Tuesday 02.04.25

February could bring blockbuster winter storms to the Northeast, with forecasts showing intense cold is on the way for many parts of the region. This is due to cooler sea surface temperatures near the coast that allow storms like nor'easters to tap into colder air and produce more snow instead of rain. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Trade war

China slapped retaliatory tariffs on some American imports today, not long after President Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on Chinese goods took effect. China has also levied a 10% tariff affecting US crude oil, agricultural machinery, and certain cars and pickup trucks. Some types of American coal and natural gas will face a 15% tax. The measures will roll out on February 10. This comes after Trump said on Monday he agreed to "immediately pause" tariffs on Mexico and Canada after speaking with those countries' leaders. He had previously warned that 25% tariffs on goods made in the two countries would come into force today at midnight.

Deportation deal

El Salvador has offered to house violent US criminals and deportees of any nationality in an unprecedented deal. The controversial agreement was unveiled Monday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio after meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. "[Bukele] has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those of US citizenship and legal residents," Rubio said, alarming critics and rights groups. Any effort by the Trump administration to deport incarcerated US nationals to another country would likely face significant legal pushback.

US-Israel relations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington today, where he will become the first foreign leader to have a formal meeting with President Trump at the White House. US and Israeli officials say the two will hold a joint news conference after their talks. The meeting will take place against the backdrop of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement — and as uncertainties remain about the technical details of the second phase of the deal. The ceasefire, in place for about two weeks, is set to expire on March 1.

Wasted water

About 2.2 billion gallons of water flowed out of reservoirs in Central California on Friday after President Donald Trump ordered the release with the misguided intent to send water to fire-ravaged Southern California. Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social, declaring, "the water is flowing in California," and adding the water was "heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles." However, Los Angeles' water sources are completely separated from the reservoirs that were tapped. This means that instead of saving the water for the upcoming dry summer months, experts say it was wasted by being released during the wet winter season.

TikTok ban

TikTok is under pressure to find a new owner by April after President Trump signed a 75-day extension to the law that requires the app to be sold off from its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned in the US. Trump said Monday that TikTok could be acquired by a newly proposed US sovereign wealth fund to ensure the app remains accessible to its 170 million American users. But standing up a sovereign wealth fund and then using that fund to acquire the platform is unlikely to happen anytime soon, analysts say. It's also not clear who would run the fund or whether it could gather the tens of billions of dollars estimated to be needed to buy the platform.

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Photo gallery: Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious festival
The world's largest religious festival is in full swing, with millions of Hindu devotees making the pilgrimage to a holy city in northern India to bathe in its sacred waters. See photos here.

Super Bowl ticket prices are plummeting
The cheapest ticket for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans has fallen below $4,000 on the secondary market, or around 50% cheaper compared to last year's record-breaking game. Read why the prices are deflated.

Gerber recalls teething sticks over choking concern
Baby food maker Gerber has recalled and discontinued one of its products that could pose a potential choking hazard for babies and toddlers.

Human brain samples contain an entire spoon's worth of nanoplastics
Human brains today contain 50% more plastic than in 2016, a new study found. The brains of people diagnosed with dementia had the most.

China to send flying robot to search for water on the moon's far side
*Sings* Fly me to the moon … Let me play among the stars …

$1 billion

That's around how much State Farm, California's largest insurance provider, said it has paid to customers in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires last month. The company on Monday requested an emergency interim rate hike, citing a "dire" financial situation.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the greatest band of all time.

— Sean Ono Lennon, the son of music icon John Lennon, accepting a Grammy award on behalf of The Beatles on Sunday. The Beatles' song "Now and Then," which was finished and released last year by the band's living members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, won a best rock performance Grammy. It marked the first time the Fab Four were recognized by the Recording Academy since 1997.

(Michael Webb/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Meet the Mongolian family lighting up social media
This couple fell in love and moved to the steppe. Now, with millions of video views online, social media helps to support their businesses, which they run alongside raising livestock. Watch the video here.