Friday, April 11 | By Cate Martel |
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It's Friday! Everyone wave to members of Congress as they leave town for recess! 👋 And now, we exhale. | - China hikes tariffs, mocks U.S.
- Trump's annual physical
- Apple reportedly airlifts 600 tons of iPhones from India
- Another Senate Democrat to call it quits?
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China called Trump's tariffs a 'joke':
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President Trump's trade war with China escalated yet again this morning. Beijing announced it will match the U.S.'s 125 percent tariff. Keep in mind: Trump's 125 percent China tariff is on top of the standing 20 percent tariffs, coming out to 145 percent. What now?: Well, China's Ministry of Finance said this would be his country's *last* tariff hike. They say China will no longer go tit for tat in the tariff hikes. "Even if the US continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense, and it will become a joke in the history of the world economy," Chinese officials wrote, calling higher tariffs a "joke in the history of the world economy." So, what happens if the U.S. continues to escalate?: China says it will use other countermeasures if the U.S. continues to "infringe on China's interests substantively." Oh, and Trump hasn't forgotten about Mexico: Thursday evening, Trump threatened additional tariffs and potential sanctions against Mexico over a decadeslong water dispute. | ➤ THE QUESTION WE'RE ALL WONDERING — DO WE BUY THINGS NOW?: |
The Washington Post's Kim Bellware and Daniel Wu answer your questions about whether you should stockpile groceries and imported products now. The gist: There's still a lot of uncertainty, so it's probably not necessary to stockpile products. If you're planning to buy to something in the near future — or you have a favorite imported wine, for example — it might be worth buying it now. It's also unclear how tech companies will adjust to handle the tariffs. Read more: 'Buy now or wait? What to know as tariffs loom on food, tech, apparel' Speaking of iPhones: Reuters reports that Apple airlifted 600 tons of iPhones from India. |
➤ WHO'S WINNING AND LOSING THIS TRADE WAR SAGA?: |
The Hill's Niall Stanage breaks down a list of winners and losers in Trump's tariff drama. Read Stanage's rationale for each 👍 Winners: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Democrats. 🤏 Mixed: Wall Street and Capitol Hill Republicans 👎 Losers: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and China |
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An extremely personal, yet public test that you must ace: |
No pressure, right? President Trump is having his annual physical at Walter Reed Hospital. It started at 11 a.m. Trump's age: Trump turns 79 in June and will be 82 at the end of his term. That would make him the oldest president in U.S. history, surpassing former President Biden by a few months. What do we know about Trump's health?: The Hill's Brett Samuels pointed out Trump has released little information about his health since leaving office in 2020. His campaign released a letter in 2023 saying he's in "excellent health." What will be in the report?: NPR's Tamara Keith looks back at his previous physicals. |
What do you think about daylight saving time?: |
President Trump wants it changed. He called it "very popular" just a month after saying the public was too split on the issue to make any changes. Trump's argument: "The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!" Keep in mind: Lawmakers have introduced bills to make daylight saving time permanent, but it doesn't have enough support to pass both chambers of Congress. |
Had enough of Washington?: |
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D) announced he will run for governor next year. 📹 Watch his announcement — He is absolutely giving Colorado in this video. Did we see this coming?: Yes, there have been rumblings that Bennet would run for governor. Politico's Jonathan Martin reported at the end of March that this announcement was incoming. If he wins the governor's race: That would make him the fourth Democratic senator to step down at the end of 2026. (It's also possible Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), who is 80, retires, but he hasn't decided.) |
Republicans have a lot of internal negotiating to do: |
"Senate Republicans are deeply divided over demands by House conservatives to cut at least $1.5 trillion, and possibly more, from the federal budget over the next decade, putting Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) in a tough position," reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters that his party is "committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in savings for the American people" and promised to "aim much higher" in finding government programs to cut. ^ But that's a difficult promise for Senate Republicans to deliver. Several Republican senators have already said they will oppose major cuts to Medicaid. And Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is trying to keep expectations low — he acknowledged it will be tough to get moderates and fiscal conservatives on the same page. Read Bolton's reporting: 'Senate GOP divided over House demands for spending cuts' |
➤ PLUS — A MINOR INCIDENT AT DCA:
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The Hill's Amie Parnes and NBC News's Jonathan Allen participated in The Hill's first 🎙️Open Mic virtual event to discuss their New York Times No. 1 bestseller "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House." Watch here |
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The House and Senate are o-u-t, OUT. President Trump is in Washington and will head to Florida this afternoon. (All times EST) |
1 p.m. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 3:45 p.m. Trump leaves for Mar-a-Lago. Tuesday, April 15. Tax Day Monday, April 28. The Senate returns. |
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🧀 Celebrate: Today is National Cheese Fondue Day. Saturday is National Grilled Cheese Day and National Licorice Day! 🍬 📏 Another side effect of Ozempic: The Wall Street Journal reports that Weight Watchers is preparing for bankruptcy. |
📺 Miss yesterday's newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video recap here. |
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