Public disagreements with some key U.S. trading partners threaten to undermine negotiations. South Koreans are set to elect a new president. And a family fights for change after a 22-year-old man’s death from an asthma attack, days after he was unable to afford an inhaler.
Here’s what to know today.
Where things stand as Trump’s ambitious push for trade deals hit some snags
There’s just over a month left until the clock on President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause expires on most country-specific tariffs. And instead of progress, cracks are beginning to show with some of the U.S.’s closest trading partners.
The increasingly public disagreements aren’t totally unexpected, former trade negotiators said, as it can take months, if not years, for the U.S. to work out agreements with other countries. Despite the tensions, U.S. officials still insist they are close to making additional deals over the next month.
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Here’s where things stand with some notable partners:
China: Leaders from each country have accused the other of undermining the truce they reached in Switzerland to temporarily pause tariffs. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on CNBC that the Chinese have been “slow rolling” the agreement. China, meanwhile, has accused the U.S. of undermining the pact by imposing new export controls on computer chips.
European Union: On May 23, Trump said the bloc wasn’t moving fast enough toward a deal and threatened to levy a 50% tariff on European goods. Days later, he backtracked. And then on Friday, he said he would increase tariffs on steel and aluminum, including from Europe, to 50%.
Japan: The U.S. and Japan have been through at least four rounds of trade talks, but last week, Japan’s economy minister, Ryosei Akazawa, said it would be difficult to reach any agreement without the U.S. being willing to remove Trump’s tariffs. The two sides said they would meet again this month.
More politics news:
- The Supreme Court declined to hear two major gun cases over laws banning assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines, though litigation over similar bans in the country almost ensures the issue will return to the justices.
- Rapid changes in the Justice Department under the Trump administration have created what experts say is the ripest environment for corruption in a generation.
- How do Democratic attorneys general plan to respond to Trump administration policies in the latter half of 2025 and beyond? NBC News spoke to three — from California, Massachusetts and New Jersey — about their biggest priorities.
Boulder incident is the second lone wolf attack in two weeks
The suspect arrested in the attack on Israeli hostage advocates in Boulder, was charged yesterday with attempted first-degree murder, Colorado authorities said. The U.S. Attorney for Colorado also charged Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, with one count of a hate crime. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also said Soliman was in the U.S. on an expired visa and had a pending asylum claim. Meanwhile, the number of people injured rose to 12 on Monday, up from eight the day before, officials said.
The incident in Boulder marks the second hate-fueled attack on Jewish Americans less than two weeks after two Israeli Embassy workers were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. In both attacks, the suspects were not previously known to law enforcement.
Yet in the wake of the Washington, D.C., attack, some security experts have questioned why security wasn’t stronger in Boulder. The demonstration group, Run for Their Lives, has safely held regular demonstrations for years, a nearby resident noted, which could make the group harder to protect from a terrorist. Still, experts suggested police should have been on higher alert in recent weeks. Read the full story here.
South Koreans elect a new president
South Koreans are flocking to vote for a new president, six months to the day after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the country into turmoil by abruptly declaring martial law. Since his impeachment soon after, the country has churned through a series of acting presidents, while U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% “reciprocal” tariff has contributed to uncertainty.
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, had a clear lead in the polls going into the election, with public support driven more by anger at Yoon’s conservative People Power Party than by agreement with his policy positions, one foreign expert said. Further boosting Lee’s chances is the fact that conservative votes are being split between Kim Moon Soo, the People Power Party candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, a young lawmaker from the upstart Reform Party who has generated controversy with his antifeminist remarks.
Whoever is elected to lead the East Asian democracy of more than 50 million people will have to contend with an evolving relationship with the U.S. and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s advancing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. Read the full story here.
Read All About It
- Jonathan Joss, 59, the voice actor best known for his role in “King of the Hill,” was fatally shot at the site of his old home in San Antonio.
- The CDC is urging Americans to get the measles vaccine before traveling abroad this summer.
- Israeli soldiers fired warning shots “toward several suspects” near an aid distribution center in Gaza, about a half-mile from the site of a deadly attack last weekend, an Israeli military official said.
- The ICE arrest of a high school junior during graduation weekend sparked a post-ceremony march to town hall, with hundreds in his Massachusetts community demanding he be freed.
- Foods and drinks that lower inflammation in the body — think leafy greens, beans, coffee and tea — may help colon cancer patients survive longer, new research suggests.
Staff Pick: He couldn’t afford his inhaler — and died days later
When 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht tried to get a refill on the inhaler prescribed by his doctor, the medication that formerly cost him $70 was priced at more than $500, his family said. Five days later, he had a severe asthma attack, stopped breathing and collapsed. He never regained consciousness.
The price change was part of the insurance system that many Americans don’t know about. Schmidtknecht’s parents say the dysfunctional system, which allowed for a medication price change overnight and without notice, is to blame. In the first story of an NBC News series on the health care and insurance industries, Schmidtknecht’s parents, Bil and Shanon, lament how their son’s death was “so preventable and so unnecessary” — and how they’re fighting for change. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBCU Academy: This ski trip fosters bonds between children with cancer
Before a recent trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado, 13-year-old Zoe Durias had never skied. But the cancer survivor is used to pushing through discomfort. During her trip to Colorado with Sunshine Kids, a nonprofit that organizes annual trips for kids with cancer, she celebrated being three years cancer-free.
“I just thought that after treatment, everything would just go back to normal,” Durias said. “It never did, but I think I’m happy with it. If it had gone back to normal, I would never have met all these awesome people.”
Sunshine Kids executive director Jennifer Wisler agrees. “Those bonds will help them as they move forward to battle their disease and realize that they don’t have to battle alone,” she said.
See how Sunshine Kids is giving children with cancer the opportunity to step out of hospitals and celebrate life.
NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Getting tired of breaking out after a serious workout? NBC Select’s editors shared the best post-workout skincare routine and the reason why you shouldn’t let sweat sit in your skin for an extended amount of time. Plus, here are the May bestsellers that our readers have added to their carts.
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