Donald Trump announced that effective Saturday, he would impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent tariffs on goods from China, potentially setting up rapid price increases for American consumers. The president suggested he might mitigate the impact on oil imports with a reduced rate.
Trump aims to use tariffs as leverage to encourage those countries to take more action against illegal immigration and the smuggling of chemicals used in fentanyl production.
“Starting tomorrow, those tariffs will be in place,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier Friday. “These are promises made and promises kept by the president.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later, Trump stated that there was nothing the three countries could do to stop the tariffs from taking effect on Saturday. The president also mentioned that he intended to evaluate tariffs on the European Union, as well as sectoral levies on oil, gas, steel, aluminum, copper, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors.
Trump conceded that the tariffs could lead to short-term disruption, admitting that some costs are passed on to consumers. He also stated that he is not worried about how the market will react to this decision.
Key Points
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White House says tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China will begin tomorrow
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Trump repeats 100% tariffs threat to Brics nations
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Canada and Mexico brace for new Trump tariffs as Saturday deadline nears
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DEI was condemning U.S. to hell, Trump says
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How Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could impact American consumers
Judge blocks Trump from freezing federal funding
23:00 , Reuters
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from freezing federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance at the urging of Democratic state attorneys general who said it would jeopardize critical government-funded services.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, came at the behest of Democratic attorneys generals from 22 states and the District of Columbia and despite the White House saying it was rescinding Monday’s memo from its budget office detailing the policy.
McConnell said evidence showed the policy remained in effect despite the rescission of the Office of Management and Budget’s “wide-ranging, all-encompassing, and ambiguous” directive, which he said was in “name-only” and possibly done to frustrate a legal challenge.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped lead the litigation, hailed the decision, saying it would “block the White House’s chaotic pause on federal funding.”
McConnell issued a temporary restraining order preventing the administration from pausing assistance to the states and barred the Trump administration for reissuing the OMB directive under any other name.
The order, which is in effect pending a further ruling from McConnell, comes after a judge in Washington, D.C., issued a shorter administrative stay pausing the policy in response to a separate legal challenge by several nonprofit groups. A hearing in the Washington case is scheduled for Monday.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Watch: Trump claims tariffs don’t cause inflation — they cause success
22:45 , Oliver O’Connell
…and concedes, “there could be some temporary short-term disruption, and people will understand that.”
ANALYSIS: This was the week Trump’s honeymoon ended
22:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Eric Garcia writes:
Every president enjoys a “honeymoon phase,” with some lasting longer than others. Barack Obama had a relatively long one amid the euphoria of the United States electing its first Black president, but those feelings began to dissipate toward the summer amid the Great Recession. Joe Biden’s lasted until the U.S. exit from Afghanistan and inflation began to hit Americans’ pocketbooks.
But Trump already seems to show signs of weakness.
Read on…
This was the week Trump’s honeymoon ended
Watch LIVE: Trump returns to Mar-a-Lago as he imposes higher tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China
22:27 , Oliver O’Connell
Watch: Trump asked about tariffs on EU, replies ‘absolutely’
22:25 , Oliver O’Connell
Retribution fears grow as Trump rocks FBI by telling senior officials to resign or be fired
22:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Top officials at the FBI have been told to retire or be fired in the next few days as fears brew within the nation’s top law enforcement agency over the possible appointment of Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the new director.
More than 20 heads of FBI field offices, including in Miami and Washington D.C., have been told to leave the agency, according to NBC News. Top executives have been told they would be demoted or reassigned if they choose to stay. The executives are in charge of criminal, national security, and cyber probes. Since they’re civil servants, they cannot be fired without cause.
Gustaf Kilander explains what’s happening.
Trump rocks FBI by telling senior officials to resign or be fired
Watch: Trump says he will reduce tariff on Canadian crude from 25%
22:14 , Oliver O’Connell
Watch: Trump says tariffs on oil and gas coming in mid-February
22:13 , Oliver O’Connell
Wall St ends lower as White House says Trump to implement tariffs
22:06 , Reuters
U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday, with indexes losing ground after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump will implement on Saturday tariffs of 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on Chinese goods.
Investors have been bracing for further tariff news after Trump has repeatedly warned about using the measure. Uncertainty over the impact of tariffs has muddled the outlook for the economy and inflation.
“I would have thought the market would be down more,” said Rick Meckler, partner at Cherry Lane Investments, a family investment office in New Vernon, New Jersey. “It’s not just the announcement itself, which I think probably impacts a select number of industries. It’s whatever retaliation moves are taken.”
Stocks turned lower on Friday afternoon after the White House said the tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China would take effect on Saturday.
After the closing bell, Trump said he expects his administration to impose tariffs related to oil and gas around Feb. 18. But he did not name a specific country to which the tariffs would apply or specify any more details about the plans.
How Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could impact American consumers
22:03 , Ariana Baio
Oil, toys, vegetables and electronics are just some of the items imported to the U.S. from Mexico, Canada and China that could soon cost Americans more under Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs.
Trump announced he will implement a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico for all imported goods. China, meanwhile, will face face an additional 10 percent tariff. Trump says the additional charges are part of an effort to curtail “crime and drugs” coming into the U.S. and slow the number of illegal border crossings.
Though tariffs are designed to promote domestic production and purchasing by taxing imported goods, the increase in cost typically falls on consumers, not foreign governments. Numerous economic experts have warned that Trump’s tariffs on goods from those three countries could lead to price spikes and inflation – a concern shared by many voters who said they backed Trump.
The U.S. imports a host of goods from Canada, Mexico and China directly as well as supplies for products made in America. Here Here’s what resources, materials or products come from those countries:
How Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could impact U.S. consumers
Pentagon strips travel reimbursement for troops seeking abortions, fertility treatment
22:00 , AP
The Defense Department will no longer reimburse service members for travel out of state to get reproductive health care, including abortions and fertility treatments, according to a new memo.
The directive signed this week eliminates a rarely used Biden administration policy enacted in October 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and more states began to impose increased abortion restrictions.
Signed on Wednesday by Jeffrey Register, the director of the Pentagon’s human resources department, the memo simply shows red lines crossing out the previous regulation and offers no other guidance.
Continue reading…
Pentagon strips travel reimbursement for troops seeking abortions, fertility treatment
Fed employees ordered to remove pronouns from email signature and urged to find ‘higher productivity jobs’
21:45 , Oliver O’Connell
Federal employees are beginning to see the impacts of Donald Trump’s executive orders on gender and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as facing continued pressure to accept buyouts and resign from the government later this year.
On Thursday, as their agency worked to investigate a catastrophic plane crash between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter outside of Washington, employees of the Federal Aviation Administration were reportedly among government workers who got an email encouraging them to quit and find a “higher productivity” job.
Josh Marcus reports.
Federal workers told to axe pronouns from emails and find ‘higher productivity jobs’
Rubio confirms Trump’s intentions to buy Greenland are genuine: ‘This is not a joke’
21:30 , Oliver O’Connell
President Donald Trump’s new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed during a Thursday interview that the commander-in-chief’s intentions to buy Greenland from Denmark are genuine and “not a joke.”
Rubio, a former Florida senator, told SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly that Trump’s desire to purchase the Arctic autonomous territory is based on national security concerns for the U.S. and the rest of the world as China increases its activities in the region.
“This is not a joke, like what he’s saying is pretty accurate. People have been talking about it for years,” Rubio said.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
‘This is not a joke’: Rubio confirms Trump’s intentions to buy Greenland are genuine
Trump to meet with Japanese PM nest week
21:18 , Oliver O’Connell
Fox News removes pro-DEI language from job postings
21:16 , Oliver O’Connell
Fox News quickly scrubbed language from its open job listings showing its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives after media reporter Oliver Darcy asked the network about the contradiction between its corporate embrace of diversity and Fox’s on-air hosts’ demonization of DEI.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Fox News removes pro-DEI language from job postings after reporter’s inquiry
Trump lays out tariff plan in Oval Office
21:11 , Oliver O’Connell
President Donald Trump has been laying out his plan to impose tariffs to White House pool reporters in the Oval Office.
He said that nothing can be done at this point by China, Mexico and Canada to head off tariffs he will impose on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Further, he said that tariffs on oil and gas will come later this month, per CBS News.
There will also be sectoral tariffs on semiconductor chips, steel, aluminum, and pharmaceuticals, Bloomberg reports.
Watch: ‘We don’t need to traumatize air traffic controllers. We need to hire more, train more’
21:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Watch: Stephen Miller melts down during Fox News interview over spending freezes.
20:58 , Justin Baragona
What is DEI, the diversity scheme Trump blames for DC air crash?
20:45 , Madeline Sherratt
Since taking office on 20 January, Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government and the private sector.
While Trump’s orders have been celebrated by some supporters and allies, they have been criticized by advocacy groups who say they might deepen inequities and undo decades of progress made to enshrine civil rights protections for marginalized groups.
On Thursday, the president baselessly tried to blame the Washington DC plane crash that has killed 67 people on DEI diversity measures.
Below we look at what DEI is and what the president has said about it.
What is DEI? The diversity scheme Trump is blaming for Washington DC crash
Trudeau: Canada ready with ‘forceful and immediate response’ to U.S. tariffs
20:33 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump admin moving to fire FBI agents involved in Trump investigations, AP sources say
20:13 , AP
Trump administration officials are moving to fire FBI agents engaged in investigations involving President Donald Trump in the coming days, two people familiar with the plans said Friday.
It was not clear how many agents might be affected, but officials acting at the direction of the administration were working to identify individual agents who could be terminated, said the people who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Among the politically explosive investigations involving Trump over the last four years are inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his hoarding of classified documents, as well as hundreds of criminal cases against rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment, and an FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The terminations would be a major blow to the historic independence of the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency and would reflect Trump’s determination to bend the law enforcement and intelligence community to his will.
Watch LIVE: President Trump signs more Executive Orders before departing for Mar-a-Lago
20:03 , Oliver O’Connell
Chuck Todd officially announces departure from NBC News after 17 years
19:45 , Oliver O’Connell
Former Meet the Press anchor Chuck Todd told NBC News staff on Friday that he was leaving the network he’s made home for nearly two decades.
In his letter to colleagues Friday, he hinted that he would be working on several new projects after leaving the network.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Chuck Todd officially announces departure from NBC News after 17 years
Canadian officials to meet with border czar over tariffs, report says
19:39 , Oliver O’Connell
CNN reports that Canadian officials are expected to meet Friday with White House border czar Tom Homan to negotiate a deal that would prevent the imposition of proposed 25 percent tariffs on goods crossing the border from Canada.
The network’s reporting cites two sources familiar with the meeting. Immigration and fentanyl trafficking are among the issues likely to be addressed.
A delegation of senior Canadian officials has spent several days in Washington, meeting with various administration officials to try to prevent the implementation of 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods, which President Donald Trump has stated will take effect on February 1.
On the eve of that deadline, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the deadline for tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China remained firm.
New York doctor indicted for prescribing abortion pill in Louisiana
19:27 , AP
A New York doctor was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury on Friday for allegedly prescribing an abortion pill online in the Deep South state, which has one of the strictest near-total abortion bans in the country.
Grand jurors at the District Court for the Parish of West Baton Rouge issued an indictment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter; her company, Nightingale Medical, PC; and a third person. All three were charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs, a felony.
The case appears to be the first instance of criminal charges against a doctor accused of sending abortion pills to another state, at least since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and opened the door for states to have strict anti-abortion laws.
Carpenter was also sued by the Texas attorney general in December under similar allegations of sending pills to that state. That case did not involve criminal charges.
Mark Robinson announces he won’t run for Senate in 2026; ditches CNN lawsuit
19:15 , Oliver O’Connell
Former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, who ran for governor in 2024, has announced that he will not seek public office in the future and that he’s dropping a lawsuit against CNN for the network’s reporting on comments he made on a porn site.
Robinson wrote on X on Friday that he was sharing “an important life update” and that he and his family were “turning the page.”
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Mark Robinson announces he won’t run for Senate in 2026 as he ditches CNN lawsuit
Trump’s claims about air crash helicopter came from conversations with investigators, White House says
19:07 , Andrew Feinberg
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that President Donald Trump’s claim that the Army H-60 helicopter involved in a fatal collision Wednesday night had been flying too high was based on conversations with investigators.
Earlier in the day, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to state that the doomed aircraft was “far above” the 200-foot ceiling under which helicopters are supposed to operate in the busy airspace near Reagan Washington National Airport.
Asked whether Trump was making his comments based on information gleaned from the investigation into the crash, Leavitt replied: “The president based that statement on truth, because it is truth and it’s fact, and it was relayed to him by the authorities who are overseeing the investigation into this horrific plane collision.”
She added that Trump “continues to be briefed on the collision by everybody across his cabinet,” including his defense and transportation secretaries as well as the head of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Full story: White House stresses 25% tariffs start tomorrow on Mexico and Canada, despite reports
19:00 , Oliver O’Connell
President Donald Trump will enact tariffs on imports from Mexico,Canada and China starting Saturday– despite reports claiming the administration was looking for more targeted measures.
Ariana Baio reports.
White House stresses 25% tariffs start tomorrow on Mexico and Canada despite reports
Watch: Dow drops 200 points on news of tariffs
18:53 , Oliver O’Connell
Watch: White House fails to assure employment protections for disabled Americans
18:49 , Oliver O’Connell
Will CBS News’ parent company settle Trump’s ‘frivolous’ 60 Minutes lawsuit to secure huge merger?
18:45 , Oliver O’Connell
Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, is currently in discussions with Donald Trump’s legal team about settling the president’s $10 billion lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview that the network says is “completely without merit,” and legal experts have labeled “frivolous and dangerous.”
The possibility of a settlement, first reported by The New York Times, comes as Paramount looks to complete a merger with Skydance Media. This deal requires regulatory approval from the FCC, which is now led by Trump-appointed Brendan Carr. Carr, meanwhile, has already indicated that the 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris would be part of the agency’s review of the merger.
Any settlement would be seen as effectively bending the knee to the president, especially at a time when Trump and his allies have relished the opportunity to use the federal government to punish his media critics.
Justin Baragona has the full story.
Will CBS News’ parent company settle Trump’s ‘frivolous’ 60 Minutes lawsuit?
Watch: White House deflects from question on tariffs and US consumer prices
18:44 , Oliver O’Connell
White House says tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China will begin tomorrow
18:24 , Oliver O’Connell
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The president will be implementing tomorrow 25 percent tariffs on Canada, 25 percent tariffs on Mexico, and 10 percent tariffs on China… Promises made, promises kept.”
Leavitt denied a Reuters report that the tariffs would be delayed until March 1, calling it “false.”
Here’s that moment:
Watch: Tim Kaine says Trump has ‘anti-safety agenda’
18:23 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump tariffs: Expensive avocados — just in time for the Super Bowl
18:15 , AP
For American consumers still exasperated by high grocery prices, a trade war with Canada and Mexico could be painful. In 2023, the U.S. bought more than $45 billion in agricultural products from Mexico –including 63% of imported vegetables and 47% of fruits and nuts. Farm imports from Canada came to $40 billion. A 25% tariff could push prices up.
“Grocery stores operate on really tiny margins,’’ Lincicome said. “They can’t eat the tariffs … especially when you talk about things like avocados that basically all of them – 90% — come from Mexico. You’re talking abut guacamole tariffs right before the Super Bowl.’’
U.S. farmers are nervous, too, that Canada and Mexico will retaliate by slapping tariffs on American products such as soybeans and corn. That’s what happened in the first Trump administration. China and other targets of Trump tariffs hit back by targeting the president’s supporters in rural America. Exports of soybeans and other farm products dropped, so Trump spent billions of U.S. taxpayer money to reimburse farmers for lost sales.
“President Trump was as good as his word,’’ said Mark McHargue, a Central City, Nebraska, farmer who grows corn, soybeans, popcorn and raises hogs. “It did take the sting out of it. That’s for sure.’’ But he would prefer to see the government push to open foreign markets to American farm exports. “We would rather get our money from the market,’’ said McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. “It doesn’t feel great to get a government check.’’
Watch LIVE: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds first White House briefing following DC plane crash
18:04 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump tariffs: Higher prices at the pump
18:00 , AP
Canada is by far America’s biggest foreign supplier of crude oil. From January through November last year, Canada shipped the U.S. $90 billion worth of crude, well ahead of No. 2 Mexico at $11 billion.
For many U.S. refineries, there’s not much choice. Canada produces the “type of crude oil that American refineries are geared to process,’’ Lincicome said. “It’s a heavier crude. All the fracking and all the oil and gas we make here in the United States – or most of it – is a lighter crude that a lot of American refineries don’t process, particularly in the Midwest.’’
Trump said Thursday that he hasn’t yet decided whether to include Canadian and Mexico oil in the tariffs he still plans to impose Saturday.
If he did tax Canadian oil imports, Lincicome said, “How the heck does that shake out? My guess is that it shakes out just through higher gas prices, particularly in the Midwest.’’ TD Economics figures that Trump’s tariffs could push up U.S. gasoline prices by 30 cents to 70 cents a gallon.
Watch: Murphy slams Trump over DEI air crash claims, suggests coverup
17:59 , Oliver O’Connell
Senator Chris Murphy has slammed Donald Trump’s response to the air crash in Washington, D.C. and said the president is “vulnerable” and deflecting attention away from an FAA “in chaos since he took over.”
Trump tariffs: A ‘grenade’ lobbed into auto production
17:45 , AP
For decades, auto companies have built supply chains that cross the borders of the United States, Mexico and Canada. More than one in five of the cars and light trucks sold in the United States were built in Canada or Mexico, according to S&P Global Mobility. In 2023, the United States imported $69 billion worth of cars and light trucks from Mexico – more than any other country — and $37 billion from Canada. Another $78 billion in auto parts came from Mexico and $20 billion from Canada. The engines in Ford F-series pickups and the iconic Mustang sports coupe, for instance, come from Canada.
“You have engines and car seats and other things that cross the border multiple times before going into a finished vehicle,’’ said Cato’s Lincicome. “You have American parts going to Mexico to be put into vehicles that are then shipped back to the United States.
“You throw 25% tariffs into all that, and it’s just a grenade.’’
In a report Tuesday, S&P Global Mobility reckoned that “importers are likely to pass most, if not all, of this (cost) increase to consumers.’’ TD Economics notes that average U.S. car prices could rise by around $3,000 – this at a time when the average new car already goes for $50,000 and the average used car for $26,000, according to Kelley Blue Book.
What goods get more expensive for US consumers because of Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada?
17:30 , Oliver O’Connell
President Donald Trump said this week that tariffs on U.S. neighbors Canada and Mexico will arrive Saturday. The two nations are not only close geographically, but economically as well.
The business between the North American nations now exceeds China, totaling $1.8 trillion in 2023. That is far greater than the $643 billion in commerce that the U.S. did with China in that same year.
Just a few imported goods that could be hit first:
– US consumers could see the average price of a car rise by approximately $3,000 as auto parts cross back and forth across both borders during vehicle assembly.
– Drivers could see gas prices at the pump increase by 30-70 cents per gallon as Canada is by far the US’s largest foreign supplier of crude oil, and Mexico is second. Trump has yet to decide whether tariffs will be applied to oil.
– US shoppers will see grocery bills jump as 63% of imported vegetables and 47% of fruits and nuts come from Mexico. That figure rises to 90% for avocadoes. Given grocery stores run at tight margins, any price increase will be passed on to consumers.
With reporting by the Associated Press
As Trump’s DEI attacks continue, federal agencies told to implement transgender bathroom ban
17:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Federal agencies have been told to implement a transgender bathroom ban, barring trans people from single-sex spaces that correspond with their gender identity.
The Trump administration ordered that the ban must be in place by Friday, also pushing agencies to fire anyone working on “gender ideology.”
The directive is part of an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order that states the government recognizes only two sexes.
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, D.C.
Federal agencies told to implement transgender bathroom ban
Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter says he’s ‘so happy’ and has ‘no regrets’
17:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Pardoned January 6 rioter Richard Barnett has said that he has “no regrets” about sitting with his feet up at then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the attack on Congress in early 2021.
“Oh man, what a great time to be alive. You know, I’m so happy I could be a part of it,” Barnett said during an appearance on the rightwing broadcaster Newsmax. “I’ve had a lot of anger issues to work through. I mean, I’ve been through hell. But I’m telling you what, I wouldn’t give it back for anything.”
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter says he’s ‘so happy’ and has ‘no regrets’
Megyn Kelly’s threat against Little House on the Prairie reboot gets response from star of orginal series
16:40 , Oliver O’Connell
Melissa Gilbert has reacted to Megyn Kelly’s recent comments about Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie reboot.
Hours after news broke that the streamer had commissioned a reboot of the Western classic, Kelly, 54, took to X/Twitter to threaten Netflix, writing: “If you wokeify Little House on the Prairie I will make it my singular mission to absolutely ruin your project.”
Gilbert, 60, who starred in the original nine-season adaptation of the book series as Laura Ingalls Wilder, later responded to The Megyn Kelly Show host in an Instagram post.
Inga Parkel reports on what she had to say.
Little House on the Prairie star responds to Megyn Kelly threat against reboot
Watch: Disabled pilot speaks out about Trump DEI attacks
16:24 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump repeats 100% tariffs threat to Brics nations
16:20 , Oliver O’Connell
President Donald Trump attempted to renew his threat against a bloc of nine nations in case they tried to undermine the US dollar.
He threatened economic retaliation if these “seemingly hostile countries” moved away from the dollar, Mr Trump said on Truth Social in a statement nearly identical to one he posted on 30 November.
The US president wrote on the social media platform: “The idea that the Brics countries are trying to move away from the dollar, while we stand by and watch, is over.”
Maroosha Muzaffar reports.
Trump renews threat to impose 100% tariff on Brics nations
Mexico’s president calls on Google to identify US as ‘América Mexicana’
16:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has blasted Google for kowtowing to Donald Trump by changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico – and wants the United States to be identified as “América Mexicana.”
Sheinbaum attacked Google after Trump unilaterally decreed last week in an executive order that the Gulf of Mexico will henceforth be known as the “Gulf of America” – and Google quickly agreed to comply on its Google maps.
Mary Papenfuss has the story.
Mexican president calls on Google to identify US as ‘América Mexicana’
DC air crash: Fox News hosts insist Trump played ‘consoler-in-chief’
15:40 , Oliver O’Connell
Immediately after President Donald Trump wrapped up a White House briefing in which he repeatedly and baselessly suggested the deadly midair crash over Washington, D.C., was the result of minorities hired through diversity initiatives, several Fox News hosts praised him for playing the role of “consoler-in-chief” to the nation.
Justin Baragona reports.
Fox News hosts say Trump played ‘consoler-in-chief’ after he linked DC crash to DEI
Exclusive: Murkowski rips Trump’s comments on disability and diversity
15:22 , Oliver O’Connell
Senator Lisa Murkowski ripped President Donald Trump’s comments blaming disability and diversity hires for the deadly American Airlines-helicopter crash.
The Alaska Republican’s attack come after Trump blamed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices for the crash near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people. Specifically, the president criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s recruitment program for people with intellectual disabilities.
Murkowski told The Independent that she felt awful for the families and everyone involved.
Here’s Eric Garcia’s report from Capitol Hill:
Lisa Murkowski rips Trump’s comments on disability and diversity
Watch: Trump asks reporter if he should swim to visit DC plane crash site
15:15 , Oliver O’Connell
Trump jokingly asks reporter if he should swim to visit DC plane crash site
COMMENT: Trump lashing out at diversity reveals a deeper truth about the president
15:04 , Oliver O’Connell
Jon Sopel writes:
When the Japanese Imperial air force wreaked havoc at Pearl Harbour in December 1941, a sombre 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, addressed the nation to conjure a “day which will live in infamy”.
When NASA’s Challenger space shuttle blew up shortly after blast-off in 1986, instantly killing the seven astronauts on board, Ronald Reagan spoke of how these brave young mean and women had “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God”.
More recently, in 2012, after the horrific murder of 20 six and seven-years-olds at Sandy Hook, an emotional Barack Obama addressed the need to “heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds”.
And on Thursday night after 67 people perished in the icy waters of the Potomac River, just a few hundred yards from the White House, Donald Trump – checks notes – blamed Diversity Equity and Inclusion policies that had led to the Federal Aviation Administration hiring people with “severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities”. There was something too about dwarves.
This, he conceded, was not based on any empirical evidence – it was his “common sense”. You could see the bewilderment of so many of the reporters who had gathered in the briefing room.
Continue reading…
Trump lashing out at diversity reveals a deeper truth about the president
Senior Treasury Department official ‘to leave’ after spat with Musk’s allies
14:39 , James Liddell
Donald Trump’s Acting Secretary of the Treasury, David A. Lebryk, is set to depart the agency after a clash with allies of Elon Musk, three people close to the matter told the Washington Post.
Lebryk, the top-ranking career official in the agency, clashed with the billionaire’s surrogate over access to sensitive payment systems used by the government, the sources said. Further details of the dispute were not immediately available.
Officials from the nongovernmental Department of Government Efficiency, which is headed up by Musk, have been asking for access to the system since after the election, according to the sources.
They said Lebryk is expected to leave the agency soon.
What is DEI?
14:18 , James Liddell
Since taking office on 20 January, Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government and the private sector.
While Trump’s orders have been celebrated by some supporters and allies, they have been criticized by advocacy groups who say they might deepen inequities and undo decades of progress made to enshrine civil rights protections for marginalized groups.
On Thursday, the president baselessly tried to blame the Washington DC plane crash that killed 67 people on DEI diversity measures.
Madeline Sherratt walks us through all things DEI.
What is DEI? The diversity scheme Trump is blaming for Washington DC crash
ANALYSIS: Trump played games with Starmer over Mandelson – but PM has card up his sleeve
14:00 , Alexander Butler
David Maddox writes:
There were sighs of relief this week when the White House finally confirmed that Donald Trump would accept the credentials of Lord Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
The threat that, for the first time ever, an ambassador between the two countries would be rejected had seemed very real with all the potential for personal humiliation on the international stage for Sir Keir Starmer.
But in reality, it now appears that the man who in 1987 wrote The Art of the Deal may have just given the British prime minister a lesson in his craft.
Continue reading…
Trump played games with Starmer over Mandelson – but PM has card up his sleeve
Trump says Black Hawk helicopter that collided with American Airlines jet was flying ‘far’ too high
13:59 , James Liddell
In an early morning Truth Social tirade, Donald Trump has once again addressed the Washington, DC collision between an American Airlines jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter – leaving all 67 passengers and crew aboard the flights feared dead.
Donald Trump has addressed the altitude that the Black Hawk helicopter was flying at before tragically colliding with an American Airlines jet on Wednesday. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)
Officials have not yet unveiled the cause of the deadly collision. But some people with knowledge of the matter admitted that the helicopter was flying 100 feet above its max altitude, according to The New York Times.
Although the military helicopter was told to fly no higher than 200 feet, it was above 300 feet and was at least a half-mile off the approved route when the crash occurred, the Times reported.
Denmark’s citizens see US as bigger threat than North Korea: poll
13:39 , James Liddell
The people of Denmark see the US as more of a threat than North Korea amid an ongoing row between the country and Donald Trump about Greenland, a poll has found.
The YouGov survey, which polled just over 1,000 people, revealed 46 percent thought the US to be either a “very big threat” or a “fairly big threat” to Denmark.
This was higher than the number who said they considered North Korea or Iran a threat – of which 44 percent and 40 percent did respectively, according to The Guardian.
Alexander Butler has the full story.
People of Denmark see US as bigger threat than North Korea amid Trump row, poll finds
Trump takes yet another swipe at FAA’s DEI practices: ‘This is why U.S. was going to HELL’
13:16 , James Liddell
Trump shared several social media posts and a New York Post article about the FAA’s approach to DEI (Donald Trump/Truth Social)
Trump’s FBI pick exasperates senators – including one of his potential targets: ‘How did we get here?’
13:00 , Alexander Butler
Trump’s FBI pick exasperates senators – including one of his potential targets
ICYMI: Vance warns Trump is ‘all gas and no brakes’
12:49 , Alexander Butler
JD Vance warned that Donald Trump is “all gas and no brakes” as he ramrods through his new agenda as the vice president sat down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity less than a week after his boss did the same.
In the interview, broadcast on Wednesday evening, the pair discussed the Trump administration’s “ambitious” efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and “regain control” over the U.S. border, as well as the efficiency of government.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Vance warns Trump is ‘all gas and no brakes’ as he talks immigration with Hannity
Why Republicans keep blaming disasters on DEI
12:45 , Alexander Butler
Why Republicans keep blaming disasters on DEI
‘You want me to go swimming?’: Trump won’t visit Washington DC plane crash site because it’s ‘the water’
12:30 , Alexander Butler
Trump won’t visit Washington DC plane crash site because it’s ‘the water’
North America braces for new Trump tariffs as Saturday deadline nears
12:15 , Alexander Butler
Companies, consumers and farmers across North America braced on Friday for U.S. President Donald Trump to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports within hours, moves that could disrupt nearly $1.6 trillion in annual trade.
Trump has set a Saturday deadline to impose the punitive duties over his demands that Canada and Mexico take stronger action to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and the deadly opioid fentanyl and precursor chemicals into the U.S.
Trump said on Thursday he still is considering an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports to punish Beijing for its part.
Industry groups were furiously seeking any scrap of information on how Trump plans to implement the tariffs — whether he would impose the full 25 per cent with immediate effect, or announce them and delay their implementation to allow some time for negotiations over steps that the countries could take.
Even immediate imposition would require two to three weeks of public notice before U.S. Customs and Border Protection could begin collections, based on past tariff actions.
Wall St gears up for fallout from likely tariffs on Canada and Mexico
11:56 , Alexander Butler
Global policymakers and Wall Street analysts have been bracing for massive trade barriers from the new Trump administration.
But it focused more on the domestic front in the first week in power, leaving the global trade landscape largely unchanged.
President Donald Trump’s tariff threats range from universal levy on imported goods to ones tailor-made for specific sectors as well as countries, and have the potential to dictate the path of inflation, economic growth and stock market performance.
He has plans to impose 25 per cent tariff on Mexico and Canada, largest trade partners of the U.S., on 1 February, saying they may be necessary as retaliation for migration and fentanyl trafficking.
Canada mainly exports crude oil and other energy products along with cars and car parts as part of the North American auto manufacturing chain. Mexico exports various goods in the industrial and auto sectors.
Watch: Flight simulator recreates final moments of Washington DC crash aircraft
11:20 , Alexander Butler
Fox News hosts blasts ‘dwarves’ after Washington plane crash
11:17 , Alexander Butler
Fox News host Jesse Watters went off on a bizarre tangent following the crash, questioning DEI policies that embolden “dwarves” and “people with transgender issues”.
“No, he is trying to set quotas for people who are deaf to get jobs, people who are dwarves to get jobs, people with transgender issues to get jobs,” he said about Biden.
Trump doubles down on baseless DEI claims
11:15 , Alexander Butler
US president Donald Trump has doubled down on his baseless claim that diversity hiring could be to blame for a tragic plane crash that killed dozens of people.
Trump ordered a review of all federal aviation hiring and safety decisions after Wednesday night’s deadly air collision near Washington that killed 67 people, Axios reported.
Footage of the horror crash showed a Black Hawk military helicopter collide with an American Airlines jet before exploding into a massive fireball.
As a massive search-and-rescue operation for survivors was underway, Trump refused to visit the site and blamed DEI policies and Joe Biden for the disaster.
He falsely claimed the US’s federal aviation regulator encouraged the hiring of those with “complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability and dwarfism”.
ANALYSIS: Tulsi Gabbard’s hopes of becoming Trump’s director of national intelligence rest in the hands of two Republican senators
09:40 , Oliver O’Connell
Eric Garcia reports on how, while Democrats grandstanded, it might be the questioning of two Republican hawks that sinks Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence…
Tulsi Gabbard’s fate rests in the hands of two Republican senators
Trump talks so much that the White House needs to hire more people to write it all down
09:20 , Oliver O’Connell
Any regular readers of this blog know this to be true.
Here’s Andrew Georgeson’s report:
Trump talks so much that the White House needs to hire more people to write it down
Tulsi Gabbard refuses to call Edward Snowden a ‘traitor’
09:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, was repeatedly asked to explain why she sought a pardon for Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents revealing the scope of the nation’s surveillance programs.
Alex Woodward reports.
Tulsi Gabbard refuses to call Edward Snowden a ‘traitor’ during confirmation hearing
RFK Jr. stunned by emotionally-charged testimony at confirmation hearing
08:30 , Oliver O’Connell
The second day of the tumultuous confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., became emotional on Thursday when New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan brought up how autism vaccine studies had impacted her family and decried claims that concerns over his nomination were driven by partisan intent.
Julia Musto has the story.
RFK Jr. stunned after emotionally-charged testimony from senator over autism claims
Will Trump’s reforms keep World Cup 2026 fans out of the US?
08:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Long visa appointment wait times combined with harsher regulations implemented by President Donald Trump could make it more difficult for soccer fans to make it to the United States next year for the World Cup.
There may be slightly less than 500 days until the U.S. hosts the 2026 World Cup, in tandem with Canada and Mexico, but that’s not enough time for soccer fans from Brazil, Colombia and Turkey to obtain tourism visas, according to global visa wait times.
Ariana Baio takes a look.
Fears that Trump reforms could keep World Cup 2026 fans out of the US
Trump lashes out at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins over air crash question
07:30 , Oliver O’Connell
President Donald Trump groused at Kaitlan Collins on Thursday after the CNN anchor pressed him on whether he was “getting ahead of the investigation” by baselessly blaming Democrats and diversity hiring initiatives for the deadly midair collision over Ronald Reagan National Airport.
During an off-the-rails White House press conference, the president repeatedly pointed the finger at DEI and his Democratic predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, for the horrific tragedy that has likely left 67 people dead after an American Airlines passenger plane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
Justin Baragona reports.
Trump lashes out at CNN anchor for asking if he’s ‘getting ahead of investigation’
