Trump’s trade war draws swift retaliation as Mexico, Canada and China impose tariffs on the US
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s trade war against America’s three biggest trading partners drew immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China. The president’s latest tariffs also sent financial markets into a tailspin Tuesday as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business. Just after midnight, Trump imposed 25% taxes on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy. Trump also doubled the tariff he slapped last month on Chinese products to 20%. Beijing retaliated with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. Canada planned to put tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods.
The Latest: Mexico and Canada retaliate against Trump’s tariffs
President Donald Trump’s launched a trade war Tuesday against America’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin. Also, Trump will stand before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday to give an accounting of his turbulent first weeks in office as a divided nation struggles to keep pace, with some Americans fearing for the country’s future while others are cheering him on.
Zelenskyy calls his Oval Office spat with Trump ‘regrettable’ and says he’s ready to work for peace
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says last week’s Oval Office blowup with U.S. President Donald Trump was “regrettable,” and he adds: “It is time to make things right.” His remarks came hours after the White House announced a pause on military aid to Ukraine. In a social media post on X, Zelenskyy said Friday’s White House meeting “did not go the way it was supposed to be.” He added that ”it is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.” He said Ukraine is ready to sign a deal on its rare-earth minerals and security with Washington.
Trump will stand before Congress and offer divided nation an accounting of his turbulent first weeks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Democrats are declining to attend President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Rep. Gerry Connolly is from Virginia, a state hit hard by the Republican president’s federal employee firings. Connolly says he’s never missed a speech but the challenges demand “more than sitting in a chamber” Tuesday night listening as if Trump is not “unleashing chaos and cruelty” on people’s lives. Many Democratic lawmakers plan to wear blue and yellow ties and scarves to show support for Ukraine. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas wore a blue and yellow tie Tuesday and accused Trump and Vice President JD Vance of “bullying” Ukraine’s leader. The White House says Trump’s theme is “renewal of the American dream.”
Arab leaders endorse a counterproposal to Trump’s Gaza plan, with ceasefire uncertain
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi says Arab leaders have endorsed Egypt’s postwar plan for the Gaza Strip that would allow its roughly 2 million Palestinians to remain in the territory. Meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, the leaders endorsed a counterproposal to President Donald Trump’s plan to depopulate the territory and redevelop it as a beach destination. It was unclear if Israel or the United States would accept the Egyptian plan. The summit hosted by Egypt included the emir of Qatar, the vice president of the United Arab Emirates and the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia — countries whose support is crucial for any postwar plan.
Pope stable with no new respiratory crises but will sleep with ventilation mask, Vatican says
ROME (AP) — The Vatican says Pope Francis is in stable condition and breathing with just the help of supplemental oxygen after respiratory crises a day earlier. But he will resume using a ventilation mask at night. In its late update Tuesday, the Vatican said Francis had no further respiratory episodes during a day spent praying, resting and undergoing respiratory physiotherapy. Doctors said that they would put the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask back on him while he sleeps, but that during the day he was only using high flows of supplemental oxygen. Doctors said his prognosis remains guarded, meaning he is not out of danger.
Two suicide bombings at a military base in Pakistan kill at least 9 people and injure 25
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Two suicide bombings at a military base in northwest Pakistan have killed at least nine people and injured 25. Officials say attackers launched the two suicide bombings to breach a wall at the base while others stormed the compound and were repelled. A group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in Bannu, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and said dozens of security forces were killed. The military did not immediately confirm any casualties. Bannu District Hospital said four of the dead were children. The victims lived close to the facility.
Robert Clark, Mississippi’s first Black lawmaker after Civil Rights era, dies at 96
LEXINGTON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s first Black lawmaker of the 20th century died Tuesday. Robert G. Clark’s son and successor, state Rep. Bryant Clark, said his father died at home in Holmes County. Robert Clark was a teacher and coach before he won a seat in the legislature in 1967. He was initially ostracized — no white lawmaker would sit with him in the House chamber or at official dinners. But he rose to the second-highest leadership role in the statehouse, House speaker pro tempore, in 1992. He held onto that job for a dozen years before retiring in 2004.
Powerful US storms bring threats ranging from critical fire weather to blizzard conditions
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Powerful storms were threatening communities across the country with weather ranging from fire in the Southern High Plains to blizzards in the Midwest. Forecasts on Tuesday also predicted dust storms in the southwest, tornadoes in the South and blizzard conditions in the Central Plains, and were forcing some changes to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The storms are among the first big tests for meteorologists at the National Weather Service after hundreds of forecasters were fired under President Donald Trump. New Orleans moved up its two biggest Mardi Gras Day parades and cut down their routes to try to avoid the potentially destructive weather.
NASA’s two stuck astronauts are finally closing in on their return to Earth after 9 months in space
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts are just a few weeks away from finally returning to Earth after nine months in space. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spoke with reporters Tuesday from the International Space Station. The two test pilots flew to the space station last June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule, expecting to be gone just a week or so. But the Starliner had so many problems that NASA ruled it too dangerous to carry anyone and it flew back empty. Wilmore and Williams will return home on SpaceX soon after their replacements arrive at the space station next week.