Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama officials that Chinese influence over the Panama Canal must be curbed or the U.S. will take retaliatory actions, the State Department said Sunday.
Why it matters: Rubio's warning to Panama President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha is another pressure point on the country since President Trump said he intended to regain control of the Panama Canal.
As trade war fears circulate, lawmakers are manning their posts: Democrats are warning prices will skyrocket — while Republicans say the potential discomfort will be worth it in the end.
The big picture: Economists fear the across-the-board tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China — and the immediate retaliation that followed — could further stress already strained U.S. households and walk back recent economic gains.
No survivors are expected after an American Airlines passenger flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair on Wednesday night, near Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport.
The big picture: While the cause of the crash is being investigated, details are emerging about the people who were aboard the aircrafts.
President Trump on Saturday imposed across-the-boardtariffs on North American allies and China, which sparked immediate retaliation against domestic manufacturers.
Why it matters: After weeks of "will he or won't he," Trump opted for sweeping levies that could de-link economic ties with top trading partners. The impact on American consumers and businesses may be profound.
The future of the Gaza hostage-release and ceasefire deal is hanging on the outcome of a meeting between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that is set to take place on Tuesday at the White House, three Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Netanyahu reluctantly agreed to move forward with the first phase of the deal between Israel and Hamas. Families of the hostages — and Israeli negotiators — are concerned he won't follow through to the second phase as he fights for political survival.
President Trump spoke on Saturday with Egyptian President Abdul Fatah el-Sisi to discuss his idea of moving Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan in order to rebuild the enclave.
Why it matters: Trump's comments about moving Palestinians from Gaza alarmed the Egyptians, who see the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to their territory as a threat to national security. Trump's idea would also involve displacing two million people.
Science fiction writer Octavia Butler wrote in her 1993 novel "Parable of the Sower" that Feb. 1, 2025, would be a time of fires, violence, racism, addiction, climate change, social inequality and an authoritarian "President Donner."
That day is today.
The big picture: ThisBlack History Month, which begins this year on a day of Butler's dystopian vision, Axioswill examine what the next 25 years may hold for Black Americans based on the progress in the first quarter of this century.
