Inflation cooled again even as some tariffs took effect. But economists don't expect that to last

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation may have picked up slightly last month as President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs kicked in, a trend economists expect will become more visible in the coming months. Tuesday’s report could provide an early read on how Trump’s duties will affect the prices Americans pay for necessities and other goods such as clothing, shoes, furniture and even groceries. Duties on many goods from Mexico and Canada took effect in February and could have impacted prices last month. Still, economists forecast the impact from duties to be modest.

Trump's tariffs have launched global trade wars. Here's a timeline of how we got here

NEW YORK (AP) — Long-threatened tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump have plunged the country into trade wars abroad — all while on-again, off-again new levies continue to escalate uncertainty. Trump is no stranger to tariffs. He also launched a trade war during his first term in office, but has more sweeping plans now. Economists stress there could greater consequences this time — and that higher prices will likely lead consumers to foot the bill. There’s also been a sense of whiplash from Trump’s back-and-forth tariff threats and responding retaliation, including some recently-postponed levies. Still, Trump has announced sweeping trade actions — most recently with his launch of "reciprocal” tariffs.

Trump and Saudi crown prince sign a host of agreements as US leader begins 4-day Mideast tour

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a host of economic and bilateral cooperation agreements in Saudi Arabia at the start of a four-day Middle East trip. Trump is focused on dealmaking with a key Mideast ally while shared concerns about Iran’s nuclear program and the war in Gaza drag on in the background. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly greeted Trump after he landed Tuesday in Riyadh. Trump and Prince Mohammed have signed more than a dozen agreements to increase cooperation between their governments’ militaries, justice departments and cultural institutions. Prince Mohammed has already committed to some $600 billion in new Saudi investment in the U.S., but Trump teases $1 trillion would be even better.

Trump trade war faces legal challenge as businesses, states argue his tariffs exceeded his power

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is waging a trade war without getting approval from Congress: He declared a national emergency to slap import taxes — tariffs — on almost every country on earth. The president is now facing at least seven lawsuits that argue he’s gone too far and asserted power he does not have. The first of the legal challenges goes to court Tuesday morning in New York. Five small businesses are asking a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade to block the sweeping import taxes that Trump announced April 2 – “Liberation Day,’’ he called it.

What's next with Trump's trade war truce with China

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s agreement with China to temporarily slash tariffs for 90 days offered the world a bit of welcome relief. But what persists is a sense of uncertainty and the possibility that the damage from the trade war could already be done. Trump declared the de-escalation of the trade war a victory, saying he would soon chat with Chinese President Xi Jinping about how to preserve the financial relationship between the world’s two largest economies. Regardless, the tariffs are now elevated from when Trump took office and the scramble to respond to the White House’s mix of threats and olive branches might leave CEOs, investors and consumers unwilling to take risks.

UnitedHealth Group CEO steps down as company lowers, then withdraws financial outlook for 2025

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is stepping down from his post for personal reasons and the health care giant says it’s suspending its full-year forecast due to higher-than-expected medical costs. UnitedHealth said Tuesday that Stephen Hemsley will become CEO, effective immediately. Hemsley  served as company CEO from 2006 to 2017. He will remain chairman of the company’s board. Witty will serve as a senior adviser to Hemsley.

Major social media platforms fail to protect LGBTQ users, advocacy group GLAAD says

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Major social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X have failed to protect LGBTQ+ users from hate and harassment, in part, because they intentionally rolled back previous safety practices, the advocacy group GLAAD said Tuesday in its annual Social Media Safety Index. The scorecard assigns numeric ratings to each platform with regard to LGBTQ safety. Elon Musk’s X received the lowest score at 30 out of 100, while TikTok came in highest at 56.

Ken Griffin will loan his copies of the Constitution and Bill of Rights so the public can see them

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin believes American prosperity is a testament to the power of the Constitution. And as the country gets ready to celebrate its 250th anniversary next year, the hedge fund billionaire wants to expand public access to the 1787 document. Griffin announced Tuesday that he will lend his first-edition copy of the Constitution to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for a public exhibit dedicated to the founding document of the U.S. government. He will also loan the center his copy of the Bill of Rights, which he has not previously acknowledged owning publicly, and his nonprofit Griffin Catalyst will make a $15 million donation for the exhibit – the largest in the center’s history.

Budget airline begins deportation flights for ICE with start of Arizona operations

PHOENIX (AP) — A U.S. budget airline has begun making deportation flights out of an Arizona airport, an unusual and controversial move for a company that depends heavily on its consumer brand. Avelo Airlines, a commercial passenger carrier that serves mostly small U.S. cities, is branching out by becoming the newest contractor for ICE Air, as U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement's air deportation unit is known. The move has inspired a backlash against the airline in Connecticut, an online boycott petition and sharp criticism from the union representing the carrier’s flight attendants. Neither Avelo nor ICE provided details of the contract for the flights.

Nissan slashes 15% of its global work force as the Japan automaker sinks into losses

TOKYO (AP) — Nissan says it will cut about 15% of its global work force, or about 20,000 employees. The Japanese automaker reported Tuesday a loss for the fiscal year that ended in March, amid slipping vehicle sales in China and other nations. The Yokohama-based automaker said U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on auto imports also hurt its results. Nissan said it will reduce its auto plants to 10 from 17 under its recovery plan. It said it means to carry out “decisive and bold actions to enhance performance and create a leaner, more resilient business that adapts quickly to market changes.” Nissan racked up a loss of 670.9 billion yen ($4.5 billion) in the last fiscal year.