Acting head of US employment rights agency failing to protect trans and nonbinary workers, Democrats say
A letter to Andrea Lucas, a copy of which was viewed by the Guardian, alleges the agency has 'abdicated this responsibility under the law when it comes to transgender and nonbinary workers'.
The letter cites that shortly after Lucas's appointment as acting chair of the EEOC in January 2025, Lucas instructed the agency to halt the processing of claims related to gender identity discrimination, and that in April 2025 the agency instructed all employees to classify gender identity discrimination complaints as its lowest priority.
'A categorization reserved for meritless charges – which essentially puts the processing of such complaints in an indefinite hold,' the letter states.
The letter also notes the EEOC moved to dismiss six cases the agency had previously pursued against employers accused of gender identity discrimination, including EEOC v Boxwood Hotels, a lawsuit in which the employer is alleged to have fired a transgender employee after the employee's manager repeatedly misgendered the employee and referred to them as 'it'.
Signers of the letter include 70 members of Congress, led by Congressman Mark Takano, Robert C 'Bobby' Scott and Suzanne Bonamici. The letter comes as state legislatures in the US introduced over 530 bills targeting LGBTQ+ people in 2024.
The EEOC also removed the 'x' gender marker on intake forms, removed materials on rights and protections on gender identity discrimination, and issued a memorandum informing fair employment practices agencies that they will not receive credit for intakes or resolutions related to gender identity, the letter added.
'Alarmingly, in both the commission's filings in court and in your previous statements, you have invoked President Trump's sweeping executive order, which states it is the policy of the federal government to only recognize two sexes and seeks to have all agencies refuse to acknowledge the existence of transgender people,' the letter continued.
'The commission is supposed to be an independent agency, and as a commissioner and its acting chair, your job is to enforce the law. The supreme court's ruling in Bostock is the law of the land, and the commission's previous cases, including Macy v Holder, Jameson v US postal service and Lusardi v Department of the Army, are binding precedents on the agency. An executive order cannot overturn any of those precedents or the commission's obligations and responsibilities under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.'
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Trump tariffs live updates: Trump presses India, China on Russian oil; US rare earth talks ‘halfway there'
President Trump is pressuring India and China to stop buying oil from Russia and Iran, according to a reports on Monday. China called the demand a key hurdle in trade talks, saying it 'will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests.' India hasn't committed to stopping purchases and is urging citizens to support local goods. Meanwhile, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Sunday that rare earths were a key focus in last week's Stockholm talks, which led to a tariff truce extension. He told CBS the US had secured supply commitments from China but noted the two sides are only 'about halfway there.' 'We're focused on making sure that magnets from China to the United States and the adjacent supply chain can flow as freely as it did before the control,' Greer said in the interview, which was taped Friday. 'And I would say we're about halfway there.' Greer also said that the latest round of tariffs are "pretty much set" and unlikely to change. On Friday, Trump signed an order to hike tariffs on Canada to 35%, while he kept a baseline minimum rate of 10% across all partners. The tariffs on Canada went into effect Friday, while many of the other "reciprocal" rates take effect Aug. 7. Meanwhile, it seems even the Oracle of Omaha isn't immune to the impact of President Trump's trade war. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said on Saturday that its consumer goods businesses took a hit from US tariffs, Reuters reported. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul has more details on the latest orders here. You can see the new rates Trump is set to levy in the graphic below: In the past several days, Trump has unleashed a flurry of deals and trade moves leading up to his self-imposed deadline: Trump granted Mexico, the US's largest trading partner, a 90-day reprieve on higher tariffs. The US agreed to a trade deal South Korea. The agreement includes a 15% tariff rate on imports from the country, while the US will not be charged a tariff on its exports, Trump said. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on semi-finished copper products starting Aug. 1. The president signed an order to end the de minimis exemption on low-value imports under $800, thereby applying tariffs from Aug. 29. Trump signed another order to impose a total of 50% tariffs on many goods from Brazil. However, it exempts key US imports like orange juice and aircraft parts that benefit Embraer (ERJ). The US and EU agreed to a trade deal that imposes 15% tariffs on EU goods. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world. Trump presses India, China to halt Russian oil buys as trade talks roll on The US and China are making progress on a trade deal, but a major sticking point remains: Washington wants Beijing to stop buying oil from Iran and Russia. China has pushed back, saying it will secure energy based on its own national interests. '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. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected pressure from President Trump, encouraging people to buy local goods. India has not told its oil refiners to stop purchasing Russian oil, and those decisions remain up to each company. 'The world economy is going through many apprehensions — there is an atmosphere of instability,' Modi said at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. 'Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian.' Greer: Latest tariffs 'pretty much set' and unlikely to change (Reuters) -The tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump imposed last week on scores of countries are likely to stay in place rather than be cut as part of continuing negotiations, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Sunday. Ahead of a Friday deadline, Trump set rates including a 35% duty on many goods from Canada, 50% for Brazil, 25% for India, 20% for Taiwan and 39% for Switzerland, according to a presidential executive order. In trade talks since Trump returned to office, the White House has lowered some rates from levels initially announced, including halving import duties set last week as part of a deal with the European Union. Greer told CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, however, that this would not be the case on the most recent round of tariffs. "A lot of these are set rates pursuant to deals. Some of these deals are announced, some are not, others depend on the level of the trade deficit or surplus we may have with the country," he said. "These tariff rates are pretty much set." Read more here. Swatch CEO calls on Swiss president to meet Trump to solve tariff dispute Swiss stocks took a hit on Monday as the market reopened after a holiday. Worries about the impact from President Trump's 39% export tariffs and a push for drugmakers to lower prices have caused tension in the market. In addition, Swatch Group ( Chief Executive Nick Hayek called on Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter to meet President Donald Trump in Washington to negotiate a better deal than the 39% tariffs announced on Swiss imports into the United States. Hayek told Reuters on Monday he was confident an agreement could still be reached before the tariffs, which were announced on Friday, went into effect on August 7. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Malaysia agrees to boost tech, LNG purchases from US as part of trade deal Reuters reports: Read more here. Japan PM: Win-win trade deal with US may be hard to implement Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump tariff policy leaves some partners losers but few winners WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught left a lot of losers — from small, poor countries like Laos and Algeria to wealthy U.S. trading partners like Canada and Switzerland. They're now facing especially hefty taxes – tariffs – on the products they export to the United States starting Aug. 7. The closest thing to winners may be the countries that caved to Trump's demands — and avoided even more pain. But it's unclear whether anyone will be able to claim victory in the long run — even the United States, the intended beneficiary of Trump's protectionist policies. 'In many respects, everybody's a loser here,'' said Barry Appleton, co-director of the Center for International Law at the New York Law School. Barely six months after he returned to the White House, Trump has demolished the old global economic order. Gone is one built on agreed-upon rules. In its place is a system in which Trump himself sets the rules, using America's enormous economic power to punish countries that won't agree to one-sided trade deals and extracting huge concessions from the ones that do. Read more here. Switzerland business minister says it could revise tariffs offer ZURICH (Reuters) -The Swiss government is open to revising its offer to the United States in response to planned heavy tariffs, Business Minister Guy Parmelin said, as experts warned the 39% import duties announced by President Donald Trump could trigger a recession in Switzerland. Switzerland was left stunned on Friday after Trump hit the country with one of the highest tariffs in his global trade reset, with industry associations warning of tens of thousands of jobs being put at risk. The country's cabinet will hold a special meeting on Monday to discuss its next steps, with Parmelin telling broadcaster RTS that the government would move quickly before the U.S. tariffs are imposed on August 7. "We need to fully understand what happened, why the U.S. president made this decision. Once we have that on the table, we can decide how to proceed," Parmelin said. Read more here. Trump introduces tiers for trade partners in latest approach to tariff President Trump is moving forward on a new suite of tariff rates with an approach increasingly focused on grouping countries into tiers, as opposed to a previous approach of simply looking at the trade balance. The new approach remains heavily influenced by either a trade surplus or a deficit but has grown more complex — some might say more subjective — leading to some consolidation in rate levels and the lowering of rates for many countries to a key new standard of 15%. The new landscape was reflected in Thursday night's executive action announcing rates, which centered around the 15% rate set to be in place next week in about 40 countries. Countries facing that rate include major trading partners that recently struck deals, such as Europe and Japan, as well as smaller nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. More than 100 countries were excluded altogether from this week's announcement, meaning their rate will stay at 10%. Meanwhile, a third group of about 30 countries will see higher rates ranging from 18% to 50%. Trump and his team are taking an approach that could simplify future negotiations and be more in line with global trade dynamics. Read more here. Berkshire's consumer goods companies feel the sting of Trump's tariffs Not even the Oracle of Omaha can avoid the pinch of President Trump's trade war, it seems. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday its consumer goods businesses felt the impact of Trump's trade policy, which raised tariffs on imported goods, Reuters reported: Read more here. US has 'makings of a deal' with China, Bessent says Treasury Secretary said on X that the US has "makings of a deal" with China. Reuters reports: Read more here. Nike, Deckers, On Running among footwear stocks under pressure as Trump outlines latest tariff plans Footwear companies like Deckers (DECK), Nike (NKE), and On Holding (ONON) are under pressure from President Trump's tariff plans, including new rates released Thursday evening that range from 10% to 40%. Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports: Read more here. Stocks sink after Trump's latest tariff blitz Stocks came under pressure Friday after President Trump unveiled his plan for sweeping tariffs on almost all trading partners. Also weighing on sentiment were further signs of cracks in the labor market, punctuated by a weaker-than-expected jobs report released Friday morning. You can check out the latest action and updates in our markets live blog. Trump's 40% penalty for tariff dodging missing key details President Trump's tariff surprises are far from over. The US president has threatened to slap an extra 40% tariff on any product that Washington determines to be transshipped via another country. Its believed that this may be punishment, aimed at stopping goods mainly from China dodging US duties. The penalty for transshipping, which is when goods are moved from one type of transport to another, while on the way to where they're going, was included within the White house announcement on Thursday. But countries still do not have all the details. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump unleashes massive tariffs on Swiss watches, pharma firms Switzerland's exporters are bracing for financial fallout from President Trump's 39% tariffs, one of the steepest rates globally in his escalating trade war. From watch makers to pharmaceutical companies the knock on effect of Trump's new tariffs will be felt. The new tariffs on Switzerland are part of a broader package announced by Trump on Thursday. But Swiss manufacturers warned on Friday that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk due to Trump's tariff hit. Trump's 39% tariffs on Swiss exports do exclude the country's drug sector, but pharmaceutical companies Novartis AG (NVS) and Roche Holding (RHHBY) were one of the 17 global pharma firms to receive a letter from Trump demanding lower prices. "It's a massive shock for the export industry and for the whole country. We are really stunned," said Jean-Philippe Kohl, deputy director of Swissmem, representing the mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump unleashes delayed shock for global economy Four months after Donald Trump rattled markets by revealing steep tariff plans, his latest update has drawn a quieter response from investors. Still, average tariffs now sit at 15% - some of the highest since the 1930s - with rates rising further for countries that run trade surpluses with the US. So far, the global economy has absorbed the impact better than expected, but with the new tariffs kicking in that resilience may be tested. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Copper set for weekly drop on LME after Trump's tariff surprise Copper (HG=F) prices edged higher on Friday but were on track for a weekly drop in London as the market took stock of President Trump's decision to exempt refined forms of the metal from hefty US import tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Bangladesh secures 20% US tariff for garments, exporters relieved Bangladesh has negotiated a 20% tariff on exports to the US. This tariff rate has reduced from the initial 37% proposed by President Trump and has brought some relief to the world's second-largest garment supplier. Reuters reports: Read more here. BOJ: US tariffs could hit firms' profits, delay capex plans The Bank of Japan warned on Friday that profits of Japanese firms are likely to fall this year due to President Trump's US tariffs. This will lead many companies in Japan to downgrade capital expenditure plans. The central bank has signalled caution over an expected hit to the export-dependent economy. Reuters reports: Read more here. Trump hikes tariffs on Canada to 35%, outlines sweeping new duties on dozens of trade partners The White House took a step forward with President Trump's plan to remake the trade landscape by releasing new details Thursday evening that included a raft of new tariff rates now formally authorized by executive order, which set new levels from 15% to 40% on over 70 countries. The move represents a giant shakeup in the US's trade order, with outlined rates that range from a 35% tariff on Canada (up from 25%) to rates above 30% on nations from Algeria to Switzerland. But there's a last minute catch, as these new rates will not go into effect for seven days, instead of a midnight Friday deadline as originally planned — according to the text of the order. India, after initial high hopes for a deal that have bogged down in recent weeks, is set to face a 25% rate but now appears to have another week to negotiate. Taiwan is another top US trading partner and is set to see a 20% rate. The White House documentation released Thursday also confirmed some of the parameters of recent deals including 19%-20% rates on a range of Southeast Asian nations and an unchanged 10% rate on the United Kingdom. Dozens of other nations also saw their tariff rates upped to 15% from 10% — in line with deals sketched out in recent days that included that headline 15% tariff rate on Europe, South Korea, and Japan. But some nations were not included in Tuesday's release — those omitted included many nations with which the US currently has a trade surplus — who therefore are set to see their rates remain at 10%, in a surprise relief for some after comments from Trump in recent days suggested 15% would be his new minimum. Read more here. Trump extends Mexico's current tariff rates President Trump said he would extend Mexico's current tariff rates for another 90 days to allow for more time for negotiations. Mexico was facing tariffs of up to 35% on certain goods beginning on Friday. The reprieve came after Trump talked with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Imports from Mexico will still be subject to other tariffs, namely duties on metals and cars. The US and China are making progress on a trade deal, but a major sticking point remains: Washington wants Beijing to stop buying oil from Iran and Russia. China has pushed back, saying it will secure energy based on its own national interests. '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. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected pressure from President Trump, encouraging people to buy local goods. India has not told its oil refiners to stop purchasing Russian oil, and those decisions remain up to each company. 'The world economy is going through many apprehensions — there is an atmosphere of instability,' Modi said at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. 'Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian.' (Reuters) -The tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump imposed last week on scores of countries are likely to stay in place rather than be cut as part of continuing negotiations, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Sunday. Ahead of a Friday deadline, Trump set rates including a 35% duty on many goods from Canada, 50% for Brazil, 25% for India, 20% for Taiwan and 39% for Switzerland, according to a presidential executive order. In trade talks since Trump returned to office, the White House has lowered some rates from levels initially announced, including halving import duties set last week as part of a deal with the European Union. Greer told CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, however, that this would not be the case on the most recent round of tariffs. "A lot of these are set rates pursuant to deals. Some of these deals are announced, some are not, others depend on the level of the trade deficit or surplus we may have with the country," he said. "These tariff rates are pretty much set." Read more here. Swatch CEO calls on Swiss president to meet Trump to solve tariff dispute Swiss stocks took a hit on Monday as the market reopened after a holiday. Worries about the impact from President Trump's 39% export tariffs and a push for drugmakers to lower prices have caused tension in the market. In addition, Swatch Group ( Chief Executive Nick Hayek called on Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter to meet President Donald Trump in Washington to negotiate a better deal than the 39% tariffs announced on Swiss imports into the United States. Hayek told Reuters on Monday he was confident an agreement could still be reached before the tariffs, which were announced on Friday, went into effect on August 7. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Swiss stocks took a hit on Monday as the market reopened after a holiday. Worries about the impact from President Trump's 39% export tariffs and a push for drugmakers to lower prices have caused tension in the market. In addition, Swatch Group ( Chief Executive Nick Hayek called on Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter to meet President Donald Trump in Washington to negotiate a better deal than the 39% tariffs announced on Swiss imports into the United States. Hayek told Reuters on Monday he was confident an agreement could still be reached before the tariffs, which were announced on Friday, went into effect on August 7. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Malaysia agrees to boost tech, LNG purchases from US as part of trade deal Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Japan PM: Win-win trade deal with US may be hard to implement Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump tariff policy leaves some partners losers but few winners WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught left a lot of losers — from small, poor countries like Laos and Algeria to wealthy U.S. trading partners like Canada and Switzerland. They're now facing especially hefty taxes – tariffs – on the products they export to the United States starting Aug. 7. The closest thing to winners may be the countries that caved to Trump's demands — and avoided even more pain. But it's unclear whether anyone will be able to claim victory in the long run — even the United States, the intended beneficiary of Trump's protectionist policies. 'In many respects, everybody's a loser here,'' said Barry Appleton, co-director of the Center for International Law at the New York Law School. Barely six months after he returned to the White House, Trump has demolished the old global economic order. Gone is one built on agreed-upon rules. In its place is a system in which Trump himself sets the rules, using America's enormous economic power to punish countries that won't agree to one-sided trade deals and extracting huge concessions from the ones that do. Read more here. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught left a lot of losers — from small, poor countries like Laos and Algeria to wealthy U.S. trading partners like Canada and Switzerland. They're now facing especially hefty taxes – tariffs – on the products they export to the United States starting Aug. 7. The closest thing to winners may be the countries that caved to Trump's demands — and avoided even more pain. But it's unclear whether anyone will be able to claim victory in the long run — even the United States, the intended beneficiary of Trump's protectionist policies. 'In many respects, everybody's a loser here,'' said Barry Appleton, co-director of the Center for International Law at the New York Law School. Barely six months after he returned to the White House, Trump has demolished the old global economic order. Gone is one built on agreed-upon rules. In its place is a system in which Trump himself sets the rules, using America's enormous economic power to punish countries that won't agree to one-sided trade deals and extracting huge concessions from the ones that do. Read more here. Switzerland business minister says it could revise tariffs offer ZURICH (Reuters) -The Swiss government is open to revising its offer to the United States in response to planned heavy tariffs, Business Minister Guy Parmelin said, as experts warned the 39% import duties announced by President Donald Trump could trigger a recession in Switzerland. Switzerland was left stunned on Friday after Trump hit the country with one of the highest tariffs in his global trade reset, with industry associations warning of tens of thousands of jobs being put at risk. The country's cabinet will hold a special meeting on Monday to discuss its next steps, with Parmelin telling broadcaster RTS that the government would move quickly before the U.S. tariffs are imposed on August 7. "We need to fully understand what happened, why the U.S. president made this decision. Once we have that on the table, we can decide how to proceed," Parmelin said. Read more here. ZURICH (Reuters) -The Swiss government is open to revising its offer to the United States in response to planned heavy tariffs, Business Minister Guy Parmelin said, as experts warned the 39% import duties announced by President Donald Trump could trigger a recession in Switzerland. Switzerland was left stunned on Friday after Trump hit the country with one of the highest tariffs in his global trade reset, with industry associations warning of tens of thousands of jobs being put at risk. The country's cabinet will hold a special meeting on Monday to discuss its next steps, with Parmelin telling broadcaster RTS that the government would move quickly before the U.S. tariffs are imposed on August 7. "We need to fully understand what happened, why the U.S. president made this decision. Once we have that on the table, we can decide how to proceed," Parmelin said. Read more here. Trump introduces tiers for trade partners in latest approach to tariff President Trump is moving forward on a new suite of tariff rates with an approach increasingly focused on grouping countries into tiers, as opposed to a previous approach of simply looking at the trade balance. The new approach remains heavily influenced by either a trade surplus or a deficit but has grown more complex — some might say more subjective — leading to some consolidation in rate levels and the lowering of rates for many countries to a key new standard of 15%. The new landscape was reflected in Thursday night's executive action announcing rates, which centered around the 15% rate set to be in place next week in about 40 countries. Countries facing that rate include major trading partners that recently struck deals, such as Europe and Japan, as well as smaller nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. More than 100 countries were excluded altogether from this week's announcement, meaning their rate will stay at 10%. Meanwhile, a third group of about 30 countries will see higher rates ranging from 18% to 50%. Trump and his team are taking an approach that could simplify future negotiations and be more in line with global trade dynamics. Read more here. President Trump is moving forward on a new suite of tariff rates with an approach increasingly focused on grouping countries into tiers, as opposed to a previous approach of simply looking at the trade balance. The new approach remains heavily influenced by either a trade surplus or a deficit but has grown more complex — some might say more subjective — leading to some consolidation in rate levels and the lowering of rates for many countries to a key new standard of 15%. The new landscape was reflected in Thursday night's executive action announcing rates, which centered around the 15% rate set to be in place next week in about 40 countries. Countries facing that rate include major trading partners that recently struck deals, such as Europe and Japan, as well as smaller nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. More than 100 countries were excluded altogether from this week's announcement, meaning their rate will stay at 10%. Meanwhile, a third group of about 30 countries will see higher rates ranging from 18% to 50%. Trump and his team are taking an approach that could simplify future negotiations and be more in line with global trade dynamics. Read more here. Berkshire's consumer goods companies feel the sting of Trump's tariffs Not even the Oracle of Omaha can avoid the pinch of President Trump's trade war, it seems. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday its consumer goods businesses felt the impact of Trump's trade policy, which raised tariffs on imported goods, Reuters reported: Read more here. Not even the Oracle of Omaha can avoid the pinch of President Trump's trade war, it seems. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday its consumer goods businesses felt the impact of Trump's trade policy, which raised tariffs on imported goods, Reuters reported: Read more here. US has 'makings of a deal' with China, Bessent says Treasury Secretary said on X that the US has "makings of a deal" with China. Reuters reports: Read more here. Treasury Secretary said on X that the US has "makings of a deal" with China. Reuters reports: Read more here. Nike, Deckers, On Running among footwear stocks under pressure as Trump outlines latest tariff plans Footwear companies like Deckers (DECK), Nike (NKE), and On Holding (ONON) are under pressure from President Trump's tariff plans, including new rates released Thursday evening that range from 10% to 40%. Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports: Read more here. Footwear companies like Deckers (DECK), Nike (NKE), and On Holding (ONON) are under pressure from President Trump's tariff plans, including new rates released Thursday evening that range from 10% to 40%. Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports: Read more here. Stocks sink after Trump's latest tariff blitz Stocks came under pressure Friday after President Trump unveiled his plan for sweeping tariffs on almost all trading partners. Also weighing on sentiment were further signs of cracks in the labor market, punctuated by a weaker-than-expected jobs report released Friday morning. You can check out the latest action and updates in our markets live blog. Stocks came under pressure Friday after President Trump unveiled his plan for sweeping tariffs on almost all trading partners. Also weighing on sentiment were further signs of cracks in the labor market, punctuated by a weaker-than-expected jobs report released Friday morning. You can check out the latest action and updates in our markets live blog. Trump's 40% penalty for tariff dodging missing key details President Trump's tariff surprises are far from over. The US president has threatened to slap an extra 40% tariff on any product that Washington determines to be transshipped via another country. Its believed that this may be punishment, aimed at stopping goods mainly from China dodging US duties. The penalty for transshipping, which is when goods are moved from one type of transport to another, while on the way to where they're going, was included within the White house announcement on Thursday. But countries still do not have all the details. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. President Trump's tariff surprises are far from over. The US president has threatened to slap an extra 40% tariff on any product that Washington determines to be transshipped via another country. Its believed that this may be punishment, aimed at stopping goods mainly from China dodging US duties. The penalty for transshipping, which is when goods are moved from one type of transport to another, while on the way to where they're going, was included within the White house announcement on Thursday. But countries still do not have all the details. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump unleashes massive tariffs on Swiss watches, pharma firms Switzerland's exporters are bracing for financial fallout from President Trump's 39% tariffs, one of the steepest rates globally in his escalating trade war. From watch makers to pharmaceutical companies the knock on effect of Trump's new tariffs will be felt. The new tariffs on Switzerland are part of a broader package announced by Trump on Thursday. But Swiss manufacturers warned on Friday that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk due to Trump's tariff hit. Trump's 39% tariffs on Swiss exports do exclude the country's drug sector, but pharmaceutical companies Novartis AG (NVS) and Roche Holding (RHHBY) were one of the 17 global pharma firms to receive a letter from Trump demanding lower prices. "It's a massive shock for the export industry and for the whole country. We are really stunned," said Jean-Philippe Kohl, deputy director of Swissmem, representing the mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Switzerland's exporters are bracing for financial fallout from President Trump's 39% tariffs, one of the steepest rates globally in his escalating trade war. From watch makers to pharmaceutical companies the knock on effect of Trump's new tariffs will be felt. The new tariffs on Switzerland are part of a broader package announced by Trump on Thursday. But Swiss manufacturers warned on Friday that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk due to Trump's tariff hit. Trump's 39% tariffs on Swiss exports do exclude the country's drug sector, but pharmaceutical companies Novartis AG (NVS) and Roche Holding (RHHBY) were one of the 17 global pharma firms to receive a letter from Trump demanding lower prices. "It's a massive shock for the export industry and for the whole country. We are really stunned," said Jean-Philippe Kohl, deputy director of Swissmem, representing the mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump unleashes delayed shock for global economy Four months after Donald Trump rattled markets by revealing steep tariff plans, his latest update has drawn a quieter response from investors. Still, average tariffs now sit at 15% - some of the highest since the 1930s - with rates rising further for countries that run trade surpluses with the US. So far, the global economy has absorbed the impact better than expected, but with the new tariffs kicking in that resilience may be tested. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Four months after Donald Trump rattled markets by revealing steep tariff plans, his latest update has drawn a quieter response from investors. Still, average tariffs now sit at 15% - some of the highest since the 1930s - with rates rising further for countries that run trade surpluses with the US. So far, the global economy has absorbed the impact better than expected, but with the new tariffs kicking in that resilience may be tested. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Copper set for weekly drop on LME after Trump's tariff surprise Copper (HG=F) prices edged higher on Friday but were on track for a weekly drop in London as the market took stock of President Trump's decision to exempt refined forms of the metal from hefty US import tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Copper (HG=F) prices edged higher on Friday but were on track for a weekly drop in London as the market took stock of President Trump's decision to exempt refined forms of the metal from hefty US import tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Bangladesh secures 20% US tariff for garments, exporters relieved Bangladesh has negotiated a 20% tariff on exports to the US. This tariff rate has reduced from the initial 37% proposed by President Trump and has brought some relief to the world's second-largest garment supplier. Reuters reports: Read more here. Bangladesh has negotiated a 20% tariff on exports to the US. This tariff rate has reduced from the initial 37% proposed by President Trump and has brought some relief to the world's second-largest garment supplier. Reuters reports: Read more here. BOJ: US tariffs could hit firms' profits, delay capex plans The Bank of Japan warned on Friday that profits of Japanese firms are likely to fall this year due to President Trump's US tariffs. This will lead many companies in Japan to downgrade capital expenditure plans. The central bank has signalled caution over an expected hit to the export-dependent economy. Reuters reports: Read more here. The Bank of Japan warned on Friday that profits of Japanese firms are likely to fall this year due to President Trump's US tariffs. This will lead many companies in Japan to downgrade capital expenditure plans. The central bank has signalled caution over an expected hit to the export-dependent economy. Reuters reports: Read more here. Trump hikes tariffs on Canada to 35%, outlines sweeping new duties on dozens of trade partners The White House took a step forward with President Trump's plan to remake the trade landscape by releasing new details Thursday evening that included a raft of new tariff rates now formally authorized by executive order, which set new levels from 15% to 40% on over 70 countries. The move represents a giant shakeup in the US's trade order, with outlined rates that range from a 35% tariff on Canada (up from 25%) to rates above 30% on nations from Algeria to Switzerland. But there's a last minute catch, as these new rates will not go into effect for seven days, instead of a midnight Friday deadline as originally planned — according to the text of the order. India, after initial high hopes for a deal that have bogged down in recent weeks, is set to face a 25% rate but now appears to have another week to negotiate. Taiwan is another top US trading partner and is set to see a 20% rate. The White House documentation released Thursday also confirmed some of the parameters of recent deals including 19%-20% rates on a range of Southeast Asian nations and an unchanged 10% rate on the United Kingdom. Dozens of other nations also saw their tariff rates upped to 15% from 10% — in line with deals sketched out in recent days that included that headline 15% tariff rate on Europe, South Korea, and Japan. But some nations were not included in Tuesday's release — those omitted included many nations with which the US currently has a trade surplus — who therefore are set to see their rates remain at 10%, in a surprise relief for some after comments from Trump in recent days suggested 15% would be his new minimum. Read more here. The White House took a step forward with President Trump's plan to remake the trade landscape by releasing new details Thursday evening that included a raft of new tariff rates now formally authorized by executive order, which set new levels from 15% to 40% on over 70 countries. The move represents a giant shakeup in the US's trade order, with outlined rates that range from a 35% tariff on Canada (up from 25%) to rates above 30% on nations from Algeria to Switzerland. But there's a last minute catch, as these new rates will not go into effect for seven days, instead of a midnight Friday deadline as originally planned — according to the text of the order. India, after initial high hopes for a deal that have bogged down in recent weeks, is set to face a 25% rate but now appears to have another week to negotiate. Taiwan is another top US trading partner and is set to see a 20% rate. The White House documentation released Thursday also confirmed some of the parameters of recent deals including 19%-20% rates on a range of Southeast Asian nations and an unchanged 10% rate on the United Kingdom. Dozens of other nations also saw their tariff rates upped to 15% from 10% — in line with deals sketched out in recent days that included that headline 15% tariff rate on Europe, South Korea, and Japan. But some nations were not included in Tuesday's release — those omitted included many nations with which the US currently has a trade surplus — who therefore are set to see their rates remain at 10%, in a surprise relief for some after comments from Trump in recent days suggested 15% would be his new minimum. Read more here. Trump extends Mexico's current tariff rates President Trump said he would extend Mexico's current tariff rates for another 90 days to allow for more time for negotiations. Mexico was facing tariffs of up to 35% on certain goods beginning on Friday. The reprieve came after Trump talked with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Imports from Mexico will still be subject to other tariffs, namely duties on metals and cars. President Trump said he would extend Mexico's current tariff rates for another 90 days to allow for more time for negotiations. Mexico was facing tariffs of up to 35% on certain goods beginning on Friday. The reprieve came after Trump talked with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Imports from Mexico will still be subject to other tariffs, namely duties on metals and cars. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Jasmine Crockett Speaks Out After Dems Flee Texas—'Get Aggressive'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Texas Democratic lawmaker Jasmine Crockett has spoken out about the importance of being "aggressive" to win political battles like the fight over redistricting taking place in Texas. At an event in Phoenix, Arizona, hosted by progressive advocacy group MoveOn, Crockett spoke out after Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas on Sunday in an effort to stop a redistricting vote that would create a new Republican-approved congressional map. Why It Matters Republicans have slim majorities in Congress and traditionally, voters lean toward the party not in the White House in midterm elections. Therefore, Republicans are under pressure ahead of November 2026. Republicans have sought to redraw the districting map to bolster their chances in the upcoming election. It was thought the new map would give the party the opportunity to gain five seats in the midterms. But their political scheme was thwarted when more than 51 Texas Democrats traveled to Chicago to stop the vote, causing anger from critics and praise from political allies who accused Republicans of gerrymandering and voter suppression. Votes can only take place in the Texas legislature when two-thirds of the 150 members are present. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett attends "Storytellers - Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett" at the Tribeca Festival in New York on June 13, 2025. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett attends "Storytellers - Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett" at the Tribeca Festival in New York on June 13, 2025. Photo by Efren Landaos/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images What To Know When asked about her vision for the future of politics, Crockett said it was important to " be aggressive" to win political battles with the Republican Party. "I do want to be aggressive, because we're going to have to be aggressive because some of the things that have been broken such as some of our trade agreements, they may not come back," she said. She added that the U.S. "needs guardrails around the Supreme Court" to stop it from propping up President Donald Trump and to stop situations like those occurring in Texas and improve voting access. "I'm aggressive," she added. "So for me, I don't serve in the Senate, but I would get rid of the filibuster if it means that we can for voting rights because we don't get rights to repro. We don't get rights to healthcare. We don't get rights to education. We don't get any other rights if we don't have the ability to access the ballot box. So those are the things that I would do. I would get aggressive on the Supreme Court and I would get aggressive about making sure that we equalize this thing so that we can all access the ballot box." She added that she was "so inspired" by Texas Democrats. "Right before I got over here, my former colleagues from the Texas House, those Texas Democrats, decided to get the hell out of Texas," she said. "They decided to use whatever tools they could and breaking quorum is where they are at right now. And they didn't just do it by themselves. They went to Illinois where there is a governor that gives a damn. You see, this fight is going to take all of us." What People Are Saying Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened in a letter to remove Democrats from the state's House of Representatives if they do not return by Monday afternoon: "Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that's exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did…rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law." Texas state Representative Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, in a statement: "This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity. We're not walking out on our responsibilities; we're walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent." What Happens Next The Texas House cannot advance the redistricting bill or other legislative agenda items so long as Democrats deny quorum by staying out of state. Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton have indicated their intent to pursue civil penalties and possible arrests of absent Democrats. Meanwhile, redistricting issues are also brewing in other states. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a dispute over redistricting in Louisiana, and earlier this year overturned a lower court decision that ruled South Carolina's congressional map was unconstitutional.
CNN
11 minutes ago
- CNN
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace launches campaign for South Carolina governor
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has launched a campaign for the state's gubernatorial primary in 2026. She released a video announcement on Monday including a graphic that reads, 'Nancy Mace for Governor.' She also posted the graphic on social media. Mace is currently serving her third term in Congress. Once a Donald Trump critic, she has since become an ally of the US president. Last year, she introduced a resolution to ban transgender women from using the women's restrooms at the Capitol. This is a developing story and will be updated.
