for weak employment numbers because of radical changes in U.S. trade policy. The stop-and-start tariffs imposed throughout the year have created uncertainty across corporate America, and it makes little sense to hire more employees during periods of elevated economic uncertainty. Regardless, Trump's decision to fire McEntarfer (seemingly because he did not like the latest employment data) raises a critical question: Will Americans trust nonfarm payrolls data in the future, or will they question its integrity because Trump is attempting to politicize an independent agency? By extension, that question also applies to the other data for which the BLS is responsible, including inflation data used to calculate Social Security's COLAs. Put differently, while the firing of McEntarfer will not directly hurt retirees, it could further undermine confidence in inflation data published by the BLS. That is bad news for Social Security beneficiaries. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Social Security Retirees Just Got Bad News From President Donald Trump was originally published by The Motley Fool
