INTERNACIONAL
White House ‘laser focused’ on affordability as Trump softens tariff strategy
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The Trump administration is ramping down tariffs for even more goods as the White House zeroes in on its messaging surrounding affordability — an issue dominating American voters’ concerns.
The White House announced Wednesday that tariffs slated to kick in Thursday on furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities would be postponed for another year — a move that comes as President Donald Trump has already scaled back tariffs on imported foods like coffee and bananas.
«This indicates that on some level the White House understands that President Trump’s tariffs are driving up consumer prices, and that Trump and the Republican Party are incurring substantial political damage from higher prices,» Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington, said in an email to Fox News Digital Friday.
The White House is seen the day after President Donald Trump announced U.S. military strikes on nuclear sites in Iran on June 22, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
The White House slapped a 25% tariff on furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities in October. Tariffs on furniture were slated to increase to 30% in January, and tariffs on the cabinets and vanities were set to increase to 50%.
WHITE HOUSE TEASES MAJOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PLAN AS PRICES SQUEEZE AMERICANS
But now, the current 25% rate will remain for the rest of the year, the White House said in December, due to «productive» negotiations with trade partners to address «trade reciprocity and national security concerns with respect to imports of wood products,» according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in November that household furnishings increased 4.6% in the past year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’s Consumer Price Index released in December found that consumer costs rose 2.7% in the past year.
As a result, Republican strategist Matt Gorman said that he expects the White House to roll out additional initiatives like delaying higher tariffs in 2026.
President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order imposing tariffs on imported goods during a «Make America Wealthy Again» trade announcement event in the White House Rose Garden on April 2, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
TRUMP TOUTS BRINGING COUNTRY BACK FROM ‘BRINK OF RUIN’
«The White House is laser-focused on cutting costs for the American people. This is another example of that. These tariffs give the president maximum flexibility and that’s a huge asset of their use,» Gorman, who previously served as the communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in an email to Fox News Digital Friday. «I’d expect to see more of these moves, lowering costs for the average consumer, as the year moves along.»
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on how the delay on higher tariffs ties into Trump’s messaging on affordability and the economy and said that the order reflects that trade talks are moving forward positively.
Affordability and the economy were top priorities for voters in the 2025 election, which included New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s race, as well as several other key gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, which Democrats ultimately won.
FOX NEWS POLL: AS PRICES PINCH, VOTERS SEE TRUMP FOCUSED ELSEWHERE
Fox News Voter Poll data found that New York City voters ranked affordability as their top concern, and that New Jersey voters reported the state’s high taxes and the economy ranked as their top two issues. Additionally, the poll data found that half of voters in Virginia said that the economy was their top priority.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort on December 9, 2025 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. Trump discussed his administration’s economic agenda and its efforts to lower the cost of living. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The election has prompted Republicans to hone in on economic issues in recent weeks, casting blame on former President Joe Biden for rising inflation costs and touting Trump’s record on economic issues.
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For example, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in December that Trump’s policies are making America «affordable again,» and that the administration is working every day to «bring down the cost of living through bigger paychecks and lower prices.»
Additionally, Trump has maintained that the economy is «roaring,» and said in December he would rate his performance on the economy an «A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.»
white house,donald trump,inflation,economy,politics
(AP Foto/Vahid Salemi, Archivo)
La coalición internacional que trabaja por la libertad de Narges Mohammadi alertó este martes de que la Premio Nobel de la Paz iraní se encuentra en peligro inminente de muerte en la prisión de Zanjan, en el noroeste del país, después de que las autoridades le negaran atención hospitalaria tras un episodio ocurrido el 24 de marzo en el que fue hallada inconsciente durante más de una hora con síntomas compatibles con un infarto. El régimen no respondió públicamente a las denuncias.
La red de apoyo, que integran la Fundación Narges, Reporteros Sin Fronteras, PEN America y Front Line Defenders, publicó el comunicado desde París tras la visita que el equipo legal realizó el 29 de marzo a la prisión. Encontraron a Mohammadi pálida, debilitada y con una pérdida de peso significativa. Fue conducida a la sala de visitas por una enfermera del centro.
Según la coalición, las compañeras de celda relataron que el 24 de marzo Mohammadi fue hallada inconsciente con los ojos en blanco. La enfermería del centro le prestó atención básica, pero las autoridades se negaron a trasladarla a un hospital o permitirle consultar con un especialista cardiólogo. No es la primera vez que sufre un episodio de este tipo: según sus partidarios y fuentes recogidas por AP, la activista padeció varios infartos durante encarcelamientos anteriores y fue sometida a una cirugía de urgencia en 2022.
El cuadro clínico descrito por su equipo legal incluye fuertes dolores de cabeza, náuseas, visión doble, fluctuaciones graves de la presión arterial y hematomas visibles. Estos últimos son consecuencia, según la coalición, de su violenta detención el 12 de diciembre de 2025 en Mashhad, cuando agentes del régimen la arrestaron durante el funeral de un abogado. Su defensor iraní, Mostafa Nili, denunció en febrero que los golpes en la cabeza durante el arresto y los interrogatorios le provocaron mareos y problemas de visión que persisten.
NTB/Fredrik Varfjell vía REUTERS /Foto de archivo
La situación se agravó en febrero cuando Mohammadi fue trasladada sin previo aviso —en contravención de la ley de procedimiento penal iraní, según su defensa— desde un centro del Ministerio de Inteligencia en Mashhad hasta la prisión general de Zanjan. Allí está recluida junto a internos condenados por delitos violentos y bajo una vigilancia reforzada que ha dificultado el contacto con el exterior. Los bombardeos del conflicto entre Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán afectan las comunicaciones en la región y añaden una amenaza directa sobre los reclusos.
“Alojar a Mohammadi con delincuentes violentos a pesar de su grave enfermedad cardiaca y sus recientes traumatismos, sumado a las condiciones de guerra y las explosiones que amenazan la vida de los prisioneros, agrava esta amenaza”, subrayó el comité directivo de la coalición. La red exigió a Teherán un permiso médico de salida inmediato y el acceso garantizado a atención especializada, asesoría legal y contacto con su familia.
Mohammadi, de 53 años, ha sido arrestada en trece ocasiones y condenada en diez por cargos que van desde conspiración contra la seguridad nacional hasta propaganda contra el Estado. El Comité Nobel Noruego le concedió el galardón en 2023 por su lucha contra la opresión de las mujeres y la defensa de las libertades fundamentales en Irán. Sus dos hijos, a quienes no ve desde 2015, y su marido, Taghi Rahmani, viven exiliados en París.
Cumple actualmente condenas acumuladas de hasta 18 años. El 7 de febrero de 2026, un tribunal revolucionario de Mashhad la sentenció a seis años adicionales por conspiración y a dieciocho meses más por propaganda. Mientras el conflicto remodela Oriente Próximo, su caso revela cómo el régimen iraní convierte la cárcel en un instrumento de represión lenta contra quienes se atreven a documentar sus abusos desde dentro.
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At least 20 people are dead after an overnight attack in Nigeria’s north-central region on Palm Sunday.
The attack happened in the Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North area of Plateau state, according to Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the state commissioner for information.
It remains unclear how many people were wounded or killed, and who was behind the massacre.
Residents told The Associated Press that gunmen on bikes shot «sporadically» into the community, killing at least 20 people.
Police officers gather at the scene of Sunday night attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
AFTER TRUMP STRIKES ISLAMIST TERRORISTS, US GENERAL TRAVELS TO NIGERIA WITH MILITANTS ‘ON THE RUN’
International Christian Concern (ICC), a global humanitarian organization, reported the gunmen killed at least 30 people.
ICC also noted at least 10 people were killed earlier Sunday, with humanitarian worker, Alex Barbir, stating on social media that the victims were Christians.
Following the attacks, the Plateau state government imposed a 48-hour curfew.
People gather at the scene of Sunday night attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
62 NIGERIAN HOSTAGES RESCUED, 2 MILITANTS KILLED, ARMY SAYS
In 2025, the ICC documented the killing of at least 54 Christians in Zikke village near Jos following Palm Sunday celebrations.
More than 100 homes were destroyed during the ambush.
Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst country in the world for Christian persecution, accounting for 72% of the total number of Christian killings worldwide in 2025, according to Open Doors, a global Christian charity.
People gather in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
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Last year alone, Open Doors records show 546 Christians were killed in the Plateau State.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world, crime
INTERNACIONAL
Dem lawmaker sparks online firestorm after saying Iryna Zarutska mural doesn’t align with city’s values
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A Rhode Island Democratic state representative is facing blowback on social media after claiming that a mural of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman whose brutal murder while riding a North Carolina sparked national outrage, doesn’t reflect the «values» of the city of Providence.
«Ultimately, we want to make sure that every community member who calls Providence home feels safe,» Rep. David Morales told local media about a mural of Zarutska facing calls to be removed from the exterior of an LGBTQ+ club in downtown Providence.
«We can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values nor does it reflect the creativity that we would want to see in our city.»
The lawmaker’s comments immediately sparked negative reactions from conservatives on social media after they were posted by the conservative influencer account End Wokeness in a post that has been viewed over 1 million times.
CHARLOTTE RAIL MURDER SUSPECT LINKED TO INMATE RELEASE APPROVED UNDER EX-DEM GOVERNOR, GOP ALLEGES
Rhode Island State Rep. David Morales is facing heat over comments made about a mural of Iryna Zarutska. (WPRI; Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
«What are his values?» Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.
«He cites people wanting to be ‘safe’ as a reason to destroy a mural on a private building meant to honor a murdered woman,» Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. «You can’t imagine how crazy Democrats are in these blue bastions. You think what you see on MSNBC is nuts? It’s even worse in their bubble cities.»
«Honoring the memory of a Ukrainian immigrant who had her throat slit on public transportation by a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests doesn’t reflect Providence’s values????» Defending Education communications director Erika Sanzi posted on X.
«What ‘value’ does the mural not reflect?» Republican Rep. Chip Roy posted on X.
«Iryna’s death highlights the consequences of warped policies that keep violent criminals out of jail,» Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted on X. «Memorializing her reminds us that those policies create more victims and should be eliminated. Telling that those aren’t Rep. Morales’ ‘values.’»
«True,» Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. «Dems would prefer a mural celebrating her murderer.»
«Providence had a George Floyd mural and nobody called it divisive,» GOP strategist and commentator Mehek Cooke posted on X. «Iryna got murdered by a man arrested over a dozen times, and a city couldn’t let her face stay on a wall because the donor list was inconvenient. We means-test grief now.»
CNN commentator Scott Jennings referred to Morales as a «deranged lunatic» in a post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Morales’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
Morales responded to Musk on X in a post clarifying what his «values» are.
«Not to exploit the death of a refugee to push an agenda centered around fear and division,» Morales wrote. «My values, like many of our neighbors in Providence, is to protect our immigrant neighbors from ICE’s state-sanctioned violence and supporting our refugee neighbors with authentic care.»
CHARLOTTE LIGHT-RAIL STABBING MURDER SPURS LANDMARK CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM FROM NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS
Iryna Zarutska cowers as her attacker towers over her. (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)
The mayor of Providence, Democrat Brett P. Smiley, has also spoken out against the mural.
«The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence,» Smiley said. «I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.»
Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee who fled her country after the Russian invasion, was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, N.C., last year.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, which is a capital offense under federal law.
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Booking photo of Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., taken Sept. 14, 2022, following his arrest in Mecklenburg County. Brown, 34, is now charged in the Aug. 22, 2025, stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light-rail train. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO))
Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show Brown has a prior criminal history, including convictions for larceny, breaking and entering and armed robbery. He served five years in prison starting in 2015.
Zarutska’s death prompted questions about soft on crime policies adopted by many Democratic-run cities. President Donald Trump spotlighted the killing during his State of the Union address last month.
«Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,» Trump said.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
politics, rhode island, crime world
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