Thursday morning news: April 3, 2025

Tariffs: Trump announcement » In the White House Rose Garden:

TRUMP: Thank you very much. What a good looking group of people. Well, we have some very, very good news today.

President Trump addressed a crowd of supporters on what he dubbed “Liberation Day.” He called it a “declaration of economic independence,” as he announced sweeping new tariffs.

TRUMP:  April 2nd, 2025 will forever be remembered As the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed.

The president said for decades, other nations, friend and foe alike, have taken advantage of the United States with unfair trade practices.

The U.S. will charge a 10% tariff on all foreign imports, with higher reciprocal tariffs to be added to goods from about 60 different trading partners.

TRUMP:  We will calculate the combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers, and other forms of cheating.

The EU will see a 20% reciprocal tariff. Taiwan, where most computer chips are made, will face a 32% import tax.

The U.S. is also imposing new 25% tariffs on many imports from Canada and Mexico.

President Trump predicts the new tariffs will supercharge American manufacturing.

Tariffs: Reaction and Senate bill » Democrats, though, have a very different take. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:

JEFFRIES:  This is not Liberation Day. It's recession day in the United States of America. That's what the Trump tariffs are going to do, crash the economy.

And the Senate just signaled strong reservations about Trump’s tariffs plans.

AUDIO (vote count): The yeas are 51. The nays are 48. The joint resolution is passed.

Four Republicans joined all Democrats to pass a bill to repeal the emergency declaration that allowed President Trump to impose tariffs on Canada.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was one of those four Republicans. He said his vote was more about how the import taxes were imposed than the tariffs themselves.

PAUL:   We should not live under emergency rule. The Constitution said taxes are raised by Congress. Most specifically, taxes originate in the house and come to the Senate.

While the Senate bill garnered a handful of GOP votes, it faces long odds of passing in the Republican-controlled House.

Israel latest » In the Middle East:

SOUND: [Missile alert sounding]

Recorded missile alert warnings sounding out over southern Israel Wednesday, followed by:

SOUND: [Loud thud]

Reuters captured what appeared to be rockets launching from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. It comes after Israel announced a major expansion of a military operation in Gaza.

NETANYAHU: [Speaking Hebrew]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is keeping the pressure on Hamas, with the terror group still holding dozens of Israeli hostages.

He says the military is seizing a new security corridor in Gaza, one analysts say would allow Israel to isolate the southern city of Rafah. Israel has already ordered the evacuation of Rafah.

Eric Adams corruption case dismissed » A federal judge has dismissed a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who told reporters in Manhattan:

ADAMS:  I'm now happy that our city can finally close the book on this and focus solely on the future of our great city.

Judge Dale E. Ho granted a request by the Justice Department to set aside criminal charges. And he dismissed them with prejudice, meaning prosecutors cannot revive the case later.

Adams maintained that the accusations against him were false.

He had pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges.

California trans sports » California lawmakers have rejected proposals to bar males from women and girls’ spaces and sports teams. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN:The state assembly committee rejected two proposals to protect girls’ sports and private spaces.

The Democratic majority shot down a pair of measures.

One of those would have prevented boys from playing on girls’ sports teams. The other … would have changed state law to determine access to private spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms … by biological sex, rather than gender identity.

Governor Gavin Newsom recently said on his podcast that biological boys playing in girls’ sports was unfair. But according to KCRA news, Newsom’s office refused to comment on the now-dead legislation.

The Trump administration recently warned that California could lose federal education funding if the state continued to allow males in females’ sports.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Myanmar update » Myanmar’s ruling military has declared a temporary ceasefire in the country’s civil war amid ongoing relief efforts in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquake.

The quake is now blamed for more than 3,000 deaths.

State-controlled media said the truce would run until April 22nd.

That followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule.

I'm Kent Covington.

Still ahead, the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether South Carolina can cut ties with Planned Parenthood.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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