China hits back at U.S. tariffs

Summary

Apple News Today: Detailed Summary of "China Hits Back at U.S. Tariffs" Episode Released on April 10, 2025

Hosted by Shemitah Basu, Apple News Today delves into pressing global and domestic issues, providing listeners with comprehensive insights and expert analyses. In the April 10, 2025 episode titled "China Hits Back at U.S. Tariffs," Basu navigates through a series of interconnected topics, from international trade tensions to domestic policy shifts affecting immigrants and students.

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1. U.S.-China Trade Tensions Escalate

Overview: The episode opens with President Trump's unexpected reversal on global tariffs amidst economic uncertainty. Initially implementing widespread tariffs, Trump faces backlash from the business community and dissent within his party, prompting a temporary pause on tariffs for most countries. However, China remains a focal point of contention.

Key Developments:

• Temporary Tariff Pause: President Trump announces a 90-day suspension of tariffs for most nations, maintaining a baseline tariff of 10% to mitigate fears of a recession and address business community pushback.

• China's Retaliation: Contrary to expectations, China does not negotiate but instead responds by increasing tariffs on all U.S. imports to 84% ([01:07]). This move underscores the strained relations between the world's two largest economies.

Notable Quotes:

• President Trump ([00:49]): "People were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippee, you know, they were getting a little bit yippee, a little bit afraid."

• Ling Ling Wei, Chief China Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal ([01:37]): "Ever since Trump left office, Xi Jinping has tried to build up this arsenal of retaliatory tools. He has doubled down on central control over China's economy... the goal is to fortify the economy against potential sanctions from the United States."

Analysis: Ling Ling Wei provides an in-depth analysis of China's strategic economic fortification, highlighting investments in high-tech and industrial capabilities to withstand U.S. sanctions. Wei also points out China's use of export controls on critical materials like rare earth minerals, essential for U.S. defense-related manufacturing ([02:24]). This tit-for-tat escalation is likened to a "game of chicken," with both superpowers testing each other's tolerance for economic strain ([03:43]).

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2. IRS and Department of Homeland Security Collaboration Raises Privacy Concerns

Overview: A significant policy shift occurs as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agree to share sensitive taxpayer information with federal immigration officials. This collaboration aims to identify and possibly deport undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S.

Key Developments:

• Policy Agreement: The IRS will provide data to DHS to better identify immigrants without legal status who are paying taxes ([04:08]).

• Privacy Implications: Shannon Najmabadi of the Washington Post highlights the controversy, emphasizing that this deal may violate longstanding IRS privacy protections ([04:30]).

Notable Quotes:

• Shannon Najmabadi ([04:28]): "Critics say this contravenes the IRS's longtime promise that if you pay your taxes and you are undocumented, we're not going to turn around and give your information to other agencies that could then use it to deport you."

• Shannon Najmabadi ([05:26]): "They could lead specifically this group, you know, of undocumented immigrants, to try to avoid providing information to the IRS and thus avoid paying taxes for fear that that information would then be used ultimately to help deport them."

Impact: Approximately 11 million immigrants in the U.S. live without legal status, contributing nearly $100 billion in taxes in 2022 ([04:57]). The new data-sharing agreement could deter undocumented individuals from complying with tax laws due to fears of deportation, potentially undermining tax revenue and exacerbating the underground economy.

Leadership Response: Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem endorse the agreement ([05:46]). However, Melanie Krause, the acting IRS commissioner, was reportedly unaware of the deal until its public announcement, leading to her resignation ([06:01]).

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3. State Department Revokes Visas of International Students Amidst Political Tensions

Overview: A growing number of international students are facing visa revocations by the State Department, contributing to anxiety and uncertainty within academic institutions across the United States.

Key Developments:

• Visa Revocations: Reports indicate at least 11 international students from prestigious universities like Arizona State University, UC Berkeley, and Harvard have had their visas revoked ([06:43]).

• Case Study – Mahmoud Khalil: An immigration judge in Louisiana is set to decide whether to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student activist, highlighting the personal toll of these policies ([06:25]).

Notable Quotes:

• Marco Rubio, Secretary of State ([07:50]): "You want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus. We're not going to give you a visa. If you lie to us and get a visa and then enter the United States and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we're going to take away your visa."

• Amir Makled, Immigration Attorney ([09:22]): "It was apparent to me at that point that they had already done their homework about me before I arrived... I'm standing up for students. I'm standing up for immigrants and political dissenters."

Analysis: Daniel Kanstrom, an immigration law professor at Boston College, suggests that the targeting of students goes beyond standard immigration enforcement, indicating a politically motivated agenda aimed at suppressing activism and political dissent ([08:34]). This marks an escalation in deportation strategies, with potential future targets including naturalized citizens ([08:39]).

Administrative Concerns: College administrators express unease over the establishment of a federal database tracking international students, complicating campus operations and student relations ([08:15]).

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4. New DHS Policy to Screen Immigrants' Social Media for Antisemitic Content

Overview: Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin scrutinizing immigrants' social media posts for antisemitic content, which could influence decisions on immigration benefits.

Key Developments:

• Policy Implementation: The government will assess social media accounts to identify content deemed antisemitic, impacting green card or student visa applications ([10:33]).

• Ambiguity in Standards: It remains unclear what specific actions or statements will be classified as antisemitic, raising concerns about subjective interpretations ([10:50]).

Notable Quotes:

• DHS Statement ([11:04]): "The policy change will protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens."

Impact: The policy could affect individuals critical of Israeli policies, particularly those opposing military actions in Gaza, potentially labeling legitimate political discourse as antisemitic.

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5. U.S. Commerce Department Cuts Funding for Climate Research at Princeton University

Overview: In a move criticized by the academic community, the U.S. Commerce Department has withdrawn $4 million in federal funding from Princeton University's climate research programs.

Key Developments:

• Funding Withdrawal: The cut impacts research on sea-level rise and flooding, areas critical to understanding and mitigating climate change ([11:22]).

• Justification: Administration officials argue that the research exaggerates threats and fosters "climate anxiety" among youth ([11:24]).

Notable Quotes:

• Basu ([11:36]): "The researchers at Princeton are considered by some to be among the best in the world at climate modeling."

Analysis: The decision to defund esteemed climate research initiatives raises concerns about the administration's commitment to addressing environmental issues and could hinder advancements in climate science.

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6. Historic Anniversary of Racial Integration in Golf's Masters Tournament

Overview: The Masters Tournament commemorates a significant milestone fifty years after Lee Elder broke the color barrier, marking progress in an institution once marred by racial segregation.

Key Developments:

• Lee Elder's Milestone: In 1975, Lee Elder became the first Black golfer to compete in the Masters, overcoming Augusta National Golf Club's entrenched racial norms ([12:00]).

• Tiger Woods' Victory: In 1997, Tiger Woods became the first Black man to win the Masters, symbolizing a new era in American sports ([12:45]).

Notable Quotes:

• Co-Founder of Augusta National Golf Club ([12:17]): "As long as I'm alive, all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be black."

Impact: Elder's and Woods' achievements reflect broader societal shifts towards inclusivity, despite the club's historically exclusionary practices. Their successes have inspired future generations of diverse athletes.

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7. Additional Stories and Closing Remarks

Screening Immigrants' Social Media: The episode concludes with a brief mention of the new DHS policy to screen immigrants' social media for antisemitic content, emphasizing its potential implications for immigration benefits ([10:33]).

Funding Cuts to Climate Research: Further attention is drawn to the abrupt funding cuts for climate research at Princeton, underscoring the administration's stance on climate-related studies ([11:04]).

Upcoming Narrated Article: Listeners are encouraged to check the Apple News app for a forthcoming narrated article exploring the concept of luck, inspired by an interview with a philosopher from New York Magazine ([13:05]).

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Conclusion: In this episode of Apple News Today, Shemitah Basu effectively navigates a complex array of topics, from international trade disputes and immigration policy shifts to significant cultural milestones and domestic policy changes impacting academia and research. Through expert interviews and poignant quotes, the episode provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the interplay between global dynamics and domestic policies, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of governmental decisions on both international relations and individual lives.

Transcript

[Shemitah Basu]

Good morning. It's Thursday, April 10th. I'm Shemitah Basu.

[Apple News Host]

This is Apple News today.

[Shemitah Basu]

On today's show, a change to a.

[Apple News Host]

Long standing IRS rule.

[Shemitah Basu]

Why the State Department is revoking visas.

[Apple News Host]

For hundreds of international students in the.

[Shemitah Basu]

US and the masters marks a historic anniversary. But first, President Trump abruptly reversed course.

[Apple News Host]

On widespread global tariffs yesterday in the face of forecasts of a potential recession.

[Shemitah Basu]

Pushback from the business community, and growing.

[Apple News Host]

Discontent among some Republican members of Congress. Here's how the president put it.

[President Trump]

People were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippee, you know, they were getting a little bit yippee, a little bit afraid.

[Shemitah Basu]

Now Trump says He's instituting a 90.

[Apple News Host]

Day pause for most countries while retaining a baseline tariff of 10%.

[Shemitah Basu]

The exception, China.

[Apple News Host]

Instead of pulling back, Trump doubled down now saying China will face a 125% tariff, a jump up from where he was just two days ago when he promised tariffs of 104%.

[Shemitah Basu]

This comes after China, the world's second.

[Apple News Host]

Largest economy, didn't bend to Trump. Instead of calling up the White House and offering concessions, China retaliated, increasing tariffs on all US imports to 84%.

[Ling Ling Wei]

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been preparing for this moment for many years.

[Apple News Host]

Ling Ling Wei is the chief China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.

[Ling Ling Wei]

So ever since Trump left office, Xi Jinping has tried to build up this arsenal of retaliatory tools. And not only that, he has doubled down on central control over China's economy. China has invested so much more in high tech, in industrial capabilities and all that. Basically, the goal is to fortify the economy against potential sanctions from the United States.

[Shemitah Basu]

Part of that fortification, according to Wei, also has to do with Chinese export controls. In the same way that the US.

[Apple News Host]

Has restricted China's access to high tech.

[Shemitah Basu]

Like semiconductors, China is employing a similar.

[Apple News Host]

Tactic for US Access for certain products.

[Ling Ling Wei]

It's not high end semiconductors or other stuff. It's really things like rare earth minerals, the kind of components that US Companies need to use in order to make trips, in order to make defense related products.

[Shemitah Basu]

China is also obstructing deals that could.

[Apple News Host]

Be beneficial to the United States.

[Shemitah Basu]

For example, a recent merger between intel.

[Apple News Host]

And an Israeli chipmaker fell through because Chinese authorities dragged their feet on approval.

[Shemitah Basu]

And China has a rule, not dissimilar.

[Apple News Host]

To a rule the United States has.

[Shemitah Basu]

That allows it to restrict US Companies from doing business there if it deem.

[Apple News Host]

Them harmful to China's national security interests.

[Ling Ling Wei]

They have a lot of incentives, a lot of reasons to project strength as opposed to, you know, project weakness. So that's why we are seeing that Xi Jinping standing very firm. He's not calling President Trump. He's not like other countries trying to negotiate with Trump because he feels like we cannot do this under such maximum pressure that would make us look weak. Because, politically speaking, looking weak would be very costly for authoritarian leadership.

[Shemitah Basu]

With neither country seeming willing to give.

[Apple News Host]

In, Wei says the world is watching the two largest economies effectively playing a game of chicken.

[Shemitah Basu]

Whichever has less tolerance for economic pain.

[Apple News Host]

Is the one we could see bend first.

[Shemitah Basu]

The Department of Homeland Security and the IRS have reached an agreement to provide.

[Apple News Host]

Sensitive taxpayer information to federal immigration officials.

[Shemitah Basu]

According to recent court filings, that will allow the IRS to learn more about.

[Apple News Host]

Immigrants living in the US without legal status.

[Shannon Najmabadi]

The IRS has very strict privacy regulations. It's not supposed to share information about taxpayers.

[Shemitah Basu]

Washington Post reporter Shannon Najmabadi spoke to.

[Apple News Host]

Us about the change in policy.

[Shannon Najmabadi]

What critics of this potential deal had said is that this contravenes the IRS's longtime promise that if you pay your taxes and you are undocumented, we're not going to turn around and give your information to other agencies that could then use it to deport you.

[Shemitah Basu]

There are about 11 million immigrants living.

[Apple News Host]

In the United States illegally, and many pay their taxes just like US Citizens do.

[Shemitah Basu]

In fact, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in 2022, immigrants.

[Apple News Host]

Without legal status paid close to $100 billion in federal state taxes.

[Shemitah Basu]

DHS officials said they could use data.

[Apple News Host]

From the IRS to locate up to 7 million people, and there could be economic consequences, too.

[Shannon Najmabadi]

They could lead specifically this group, you know, of undocumented immigrants, to try to avoid providing information to the IRS and thus avoid paying taxes for fear that that information would then be used ultimately to help deport them.

[Shemitah Basu]

The sharing of tax data for anyone.

[Apple News Host]

US citizen or not, US President or not, has long been a very sensitive.

[Shemitah Basu]

So much so that improperly sharing tax.

[Apple News Host]

Information is punishable by civil and criminal penalties, which is why this policy move is considered such a big deal and such a shift from our norms.

[Shemitah Basu]

The Post reports that even though IRS.

[Apple News Host]

Attorneys advised that the deal likely violates privacy laws, the agreement was signed by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. But one key person was largely left out of the loop.

[Shannon Najmabadi]

Evidently, Melanie Krause, who was acting IRS commissioner, didn't learn of it until the Treasury Department had released news of the deal to Fox News.

[Shemitah Basu]

After news of the agreement became public.

[Apple News Host]

Kraus informed staff she is stepping down.

[Shemitah Basu]

Tomorrow, an immigration judge in Lincoln, Louisiana.

[Apple News Host]

Will decide the fate of Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil, whether he can.

[Shemitah Basu]

Be deported or whether his case should.

[Apple News Host]

Be terminated and he should be released.

[Shemitah Basu]

Khalil's story so far offers an alarming.

[Apple News Host]

Glimpse into what could happen to others.

[Shemitah Basu]

As reports begin to bubble up of.

[Apple News Host]

International students learning that their visas are being revoked by the State Department.

[Shemitah Basu]

At least eight students at Arizona State University, six at UC Berkeley, at least.

[Apple News Host]

Three students and two recent grads at.

[Shemitah Basu]

Harvard, the Washington Post reports. It's unclear how many visas in total.

[Apple News Host]

Have been revoked so far or if all students have even been informed that they must now leave the United States.

[Shemitah Basu]

And it's contributing to an overall sense.

[Apple News Host]

Of dread among foreign born students that any immigrant could be targeted without warning for anything from protesting the war in Gaza to something minor like a traffic violation.

[Shemitah Basu]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said two weeks ago that more than 300 student.

[Apple News Host]

Visas had been revoked under his direction. That same week, a video circulated on.

[Shemitah Basu]

Social media of the arrest of a.

[Apple News Host]

Turkish student at Tufts University, where the woman was approached on the street by law enforcement agents who were mostly masked and led away.

[Shemitah Basu]

At the time, Rubio was asked about.

[Apple News Host]

Her arrest and the detention of other foreign born students who, like her, have expressed pro Palestinian viewpoints.

[Marco Rubio]

You want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus. We're not going to give you a visa. If you lie to us and get a visa and then enter the United States and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we're going to take away your visa.

[Shemitah Basu]

Administrators at colleges have also raised concerns.

[Apple News Host]

About a federal database where international students records have been terminated.

[Shemitah Basu]

The CEO of a nonprofit that works.

[Apple News Host]

On behalf of international and immigrant students called the changes arbitrary and unresolvable and said they're creating havoc for anyone on campus who isn't a U.S. citizen.

[Shemitah Basu]

Daniel Kanstrom, an immigration law professor at Boston College, told NPR's Fresh Air recently.

[Apple News Host]

The targeting of these students is an escalation in Trump's deportation plan.

[Daniel Kanstrom]

The goals here seem to be political, not really aimed at immigration enforcement or the undocumented. It's aimed at the documented. It's aimed at, as you say, people here who are students, people here with green cards. I would expect that the next step will be people who have been naturalized citizens.

[Shemitah Basu]

Just this week, a Michigan based attorney.

[Apple News Host]

Who is a US Citizen and is currently representing a student who has been charged in connection to A pro Palestinian protest at the University of Michigan was detained by federal immigration agents at the airport on his way home from a family vacation.

[Shemitah Basu]

Amir Makled told NPR it was clear.

[Apple News Host]

That officers were waiting for him.

[Amir Makled]

It was apparent to me at that point that they had already done their homework about me before I arrived because they, they knew that I was taking on some, some cases. He knew who I was and he knew where I was coming from, and he knew I was a deter an attorney. So it wasn't a random selection.

[Apple News Host]

After more than 90 minutes of questioning, Makhlid was eventually released.

[Shemitah Basu]

He says he was never given a.

[Apple News Host]

Reason for his detainment, but he says he believes he knows why he was stopped.

[Amir Makled]

The purpose of searching my phone doesn't have anything to do with terrorism. There's only a chilling effect, and it's done to be intim advocating, in my opinion, for the causes that I was engaging in. I'm standing up for students. I'm standing up for immigrants and political dissenters. And I think this was a way to try to dissuade me from taking on these types of cases.

[Apple News Host]

Many immigration lawyers are saying they've been getting lots of frantic calls and emails from students who've been notified by the State Department and want to know what's supposed to happen next. The federal government is encouraging them to self deport or risk getting detained.

[Shemitah Basu]

Before we let you go, a few other stories we're following. NPR reports that effective immediately, the government will begin screening immigrants social media accounts for content it deems anti Semitic and.

[Apple News Host]

Could use those posts to deny immigration benefits.

[Shemitah Basu]

This could impact people applying for a.

[Apple News Host]

Green card or student visa.

[Shemitah Basu]

It's not totally clear what constitutes antisemitic.

[Apple News Host]

Content in the government's eyes, including whether a post condemning Israel's war in Gaza that's killed more than 50,000 Palestinians could be flagged.

[Shemitah Basu]

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the policy change will protect.

[Apple News Host]

The homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens.

[Shemitah Basu]

Earlier this week, the U.S. commerce Department abruptly cut $4 million in federal funding.

[Apple News Host]

For climate at Princeton University.

[Shemitah Basu]

The money paid for programs studying things.

[Apple News Host]

Like sea level rise and flooding.

[Shemitah Basu]

Administration officials said the research promotes exaggerated.

[Apple News Host]

Threats and, quote, climate anxiety among younger people.

[Shemitah Basu]

A meteorologist in one of those programs.

[Apple News Host]

Won a Nobel Prize in physics for work predicting the effects of global warming.

[Shemitah Basu]

The researchers at Princeton are considered by.

[Apple News Host]

Some to be among the best in the world at climate modeling.

[Shemitah Basu]

These are just some of the latest.

[Apple News Host]

Cuts to funding at prestigious universities by the administration.

[Shemitah Basu]

And finally, golf's first major tournament of the year.

[Apple News Host]

The Masters starts today and is marking a historic anniversary.

[Shemitah Basu]

Fifty years ago this week, Lee Elder.

[Apple News Host]

Became the first black golfer to compete in the distinguished tournament, breaking one of.

[Shemitah Basu]

American sports last color lines. Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

[Apple News Host]

Where the tournament is played, has a long history of racial division.

[Shemitah Basu]

One of its co founders is quoted.

[Apple News Host]

As saying, as long as I'm alive, all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be black.

[Shemitah Basu]

That changed when officials tweaked the rules.

[Apple News Host]

And awarded a spot in the tournament to anyone who had won a PGA.

[Shemitah Basu]

Tour event, which Elder did about a year prior.

[Apple News Host]

His inclusion sparked death threats leading up to the tournament. He had bodyguards hanging around with him that week.

[Shemitah Basu]

Elder ended up missing the cut, but played the tournament five more times after that.

[Apple News Host]

It would be 22 years after Elder.

[Shemitah Basu]

Broke the color barrier that a black.

[Apple News Host]

Man finally did win the Masters in 1997, a young man named Tiger Woods.

[Shemitah Basu]

You can find all these stories and.

[Apple News Host]

More in the Apple News app.

[Shemitah Basu]

And if you're already listening in the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. New York Magazine spoke with a philosopher.

[Apple News Host]

Who sought to understand why some of.

[Shemitah Basu]

Us seem to have great luck while others have constant streams of bad luck.

[Apple News Host]

Are some of us just truly unlucky?

[Shemitah Basu]

If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.