Good morning.
Donald Trump’s global tariffs on steel and aluminum imports came into force on Wednesday, placing a 25% tax on all imports of the metals into the US from any country “with no exceptions or exemptions.”
The move threatens to push up prices for consumers as they bear the brunt of resulting product cost rises, in everything from houses and vehicles to home appliances and beverage cans.
Before the deadline, Trump warned he would double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum after Canadian threats to raise electricity prices for US customers. The Ontario premier, Doug Ford, subsequently agreed to suspend his province’s decision to do so, and Trump backed down.
How are other global trading partner responding? The European Commission immediately said it would introduce counter-tariffs on $28bn-worth of US goods from April. Meanwhile, a movement to boycott US goods is picking up speed internationally.
Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire as US prepares to lift military aid restrictions
Ukraine said it was ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire after negotiations in Saudi Arabia, issuing a joint statement with the US that placed the onus on Russia to reciprocate.
Trump said he hoped Vladimir Putin would agree to the truce, which would mark the first in the three-year war. The US also said it would immediately end its suspension of military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv. Within hours of the joint statement, Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv.
The announcement also mentioned plans for a controversial minerals deal that would hand the US a 50% stake in revenues from the sale of Ukraine’s mineral wealth, which Trump claimed would give Ukraine security guarantees by tying Washington’s interests to Kyiv’s.
When will the US speak to Russia? Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow this week to propose the ceasefire to Putin, though it is unclear if the Russian president is ready to accept it.
US education department to fire 1,300 people
The Department of Education plans to lay off nearly half of its workforce, with the department announcing that 1,300 staff members are to be fired.
Trump campaigned on a promise to shut the department, and the move will take the department’s staff to roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said in a statement, adding that another 572 employees had already accepted “voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement” since mid-January. Officials also said the department was ending leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland.
The layoff announcement was promptly condemned by Democratic and progressive officials. The Texas representative Greg Casar posted on X that those in charge were “stealing from our children to pay for tax cuts for billionaires”, while Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the House appropriations committee, asked how “kids from working-class families” can “build a future” without access to public schooling.
Can Trump abolish the department entirely? No – only Congress can do that.
In other news …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects a measles outbreak in west Texas to “expand rapidly.” Two people, including a child, have already died, with at least 208 more infected.
A man in Tennessee has been shot by his dog while lying in bed, leaving him with a non-critical gunshot wound.
Greenland’s centre-right Democrat party, which favors gradual independence from Denmark, has tripled its seats against the backdrop of Trump’s threats to acquire the Arctic island.
Lawyers for the former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte have demanded he be returned to Manila, after he was flown to The Hague to be charged with crimes against humanity.
Stat of the day: ADHD prescriptions in England have risen by 18% each year since pandemic
The number of prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication have risen by 18% each year since the pandemic in England, according to research. In 2019-20, the number of prescriptions stood at about 25 per 1,000 people; by 2023-24, it had risen to 41.55 per 1,000. Experts attribute the rise to increased awareness of the disorder via social media.
Don’t miss this: The families of trans kids fighting for care
When Donald Trump issued an executive order to ban access to gender-affirming care for under-19s, Katherine, a 17-year-old in South Carolina, “felt like the world was crumbling around her”, her mother says. A judge has since blocked the ban – but Katherine had already been discharged from the hospital where she received care. Families spoke to the Guardian about the psychological toll on young people, with some even considering moving abroad.
Climate check: Climate ‘whiplash’ hitting world’s biggest cities
Major cities are already experiencing climate “whiplash”, where the weather swings from extreme wet and dry conditions, research has shown, with populations suffering both drought and flooding. Dozens more have recorded a climate “flip” in the last 20 years, changing from dry to wet extremes, or vice-versa. The effects include intensified floods, droughts, community displacement, the spread of disease, and a lack of access sanitation, clean water, and food.
Last Thing: What happened when a millennial and a zoomer swapped jeans
One of the most stark examples of the generational divide is the humble pair of jeans (at least, according to TikTok). If you like them high-waisted and straight-legged, chances are you were born before 1996, while Gen Z are behind the return of low-rise pants. Here, Morwenna Ferrier and Emma Loffhagen swapped styles – but were their original looks all that different? As long as no one brings back jeggings, I think we can all agree to live and let live.
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