Friday 04.04.25

Dreaming of a penthouse with incredible views? Well, there’s one for sale atop the world’s skinniest skyscraper that overlooks Central Park in New York City and features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two terraces, a bar and a screening room. It will, however, set you back a whopping $110 million. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Jade Walker

President Donald Trump talks to reporters Thursday before departing the White House for Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida. (Samuel Corum/Sipa USA/AP)

Tariff fallout

“I think it’s going very well,” President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday in the wake of his decision to enact 10% tariffs on imports from any country into the US and even higher tariffs for 60 other trading partners this week. The tariffs have already earned the ire of world leaders as well as vows of retaliation, rattled global markets and prompted at least five US auto plants to lay off hundreds of workers. The administration’s attempt to spin the escalating trade war it started didn't help. While Trump said the tariffs “give us great power to negotiate,” his top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, told Fox News: “This is not a negotiation.” And Vice President JD Vance said he thought “it could be worse in the markets because this is a big transition.” But that comment fell flat in the face of the worst day on Wall Street in five years and the disappearance of $2.5 trillion from the S&P 500 index. The Dow fell 1,679 points, or about 4%, and the Nasdaq plunged nearly 6%. 

South Korea

South Korea’s highest court officially removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office today. The ruling ended four months of political turmoil and legal wrangling that Yoon created when he declared martial law in December and sent soldiers into parliament to “drag out” lawmakers. He claimed his actions were justified by political deadlock and threats from “anti-state forces.” The lawmakers responded by pushing past the troops and gates, voting to overturn Yoon's decree and later, impeaching him. Moon Hyung-bae, the Constitutional Court’s head judge, said the martial law decree was unconstitutional because there was no grave national crisis at the time and thus could not be justified. Yoon still faces criminal charges that could land him in prison for life. A general election to choose a new president must be held within the next 60 days. 

NSA firings

In a major shakeup of the US intelligence community, the Trump administration has fired the director and the deputy director of the National Security Agency. It’s not yet known why Gen. Timothy Haugh, who also leads US Cyber Command, and Wendy Noble, Haugh’s deputy at NSA, were terminated. “NSA mission is vast and extremely complicated,” Renée Burton, a cybersecurity expert who spent more than two decades at the NSA, told CNN. “General Haugh and Ms. Noble have built the expertise and credibility it takes to oversee such a vital part of our national security. Replacing them will not be easy and the disruption will expose the country to new risk.” Lt. Gen. William Hartman, the current Cyber Command deputy director, is expected to serve as acting head of the command and NSA, two former officials said. 

Signal probe

A Pentagon watchdog has announced plans to launch an investigation of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for discussing a US military attack on Houthis in Yemen with other national security officials in a group chat on Signal — a conversation that inadvertently included a journalist. In a letter to Hegseth, Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins said that the “evaluation” will seek to determine if the secretary and other Pentagon personnel “complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business.” The probe will also examine if Hegseth followed classification and records retention requirements. Earlier this week, the White House closed its investigation into the security breach and declined to elaborate on what, if any, steps had been taken.

HHS layoffs

Earlier this week, a massive wave of layoffs occurred at US health agencies. Although the exact number of job cuts was not released, the reduction was described by one FDA employee as “a bloodbath.” Now, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says some of those personnel and programs will be reinstated. During an event on Thursday, Kennedy said that the cuts were meant to streamline the agencies and mostly involved redundant administrative positions. But then he noted that there were several instances where studies and personnel that should not have been cut were eliminated — and that he plans to reinstate them. "And that was always the plan," Kennedy said. "We’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstalled because we’ll make mistakes.” In March, the HHS announced plans to terminate 10,000 full-time employees.  

Storm system may bring extreme rainfall to central US
The National Weather Services said heavy rains are forecast to hit the Ohio Valley, the Mid-South and the Mississippi Valley this weekend, which could trigger “life-threatening flash flooding.”

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The JFK Profile in Courage Award goes to ...
Former Vice President Mike Pence will receive the honor for “putting his life and career on the line” in overseeing the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Nixed Naval Academy display returns
The exhibit, which featured the accomplishments and history of Jewish women in the Navy, was removed last week to comply with the Trump administration’s directives against diversity, equity and inclusion. The removal occurred just days before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit.

‘Friends’ star changes his tune about theme song
David Schwimmer, who played Ross on the hit NBC TV show, grew tired of listening to “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts because he’d heard it so many times. But that changed when he had a kid.

Mummies reveal secrets of the Sahara’s past
Scientists have recovered the first complete genomes of two female mummies buried in the Sahara Desert about 7,000 years ago. Analysis of the genomes showed they were from a previously unknown population that lived in the area when it was a lush and hospitable place filled with trees and water.

When it’s 4:20 and you’ve got the munchies
Subway is going all in on its foot-long menu. First, it offered foot-long subs. Then came the foot-long desserts (cookies, churros and pretzels). Now, the fast food chain is selling — I kid you not — foot-long nachos.

Last week, 11% of readers who took the quiz got a perfect score and 47% got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

68.5%

That’s how many children in the US received the first dose of the highly effective measles-mumps-rubella vaccine by 15 months of age in 2024 — down from more than 77% in 2020. The US is now facing one of its worst measles outbreaks in decades.

Imagine if I had done any of this.

—Former President Barack Obama, on the state of the country under President Trump amid the administration’s recent actions.

Olympic icon Michael Johnson launches Grand Slam Track league
The league, which will feature four “slams” in four cities, launches in Kingston, Jamaica, this weekend.