Friday 04.11.25

President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on all vehicles shipped to the US are expected to raise car prices by thousands of dollars. If people can’t afford to pay more, will they opt to take the bus or train instead? Doing so could reportedly save Americans more than $13,000 a year  — and benefit the environment. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Jade Walker

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference last week. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Deportations

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. However, the court did not say the administration was required to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the US nor did it give a deadline for his return. Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15 and is being held in the notorious Cecot mega-prison even though an immigration judge barred his deportation years ago over concerns about his safety in his native country. The Trump administration has conceded in court filings that the sheet metal worker and father of three was deported due to "an administrative error,” but claims it cannot get him back because he’s in Salvadoran custody. 

Helicopter crash

A sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River off the New Jersey shoreline on Thursday afternoon, killing six people — including three children. Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive from Spain, and his family were just 16 minutes into a sightseeing excursion above Manhattan when the aircraft suddenly dropped from the sky and slammed into the river upside down. The pilot also perished. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
 

Yemen group chat

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to provide more details about how it is preserving the messages regarding US military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that were sent in a Signal chat group last month. The top intelligence officials' conversation inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who later published excerpts from the chat. The release of such sensitive information, which several members of the administration have claimed was not classified, underscored the extent of the breach in operational security. Last month, US District Judge James Boasberg ordered the administration to preserve the messages and provide him with updates explaining how it was complying with the request. His latest directive — seeking additional information — was issued after lawyers for an advocacy group claimed the administration’s explanations were not sufficient. Justice Department lawyers now have until Monday to provide those details.

Myanmar quake

The US response to Myanmar’s deadly earthquake has exposed a major void in international relief efforts, experts say. The 7.7-magnitude temblor that struck Myanmar on March 28 killed more than 3,500 people and damaged or destroyed at least 1,300 buildings. The quake occurred amid the Trump administration's campaign to dismantle USAID, America’s main humanitarian aid agency. Since Trump's inauguration, thousands of USAID employees have been laid off and 83% of its programs have been cut. The US sent just three staffers to Myanmar to assess the situation; they were still working there when DOGE laid them off last week. Although the Trump administration pledged to send $9 million in aid, with minimal staffing on the ground it’s unclear how that money will be channeled. 

Joint Chiefs

The Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff early this morning. He will replace Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who was fired by President Trump in February. That same day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, then-chief of the US Navy, and Gen. James Slife, the then-vice chief of the Air Force. Caine was an unorthodox choice to be the next most senior-ranking military officer as he was already retired and not a four-star general. To address this, the Senate also promoted Caine to be a major general in the Air Force overnight. 

China escalates trade war
In response to President Trump raising the tariffs China must pay to import goods to the US to 145%, Beijing announced today that it was hiking its retaliatory tariffs on US imports from 84% to 125%.

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Coming soon: More details about assassinations

The Trump administration plans to release additional files related to the 1968 assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the late father of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the coming days. 

Welcome to the neutral phase

La Niña has come to an end after just a few months and its counterpart, El Niño, hasn't bothered to step up as the next global weather influencer. This neutral phase is forecast to last into at least early fall.

Italian fashion houses to merge

Prada struck a deal to buy rival Versace for $1.375 billion on Thursday. The price tag was a substantial discount from the roughly $2.15 billion, including debt, that Capri (then known as Michael Kors) paid for Versace in 2018.

‘Euphoria’ star has ALS

Eric Dane, 52, announced on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. At this time, there is no cure for the progressive, neurodegenerative disease.

Who’s that man behind the lens?

This week, at the Augusta National Golf Club, it just might be baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. The retired 13-time MLB All-Star has spent the past 10 years learning the art of taking pictures — and now he’s a credentialed photographer for Masters.com. 

Last week, 13% of readers who took the quiz got a perfect score and 54% got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

In memoriam

Australian model Lucy Markovic has died at 27. Markovic rose to fame on the TV show “Australia’s Next Top Model” and went on to forge a successful modeling career. She appeared in numerous fashion magazines and walked the runway for Armani, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta and Versace.

12%

That’s how much global sales of arts and antiques declined in 2024. It was the third-largest contraction of the global art market in the past 15 years, according to an industry report.

As I’ve thought about it over the last couple months, I probably would’ve voted differently. It’s a vote that I regret.

— Rep. Jahana Hayes, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins during a town hall last night about her vote for the Laken Riley Act. The bill, named after a Georgia student who was killed last year while she was out for a run, requires the detention of undocumented migrants who are charged or convicted of theft-related crimes, assaulting a police officer or a crime that results in death or serious bodily injury. 

King of the Carrot
Britain’s King Charles III gamely played a carrot that had been carved into the shape of a recorder during a visit to the London Vegetable Orchestra.