--:-- Tracy Mumford: From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Tuesday, November 26th.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Here's what we're covering. Last night, Donald Trump announced dramatic plans to impose tariffs on all products coming into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and China, a move that could upend the global economy.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The president-elect said the tariffs would kick in on his first day in office, and products from Mexico and Canada would face a 25% surcharge. Products from China would be subject to an additional 10%. Together, the three countries account for more than a third of goods shipped in and out of the U.S.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The tariffs could scramble supply chains and add huge new costs for companies that do business across those borders, in particular carmakers, farmers, and food packagers. Prices for consumers could also spike.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: For Trump, the plan is an ultimatum. In his social media posts, he accused Canada and Mexico of allowing drugs and migrants into the U.S., saying the tariffs would be in place, quote, until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: He also accused China of shipping illegal drugs to the U.S. Trump did impose some tariffs during his first term, but he also used the threat of them as a bargaining chip in negotiations before later backing down.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: News of his plan has already set off alarm bells in Canada, Mexico, and China, and a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in D.C. said, quote, no one will win a trade war.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Special Counsel Jack Smith has moved to effectively shut down the federal cases he brought against Donald Trump. He filed requests with judges in D.C. and Atlanta to dismiss them, one related to the mishandling of classified documents, the other over Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The move was expected. Smith made clear that his decision was not based on the merit of the cases which he said quote the government stands fully behind but instead on the Justice Department longstanding policy to not pursue charges against a sitting president.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Smith didn't close the door on the cases entirely. He asked for them to be dismissed without prejudice, leaving open a chance the charges could be refiled after Trump leaves office.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Meanwhile, inside of Trump's transition team, allegations are swirling around one of his top advisers. The president-elect's legal team found evidence that Boris Epstein asked potential nominees in the upcoming administration to pay him to promote them for the roles.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Their internal review found that Epstein proposed a $30,000 to $40,000 a month fee to Scott Besson, Trump's eventual pick for Treasury Secretary. He also asked for $100,000 a month from a defense contractor who was being considered for a position.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Neither man paid him. Trump's legal team has recommended that Epstein's close access to Trump should be terminated. In a statement, Epstein called the claims false and defamatory.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Israel is nearing a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated he's open to a deal that American officials have been pressuring him to finalize.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: He's meeting today with his cabinet to decide whether to approve it. Under the proposal, Israel would withdraw troops from Lebanon within 60 days, while Hezbollah's militia forces would move north, farther from the Israeli border.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The Lebanese army would then be deployed to create a buffer zone. For its part, Hezbollah has indicated it's also open to a ceasefire, and its biggest backer, Iran, has been pushing it to sign on to one.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel over a year ago in solidarity with Hamas. The conflict escalated when Israel invaded southern Lebanon and began carrying out widespread airstrikes, decimating Hezbollah's leadership.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Thousands have been killed in Lebanon, and about a million people have been displaced. In Israel, nearly 100 people have been killed and 60,000 displaced.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: In Pakistan, the country's capital is under lockdown as thousands of protesters have marched to the city to demand the release of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who's been in prison for over a year on corruption charges.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Major roads have been barricaded with shipping containers, and the army has been given orders to shoot protesters if needed. This is the latest in a series of protests since Khan was removed from power in 2022.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: He's remained hugely popular and influential from behind bars, despite attempts by the current military-backed government to suppress support for him. Salman Massoud, who covers Pakistan for The Times, spoke with some of the protesters.
--:-- Salman Massoud: They think that they are here till they manage to secure the release of Imran Khan, no matter what. And they're willing to sit in the capital for days and weeks. That's what they're saying.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The Times has been looking at how the rise in Ozempic and other weight loss drugs like it has the junk food industry trying to figure out its next move.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The drugs, commonly called GLP-1s, send signals to your brain that you're full, affecting how and what people eat. One of the fascinating things that people kept telling me was they are not just eating less food, but they're eating different kinds of food.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: People seem to be eating less ultra-processed food, which I think is going to worry the industry. Thomas Weber spoke to weight loss drug users who said they now crave fresh produce, that celery suddenly tastes flavorful, and that processed food tastes plasticky.
--:-- Thomas Weber: There's a big question about why these taste changes are happening. Some scientists are speculating that the drug interacts with the brain's reward system to turn down the dopamine hit.
--:-- Thomas Weber: And that's why experiments have shown that it's also easier to resist alcohol and cigarettes and even cocaine while you're on these drugs. And so many of the kind of ultra-processed foods have been engineered specifically to target that part of the brain that the drugs then regulate.
--:-- Thomas Weber: Sales of sweet baked goods and snacks are already down. And while the pool of Ozempic users is too small to account for that, Thomas says companies aren't standing by watching the numbers slump.
--:-- Thomas Weber: They're determined to do their own research to find snacks that will still appeal to people even on GLP. For decades, right, Big Food has been trying to hack our taste buds in order to get us to eat more of their products.
--:-- Thomas Weber: And right now, the industry is busy trying to figure out what kinds of foods people on these drugs will crave. Thomas had the chance to taste test what one company is trying to cook up.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: And finally. What's up, Chris? This is Matt Gaetz.
--:-- Matt Gaetz: I know you're bummed out. I'm not going to be taking out the garbage at the Department of Justice.
--:-- Matt Gaetz: Just days after his bid to become attorney general collapsed, Matt Gaetz has picked up a new gig. This is Matt Gaetz wishing happy birthday to Alan.
--:-- Matt Gaetz: Man, you're turning 70 years old. That is a big one.
--:-- Matt Gaetz: He's selling videos of himself on Cameo. Hey, Toby, Matt Gaetz here.
--:-- Matt Gaetz: The site that lets people buy personalized messages from the famous and the infamous. Congratulations for making partner at your law firm.
--:-- Matt Gaetz: My legal career took a little bit of a different turn this last week. But you know what? Work hard, get paid a lot of money.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: In the videos, Gaetz has acknowledged that this isn't where he thought he would be. His path to the AG's office was cut short by allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: But the CEO of Cameo says there's no better time to hit record. He told the Times, quote, It's important to strike while the iron is hot when you're having your moment.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Gates is far from the only politician to join the thousands of reality stars and others on Cameo. Former New York Representative George Santos started making videos right after being expelled from Congress last year.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: He said he predicts Gates will rake it in. Gates is currently charging $500 per video.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Those are the headlines. Today on The Daily, a deep dive into Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to run the Department of Defense, and how his military deployments shaped the way he sees the Pentagon.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: That's next in the New York Times audio app, or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.
