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Trump signs order to determine reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order calling on his administration to determine “the equivalent of a reciprocal tariff with respect to each foreign trading partner.”

“In other words, we’re going to customize the reciprocal tariff based on individual trading nations, and that will depend on their profile,” a senior administration official said on a call with reporters previewing the action.

This means the administration plans to impose tariffs on other countries that match the duties they impose on American products. The senior official says this allows the U.S. to “customize” the tariff to each trading partner based on their actions.

Trump previously announced tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. While the 10% tariffs on China have been imposed, Trump paused the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Trump has also announced 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that are expected to take effect next month.

Many economists warn tariffs will likely raise the prices of goods for consumers, worsening inflation that already rose faster than expected in January.

As for reciprocal tariffs, the administration official outlined five types of actions it will take into account in determining the reciprocal tariffs for trading partners.

They include tariffs imposed on U.S. products; unfair, discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes imposed by trading partners, including a Value Added Tax; cost to United States businesses, workers and consumers, including subsidies and burdens and regulatory requirements; exchange rates; as well as any other practice that USTR determines is an unfair limitation.

Key players in this action will include the commerce secretary and United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the treasury secretary and Homeland Security secretary. Trump has nominated Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department and attorney Jamieson Greer to be the U.S. Trade Representative.

Officials stressed the benefit of addressing this on a case-by-case basis, saying it “it opens the door for each country to basically correct the unfair trade practices that they’re engaging in.” But they did not rule out also pursuing a flat, global tariff either given the “national emergence we have with respect to the trade deficit.”

Asked for a timeline for when these tariffs might be implemented, the administration official seemed to suggest it would happen on a rolling basis, starting first with countries that have the highest deficits with the US.

“I think this will be done in what I have called in the past, in Trump time, which is to say, very rapidly, should be a matter of weeks, in a few months, but not much longer than that. We move quickly here,” the official said.

The reciprocal tariffs could hit developing countries the hardest — including India, Brazil and Southeast Asian countries.

There are many outstanding questions about the implementation of such tariffs.

One question is how Trump may continue to use these tariffs as a starting point for negotiations with world leaders. Officials said they hoped that the move would spark discussions between nations, saying the president would be willing to bring down tariffs if other countries do as well.

Woman gives birth to baby girl on NYC subway train

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A 25-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on a NYC subway train Wednesday morning, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials.

At approximately 11:32 a.m., passengers on a southbound W train alerted the conductor that a woman was giving birth inside one of the cars, according to the MTA.

“As we’re entering 34th Street, you hear her asking, ‘Help, help, help,'” passenger Bryanna Brown, who captured the moment on video, told New York ABC station WABC. “You [then] hear a baby start crying.”

The train stopped at the 34th Street-Herald Square station, under the flagship Macy’s department store. Several commuters assisted the woman in the delivery, with one even cutting the umbilical cord with a pocket knife, according to Brown.

“From our knowledge, she wasn’t a doctor or anything, she was someone who had full knowledge of what to do in this situation,” Brown told ABC News. “Thank God for her.”

The video captured by Brown shows the woman lying on the floor after giving birth, with another passenger hoisting up the newborn and wrapping her in a red cloth.

The conductor “held the train in the station and responded to that car,” accompanied by a NYC Transit Train service supervisor and NYPD officers, the MTA said. Emergency medical services were quickly on the scene and transported the mother and baby to Bellevue Hospital, where the two are both in good condition, according to officials.

There are no details yet on the baby’s name, but Brown described the situation as a “miracle” on 34th Street, paying homage to the iconic 1947 film.

MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement that this incident is an “example of New Yorkers coming together to assist each other” that reflects “the best of the subway community and this city.”

“We are thrilled that both mother and Baby W are doing well, and look forward to welcoming both of them back aboard for a lifetime of reliable — and hopefully less dramatic — rides,” Crichlow said.

Giving birth in the NYC subway system does happen from time to time. In 2017, an MTA worker helped a mother give birth on a subway platform, while in 2012, a baby boy was born on a J train in downtown Manhattan.

3 things to watch for as RFK Jr. takes the helm as health secretary

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sworn in as the nation’s next health secretary Thursday, his first order of business will be to investigate America’s problem with chronic illnesses.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that President Donald Trump will sign an executive order creating a “Make America Health Again” commission and direct Kennedy “to investigate this chronic crisis plaguing our country and the minds and the bodies of the American people.”

What that will mean exactly remains to be seen. But here are three things to watch for as Kennedy takes the helm, based on what he and Trump have said in the past:

More study on food dyes or other food additives?

MAHA has easily emerged as a deeply popular slogan by Kennedy as much of America struggles with obesity and chronic diseases. The question though is how to do that in a way that won’t weigh down the federal budget or trigger an avalanche of legal challenges from the food and drug industry.

One possible avenue for Kennedy could be to call for additional safety studies of certain ingredients used by manufacturers, including food dyes.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration revoked its authorization of one type of red food dye. “Red Dye No. 3” is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals but was allowed to be used by manufacturers for years because scientists didn’t believe it raised cancer risk in humans at the level typically consumed. The FDA, under President Joe Biden, acted after longtime pressure by consumer advocates.

But a different type, Red Dye No. 40, remains on the market and hasn’t been studied by the FDA in more than 20 years. FDA and health officials say there is no evidence though that it’s harmful, and food manufacturers say they need to be able to rely on ingredients generally recognized as safe.

Still, health advocates argue more can be done to look at the health impacts and or do the kind of post-market monitoring of food more common in Europe.

All of those efforts though will take significant federal resources and rely on a workforce that Trump has promised to cut.

Rewriting discrimination rules for hospitals, doctors and insurers to exclude transgender protections

Kennedy hasn’t personally focused much on the question of transgender rights. But eliminating federal rules at Health and Human Services that President Barack Obama and Joe Biden pushed to protect transgender Americans is a major priority for Trump and the conservative party.

Federal law prohibits sexual discrimination, but it’s up to the executive branch to spell out specific rules that schools, insurers and hospitals must follow if they want to retain access to federal aid.

Obama triggered a fierce legal fight in his second term when he issued federal regulations aimed at protecting transgender people from discrimination in schools and medical settings. Under rules written by Obama’s Health aand Human Services Department, doctors and hospitals were told couldn’t decline care for a person because of their gender identity. Insurance companies also were specifically prohibited from offering different benefits to certain groups, including transgender individuals and people with HIV.

Trump quickly dropped Obama’s rules in his first term, writing new rules that granted exceptions for medical providers on discrimination rules if they cited religious objections.

President Joe Biden tried to resurrect Obama’s initial rules but was swiftly challenged in court by Republican states, tossing the issue back to Trump. It’ll now be up to HHS under Kennedy, if he’s confirmed, to decide what those federal rules should say.

Making it easier for parents to send unvaccinated kids to public schools

School vaccine requirements are up to the states, and currently all 50 states have laws requiring certain vaccines for students to attend public schools.

But HHS sets the recommendations for childhood vaccines followed by schools, while the Education Department provides vital grant money to schools used to teach low-income or children with disabilities.

On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to revoke spending for schools that mandate vaccines currently recommended by public health experts and HHS.

“I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate,” Trump declared last year.

Such a move could have big implications for public health. According to the nonpartisan KFF, routine vaccination rates for kindergarten children is on the decline while exemptions are on the rise, including non-religious exemptions.

While running for president before aligning with Trump, Kennedy rejected the numerous studies finding that childhood vaccines are safe, including several studies that debunked a myth that vaccines cause autism. During his Senate confirmation, Kennedy insisted he doesn’t oppose vaccines but wants more study.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican doctor from Louisiana, said he was concerned by Kennedy’s past in “undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments.” Facing a Republican primary next year, Cassidy decided to back Trump’s pick after getting Kennedy to agree the two would work together closely.

“Ultimately, restoring trust in our public health institution is too important, and I think Mr. Kennedy can help get that done,” Cassidy said.

ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart, Molly Nagle and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.

Blood samples show previous bird flu infection in veterinarians who didn’t realize they were exposed: CDC

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Blood samples showed evidence of past bird flu infections in veterinarians despite the doctors never reporting symptoms or knowing they had been exposed, a new federal report published Thursday afternoon shows.

The findings suggest there could be people and animals with bird flu infections in other states that have not yet been identified, the authors said.

Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collected blood samples in September 2024 from 150 veterinary practitioners who work with dairy cattle.

The practitioners were tested for bird flu antibodies that would indicate past infection and asked about their cattle exposure in the past three months. Additionally, their exposures since January 2024 were assessed.

At the time the samples were collected, bird flu infection in dairy cattle had been detected in 14 U.S. states, with four human cases in people with dairy cattle exposure in three states.

As of Thursday, 68 human cases have been detected in 11 states with exposures coming from dairy cattle, poultry farms, culling operations and other animals, according to CDC data. Most human cases have been mild and those patients recovered after receiving antiviral medication.

Three of the survey participants had antibodies in their blood indicating previous bird flu infection. None of them reported respiratory or influenza-like symptoms or received testing for influenza since January 2024.

All three practitioners worked with multiple animals, including dairy cattle. Two also worked with non-dairy cattle with one providing care to poultry and one working at livestock markets.

None worked with dairy cattle that had known or suspected cases of bird flu although one of the practitioners worked with poultry that had tested positive.

The practitioners all reported wearing gloves or a clothing cover while caring for cattle but did not report wearing respiratory or eye protection.

Additionally, one of the practitioners only practiced in two states — Georgia and South Carolina – -with no known bird flu infection in cattle and no reported human cases.

“These findings suggest that there might be [bird flu]–infected dairy cattle in states where infection in dairy cattle has not yet been identified, highlighting the importance of rapid identification of infected dairy cattle through herd and bulk milk testing as recently announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” the authors wrote.

“Detection of [bird flu] antibodies in persons without reported symptoms suggests that surveillance of symptomatic exposed workers might underestimate human infection,” they added.

The authors highlighted the importance of getting the word out about recent recommendations from the CDC to offer post-exposure prophylaxis medication or treatment and testing to asymptomatic workers.

The report comes amid a second type of bird flu found in dairy cows for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week.

This strain of bird flu, known as D1.1, has only ever previously been detected in wild birds and poultry, indicating that it has only recently spread to cows.

Eagles parade: Philadelphia fans prepare for big Super Bowl celebration

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(PHILADELPHIA) — Philadelphia Eagles fans will flock to downtown Philadelphia on Friday to celebrate the team’s massive 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

The city expects 1 million people to attend the parade and ceremony — including kids. Philadelphia city offices and Philadelphia public schools are closed for the citywide celebration.

“We look forward to joyfully celebrating the Eagles’ victory as a community, and we hope that you do so safely and responsibly with friends and family,” the school district said in a statement.

The Eagles players’ parade begins at 11 a.m. More than 15 Jumbotron screens will be along the parade route to broadcast the celebration live.

The parade will be followed by a ceremony at 2 p.m. on the “Rocky” Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

But if you’re heading to Philadelphia on Friday, make sure to layer up with your Eagles gear.

When the parade begins, gusty winds could reach 20 to 25 mph. The wind chill — what temperature it feels like — will be only 22 degrees.

By 2 p.m., the wind chill is only expected to rise to 27 degrees — much colder than normal for mid-February.

This is the Eagles’ second Super Bowl championship; the team’s first win was in 2018.

ABC News’ Max Golembo contributed to this report.

Americans’ credit card debt reaches new record high: New York Federal Reserve

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Americans’ household debt — including credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and student loans — is at a new all-time high $18.04 trillion, according to a report released Thursday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Overall debt grew by $93 billion in the last three months of 2024 — and about half of that increase was new credit card debt.

Americans’ total credit card balances now stand at a record-high $1.21 trillion.

On a call with reporters Thursday, New York Federal Reserve researchers said credit card debt typically goes up at the end of the year when consumers do their holiday shopping. Researchers said they expect balances will decline at the start of this year as shoppers start to pay down that debt.

High interest rates are another factor behind elevated credit card debt levels, the researchers said. They added that income levels have been going up as debt is increasing, a positive sign for the health of the economy.

Delinquencies — reflecting missed payments on credit card bills — also ticked up in the fourth quarter.

The report highlighted higher delinquency rates for auto loans, too. Americans hold nearly $1.7 trillion in auto loan debt.

New York Federal Reserve researchers said higher new and used car prices in the wake of the pandemic are a key reason why some Americans are behind on their auto payments.

“While mortgage delinquency rates are similar to pre-pandemic levels, auto loan delinquency transition rates remain elevated,” said Wilbert van der Klaauw, economic research adviser at the New York Federal Reserve. “High auto loan delinquency rates are broad-based across credit scores and income levels.”

Aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman collides with ship in Mediterranean Sea

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(PORT SAID, Egypt) — The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided with a large merchant vessel Wednesday night in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea.

“The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea,” a statement from the U.S Navy’s Sixth Fleet said.

The collision involved a rare collision of two large vessels as the 100,000-ton aircraft carrier collided with the 53,000-ton merchant vessel Besiktas-M, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship.

There are no reports of injuries, nor is there flooding, aboard the carrier, which carries a crew of 5,000 sailors, and the incident is under investigation.

The Truman is powered by two nuclear reactors and four propulsion systems, and the Sixth Fleet’s statement said the ship’s propulsion plants were unaffected and were said to be in “a safe and stable condition.”

The aircraft carrier and its strike group had been operating in the Red Sea since mid-December as part of the mission to thwart Houthi militant attacks launched from Yemen at commercial vessels transiting the vital waterway.

The carrier had arrived at a naval base in Crete earlier in the week, a rare break for the strike group that has been in constant operations, though the pace had ebbed as Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas took effect in mid-January.

The Houthis have claimed their attacks on shipping were being carried out in support of Hamas.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed by Senate as Trump’s health secretary

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services was narrowly confirmed by the Senate on Thursday.

The final vote was 52 to 48.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, who overcame polio at a young age, was the sole Republican to oppose Kennedy and vote no. Democrats were unanimous in their opposition to Kennedy.

In a statement outlining his decision, McConnell cited his childhood experience with the disease and said he will “not condone the re-litigation of proven cures.”

“Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency,” McConnell said. “As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions.”

Kennedy’s confirmation comes after months of controversy and debate, largely focused on his past comments casting doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

An environmental lawyer with no experience working in health administration or medicine, Kennedy will now oversee a sprawling network of agencies that provide health coverage to millions of Americans, regulate the food industry and respond to global health threats.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during an appearance on Fox News, said Kennedy is expected to be sworn in later Thursday at the White House. Leavitt also said Trump is expected to sign an executive order establishing a “Make America Healthy Again” commission.

President Donald Trump embraced Kennedy on the campaign trail after the scion of America’s most famous Democratic dynasty dropped his own independent bid for president and endorsed Trump.

Shortly after the election, Trump tapped Kennedy to lead HHS and promised to let him “go wild” on health.

During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy was grilled on his past claims about vaccinations, including his unfounded claims linking them to autism.

In a shift from previous statements, Kennedy voiced support for polio and measles immunizations. He told lawmakers he was not “anti-vaccine” but rather “pro-safety.” Though, he still refused to say that vaccines were not linked to autism or that COVID-19 vaccines saved lives.

But the comments appeared enough for some skeptical Republican senators to come to his side. Trump and Vice President JD Vance also called senators to rally support for Kennedy.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a longtime physician and vaccine advocate who openly struggled with Kennedy’s nomination, voted to report his nomination out of committee and to the Senate floor.

Cassidy said he received several commitments from Kennedy, including meetings several times a month and advance notice to Congress if HHS plans to seek any changes to vaccine programs.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, considered another swing vote, earlier this week announced she’d vote for Kennedy after raising concerns about the Trump administration’s directive for the National Institutes of Health to cut support for health research at universities. (The policy has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge).

“He said he would re-examine them and seemed to understand,” Collins said of Kennedy.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had made a final plea to his colleagues shortly before the vote to oppose Kennedy.

“A vote to confirm Mr. Kennedy is a vote to make America sicker,” Schumer said.

Linda McMahon steps into the nomination ring as Trump’s vow to kill Dept. of Ed casts shadow

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Months after she was announced to be President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, Linda McMahon is on the hot seat in Capitol Hill Thursday as she faces senators over the future of the agency, which the president has vowed to kill.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to hold its hearing and grill McMahon, a businesswoman with close ties to Trump who has no teaching experience.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Department of Education has been mismanaged and has damaged education, calling it a “con job” during a news conference Wednesday. The president is expected to sign an executive order directing McMahon to submit a proposal for diminishing the department, and then the president said she should “put herself out of a job,” even though such an action would require an act of Congress.

Democratic senators have said they intend to scrutinize the nomination based on 76-year-old McMahon’s lack of experience in public education.

McMahon defended her nomination in posts on X, writing in part: “I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure every student has access to a quality education.”

McMahon’s journey from WWE matriarch to DOE nominee
McMahon co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and is also the company’s former president and CEO.

Trump said he chose McMahon for being a “fierce advocate” for parental rights in education who will fight “tirelessly” to expand school choice and “spearhead” his effort to send education decisions back to the states, according to the president’s official nomination statement. The president also praised McMahon’s leadership and “deep understanding” of both education and business.

McMahon’s personal financial wealth is unclear but she reported owning assets that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and which could potentially surpass $1 billion. The Trump loyalist was co-chair of his presidential transition team and is a long-time donor who has given tens of millions of dollars to support pro-Trump causes.

McMahon previously worked in the first Trump administration as head of the Small Business Administration (SBA). She had previously made two unsuccessful bids for U.S. Senate when she ran against current Senate Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy in 2010 and 2012, respectively. She is also Chair of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) board but will leave that position if confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education.

McMahon has advocated for apprenticeship and workforce training programs, school choice and parental rights. Although she is not currently an educator she received her teaching certification from East Carolina University and sat on the Connecticut state board of education before her first unsuccessful senate bid. She has also served two stints on the Board of Trustees at Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University, where she is currently the treasurer.

Trump’s education agenda, McMahon’s scandals cast shadow over nomination
At an executive order signing event last week, President Trump said, “I told Linda, ‘Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.’”

“I want her to put herself out of a job,” Trump added.

However, abolishing the agency can only be done if Congress passes legislation to eliminate it. Experts say it is illegal to dismantle the department without congressional authorization, which would require 60 Senate votes in favor of doing so.

Meanwhile, McMahon’s years as a wrestling executive came with their share of alleged scandals, which has brought her experience with young people under scrutiny.

A 2024 lawsuit brought by five plaintiffs – John Does who served as the WWE ringside crew when they were teens – accused her and her husband, Vince McMahon, of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse by an announcer and executives at the company. If confirmed by the Senate, McMahon would be tasked with overseeing sexual misconduct investigations within education programs.

The McMahons have denied the claims.

Laura Brevetti, Linda McMahon’s attorney, told ABC News that the FBI investigated the decades-old allegations at the time and found no grounds to further investigate them, calling the lawsuit “baseless.”

McMahon’s allies believe she will be an agent of change, a disrupter, and the dismantler that the Department of Education needs. Skeptics also claimed that the federal agency spends too much on education without adequate academic results.

But many in the education community fear that if McMahon helps Trump abolish the agency, it could adversely impact the millions of students who rely on critical programs overseen by the department that are intended to help vulnerable students succeed, like Title I funding for students from low-income communities.

Man arrested for murder after 65-year-old roommate’s remains found inside suitcase in East River

February 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The human remains found in a suitcase floating in the East River last week have been identified as Edwin Echevarria, a 65-year-old Manhattan man, who was allegedly murdered by 23-year-old Christian Miller, who lived at the same address on Columbia Street, police said.

The grisly discovery was made on Feb. 5 at approximately 5:30 p.m. when the NYPD Harbor Unit discovered the remains near Governor’s Island, police said.

The suitcase contained a man’s torso, which was taken to the medical examiner’s office for investigation, police said.

The torso was zipped into a sleeping bag that was stuffed into the suitcase, according to police sources.

The suitcase also contained what appears to be a reusable grocery store-style bag, the sources said.

Police did not immediately say how long the remains were there or how they ended up in the suitcase but have now confirmed that Miller has been arrested and charged with murder.

The two were roommates, according to police, and no other body parts have been recovered, sources said.

No further details regarding the case have been provided and the investigation into the death is currently ongoing.

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