Trump Threatens Tariffs on Countries Selling Oil to Cuba Amid Other National News
Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump announced Thursday a plan to impose tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba, declaring a national security emergency regarding the island nation, according to ABC News. The executive order, signed Thursday, could further cripple Cuba, which is already facing a deepening energy crisis, CBS News reported.
The order includes retaliatory tariffs on products sold in the U.S. from "any other country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba," ABC News stated. Trump said, "I think Cuba will not be able to survive."
The executive order stated that the "policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat," with regard to U.S. national security and foreign policy, ABC News reported. The order would primarily put pressure on Mexico, a government that has acted as an oil lifeline for Cuba and has constantly voiced solidarity for the U.S. adversary, even as President Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to build a strong relationship with Mr. Trump, according to CBS News. This week was marked by speculation that Mexico would slash oil shipments to Cuba under mounting pressure by Mr. Trump to distance itself from the Cuban government, CBS News noted. Cuba has relied heavily on foreign assistance in its deepening energy and economic crisis fueled in part by strict economic sanctions by the U.S., according to CBS News.
In other news, Senate Democrats announced Thursday that they had reached an agreement to move forward with a package of bills to avert a partial government shutdown, ABC News reported. The agreement will see the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill separated from a package of five other bills. Programs funded by the five-bill package will be funded until the end of September. DHS will be funded for two additional weeks to allow lawmakers to negotiate on other provisions in the package. Senate Democrats had been in negotiations with the White House over DHS funding and wanted it removed from the other funding bills so that changes to the package could be negotiated, according to ABC News.
Meanwhile, dozens of people across multiple states have been confirmed dead after a powerful winter storm swept through large parts of the country, leaving a trail of damage and extreme cold lingering in its wake, CBS News reported. As of Thursday, CBS News confirmed at least 64 deaths directly caused by storm conditions or weather-related accidents, with officials in numerous states reporting about two dozen additional deaths that appear to be related to the winter weather. Hypothermia from exposure to the cold, car accidents, snowplow accidents, sledding accidents and sudden cardiac emergencies linked to shoveling snow were among the causes of death reported so far. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said 10 people had been found dead in the cold there, though not all of their causes of death had been confirmed yet, according to CBS News.
In a separate story, Taryn Smith, a 25-year-old American woman, completed her solo rowing journey across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Antigua on Thursday morning, ABC News reported. Smith embarked from La Gomera, Spain, 46 days ago and paddled approximately 10 to 12 miles per day. She documented her "World's Toughest Row" journey on Instagram. "I really couldn't have done it without all of the support from people back home. So thank you so much for joining me," Smith said, according to ABC News.
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