The Navigator, Saturday, April 5, 2025
Booker breaks a record, Wall Street bends a knee, Trump prolongs TikTok, Texas measles spread, Netflix hit raises red flags, our concept of "now" is broken—and more
One, two, three, four… Trump declares a trade war!
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump levied across-the-board tariffs on all goods imported to the United States, and global markets took a dive. Get ready for just about everything you consume to get a lot more expensive in the coming weeks and months, since everything from coffee to cars will be impacted. The world could get a bit more dangerous, too, as free trade is disrupted.
But is this a smart move for the United States? Likely not, if we use history as our guide. “On tariffs, I think it’s just economically — it’s a fallacy to think that it’ll help the country,” Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said. “Tariffs are a tax, and if you tax trade or if you tax anything, you’ll get less of it.”
The tariffs may also intensify a global trade war. On Friday, China retaliated by imposing an extra tariff of 34% on all American imports—and Xi Jinping, China’s president, is showing (at least so far) no signs of backing down. “Xi appears to feel that China’s economy is strong enough to withstand whatever Trump throws at it next,” Leah Fahy, a China economist at Capital Economics wrote in a research note that went viral Friday.
Is the American economy strong enough to withstand the same from China? Analysts say Trump’s tariffs give Xi an additional lever to build or mend ties with America’s jilted partners over what has now become a shared grievance with the U.S. It also puts another round of American companies in a tough spot. On Friday, China added 11 American companies to its “unreliable entity list,” including drone manufacturers, and imposed Chinese restrictions on exports of rare earth metals used to make high-tech products.
The Chinese proverb, 风向转变时,有人筑墙,有人造风车, when translated, reminds us that “when the wind changes direction, some people build walls while others build windmills.” Let’s hope both sides in this dispute will end up doing the latter.
As always, thank you for making us part of your week. Comment below to let us know your thoughts on this week’s events and your input on the new rules emerging for tomorrow.
Cory Booker Breaks the Record for the U.S. Senate’s Longest Speech in Trump Protest (Politico)
The New Jersey Democrat set a new record for the chamber’s longest speech when he held the floor for more than 25 hours, surpassing the late Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster against civil rights.
Why Wall Street Bent the Knee to Trump on Tariffs (Vanity Fair)
The stock market has been one of the few data points that Donald Trump cares about, but even that guardrail may have come off as his long-desired tariff scheme roils trading.
Schooled by Trump, Americans are learning to dislike their allies (The Economist)
The magazine’s polling shows that Americans’ and Europeans’ attitudes towards each other are changing quickly.
TikTok’s bizarre sale process gets even weirder (The Economist)
Donald Trump extends the highly politicized auction by another 75 days.
The New Marriage of Unequals (The Atlantic)
Women are now more likely to marry a less-educated man than men are to marry a less-educated woman.
The best reason to be hopeful about the world, in one chart (Vox)
Fewer children are dying than ever — but we can’t let progress stop.
Fran Lebowitz on Why Our Concept of “Now” Is Broken (Harper’s Bazaar)
The writer and public speaker sounds off on nostalgia, AI, the news, and why revenge is “horrible” in politics but “totally satisfying” in her personal life.
Texas reports a large leap in measles cases (The Guardian)
This highly contagious disease, declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, is now, so far this year, up to 481 cases and spreading fast—beyond the close-knit, under-vaccinated, Gaines County Mennonite community in which it began two months ago.
'Adolescence’ has inspired TikTokkers to raise red flags about misogyny and red-pilled boys (Rolling Stone)
The Netflix hit has started a conversation among parents, teachers, and siblings about how to watch out for warnings that their loved ones are being radicalized.
People With "Grandma Hobbies" Have Better Mental Health, Experts Say (House Beautiful)
Activities like knitting, gardening, and bird-watching can benefit the brain.
Why You Should Work Like It’s the ’90s (The Atlantic)
When you leave the office for the day, really leave.