Tariff
Tuesday Jan 21st, 2025
Politics — A Rundown of Trump’s Expected Executive Orders
Bloomberg
Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025, and immediately began implementing his campaign promises through a series of executive orders. In his inaugural address, he emphasized restoring "integrity, competency and loyalty" to the government, while taking swift action to reverse many Biden-era policies, including pardoning approximately 1,500 people involved in the Capitol siege, halting TikTok enforcement for 75 days, and rescinding 78 Biden-era orders related to diversity, immigration, and climate.
The executive orders covered a wide range of areas, with particularly significant changes to immigration policy, including declaring a national emergency at the southern border, deploying armed forces, seeking to end birthright citizenship, and suspending refugee resettlement. Trump also made major moves on energy and climate policy by withdrawing from the Paris Agreement again, promoting offshore drilling, ending support for wind farms, and eliminating electric vehicle mandates. Additional orders focused on implementing universal tariffs, establishing an "External Revenue Service" for collecting tariffs, eliminating diversity initiatives in federal government, mandating federal workers return to offices, and instituting a federal hiring freeze.
Technology — FTC Probes Microsoft and OpenAI
Bloomberg
The Federal Trade Commission has released a report expressing concerns about Microsoft's $13 billion investment in OpenAI and similar partnerships between major tech companies and AI startups, warning that these relationships could extend big tech's cloud computing dominance into the emerging AI market. The report, released on January 17, 2025, highlighted several potential issues, including the risk of AI developers being "fully acquired" by tech giants, the practice of requiring investments to be spent on the investing company's own products and services, the consolidation of AI talent around large firms, and the sharing of sensitive data related to chip development, model training, and data center construction. The FTC also noted that some agreements give tech companies access to confidential financial information and AI model outputs, with Microsoft's deputy general counsel defending the OpenAI partnership as having spurred innovation and created thousands of new startups worldwide.
Economics — 25% Tariffs on Mexico and Canada
In his first Oval Office remarks after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump announced plans to implement tariffs of up to 25% on Mexico and Canada by February 1, citing concerns about undocumented migration and drug trafficking across both borders. This move, which threatens to spark a trade war among USMCA signatories, could significantly impact the $1.8 trillion in goods and services traded between the nations, with analysts warning it could particularly hurt the US auto industry by potentially raising new car prices by about $3,000. Both Canada and Mexico have promised retaliatory measures, with Canada preparing a list of $105 billion worth of US-manufactured items for potential counter-tariffs, while Mexico warns the move could affect $800 billion in annual trade and drive up US inflation.
Health — Immunity Booster For This Winter
During winter months, the risk of respiratory illnesses increases due to people spending more time indoors in close quarters and viruses remaining infectious longer in cold, dry conditions, with around 1 million Americans hospitalized annually for respiratory illnesses. To boost immunity during this vulnerable period, experts recommend consuming nutrient-rich foods like root vegetables (carrots, rutabagas), leafy greens (kale, spinach), citrus fruits, berries, and nuts, which provide essential nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and D, along with antioxidants that help strengthen the immune system. Additionally, maintaining good hydration, getting adequate sleep, exercising regularly, and following CDC guidelines for vaccination and proper handwashing are crucial for staying healthy during the winter season.
Smoothie Bar — Strawberry Smoothie
Song Recommendation — Say Something (Great Big World)
Quote of the Day
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life or one’s friends.” — John 15:13, The Bible
Stay cozy