🏛️ POLITICS
Story 1 of 7 (~2 min read)
Trump Raises Global Tariffs to 15% After Supreme Court Blocks His Emergency Powers
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will increase global tariffs from 10% to 15%, less than 24 hours after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Friday that his previous tariff authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act exceeded his constitutional power without congressional approval. Trump stated he was implementing the higher rate under a separate trade law that allows him to set tariffs up to 15%. The move came after the administration had already collected an estimated $133 billion in tariffs under the struck-down authority, prompting businesses to seek refunds. Trump condemned the court's decision as "extraordinarily anti-American" and "poorly written."
How it's being covered:
NPR reports that Trump raised tariffs to 15% on imports from all countries using different authority from the mechanism the Supreme Court struck down on Friday. (link)
The Guardian reports Trump announced the increase from 10% to 15% on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court ruled against the legality of his trade policy, noting he was infuriated by the high court's ruling. (link)
Fox News reports that Trump announced a 10% worldwide tariff is now being raised to a "fully allowed" 15% after the Supreme Court's ruling. (link)
Axios reports that Trump said he would hike global tariffs to 15%, one day after the Supreme Court ruled a bulk of import taxes were illegal, and that the administration moved swiftly to replace the tariffs scrapped by the nation's highest court. (link)
Bloomberg reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to the negotiating table with Donald Trump with a boost in bargaining power, after the US leader lost his ability to quickly raise tariffs for nearly any reason. (link)
Story 2 of 7 (~2 min read)
Homeland Security Suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry Amid Partial Government Shutdown
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security suspended TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs starting Sunday as a partial government shutdown continues. These programs, designed to help registered travelers move quickly through security lines, serve millions of frequent flyers. The suspension affects multiple major airports across the country and came as Republicans and Democrats remained at an impasse over DHS funding, with officials warning that a prolonged stalemate could eventually disrupt operations at agencies including FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard.
How it's being covered:
Fox News reports that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry services are suspended starting Sunday due to government shutdown affecting Department of Homeland Security operations. (link)
NPR reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is suspending the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs as a partial government shutdown continues. (link)
The Guardian reports that the DHS is suspending the programs as the partial government shutdown continues, noting that Democrats say DHS is halting programs that help speed registered travelers through security lines. (link)
Washington Post reports that the Department of Homeland Security will temporarily halt both programs as part of several emergency measures expected to go into effect early Sunday. (link)
Story 3 of 7 (~2 min read)
Sen. Adam Schiff Skips Trump's State of the Union Address
Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced he will not attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week, joining a growing list of congressional Democrats boycotting the annual speech. In a video posted to social media, Schiff said he would not give Trump the "audience he craves for the lies that he tells." Schiff's decision represents one of several high-profile Democratic absences planned for the event, reflecting ongoing partisan tensions in Congress.
How it's being covered:
Washington Examiner reports that Senator Adam Schiff will not attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week, joining a growing list of congressional Democrats skipping the annual speech, and that Schiff vowed not to give Trump the "audience he craves for the lies that he tells." (link)
🌍 WORLD
Story 4 of 7 (~2 min read)
Ambassador Huckabee's Israel Land Comments Draw Condemnation From Arab, Islamic Nations
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee faced international backlash after suggesting in an interview with Tucker Carlson that Israel has a biblical right to a vast portion of the Middle East, including territory between Egypt's Nile River and Syria's Euphrates River. Arab and Islamic governments issued joint statements condemning the remarks as dangerous and provocative. The comments marked a significant diplomatic moment, with multiple regional governments formally responding to what they characterized as inflammatory statements about territorial claims.
How it's being covered:
The Guardian reports that Arab and Islamic countries jointly condemned remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who suggested Israel had a biblical right to a vast swath of the Middle East, speaking on Tucker Carlson's podcast. (link)
Al Jazeera reports that Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia condemned U.S. ambassador's remarks suggesting Israel has right to much of the Middle East, characterizing them as "absurd and provocative." (link)
Washington Post reports that Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said of the Jewish state's biblical right to land in the region: "It would be fine if they took it all," and that Arab leaders rejected the comments. (link)
Story 5 of 7 (~2 min read)
All Nine Bodies Recovered From California Avalanche Near Lake Tahoe
Authorities announced Saturday that all nine bodies of skiers killed in an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe have been recovered following days of intensive search efforts. The avalanche, which occurred earlier in the week, killed six women and three guides in what officials described as the worst avalanche in California state history. Intense winter storm conditions had delayed search and recovery efforts. Six additional skiers survived at the popular winter sport destination.
How it's being covered:
NPR reports that the bodies of all the skiers who died in Tuesday's avalanche near Lake Tahoe have been recovered, with authorities saying that intense winter storm conditions delayed search and recovery efforts. (link)
BBC reports that authorities released the names of the six women and three guides who died in the worst avalanche in state history. (link)
The Guardian reports that officials announced the bodies of all nine missing skiers who were killed in an avalanche in California had been recovered, following days of search efforts in the Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California near Lake Tahoe. (link)
Story 6 of 7 (~2 min read)
Pakistan Launches Strikes on Afghanistan in Retaliation for Recent Bombings
Pakistan carried out military strikes in Afghanistan on Saturday, with the Taliban saying dozens were killed in the operation. Pakistan stated the strikes were retaliation for recent suicide bombings in Pakistan. The Afghan Defence Ministry said the strikes hit a school and homes, killing and wounding dozens of people. The cross-border military action marked an escalation in tensions between the two neighboring countries.
How it's being covered:
BBC reports that Pakistan says the strikes were retaliation for recent suicide bombings in the country. (link)
Al Jazeera reports that the Afghan Defence Ministry says the strikes hit a school and homes, killing and wounding dozens of people. (link)
⚽ SPORTS
Story 7 of 7 (~2 min read)
USA and Canada Face Off for Olympic Hockey Gold Medal
The United States and Canada are set to compete for the gold medal in men's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina on Sunday, renewing one of sports' greatest rivalries on Olympic ice. The matchup carries significant national weight for Canada, where hockey dominance is deeply embedded in cultural identity. Tom Wilson and other Canadian players emphasized the importance of the game to their nation, with one player noting that school shutdowns occur when Canada competes in major hockey tournaments.
How it's being covered:
NY Post reports that a rivalry will be renewed on Olympic ice, with Canada and the U.S. set to fight for gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games. (link)
NY Post reports that Tom Wilson remembers being a kid in school when everything would shut down, as Canada players carry the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. (link)
NY Post reports on analysis of the matchups between the two teams. (link)
⚡ QUICK HITS
⚡ Northeast Braces for Historic Blizzard — Winter Storm Hernando is expected to bring blizzard conditions and over a foot of snow to the Northeast starting Sunday, with New York City facing its first blizzard warning since 2017, forcing cancellation of over 3,000 flights at NYC airports. (link) (link) (link)
⚡ NASA Delays Artemis II Moon Mission — NASA ruled out a March launch for its manned Artemis II mission to circle the moon after discovering an "interrupted flow" of helium to the rocket system, with the agency potentially rolling back the vehicle to the assembly building and delaying the launch until April. (link) (link) (link)
⚡ Legendary Salsa Musician Willie Colón Dies at 75 — Willie Colón, the pioneering trombonist, vocalist and composer who sold more than 30 million albums and was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, died Saturday at age 75 after a 60-year career that made him one of the most influential Latino artists of all time. (link) (link)
⚡ JPMorgan Admits Closing Trump's Accounts After January 6 — JPMorgan Chase acknowledged for the first time that it closed President Trump's bank accounts and accounts maintained with his businesses shortly after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, marking the first public admission from the bank that it took this action. (link) (link)
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