Trump Won’t Rule Out a Recession, and a Crackdown on Campus Protests

Summary

The Headlines: Trump Won’t Rule Out a Recession, and a Crackdown on Campus Protests Hosted by Tracy Mumford, The New York Times | Released on March 10, 2025

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1. Trump’s Economic Policies and the Prospect of a Recession

Timestamp: [00:54]

President Donald Trump addressed concerns about the U.S. economy potentially entering a recession due to his administration's aggressive economic policies. During an interview on Fox News, Trump stated, “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we're doing is very big” (00:54). He emphasized that his tariffs are aimed at preventing the country from being "ripped off," declaring, “Our country has been ripped off for many decades, for many, many decades, and we're not going to be ripped off anymore” (01:10).

However, these tariffs have introduced significant volatility into the stock market. Major financial institutions, including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, have revised their forecasts, indicating that a recession within the next 12 months has become more probable. Trump's commitment to imposing additional tariffs, even after pausing some, continues to unsettle markets.

Retaliatory Tariffs and Impact on U.S. Farmers

In response to Trump’s tariffs, China has implemented retaliatory measures targeting American agricultural products. Starting today, Chinese tariffs on items such as chicken, wheat, corn, and soybeans will range from 10% to 15% (01:19). This move poses a substantial threat to U.S. farmers, as China represents their largest overseas market. The agricultural sector faces potential economic strain, raising concerns about the long-term viability of farming communities reliant on international trade.

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2. Shifts in Canadian Leadership Amid U.S. Trade Tensions

Timestamp: [02:22]

The ripple effects of Trump’s tariffs extend beyond the United States, influencing political dynamics in neighboring Canada. Mark Carney, a former Governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, has been selected as the new leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, effectively positioning him to replace Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister (02:16).

Upon his appointment, Carney asserted, “My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect” (02:33). This stance underscores Canada’s intent to respond firmly to U.S. trade policies. As federal elections approach in a few months, Canadian voters are scrutinizing candidates based on their ability to navigate and counteract Trump’s aggressive trade maneuvers. Carney's non-traditional political background and his commitment to maintaining tariffs highlight the significance of trade disputes in shaping Canada’s political landscape.

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3. Trump Administration’s Crackdown on Campus Protests

Timestamp: [02:40] – [06:07]

The Trump administration has intensified its efforts to suppress campus activism, particularly targeting pro-Palestinian movements. This weekend, immigration authorities apprehended Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and prominent figure in last year’s protests against the war in Gaza. Khalil, a legal permanent resident with a green card, has been accused by the Department of Homeland Security of leading activities associated with Hamas, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. (02:40).

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this stance on social media, stating, “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so that they can be deported” (02:40). In response, Khalil’s legal team criticized the administration, arguing that his detention is part of a broader suppression of free speech and activism. They further contended, “They haven't been able to find out where he's being held,” highlighting concerns over due process and transparency.

In a significant policy move, the administration also canceled $400 million in grants and contracts for Columbia University, citing the institution’s alleged failure to protect Jewish students from harassment (03:15). Federal agencies involved indicated that these cuts are merely the beginning and that additional sanctions may follow, signaling an escalated approach to regulating campus environments.

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4. Escalation of Violence in Syria

Timestamp: [03:40] – [06:07]

Syria is experiencing a severe resurgence of violence following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December. Loyalist factions have launched assaults against the new government's security forces along the nation's west coast, triggering a brutal crackdown. An independent monitoring group reports that over a thousand individuals have been killed, with civilians constituting the majority of the casualties (03:40).

Report by Christina Goldbaum

Tracy Mumford introduced her colleague Christina Goldbaum, who has been on the ground reporting from Syria. Goldbaum detailed the dire situation, stating, “Syria is very on edge right now. The roads leading into the coast have been closed down. There are new government checkpoints manning those roads” (04:53). She described the heightened tensions and the community's fear of escalating conflict, noting that many residents are reluctant to leave their homes due to the pervasive violence.

Goldbaum further explained, “Most people on the coast do not support the armed uprising by these Assad loyalists. But many people there are from the same sect as Assad. And so they're worried that they could be caught up in this violence” (05:25). The potential for another civil war looms large as the new Syrian leaders face the critical challenge of restoring order and preventing the conflict from spiraling out of control.

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5. Oscar Win for “Flo” and Its Unexpected Reception

Timestamp: [06:07] – [End]

In a surprising turn of events, the animated film "Flo," depicting a black cat surviving an epic flood, secured the Oscar for Best Animated Feature last week, outpacing heavyweights from major studios like Pixar and DreamWorks. The indie film's success has generated a unique cultural phenomenon, with pets themselves becoming fans of the movie.

"People have been posting videos of their cats and dogs totally entranced by Flo," reported Tracy Mumford. Examples include Fishbone, a cat, who was “so engrossed” (06:07), and Samson, a golden retriever, described as “very invested” (06:07). One of the film’s producers and writers attributed this pet fascination to the movie’s authentic sound design, which solely features real animal sounds without any dialogue. The characters—a cat, a dog, a lemur, a bird, and a capybara—resonate naturally with animal audiences.

Goldbaum added a lighthearted note, mentioning existing content tailored for pets, such as Dog TV and various YouTube clips for entertainment. However, "Flo" stands out as the first Academy Award-winning option crafted with an understanding of animal perception, appealing to pet owners seeking quality viewing experiences for their furry friends.

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Headlines, Tracy Mumford delves into the significant and multifaceted impacts of President Trump’s economic and political strategies, highlighting the potential for a recession, international trade tensions, and a crackdown on domestic activism. The segment also sheds light on the evolving political scene in Canada and the escalating conflict in Syria, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of pressing global and national issues. Concluding on a lighter note, the unexpected triumph of the animated film "Flo" offers a glimpse into cultural shifts and the unexpected ways media can engage even the most unconventional audiences.

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Transcript

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[Tracy Mumford]

From the New York Times, it's the Headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Monday, March 10th. Here's what we're covering. Are you expecting a recession this year?

[Donald Trump]

I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we're doing is very big.

[Tracy Mumford]

President Trump has declined to rule out the possibility that his economic policies, including waves of aggressive tariffs, could trigger a recession.

[Donald Trump]

Our country has been ripped off for many decades, for many, many decades, and we're not going to be ripped off anymore.

[Tracy Mumford]

In an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News, the president said that he was stopping America from being taken advantage of in trade, but acknowledged that his moves could take some time to pay off. His willingness to put tariffs on America's closest trading partners, even if he's then paused some of them has been sending shockwaves through the stock market, and forecasts from Wall street giants like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs say a recession in the next 12 months has become more likely. Still, Trump has promised more tariffs as soon as this week, and other countries have responded in turn. Today, China's retaliatory tariffs on a lot of American farm products kicked in. Chicken, wheat, corn, soybeans and more will now face a 10 to 15% levy, and that could deal a blow to US farmers. China is their biggest overseas market. Meanwhile, in Canada, I know that these.

[Mark Carney]

Are dark days, dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust.

[Tracy Mumford]

Trump's tariffs were a central focus this weekend as Canada's Liberal Party chose Mark Carney as its new leader. He'll now replace Justin Trudeau as the country's prime minister.

[Mark Carney]

My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect.

[Tracy Mumford]

Carney's never been elected to office. His background's in banking. He led the bank of Canada and the bank of England. Federal elections in a few months will determine whether Carney will keep the prime minister post. Some Canadian voters have said that a crucial Question for them going into that election is who will be the best choice to stand up to Trump. This weekend, immigration authorities arrested a recent graduate of Columbia University who played a prominent role in last year's campus protests against the war in Gaza. The pro Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil holds a green card and is a legal permanent resident of the United States. But a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security claimed that he led activities aligned with Hamas, which the US has designated a terrorist organization. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media, quote, we will be revoking the visas and or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so that they can be deported. Khalil's lawyers told the Times that they haven't been able to find out where he's being held and said his arrest is part of a broader attack on activism and free speech. For the Trump administration, it's a significant escalation in its crackdown on what the president has called anti Semitic campus activity. On Friday, the administration canceled $400 million in grants and contracts for Columbia in response to what it said was the school's failure to protect Jewish students from harassment. A statement from four federal agencies said that those cuts are just the beginning and that more will follow. In Syria, the country's facing the biggest flare up in violence since the fall of its authoritarian leader, Bashar Al Assad. Assad was thrown out of power back in December, but in the past few days, his loyalists have attacked the new government's security forces along the country's west coast, and those forces have responded with a bloody crackdown. More than a thousand people have been killed, according to an independent monitoring group. The majority of them have been civilians.

[Christina Goldbaum]

Syria is very on edge right now. The roads leading into the coast have been closed down. There are new government checkpoints manning those roads. Very few people there have been leaving their homes for fear of what could happen if they do. They've heard many stories now of violence targeting civilians and others in more rural areas where most of this violence violence has been happening have also taken up arms to guard their homes and their communities for fear of what could happen.

[Tracy Mumford]

My colleague Christina Goldbaum has been reporting from Syria.

[Christina Goldbaum]

Most people on the coast do not support the armed uprising by these Assad loyalists. But many people there are from the same sect as Assad. And so they're worried that they could be caught up in this violence, even targeted by government forces as they try to squash that armed rebellion. And people are very worried that this could spiral into another civil war. After three month period of relative calm. So right now has become this critical test for the country's new leaders about whether they are able to manage the situation re establish control or if this becomes a broader conflict.

[Tracy Mumford]

And finally, when the movie Flo won the Oscar last week week for best Animated Feature, it was a bit of a surprise. The scrappy little movie about a black cat who survives an epic flood triumphed over big studio hits from Pixar and DreamWorks. And now Flo has been finding a new fan base in people's pets. People have been posting videos of their cats and dogs totally entranced by Flo. Fishbone, a cat, was so engrossed, wrote one person, and Samson, a golden retriever, was very invested. One of the producers and writers of Flo told the Times that he thinks all the animal attention is because the movie used real animal sounds in production. That's actually all the sound there is. The movie doesn't have any dialogue, just a cat, a dog, a lemur, a bird and a capybara. Prime pet Viewing there is surprisingly or unsurprisingly, a lot of content already out there for pets to watch. Dog TV is a whole channel and YouTube has a lot of mouse videos for your couch potato cat. But now there is finally an Academy Award winning option if your pet is more of a movie snob. Those are the headlines today on the Daily How President Trump wants to both dismantle and weaponize the Department of Education. That's next in the New York Times audio app. Or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.