Trump details call with Jeff Bezos over tariff charges
US President Donald Trump told reporters about his call with Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos saying he was 'a good guy,' following a spat earlier in the day between the White House and e-commerce giant. Two senior White House officials told CNN that Trump called Bezos to complain about reports that the company was considering displaying the cost of US tariffs on its website, a move that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called a 'hostile political act.' Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said in a statement, 'The team that runs our ultra-low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and is not going to happen.'
00:13 - Source: CNN
Vertical Politics of the Day 14 videos
Trump details call with Jeff Bezos over tariff charges
US President Donald Trump told reporters about his call with Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos saying he was 'a good guy,' following a spat earlier in the day between the White House and e-commerce giant. Two senior White House officials told CNN that Trump called Bezos to complain about reports that the company was considering displaying the cost of US tariffs on its website, a move that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called a 'hostile political act.' Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said in a statement, 'The team that runs our ultra-low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and is not going to happen.'
00:13 - Source: CNN
CNN reporter details Harvard and Trump admin's first day in court
More than $2 billion in federal funds committed to Harvard University are likely to stay frozen by the Trump administration well into the summer after the sides met for the first time in a Boston courtroom in their high-stakes sparring match over political ideology in American higher education.
01:00 - Source: CNN
Canadians anxious about Trump at the polls
01:00 - Source: CNN
Sen. Schumer says he's 'staying put' as Democrat leader
CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash asks Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about his future as leader as some of his Democratic colleagues retire from the Senate.
00:40 - Source: CNN
Trump's border czar on 3 US children leaving the country with their deported mothers
White House border czar Tom Homan defended the Trump administration's move to deport three US citizen children last week. Homan told CNN's Priscilla Alvarez the children's parents, who were in the US illegally, made a "parental decision" to leave the country together. Gracie Willis, an attorney with the National Immigration Project, denies that the mothers were given a choice whether their children could remain in the US.
01:07 - Source: CNN
Wisconsin judge reacts to FBI director's post of Judge Dugan's arrest
FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on X Friday night of the Wisconsin judge who was arrested for allegedly obstructing immigration agents while she was handcuffed, being escorted to a vehicle by officials. Judge Pedro Colón, Wisconsin Court of Appeals – District 1, joins CNN's Kyung Lah to discuss.
01:31 - Source: CNN
Vietnamese-Americans react to Trump's first 100 days
CNN's MJ Lee speaks with Vietnamese-Americans voters to get a sense of how they feel President Donald Trump has done in the first 100 days of his second term.
01:33 - Source: CNN
100 days of Trump's immigration policy
On Day one of his presidency President Donald Trump jumped right into his immigration agenda, and ever since then he's been pushing the bounds of presidential powers and taking extraordinary measures to quickly deport migrants in the United States. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports.
01:45 - Source: CNN
Laura Coates explains the legal factors of arrested judge's case
CNN's Laura Coates examines the case of a Milwaukee County Circuit judge who was arrested by the FBI and charged in federal court for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest.
01:27 - Source: CNN
FBI arrests judge for allegedly obstructing ICE
The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a Milwaukee County Circuit judge Friday, accusing her of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. Judge Hannah Dugan is facing two charges for obstruction and concealing the individual from arrest, a law enforcement official told CNN. CNN's Katelyn Polantz reports.
01:29 - Source: CNN
Voter confronts Jon Ossoff about impeaching Trump
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) told a voter during a town hall in Cobb County, Georgia that he 'strongly' agrees that President Donald Trump needs to be impeached.
00:58 - Source: CNN
Trump sends real estate mogul alone to deal with Putin
CNN's Erin Burnett shows how Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's envoy sent to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was greeted for the talks.
02:39 - Source: CNN
Analysis: Trump is in a crisis of his own making
Trump tells President Vladimir Putin to stop after Russia launched its deadliest wave of attacks on Kyiv in nine months. This comes days after Trump said the US would walk out on efforts to make a peace deal in Ukraine if it didn't see progress. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down the latest.
01:03 - Source: CNN
Meeting MAGA media at the White House
CNN's Donie O'Sullivan meets some of the Trump-friendly personalities who are now part of the White House press corps thanks to the administration's policy on 'new media' outlets.
01:05 - Source: CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
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
USA Today
7 minutes ago
- USA Today
Is the economy hot or not?
Good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. The dreaded gym class mile run is back. Economy = weak labor market + tariff uncertainty Employers in the U.S. added a disappointing 73,000 jobs (well below the expected 102,000) in July as payroll growth slowed amid President Donald Trump's sweeping import tariffs, intensified immigration crackdown and massive federal layoffs. This was no blip: The poor showing likely wasn't an outlier that will be followed by a resumption of healthy job gains in the months ahead, economists told USA TODAY. More concerning, however, were downward revisions to April and May's numbers, suggesting the labor market may be weaker than previously thought. 💵 What the Trump administration means for your wallet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Daily Money newsletter for more tips and analysis. Texas Democrats seek to block redistricting vote by leaving state Democratic lawmakers in Texas said Sunday they were leaving the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to redraw the state's 38 congressional districts, a move sought to protect the Republicans' narrow U.S. House majority in next year's midterm elections. President Trump has championed the redistricting plan, telling reporters he expects the effort to yield as many as five additional House Republicans. Republicans hold a narrow 220-212 majority in the House of Representatives, with three Democratic-held seats vacant after members' deaths. In a video shot in front of an airport, Democratic Representative James Talarico said the redistricting amounted to "rigging" the 2026 elections. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. ICE is recruiting agents with incentives Dangling bonuses of up to $50,000, federal officials are launching a massive recruitment campaign to hire more than 14,000 immigration agents, attorneys and other workers to help execute President Trump's border crackdown. The president is newly flush with billions in funding and wants to deport 1 million people a year with the help of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Even before the new hires take their posts, the dramatic expansion of public ICE operations has upset communities. And the aggressive recruitment efforts have also angered local sheriffs who worry that deputies in already understaffed offices will be lured away by the big bonuses and higher pay. Will Rural America give up on Trump? ~ Matt Hildreth, Executive Director of Hildreth's group is already operating in congressional battleground districts in Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania, with a focus on getting people to talk about Medicaid. Today's talkers Winners and losers from the U.S. track and field championships Melissa Jefferson-Wooden accomplished the sprint double, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was golden in the 400 and Noah Lyles was braggadocious as he won another 200 national title. On the field, Valarie Allman continued her reign over the discus and Tara Davis-Woodhall leaped to the top mark in the world in the long jump. The U.S. track and field championships served as the qualifying stage for next month's world championships in Tokyo, Japan. USA TODAY Sports was on the sidelines at Hayward Field for all the action. Photo of the day: You did that, Trinity! The NWSL saw the return of one of its stars in a big way Sunday, as the Washington Spirit's Trinity Rodman struck a game-winning goal against the Portland Thorns in her first match since April 12. Rodman, who battled back from a nagging back injury, scored in the second minute of second half stoppage time, catching a ball mid-bounce and firing it over keeper Mackenzie Arnold for the game-winner. Rodman missed the game as much as we missed her. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
The Hill
7 minutes ago
- The Hill
Redistricting battle heats up amid Texas showdown
In today's issue: ▪ How will redistricting affect 2026? ▪ Trump defends firing of labor official ▪ RFK Jr. targets childhood vaccine program ▪ Netanyahu, Putin provide foreign policy headaches Democrats are escalating their battle against Republicans' push to redraw political maps and give themselves a lift ahead of the 2026 midterms. In Texas, Democratic legislators on Sunday took the dramatic step of leaving the state in a bid to stop their GOP colleagues from advancing new congressional maps. The redrawn House districts would give the GOP five more pickup opportunities ahead of 2026, aiding their efforts to hold on to their slim House majority next year. Democrats blasted what they called a 'corrupt' special session in Texas as they accused Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and President Trump of seeking to 'rig' the midterms. The map was set to be considered by the entire state House as soon as this week after a panel advanced a draft over the weekend, despite protests from Democrats that it would suppress minority voters' voices. In a hearing, GOP legislators made explicit their efforts to redraw the map to advantage Republican candidates, The Texas Tribune reported. 'Different from everyone else, I'm telling you, I'm not beating around the bush,' state Rep. Todd Hunter (R) said about the goal of the map. 'We have five new districts, and these five new districts are based on political performance.' Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin on Sunday praised the Texas legislators who left the state for 'standing up and showing real leadership.' 'And, after this fight is done, we're coming full force for the Republicans' House majority,' he said. The Texas Democrats traveled to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to deny Republicans the minimum number of present lawmakers necessary to conduct business. They employed a similar tactic the last time the GOP pursued midcycle redistricting in 2003, and held another walkout in 2021. Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D), who days earlier called such a move a 'last resort,' joined the walkout Sunday, saying it was 'time to fight back.' 'Trump is trying to rig the midterm elections right before our eyes. But first he'll have to come through us,' Talarico said in a post online. Abbott informed the lawmakers late Sunday that he would have them fined and attempt to have them removed from office if they do not return to Austin to pass the new maps. 'Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately,' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for Senate, posted on X. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said at a press conference Sunday night that the Texas state lawmakers who fled to his state will be protected. 'They're here in Illinois. We're going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them and make sure that — 'cause we know they're doing the right thing, we know that they're following the law,' Pritzker said. The fight threatens to set off a redistricting war across the country as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the House in 2026. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is considering redrawing his state's maps, and Pritzker, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) have also left the door open to such a move. Meanwhile, Florida Republicans are increasingly pushing to redraw the Sunshine State's congressional map. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said last week he is 'very seriously' looking at making the ask of the state Legislature, arguing the 2020 census is flawed. Redistricting typically takes place every decade, with data from the decennial census. Republicans, well aware historical precedent is against the party in power during midterms, are eager to use the August recess to work to sell Trump's now-signed 'Big Beautiful Bill' to voters. The Senate over the weekend joined the House on break, and both chambers won't reconvene until early September. The walkout is drawing more attention to the red-state Democrats' redistricting fight, but the party faces limited options, and newly imposed fines and the threat of arrest also hang over those fleeing the state, The Hill's Julia Mueller reports. 'Democrats don't have many arrows left in their quiver. There simply aren't a lot of things they can do to be able to challenge these maps in the near term,' said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. If the maps do get approved, 'they're going to have to just fight it out on the ground and in the air' during the midterms, he said. 'It's going to shift from being a legal battle to being an electoral battle.' As they look to keep up with the GOP's push to redraw House lines, some Democrats are suggesting the party go around redistricting commissions the party has long championed. ▪ The Texas Tribune: Texas's proposed congressional map dismantles districts flagged by the Justice Department, which said four districts unconstitutionally combined Black and Hispanic voters. If the proposed map passes, two will still be multiracial. Blue states like California would likely need to change their laws for Democrats to undertake redistricting efforts similar to the GOP. Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, called Texas's plan 'an authoritarian move' by the White House. Holder, attorney general under former President Obama, for years led the charge among Democrats to eliminate gerrymandering. But Holder said Sunday on ABC News's 'This Week' that Democrats need to 'do things that perhaps in the past I would not have supported.' Martin, asked on NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday' about Democrats' prospects, said he views the redistricting effort as unconstitutional but said Democrats are ready to play what he called the Republicans' game. 'The reality is what we've seen already is a craven power grab, an unconstitutional power grab, in my mind,' Martin said. 'The Constitution says very clearly that we have a decennial census. We draw the lines after that. The state legislatures are allowed to do that, but it does not give them the power to essentially redraw the lines whenever the hell they want to do it. And what Texas is doing right now is a craven power grab.' 3 Things to Know Today Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) visited Jerusalem on Sunday after postponing an Israel trip earlier this year. Johnson said it was a 'moving time for us to be here' in a video posted online. Rep. Nancy Mace (R) is running for governor of South Carolina. She's released a launch video and is set to make a formal announcement today at The Citadel, her alma mater. Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley will take on Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) next year, adding a high-profile GOP name to one of the midterms' most consequential contests. Leading the Day BLS BLOWBACK: Trump and White House officials spent the weekend defending his decision to oust the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after a disappointing jobs report last week. Trump's firing of Erika McEntarfer has sparked backlash and raised questions about whether the president is trying to swat away negative news that could sour his economic celebrations — regardless of what the stats show. 'She had the biggest miscalculations in over 50 years,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday afternoon, repeating his assertions, without evidence, that recent BLS reports were a 'SCAM!' Trump previously claimed that McEntarfer 'faked the Jobs Numbers' to be more favorable to Democrats. The president on Sunday said he would announce his new pick to lead the bureau in three to four days. 'The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers, they're more transparent and mo re reliable,' National Economic Council Chair Kevin Hassett said on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday. 'The big downward revision is something of a puzzle. I don't think it was explained very well. And I think that markets might be as much unsettled by the fact that the data are so noisy,' he added on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'Even last year during the campaign, there were enormous swings in the jobs numbers, and so sounds to me like the president has real concerns. You know, not just based on today's, but everything we saw last year,' U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in an interview on CBS. The latest BLS report suggested the economy and labor market are much weaker than previously thought — casting a dark cloud over the massive tariff overhaul that Trump has spent months promoting. 'Reliable economic data is a key strength of the US economy,' Harvard economist Jason Furman, who chaired Obama's White House Council of Economic Advisers, wrote online. 'I don't think Trump will be able to fake the data given the procedures. But there is now a risk, plus an awful appearance.' McEntarfer,a Biden nominee who the GOP-led Senate confirmed in a 86-8 vote last year, said Sunday that she still regards the opportunity to hold the position for the past several months as an 'honor.' 'It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy,' she said on the social media platform Bluesky. 'It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation.' RAISING ALARM: Economist Justin Wolfers called the BLS chief's ouster 'an authoritarian four alarm fire,' noting the commissioner is ' the wonk in charge of the statisticians who track economic reality.' 'It will also backfire: You can't bend economic reality, but you can break the trust of markets. And biased data yields worse policy,' wrote Wolfers, an economics professor at the University of Michigan. Larry Summers, who served as Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, compared Trump's actions to former President Nixon 's administration before Nixon resigned in 1974. 'This is way beyond anything that Richard Nixon ever did,' Summers said in an interview on ABC's 'This Week.' 'I'm surprised that other officials have not responded by resigning themselves as took place when Richard Nixon fired people lawlessly.' Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said Sunday he thinks an investigation into Trump's BLS move 'is certainly in order.' 'That tells you a lot about their insecurity about the economy and the state of economic affairs in America because everything that they're claiming to be true is not true,' he said on 'Meet the Press.' ▪ The Washington Post: Trump's decision to fire the official responsible for compiling the nation's jobs statistics drew condemnation from economic experts who served in Republican and Democratic administrations. ▪ The New York Times: Trump's tariffs have started to generate a significant amount of money for the federal government — a new source of revenue that American policymakers may start to rely on. ▪ The Hill: Trump's plans for a $200 million White House ballroom is angering critics. GOP SET TO GO 'NUCLEAR': Senators left Washington for their August recess after a push for a deal on nominations collapsed Saturday. When they return next month, Republicans facing a Democratic blockade are intent on moving forward with a rules change to limit the length of time spent on individual nominees to more quickly confirm Trump's picks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) were unable to seal the deal on a package that would have allowed roughly two dozen nominees to be approved before the monthlong break. In exchange for allowing the group of nominees to be approved, Schumer had been pushing for billions of dollars of restored funding in foreign aid and for the National Institutes of Health. Trump, however, made clear that he would not throw his weight behind that agreement, referring to Democrats as 'extortionists' and praising congressional GOP leadership. Senate Republicans are expected to go 'nuclear' on nominees once they reconvene in September by moving to change the rules with 51 votes needed. 'Donald Trump didn't get his way,' Schumer said at a press conference Saturday night. 'Again, this shows us. He bullied us, he cajoled us, he called us names and he went home with nothing.' EPSTEIN LATEST: Republican lawmakers are cautioning Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) to be skeptical about a potential pardon or commutation for Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years behind bars for sex trafficking minors. Maxwell was recently relocated from a federal prison in Florida to a lower-security site in Texas, after two days of meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the DOJ's No. 2 official. Her attorneys are seeking clemency from Trump in exchange for details she may offer about Epstein's crimes and other people involved. But GOP lawmakers argue that pardoning Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021, would be unseemly. 'It's ridiculous that he would consider shortening a sentence for somebody who aided and abetted sexual trafficking as she did,' said a Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on the sensitive topic. 'She's trafficking underage children. I can't imagine anything she could say could nullify her heinous crimes.' ▪ The Hill: Trump railed against Charlamagne tha God on Sunday after the radio host predicted the Epstein saga would pave the way for traditional Republicans to take back the GOP from the MAGA base. ▪ The Hill: Trump weighed in on actor Sydney Sweeney 's controversial American Eagle ad, saying if she's a Republican 'I think her ad is fantastic.' Where and When Trump will have lunch with Vice President Vance at 12:30 p.m. The House and Senate are on recess until Sept. 2. Morning Report's Alexis Simendinger will return next week. Zoom In VACCINES: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is targeting the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a little-known but crucial initiative that underpins all childhood vaccinations. Kennedy took to social media and conservative activist Charlie Kirk 's show last week to rail against the program and pledge significant changes. Attorneys and other experts say Kennedy is right that the program, which was created in 1986 in order to give quick payouts to families who can prove a child was injured from a vaccine, is badly in need of modernization. 'There's a lot of low-hanging fruit that [Kennedy] can act on that would immediately alter the course of the vaccine program for the better,' said David Carney, a vaccine injury attorney in Philadelphia and president of the Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association. But they fear Kennedy will tear it down entirely, at the risk of driving drugmakers from the market and threatening access to childhood shots. ▪ CNN: COVID-19 vaccine policy changes raise questions and concerns for U.S. adults as summer wave ramps up. ▪ The New York Times: Why Republicans think that insurance should be tied to employment — and that it's not essential to have at all. ▪ The Washington Post: Despite Trump's campaign pledge to help parents struggling to conceive, the White House has no plan to mandate insurance coverage of IVF care. FITNESS: Health experts and school leaders are thrilled with Trump's revival of the Presidential Fitness Test, but they are hoping for substantial revisions to the program, which was first deployed nearly 60 years ago. Advocates say the test, which hasn't been used since 2012, will need a makeover. Kayce Solari Williams, past president of the American School Health Association and a professor at Purdue University, hopes the test will switch from the old standard to really considering 'overall health and performance' and linking expectations to certain age groups. Williams stressed she has to see 'what the format' and 'requirements' will be as we 'know more about taking better care of the body and doing some prevention, along with strengthening and increasing endurance and flexibility' than we did in the past. ▪ NBC News: The Trump administration is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies. Elsewhere FOREIGN POLICY: Two key foreign leaders — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — have become headaches for Trump. The president is irked by Putin's refusal to do more to end the war in Ukraine, while imagery of starvation in Gaza is ramping up global criticism of Netanyahu, with whom Trump has long had a volatile relationship. In The Memo, The Hill's Niall Stanage writes that each of them has complicated the political calculus for Trump on the world stage, owing not only to the suffering they have imposed on Ukrainians and Palestinians, respectively, but also to their reluctance to change course. RUSSIA: Trump on Sunday confirmed two nuclear submarines have been positioned at an unspecific region near Russia in response to 'highly provocative statements' from Moscow. The move comes as the president said he was imposing an Aug. 8 deadline for a ceasefire, which Moscow has reacted to with a shoulder shrug. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 's top adviser urged the U.S. to 'strangle' Russia's economy by imposing secondary sanctions on Moscow's trading partners, as the White House's push for a ceasefire appears to languish. Republican senators left Washington over the weekend without advancing a major sanctions bill against Russia, giving Trump sole discretion over whether to follow through on his threats against Putin. While Senate Ukraine hawks wanted to see their sanctions bill pass before the break, they ultimately left the decision in Trump's hands. 'I think he's going to be very careful about what he does,' Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said when asked by The Hill if Trump can be trusted to impose costs on Putin. 'But I think he is clearly disappointed in Putin and I think he is now coming around to recognizing that many of us were right.' ▪ The New York Times: Ukrainian authorities arrested a number of officials on suspicion of corruption in relation to what they called a 'large scale' bribery scheme involving military procurement. ▪ The Washington Post: Long before Russia's 2022 invasion, war simmered in eastern Ukraine and these three families found a way to survive at home — until Moscow decided to seize Donbas for good. ISRAEL: With peace talks between Israel and Hamas at an impasse, U.S. and Israeli officials appear to be changing their tone by signaling that they will push for a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza, rather than a temporary ceasefire. But the two sides remain far apart, and analysts said this new approach would also face steep challenges. 'President Trump now believes that everybody ought to come home at once — no piecemeal deals. That doesn't work,' special envoy Steve Witkoff told hostage family members in Tel Aviv. 'Now we have to get all the 20 [live hostages] at the same time… we think that we have to shift this negotiation to all or nothing so that everybody comes home. We think it is going to be successful and we have a plan around it.' The shift comes as the Israeli government faces increased domestic pressure to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli government faces mounting international criticism over the mass hunger that has spread through Gaza's population of about 2 million people, following Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid delivery. ▪ BBC: Some 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, wrote to Trump to pressure Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza. ▪ Reuters: Hamas says it will allow aid for hostages if Israel halts airstrikes and opens permanent humanitarian corridors. The winds are also shifting in congressional attitudes toward Israel. While U.S. support for its closest Middle Eastern ally has historically galvanized both parties, that backing has eroded on Capitol Hill as Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza has dragged on and the Palestinian casualties have soared. The pushback is surfacing in different forms, from votes to block U.S. weapons sales and resolutions to recognize a Palestinian state, to accusations of genocide and other statements of public condemnation. Unlike debates past, some of the harshest rebukes are coming from conservative Republicans who have traditionally been stalwart defenders of Israel's military exploits. ▪ NBC News: How much aid has made it into Gaza since Israel said it was easing restrictions? ▪ The Washington Post: Israel's support for clans in Gaza puts tribal strongman in spotlight. Opinion Why Trump's meddling in the Bureau of Labor Statistics matters, by George A. Akerlof, guest essayist, The New York Times. How foreign policy could crash Republican midterm prospects, by Mark Weisbrot and Justin Talbot Zorn, opinion contributors, The Hill. The Closer And finally … 🔭 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Phoenix, an uncrewed space probe, 18 years ago today. It touched down on the surface of Mars on May 25, 2008 — becoming the first successful NASA Mars landing since the Viking 2 mission 32 years earlier. According to NASA's mission summary, 'The Mars Phoenix lander was designed to uncover the mysteries of the Martian arctic, studying the history of water and searching for complex organic molecules.'
