The Best, Worst, and Most Memorable Moments of the 2025 Grammys

The 67th annual Grammy Awards are taking place on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Crypto.com arena, hosted by Trevor Noah, now a veteran of the broadcast, for the fifth consecutive year. Though this show is no stranger to Los Angeles, it is surrounded this time by a change in scenery, following a January marked by two of the city’s most destructive and expensive wildfires on record, which claimed a combined 37,469 acres across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.

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But alas, the show must go on, albeit in a more muted register; several events traditionally held in the week leading up to the Sunday night program were canceled due to the environmental devastation and ongoing rebuilding efforts, namely those held by Universal Music Group, Sony, Spotify, BMG, and Warner Music Group, all of which have allocated resources to help affected citizens. (The Recording Academy, which has presented the Grammys since 1959, launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort in tandem with its MusiCares charity with a $1 million dollar donation.)

The 2025 Grammys are poised to be a celebration of history as much as one of contemporary music: for the first time since 1997, the Beatles earned new Grammy nominations (for record of the year and best rock performance), Beyoncé has already become the first Black woman to win an award in a country category since the Pointer Sisters in 1974, and the late, former president Jimmy Carter (who was nominated for his audiobook, Last Sundays In Plains: A Centennial Celebration, at age 100) is now the oldest award nominee and winner in Grammy history.

Most Tone-Setting Tribute: “I Love L.A.”

Sunday night’s show opened with a celebration of Los Angeles, a highly intentional theme which continued throughout the night. The “I Love L.A.” tribute was an ode to the beauty of a city now compromised by natural disaster: Noah’s opening monologue shouted out Chappell Roan’s ode to the clubs of the city, and the sibling powerhouse duo Billie Eilish and Finneas who converted their bedroom there into a hitmaking studio. John Legend, Sheryl Crowe, St. Vincent, Brittany Howard, an Brad Paisley all joined the stage with Dawes, a group that lost its studio, equipment, and one member’s home, to the fire. The group sang Randy Newman’s 1983 song of the same name, set to footage paying tribute to L.A. firefighters.

But support for the city didn’t stop at the top of the show. Noah’s mentions of the wildfires and calls for donations continued over the course of the night, with contributions from major companies rolling in as the show played on. The show also provided small local L.A. businesses impacted by the fires with free commercial airtime, including a florist called Orla Floral Studio (joined by a cameo from Doja Cat), based in Altadena, and Rhythms of the Village, also in Altadena, which Anderson Paak visited.

Best Cinderella Story: Doechii

Tonight Doechii joined the ranks of just two female emcees before her—Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, who presented the award—when she won the award for Best Rap Album for her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” The 26-year-old singer and rapper from Tampa, Fla., known for her clever use of irony and unapologetic storytelling, has quickly proven herself to be a strong addition to T.D.E.’s star-studded roster with breakout hits like “What It is (Block Boy),” “Persuasive,” and “Denial is a River.” “God told me that I would be rewarded and he would show me just how good it can get,” Doechii said as she accepted her award, joined by her mother onstage. “I know that there are so many Black women out there watching me right now and I just want to say you can do it…don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you…I am a testimony.” Later on in the evening, Doechii delivered a powerfully free-spirited performance of “Denial is a River,” her tongue-in-cheek breakout single from the project she won the award for.

Shortest and Sweetest: Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s medley of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” began with a jazzy rendition of the former hit (which was also acknowledged in a buzzy commercial from Dunkin Donuts advertising the singer’s specialty latte with the coffee retailer). Carpenter entered the stage in a glittery tuxedo dress she soon ripped off to reveal a bedazzled baby blue bodice, after a series of playful intentional errors, now part of her comedic schtick. Carpenter won the night’s “Best Pop Vocal” award for Short n Sweet” presented by Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith of L.A.’s own Red Hot Chili Peppers, marking her first Grammy win. She thanked fans, the Recording Academy, and her mom for driving her to every vocal lesson, before innocently wondering aloud if it was okay that she said “hell” three times in her acceptance speech.

Most Historic: Beyoncé’s Country Grammy Haul

Beyoncé radiated pure gratitude and shock when she accepted the award for “Best Country Album,” presented by Taylor Swift, who won the category 15 years ago. The award came after winning best country duo/group performance earlier in the day for “II MOST WANTED” with Miley Cyrus, the first time in 50 years that a Black woman won a country music Grammy. Cowboy Carter made waves as an explicit hat tip to country music and a celebration, more specifically, of the Black American musicians who created and advanced the genre historically to little acknowledgement by the establishment and audiences alike. “Sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay consistent,” Beyoncé said, before thanking God, her family, her fans, and the country artists who accepted the album and her presence in the country market.

Read more: How Beyoncé Fits Into the Storied Legacy of Black Country

Most Literal Performance: “Pink Pony Club”

Pop darling Olivia Rodrigo introduced “Midwest Princess” Chappell Roan’s performance of “Pink Pony Club.” The rousing show was marked by pink, illuminated steam rising up from the stage and a “Pink Pony Club” sign above, alongside a sign that read “My Drink is Karma,” a wink at her track “My Kink is Karma.” Roan belted from a larger-than-life pink pony, playful and cartoonish and reminiscent of the singer’s makeup for the night. The back-up dancers were a colorful mix of rodeo clowns, the performance ending with a passionate guitar display and an expression of confident satisfaction from Roan.

Most Passionate Use of the Platform: Chappell Roan

Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan followed up her rousing performance with a sober call to action—as she said she promised herself she would if she ever had the Grammy stage as a platform with the most powerful people in music listening. Roan implored the major label establishment to offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists. She cited her own experience as an artist who was signed to a label as a minor and subsequently dropped as something that radicalized her when she realized how deeply she was committed to her art while still struggling to make a living, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award, one of the night’s most anticipated, was presented by last year’s winner Victoria Monet. In her acceptance speech, Roan thanked her fellow nominees, producer Dan Nigro, friends, family, her Papa Chappell “who I named myself after,” and “all who listened.” “Labels,” she said, “we got you, but do you got us?”

source https://time.com/7210740/grammys-2025-recap/

Families Visit Crash Site Days After the Deadliest U.S. Air Disaster in a Generation

ARLINGTON, Va. — Families of victims of the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a nearly in 25 years visited the crash site Sunday just outside Washington, D.C.

Dozens of people walked along the banks of the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport, close to where an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided Wednesday, killing all 67 aboard.

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They arrived in buses with a police escort, memorializing loved ones as federal investigators work to piece together the events that led to the crash and recovery crews were set to pull more wreckage from the chilly water.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday said he wanted to leave federal aviation investigators space to conduct their inquiry.

But he posed a range of questions about the crash while appearing on morning TV news programs.

“What was happening inside the towers? Were they understaffed? … The position of the Black Hawk, the elevation of the Black Hawk, were the pilots of the Black Hawk wearing night vision goggles?” Duffy asked on CNN.

The American Airlines flight, with 64 people on board was preparing to land from Wichita, Kansas. The Army Black Hawk helicopter was on a training mission and had three soldiers on board. Both aircraft plunged to the Potomac River after colliding.

The plane’s passengers included figure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, and a group of hunters returning from a guided trip.

Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland; and Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, were killed in the helicopter.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday that preliminary data showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of the airliner and the Army helicopter.

Investigators also said that about a second before impact, the jet’s flight recorder showed a change in its pitch. But they did not say whether that change in angle meant that pilots were trying to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid the crash.

Data from the jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters), when the crash happened Wednesday night, NTSB officials told reporters. Data in the control tower, though, showed the Black Hawk at 200 feet (61 meters), the maximum allowed altitude for helicopters in the area.

The discrepancy has yet to be explained.

Investigators said they hoped to reconcile the difference with data from the helicopter’s black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it became waterlogged after the Black Hawk plunged into the Potomac. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.

“That’s what our job is, to figure that out,” NTSB member Todd Inman said.

“This is a complex investigation,” investigator in charge Brice Banning said. “There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data.”

Banning said the jet’s cockpit voice recorder captured sound moments before the crash.

“The crew had a verbal reaction,” Banning said, and the flight data recorder showed “the airplane beginning to increase its pitch. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, followed by the end of the recording.”

Full NTSB investigations typically take at least a year, though investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days.

Inman said he spent hours meeting with victims’ families since the crash. The families are struggling, Inman said.

“Some wanted to give us hugs. Some are just mad and angry,” Inman said. “They are just all hurt. And they still want answers, and we want to give them answers.”

The remains of 42 people had been pulled from the river as of Saturday afternoon, including 38 that have been positively identified, officials said. They expect to recover all of the remains, though the plane’s fuselage will probably have to be pulled from the water to get the rest.

More than 300 responders were taking part in the recovery effort at a given time, officials said. Two Navy salvage barges were also deployed to lift heavy wreckage.

On Fox News Sunday, Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration was looking into staffing in the Reagan Airport control tower.

Investigators said there were five controllers on duty at the time of the crash: a local controller, ground controller, assistant controller, a supervisor and supervisor in training.

According to an FAA report obtained by The Associated Press, one controller was responsible for helicopter and plane traffic. Those duties are often divided between two people but the airport typically combines them at 9:30 p.m., once traffic slows down. On Wednesday, the tower supervisor combined them earlier, which the report called “not normal.”

“Staffing shortages for air traffic control has been a major problem for years and years,” Duffy said, promising that President Donald Trump’s administration would address shortages with “bright, smart, brilliant people in towers controlling airspace.”

With the nation already grieving, an air ambulance crashed in Philadelphia on Friday, killing all six people on board, including a child returning home to Mexico from treatment, and at least one person on the ground.

Also Friday, the FAA heavily restricted helicopter traffic around Reagan National, hours after Trump claimed on social media that the Army helicopter had been flying higher than allowed.

“It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Wednesday’s crash was the deadliest in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport. The crash killed all 260 people on board and five people on the ground.

Experts regularly highlight that plane travel is overwhelmingly safe, but the crowded airspace around Reagan National can challenge even the most experienced pilots.

source https://time.com/7212199/families-visit-passenger-jet-army-helicopter-crash-site-near-washington-dc/

What Are Tariffs and Why Is Trump In Favor of Them?

President Donald Trump has made good on his campaign promise to impose tariffs on imports from the United States’ three largest supplier countries—Canada, China, and Mexico.

Trump signed orders on Saturday evening, imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada (though Canadian energy faces a lower tariff of 10%) and 10% tariffs on goods from China. Trump signed an Executive Order titled: “Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border.”

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Trump discussed the tariffs in a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social. One update announced the official orders of the tariffs, stating that the decision was made to “protect” Americans “because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl.”

In a second post, Trump included a video of himself on the campaign trail, where he promised the tariffs he is now imposing.

Though tariffs have been used as useful tools by politicians, consumers and economists are concerned about whether, just weeks into Trump’s term, his tariffs could raise prices of goods and services. Many voters described grocery prices and general affordability issues as high on their voting priorities, but there is the possibility of these tariffs raising prices of groceries, gas, energy, and automotive sectors.

With a heightened focus on tariffs and discussions about the potential benefits and risks, here’s what you need to know about the government-imposed taxes and why Trump is in favor of them. 

What are tariffs?

Simply put, ​​import tariffs, the kind of tariffs Trump is levying, are taxes placed on goods imported from other countries. There are also export tariffs, which are taxes on goods brought out of a country, though these are much more rare.

There are several different types of tariffs, and the kind that Trump is imposing is known as an “ad valorem tariff”—meaning the tax on imported goods is calculated as a percentage of the product’s value.

Who pays for tariffs?

Typically, tariffs are paid by domestic importers, and paid to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. However, economists often say that portions of the cost of tariffs ends up paid by consumers. In response to tariffs, sellers may hike up prices of the goods that they are importing for consumers.

“Generally, it will make it more costly to import goods,” says Felix Tintelnot, associate professor of economics at Duke University. “With the one caveat: it is conceivable that the foreign exporter could reduce its price in order to maintain competitiveness and not lose out.”

For example, since avocados are mostly imported from Mexico, with Trump’s new tariffs potentially making it more expensive to import avocados, grocery stores could raise the prices of avocados to make up for the added tax, Tintelnot explains.

Read More: Why Trump’s Tariffs Could Raise Grocery Prices

Why is Trump in favor of tariffs?

Trump has said that he planned to impose tariffs on imported goods to boost American manufacturing and end, what he says, are unfair trade practices.

“You see these empty, old, beautiful steel mills and factories that are empty and falling down,” Trump declared in October 2024 on the campaign trail. “We’re going to bring the companies back. We’re going to lower taxes for companies that are going to make their products in the USA. And we’re going to protect those companies with strong tariffs.”

“A bilateral trade deficit is a terrible metric to focus on, because it’s completely natural that bilateral trade deficits exist,” Tintelnot says. “It’s like if you put a tariff on your local gym because you’re paying them more than they’re buying from you.”

Trump has also stated that the tariffs are intended to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants and illegal drugs into the United States.

“China makes the fentanyl, gives it to Mexico, puts it through Canada, puts it through different places, mostly Mexico, but also a lot through Canada,” Trump claimed while speaking from the Oval Office on Friday. “And so all three haven’t treated us very well.”

Read More: What Donald Trump’s Win Means for the Economy

What are the potential impacts of tariffs such as the ones Trump is imposing?

Based on a 2024 study conducted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Trump’s larger proposed tariff hikes could increase the annual costs to U.S. consumers by $2,600—which could hit lower-income Americans the hardest. Walmart’s CEO recently told CNBC that the chain might have to raise prices on items if the proposed tariffs go into effect.

“We are getting vehicles from both Canada and Mexico, and then several of our food items in the grocery store are overwhelmingly sourced from Mexico,” Tintelnot said. “So there, we are expected to see price increases.”

Trump’s first-term tariffs on steel, clothing, and wooden cabinets did lead American producers to boost production of those things. But Tintelnot and other economists are worried that across-the-board tariffs could have large effects on inflation for American consumers.

Tintelnot also says that these tariffs are different from the tariffs Trump imposed on China during his first term—some of which remained throughout President Joe Biden’s time in office. This is because tariffs are placed on whole items, so if a car was made in Mexico or Canada with U.S. parts, but then made in those countries, it would still be tariffed as it entered the United States.

“Most of the stuff that’s coming from China is sort of sourced from China or from elsewhere in Asia. However, with Canada and Mexico, we are going to experience that we are also actually [indirectly] tariffing Americans,” Tintelnot says.

Both Canada and Mexico have debuted their retaliatory tariffs after Trump signed the orders on Saturday, which Tintelnot says could trigger a wider “trade war” and further accelerate inflation.

“We don’t want to be here,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an address on Saturday evening, laying out retaliatory 25% tariffs on $155 billion of U.S. goods.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized America’s tariffs and announced on social media Saturday that she’s instructing the Secretary of Economy to impose a plan including “tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico’s interests.”

China’s foreign ministry released a statement on Saturday evening, stating China “firmly deplores and opposes this move” and will “take necessary countermeasures.” The statement also argues that China is tough on counternarcotics and that fentanyl “is an issue for the U.S.”

source https://time.com/7212166/what-are-tariffs-trump-imposing-import-taxes/

7 Dead, 19 injured After Air Ambulance Crash in Philadelphia, Officials Say

PHILADELPHIA — Authorities sifted through burned cars and charred debris Saturday to gather clues that might explain why an air ambulance exploded into a fiery ball as it crashed to the ground in Philadelphia, leaving no survivors on board.

It could be days — or more — until authorities are able to confirm the number of dead and injured, said Adam Thiel, the city’s managing director. As of Saturday morning, officials confirmed seven dead — six on the jet, one person on the ground — and 19 injured.

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The crash scene was a large area, and authorities were working to assess the damage, Thiel said. Teams were going house to house inspecting the dwellings in the area. The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall in a densely populated area.

It is “entirely possible” that there will be changes to the casualty figures, Thiel said. There are “a lot of unknowns” as to who was where on the streets of the neighborhood when the plane crashed.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that all six of those on board the medical transport jet were killed. All the victims were from Mexico.

On Saturday, in a statement on the social media platform X, Sheinbaum confirmed the deaths.

“I mourn the passing of six Mexicans in the aviation accident in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in constant contact with the families; I’ve asked the Foreign Affairs Secretary to support whatever is needed. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends,” she said in a statement translated from Spanish.

Read More: What to Know About the Passenger Jet, Army Helicopter Collision Near Washington, D.C.

There were also casualties on the ground. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said one person who was in a car was killed and 19 others were injured.

The jet was transporting a child who had just completed treatment at Shriners Children’s hospital, her mother and four crew members.

“The patient had received care from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened, Shriners spokesperson Mel Bower said in a statement. ”Because of patient privacy concerns, we cannot say any more about the patient and her family at this time.”

Tijuana was the flight’s final destination after a stop in Missouri.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in the U.S. It operated the Learjet 55, which was registered in Mexico.

Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold said. A seasoned crew operated the plane and all flight crews undergo rigrous training, he said.

“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”

The crash came just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.

The Philadelphia crash was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023 five crewmembers were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.

In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera captured video of the plane plunging in a streak of white and exploding as it hit the ground near a shopping mall and major roadway.

“All we heard was a loud roar and didn’t know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume,” said Jim Quinn, the owner of the doorbell camera.

The crash happened less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.

The Learjet 55 quickly disappeared from radar after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m. and climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters). It was registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.

Shortly after 6 p.m., audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller telling “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right when departing. About 30 seconds later it repeats the request before asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later, the controller says, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now the field is going to be closed.”

Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang and his house shook.

“There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second,” he said.

Jet Rescue, which provides global air ambulance services, flew baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and was involved in transporting patients critically ill with COVID-19.

The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. The NTSB said an investigator arrived Friday and more officials would be there Saturday.

—Associated Press writers Rio Yamat, Hallie Golden, Josh Cornfield, John O’Connor and Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report.

source https://time.com/7212095/air-ambulance-crash-philadelphia-death-toll-injuries/

Trump’s Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China Could Mean Higher Inflation and Economic Disruption

PALM BEACH, Fla. — New trade penalties against Canada, Mexico and China that President Donald Trump plans to impose Saturday represent an aggressive early move against America’s three largest trading partners, but at the risk of higher inflation and possible disruptions to the global economy.

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In Trump’s view, the 25% tariffs against the two North American allies and a 10% tax on imports from Washington’s chief economic rival are a way for the United States to throw around its financial heft to reshape the world.

“You see the power of the tariff,” Trump told reporters Friday. “Nobody can compete with us because we have by far the biggest piggy bank.”

The Republican president is making a major political bet that his actions will not worsen inflation, cause financial aftershocks that could destabilize the worldwide economy or provoke a voter backlash. AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate in last year’s election, found that the U.S. was split on support for tariffs.

It is possible that the tariffs could be short-lived if Canada and Mexico can reach a deal with Trump to more aggressively address illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling. Trump’s move against China is also tied to fentanyl and comes on top of existing import taxes.

Trump is honoring promises he made in the 2024 White House campaign that are at the core of his economic and national security philosophy, though Trump allies had played down the threat of higher import taxes as mere negotiating tactics.

The president is preparing more import taxes in a sign that tariffs will be an ongoing part of his second term. On Friday, he mentioned imported computer chips, steel, oil and natural gas, as well as against copper, pharmaceutical drugs and imports from the European Union — moves that could essentially pit the U.S. against much of the global economy.

Trump’s intentions drew a swift response from financial markets, with the S&P 500 stock index slumping after his announcement Friday.

It is unclear how the tariffs could affect the business investments that Trump said would happen because of his plans to cut corporate tax rates and remove regulations. Tariffs tend to raise prices for consumers and businesses by making it more expensive to bring in foreign goods.

Many voters turned to Trump in the November election on the belief that he could better handle the inflation that spiked under Democratic President Joe Biden. But inflation expectations are creeping upward in the University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment as respondents expect prices to rise by 3.3%. That would be higher than the actual 2.9% annual inflation rate in December’s consumer price index.

Trump has said that the government should raise more of its revenues from tariffs, as it did before the income tax became part of the Constitution in 1913. He claims, despite economic evidence to the contrary, that the U.S. was at its wealthiest in the 1890s under President William McKinley.

“We were the richest country in the world,” Trump said Friday. “We were a tariff country.”

Trump, who has aspired to remake America by using McKinley’s model, is conducting a real-time experiment that the economists who warn tariffs lead to higher prices are wrong. While the tariffs in his first term did not meaningfully increase overall inflation, he is now looking at tariffs on a much grander scale that could push up prices if they’re enduring policies.

Trump has fondly called McKinley, an Ohioan elected president in 1896 and 1900, the “tariff sheriff.”

Brad Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted on the social media site X that the tariffs “if sustained, would be a massive shock — a much bigger move in one weekend than all the trade action that Trump took in his first term.”

Setser noted that the tariffs on China without exemptions could raise the price of iPhones, which would test just how much power corporate America has with Trump. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook attended Trump’s inauguration last month.

Recent research on Trump’s various tariff options by a team of economists suggested the trade penalties would be drags on growth in Canada, Mexico, China and the U.S. But Wending Zhang, a Cornell University economist who worked on the research, said the fallout would be felt more in Canada and Mexico because of their reliance on the U.S. market.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canadians that they could be facing difficult times ahead, but that Ottawa was prepared to respond with retaliatory tariffs if needed and that the U.S. penalties would be self-sabotaging.

Trudeau said Canada is addressing Trump’s calls on border security by implementing a CDN$1.3 billion (US$90 million) border plan that includes helicopters, new canine teams and imaging tools.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has stressed that her country has acted to reduce illegal border crossings and the illicit trade in fentanyl. While she has emphasized the ongoing dialogue since Trump first floated the tariffs in November, she has said that Mexico is ready to respond, too.

Mexico has a “Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for what the United States government decides,” she said.

Trump still has to get a budget, tax cuts and increase to the government’s legal borrowing authority through Congress. The outcome of his tariff plans could strengthen his hand or weaken it.

Democrats are sponsoring legislation that would strip the president of his ability to impose tariffs without congressional approval. But that is unlikely to make headway in a Republican-controlled House and Senate.

“If this weekend’s tariffs go into effect, they’ll do catastrophic damage to our relationships with our allies and raise costs for working families by hundreds of dollars a year,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. “Congress needs to stop this from happening again.”

source https://time.com/7212080/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-implications/

Nearly Two Years Since the Disaster in East Palestine, Where Are Trump and Vance?

On the night of February 3, 2023, the lives of the residents of East Palestine, Ohio were forever changed. Thirty-eight cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, erupting into a massive fire that released toxic chemicals into our air, water, and land, just a mile from my home. The sight of a huge fireball from my driveway felt like a scene from an apocalyptic movie. Little did I know, this was only the beginning.

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Norfolk Southern released and ignited 115,000 gallons of vinyl chloride, a lethal flammable gas used to make PVC plastic, along with a variety of other chemicals and petroleum products. The smoke wafted for miles, and we braved evacuation orders, health scares, a federal investigation, and a cleanup that is still ongoing. Nearly two years later, my community remains profoundly affected.

East Palestine and Norfolk Southern recently reached a $22 million settlement. And next week, Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit our town.

As we continue to navigate the aftermath of this disaster, now is the time for President Donald Trump and Vance to address the challenges we still face. Their presence in East Palestine, especially in the early days after the disaster, comforted many of us who felt abandoned by government and corporate entities. They gave us hope that even in times of partisan division, leaders could come together to support those in need.

While we all felt the immediate effects of this disaster, it is the ongoing recovery that is truly testing our resilience. I am the Chair of the Community Advisory Board for the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Tracking Study spearheaded by Dr. Erin Haynes from the University of Kentucky. One third of study participants show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and these levels have continued to rise through our last reporting period. In addition, around half of the participants indicated they continue to experience upper airway symptoms and non-sinus headaches as well, highlighting the ongoing physical health issues that the community is facing. These findings underscore the severe and lasting impact of the disaster on the residents of East Palestine, emphasizing the urgent need for continued support and intervention.

Both Trump and Vance have criticized the federal response to the East Palestine disaster. “We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stand with you and your fight to help ensure the accountability that you deserve,” said Trump in 2023. “You have a President going to Ukraine and you have people in Ohio that are in desperate need of help.”

“Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine under any circumstance. They’re not going to send aid,” Trump also said. (The situation did not qualify for FEMA disaster relief, although the Environmental Protection Agency, National Transportation Safety Board, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) all contributed resources in the aftermath of the crash.)

Additionally, Vance also strongly criticized the Biden Administration’s response. “The Biden administration has ignored Ohio’s pleas for help. This is inexcusable: a disaster declaration would guarantee the delivery of resources the community needs to save itself,” Vance wrote in an August 2023 op-ed. “Cleanup efforts overseen by Joe Biden’s environmental protection officials have also been woefully inadequate…Despite the federal government’s vast resources, it appears to be woefully incapable of monitoring the long-term health impacts of a chemical spill.”

Now in their roles as the President and Vice President of the United States, Trump and Vance can address the critiques they lobbed at the previous administration and directly make good on their promises.  

Beyond lip service, there are several concrete steps they must take in order to truly support East Palestine.

Provide long-term healthcare

Impacted residents are still experiencing health effects from chemical exposure and contamination lingering from the 2023 incident, and there is still no organized healthcare guidance nor a funding source for necessary care. It is critical that everyone can access the medical support they need. The President can enact an emergency declaration or urge the HHS to declare a public health emergency to ensure treatment for short- and long-term health impacts for anyone exposed to environmental health hazards from the train derailment and its aftermath.

In 2023, both Vance and his fellow Ohio Senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, supported an emergency declaration to activate provisions under Section 1881A of the Social Security Act which allows for emergency funding to be distributed to communities affected by disasters. These funds would be a lifeline for many families here who are still grappling with health concerns, economic hardship, and ongoing cleanup efforts. Now as Vice President, Vance needs to ensure federal funds are expediently and strategically allocated to ensure the healthcare needs of our impacted community are safeguarded both in the short term and long term.

Increase funding for health research

Families in East Palestine deserve to understand the long-term health implications of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. Trusted and respected research institutions that were awarded six National Institutes of Health grants to study the short- and long-term impacts of what happened in East Palestine need prolonged funding to help us understand and address the potential health risks faced by our community. Without prolonged funding, these research studies will expire at the end of the year.

Safeguard environmental monitoring and testing

The cleanup, monitoring, and testing efforts of our town must continue for decades to ensure that our environment remains safe and habitable. Ongoing support for these efforts is crucial to the health and well-being of our community. This support should include comprehensive environmental testing of our water, land, and air. Additionally, it is essential to regularly test private wells, as they could become contaminated years from now, posing long-term health risks to residents.

Two years ago, Trump promised our community that he would do everything in his power to ensure our safety and well-being, and that he would not rest until the truth was uncovered. And Vance has repeatedly assured us of his unwavering commitment to working with organizations to ensure East Palestine gets the help it desperately needs and that those responsible are held accountable. Their efforts have given us a glimmer of hope that meaningful change can arise from this disaster.

However, we have not yet seen Trump and Vance’s promises turn into action. And we still face a daunting journey ahead in terms of public health, economic recovery, and environmental cleanup. But with the right federal support, I am confident we can implement a comprehensive plan to protect those affected.

Our community demands answers and results, not more excuses. President Trump and Vice President Vance must step up and get East Palestine back on track and set a precedent for how the federal government should support an American community.

source https://time.com/7211943/two-years-disaster-east-palestine/

Arab Nations Reject Trump’s Idea to Relocate Palestinians From Gaza to Egypt and Jordan

CAIRO — Powerful Arab nations on Saturday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.

Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League released a joint statement rejecting any plans to move Palestinians out of their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Trump floated the idea last month, saying he would urge the leaders of Jordan and Egypt to take in Gaza’s now largely homeless population, so that “we just clean out that whole thing.” He added that resettling most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million could be temporary or long term. Some Israel officials had raised the transfer idea early in the war.

“It’s literally a demolition site right now,” Trump said, referring to the vast destruction caused by Israel’s 15-month war with Hamas, now paused by a fragile ceasefire.

The Arab statement warned that such plans “threaten the region’s stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples.”

The statement followed a meeting in Cairo of top diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official who serves as the main liaison with Israel, and Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.

They said they were looking forward to working with the Trump administration to “achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution,” according to the statement.

They called for the international community to help “plan and implement” a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza to ensure that Palestinians stay on their land.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi rejected Trump’s suggestion in a news conference last week, saying that he transfer of Palestinians “can’t ever be tolerated or allowed.”

“The solution to this issue is the two-state solution. It is the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he said. “The solution is not to remove the Palestinian people from their place. No.”

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also said that his country’s opposition to Trump’s idea was “firm and unwavering.”

Egypt and Jordan, along with the Palestinians, worry that Israel would never allow them to return to Gaza once they have left. Egypt and Jordan also fear the impact any such influx of refugees would have on their struggling economies as well as the stability of their governments.

Jordan already is home to more than 2 million Palestinians. Egypt has warned of security implications of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza.

Both countries were the first to make peace with Israel but they support the creation of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories that Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War.

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source https://time.com/7212071/arab-nations-reject-trump-idea-relocate-palestinians-gaza-egypt-jordan/