Apple News Today – Episode Summary: “Amid the Tariff Frenzy, What Are Trump’s Actual Goals?” Release Date: March 12, 2025

Hosted by Shemitah Basu

1. Trump Administration’s Tariff Strategy on Steel and Aluminum

Overview: The episode opens with Shemitah Basu discussing the Trump administration's imposition of widespread tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, set to take effect on March 12, 2025. These tariffs, priced at 25%, target all countries from which the U.S. imports these materials. Notably, Canada narrowly avoided a tariff hike after Ontario rolled back an electricity surcharge.

Key Insights:

• Dan Flatley’s Analysis: Dan Flatley, Bloomberg News’ national security and economics reporter, provides an in-depth analysis of Trump's tariff objectives.

  “Essentially, what Trump is trying to do here is reorder international trade and try to revitalize American manufacturing. At the same time, he's also trying to raise revenue to extend his tax cuts from 2017 that were enacted in his first term.”
  [01:23]

  Flatley elaborates on the uncertainty surrounding Trump's fluctuating tariff strategies, questioning whether the administration’s maneuvers are strategic concessions or indicators of flawed plans.

  “Trump's tariff strategy appears to be a big gambler. If we do enter into a recession, what it means for Trump's economic plans, he may have to dial some of those back, depending on what happens.”
  [03:48]

• Economic Implications: Basu highlights that Trump’s aggressive approach this term contrasts with his first term, where tariffs did not yield the promised surge in American manufacturing jobs or significantly impact inflation. Despite Trump’s optimism, economists largely disagree, warning that tariffs may deter long-term investments in U.S. manufacturing.

• Market Reactions: The administration's moves have led to stock market volatility, with Trump acknowledging potential recessions but dismissing immediate reactions to market changes.

  “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we're doing is very big. We're bringing wealth back to America."
  [02:24]

2. Education Sector Under Fire: Funding Cuts and Anti-Semitism Allegations

Overview: The Trump administration is scrutinizing higher education institutions, leading to significant workforce cuts within the Department of Education (DOE) and investigations into alleged anti-Semitic harassment at 60 universities.

Key Developments:

• DOE Workforce Reduction: The DOE plans to cut its workforce by nearly half, aligning with Trump's broader agenda to dismantle the agency.

• Investigations into Universities: Sixty colleges and universities, including prestigious institutions like Columbia University, Middlebury College, and the University of Southern California, have received notices regarding potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act related to anti-Semitic harassment.

• Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s Stance: McMahon labels campus protests related to the Gaza conflict as attacks on Jewish students and faculty.

  “Campuses and universities should be about open debate and discussion. What they should not be about is violence, attacking other students, attacking faculty to put forth, you know, their anti-Semitic views.”
  [05:32]

• Student and Faculty Perspectives: While some Jewish students report feeling unsafe due to protests, others support anti-war initiatives, emphasizing that their stance against Israeli actions is not inherently anti-Semitic.

  “But it's become very important for those of us who are Jewish and do not subscribe to the idea that the presence of this protest movement is anti Semitic to stand up and say so. But look, we do have problems with harassment and bias towards Jewish students.”
  – Joseph Hawley, Associate Professor at Columbia University
  [06:36]

• Federal Funding Cuts: Columbia University faces the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts pending compliance with civil rights obligations. The administration plans similar actions against other institutions under investigation.

3. Public Health: Texas Measles Outbreak and Lessons from 2019

Overview: A measles outbreak in Texas's South Plains region has resulted in over 200 infections, 29 hospitalizations, and one fatality. The state's response has been hampered by shortages in primary care and logistical challenges in rural areas.

Lessons from New York’s 2019 Outbreak:

• Deidre McPhillips’ Insights: Deidre McPhillips of CNN's Health team draws parallels to the 2019 New York City measles outbreak, which saw nearly 1,000 cases in Orthodox Jewish communities.

  “The vaccine really works. When measles was declared eliminated from the US in 2000, the average number of cases since then has only been about 180 cases per year. Before that, it was about 5,000.”
  [11:01]

• Effective Interventions: The 2019 response included declaring a state of emergency, door-to-door outreach, and collaboration with trusted community messengers, which helped administer 200,000 vaccine doses in NYC and 30,000 in Rockland County, averting a potential crisis of 80,000 infections.

  “There was a lot of involvement from trusted messengers in the Community Nurse association of Orthodox Jewish Nurses were involved in creating a pamphlet that they hung on every person's door in the neighborhood that helped explain that the vaccine was safe and what it did to help protect kids.”
  [10:17]

• Texas’ Current Challenges: Texas public health officials are looking to replicate these strategies to control the outbreak, emphasizing the importance of vaccination and combating misinformation.

4. Additional News Highlights

a. Government Shutdown Averted: House Republicans passed a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown, funding the government through September 30 with minimal spending increases, particularly in defense. The bill now awaits the Senate, facing partisan challenges.

b. U.S. Military Aid to Ukraine: The U.S. has resumed military and intelligence aid to Ukraine following Kyiv’s agreement to a proposed ceasefire, potentially signaling the end of the three-year conflict with Russia.

“...we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation.”
– Secretary of State Marco Rubio
[12:43]

c. NTSB Report on D.C. Plane Crash: The preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the January plane crash involving an army helicopter and an American Airlines jet offers no immediate cause, recommending a ban on helicopter flights near Reagan Airport during certain runway operations and new routing protocols to enhance safety.

“...helicopters no longer will be threading the needle flying under landing planes.”
– Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
[12:59]

Conclusion

This episode of Apple News Today delves into the complex interplay of Trump's economic policies, higher education challenges under federal scrutiny, public health responses to infectious diseases, and other pivotal national and international developments. Through expert interviews and comprehensive reporting, host Shemitah Basu provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of these multifaceted issues.

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