Politics
Harsh trade retaliation from Canada, China show challenge ahead for Trump team
WASHINGTON — Canada will begin imposing 25% tariffs on select U.S. car imports Wednesday, ratcheting up tensions between Washington and Ottawa as the rest of the world grapples with President Trump’s ongoing assault on the global economic order.
Canada’s move came hours after Beijing vowed that China would “fight to the end” over the Trump administration’s tariff policy, which it characterized as an attempt to “blackmail” the world. As of Wednesday, all products imported from China to the United States would face a duty of 104%.
The news led to yet another day of market turmoil, with the Dow Jones industrial average, Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq all beginning the day with promising rallies that disappeared by the closing bell.
The steps from two of America’s largest trading partners — one friend, one foe — exemplified the challenges ahead for the Trump administration, which said that its sweeping global tariffs policy on nearly every country on Earth would remain in place. Only direct negotiations with trading partners, on an individual basis, could potentially result in new trade agreements that would lift or ease some restrictions, officials said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Canada’s new tariffs will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on noncompliant vehicles from the United States, and on contents of CUSMA-compliant vehicles not from Canada or Mexico. CUSMA, called USMCA in the United States, refers to a trade agreement negotiated among Canada, the United States and Mexico during the first Trump administration.
The trade war is already reverberating through the auto industry, with Jaguar, Land Rover and Audi halting exports to the United States, and U.S.-based Stellantis — which produces brands including Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep — announcing an initial round of 900 temporary layoffs at five U.S. plants.
“President Trump caused this trade crisis,” Carney said in a statement posted on X. “Canada is responding with purpose and with force.”
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he was “doing very well in making tailored deals” with countries around the world, and said that over 70 nations had reached out to the White House to start negotiations. He added that the U.S. is “taking in almost $2 billion a day in tariffs.”
But Trump has said he is waiting, in particular, for talks to begin with China, the third-largest U.S. trading partner after Canada and Mexico. On Wednesday, the administration will push forward with Trump’s threat to pile on additional 50% tariffs if China does not remove its 34% tariffs against the United States.
Trump first announced 20% tariffs against China soon after taking office, complaining that the Asian nation had forced fentanyl to flood into the country. Last Wednesday, as part of his sweeping tariffs measure he dubbed “Liberation Day,” Trump enacted an additional 34% tariff against the country.
White House officials continued to champion tariffs as the ultimate leverage, forcing other countries to line up to negotiate with the president. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated Tuesday that “the phones are ringing off the hook” from global leaders, hoping to negotiate an end to the crippling taxes.
“It’s because the world knows that they need the United States of America. They need our markets. They need our consumers,” Leavitt said. “The president has a lot of leverage on his side.”
Not only is China the world’s largest trading partner, it is the provider of many goods Americans rely on — from iPhone components to cheap clothing. Already, members of Trump’s inner circle — and the broader Republican Party — are questioning the president’s tactics.
Elon Musk, the president’s close advisor and the world’s richest man, who has several businesses with interests in China, complained in recent days on X, which he owns, about tariffs. He called Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, “dumber than a sack of bricks” over his guidance to the president.
“Navarro is truly a moron,” Musk posted. “What he says here is demonstrably false.”
Several Republican lawmakers, including prominent GOP senators, initially responded to the policy change with draft legislation that would reassert congressional control over tariff policy. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota threw cold water on the bill’s prospects Monday.
“I don’t think that has a future,” Thune said. “The president’s indicated he would veto it. I don’t see how they get it on the floor in the House, so I think at this point we’re kind of waiting to see what’s going to happen next.”
The lack of congressional action leaves countries around the world with little choice but to directly negotiate with the Trump administration. Yet it is unclear what Trump will consider adequate for success in any bilateral agreement, much less whether a common standard will emerge for countries entering talks.
Sitting in the Oval Office on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said to the president, “We will eliminate the trade deficit with the United States.” Israel has been hit with a 17% tariff rate by the Trump administration, ostensibly over the country’s trade deficit with Washington.
“We intend to do it very quickly — we think it’s the right thing to do — and we’re going to also eliminate trade barriers,” Netanyahu said. “I think Israel could serve as a model for many countries who ought to do the same.”
And yet, in response to a reporter’s question moments later, Trump would not commit to lifting the new tariff rate on Israel even if Netanyahu were to fulfill his promise. “Maybe not,” Trump said.
“Don’t forget, we help Israel a lot,” Trump added. “We give Israel $4 billion a year, that’s a lot.”
The remarks suggested that case-by-case talks with trading partners would involve topics well beyond tariffs, and even beyond trade deficits, to possibly include foreign aid, military assistance and other matters unrelated to economic policy — a series of negotiations that could take months, if not years, to complete.
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council under Trump, said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that the administration is “managing a massive amount of requests for negotiations.”
“It’s actually, logistically, quite challenging,” he added.
Trump announced a baseline tariff rate of 10% for nearly all countries last week. For countries with higher, customized tariff rates — assigned based on the president’s belief that they have treated the United States unfairly — the new import duties are scheduled to go into effect on Wednesday morning. Russia was not included on the list.
Politics
Video: Walz Drops Re-Election Bid as Minnesota Fraud Scandal Grows
new video loaded: Walz Drops Re-Election Bid as Minnesota Fraud Scandal Grows
transcript
transcript
Walz Drops Re-Election Bid as Minnesota Fraud Scandal Grows
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota abandoned his re-election bid to focus on handling a scandal over fraud in social service programs that grew under his administration.
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“I’ve decided to step out of this race, and I’ll let others worry about the election while I focus on the work that’s in front of me for the next year.” “All right, so this is Quality Learing Center — meant to say Quality ‘Learning’ Center.” “Right now we have around 56 kids enrolled. If the children are not here, we mark absence.”
By Shawn Paik
January 6, 2026
Politics
Pelosi heir-apparent calls Trump’s Venezuela move a ‘lawless coup,’ urges impeachment, slams Netanyahu
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A San Francisco Democrat demanded the impeachment of President Donald Trump, accusing him of carrying out a “coup” against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener, seen as the likely congressional successor to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, also took a swipe at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Wiener has frequently drawn national attention for his progressive positions, including his legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom designating California as a “refuge” for transgender children and remarks at a San Francisco Pride Month event referring to California children as “our kids.”
In a lengthy public statement following the Trump administration’s arrest and extradition of Maduro to New York, Wiener said the move shows the president only cares about “enriching his public donors” and “cares nothing for the human or economic cost of conquering another country.”
KAMALA HARRIS BLASTS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA’S MADURO AS ‘UNLAWFUL AND UNWISE’
California State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, speaks at a rally. (John Sciulli/Getty Images)
“This lawless coup is an invitation for China to invade Taiwan, for Russia to escalate its conquest in Ukraine, and for Netanyahu to expand the destruction of Gaza and annex the West Bank,” said Wiener, who originally hails from South Jersey.
He suggested that the Maduro operation was meant to distract from purportedly slumping poll numbers, the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, and to essentially seize another country’s oil reserves.
“Trump is a total failure,” Wiener said. “By engaging in this reckless act, Trump is also making the entire world less safe … Trump is making clear yet again that, under this regime, there are no rules, there are no laws, there are no norms – there is only whatever Trump thinks is best for himself and his cronies at a given moment in time.”
GREENE HITS TRUMP OVER VENEZUELA STRIKES, ARGUES ACTION ‘DOESN’T SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’
In response, the White House said the administration’s actions against Maduro were “lawfully executed” and included a federal arrest warrant.”
“While Democrats take twisted stands in support of indicted drug smugglers, President Trump will always stand with victims and families who can finally receive closure thanks to this historic action,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
Supporters of the operation have pushed back on claims of “regime change” – an accusation Wiener also made – pointing to actions by Maduro-aligned courts that barred top opposition leader María Corina Machado from running, even as publicly reported results indicated her proxy, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the vote.
“Trump’s illegal invasion of Venezuela isn’t about drugs, and it isn’t about helping the people of Venezuela or restoring Venezuelan democracy,” Wiener added. “Yes, Maduro is awful, but that’s not what the invasion is about. It’s all about oil and Trump’s collapsing support at home.”
EX-ESPN STAR KEITH OLBERMANN CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT OF TRUMP OVER VENEZUELA STRIKES THAT CAPTURED MADURO
Around the country, a handful of other Democrats referenced impeachment or impeachable offenses, but did not go as far as Wiener in demanding such proceedings.
Rep. April McClain-Delaney, D-Md., who represents otherwise conservative “Mountain Maryland” in the state’s panhandle, said Monday that Democrats should “imminently consider impeachment proceedings,” according to TIME.
McClain-Delaney said Trump acted without constitutionally-prescribed congressional authorization and wrongly voiced “intention to ‘run’ the country.”
SCHUMER BLASTED TRUMP FOR FAILING TO OUST MADURO — NOW WARNS ARREST COULD LEAD TO ‘ENDLESS WAR’
One frequent Trump foil, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., cited in a statement that she has called for Trump’s impeachment in the past; blaming Republicans for letting the president “escape accountability.”
“Today, many Democrats have understandably questioned whether impeachment is possible again under the current political reality. I am reconsidering that view,” Waters said.
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“What we are witnessing is an unprecedented escalation of an unlawful invasion, the detention of foreign leaders, and a president openly asserting power far beyond what the Constitution allows,” she said, while appearing to agree with Trump that Maduro was involved in drug trafficking and “collaborat[ion] with… terrorists.”
Wiener’s upcoming primary is considered the deciding election in the D+36 district, while a handful of other lesser-known candidates have reportedly either filed FEC paperwork or declared their candidacy, including San Francisco Councilwoman Connie Chan.
Politics
California Congressman Doug LaMalfa dies, further narrowing GOP margin in Congress
California Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) has died, GOP leadership and President Trump confirmed Tuesday morning.
“Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America,” said Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the House majority whip, in a post on X. “Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.”
LaMalfa, 65, was a fourth-generation rice farmer from Oroville and staunch Trump supporter who had represented his Northern California district for the past 12 years. His seat was one of several that was in jeopardy under the state’s redrawn districts approved by voters with Proposition 50.
Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call from LaMalfa’s residence at 6:50 p.m. Monday, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. The congressman was taken to the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, where he died while undergoing emergency surgery, authorities said.
An autopsy to determine the cause of death is planned, according to the sheriff’s office.
LaMalfa’s district — which stretches from the northern outskirts of Sacramento, through Redding at the northern end of the Central Valley and Alturas in the state’s northeast corner — is largely rural, and constituents have long said they felt underrepresented in liberal California.
LaMalfa put much of his focus on boosting federal water supplies to farmers, and seeking to reduce environmental restrictions on logging and extraction of other natural resources.
One LaMalfa’s final acts in the U.S. House was to successfully push for the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act, a long-standing financial aid program for schools surrounded by untaxed federal forest land, whose budgets could not depend upon property taxes, as most public schools do. Despite broad bipartisan support, Congress let it lapse in 2023.
In an interview with The Times as he was walking onto the House floor in mid-December, LaMalfa said he was frustrated with Congress’s inability to pass even a popular bill like that reauthorization.
The Secure Rural Schools Act, he said, was a victim of a Congress in which “it’s still an eternal fight over anything fiscal.” It is “annoying,” LaMalfa said, “how hard it is to get basic things done around here.”
In a statement posted on X, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said he considered LaMalfa “a friend and partner” and that the congressman was “deeply committed to his community and constituents, working to make life better for those he represented.”
“Doug’s life was one of great service and he will be deeply missed,” Schiff wrote.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement called LaMalfa a “devoted public servant who deeply loved his country, his state, and the communities he represented.”
“While we often approached issues from different perspectives, he fought every day for the people of California with conviction and care,” Newsom said.
Flags at the California State Capitol in Sacramento will be flown at half-staff in honor of the congressman, according to the governor.
Before his death, LaMalfa was facing a difficult reelection bid to hold his seat. After voters approved Proposition 50 in November — aimed at giving California Democrats more seats in Congress — LaMalfa was drawn into a new district that heavily favored his likely opponent, State Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat who represents the state’s northwest coast.
LaMalfa’s death puts the Republican majority in Congress in further jeopardy, with a margin of just two votes to secure passage of any bill along party lines after the resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday evening.
Adding to the party’s troubles, Rep. Jim Baird, a Republican from Indiana, was hospitalized on Tuesday for a car crash described by the White House as serious. While Baird is said to be stable, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson from Louisiana, will not be able to rely on his attendance. And he has one additional caucus member – Thomas Massie of Kentucky – who has made a habit of voting against the president, bringing their margin for error down effectively to zero.
President Trump, addressing a gathering of GOP House members at the Kennedy Center, addressed the news at the start of his remarks, expressing “tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member” and stating his speech would be made in LaMalfa’s honor.
“He was the leader of the Western caucus – a fierce champion on California water issues. He was great on water. ‘Release the water!’ he’d scream out. And a true defender of American children.”
“You know, he voted with me 100% of the time,” Trump added.
A native of Oroville, LaMalfa attended Butte College and then earned an ag-business degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He served in the California Assembly from 2002 to 2008 and the California State Senate from 2010 to 2012. Staunchly conservative, he was an early supporter of Proposition 209, which ended affirmative action in California, and he also pushed for passage of the Protection of Marriage Act, Proposition 22, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
While representing California’s 1st District, LaMalfa focused largely on issues affecting rural California and other western states. In 2025, Congressman he was elected as Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, which focuses on legislation affected rural areas.
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