In the news today: Trump threatens new tariffs as soon as he takes office; Walmart is rolling back its DEI policies; and Haiti wonders what’s next as gang violence surges and the push for a U.N. peacekeeping mission flops. Also, one rural doctor traverses unforgiving terrain by donkey to visit far-flung patients. |
A container ship docked at the Conley Terminal, in Boston, MA. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
|
Trump threatens to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China on his first day in office
|
President-elect Donald Trump threatened on Monday to impose the new tariffs as soon as he takes office, as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. Read more. |
|
|
-
The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.
Trump said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. He said the new tariffs would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices for American consumers on everything from gas to automobiles to agricultural products.
It is unclear whether Trump will actually go through with the threats or if he is using them as a negotiating tactic before he returns to the White House. Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has on several occasions said tariffs are a means of negotiation. The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned on Monday that there will be losers on all sides if there is a trade war.
|
|
|
Walmart becomes the latest - and biggest - company to roll back DEI policies
|
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists. Read more. |
|
|
The changes, confirmed by Walmart on Monday, are sweeping and include everything from not renewing a five-year commitment for an equity racial center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd, to pulling out of a prominent gay rights index. And when it comes to race or gender, Walmart won’t be giving priority treatment to suppliers.
Walmart’s moves underscore the increasing pressure faced by corporate America as it continues to navigate the fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling ending affirmative action in college admissions. Emboldened by that decision, conservative groups have filed lawsuits making similar arguments about corporations, targeting workplace initiatives such as diversity programs and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups.
|
|
|
Haiti struggles to find solutions as gang violence surges
|
Hopes were high earlier this year when Kenyan police arrived in Haiti as part of a U.N.-backed mission to tackle gang violence. Since then, coordinated gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport have crippled the country’s capital and forced the prime minister to resign, plunging Haiti into a crisis that experts say is the worst they’ve seen. Read more.
|
|
|
A main concern in the ongoing crisis is the temporary closure of the main international airport in Port-au-Prince. It means critical aid is not reaching those who need it the most in a country where nearly 6,000 people are starving and nearly half of the more than 11 million inhabitants are experiencing crisis levels of hunger or worse. Gang violence also has left more than 700,000 people homeless in recent years. Gangs now control 85% of the capital.
In another recent blow, Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending critical care in Port-au-Prince as it accused police of targeting its staff and patients, including threats of rape and death. It’s the first time the aid group has stopped working with new patients since it began operating in Haiti more than 30 years ago.
-
The U.S. and other countries pushed for a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti at a U.N. Security Council meeting this week. Only about 400 officers from Kenya have arrived, along with a handful of police and soldiers from other countries — way short of the 2,500 personnel slated for the mission. But Russia and China oppose the mission, leaving many to wonder what other options are left for Haiti.
|
|
|
Dr. Jorge Fusaro on his medical tour of the rural communities in the Jujuy province of Argentina. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
|
AP PHOTOS: A rural doctor traverses mountainous terrain by donkey to visit far-flung patients
Dr. Jorge Fusaro travels miles of unforgiving terrain by donkey, enduring cold, rain, wind and exhaustion, to visit several dozen families scattered across the highest mountain in the north of Argentina, Cerro Chañi in Jujuy. Chañi is considered a sacred mountain by the indigenous Kolla people who live there, and Fusaro is not just the only doctor many people see, sometimes he’s the only outsider.
|
|
|
AP Buyline: The best advent calendars for counting down to holiday cheer |
|
|
|
Discover the magic of December with these advent calendars, featuring gourmet treats, fun toys and wellness treasures to help celebrate the holiday season. See our picks here. |
|
|
This content is created by AP Buyline in accordance with AP’s editorial guidelines and is supervised and edited by AP staff. |
|
|
Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
|
| |
|
Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
|
| |
|
*Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in advertising, contact us here. |
|
|
|
