The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics may be winding down, but the memories will linger for years to come.
The competition began on Wednesday, February 4, with the official opening ceremony on Friday, February 6. A little more than two weeks later, the Games will conclude with an epic closing ceremony on Sunday, February 22.
So much action was packed into the event that it was a full-time job keeping up. Since a lot of people have actual full-time jobs, heres a look back at the highlights, endearing moments, and heartbreaks of the XXV Olympic Winter Games.
How can I track 2026 Winter Olympics medals?
First things first. You can stay up to date with all of the medals and medalists who have emerged victorious this winter with this handy medal count tracker on Olympics.com. Now for the highlights.
The first gold medal of the Games
While it is quite an impressive accomplishment to even qualify for the Olympic Games, lets be realmost athletes want to win it all.
Franjo von Allmen got to live out his wildest dreams when he took home the first medal of the Games for Switzerland in the mens downhill alpine skiing event. He liked winning gold so much that he did it again two more times.
His story off the slopes highlights the power of community.
When von Allmen lost his father when he was just 17 years old, it appeared that his skiing aspirations might have to be put on hold because of finances. Instead, those around him crowdfunded so the young athlete could continue to pursue his dreams.
Team USAs first gold medal
The first gold medal for Team USA came in the women’s alpine skiing downhill event. Breezy Johnsons time of 1 minute, 36.10 seconds, bested Germanys Emma Aicher by a mere 0.04 seconds.
Johnson is now one of only two American women to win the Olympic downhill. Her gold medal? Well, it broke shortly after Johnson was presented it. Thankfully, she eventually got a replacement.
Lindsey Vonns Crash
The other American woman to win a gold medal in alpine downhill skiing is Lindsey Vonnshe won it in 2010. She also has two bronze medals, one for the Super-G (2010) and the other for alpine downhill (2018).
On the same day of Johnsons win (February 8), Vonns 2026 Olympic medal dreams came to an unfortunate end when she crashed and fractured her left leg.
Curling baby
A happier Olympic moment involves the 1-1/2-year-old son of Swiss curlers Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann and Yannick Schwaller.
After his parents won their opening game in overtime, River took to the ice to get in on the action. Fans thought he looked adorable with the curling broom. Its never too early to begin your Olympic dreams.
A shirtless celebration
On the opposite side of the age spectrum, Austrian Benjamin Karl could not contain his excitement after winning gold in the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboard event.
After the medal ceremony, he ripped off his shirt to celebrate the achievement. It was his second consecutive win in the event, having also taken home gold in 2022. Karl proves that age is just a number, as his latest victory makes him the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history, at 40 years and 115 days old.
This title was short-lived, as Elana Meyers Taylors life experience uncrowned Karl shortly after (see below).
Favorite foods of Olympic athletes
No matter how old they are, competitors have to fuel their bodies to compete. Communal meals in the athlete villages are there to help. In Paris, chocolate muffins were all the rage.
Meanwhile, several social media posts have celebrated different cuisines in Milan and Cortina.
Lava cake and tiramisu seem to be the sweet-treat favorites of the 2026 Games. For carb-loading purposes, pasta was served in the shape of the Olympic rings. This meal was a triple threat: delicious, pretty, and practical.
Ilia Malinins backflip
Backflips were once a no-no in the figure skating world. American Terry Kubicka made history at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, when he successfully landed the move in competition for the first time.
The next year, the International Skating Union banned it, citing safety and technical reasons. Backflips involve taking off and landing on two feet, whereas other jumps only utilize one foot.
The move didnt disappear from figure skating completely, even though it was outlawed. Many athletes chose to execute the move in exhibition skates. In the 1998 Nagano Games, French skater Surya Bonaly added it to her routine.
Last year, the International Skating Union reversed the ban, paving the way for American skater Ilia Malinin to do his thing in 2026. Malinin was dubbed the “Quad God” because of his ability to land a quadruple axel in competitions while continuing to raise the technical stakes even higher.
He was the clear favorite to win gold in mens singles figure skating. After the short program, he was even five points ahead of the pack. But he fell twice during the long program, resulting in an eighth-place finish.
Despite his heartbreak, he immediately congratulated gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorovteaching the world how to lose with grace. However, Malinin did take home a gold medal from the earlier team skating event, and it’s doubtful the Olympics have seen the last of him.
American womens hockey takes home gold
Things have long been tense between the United States and Canada, and we are not talking tariffs. The long-lasting rivalry between the womens hockey teams was on full display in the 2026 Winter Games.
This time around, Team USA took home the gold after a nail-biting final matchup. Amercan captain Hilary Knight scored the goal that tied the game, forcing an overtime battle. This set up Megan Keller to net the final nail in Canadas defeat. The crowd went wild.
Among the loudest supporters of the women were Haley Winns older brothers: Casey, Ryan, and Tommy Winn.
This trio went viral for wearing over-the-top matching outfits and posting their support on social media. The Winn familys home videos also show how Haleys brothers were instrumental in teaching her the love of the game.
Figure skating gold medal
More good news on the ice: Team USAs 24-year gold medal drought in womens figure skating was put to an end by Alysa Liu.
The 20-year-old had walked away from the sport when she was 16 because she was burned out.
After the short program, she was in third place. Her impressive performance to Donna Summers “MacArthur Park” focused on joy. This propelled her to win that gold medal.
A Canadian curling scandal
A less joyous occasion occurred when two Canadian curlers were accused of cheating.
The first incident took place on Friday, February 13, when Canada was up against Sweden. Canadian Marc Kennedy was accused of double-touching the stone, which is against the rules. He had some heated words for his opponent Oskar Eriksson.
The following day, a similar incident happened when Canadian women’s captain Rachel Homan faced more cheating accusations. These events caused the World Curling governing body to further explain the rules of the game.
The sport does not use video playback, so no retroactive penalties are added, as on-ice calls are considered final.
A wolfdog gets in on the action
Who said humans get to have all the fun at the Winter Olympics? Not this four-legged friend.
During the women’s cross-country skiing team sprint, Nazgul wanted to play. This 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog may not have won a gold medal, but he sure stole everyones hearts.
Sturla Holm Lgreids confession
They say cheaters never prosper, but Sturla Holm Lgreid has won five medals at the time of this writingthree silver and two bronze in the various individual and relay biathlon events (cross-country skiing and rifle shooting).
While Lgreids athletic feats are impressive, he went viral for another dramatic reason instead. During a live on-camera interview, he admitted to cheating on his ex-girlfriendin an attempt to get her back.
While this could be considered a grand romantic gesture, his ex does not appear to think so and issued a statement saying she wishes she wasnt in the spotlight.
Elana Meyers Taylors bobsled victory
Elana Meyers Taylor, 41, is no stranger to Olympic competition. She debuted in 2010 and has medaled in all five of her appearances.
Milano Cortina was her retirement year, and boy did she go out on top, winning her first gold medal. She was victorious in the monobob, a one-person bobsled event.
Her triumph was earned by being 0.04 seconds faster than Germany’s Laura Nolte. This mother of two almost gave up feeling guilty about the time the sport took her away from her family. This makes the viral moment of her signing to her boys that she won even sweeter.
Chloe Kims sportsmanship
American Chloe Kim is the golden girl of snowboarding. She was heavily favored to win gold in this years games, defending her 2022 win.
This was not how it went down on the halfpipe. Instead, South Koreas Gaon Choi took home gold, with Kim taking home silver. In a wonderful display of sportsmanship (instead of getting angry), Kim immediately went over to celebrate with her 17-year-old rival.
The sweetness didnt start there. Even before the games, Kims family helped bring Choi to the United States to train after seeing her potential, despite playing for different countries and teams.
Kim saw herself in Choi and acted as a mentor. Perhaps thats the true meaning of the games after all.
Alysa Liu, who quit skating at 16, didn’t ‘need’ a gold medal, she told reporters in Milanshe had already found joy.
The 20-year-old from California, who won the first individual Olympic gold in womens figure skating for the U.S. after 24 years, didn’t need to be champion. She says she was just thrilled to perform.
“I don’t need this [medal],” Liu said right after winning, full of joy, while cheering on her competitors. “But what I needed was the stage and I got that, so I was all good. No matter what happened.”
Liu isn’t feigning enthusiasm for the cameras. You can feel it radiating from her body when watching her skatewhich she did, flawlessly, when performing to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” this week in the long program routine that ultimately won her first place.
“That’s what I’m fing talking about!” she could be heard saying as she skated off the ice, knowing she’d just done something magical. Later, standing on the podium, she adorably jumped for joy, squealed, and hugged her competitors. It felt like she was sharing her bright light with them, and everyone watching in the audience, and at home.
The moment was truly special. Mainly, because one thing was made crystal clear: Alysa Liu came to the Olympics for the love of the sportnot for a bronze, silver, or gold medal.
It goes without saying that most athletes love their sport. But they also want to win. However, Liu’s journey has been different from that of most young athletes’, in more ways than one.
Just four years ago, the skater quit, citing burnout after a sixth place finish at the Beijing Winter Games. Burnout easily comes with the territory when you’re a professional athlete. However, Liu focused on herselfon being a teenagerand finding joy outside of the rink.
“I was going to concerts, which I never could have done before,” she told NBC Sports. “I also got my driver’s license. I did a whole year at college. I went on vacation for the first time. I went skiing. I went snowboarding. I got to do so many different things that I never would have done had I stayed in the sport.”
The step back was crucial for many reasons, like saving the Olympians mental health. But it’s also likely what saved her from quitting skating forever, because she was able to invest in herself in other ways. . .and simply be a kid for a while.
At the end of the day, Liu returned to competing because she simply loved skating too much to stay away. One of her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo, even tried to talk her out of it, but her spirit was unstoppable. Alysa is different, said DiGuglielmo, who coaches Liu alongside Massimo Scali, per NBC. We know she wasnt here to win a medal. She was here to skate and to enjoy it.
These titles are huge, but I dont want them to overshadow who I am and what I do and what I am all about, Liu said. Winning isnt all that, and neither is losing.
All you have to do is watch Liu perform to know that the most important thing to the spirited athlete is not medals. It’s her true love of the sport and a profound joy at getting to keep doing it.
And that was something she found before setting one skate on the ice in Milan.
As major employers have slashed jobs over the last year, many of them have cited artificial intelligence or automation to justify the cuts. AI was referenced in nearly 55,000 layoffs in 2025, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmasand the latest figures suggest that trend is continuing into this year alongside a record-high surge in job cuts, which crossed 108,000 in January alone.
But economists and experts have repeatedly said that employment data does not indicate AI is replacing jobs en masse at the moment. And it seems even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shares this skepticism over whether AI is actually responsible for the layoffs roiling the workforce.
“I don’t know what the exact percentage is, but there’s some AI washing where people are blaming AI for layoffs that they would otherwise do, and then there’s some real displacement by AI of different kinds of jobs,” Altman said in an interview during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi this week. “I expect we’ll see more of the latter over time.
There are plenty of potential explanations for ongoing layoffs, from immigration policy to broader economic uncertainty, but business leaders have been quick to cite AI. Companies like Citigroup have claimed AI will reshape how work gets done and have alerted employees to additional layoffs in the coming months. UPS has cut tens of thousands of jobs over the last year, and CEO Carol Tomé claimed automation is a core part of the business becoming more efficient. Tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft have declared AI will revolutionize how they work, all the while trimming headcount under the guise of becoming leaner.
Despite what business leaders say about the promise of AI, however, research shows that the labor market has not yet seen a dip in employment across the jobs that are most likely to be disrupted. Unemployment figures also do not indicate that workers are being replaced by AI in significant numbers just yet.
Altman noted, as many experts have, that AI would likely disrupt more jobs over time. Of course well find new kinds of jobs, as we do with every tech revolution, he told CNBCs India affiliate, TV18. Altman added that the impact of AI will be palpable in the coming years.
Some AI leaders have been more forceful than Altman: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has said AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs as soon as five years from now. It is true that AI adoption is starting to affect more junior roles, particularly in the spheres of tech and finance. Early-career workers in sectors like software engineering and customer service have, in fact, seen a 13% decline in employment since 2022, and unemployment among recent college graduates is on the rise. And while its more difficult to quantify how AI is changing the nature of work, it is clear that the technology is transforming how people do their jobs, particularly across HR and software engineering.
But Altman argues its not just entry level jobs or engineering roles that might be on the chopping block soon.
Altman went so far as to say that CEOs could eventually lose jobs to AI, tooincluding himselfif superintelligence becomes a reality and AI can perform at a level that outpaces humans.
AI superintelligence at some point on its development curve would be capable of doing a better job being the CEO of a major company than any executivecertainly me, he said. In other words, the CEOs who are currently using AI as a rationale for layoffs might find themselves out of a job for that very reason in the not too distant future.
The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trumps far-reaching global tariffs in a 6-3 decision on Friday, handing him a stinging loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda.
Furious about the defeat, Trump said he will impose a global 10% tariff as an alternative while pressing his trade policies by other means. The new tariffs would come under a law that restricts them to 150 days.
He made that announcement after lashing out at the Supreme Court for striking down much of his sweeping tariff infrastructure as an illegal use of emergency power. Trump said he was absolutely ashamed of justices who voted to strike down his tariffs and called the ruling deeply disappointing.
Their decision is incorrect, he said. But it doesnt matter because we have very powerful alternatives.
The Latest:
Reaction from Europe focuses on renewed upheaval, confusion
The initial reaction from Europe focused on renewed upheaval and confusion regarding costs facing businesses exporting to the US.
The European Commission had reached a deal with the Trump administration capping tariffs on European imports at 15%. The deal gave businesses certainty that helped them plan, a factor credited with helping the 21 countries that use the euro currency skirt a recession last year.
Uncertainty remains high for German enterprises doing business in the US, said the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Because there are other instruments for trade limitations in the hands of the US administration that German companies must prepare themselves for.
Trump could resort to laws permitting more targeted tariffs that could hit pharmaceuticals, chemicals and auto parts, said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING bank: Europe should not be mistaken, this ruling will not bring relief. … The legal authority may be different, but the economic impact could be identical or worse.
Brazil celebrates US Supreme Courts decision
Brazil will continue trade negotiations with the United States regardless.
The South American nations leading negotiator on the topic, Vice President and Industry Minister Geraldo Alckmin, told journalists in Brasilia on Friday that the ruling strengthens the trade negotiations between his country and the U.S., but added the two will carry on with their dialogue on the tariffs.
The 10% (tariffs imposed later) are for all. We dont lose competitiveness if it is 10% for all. What was happening was Brazil getting a 40% tariff that no one else had, the Brazilian said. Alckmin added Brazils President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Trump are expected to further discuss trade during a meeting sometime in March.
Michigan business owner says prices will have to be raised
Linda Schlesinger-Wagner, owner of Birmingham, Michigan-based skinnytees, didnt get overly excited after initially hearing about the Supreme Courts ruling.
Hell find some way to get around this, Schlesinger-Wagner said.
Schlesinger-Wagner estimates that the tariffs, so far, have cost her womens apparel business about a $1 million. She says 100% of her garments come from China.
I dont know what Im going to do, she said Friday afternoon. I never raised my prices. Now, with another 10% Im going to be forced to.
The tariffs have affected every business I know because everybody gets something from somewhere, Schlesinger-Wagner added. Were supposed to be global unity. Hes just alienating everyone from us.
Argentinas VP says the Supreme Court decision is a blow to production policies
In Argentina, a key South American ally of the Trump administration, Vice President Victoria Villarruel characterized the U.S. Supreme Courts decision as a blow to production policies and business establishment.
While serving as acting President during Javier Mileis trip to the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Villarruel argued on X that the total and unrestricted opening of imports only favors dependence on China.
She warned that such policies would deepen economic and social emergencies.
The Vice President framed the conflict as a choice between Nationalism or Globalism.
Steelmakers groups say key tariff is unaffected by court ruling
Steelmaking industry groups say the Supreme Courts decision on Friday didnt affect tariffs on steel imports put in place under national security provisions.
The tariffs on foreign steel were enforced under a law that grants the president broad authority to address threats to U.S. national security, Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said in a statement.
The Steel Manufacturers Associations president, Philip Bell, said the Supreme Court decision doesnt undo the steel tariff that is revitalizing the American steel industry, strengthened our national security, and fueled the creation of high-quality American jobs.
Mexicos economy secretary on tariffs: I dont know how it will end
Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, speaking at a public event in parallel with Trumps comments, was cautious about the effects of the Supreme Courts decision.
I dont know how it will end, he said, adding: In the case of Mexico, only some of the tariff measures have to do with that legal provision, others do not.
However, he said that Mexicos government still plans to move forward this year depending on the strength of trade between the two countries, and recalled that just a year ago, Mexico was facing a 25% tariff on all its exports, and today, as you can see, most of my exports do not have those burdens.
It remains unclear what Trumps announcement of 10% generalized tariffs will mean for Mexicos economy, but its among the countries that could be hit the hardest as the U.S. and Mexican economies are inextricably intertwined from decades of free trade.
Ebrard and other officials have been locked in negotiations with the Trump administration for months in an effort to offset wider tariffs.
Bessent says he was a little surprised by the decision
I was a little surprised because I was in the Supreme Court hearing, Bessent said when asked about his reaction to the SCOTUS decision at the Economic Club of Dallas, Friday. I think what we saw was just a very narrowing of the definition of the presidents ability to use IEPPA powers.
He added, the look forward no one should expect that tariff revenue will go down.
The total amount of revenue that Treasury will collect this year will be little changed
Bessent says alternative tariff plan will lead to virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Supreme Court did not rule against President Trumps tariffs, rather Six Justices simply ruled that IEEPA authorities cannot be used to raise even one dollar of revenue.
In a prepared speech to the Economic Club of Dallas delivered Friday afternoon, Bessent says the Trump administration will invoke alternative legal authorities to replace the IEEPA tariffs.
Treasurys estimates show that the use of Section 122 authority, combined with potentially enhanced Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026, he says.
Trump wraps up news briefing after more than 40 minutes
The president wrapped on a positive note, saying that with the ruling, great certainty has been brought back to the economy of the United States and actually the economy of the world.
He repeated one of his favorite lines, saying that the U.S. is the hottest country in the world, and added: Were going to keep it that way.
Trump couldnt care less if justices who opposed his tariffs attend State of the Union address
Trump said the justices who voted in the majority against his tariffs are still barely invited to Tuesdays State of the Union address.
But he added that honestly I couldnt care less if they come, OK?
The president gives the State of the Union before a joint session of Congress.
But the chief executive doesnt issue invitations to the speech, aside from his own special guests.
The House speaker actually invites the president to give the address in the first place, and while there is always reserved seating for members of the court, Chief Justice John Roberts has previously said its up to individual justices if they want to attend.
Trump: Gorsuch, Barretts families should be embarrassed
The president is clearly fuming at two of the justices he nominated in his first term who sided against his tariff policy.
I think its an embarrassment to their families, if you want to know the truth. The two of them, Trump said of Gorsuch and Barrett.
He said, their decision was terrible.
Still, he declined to say whether he regretted nominating them.
Trump says his reading prowess is above reproach
I read very well. Great comprehension, Trump said.
The president said that, when it came to the tariffs case, I read everything there is to read. And I said, Cant lose this case.
But the Supreme Court did in fact rule against Trumps sweeping tariff policy an outcome Trump suggested was only possible because judges want to be political, they want to be politically correct.
Italian winemakers remain skeptical despite Supreme Court ruling
Italian winemakers greeted the decision with skepticism, warning that the ruling may ultimately deepen uncertainty rather than deliver immediate relief to transatlantic trade.
The U.S. is Italys largest wine market, with sales having tripled in value over the past 20 years. In 2024, shipments to the U.S. reached a value of 1.93 billion, accounting for 24% of Italys total global wine exports, according to Unione italiana vini, or UIV, which represents more than 800 winemakers.
New tariffs on the EU, which the Trump administration initially threatened would be 200%, had sent fear throughout the industry, which remained even after the U.S. reduced, delayed and negotiated down.
Paradoxically, the wine industry cannot welcome the Courts decision as a clear victory, said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the UIV trade association.
There is a more than likely risk that tariffs will be reimposed through alternative legal channels, compounded by the uncertainty this ruling may generate in commercial relations between Europe and the United States.
Trump is offering mixed messages about the importance of the tariffs the court struck down
For months, the president has warned that if these tariffs were struck down, it would be a disaster for the country and it would literally destroy the United States of America.
But as he faced questions about the ruling, Trump repeatedly projected a sunny future for the U.S. and dismissed the idea that the country would face ruin.
He said the ruling gave certainty and said I think youre going to see the country get much stronger because of it.
Trump also said the alternative paths he will pursue to try to impose tariffs, while a much more drawn out process, will get us more money. And I think its going to be great.
Trump dismisses Congress role in tariffs
Despite the rebuke from the Supreme Court, the president is scoffing at the need to get Congress involved in enacting tariff policy.
I dont have to, Trump said when asked why wouldnt he just work with lawmakers on tariffs. I have the right to do tariffs, and Ive always had the right to do tariffs.
The majority ruled that Congress has the power to write tax policy, which includes tariffs.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune calls on White House to work with Congress on tariff policies
Tariffs can be an important and effective tool to address unfair trade practices and help level the playing field with foreign competitors, the Senate Republican leader wrote on social media.
The South Dakota Republican added: Senate Republicans will continue working with the administration and our colleagues in the House to advance our shared goal to strengthen rural America, including South Dakotas farm and ranch communities, and the broader U.S. economy.
Trump to impose new tariff, but its temporary
On the heels of his Supreme Court defeat, the president says hell sign an executive order that would impose a 10% global tariff under federal law known as Section 122.
The catch is that those tariffs would be limited to just 150 days, unless they are extended legislatively.
The president also said he is exploring other tariffs through other avenues, such as Section 232, which would require an investigation through the Commerce Department.
Trump says he has great alternatives to tariffs the high court opposed
Trump says other alternatives will now be used to replace his sweeping tariffs that the Supreme Court rejected.
We have alternatives. Great alternatives, Trump aid.
He said the ruling opened the door to allow him to go in probably a direction that I should have gone in the first time.
Trump also suggested the ruling may not substantially constrain tariffs going forward and mentioned using the Trade Expansion Act and other past laws, including the Tariff Act of 1930 going forward.
He said those alternatives would simple mean a little bit longer process.
Trump also scoffed at his ability to order full economic embargoes against countries, but not raise tariffs.
How ridiculous is that? he asked.
Trump calls GOP-appointed justices who supported tariff ruling fools and lapdogs
By name Trump thanked Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh for their strength and wisdom and love of our country in dissenting from the majority to uphold his tariff policies.
And of the more liberal justices who opposed him, Trump said you cant knock their loyalty, even though he disagrees with their views.
But of more conservatives justices who voted to knock down his tariffs Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch Trump said, theyre just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and radical left Democrats.
Without naming them, Trump referred to the jurists by their action as very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.
Trump says he will rely on other laws to continue his tariffs
The president cited other sections of federal law that give him clearer power to impose tariffs, though those methods involve a more complex and bureaucratic process to impose the taxes on imports instead of the way Trump was quickly firing them off.
Their decision is incorrect. But it doesnt matter because we have very powerful alternatives, Trump said.
He called it, a little bit longer process, and said his first attempt to impose tariffs was to try to make things simple. But they didnt let us do that.
Which of Trumps tariffs are being struck down by the Supreme Court?
Fridays decision upends a core set of tariffs that Trump imposed using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. That includes the Liberation Day tariffs the president slapped on nearly every country in the world last spring as well as other IEEPA-based levies he imposed on Canada, Mexico and China. Trump also cited IEEPA to impose additional tariffs on Brazil over the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, and on India over its purchases of Russian oil.
Despite Fridays ruling, other sweeping levies remain in place. Trump used another law Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to slap sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, cars, copper, lumber and products like kitchen cabinets worldwide. And the president has plenty of other options to keep taxing imports aggressively.
Republican senators praise Supreme Court decision against Trumps tariff policies, call for Congress to reassert role
As a matter of policy, the empty merits of sweeping trade wars with Americas friends were evident long before todays decision, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. But as a matter of Constitutional authority, there is now no room for doubt: the use of IEEPA to circumvent Congress in the imposition of tariffs already without precedent is also illegal.
If the executive would like to enact trade policies that impact American producers and consumers, its path forward is crystal clear: convince their representatives under Article 1, said the former Republican Senate leader.
Other senators also chimed in approvingly after the courts decision.
Todays Supreme Court ruling reaffirms that only Congress has the constitutional authority to impose tariffs, and the President can only do so under a clear and limited delegation of authority from Congress, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine wrote on social media.
Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah declared that the Founders system of checks and balances remains strong nearly 250 years later. But Curtis noted that the tariff saga may not be over.
Several questions remain unanswered, including what happens to the revenue already collected and how the administration may use alternative authorities to impose tariffs, said Curtis.
National trade advocacy group applauds the ruling and urges the administration to refund tariff revenues
The National Foreign Trade Council applauded the court ruling and urged the Trump administration to refund tariff revenue and change its approach.
Its a relief to see the Supreme Court unequivocally decide that IEEPA did not provide the authority for the administration to impose more than $133 billion in tariffs on American businesses and consumers, said Jake Colvin, president of the council. We hope the administration will seize this opportunity to recalibrate its approach rather than rushing to replicate some or all of the tariffs through other means.
The council urged the administration to identify a low-burden and automated administrative process to return tariff revenue to U.S. importers quickly and efficiently.
Trump calls ruling deeply disappointing
Trump told a news conference hes absolutely ashamed of justices who voted to strike down his tariffs, calling the decision deeply disappointing.
Its the first major piece of Trumps broad agenda to come squarely before the nations highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.
Trump called the majority decision a disgrace when he was notified during his morning meeting with several governors, according to someone with direct knowledge of the presidents reaction who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.
Trump was meeting privately with nearly two dozen governors from both parties when the decision was released. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Speaker Johnson says Congress and Trump to find path forward on tariffs in coming weeks
House Speaker Mike Johnson backed Trumps use of tariffs in a post on social media after the Supreme Court ruling, sayingthey had brought in billions of dollars and created immense leverage for Americas trade strategy.
In the Supreme Court ruling, the majority found that its unconstitutional for the president to unilaterally set and change tariffs because taxation power clearly belongs to Congress.
Congress and the Administration will determine the best path forward in the coming weeks, Johnson wrote on X.
Some GOP welcome the decision, but may back Trump on future tariffs
A GOP Congressman who voted for to impeach Trump says the Supreme Court decision rightly takes back power from the executive branch on tariffs.
Washington Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse said in a statement that the ruling restores balance between the legislative and executive branches, adding that hes committed to working with Trump on targeted tariffs to secure trade deals that put American farmers, businesses, and consumers first.
Washington state is home to the headquarters of Costco, one of the companies most critical of the tariffs.
Newhouse is one of the two GOP representatives to vote to impeach President Trump during his first term and be reelected. Earlier this year, he welcomed the Trump administrations move to effectively lower wages for immigrant farmworkers.
Newhouse announced that he is not seeking reelection.
Associated Press
The Class of 2020 still arent over the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling their graduation. Apparently they never stop bringing it up, according to TikTok. Now their complaints are being used as a punchline.
Being robbed? Did you know that I didnt get a graduation.
Slip on ice? I didnt have a prom, I didnt have a homecoming.
Oh, your grandma just died? Okay, well if you think thats bad, I literally didnt graduate.
While the trend has been around since Gen Z didor didntgraduate in 2020, with some reminiscing on those unprecedented times and others crashing their siblings graduations in place of their own, it has recently picked up traction again.
@cobreezzy That lockdown had us all acting crazy lol my dad came up with this idea #classof2020 #graduation #family original sound – Conor OBrien
In the past few weeks, it has merged with another trend in which TikTokkers explain how certain people would react to a glass being half full or half empty. Instead of just the classic optimist or pessimist, the trend includes the points of view of random people, characters, or the Class of 2020.
@briemcp Disclaimer: I was a victim of 2020 so let me clown #glasshalffull #glasshalfempty #fyp #fyp #pessimist Classic classical gymnopedie solo piano(1034554) – Lyrebirds music
It wasnt even like a graduation, it was like a drive thru and you just grabbed your diploma, one creator laments.
@iamjoeyleon Ball knowledge required #fyp #funny #basketball original sound – Joey
The humor is mostly self-referential, reflecting Gen Zs coping mechanism of choice: Me using every opportunity to remind my friends that I was Class of 2020, another jokes.
@zayaperysian And Ill never get over it actually #classof2020 @Spencer Hunt original sound – –
And its hard to deny the Class of 2020 were dealt a bad hand. Their senior year did, after all, coincide with a global health crisis. Five years ago, what started as a week off school spiraled into an unprecedented global emergency, the ripple effects of which are still being felt.
While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Americans of all ages, the Class of 2020 was uniquely positioned to experience the shockwaves across their social lives, finances, and careers as they transitioned into adulthood.
In the throes of the pandemic, unemployment among people under age 24 jumped from 8.4% to 24.4%. Researchers have found that beginning a career during a recession can depress earnings for 10 years and leave lasting impacts for decades.
Its no surprise, then, that the identities of the Class of 2020 are tied to this once-in-a-lifetime crisis. If they want to complain about it, the least we can do is let them.
Its been a big week for aliens in Washington.
In a podcast that aired last weekend, former President Obama revealed that he believes in extraterrestrial life. Days later, President Trump declared that he would order Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency leads to start declassifying government files pertaining to alien life and UAPs, short for unidentified aerial phenomena the mysterious sightings we once called UFOs.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump announced his plans, citing intense interest on a subject once lumped in with the paranormal. Interest in all things alien has surged in the last five years as the U.S. government began to release formerly classified documents, hold hearings, and generally acknowledge a topic once seen as too far out.
I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters, Trump wrote.
Obama wants to believe
Obama set off the current firestorm of excitement around alien life when he casually confirmed his beliefs in an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen. “They’re real but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said. “They’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.
The comments generated so much buzz that he published an Instagram post the following day clarifying his thoughts: Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good theres life out there, Obama wrote, adding that solar systems are so far apart that the odds are low weve been visited by aliens and as president he never witnessed anything to convince him otherwise.
Trump promised to release the fresh documents after accusing Obama of divulging classified information in the interview when he veered into alien territory. I don’t know if they’re real or not, Trump told Fox News. I can tell you, he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that he made a big mistake.
Obamas comments werent his first time weighing in on matters extraterrestrial. In 2021, the former president told James Corden that UAPs are as real as anything else that the U.S. military observes.
What is true, and Im actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we dont know exactly what they are, Obama said. A former president speaking candidly on the subject might be surprising, but Obama famously counts Liu Cixins elaborate thought experiment on an alien invasion of Earth, The Three-Body Problem, among his favorite books.
Extraterrestrial talk gains legitimacy
After decades of being shunned as a topic best left to the tinfoil hat set, the government has lent mysterious flying objects and alien life major heft in recent years.
In 2020, the Department of Defense published three clips of unexplained aerial phenomena observed by Navy pilots that had previously leaked to the public. The worlds most powerful military admitting that it couldnt explain the strange behavior of some objects in the sky through intel or scientific means was a surreal, historic moment met with excitement from UAP enthusiasts.
That same year, the DoD formed a dedicated task force to investigate UAP sightings. The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security, the agency wrote in its announcement. Other explanations, like malfunctioning equipment and stray weather balloons, pose no threat and remain very much in the mix.
The governments disclosures didnt stop there. In 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a preliminary assessment on the topic to give Congress an overview of how the intelligence agency handles reports of mysterious flying objects, which are sometimes spotted by servicemembers. We currently lack data to indicate any UAP are part of a foreign collection program or indicative of a major technological advancement by a potential adversary, the agency wrote in the report, ruling out one possible avenue of explanation.
A year later, Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in more than 50 years. While testimony from Pentagon officials flatly rejected claims that the U.S. has knowingly been visited by alien spacecraft a stance echoed by a more recent report the government confirmed that it doesnt always have an explanation for some of the things pilots spot in the skies. The truth remains out there, somewhere.
Were told from a young age to follow our dreams. But for Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, chasing your dreams is overrated. Instead, she recommends a different approach, especially for young people: Chase your talents, not your dreams.
The 49-year-old, who has a $400 million-plus net worth, shared the advice in an Instagram reel this week: I just got off the phone with a young woman who is looking for career advice, she says in the clip, which has since racked up over 482,000 likes and thousands of comments. She wants to switch from one job to another, Witherspoon says, adding that the woman is currently unhappy at work.
This is a predicament many will relate to. LinkedIn data consistently finds that the average worker will change roles every three to four years.
But when Witherspoon questioned her about what she was actually good at, the woman drew a blank. She had a hard time telling me what her specific talents were. This, to Witherspoon, is the key.
Gallup data shows that roughly 60% of employees feel emotionally detached at work, while fewer than one in four strongly believe their job aligns with their strengths.
You dont chase your dreamsyou chase your talents, Witherspoon explains. Everybody has dreams. It doesnt mean youre gonna be that thing. You are supposed to do what youre talented at.
This advice should speak to a generation increasingly moving away from the idea of a dream job altogether, and instead prioritizing work-life balance over climbing the career ladder.
According to Gallup research, those who use their talents are six times as likely as other employees to be engaged at work, and are three times more likely to report a high quality of life than those who do not.
Its your job in life to figure out what your specific unique talents are, and go chase them, says Witherspoon.
So, the next time you feel lost or stuck at a crossroads in your career, take Witherspoons advice and:
Get clear on your dreams.
Be honest about where your talent truly lies.
Find the roles where the two intersect.
That path that is meant for youthe one youre looking for? Likely, it will show up when you follow what youre naturally good at.
My family had Slide Show Night when I was growing up. Not every Saturday, but a whole bunch of Saturdays. Either my sister or I would be in charge of setting up the projector, the screen, and loading the carousel. During the show, there’d be a few landscapes or skylines taken during vacations, but almost all the shots were up close. Like most dads, mine wasn’t a professional photographer, but he did a good job of capturing memory triggers: faces, gestures, and decorations.
Before we were driving age, my sister and I were given our own cameras as Christmas gifts. We’d spend our own money buying and developing film. We basically documented our Gen X life: playing in the woods, sledding, beach trips, birthday parties, and even selfies. (I shot a 24-exposure roll of me stupidly rock climbing in regular clothes and treadless high-tops on Pikes Peak in Colorado.)
Years later, when I graduated college and started working on transportation studies, that same camera came with me. It seemed natural to shoot study areas before and after team meetings. When I’d put together slide shows to document the work we did, I kept noticing two distinct types of picture: the charming local ingredient (e.g. historic train caboose), and the oppressive transportation ingredient (e.g. wide arterial with turn lanes on all corners).
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Documenting improvements
I’d look at those pictures and recall how dangerous it felt getting those shots to document the transportation “improvements.” My industry of highly educated professional planners and engineers was defining success in ways that didn’t make sense when you looked at the pictures I took of the study areas. Infrastructure projects were being executed in ways that prevented residents and visitors from taking a comfortable walk around town.
What is it about a place that makes people reach for a camera, hang out, spend money, and keep coming back? The status quo experts arent asking questions like that. Instead, theyre focused on technical requirements and processes that dont consider what the average person is looking for: a bench in the shade, a fountain, or a plaza for people-watching.
Professionals create infrastructure that makes or breaks bonds between friends, families, and strangers. It’s paramount to understand the context of our work. Town planners and engineers have the opportunity to turn ordinary studies into recipes for creating places that are loveable, enticing, and even irresistible.
Memorable human experiences
If you make decisions according to industry norms, your downtown will be easy to resist, because itll be entirely oriented around motor vehicle traffic rather than memorable human experiences. Regulations and permitting are anchored to car-oriented engineering, and that anchor weighs down our communities.
People across generations want walkable, bikeable downtowns. Millennials want them. Baby Boomers want them. Surveys consistently show communities of all types have an appetite for walkable, bikeable places. These are the places we see on family Slide Show Night or the modern social media equivalent.
Encourage your local leaders to plan infrastructure for slideshow-worthy human experiences. Consider how people of all ages are going to interact with each other and with their environment, and then (only then!) design the infrastructure. The internet is loaded with friendly people who would love to exchange ideas with you about irresistible places.
As legendary musician Frank Zappa said, progress requires deviation from the norm. That absolutely applies to planners and engineers working to create lovable, enticing downtowns.
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The Supreme Court struck down President Trumps sweeping tariffs on Friday, ruling that he overstepped his authority in imposing them on global imports.
In a 6-3 ruling, the court wrote that Trumps actions were unprecedented, noting that Trumps attempt to use his power to unilaterally impose unbounded tariffs and change them at will overstepped the law, and that his administrations view would represent a transformative expansion of the Presidents authority over tariff policy.
The ruling continued: It is also telling that in IEEPAs [International Emergency Economic Powers Act’s] half century of existence, no President has invoked the statute to impose any tariffs, let alone tariffs of this magnitude and scope.
In effect, the Supreme Court ruled that, despite Trumps assertions otherwise, the President lacks the authority to impose tariffs, and that he improperly used the premise of an emergency to impose them, most of which came during Liberation Day early last year. The government had collected somewhere in the neighborhood of $230 billion in tariff revenue between January and December 2025.
Critically, not all tariffs have been struck downonly the ones that Trump has imposed as an emergency under International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff laws from the 1970s.
Will consumers get refunds for the tariffs?
Also critically, the Supreme Court did not indicate whether tariffs already paid would need to be refunded. So as it stands, its unclear whether anyone is due a refund for dues paid.
It could be a messy situation in terms of sorting it all out, and it appears that many legislators are trying to get ahead of that.
Several questions remain unanswered, including what happens to the revenue already collected and how the Administration may use alternative authorities to impose tariffs, said Senator John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, in a statement following the ruling. Looking ahead, it is critical that we provide the clarity and predictability businesses need.
That could result in individuals and companies looking to shipping and logistics companies for guidance and refunds. A spokesperson at DHL Express Americas tells Fast Company that the company is closely monitoring the legal developments regarding IEEPA tariffs to ensure our customers are positioned to exercise their full rights under the law.”
“We would play a technical role in the process, leveraging our customs brokerage technology to track filings to ensure that if refunds are authorized, our clients receive their capital back accurately and efficiently,” the DHL spokesperson added.
Fast Company has also reached out to UPS and FedEx for comment as well.
Additionally, businesses can try to request a refund on imports (assuming they qualify), or take legal action. For instance, they can file a formal protest with the U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP), or file a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
The ruling blows a hole in Trumps economic agenda. Administration officials have said, however, that they were prepared to respond. Last month, Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, told The New York Times that the administration would start the next day to find ways to reimpose tariffs if the Supreme Court ended up striking them down.
In response, the markets increased slightly; as of midday Friday, the S&P 500 was up about 0.5%. President Trump, meeting with the nations governors on Friday, called the decision a disgrace.
A federal judge has ruled that Tesla is still required to pay $243 million over a 2019 crash involving a Tesla equipped with Autopilot, despite the companys efforts to overturn the verdict.
In August 2025, a jury found Tesla liable for the death of Naibel Benavides Leon, a 22-year-old woman who was killed when George McGee, who was driving a Tesla Model S, drove through an intersection while he bent to look for his dropped phone.
The crash occurred in Key Largo, Florida, in 2019. McGees vehicle, which was equipped with Teslas Autopilot technology, crashed into an SUV that was parked on the shoulder, killing Leon and injuring Dillon Angulo.
I trusted the technology too much, McGee said in 2025. I believed that if the car saw something in front of it, it would provide a warning and apply the brakes.
That jury assigned Tesla 33% of the fault for the collision, and awarded $200 million in punitive damages, and $43 million in compensatory damages.
A courtroom first
The 2025 verdict was a first from a federal jury over a fatal Autopilot accident, though there have been multiple incidents of Tesla vehicles in Autopilot mode that were involved in vehicle collisions.
Soon after that case, Tesla challenged the verdict, filing a motion asking the court to throw it out, or grant a new trial.
The company argued that the Model S was not defective, and that there wasnt evidence that the company failed to provide warnings or instructions concerning Autopilot.
This week, however, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami disagreed with Teslas arguments.
Bloom ruled that the evidence from the 2025 trial more than supported the verdict, and that the company did not present any additional arguments.
That means Tesla is on the hook for the $243 million in damages.
“The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are virtually the same as those Tesla put forth previously during the course of trial and in their briefings on summary judgment-arguments that were already considered and rejected,” the decision said, according to MarketWatch.
Fast Company reached out to Tesla for comment.
Prior to the 2025 trial, Tesla had rejected a $60 million settlement offer for the case.
Tesla has “indicated” that it will appeal the ruling, Electrek reports, but even if that appeal is successful, the judgement is still likely to be more than that settlement offer.
