WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
As other nations responded to tariffs by levying some of their own, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum ordering the development of a comprehensive plan for restoring fairness in U.S. trade relationships and countering non-reciprocal trading arrangements.
Per the White House website:
- The “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” will seek to correct longstanding imbalances in international trade and ensure fairness across the board.
- Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of: this plan will put the American worker first, improve our competitiveness in every area of industry, reduce our trade deficit, and bolster our economic and national security.
AMERICA WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES: The United States is one of the most open economies in the world, yet our trading partners keep their markets closed to our exports. This lack of reciprocity is unfair and contributes to our large and persistent annual trade deficit.
There are endless examples where our trading partners do not give the United States reciprocal treatment.
- The U.S. tariff on ethanol is a mere 2.5%. Yet Brazil charges the U.S. ethanol exports a tariff of 18%. As a result, in 2024, the U.S. imported over $200 million in ethanol from Brazil while the U.S. exported only $52 million in ethanol to Brazil.
- The U.S. average applied Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff on agricultural goods is 5%. But India’s average applied MFN tariff is 39%. India also charges a 100% tariff on U.S. motorcycles, while we only charge a 2.4% tariff on Indian motorcycles.
- The European Union can export all the shellfish it wants to America. But the EU bans shellfish exports from 48 of our states, despite committing in 2020 to expedite approvals for shellfish exports. As a result, in 2023, the U.S. imported $274 million in shellfish from the EU but exported only $38 million.
- The EU also imposes a 10% tariff on imported cars. Yet the U.S. only imposes a 2.5% tariff.
- A 2019 report found that across 132 countries and more than 600,000 product lines, United States exporters face higher tariffs more than two-thirds of the time.
This lack of reciprocity is one source of America’s large and persistent annual trade deficit in goods: closed markets abroad reduce U.S. exports and open markets at home result in significant imports, both of which undercut American competitiveness.
- The United States has run a trade deficit of goods every year since 1975. In 2024, our trade deficit in goods exceeded $1 trillion.
- Thanks to the proliferation of non-reciprocal barriers in just the last few years, the U.S. now runs a trade deficit in agriculture, worth around $40 billion in 2024.
- Though America has no such thing, and only America should be allowed to tax American firms, trading partners hand American companies a bill for something called a digital service tax.
- Canada and France use these taxes to each collect over $500 million per year from American companies.
- Overall, these non-reciprocal taxes cost America’s firms over $2 billion per year.
- Reciprocal tariffs will bring back fairness and prosperity to the distorted international trade system and stop Americans from being taken advantage of.
THE ART OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEAL: President Trump continues to deliver on his mandate given to him by the American People to put America First when it comes to trade.
As President Trump said in the Presidential Memorandum on American First Trade Policy on his first day in office, trade policy is a critical component of our economic security and national security.
- In his first term, President Trump successfully ended the outdated and unfair NAFTA, replacing it with the historic USMCA to deliver one of the largest wins for American workers.
- When our national security was threatened by a global oversupply of steel and aluminum, President Trump took swift action to protect America’s national security by implementing tariffs on imports of these goods.
- In response to China’s intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, and other unreasonable behavior, President Trump acted with conviction to impose tariffs on imports from China, using that leverage to reach a historic bilateral economic agreement.
Just last week, President Trump leveraged tariffs to force Canada and Mexico to make long-overdue changes at our northern and southern borders, ensuring the safety and security of American citizens.
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 2-18-2025
2025 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2025)
- Total Mass Shootings: 45
- Total Dead: 63
- Total Wounded: 165
- Shootings Per Day: 0.92
- Days Reached in Year 2025 as of February 18: 49
VATICAN
AN UPDATE ON THE POPE
In a Feb. 18 evening press release, the Holy See Press Office says that Pope Francis has double pneumonia, but nevertheless “remains in good spirits.”
“Laboratory tests, chest X-rays, and the clinical condition of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture.”
In a message to journalists, the Holy See Press Office gave the latest update on the Pope’s health since he was hospitalized on Friday to receive treatment for bronchitis.
The statement added that the Pope’s “polymicrobial infection, which has arisen in the context of bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis, and has required the use of corticosteroid and antibiotics, makes the therapeutic treatment more complex.”
“A follow-up chest CT scan, to which the Holy Father was subjected to – prescribed by the Vatican medical team and the medical staff of the “A. Gemelli” Polyclinic Foundation – revealed the onset of bilateral pneumonia, requiring additional pharmacological therapy.”
“Nevertheless,” the press release adds, “Pope Francis remains in good spirits.”
The Press Office statement concludes by noting that the Pope had “received the Eucharist and, throughout the day, alternated between rest, prayer, and reading. He expresses his gratitude for the support he feels at this time and kindly asks that prayers for him continue.”
AFRICA
RWANDA CRISIS GROWS
In an alert on Feb. 18, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, confirmed that three children were killed by Rwanda-backed M23 armed group in Bukavu, the city in South Kivu which fell to the fighters on Feb. 16.
“Our office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons,” said OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani. “We call on Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected.”
The OHCHR spokesperson also condemned attacks on hospitals and humanitarian warehouses as well as threats against the judiciary, directly linked to the rapid advance of the M23 fighters across North Kivu and South Kivu.
The crisis has uprooted hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in a matter of weeks in eastern DRC and between 10,000 and 15,000 people have now crossed into neighboring Burundi in a matter of days, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Most of those arriving in Burundi are Congolese, and they have mainly come from the outskirts of Bukavu, where the situation is deteriorating.
These newly uprooted families and individuals join more than 91,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from DRC who arrived decades ago, said UNHCR spokesperson Matt Saltmarsh.
“The situation in the eastern DRC remains extremely challenging and fluid, with recent clashes in South Kivu forcing more than 150,000 people to flee,” he added. “At least 85,000 of these individuals are living in newly created spontaneous sites for internally displaced people, where basic services such as water, shelter and access to health are in extremely short supply.”
Eastern DRC is a mineral-rich region that has seen decades of instability amid a proliferation of armed groups which have forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, often seeking safety in displacement camps or in neighboring countries.
Fighting escalated sharply in late January as the largely-Tutsi M23 fighters seized control of parts of North Kivu, including areas near Goma, and advanced towards South Kivu and the eastern DRC’s second city of Bukavu.
Other worrying developments stemming from the crisis include breakouts from Kabare and Bukavu central prisons on Feb. 14, OHCHR’s Ms. Shamdasani noted.
“We have received protection requests from victims and witnesses; they fear retaliation from escapees, given their active participation in the trials against some of these prisoners convicted of grave human rights violations and abuses, some of which amount to international crimes,” she told journalists in Geneva. “We also have concerns for the safety of lawyers and other judicial staff.”
The OHCHR spokesperson added that journalists, human rights defenders and members of civil society organizations have also been threatened and forced to leave the area.
“Others are still stuck in Bukavu and Goma and expressed fear for their safety due to their active engagement for human rights and their denunciation of violations and abuses committed by Rwanda and M23 in various territories of eastern DRC.”
In response to the unfolding emergency, UN human rights chief Volker Türk called on Rwanda and M23 to protect all individuals in territories under their control.
UNITED KINGDOM
RIVER RAGE ON THE THAMES
An appalling incident of river rage on the River Thames at Kingston-upon-Thames in July 2024 has ended with £4,334.54 in fines, compensation and costs at Staines magistrates’ court on January 28, 2025.
The perpetrator had navigated his boat dangerously and used abusive language at other river users. He was also found guilty of obstructing a boat race and interfering with the safety of persons gathered, failing to comply with a harbor master’s notice, and failing to register his boat for use on the Thames.
Scott Keen, of Morden, Surrey, steered his boat, Barney McGrew, along the Thames into a closed area of the river being used for Kingston Amateur Regatta, an event established in 1852, narrowly avoiding colliding with and swamping rowers.
The court heard how Keen was advised by an umpire that the river ahead was closed and he should return to a navigation channel. He ignored the request and continued past the umpire, cutting across the racing line and narrowly missing one of the boats, which had to take last-minute evasive action to avoid a collision. His cruiser then caught the anchor rope of a race stake boat, before he stopped and launched a foul-mouthed tirade against participants, yelling that ‘they did not own the (expletive) water.’
His actions and the way he navigated his vessel endangered the safety of those present at the Regatta, included young scullers in rowing boats. An eyewitness captured the full extent of the drama on a mobile phone.
Environment Agency officers carried out a detailed investigation into the incident and discovered that Barney McGrew was also an unregistered vessel. Keen was invited to a voluntary interview but failed to attend. A summons was subsequently issued for his appearance at Staines magistrates’ court on January 28. Again, he failed to attend.
Maria Herlihy, operations manager at the Environment Agency and harbor master of the Thames, said, “This incident was a disgrace. Keen showed no regard for the safety of other river users and could easily have caused a tragedy. Quite frankly, it was no surprise to discover that his boat was unregistered, and we are happy with the court result.
“We hope that this serves as a clear warning to all – anti-social and dangerous behavior on our rivers will not be tolerated, and we will take robust action to deal with those who disregard the rules and regulations for boating on the River Thames.”
The magistrates fined Keen the maximum penalty of £1,000 for interfering with the boat race and navigating his boat without due care and attention. The court explained that it used its discretion to go outside the sentencing guidelines to deal with the matter robustly.
The court heard the incident was shocking in its totality, with clear criminality that endangered the safety of other people, including the young people involved in the regatta. The court also complimented the Environment Agency’s investigation, and the evidence submitted.
Also charged in court, on the same day, for separate and unrelated incidents was Paul Campbell of West Molesey, who was found guilty in his absence of having not registered his boat, Enigma, for 2024 and failing to comply with directions to move his vessel from its location at West Molesey riverbank. He received a total of £2024.24 in fines, compensation and costs to be paid within 28 days.
Ms. Herlihy added: “As these prosecutions show, we have no hesitation in bringing offenders to court who avoid their obligations and responsibilities to lawful river users. Just one day in court has resulted in more than £6,000 of fines and compensation, which should serve as a major deterrent.”
Last year’s crackdown on unregistered vessels in the Thames resulted in 40 boaters having to pay a combined total of over £55,000 for their offenses.
Renewal invitation letters for 2025 registrations on the River Thames were sent in November last year to everyone that registered their boat in 2024, and owners were encouraged to register early to ensure their boats were compliant by 1 January when the new season began.
The Environment Agency’s approach to non-registration on the Thames has changed – boat owners are given ample opportunity to register their boat. However, once a summons has been issued, it won’t stop court proceedings, even if the boat owner subsequently pays their registration fee.
Similar to excise duty for road vehicles, boat registration fees allow the Environment Agency to manage and maintain more than 600 miles of inland waterways across England, keeping them open and safe for thousands of boaters to enjoy.
