Trump Agrees to Pause Tariffs on Mexico, But Import Taxes Still in Place for Canada and China

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum put their planned tariffs on hold Monday for a month to give time for further negotiations, and Mexico said it planned to deploy 10,000 members of its national guard to address drug trafficking.

Trump’s tariffs against Canada and China were still slated to go into effect Tuesday, but uncertainty remained about the durability of any deals and whether the tariffs were a harbinger of a broader trade war, as Trump has promised more import taxes to come.

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The U.S. and Mexican leaders announced the pause after what Trump described on social media as a “very friendly conversation,” and he said he looked forward to the upcoming talks.

Trump said the talks would be headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and high-level representatives of Mexico.

“I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two Countries,” the president said.

As a condition ahead of the talks, Sheinbaum laid out changes in border policies, and Trump confirmed Mexico’s deployment of troops.

“Mexico will reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard immediately, to stop drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl,” Sheinbaum posted on X. “The United States commits to work to stop the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.”

Trump posted earlier on social media that he spoke Monday morning with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and would speak with him again at 3 p.m. Both Canada and Mexico had plans to levy their own tariffs in response to U.S. actions, but Mexico is holding off for the moment.

Trump used his social media post to repeat his complaints that Canada has been uncooperative, despite decades of friendship and partnerships that range from World War II to the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

“Canada doesn’t even allow U.S. Banks to open or do business there,” Trump posted. “What’s that all about? Many such things, but it’s also a DRUG WAR, and hundreds of thousands of people have died in the U.S. from drugs pouring through the Borders of Mexico and Canada.”

Financial markets, businesses and consumers are trying to prepare for the possibility of the new tariffs. Stock markets opened with a modest selloff, suggesting some hope that the import taxes that could push up inflation and disrupt global trade and growth would be short-lived.

But the outlook reflected a deep uncertainty about a Republican president who has talked with adoration about tariffs, even saying the U.S. government made a mistake in 1913 by switching to income taxes as its primary revenue source.

Trump said Sunday the tariffs would lift if Canada and Mexico did more to crack down on illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling, though there are no clear benchmarks. Trump also said the U.S. can no longer run a trade imbalance with its two largest trade partners.

Mexico is facing a 25% tariff, while Canada would be charged 25% on its imports to the United States and 10% on its energy products. China is facing a 10% additional tariff due to its role in the making and selling of fentanyl, the Trump White House said.

Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Monday that it was misleading to characterize the showdown as a trade war despite the planned retaliations and risk of escalation.

“Read the executive order where President Trump was absolutely, 100% clear that this is not a trade war,” Hassett said. “This is a drug war.”

But even if the orders are focused on illegal drugs, Trump’s own remarks have often been more about his perceived sense that foreign countries are ripping off the United States by running trade surpluses. On Sunday, Trump said that tariffs would be coming soon on countries in the European Union. He has discussed tariffs as both a diplomatic tool on national security issues, a way to raise revenues and a vehicle for renegotiating existing trade pacts.

Multiple economists outside the administration have warned that the tariffs would push up prices and hamper growth, with Trump himself saying there would be some short term pain after having campaigned last year on the promise that he could tame inflation.

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM, said the United States was unlikely to fall into a recession this year, but the tariffs would hurt growth and push up the cost of government borrowing, which would potentially keep the interest rates charged on mortgages and auto loans elevated.

“If there is no resolution, the impact on the U.S. economy will be significant,” he said. “Growth will slow notably from the 2.9% average over the past three years as inflation and interest rates rise. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, currently around 4.5%, could climb to a range between 4.75% and 5%.”

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Sherman reported from Mexico City.

source https://time.com/7212428/trump-agrees-pause-tariffs-mexico/

Why Some Food Additives Banned in Europe Are Still on U.S. Shelves

Walk down your grocery aisle, and you’ll spot many foods containing ingredients you won’t find in Europe. The unusual way the U.S. regulates ingredients is in the news and the hot seat right now, thanks to the recent ban of a food additive—red dye 3, an artificial dye linked to cancer in animals—and the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 30, Kennedy said that compared to Europe, the U.S. “looks at any new chemical as innocent until proven guilty.”

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“It needs to end,” he said.

Here’s what to know about some of the most controversial food additives under the microscope and why additives are regulated differently in the U.S.

Key ingredients banned in Europe but allowed in the U.S.

Titanium dioxide is used to make foods and beverages whiter and brighter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers it safe for human consumption, but it isn’t found in foods in Europe. In 2022, the European Food Safety Authority banned titanium dioxide, saying that after reviewing thousands of studies, it could no longer consider the additive safe because it has the potential to damage DNA or cause chromosomal damage.

“A chemical that builds up in the body and could harm the immune and nervous systems should not be in candies and treats marketed to children,” says Melanie Benesh, vice president of governmental affairs at Environmental Working Group (EWG), which filed a petition to the FDA in 2023 asking it to ban titanium dioxide.

In the U.S., it’s still found in many confections, including Sour Patch Kids watermelon candies, Hostess chocolate cupcakes and Hostess powdered Donettes, Friendly’s cake singles birthday cake ice cream, Zweet sour belts, and Skittles.

Read More: Should You Eat More Protein?

Potassium bromate is another ingredient banned in the U.K. and many other countries around the world—including Canada, Brazil, and Argentina—but allowed in the U.S. in certain quantities. It has been linked to cancer in humans as well as gut problems, and was listed to be “potentially carcinogenic to humans” in 1999 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is used to improve the texture of dough and bread, and in the U.S., it’s still found in some breads (such as soft heroes from A&M Bronx Baking), frozen pizzas (like Imo’s Pepperoni), and baked goods.

Added to products to extend their shelf life, propylparaben is linked in animals to hormone disruption. Since 2006, it’s been illegal to use it as a food additive in Europe. But in the U.S., it’s a listed ingredient in bread and bakery products , including Chi-Chi’s white corn tortillas and red decorating icing from Great Value, Walmart’s generic brand.

How the U.S. uniquely regulates additives

The U.S. has a very different approach to regulating additives than many other countries, says Thomas Galligan, principal scientist for food additives at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group.

“The E.U. says that if they can’t dismiss the possibility of harm, they can’t find an additive safe,” Galligan says. In the U.S., the bar is much lower; companies can add new ingredients to their foods without even informing the FDA. “In the U.S., it feels like the FDA is waiting to act until harm is definitely proven,” says Galligan.

Read More: Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?

Companies that include these additives in their products defend their safety. Mars Wrigley, which manufactures Skittles, said in a statement to TIME that all of its ingredients are safe and manufactured in strict compliance with safety requirements established by regulators including the FDA. J.M. Smucker, which owns Hostess, said that titanium dioxide is a common ingredient approved by the FDA and that its products follow the FDA regulations that the quantity of titanium not exceed 1% of the weight of the food. And Walmart, which produces Great Value products like the red icing containing propylparaben, said that food and safety is always its top priority. Several companies did not return requests for comment, including Mondelez, which owns the company that makes Sour Patch Kids; Brix Holdings, which owns Friendly’s; Zweet Shop, which makes Zweet’s; and Hormel, which owns Chi-Chi’s. A&M Bronx Baking and Imo’s also did not return requests for comment.

The FDA said it could not provide comment because the Department of Health and Human Services has issued “a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health.”

How additives sneak their way into the food supply

The presence of so many additives illuminates what many experts see as a concerning lack of oversight of chemicals in food. When the FDA is considering regulation on a food additive, it will invite public comment, seeking input from scientists, academics, and companies. But for many food additives, companies don’t have to seek that public comment or even specific FDA approval to add new chemicals to their foods.

It can instead convene its own panel to declare the additive as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. The company can either notify the FDA that it is adding the chemical, or skip that process and just begin adding it because the panel that it hired deemed it safe. The Government Accountability Office criticized this process in 2010, saying that the FDA “does not help ensure the safety of all new GRAS determinations.” And one study reviewing 403 GRAS notices found that companies often used the same small group of people to make these determinations.

GRAS arose out of a Congressional bill from 1958, but the term was intended for everyday substances like flour or vegetable oil that were frequently used as additives. Galligan worries that there are GRAS substances currently in use that could be contributing to diseases in a way scientists don’t yet know about. “There are chemicals entering the food supply with zero oversight from the FDA,” he says. (This is in contrast to Europe, where a third-party government agency decides what food ingredients are considered safe.)

Read More: The Supplements Doctors Actually Think You Should Take

Nearly 99% of new chemicals introduced in the U.S. food supply between 2000 and 2021 came through GRAS notices, rather than FDA review, according to EWG. “That’s an enormous number,” says Benesh of EWG.

The GRAS process has gone awry before. In 2022, a company called Daily Harvest started adding a substance called tara flour to its lentil and leek crumbles product, labeling the additive GRAS. That year, nearly 400 people became sick from the product. Some people got so sick that their livers malfunctioned and they had to have their gallbladders removed. The culprit was likely tara flour—yet the FDA did not ban it until 2024. (Daily Harvest did not provide comment for this story.)

Why most additives aren’t formally approved

One reason companies may choose to label substances GRAS is that the FDA process to approve additives is relatively slow. So is its process to ban them. Red dye 3 has been banned from use in topical drugs and cosmetics since 1990, when the FDA found that the additive causes cancer in animals. 

A charitable explanation for the FDA’s slow pace is that it lacks resources, says Benesh. But there are other problems about the way the FDA reviews foods that aren’t only linked to a lack of resources, she says. 

“The E.U. made a concerted effort starting in 2010 or so to systematically go back and look through the food chemicals allowed in Europe at the time and determine if they’re still safe,” she says. “We haven’t done anything like that.” 

Signs of potential change

If Kennedy is confirmed as HHS Secretary—which oversees the FDA—he plans to alter this system. He publicly criticized GRAS during his confirmation hearing, and has said he would dramatically change the FDA. 

“The FDA allows hundreds of additives into our chemical food supply that are banned in other countries,” he said in a video posted in October promoting his Make America Healthy Again agenda. 

California is another change agent. Its ban of potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye 3, and the additive brominated vegetable oil  has forced many companies to start to reformulate their foods because it’s difficult to manufacture different foods for California than the rest of the country. And members of Congress are starting to pay attention. In Sept. 2024, Rep. Rose DeLauro from Connecticut introduced a bill, the Toxic Free Food Act, that would alter the GRAS process and require companies to submit more evidence that a food is safe before being used in products.

“There is growing awareness that the system is broken and that the food companies should not be the ones determining whether or not their products are safe,” Benesh says. 

When that awareness will reach grocery aisles is an open question.

source https://time.com/7210717/food-additives-us-fda-banned-europe/

I’m a Veteran. Trump’s Trans Military Ban Betrays Our Troops

I have served my country. For two decades, I wore the uniform of an American soldier, deployed to Afghanistan three times, and led troops in combat. I didn’t do it for politics, I did it because I believed in the values the military claims to uphold: service, integrity, and leadership. I was also the first openly transgender infantry noncommissioned officer. That distinction didn’t inherently make me a better Staff Sergeant, but neither did it make me any less capable. 

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I trained and fought for my country. And I did it all while political pundits, selling themselves as experts in military readiness without ever proving themselves under fire, sat in television studios while promoting a ban on transgender military service members.

Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender people from enlisting and serving openly in the military. Being trans, Trump writes, “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.”

Trump, who received five deferments exempting himself from military service (including a medical deferment for heel spurs) goes on to state that being trans “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”

Many transgender troops have served for years, led units in combat, carried out complex missions, and proven themselves under extreme pressure. The loudest voices against us are often those who have not served alongside us. They don’t see the daily discipline, sacrifices, and absolute commitment to the mission that transgender service members demonstrate every single day.

The truth is, those calling for a trans military ban hide behind rhetoric about “standards” without understanding that every transgender person currently serving has met them. The military doesn’t lower the bar for anyone—certainly not for us. If anything, we’ve had to clear it while dragging extra weight. Every trans service member has had to prove themselves twice: first to meet the standards of their chosen branch, and again just to justify their continued existence within it. We have done so, over and over again, while others question whether we belong.

The betrayal of transgender service members

Trump’s executive order, which he signed on January 27, 2025 doesn’t just reinstate his previous trans military ban—it goes further. It asserts that transgender service members “undermine unit cohesion” and lack “honesty, humility, and integrity.” These insults are especially disrespectful towards the transgender Americans who have raised their right hand and sworn to serve this country and who have done so with the highest levels of professionalism.

Transgender service members (such as myself) have commanded units, trained recruits, and carried out missions under fire. Many have served through multiple deployments, all while hearing slurs and lies about who they are from their own elected leaders.

The transgender soldiers I’ve worked with—and the airmen, sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and even Guardians—have demonstrated courage in the face of difficulty, grace in the face of insult, and integrity in living who they truly are every day. They are professionals, they are leaders, and they are damn good at their jobs.

A purge disguised as policy

The 2017 ban didn’t result in immediate discharges; it simply made service so untenable that transgender troops were forced out over time. This new policy is even more aggressive. It blocks enlistments, restricts access to medically necessary care, and limits reenlistment opportunities. This isn’t about ensuring readiness; it’s about making life unbearable for those already serving.

Let’s be clear: this is an attrition strategy. President Trump knows that if he can’t legally discharge transgender troops outright, he can create enough barriers to force them out. Indeed, it appears that Trump’s overarching strategy is to erase transgender people.

This executive order isn’t just about military service—it’s part of a much broader effort to push transgender people out of public life entirely. It’s connected to bans on gender-affirming care, restrictions on legal recognition, and attempts to erase trans people from schools, healthcare, and government protections. The military is just one front in a larger war against transgender existence.

We’ve seen this before. The same politicians pushing this ban are the ones backing anti-trans laws in state legislatures, trying to control how we access medical care, where we can exist, and even what words we can use to describe ourselves. This is about power, not policy. It’s an attempt to force transgender people out of spaces where they have already proven they belong.

The reality of transgender military members

Trump framed his ban on trans military members as a matter of “readiness.” However, the RAND Corporation has already debunked the myth that transgender service members harm readiness. Their research, commissioned by the Pentagon itself, found that allowing transgender individuals to serve had no negative impact on unit cohesion or operational effectiveness.

Financially, the argument against transgender service members falls apart. The cost of gender-affirming care represents a tiny fraction of the military’s overall healthcare budget—far less than what is spent annually on other common treatments like erectile dysfunction medications. Gender-affirming care is healthcare, and it helps ensure that all troops, regardless of gender identity, are able to perform at their best.

Blocking this care hurts retention and readiness. Transgender troops who are denied healthcare won’t just leave the military—they’ll leave with service-connected medical conditions that the Department of Veterans Affairs will still have to treat. It’s a short-sighted policy that creates long-term financial and strategic consequences.

When I scheduled my first transgender-related surgery, I planned it around my unit’s operations. I was in 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment. I scheduled my surgery the Friday after Thanksgiving, knowing that our unit was on holiday leave during Christmas and our training calendar was clear. I recovered during the lowest operational tempo of the year, and by the time my unit resumed training in February, I was back at full capacity.

This is how transgender service members operate. We don’t put ourselves above the mission. We can schedule our care responsibly, return to duty as soon as possible, and continue to meet the same physical, mental, and leadership standards expected of any service member. Trump’s assertion that we lack integrity is not just offensive—it’s demonstrably false.

Trump’s trans military ban is bigger than the military. It’s about whether we, as a country, believe that America is a place where anyone willing to sacrifice for it can belong.

To every service member reading this: Keep doing your job. Show up, lead, and prove others wrong, just like we’ve always done. And to everyone else: Pay attention. The fight over this ban is about more than just military policy—it’s about whether trans people have the right to exist in public life.

Transgender service members don’t just serve, we lead. We are as capable, as effective, and as lethal as anyone else. And we aren’t going anywhere.

source https://time.com/7211956/veteran-trumps-trans-military-ban-betrays-troops/

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/