White House keeps world guessing as clock ticks down to Trump’s new tariffs

White House keeps world guessing as clock ticks down to Trump’s new tariffs

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, JOSH BOAK and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than one hour before the stock market closed on Monday, journalists gathered in the Oval Office for their only chance of the day to ask President Donald Trump about the turmoil caused by his tariff plans.

Are the new tariffs, scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, a bargaining chip to reach better trade deals? Or are they etched in stone in a mission to revamp the global economy?

Investors around the world were hanging on Trump’s every word, but he did little to clear up the situation.

“It can both be true,” he said. “There can be permanent tariffs, and there can also be negotiations.”

The markets skidded to a close. At a time when foreign leaders and business executives are desperate for clarity, the White House is sending mixed messages as it pursues conflicting goals.

Advisers have tried with some success to tamp down a days-long stock selloff by talking up tariffs as a starting point for negotiations, which could mollify Wall Street and jittery Republicans in Congress. The S&P 500 stock index was up 1.5% in Tuesday afternoon trading, with gains from earlier in the day being pared back. But the president continues to insist that he can raise hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue with his new taxes on foreign imports, and he’s shown no willingness to back down from an agenda that he’s advocated for decades, even before entering politics.

The ongoing paradox could erode confidence in Trump’s leadership at home and abroad after he promised a booming economy and tax cuts, not depleted retirement accounts and fears of a recession. For now, as the tariffs are set to kick in, there’s no clear resolution for what could be the most significant overhaul of international trade in a generation.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, urged the White House to “settle the situation.”

He said the “perception as to whether or not there’s an end game is very important.” Tillis said he is “giving the administration the benefit of the doubt” for now. But he added that “you’ve got to get it done as quickly as you can get it done.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said Trump was causing economic chaos with the back-and-forth over tariffs.

“Who makes long term investments based on that?” she said. “Who hires people and trains workers based on the hope that Donald Trump will not change his mind again and again and again?”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump met with his team on Tuesday morning and “he directed them to have tailor-made trade deals with each and every country that calls up this administration to strike a deal.”

The administration has yet to articulate its goals for any talks with trading partners, other than to suggest that negotiations could take several months and that nations might also need to dramatically overhaul their tax systems and regulations to satisfy Trump’s demands. Canadian and European officials are unsure about how to proceed even as Trump administrations officials insist that as many as 70 nations are looking to start negotiations.

Trump insists that he wants to erase trade deficits that have developed as the U.S. buys more products from other countries than it sells. On Tuesday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social that he spoke with South Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, about “their tremendous and unsustainable” surplus.

“We have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries,” he wrote. “Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good.”

But on Monday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would “eliminate the trade deficit with the United States,” Trump appeared unmoved.

Asked if he would hold off on new tariffs on Israel, the president said “maybe not.”

“Don’t forget, we help Israel a lot,” he said, citing billions of dollars in military assistance to the country.

Trump has long advocated for tariffs as the solution to economic challenges, and his insistence that other countries are ripping off the United States is one of his most consistently expressed beliefs over the years.

Last Thursday, while flying to Florida aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that “the tariffs give us great power to negotiate.”

On the flight back to Washington on Sunday, Trump described the tariffs as a necessity and said he was undeterred by the cratering stock market, adding that “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”

Peter Navarro, a leading trade adviser, has also taken a hard line.

“This is not a negotiation,” Navarro wrote in the Financial Times. “For the U.S., it is a national emergency triggered by trade deficits caused by a rigged system.”

But other officials like Kevin Hassett, the top White House economic adviser, and Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, said scores of countries are lining up to negotiate with Trump over tariffs.

“It’s going to be a busy April, May, maybe into June,” Bessent told Fox News. He said Trump “gave himself maximum negotiating leverage, and just when he achieved the maximum leverage, he’s willing to start talking.”

Speaking Monday at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, Stephen Miran, chairman of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, said the mixed messages over the purpose of the tariffs reflected a “healthy” internal debate.

“There are conflicting narratives because everybody has got an opinion,” he said. “And that’s fine. Disagreement is how you can enhance your arguments and avoid groupthink, and I think that’s very healthy.”

As for whether any deals could be reached before the tariffs take effect, Miran said, “that choice will ultimately remain with the president.”

Michael Strain, an economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said Trump is pursuing incompatible goals.

“These tariffs cannot both be an instrument to reshape the global trading order, to shift the U.S. economy away from services and toward manufacturing … and also be a tool to negotiate lower trade barriers,” he said at a panel discussion at the Bipartisan Policy Institute.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, blamed Trump’s aides for the ambiguity, saying some of them “just like to talk.”

“There’s some uncertainty about what the president’s objective is and I think that’s a product of some of his aides, who gave conflicting reports on TV this weekend,” he said.

Kennedy said he supports Trump’s trade goals. But he’s also getting calls from businesses in his state, and he’s had no answers for them on what to expect.

Bessent visited with Republican lawmakers on Friday and told them that the tariffs were a “high level mark with the ultimate goal of getting them reduced” unless other countries retaliated, according to Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming.

“The president is a dealmaker if nothing else, and he’s going to continue to deal country by country with each of them,” Barrasso said.

But China already retaliated with plans for its own 34% tariffs, prompting Trump on Monday to threaten additional 50% tariffs against the country, for a total of 104%.

The U.S. president had a positive enough conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that the Nikkei stock index jumped 6% on Tuesday, yet it was still unclear how a deal would work.

Trump placed a 24% tariff on Japan and a separate 25% tariff on auto imports, much higher than the 1.9% average tariff rate charged by Japan, according to World Trade Organization data. Trump has called the auto tariffs “permanent” and also installed a permanent 10% baseline tariff on most countries, suggesting a limit as to how much rates could fall through negotiations.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Americans understand Trump is trying to address trade imbalances, and he emphasized his trust in the president.

“We are going to give him the space necessary to do it,” he said Monday.

____

Associated Press writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report.

Small Batch Restaurant Ranch Dressing

Small Batch Restaurant Ranch Dressing

Small Batch Restaurant Ranch Dressing

ranch dressing - ranch dressing bowl stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
Photo by Getty Images

Ranch Dressing Recipe by Sara from A Flavor Journal.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: N/A

Serving size: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp. Buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise best quality
  • 2 tbsp. Sour Cream
  • 1 tsp. dried Minced Onion
  • 1 tsp. dried Parsley Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp. dried Chives
  • 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. dried Dill
  • 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper
pouring milk - pouring buttermilk into bowl stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
Photo by Getty Images

Directions

  1. Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream together in a medium bowl.
  2. Stir in the dried herbs (dried minced onion, dried parsley flakes, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried dill).
  3. Stir in a pinch each of salt and pepper, taste, and add more of either if preferred. For a thinner dressing, stir in more buttermilk (1 tsp. at a time) until the dressing is the consistency you like.
  4. Cover and chill for an hour in the refrigerator for the best flavor, or serve immediately!
celery and ranch dressing - ranch dressing stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
Photo by Getty Images
Court directive to notify voters in close North Carolina election blocked for now

Court directive to notify voters in close North Carolina election blocked for now

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court temporarily halted enforcement on Monday of an appeals court decision that favored a Republican candidate in a close and unresolved November election for a seat on the state’s highest court.

In a pair of one-sentence statements without objections, the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of Friday’s order by a Court of Appeals panel that in part directed election workers to identify and contact potentially tens of thousands of voters whose ballots were challenged by Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin.

The stay, which was sought in part by Justice Allison Riggs — the Democratic incumbent in the race — is in place while the Supreme Court determines whether it wants to formally review the Court of Appeals decision and or decide if it was correct.

Two of three judges on the panel declared that the State Board of Elections wrongly dismissed in December protests filed by Griffin challenging over 65,000 ballots counted in the race. Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes after two recounts of the over 5.5 million ballots cast in the election.

Friday’s decision, if ultimately upheld, could flip to Griffin the outcome of the election — the nation’s only 2024 race that is still undecided.

Griffin is currently a Court of Appeals judge but recused himself from any deliberations in his election case. Riggs also has recused herself from deliberations in the case at the Supreme Court, including on Monday’s orders.

In the prevailing opinion backed by the two Republican judges on the panel, the Court of Appeals found that ballots within three categories contained in Griffin’s protests were wrongly allowed in the tally. But the judges said election officials must give voters who cast ballots in the race that fall within two of the categories a three-week period to provide additional information. Their ballots would count if the information is provided in time and verified.

Without Monday’s temporary stay, election workers would have had to start the vote “curing” process on Tuesday.

Lawyers for the state elections board and Riggs opposed Friday’s ruling, saying the votes were lawfully cast based on the rules in place for the November election and should remain in the tally.

Riggs attorney Ray Bennett wrote in a motion seeking the stay that it’s “impossible to predict the full scope of confusion” of carrying out an unprecedented curing process before the Supreme Court rules on the case, especially since it ”will be inadequate to prevent the disenfranchisement of thousands of North Carolina voters.”

Five of the six remaining justices on the Supreme Court are registered Republicans. Lawyers for Riggs and the board have signaled they will take the matter to federal court if necessary.

One category of ballots that would be subject to the curing process involves those cast by individuals whose voter registration records lacked a driver’s license number or last four digits of a Social Security number. The other category covers military or overseas voters who did not provide copies of photo identification or ID exception forms.

However, the prevailing Court of Appeals opinion said people within the third category — potentially hundreds of overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. — were ineligible based on state residency laws to cast ballots and their choices could not count.

Griffin did not oppose the temporary stay issued Monday but is against efforts to halt enforcement of the Court of Appeals decision while the Supreme Court reviews the case and the appeal is resolved, according to motions filed by Riggs and the board.

Griffin’s protests “have been vindicated and the people of our state deserve to see this important election finalized with every legal vote counted,” state Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said in a press release before Monday’s stay was issued.

US stocks dip after careening through a manic day following Trump’s latest tariff threat

US stocks dip after careening through a manic day following Trump’s latest tariff threat

By STAN CHOE, ELAINE KURTENBACH and DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks careened through a manic Monday after President Donald Trump threatened to crank his tariffs higher, despite a stunning display showing how dearly Wall Street wants him to do the opposite.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% at the end of a day full of heart-racing reversals as battered financial markets try to figure out what Trump’s ultimate goal is for his trade war. If it’s to get other countries to agree to trade deals, he could lower his tariffs and avoid a possible recession. But if it’s to remake the economy and stick with tariffs for the long haul, stock prices may need to fall further.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 349 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by 0.1%.

All three indexes started the day sharply lower, and the Dow plunged as many as 1,700 points following even worse losses elsewhere in the world. But it suddenly surged to a gain of nearly 900 points in the late morning. The S&P 500, meanwhile, went from a loss of 4.7% to a leap of 3.4%, which would have been its biggest jump in years.

The sudden rise followed a false rumor that Trump was considering a 90-day pause on his tariffs, one that a White House account on X quickly labeled as “fake news.” That a rumor could move trillions of dollars’ worth of investments shows how much investors are hoping to see signs that Trump may let up on tariffs.

Stocks quickly turned back down, and shortly afterward, Trump dug in further and said he may raise tariffs more against China after the world’s second-largest economy retaliated last week with its own set of tariffs on U.S. products.

It’s a slap in the face to Wall Street because it suggests Trump may not care how much pain he inflicts on the market. Many professional investors had long thought that a president who used to crow about records reached under his watch would pull back on policies if they sent the Dow reeling.

On Sunday Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wasn’t concerned about a sell-off and that “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”

Trump has given several reasons for his stiff tariffs, including to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, which is a process that could take years. Trump on Sunday said he wanted to bring down the numbers for how much more the United States imports from other countries versus how much it sends to them.

Indexes nevertheless did keep swinging between losses and gains Monday after Trump’s latest tariff threat, in part because hope still remains in markets that negotiations may still come.

“We’re not calling the all-clear at all, but when you have this type of volatility in the market, of course you’re going to have back and forth” in markets not just day to day but also hour to hour, said Nate Thooft, a senior portfolio manager at Manulife Investment Management.

“We’re all waiting for the next bit of information,” he said. “Literally a Truth Social tweet or an announcement of some sort about real negotiations could dramatically move this market. This is the world we live in right now.”

All that seemed certain Monday was the financial pain hammering investments around the world for a third day after Trump announced tariffs in his “Liberation Day.”

Stocks in Hong Kong plunged 13.2% for their worst day since 1997. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude oil dipped below $60 during the morning for the first time since 2021, hurt by worries that a global economy weakened by trade barriers will burn less fuel. Bitcoin sank below $79,000, down from its record above $100,000 set in January, after holding steadier than other markets last week.

Trump’s tariffs are an attack on the globalization that’s remade the world’s economy, which helped bring down prices for products on the shelves of U.S. stores but also caused production jobs to leave for other countries.

It also adds pressure on the Federal Reserve. Investors have become nearly conditioned to expect the central bank to swoop in as a hero by slashing interest rates to protect the economy during every downturn. But the Fed may have less freedom to act this time around because inflation remains higher than the Fed would like. And while lower interest rates can goose the economy, they can also put upward pressure on inflation.

“The recent tariffs will likely increase inflation and are causing many to consider a greater probability of a recession,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, one of the most influential executives on Wall Street, wrote in his annual letter to shareholders Monday. “Whether or not the menu of tariffs causes a recession remains in question, but it will slow down growth.”

In the bond market, Treasury yields rallied to recover some of their sharp drops from earlier weeks. Some of the big move may have been because of reduced expectations for cuts to interest rates by the Fed. Some analysts also said it could be due to investors outside of the United States wanting to pare their U.S. investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.20% from 4.01% late Friday.

Earlier in the day, the S&P 500 briefly fell more than 20% below its record set less than two months ago. If it finishes a day below that bar, it would be a big enough drop that Wall Street has a name for it. A “bear market” signifies a downturn that’s moved beyond a run-of-the-mill 10% drop, which happens every year or so, and has graduated into something more vicious.

The S&P 500, which sits at the heart of many investors’ 401(k) accounts, is coming off its worst week since COVID began crashing the global economy in March 2020.

All told, the index fell 11.83 points Monday to 5,062.25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 349.26 to 37,965.60, and the Nasdaq composite added 15.48 to 15,603.26.

___

Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok. McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. Associated Press writers Ayaka McGill, Paul Harloff, Matt Ott and Jiang Junzhe also contributed.

Hearing begins for $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, could lock in seismic changes for college sports

Hearing begins for $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, could lock in seismic changes for college sports

By EDDIE PELLS and JANIE McCAULEY Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge opened the final hearing for a landmark $2.8 billion settlement that will impact every corner of college athletics by saying she will not be granting formal approval on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken said she would hear from attorneys and some of those objecting to the plan before adjourning.

“I’m not going to rule from the bench,” Wilken said at the start of the hearing.

In addition to comments from attorneys, testimony was expected from critics of the sprawling plan that was hashed out last year by attorneys representing the NCAA and other defendants and those representing thousands of current and former athletes. LSU gymnast and influencer Olivia Dunne was among the 18 people scheduled to testify, though she was expected to appear via Zoom.

Wilken already has granted preliminary approval of the settlement involving the NCAA and the nation’s five largest conferences. The changes would begin July 1, clearing the way for each school to share up to $20.5 million each with their athletes.

Universities across the country have been busy making plans, under the assumption Wilken will put the terms into effect.

“We’re going to have a plan going into July 1, then we’re probably going to spend the next year figuring out how good that plan is and how we need to modify it going forward,” said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin, whose department is among the biggest in the country and includes a Gators men’s basketball team playing for the national title Monday night against Houston.

The so-called House settlement, named after Arizona State swimmer Grant House, actually decides three similar lawsuits that were bundled into one. The defendants are the NCAA and the Southeastern, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, Big 12 and Pac-12 conferences, all of whom have been touting the settlement as the best path forward for their industry.

“It’s a huge step forward for college sports, especially at the highest level,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker, whose organization continues to seek antitrust protections from Congress. “My biggest problem with the way the whole thing works right now is the schools have been removed from the primary relationship with the student-athletes.”

The most ground-shifting part of the settlement calls on schools from the biggest conferences to pay some 22% of their revenue from media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships — which equals about $20.5 million in the first year — directly to athletes for use of their name, images and likeness (NIL).

Still allowed would be NIL payments to athletes from outside sources, which is what triggered the seismic shift that college sports has endured over the last four years. For instance, Cooper Flagg of Duke reportedly makes $4.8 million in NIL deals from groups affiliated with the school and others.

The settlement calls for a “clearinghouse” to make sure any NIL deal worth more than $600 is pegged at “fair market value.” It’s an attempt to prevent straight “pay for play” deals, though many critics believe the entire new structure is simply NIL masquerading as that.

Another key element is the $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes who played sports between 2016 and 2024 and were not entitled to the full benefits of NIL at the time they attended schools. Those payments are being calculated by a formula that will favor football and basketball players and will be doled out by the NCAA and the conferences.

The settlement also calls for replacing scholarship limits with roster limits. The effect would be to allow every athlete to be eligible for a scholarship while cutting the number of spots available.

There will be winners and losers under such a formula, though some fear it could signal the end of the walk-on athlete in college sports and also imperil smaller sports programs that train and populate the U.S. Olympic team.

___

AP College Football Writer Eric Olson contributed. Pells reported from San Antonio.

Trump says he’s not backing down on tariffs, calls them ‘medicine’ as markets reel

Trump says he’s not backing down on tariffs, calls them ‘medicine’ as markets reel

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that he won’t back down on his sweeping tariffs on imports from most of the world unless countries even out their trade with the U.S., digging in on his plans to implement the taxes that have sent financial markets reeling, raised fears of a recession and upended the global trading system.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he didn’t want global markets to fall, but also that he wasn’t concerned about the massive sell-off either, adding, “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”

His comments came as global financial markets appeared on track to continue sharp declines once trading resumes Monday, and after Trump’s aides sought to soothe market concerns by saying more than 50 nations had reached out about launching negotiations to lift the tariffs.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he won’t back down on his sweeping tariffs on imports from most of the world unless countries even out their trade with the U.S., digging in on his plans to implement the taxes that have sent financial markets reeling. (AP Video)

“I spoke to a lot of leaders, European, Asian, from all over the world,” Trump said. “They’re dying to make a deal. And I said, we’re not going to have deficits with your country. We’re not going to do that, because to me a deficit is a loss. We’re going to have surpluses or at worst, going to be breaking even.”

The higher rates are set to be collected beginning Wednesday, ushering in a new era of economic uncertainty with no clear end in sight. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said unfair trade practices are not “the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks.” The United States, he said, must see “what the countries offer and whether it’s believable.”

Trump, who spent the weekend in Florida playing golf, posted online that “WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy.” His Cabinet members and economic advisers were out in force Sunday defending the tariffs and downplaying the consequences for the global economy.

“There doesn’t have to be a recession. Who knows how the market is going to react in a day, in a week?” Bessent said. “What we are looking at is building the long-term economic fundamentals for prosperity.”

U.S. stock futures dropped on Sunday night as the tariffs continued to roil the markets. S&P 500 futures were down 2.5% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 2.1%. Nasdaq futures were down 3.1%. Even the price of bitcoin, which held relatively stable last week, fell nearly 6% Sunday.

Asian shares, meanwhile, nosedived. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost nearly 8% shortly after the market opened. By midday, it was down 6%. A circuit breaker briefly suspended trading of Topix futures after an earlier sharp fall in U.S. futures. Chinese markets also tumbled, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropping 9.4%, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 6.2%.

Trump’s tariff blitz, announced April 2, fulfilled a key campaign promise as he acted without Congress to redraw the rules of global trade. It was a move decades in the making for Trump, who has long denounced foreign trade deals as unfair to the U.S. He is gambling that voters will be willing to endure higher prices for everyday items to enact his economic vision.

Countries are scrambling to figure out how to respond to the tariffs, with China and others retaliating quickly.

Top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett acknowledged that other countries are “angry and retaliating,” and, he said, “by the way, coming to the table.” He cited the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as reporting that more than 50 nations had reached out to the White House to begin talks.

Adding to the turmoil, the new tariffs are hitting American allies and adversaries alike, including Israel, which is facing a 17% tariff. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House and speak at a press conference with Trump on Monday, with his office saying the tariffs would be a point of discussion with Trump along with the war in Gaza and other issues.

Another American ally, Vietnam, a major manufacturing center for clothing, has also been in touch with the administration about the tariffs. Trump said Vietnam’s leader said in a telephone call that his country “wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S.” And a key European partner, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, said she disagreed with Trump’s move but was “ready to deploy all the tools — negotiating and economic — necessary to support our businesses and our sectors that may be penalized.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made clear there was no postponing tariffs that are days away.

“The tariffs are coming. Of course they are,” he said, adding that Trump needed to reset global trade. But he committed only to having them “definitely” remain “for days and weeks.”

In Congress, where Trump’s Republican Party has long championed free trade, the tariff regiment has been met with applause but also significant unease.

Several Republican senators have already signed onto a new bipartisan bill that would require presidents to justify new tariffs to Congress. Lawmakers would then have to approve the tariffs within 60 days, or they would expire. Nebraska GOP Rep. Don Bacon said Sunday that he would introduce a House version of the bill, saying that Congress needs to restores its powers over tariffs.

“We gave some of that power to the executive branch. I think, in hindsight, that was a mistake,” said Bacon, adding that getting a measure passed would be challenging unless the financial markets continue to react negatively and other indicators such as inflation and unemployment shift.

Wyoming’s John Barrasso, the No. 2 member of the Senate’s GOP leadership, said Trump is “doing what he has every right to do.” But, he acknowledged, “there is concern, and there’s concern across the country. People are watching the markets.”

“There’ll be a discussion in the Senate,” Barrasso said of the tariffs. “We’ll see which way the discussion goes.”

Trump’s government cost-cutting guru, billionaire businessman Elon Musk, had been relatively silent on Trump’s tariffs, but said at a weekend event in Italy that he would like to see the U.S. and Europe move to “a zero-tariff situation.” The comment from the Tesla owner who leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency drew a rebuke from White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

“Elon, when he is on his DOGE lane, is great. But we understand what’s going on here. We just have to understand. Elon sells cars,” Navarro said. He added: “He’s simply protecting his own interest as any business person would do.”

Trump indicated he disagreed with Musk, saying Sunday of the European Union, “They want to talk, but there’s no talk unless they pay us a lot of money on a yearly basis.”

Lawrence Summers, an economist who was treasury secretary under Democratic President Bill Clinton, said Trump and his economic team are sending contradictory messages if they say they are interested in reviving manufacturing while still being open to negotiating with trade partners.

If other countries eliminate their tariffs, and the U.S, does, too, he said, “it’s just making a deal, then we don’t raise any revenue nor do we get any businesses to relocate to the United States. If it’s a permanent revenue source and trying to get businesses to relocate to the United States, then we’re going to have these tariffs permanently. So the president can’t have it both ways.”

Bessent was on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Hassett and Summers appeared on ABC’s “This Week,” Lutnick and Barrasso were on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and Navarro was interviewed on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

___

Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writer Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.

Clams Casino

Clams Casino

Clams Casino

Photo by Getty Images

Clams Casino Recipe from Serious Eats

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serving size: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

For the Bacon Breadcrumbs

  • 6 ounces bacon, finely diced
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Clams

  • 2 ounces bacon, finely diced
  • 3 large shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 24 littleneck clams, purged and scrubbed (see note)
  • 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, divided
  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. For the Bacon Bread Crumbs: In a large skillet, cook 6 ounces diced bacon over medium-high heat, stirring, until fat has rendered and bacon is browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Lower heat if skillet gets too hot and begins to smoke.
  2. Stir in panko bread crumbs to evenly coat in bacon fat and cook, stirring and tossing, until bread crumbs are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. For the Clams: In a large sauté pan, cook 2 ounces diced bacon over medium-high heat until fat has rendered and bacon is lightly browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Stir in shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until shallots have softened, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add white wine and clams, cover, and cook, checking occasionally, until the clams begin to open. Using tongs, transfer opened clams to a large bowl to cool, continuing to cover sauté pan and checking frequently for newly opened clams. Continue until last clams have opened. (Some may open only a crack; this is fine, just pry the shell fully open. Discard clams that have a foul odor or are filled with mud.)
  5. Uncover sauté pan and cook, stirring, until wine and clam liquid have evaporated and the shallot-bacon mixture has become jammy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  6. In a medium bowl, stir shallot-bacon mixture and 1/4 cup parsley into softened butter until thoroughly incorporated. Season lightly with salt and pepper. (Clams can be salty, so be careful not to over-season.)
  7. Working one at a time, pry off top shell of each clam and discard, making sure no shell fragments from the hinge fall into the clam. Free each clam from the bottom shell, then set back in the bottom shell and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
  8. Using a butter knife, pack clam butter all around and over each clam, sealing each into the bottom shell. Sprinkle a small amount of bacon bread crumbs on top of each clam, pressing lightly to adhere. At this point, you can cover the baking sheet with plastic and refrigerate clams for up to 1 day before cooking. (You will have clam butter left over; keep it refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 1 week. It’s delicious tossed with spaghetti for an easy weeknight meal.)
  9. When ready to serve, place clams in a 450°F oven and cook until butter is melted and clams are fully heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir remaining 1/4 cup parsley into bread crumbs, then sprinkle a generous amount on top of each clam. Return to oven for 1 minute to warm bread crumbs, then serve right away with lemon wedges.
The skyrocketing cost of weight-loss drugs has state Medicaid programs looking for a solution

The skyrocketing cost of weight-loss drugs has state Medicaid programs looking for a solution

By SUSAN HAIGH and MARC LEVY Associated Press

States increasingly struggling to cover the rising cost of popular GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound are searching for ways to get out from under the budgetary squeeze that took them by surprise.

One solution some policymakers may try is restricting the number of people on Medicaid who can use the pricey diabetes drugs for weight-loss purposes.

Pennsylvania’s Medicaid coverage of the drugs is expected to cost $1.3 billion in 2025 — up from a fraction of that several years ago — and is contributing to projections of a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. The state is thinking about requiring Medicaid patients who want to use GLP-1s for weight loss to meet a certain number on the body-mass index or try diet and exercise programs or less expensive medications first.

“It is a medication that’s gotten a lot of hype and a lot of press, and has become very popular in its use and it is wildly expensive,” Dr. Val Arkoosh, Pennsylvania’s human services secretary, told a state House hearing in March.

At least 14 states already cover the cost of GLP-1 medications for obesity treatment for patients on Medicaid, the federal health care program for people with low incomes. Democrats and Republicans in at least a half-dozen other states floated bills this year to require the same coverage, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.

Some bills have stalled while others remain alive, including a proposal in Arkansas requiring GLP-1s to be covered under Medicaid when prescribed specifically for weight loss. Iowa lawmakers are thinking about ordering a cost-benefit analysis before making the commitment. Already, West Virginia and North Carolina ended programs in 2024 that provided coverage for state employees, citing cost concerns.

“It is very expensive,” said Jeffrey Beckham, the state budget director in Connecticut, where Medicaid coverage of the drugs for weight loss may be scrapped entirely. “Other states are coming to that conclusion, as well as some private carriers.”

Overall Medicaid spending on GLP-1 drugs — before partial rebates from drug manufacturers — jumped from $577.3 million in 2019 to $3.9 billion in 2023, according to a November report from KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. The number of prescriptions for the drugs increased by more than 400% during that same time period. The average annual cost per patient for a GLP-1 drug is $12,000, according to a Peterson-KFF tracker.

About half of Americans “strongly” or “somewhat” favor having Medicare and Medicaid cover weight-loss drugs for people who have obesity, a recent AP-NORC poll showed, with about 2 in 10 opposed the idea and about one-quarter with a neutral view.

But Medicare does not cover GLP-1s, and the Trump administration said Friday that wouldn’t put into place a proposed rule by presidential predecessor Joe Biden to cover the medications under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug coverage. Biden’s proposal was expensive: It would have included coverage for all state- and federally funded Medicaid programs, costing taxpayers as much as $35 billion over next decade.

States that do provide coverage have tried to manage costs by putting prescribing limits on the GLP-1s. There’s also some evidence that if Medicaid patients lose weight with the drugs, they’ll be healthier and less expensive to cover, said Tracy Zvenyach of Obesity Action, an advocacy group that urges states to provide coverage.

Zvenyach also stressed how it’s unclear whether patients will need to regularly take these drugs for the rest of their lives — a key cost concern raised by public officials. “Someone may have to be on treatment for over the course of their lifetime,” she said. “But we don’t know exactly what that regimen would look like.”

About 40% of adults in the U.S. have obesity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity can cause hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, which lead to greater risks of things like stroke and heart attacks.

Dr. Adam Raphael Rom, a physician at Greater Philadelphia Health Action, a network of health centers in the city, said most of his patients who take GLP-1s are covered by Medicaid and some are non-diabetics who use it for weight loss.

“I had one patient tell me that it’s like, changed her relationship to food,” Rom said. “I’ve had patients lose like 20, 40, 60 pounds.”

But obesity experts have told The Associated Press that as many as 1 in 5 people may not lose the amount of weight that others have seen come off. And in a recent survey of state Medicaid directors conducted by KFF, a health policy research organization, they said cost and potential side effects are among their concerns.

The debate over coverage coincides with rising Medicaid budgets and the prospect of losing federal funding — with congressional Republicans considering siphoning as much as $880 billion from Medicaid over the next decade.

Connecticut is facing a $290 million Medicaid account deficit, and Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont proposed doing away with a 2023 requirement that Medicaid cover GLP-1s for severe obesity, though the state has never fully abided by the law due to the cost.

Starting June 14, though, state Medicaid patients will be required to have a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis to get the drugs covered. Lamont also is pushing for the state to cover two less expensive oral medications approved by the FDA for weight loss, as well as nutrition counseling.

Sarah Makowicki, 42, tried the other medications and said she suffered serious side effects. The graduate student and statehouse intern is working on a bill that would restore the full GLP-1 coverage for her and others.

Sara Lamontagne, a transgender woman with a disability who is on Medicaid, said she regained weight when her coverage for GLP-1 medication was cut off in the past. She said she went from 260 pounds to over 300, heavier than she had ever been.

“So, it’s a horrible game to be played, to be going back and and forth,” said Lamontagne, whose attempts to appeal the state’s recent denial of her Ozempic prescription refill have been unsuccessful.

Makowicki said GLP-1 drugs combined with weight-loss surgery helped her change her life: She’s had knee-replacement surgery and lost over 200 pounds.

“I am a different person from what I was five years ago,” Makowicki said. “Not only in my physical space, but also mentally.”

Final Four games average 15.3 million viewers, its biggest audience in 8 years

Final Four games average 15.3 million viewers, its biggest audience in 8 years

NEW YORK (AP) — Saturday night’s Final Four games averaged 15.3 million viewers on CBS according to fast national numbers from Nielsen, the most-watched national semifinals in eight years.

The data also includes some out-of-home data. Numbers are expected to increase when the final numbers are released Tuesday morning.

Some of the increase can be attributed to changes in the way viewers are counted. This is the first year Nielsen is measuring out-of-home viewers for all states but Hawaii and Alaska.

It was previously the top 44 media markets, which covered 65% of the country.

The ratings also include Nielsen data from smart TVs along with cable and satellite set-top boxes.

Another reason for the increase over last year is that the Final Four alternates between CBS and TBS, TNT and truTV. CBS has Final Four in odd-numbered years while it is on cable in even-numbered years.

Houston’s 70-67 victory over Duke in the second game averaged 16 million viewers, making it the most-watched game of this year’s March Madness.

Florida’s 79-73 win over Auburn averaged 14.6 million.

The tournament through Saturday is averaging 9.9 million viewers on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. That is a 2% increase from 2024.

Duke’s push for 6th NCAA title falls apart in unlikely late collapse against Houston in Final Four

Duke’s push for 6th NCAA title falls apart in unlikely late collapse against Houston in Final Four

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Up by double figures in the second half at the Final Four, closing in on the chance to play for yet another national championship, Duke was right where it had worked all season to be.

What happened next was unforgettable, history of the most painful kind.

Up 14 with 8 1/2 minutes left, the Blue Devils improbably faded down the stretch, done in by Houston’s relentless fight to stay in a game that had frequently seemed on the verge of getting away. There were missed shots and miscues. An inability to get stops. And even their reliable star — Associated Press national player of the year Cooper Flagg — couldn’t save the Blue Devils on a contested late shot when they suddenly faced a late deficit.

By the final horn, the Cougars had scored the game’s last nine points in the last 33 seconds for a 70-67 victory Saturday night in the second semifinal.

“It’s heartbreaking, it’s incredibly disappointing,” third-year coach Jon Scheyer said. “There’s a lot of pain that comes with this. That’s what the tournament is all about.”

It was as abrupt as it was shocking, the final horn triggering a sound that can only be described as jubilation crashing into disbelief running throughout the Alamodome. The push for the Blue Devils’ sixth NCAA title was over, along with the first Final Four trip of Scheyer’s brief tenure in what was beginning to feel like a coronating moment after taking over for retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.

“It was an incredible season,” Flagg said, fighting back tears after a 27-point showing. “Incredible people, incredible relationships that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. Didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but still an incredible year.”

Duke (35-4) went from being in firm control all night to having a desperate final possession after LJ Cryer’s last two free throws with 3.7 seconds left, leaving the Blue Devils only Sion James’ full-court heave for a try at a tying 3 with no timeouts left. But after a deflection-forced scramble, the ball ended up in Tyrese Proctor’s hands with time only for Proctor to turn and flail it toward the basket.

The ball missed everything as the horn sounded.

That sent James crumpling to midcourt in anguish, only to look around and realize he had to quickly spring up because the Cougars’ bench was sprinting his way to celebrate a stunning victory. J’Wan Roberts, Houston’s burly 23-year-old forward playing in his fifth season, went running over to Cougars fans near the edge of the court to scream in triumphant joy while popping the front of his jersey.

As Houston’s players celebrated, the 18-year-old Flagg walked with his head down toward the edge of the elevated court for the stairs to down to the tunnel and to the locker room. His teammates followed with stunned expressions, along with freshman big man Khaman Maluach having tears streaming down his face.

Worse, the path for the Blue Devils to their locker-room sanctuary was through the heaviest concentration of Houston fans in the arena. So Duke made its way off amid a sea of red-clad fans tauntingly waving goodbye and capturing the moment with their phones.

It didn’t seem likely that the only team to rank inside KenPom’s top five for adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency would find itself in that position. But there were hiccups, small mistakes that seemingly compounded against a tough team that absolutely refused to back down.

The sequence that stood out was Proctor missing the front end of a 1-and-1 free throw with Duke up just one, then Flagg fouling Roberts while trying to reach over his box out. Roberts, who came into the game shooting 62.5%, calmly made both with 19.6 seconds left for a 68-67 lead.

Then, after a timeout, Flagg got the ball with a chance to attack Roberts. The versatile 6-foot-9 forward widely projected to become the No. 1 overall NBA pick drove the left side, then turned for a fading shot in the lane over Roberts’ outstretched hand.

The shot was short, the ball bouncing off the front of the rim and landing with the Cougars to set up Cryer’s last free throws to cap his own huge night (26 points).

“Trust Cooper 100 times out of 100 times,” James said. “I had a chance to get the offensive rebound and didn’t get there in time.”

But it was far more than just a shot, something Flagg alluded to in the postgame news conference. It was a not-precise handling of a defensive switch between Flagg and James that gave Emanuel Sharp enough space to bury a 3-pointer that brought Houston within 67-64 with 32.4 seconds left.

Or the ensuing inbounds pass, when James tried to lob it to Flagg against a 6-2 defender Mylik Wilson against the Cougars’ fullcourt pressure. But Wilson deflected the ball to create the turnover, and Joseph Tugler’s flying-in dunk off a miss quickly closed the gap to 67-66.

And the seeds were planted even earlier than that, notably with Duke leading 59-45 with 8:17 left and a chance to strengthen its grasp on the game. But Houston instead ran off 10 straight points, fittingly starting with a 3-pointer from Cryer, that changed the trajectory of the final minutes.

That’s why Scheyer seemed more bothered by his team’s defensive play — the Cougars had 42 second-half points and 13 of their 19 second-chance points after the break — than Duke’s offense sputtering to nine points and one basket in the final 10 minutes.

And just like that, what looked like a title march had become a time of painful reflection — with months more of it to come.

“Obviously as a coach, I’m reflecting right now what else I could’ve said or done to help our guys at the end there,” Scheyer said. “That’s the thing that kills me the most.”

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