Escalating U.S.-China trade tensions are likely to fuel a surge in Beijing-backed cyber espionage, a top security executive warns.
Why it matters: U.S. companies and government agencies were already grappling with an unprecedented wave of hacking activity linked to the Chinese government.
Global corporationsrushed out of China to dodge tariffs during President Trump's first term. This time around, they have nowhere to hide — and policy is changing faster than supply chains can.
Why it matters: With high tariffs set to go into effect Wednesday in nearly every nation, there is no shield to be had (barring last-ditch negotiations or suspensions). It means multinational companies can't duck import taxes by rerouting goods.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said trade negotiations can lead to "good deals," but insisted that a posture of being open to those talks had nothing to do with last week's stock market plunge.
Why it matters: The market doesn't much care about the motivations — the mere fact that the conversations are happening at all is causing stocks to surge after days of uncertainty and mounting recession fears.
China has pulled ahead of the United States in key areas of the life sciences, and the U.S. may only have a handful of years to regain dominance in the sector, according to an independent commission's report sent Tuesday to Congress and the White House.
Why it matters: Advanced biotechnology is critical to national security, public health and the ability to continue feeding the population.
President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the U.S. delegation for nuclear talks with Iran on Saturday in Oman, two sources familiar with the plan tell Axios.
Why it matters: President Trump surprised the world Monday by announcing the high-level meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials. If diplomacy fails, the next stage is likely war.
China's government said Tuesday it will "resolutely take countermeasures" if President Trump carries out his threat to impose an extra 50% tariff on Chinese goods.
Why it matters: In a sign that the trade war with Beijing will not end any time soon, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement carried by state media: "China will fight until the end if the U.S. side is bent on going down the wrong path."
President Trump praised Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for being "very smart" during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday and suggested he could work as a mediator between Israel and Turkey.
Why it matters: Critics including Republican Against Trump slammed the president's praise for "autocratic leader Erdoğan" — a charge that's been leveled against Turkey's president for moves including last month having his main opposition rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, detained along with over 100 other officials, which rights groups said was "politically motivated."
The National Park Service rewrote — then restored — the Underground Railroad story and reposted a deleted photo of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
Why it matters: The initial rewriting of abolitionist sites and history, first reported by the Washington Post, comes amid a massive purge of articles about people of color on government websites following President Trump's executive order ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
President Trump said Monday that the U.S. had been holding "direct talks" with Iran and that a "very big meeting" involving "very high-level" officials will be taking place this Saturday.
Why it matters: The surprise announcement from Trump follows his repeated warnings that Iran must sign a new nuclear deal or face military strikes.
President Trump on Monday threatened to impose an extra 50% tariff on China, but opened the door to talks with other nations on a path to lowering their import levies.
Why it matters: The administration's steadfast message in recent days has been that the tariffs were coming and there was no way out.
President Trump told reporters during a visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that he had not decided whether to reduce the 17% tariffs he announced on Israel last week.
Why it matters: Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after he launched the global tariff regime, and the meeting was closely watched by investors and other foreign governments for signs of just how flexible the president was willing to be. So far, there's no sign of a deal.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink warned on Monday that most chief executives would say the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.
Why it matters: Fink, who has extensive CEO contacts as head of the world's largest asset manager, is the latest billionaire to acknowledge the risks of economic turmoil from President Trump's trade wars.
Why it matters: The lack of evidence of a criminal record is consistent with many other immigrant removals under the Trump administration so far and poses serious questions over the deportations to El Salvador, as a judge ordered at least one man returned.
The U.S. is still the global leader in state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, but China has closed the gap considerably, according to a new report from Stanford.
Why it matters: Many leaders in Silicon Valley and D.C., including in the Trump administration, say winning this AI competition is critical to the future of U.S. national security.
President Trump on Sunday denied engineering a stock market sell-off, and likened the pain of re-ordering the global economy to taking medicine for an illness.
Why it matters: After plunging Thursday and Friday, global markets sank even further Sunday night, threatening one of the worst three-day routs in history.
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