Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
Trump promises new tariffs after justices rule against himThe Supreme Court ruled today that President Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner. The decision was a major setback for the president, who has used the tariffs to reshape the global economy, exert his foreign policy goals and underpin his domestic agenda. Now, uncertainty abounds. The 6-3 ruling was a rare example of justices across the ideological spectrum pushing back against the president’s expansive view of his powers. Trump was the first U.S. leader to claim that a 1970s emergency statute, which does not mention tariffs, allowed him to impose fees on imports without congressional approval. Writing for the majority today, John Roberts, the conservative chief justice, rejected Trump’s claim. (Read the full ruling here.) Three conservative justices, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissented, arguing that the president should be able to impose tariffs and that striking them down could cause chaos. The administration has suggested that it might be forced to unwind trade deals and refund tens of billions of dollars in tariff revenue that the president promised to spend on a wide array of priorities. Trump, who just yesterday said that “tariff is my favorite word in the whole dictionary,” responded to the ruling with defiance. In a news conference this afternoon, the president promised to restore tariffs using other, more targeted powers. He said he would use a law called Section 122, which no president has ever invoked, to impose an across-the-board 10 percent tariff. The president also attacked the justices who ruled against him — including two he nominated, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — calling them “fools and lap dogs” and “an embarrassment to their families.” He suggested that they were controlled by unspecified “foreign interests.” Related: We’re tracking the Supreme Court’s major cases this term.
Trump said he was considering a limited strike on IranThe U.S. is in the middle of its largest military buildup in the Middle East in two decades, and the president is weighing whether to commit the country to its second military campaign against Iran in eight months. When asked about the possibility of a limited strike to pressure Iran into a new nuclear deal, Trump said today: “I guess I can say I am considering that.” If Trump does strike, the conflict could be longer, deadlier and far more dangerous than last year’s 12-day war. My colleagues Mark Mazzetti and Helene Cooper explain why. In other Trump administration news:
Cuba nears collapse as U.S. blockade strangles the countryFor the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. has effectively imposed a blockade on oil shipments into Cuba. As a result, the island nation is running out of fuel fast, pushing it toward a humanitarian crisis and its government to the edge of collapse. Here’s what we know. The Trump administration has carefully avoided using the word “blockade,” but its policies in the Caribbean have functioned as one. The U.S. military is policing the waters around Cuba, and the threat of U.S. tariffs has scared away some countries from helping the island.
America is experiencing a tourism slumpIn 2025, as tourism grew worldwide, international travel to the U.S. fell by roughly 6 percent. It was the only major destination to see a decline in foreign visitors, and the trend seems to have continued: Inbound visits were down 4.8 percent in January from the year prior. Tourism demand is typically driven by prices, but the Trump administration has also made it harder for some foreigners to visit. Our travel reporter Ceylan Yeğinsu looked at what might lie ahead. More top news
Toni Morrison was a master of the unthinkableSeven years after Toni Morrison’s death, nearly everyone seems to recognize the power in her fiction. That may be especially true for her fiercest critics, who call for her books to be banned and insist that her work has the potential to corrupt readers’ minds. Our critic Parul Sehgal took stock of the recent wave of Morrisoniana, which includes reissues of her books as a response to the censorship. She found that Morrison’s greatness stemmed in large part from her belief that stories could contain what our minds couldn’t confront. Read Parul’s assessment of Morrison’s profundity. (We removed the paywall for all readers of this newsletter).
Curling can teach us a lot about the mysteries of iceEveryone knows that ice is slippery. But scientists aren’t actually certain why. One idea is that it’s caused by the heat transfer of friction. A newer theory asserts that there’s a quasi-liquid layer on its surface. Our meteorologist Judson Jones went curling to see how those ideas could be applied. Watch this video to hear Judson explain what we know about ice, and what about it is still a mystery. In news from the Olympics:
Dinner table topics
Cook: This spinach-artichoke lasagna is creamy, saucy and comforting. Watch: Our critics explain what makes this year’s Oscar-nominated short films work so well. Read: “Evil Genius” is one of our Book Review’s top picks of the week. Learn: The key to longevity may be found inside our cells. Shine: Experts shared tips for cleaning your jewelry. Test yourself: Take this week’s news quiz. Play: Here are today’s Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. |
