The Evening: It’s tariff week

Also, France's far-right leader was barred from running for office.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 31, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. It's tariff week A ruling against Le Pen Plus, lessons on happiness from Finland President Trump's trade adviser, Peter Navarro, bottom right, said tariffs would raise revenue. Clockwise from top left: Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times; Mike Blake/Reuters; Eric Lee, Erin Schaff/The New York Times Trump's advisers battle over his tariff goals President Trump is planning to gather his cabinet in the Rose Garden this week to announce a sweeping plan for global tariffs that he promised would correct decades of unfair trade relationships and stop other countries from "ripping off" the U.S. He has taken to referring to Wednesday, when the tariffs are set to be unveiled, as "Liberation Day." It remains unclear, however, whether Trump's plan will result in higher levies on other nations, lower ones, or a mix — or what exactly his goal is. Many economists expect Americans will pay higher prices, and investors also appear uncertain about the economic impact of the plan: The S&P 500 rose slightly today, but finished March with its worst monthly decline in more than two years. Trump has described the tariffs as a negotiating tool that could force other countries to drop their trade barriers, ultimately resulting in lower tariffs. But he has also talked about the tariffs as a way to raise revenue and shift supply chains back to the U.S., which would be a result of sustained higher tariffs. The president's supporters have pushed both conflicting goals, but ultimately the president will decide a path forward. Trump and his allies have occasionally acknowledged that the tariffs would likely, at least temporarily, impose additional costs on consumers. They are hoping to sell the public on a provocative idea: Cheap stuff is not the American dream. In other politics news: Trump said he was "not joking" about the possibility of seeking a third term. That would run afoul of the 22nd Amendment. The Trump administration said it was reviewing roughly $9 billion in federal grants to Harvard, accusing the school of allowing antisemitism on its campus. The Pentagon estimated that the U.S. had spent $40 million to jail about 400 migrants at Guantánamo. Roughly 1,900 leading researchers accused the Trump administration in an open letter of conducting a "wholesale assault on U.S. science." Members of Elon Musk's DOGE team gained access to the federal payroll system, over objections to career staff. A House race in a deep-red Florida district was supposed to be a snoozer. It suddenly looks competitive. The Trump family announced a new crypto venture. Washington is now flooded in Windsor knots. Thibaud Moritz/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images France's far-right leader was barred from running for office Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far right, was found guilty today of embezzlement for overseeing a scheme to pay her party's staff with money intended for E.U. business. The verdict barred her from running for public office for five years — effectively removing the front-runner from France's 2027 presidential race. Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing, but she will be able to run in 2027 only if she secures a more lenient ruling on appeal, which is difficult but not impossible. Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's 29-year-old protégé, will be a likely presidential candidate in her absence. An analysis: Millions of Le Pen's supporters are now adrift and angry, our Paris bureau chief Roger Cohen explained. France could see a gale of political protest, as well as an attack from the global far right. Palestinians who fled Rafah arrived in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, today.  Hatem Khaled/Reuters Israel issued a wide-ranging evacuation order in Gaza The Israeli military issued a sweeping evacuation order today for parts of southern Gaza. The order, which came during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, signaled that Israel could relaunch intensive assaults on Hamas targets in the area two weeks after the monthslong cease-fire between the two sides collapsed. In Jerusalem, the domestic conflict between the Israeli prime minister and his political opponents — including the judiciary and the domestic spy agency — deepened. In Syria and Lebanon, Israel has built a growing network of outposts and fortifications. Ted S. Warren/Associated Press Interest in ivermectin is rising again A few years ago, ivermectin — a drug proven to treat certain parasitic diseases — exploded in popularity after false claims that it could treat Covid. Now, interest in the drug has surged again, fueled by right-wing influencers who claim it can treat cancer. Doctors are alarmed. There is no evidence to support people taking ivermectin to treat cancer, and there are real risks associated with people taking the drug. More top news Myanmar: As the death toll from the earthquake rose past 2,000, volunteers said they had been blocked from aiding the rebel stronghold of Sagaing. Supreme Court: The justices seemed prepared to rule that a Catholic charity in Wisconsin was improperly denied a tax exemption by a state court that ruled its activities were not religious enough. Lithuania: Three U.S. soldiers were found dead in the country after their vehicle became stuck in a bog, the Army said. A fourth soldier is still missing. Economy: America is wealthier than ever. Here's why it doesn't feel like it. California: A wildfire that ignited on Sunday about halfway between Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park has spread to 1,250 acres. Europe: A new NATO program patrols the Baltic Sea for Russian cable and gas pipeline sabotage. The Times went along on a Baltic Sentry flight. Zimbabwe: Battling a yearslong economic crisis and accusations of corruption, President Emmerson Mnangagwa faced calls from his own party to step down. Business: Primark's chief executive stepped down after "an allegation made by an individual about his behavior," the company said. Animals: In Southern California, hundreds of sea lions, dolphins and other animals have turned up in the sand dead or seriously ill, alarming rescuers and beachgoers. TIME TO UNWIND Rune Fisker Can Finland teach tourists to be happy? We went to see. Finland has topped the World Happiness Report for the past eight years, owing in part to its welfare state, a closeness with nature and three million saunas. An anxious American writer, Britta Lokting, went to Helsinki to see if she could bring some of that joy home with her. Lokting sampled local food, confessed emotions to the trees and plunged into cold waters. On her return to America, she still found happiness to be a luxury. But maybe the answer wasn't to recreate a dopamine rush, she writes, but something altogether more simple. Tanith Lee, photographed in November 1997.  Beth Gwinn/Writer Pictures The time is ripe to rediscover Tanith Lee Tanith Lee, who died in 2015, was an eclectic and prolific writer. She penned more than 90 novels and hundreds of short stories, ranging from fantasy and science fiction to horror, erotica, mysteries and historical fiction. Her work, much of which came in the '70s and '80s, was ahead of its time. But eventually, publishers had a hard time pigeonholing her books, and they turned away from her. If you've never read her work, here's where to begin. Vincent Tullo for The New York Times Dinner table topics An intense conductor: We talked to Joana Mallwitz, one of Germany's fastest rising stars, ahead of her Met Opera debut tonight. Robert Irvine: A TV chef was enlisted to overhaul the Army's dreary mess hall menus. Prehistoric past: A new dinosaur museum rose from a hole in the ground in New Jersey. Ask our Culture desk: My friend's show was bad. What should I say to them? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Rachel Vanni for The New York Times Cook: Drown this sesame chicken in a creamy chipotle sauce. Watch: Stream these movies and TV shows before they leave Netflix this month. Calculate: A tiny bit of smartwatch math could help your heart health. Read: A new book explores the connections between brain biology and political beliefs. Listen: We picked five twist-filled podcasts that can offer an escape from the drumbeat of news. Design: These chairs feel like a hug. Exercise: Here's how to do a burpee. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Pamela Smith/Associated Press The baseball world is buzzing about 'torpedo bats' After well over a century of baseball, you might assume that the sport's wood bats have been essentially perfected. The New York Yankees are trying this year to prove that wrong. Several members of the team are using "torpedo bats," nicknamed because, unlike the traditional shape, they narrow toward the end. The idea, developed by an M.I.T. physicist-turned-baseball coach, was to move the strongest part of the bat closer to the hands, where some players tend to hit the ball. After the Yankees started the year with an incredible 15 home runs in three games, almost everyone seems to want to give them a try. Have a powerful evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, 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