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The European Commission and Canada have both issued retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s trade war
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Senate Democrats are refusing to back the GOP spending bill that could fund the government through September, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday.
This means a government shutdown could be imminent as this weekend’s funding deadline approaches. Schumer has instead endorsed a shorter-term measure proposed by Democrats that could also avoid a shutdown.
“Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their continuing resolution without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats,” Schumer said.
Earlier this week, House Republicans voted to advance the funding measure to the Senate. Representative Thomas Massie was the sole Republican to vote against it.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on all U.S. steel and aluminum imports are now in effect, intensifying a campaign to reshape global trade that has already prompted quick retaliation from Europe.
The European Commission responded immediately, saying it would impose counter-tariffs on $28 billion worth of American goods from next month. The countries most affected by the levies are Canada – the biggest foreign supplier to the U.S. – Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. On Wednesday morning, Canada responded with C$29.8 million ($20 billion) in retaliatory duties on U.S. products.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., says that vaccinating the nation’s poultry flocks against pervasive H5N1 bird flu could turn them into “mutation factories.”
“All of my agencies advise against vaccination of birds, because if you vaccinate with a leaky vaccine, in other words a vaccine that does not provide sterilizing immunity, that does not absolutely protect against the disease, you turn those flocks into mutation factories,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “They’re teaching the organism how to mutate.”
Julia Musto has the story.
The Trump administration is halting a $1 billion program that helps preserve affordable housing, threatening projects that keep tens of thousands of units livable for low-income Americans, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
The action is part of a slew of cuts and funding freezes at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, largely at the direction of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency, that have rattled the affordable-housing industry.
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Conservative Political Action Conference host Mercedes Schlapp suggested on Tuesday night that the Trump administration should “deport” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) alongside Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, even though Tlaib is an American-born citizen.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Five years after the devastating and deadly effects of the Covid pandemic swept the U.S., most Americans say they they still trust information from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of the more than 1,000 adult participants, 57 percent reported that they have a fair amount or great deal of trust in information provided by the NIH, according to a Tuesday survey from Axios and Ipsos. And, 40 percent do not trust the institute.
Julia Musto reports.
Donald Trump’s administration has taken a Ukrainian proposal for a 30-day truce with Russia to Vladimir Putin for consideration.
After months of Mr Trump blaming Ukraine for being the obstacle to peace despite Russia’s sole role as the aggressor, Washington says the ball is now in Moscow’s court.
Ukraine hopes this will show that it has always been Russia that is the one in the way of peace.
Tom Watling reports.
Red states may be hardest hit when the European Union retaliates against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The E.U. has said it will issue retaliatory tariffs in two phases, with the first wave taking effect on April 1, affecting 8 billion euros worth of goods. A 99-page list of products that may be taxed by the second wave of tariffs — which goes into effect on April 13 and targets 18 billion euros worth of goods — has already been made public. In total, over the two phases, the E.U. will impose 26 billion euros worth of additional tariffs.
Gustaf Kilander looks at which goods might be hit:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has a 72 percent approval rating, a new Ipsos poll commissioned by The Economist finds.
This further rebukes President Donald Trump’s misleading claim last month that the Ukrainian leader has just a 4 percent approval rating.
In addition to his high approval rating, eight in ten Ukrainians told pollsters they believe Zelensky is still a legitimate president and more than seven in ten trust him to lead negotiations.
The chances of Vladimir Putin upholding a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine are “close to nil” European officials fear – with one warning that it could last just 30 minutes.
Ukraine agreed to a 30-day truce after talks with the US in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. But while the world waits for the response from the Kremlin, current and former officials across Europe have told The Independent Moscow would try and extract as much as possible from the US for any agreement – and then violate it anyway.
Tom Watling and Sam Kiley report.
An ex-aide to former President Barack Obama might be stepping into the next presidential race.
Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff and recently as Japanese ambassador, is mulling a return to executive mission — but this time as the top guy in charge, according to Politico.
“I’m not done with public service and I’m hoping public service is not done with me,” Emanuel, 65, told the outlet as part of a magazine profile.
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