Forget retaliation: To cut tariffs President Trump imposed on their country, the Swiss sent a delegation of industry tycoons bearing gifts — a special Rolex desktop clock, a 1-kilogram personalized gold bar, and loads of flattery.

• Why it matters: Trump loves such pampering, and the word's out among nations and companies seeking his favor. Tributes fit for a king — especially gold — catch his eyes and his heart, Axios' Marc Caputo reports.

🧈 The Swiss bar, given to Trump during the delegation's visit on Nov. 4, was stamped with 45 and 47 in homage to his presidential terms. It's worth a little more than $130,000.

• Trump accepted the gifts on behalf of his presidential library, making them legal, White House officials say.

Catch up quick: Apple set the tone for such gestures — and raised the bar for them — in August, when CEO Tim Cook gave Trump an engraved glass disc with a 24-karat gold base, to commemorate the company's new $100 billion investment in the U.S. to avoid tariffs.

• In a separate White House meeting, the LA Olympics committee gave Trump a set of commemorative 1984 Olympic medals, a nod to the Summer Games he'll preside over in Los Angeles in 2028.
• Months before, the government of Qatar gifted a $400 million 747 jet to Trump's library.
• A bevy of corporations and supplicants have donated about $300 million to help the president build a giant ballroom connected to the White House, which he plans to gild like Midas.

✨ The Swiss charm offensive worked. "It was tough to beat Apple, but the Swiss did it," an administration official told Axios.

• Yesterday, the White House announced it was cutting the tariff rate on Swiss goods from 39% to 15%. In return, the Swiss agreed to reduce trade barriers Trump had bristled at, and Swiss companies agreed to invest more in the U.S.

Between the lines: Trump's tariffs had caused major damage to the Swiss economy since he imposed them in August. Switzerland's prime minister, Karin Keller-Sutter, had been unable to talk Trump out of them.

• With leader-to-leader talks stalled, the Swiss changed gears and sent a delegation of national business leaders to the White House, knowing that Trump loves captains of industry.

"Trump is a businessman and likes to talk business with businessmen," the administration official said.

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Dozens of food items will no longer face President Trump's sweeping global tariffs — including grocery staples like coffee, some fruits and orange juice.

• Why it matters: The fresh exemptions — cheered by some industry groups — are aimed at addressing an affordability crisis that has worsened since the imposition of steep import taxes, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Ben Berkowitz write.

Here are some grocery items that will no longer be subject to tariffs:

• ☕️ Coffee and tea
• 🥩 Beef
• 🧂 Seasoning and spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger and more)
• 🍍 Tropical fruit (oranges, mangoes, bananas, pineapples)
• 🥑 Avocados
• 🥜 Nuts (cashews, pine nuts, macadamia)
• 🍅 Tomatoes
• 🧃 Fruit juices

Reality check: Don't expect grocery items to plunge from the tariff rollback.

• Wholesalers and retailers might pass along some of the tariff savings to consumers. But cost pressures stem from a slew of other factors — including climate risks and labor shortages.

See the full list.

President Trump pulled his support for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) yesterday, ending a years-long alliance after weeks of Greene publicly breaking with her party, Axios' Kate Santaliz and Alex Isenstadt write.

• Why it matters: Greene was once considered one of Trump's fiercest allies and a MAGA brand ambassador. But Trump accused her of veering "too far to the left" and said he'd back a primary challenger "if the right person runs."

🥊 The big picture: Greene has taken positions in recent weeks that have puzzled Republicans, and irritated Trump.

1. She's said her party has "no plan" when it comes to health care.
2. She was one of four Republicans to sign a discharge petition to release the Epstein files, against Trump's wishes.
3. In an interview with Axios last month, she slammed Trump's second-term agenda as "America Last."

Greene fired back on X: "It's astonishing really how hard he's fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out that he actually goes to this level."

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⚖️ P.S. President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, re BBC and that bad edit of his Jan. 6 speech: "We'll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week." (Reuters)

Retailers are carving into their profits to win the Thanksgiving table.

• Americans are feeling the squeeze, with grocery prices about 30% higher than before the pandemic and millions facing new food insecurity after the government's SNAP benefits freeze. That's reshaping where people shop and how far retailers will go to keep them, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.

🧮 By the numbers: $1.73 per pound is the going wholesale rate for frozen birds, about 40% higher than 2024.

• But the latest USDA data says frozen turkeys are selling at retail for 25 cents per pound less than a year ago.

Nearly every major grocer is cutting deep.

• Walmart is matching last year's meal prices, feeding 10 for about $4 per person, though its bundle includes fewer items than in 2024.
• Aldi's $40 meal for 10 is cheaper than last year's and includes a 14-pound turkey.
• Lidl's $36 meal for 10 is nearly $10 less than last year's, with turkeys priced at 25 cents per pound through its app.
• Kroger revived its Freshgiving bundle for under $4.75 per person, its cheapest in four years.

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OpenAI is piloting group chat in ChatGPT, letting multiple users join one conversation.

• Why it matters: Giving AI access to group text dynamics could reshape how tech companies learn about our social interactions, for better or worse, Axios' Megan Morrone reports.

How it works: The pilot — now running in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan — is available to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in the ChatGPT app on mobile and the web.

• Group chatting with ChatGPT could help users plan trips, brainstorm with colleagues or run study groups.

Between the lines: AI makers are betting that people want bots and their friends in the same chat. But so far, most users prefer one-on-one interactions with AI.

• Talking to bots in groups still feels awkward for many, like asking Alexa or Siri a question in public. And then there's the Clippy effect — where bots interrupt or are overly "helpful."

Keep reading.

Some brands of everyday ingredients and products — think protein powder, cinnamon and cassava — have concerning amounts of lead, recent Consumer Reports testing has found.

• Why it matters: CR's lead-testing campaign both fills a consumer protection need and reminds us that food and supplement vetting doesn't always go as far as we might like it to, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.

💪 The nonprofit's latest probe, into protein powders and shakes, had shocking results — especially considering America's ongoing protein obsession.

• "For more than two-thirds of the products we analyzed, a single serving contained more lead than CR's food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day — some by more than 10 times," CR's analysis found.

Reality check: CR strives not to be alarmist. Its protein story notes that even the products with the highest levels of lead have "far below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm."

• This is about "chronic exposure over time, which is why we say 'don't panic,'" Shecter says.

Read on.

Fans of the Buddy Holly crosswalk in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, with a painted depiction of the rock and roll legend's iconic glasses, will soon have to say goodbye to it.

• Lubbock City Council members said this week they have no choice but to remove the 2020 installation to comply with a Trump administration directive to rid public roadways of any political messages or artwork.

Holly was born and raised in Lubbock, located in northwest Texas. He decided to play rock and roll music after seeing Elvis Presley perform in 1955. His best-known songs include "That'll Be the Day," ''Rave On" and "Peggy Sue."

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Nostalgia is decking the halls: We're having a "Ralph Lauren Christmas," Axios' Sami Sparber writes.

• Think: Real trees, plaid tablescapes, vintage cookie jars, silver bells, velvet bows and other decorations echoing the brand's classic style, now making a comeback with Gen Z.

Posts showing hauls and how-tos for the Polo-inspired aesthetic have flooded social media.

• Search interest in "Ralph Lauren Christmas" just hit an all-time high and was the top-trending Christmas decor searched last month, per Google Trends data."Tartan wrapping paper" also reached a new high.

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