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President Donald Trump has abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no reasons for the move. Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagons Cyber Command, the officials said. They received no advance notice about the decision to remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions. The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action against other key leaders’ use of an unclassified Signal messaging chat that included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss plans for a military strike. It’s unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command. Also fired was Haugh’s civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble. The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter. The person said Noble has been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for intelligence. The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment. The NSA referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department, which had no comment Friday. Far-right activist and commentator Laura Loomer appeared to take credit Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haughs ties to Gen. Mark Milley and the Biden administration and questioned the NSA chief’s loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trumps first term but has since become an outspoken critic. Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position, Loomer wrote. Thank you, President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers. Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job, had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner. A day later, Trump said he fired some White House National Security Council officials. Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired. Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories, Himes, D-Conn., wrote. Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he has long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a political loyalty test. “In addition to the other military leaders and national security officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: dont give your best military advice, or you may face consequences, Reed said in a statement. He added that Trump has given a priceless gift to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by purging competence from our national security leadership. Another Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. was facing unprecedented cyber threats and asked how firing Haugh, who has served in the military for more than 30 years, makes America safer. Haugh’s firing sets off a 60-day process. Unless he is moved to another three- or four-star job in 60 days he would automatically revert to a two-star. Any new high-level job would be unlikely since that would require a nomination from Trump, who just fired him. As a result, Haugh, who was confirmed for the NSA job in a unanimous Senate vote in December 2023, would likely retire. Trump hasn’t commented on Haugh or Noble, but on Thursday he dismissed the National Security Council firings as normal. Always were letting go of people, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he made his way to Miami on Thursday afternoon. People that we dont like or people that we dont think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else. The firings come as Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, fights calls for his ouster after using the publicly available encrypted Signal app to discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen. Warner called it astonishing that Trump “would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office. Haugh met last month with Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has roiled the federal government by slashing personnel and budgets at dozens of agencies. In a statement, the NSA said the meeting was intended to ensure both organizations are aligned with the new administrations priorities. Haugh had led both the NSA and Cyber Command since 2023. Both departments play leading roles in the nations cybersecurity. The NSA also supports the military and other national security agencies by collecting and analyzing a vast amount of data and information globally. Cyber Command is known as Americas first line of defense in cyberspace and also plans offensive cyberoperations for potential use against adversaries. Lolita C. Baldor and Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, David Klepper, and Lou Kesten contributed to this report.
Category:
E-Commerce
President Donald Trump announced extensive tariffs on April 2, with the possibility to dramatically change costs of essential everyday items for American consumers. He has unveiled tariffs for 60 countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and the European Union, which he deemed the “worst offenders” when it comes to trade imbalances. Here are five types of items that may see price increases over the next few months as a result. Gas The U.S.s primary source of natural gas imports is Canada, and though Trump announced a lower tariff of 10% for Canadian energy imports, consumers are likely to still feel the effects. In 2022, 99% of the U.S.s total natural gas imports were from Canada. These tariffs may lead to increased heating costs and gas pump prices. Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade at the Cato Institute, predicted that consumers will see an increase of 10 to 20 cents per gallon with the 10% tariff on Canadian crude oil, according to NPR. Electronics It might not be the best time to invest in that new smartphone. In 2024, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam were the top three exporters of laptops and tablets to the U.S. Now, they’re some of the countries most taxed by the new tariff. Almost all consumer electronics are likely to see price hikes as a result. These impacted products also include lithium-ion batteries and video game consoles. A Nintendo representative told CNBC that pre-orders for the widely-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 would be delayed to an indeterminate date due to tariff concerns. Toys The increase in costs are not limited to smartphones and tablets. Ed Brzytwa, vice president for international trade at the Consumer Technology Association, estimates that toys made in China will likely cost consumers at least 30% more than their current price, according to CNN. These toys account for close to 77% of all toys sold in the U.S., and they are all about to face the upcoming 54% tariff. Cars A 25% tariff on finished cars took effect on April 3, and a 25% tariff on car parts is set to take effect by May 3 latest. Mexico is the seventh-largest passenger vehicle manufacturer in the world, and close to 76% of its exports go to the U.S. In a 21-page analysis obtained by AP, economist Art Laffer estimates that fully implemented tariffs could increase per-vehicle costs by close to $4,711. A 25% tariff would not only shrink, or possibly eliminate, profit margins for U.S. manufacturers but also weaken their ability to compete with international rivals, Laffer writes in the analysis. Apparel China and Vietnam, two of the most impacted by the tariffs, are also two of the top sources of foreign-made clothes for U.S. consumers, shipping close to $14 billion worth of clothing to the U.S. in 2024. Even customers of fast fashion and internet-famous online retailers like Shein, Temu, and AliExpress will take a hit. Beginning on May 2, the 54% tariff will apply to packages worth less than $800 coming from China and Hong Kong, which will include packages from these online retailers. These five categories make up only a portion of imported goods. Tariffs will continue to take effect over the next few months, possibly triggering an economic slowdown and increasing prices for American consumers as a whole.
Category:
E-Commerce
Wall Streets worst crisis since COVID slammed into a higher gear Friday. The S&P 500 lost 6% after China matched President Donald Trumps big raise in tariffs announced earlier this week. The move increased the stakes in a trade war that could end with a recession that hurts everyone. Not even a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market, which is usually the economic highlight of each month, was enough to stop the slide. The drop closed the worst week for the S&P 500 since March 2020, when the pandemic ripped through the global economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2,231 points, or 5.5% Friday, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 5.8% to pull more than 20% below its record set in December. So far, there have been few, if any, winners in financial markets from the trade war. Stocks for all but 14 of the 500 companies within the S&P 500 index fell Friday. The price of crude oil tumbled to its lowest level since 2021. Other basic building blocks for economic growth, such as copper, also saw prices slide on worries the trade war will weaken the global economy. Chinas response to U.S. tariffs caused an immediate acceleration of losses in markets worldwide. The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said it would respond to the 34% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from China with its own 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10. The United States and China are the worlds two largest economies. Markets briefly recovered some of their losses after the release of Friday mornings U.S. jobs report, which said employers accelerated their hiring by more last month than economists expected. Its the latest signal that the U.S. job market has remained relatively solid through the start of 2025, and its been a linchpin keeping the U.S. economy out of a recession. But that jobs data was backward looking, and the fear hitting financial markets is about whats to come. The world has changed, and the economic conditions have changed, said Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of global fixed income at BlackRock. The central question looking ahead is: Will the trade war cause a global recession? If it does, stock prices may need to come down even more than they have already. The S&P 500 is down 17.4% from its record set in February. Trump seemed unfazed. From Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, he headed to his golf course a few miles away after writing on social media that THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH. The Federal Reserve could cushion the blow of tariffs on the economy by cutting interest rates, which can encourage companies and households to borrow and spend. But the Fed may have less freedom to move than it would like. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that tariffs could drive up expectations for inflation. That could prove more damaging than high inflation itself, because it can drive a vicious cycle of behavior that only worsens inflation. U.S. households have already said theyre bracing for sharp increases to their bills. Our obligation is to keep longer-term inflation expectations well anchored and to make certain that a one-time increase in the price level does not become an ongoing inflation problem, Powell said. That could indicate a hesitance to cut rates because lower rates can give inflation more fuel. Much will depend on how long Trumps tariffs stick and what kind of retaliations other countries deliver. Some of Wall Street is holding onto hope that Trump will lower the tariffs after prying wins from other countries following negotiations. Trump has given mixed signals on that. On Friday, he said Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S. Trump also criticized Chinas retaliation, saying on his Truth Social platform that CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED – THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO! Trump has said Americans may feel some pain because of tariffs, but he has also said the long-term goals, including getting more manufacturing jobs back to the United States, are worth it. On Thursday, he likened the situation to a medical operation, where the U.S. economy is the patient. For investors looking at their portfolios, it could have felt like an operation performed without anesthesia, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. But Jacobsen also said the next surprise for investors could be how quickly tariffs get negotiated down. The speed of recovery will depend on how, and how quickly, officials negotiate, he said. On Wall Street, stocks of companies that do lots of business in China fell to some of the sharpest losses. DuPont dropped 12.7% after China said its regulators are launching an anti-trust investigation into DuPont China group, a subsidiary of the chemical giant. Its one of several measures targeting American companies and in retaliation for the U.S. tariffs. GE Healthcare got 12% of its revenue last year from the China region, and it fell 16%. All told, the S&P 500 fell 322.44 points to 5,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,231.07 to 38,314.86, and the Nasdaq composite fell 962.82 to 15,587.79. In stock markets abroad, Germanys DAX lost 5%, Frances CAC 40 dropped 4.3% and Japans Nikkei 225 fell 2.8%. In the bond market, Treasury yields fell, but they pared their drops following Powells cautious statements about inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.01% from 4.06% late Thursday and from roughly 4.80% early this year. It had gone below 3.90% in the morning. Stan Choe, Associated Press business writer AP Writers Jiang Junzhe, Huizhong Wu, and Matt Ott contributed.
Category:
E-Commerce
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