Compiled by Jacob Clavijo | Editor-in-Chief

Trump’s trade war draws swift retaliation as Mexico, Canada and China impose tariffs on the US

Photo via AP Photo

By Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman and Rob Gillies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against America’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business.

Just after midnight, Trump imposed 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy. Trump also doubled the tariff he slapped last month on Chinese products to 20%.

Beijing retaliated with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. It also expanded the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would plaster tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days.

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” Trudeau said.

Bill to ban trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams fails to advance in Senate

Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo.

By Stephen Groves

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that aimed to bar transgender women and girls nationwide from participating in school athletic competitions designated for female athletes failed to advance Monday night in a divided Senate as Democrats stood united against an issue that Republicans leveraged in last year’s elections.

A test vote on the bill failed to gain the 60 votes needed to advance in the chamber as senators stuck to party lines in a 51-45 vote tally.

The bill sought to determine Title IX protections “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” The vote came as Republicans have homed in repeatedly on the social cause, casting it as an issue of ensuring athletic fairness for women and girls. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month giving federal agencies wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.

Still, Republicans in Congress have set their sights on enshrining that policy into law by amending the 1972 Title IX law, which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

LeBron James to become first to score 50,000 combined points in NBA regular season and playoffs

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Photo by Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo.

By Greg Beacham

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James will soon become the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason.

If James suits up Tuesday night, he’ll need just one point to set the mark during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

James got to 49,999 points Sunday night when he scored 17 points while the Lakers beat the Clippers 108-102 for their sixth consecutive win.

The 40-year-old James already has become the top scorer in NBA history in both the regular season and in the playoffs during a career in which he has rewritten all previous definitions of basketball longevity.

James will reach 50,000 combined points deep in his 22nd season, which ties him with Vince Carter for the most played in NBA history.

Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons, is second in NBA history with 44,149 combined points.