Monday Briefing: A looming trade war

Plus, the winners at the Grammys

View in browser|nytimes.com February 3, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the prospect of a North American trade war and Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington. Plus: Catch up on the Grammys. U.S. drivers may see higher prices at the pump. Brittany Greeson for The New York Times Trump warned of tariff pain for Americans A day after President Trump announced stiff tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, the Canadian government said it would retaliate with 25 percent tariffs on more than $100 billion worth of U.S. goods, including honey, tomatoes, whiskey, peanut butter and garments. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said more measures were being considered. Here's the latest. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said she would outline her country's response today, while China's commerce ministry promised "corresponding countermeasures" and said Beijing would bring a case before the World Trade Organization. On social media, Trump acknowledged that his tariffs — 25 percent on Canada and Mexico, with a partial carve-out for Canadian energy and oil exports, and 10 percent on goods from China — could cause "some pain." Because of how tariffs work, groups that represent American businesses say consumers are likely to paying the price. Analysis: The tariffs could tilt the world economic order in China's favor. Lawmakers, economists and business groups widely criticized the tariffs, characterizing them as economic malpractice. In other news: The Trump administration revoked Temporary Protected Status yesterday for more than 300,000 Venezuelans in the U.S., leaving them vulnerable to potential deportation in the coming months. More on Trump More than 50 interviews with Democratic leaders reveal how the party is struggling to agree on a unified message. More than 8,000 government web pages have been taken down since Friday afternoon, a New York Times analysis found. For his first official trip as secretary of state, Marco Rubio went to Panama. The transportation secretary and Vice President JD Vance blamed diversity hiring practices for last week's deadly collision between a commercial jet and a military helicopter. Many Americans say they don't believe the Democratic Party is focused on the economic issues that matter most to them, according to a poll from The Times and Ipsos. The top security officials at U.S.A.I.D. were put on administrative leave after they refused to give Elon Musk's representatives access to internal systems, U.S. officials said. The Education Department placed a number of employees on leave, as the administration continued its purge of diversity efforts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is expected to meet with President Trump on Tuesday. Pool photo by Debbie Hill Netanyahu left for Washington Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was traveling to Washington yesterday for meetings this week with President Trump and other top officials at a pivotal moment for the Middle East. Before boarding his plane, Netanyahu made several references to "peace." The talks are expected to cover crucial regional issues, including Iran's nuclear ambitions and support for armed proxies on Israel's borders, as well as the possibility of formalizing ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a major regional player. Trump has made clear that he wants the wars in the Middle East to end. Truce: Negotiations are supposed to start today over the Gaza cease-fire's second phase, which is meant to turn the two-week-old truce into a more permanent cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and facilitate the release of the militants' remaining hostages. In Gaza: An Israeli aircraft yesterday fired toward a vehicle that the military said had been moving north along an unauthorized route. Gaza's Ministry of Health did not immediately report any fatalities. In other news from the region: Ahmed al-Shara, Syria's newly appointed interim president, landed in Saudi Arabia yesterday to forge a partnership with the oil-rich Gulf nation. He met with the kingdom's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, according to Syrian and Saudi state news media. A Kremlin delegation arrived in Syria last week to see if Russia could keep its military bases there. Doing so would require winning over a country that Russia bombed ruthlessly while Bashar al-Assad was in power. Hamas gunmen released three more hostages on Saturday, and Israel freed more than 180 Palestinian prisoners. German soldiers unloading a U.S.-made surface-to-air missile system last month in Jasionka, Poland. Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.Pl, via Reuters Europe is scrambling to shore up its defenses Leaders from Britain and across the E.U. will meet in Brussels today to discuss how to pay for Europe's defense — a concern made more acute by President Trump's return to the White House. With war ongoing in Ukraine, the E.U., which was founded on free trade and termed itself a "peace project," has become more committed to deterrence and defense. The U.S. is the largest military funder of Ukraine's war effort, but Trump has suggested that he will rapidly withdraw support and leave the matter to the Europeans. Europe's relationship with Washington is also on the agenda. That includes how to cope with Mr. Trump's demands, such as his desire to acquire Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Quotable: "This is critical for Europeans," said Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, acting president of the German Marshall Fund, a think tank. "They don't have a choice, because war is taking place on their own continent." Ukraine: At least 14 people were killed on Saturday in a Russian missile attack on the city of Poltava, Ukrainian officials said. Later, a bomb smashed into a boarding school, killing four people in Sudzha, a Russian town held by Ukraine. Each country blamed the Sudzha attack on the other. MORE TOP NEWS Kent Nishimura for The New York Times Aviation: The authorities are close to finding and identifying all the victims of the collision last week between a commercial jet and an Army helicopter outside Washington, D.C. India: The Maha Kumbh Mela, a festival that draws millions of pilgrims, is a powerful marketing tool for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his allies. Nature: Canadian and American scientists are trying to figure out what's causing the brain swelling that's been linked to great white shark deaths. Africa: For residents of Goma, the city in the Democratic Republic of Congo recently captured by Rwanda-backed rebels, there is little water, little food and much uncertainty. Culture: The word to describe this year's Sundance Film Festival is "weird," a Times critic writes. Read about the festival. Tech: Most large employers downplay the possibility that bots will take our jobs. But Klarna's chief executive is bragging about it. SPORTS NEWS Premier League: Arsenal blew away Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in London with a brilliant 5-1 win. Golf: Rory McIlroy's bogey-free seven-under 65 made for a day of pure theater at Pebble Beach in California. Hockey: The Wild's Ryan Hartman could be facing a lengthy suspension for pushing the face of the Ottawa Senators center Tim Stützle into the ice. MORNING READ Katherine Wolkoff for The New York Times Doctors warn about the physical side effects of weight-loss drugs, but they can also have unexpected effects on intimacy. "I've told her: 'I don't recognize you. I need a road map,'" one patient's spouse said. "I think she's become a different person." Lives lived: James Carlos Blake, whose lyrical novels about outlaws, bootleggers and gunslingers resurrected the violent history of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, died at 81. CONVERSATION STARTERS Fully rehabilitated: Almost 200 American prisons have closed in the past 20 years. Some are now being turned into stylish apartment buildings. Arson, shootings, sabotage: As Canada wrangles an epic, decades-long battle over who can fish for lobster, and when, emerging threats are heating up the conflict in Nova Scotia. Digital drugs: A researcher makes the claim that convenience and abundance are making us less happy — and she shares a way out. The "manosphere": A "boys will be boys" sensibility has jumped from the internet into the halls of power. But what might look like a swaggering monolith is far more complicated. ARTS AND IDEAS Amy Sussman/Getty Images Recapping the Grammys The 67th annual Grammy Awards opened last night in Los Angeles with an ensemble performance of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A.," just a few weeks after wildfires devastated much of the city. Catch up on the evening here. Beyoncé, above, won best album for her high-concept country release "Cowboy Carter." Despite a cool reception from Nashville, she also won best country album, making her the first Black artist to win that accolade. Charli XCX, the English singer-songwriter behind the smash hit album "Brat," won her first three Grammys ever, and the pop star Chappell Roan won best new artist. Taylor Swift failed for a sixth time to win record of the year, for "Fortnight," her gloomy, synth-driven duet with Post Malone. That honor, along with song of the year, went to Kendrick Lamar for "Not Like Us," the breakout track from his war of words with Drake. Here's the full list of winners. For more: See the best looks from the red carpet. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Cook: Add oomph — and kimchi — to your egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich. Read: Let our critics help you find your next favorite book. Watch: In "No Other Land," a team of Palestinian and Israeli directors take a daring approach to the occupied West Bank. Listen: In exile, a provocative Russian goth band has traded screams for a gentler sound. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018