Thursday 04.03.25

President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on countries and territories yesterday, including some with no economy — or even people. The Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean will apparently have to pay a 10% tariff on goods they send to the US. However, the tiny, uninhabited islands have no exports; they’re home to penguins, elephant seals and seabirds. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Jade Walker

Ryland Mosley views the damage to his home Wednesday in Owasso, Oklahoma. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Extreme weather

About 5 million people were under tornado watches early this morning as a wide-reaching storm system moved across the central US. In addition to twisters, days of nearly nonstop rain are expected that could trigger once-in-a-lifetime flooding in the corridor where Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee meet. The line of strong-to-severe thunderstorms has already produced at least 19 reports of tornadoes, including one twister that injured four people and damaged multiple structures in Kentucky, and another that caused a warehouse to partially collapse in Indiana. Wind gusts in the 80 to 100 mph range were reported, as was hail the size of baseballs and tennis balls.

Auto tariffs

President Trump’s new auto tariffs went into effect at 12:01 a.m., which means a 25% tariff on all cars shipped to the US. The Trump administration also plans to roll out a 25% tariff on imports of auto parts no later than May 3. Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Japan and Germany will be the countries most affected by these tariffs. However, since domestic vehicles contain imported parts, it will also cost more to build cars in the US. What does that mean for car buyers? Fewer cars to choose from and higher prices. Used vehicle prices will also climb. While some US automakers may offer temporary discounts to woo consumers to buy American, industry analysts say the tariffs on imported car parts could increase the price of cars made in the US by anywhere from $4,000 to $12,000. 

How are the tariffs changing your spending decisions and saving habits? Tell us about it.

Myanmar earthquake

The death toll from the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar last week has climbed to over 3,000 people. Thousands more have been injured or are missing. Around 500 buildings have completely collapsed and 800 more were partially destroyed. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and medical staff are providing critical care inside makeshift tents. As recovery teams continue to search the rubble for survivors — and to remove those who have perished — people living in the city of Mandalay are struggling to live without electricity or clean water. On Wednesday, the UN said that there’s concern such a situation will give rise to diseases. Due to the magnitude of the disaster, the country’s ruling military government announced a temporary ceasefire with armed opposition groups. The truce will reportedly last until April 22. To help those affected by the earthquake, click here.

FAA

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, has been dealing with a number of serious safety issues recently. According to the NTSB, there were 15,214 “near miss events” at the airport between 2021 and 2024. And since the start of 2025, there have been a string of incidents, including an aborted landing to avoid another aircraft, collision warnings in commercial jets attempting to land and the midair collision of an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Last Thursday, an air traffic controller was arrested for assault and battery and placed on administrative leave after an “incident” in the control tower, and on Friday, there was yet another close call after an apparent breakdown in communications. In response, the FAA has announced plans to send a “stress management team” to meet with air traffic controllers and offer support. The agency will also conduct regular “wellness checks” at the facility and evaluate the rate at which planes are allowed to arrive each hour. 

Whooping cough

Cases of pertussis, the contagious respiratory illness also known as whooping cough, are on the rise nationwide. There have been about 6,600 pertussis cases this year, an amount almost four times higher than this point last year. In Louisiana, 110 cases have been reported since January 1. The state had 154 cases during all of 2024. Two infants in Louisiana have also died in the past six months from the disease. Pertussis causes severe coughing fits that make it difficult to breathe. When infants contract it, they cough so much and so hard that they often get pneumonia and have to be put on a ventilator. To stem this trend, experts are calling for vaccinations. 

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Get out your wallets, gamers
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Rare statues discovered in Pompeii tomb
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The outfit singer/songwriter Erykah Badu wore during her performance at Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony had tongues wagging and fingers flying this week. The one-piece, dubbed the “Full Figure Form” by Badu and the “booty suit” by its designer, was almost entirely hand-knit and took nearly a year to make. 

‘Whoop, there she is!’
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and his wife, podcaster Kylie Kelce, announced the arrival of their fourth daughter on Instagram this week. Jason also introduced her to his younger brother, Travis, on the “New Heights” podcast, which they co-host, and revealed the baby’s name.

1.25 million

That’s how many people died in 2023 from tuberculosis, making it the world’s top infectious killer. Aid groups and doctors warn that the Trump administration’s funding cuts to USAID are likely to cause thousands of unnecessary deaths and a rise in TB infections worldwide.

We are women and that’s his prey.

—Diane Swick, on why she doesn’t want Christopher Hubbart, the man dubbed the “Pillowcase Rapist,” living next door to her.

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