World leader who took swipe at Trump over tariffs appears to cozy up to China

Rachel Wolf
Sat, August 16, 2025 

FOX NEWS


Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (C-L) and China's Great Wall Motor (GWM) CEO Mu Feng (C-R) raise their hands during the inauguration of the GWM automobile factory in Iracemapolis, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on Aug. 15, 2025.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared his country open to foreign companies at the inauguration of Chinese automaker GWM’s factory in São Paulo.

The remarks come as Brazil faces steep U.S. tariffs, which Lula has repeatedly denounced. By making the statement at a Chinese factory opening, Lula signaled a possible pivot further away from Washington and toward Beijing.

"Count on the Brazilian government. Whoever wants to leave, leave. Whoever wants to come, we welcome you with open arms," Lula said at the ceremony, according to Reuters. The news agency also reported he criticized President Donald Trump’s tariffs as "unnecessary turbulence."

Both Brazil and China face tariffs, though at different levels. China’s tariffs, once as high as 145%, now stand at 30% but could rise if Beijing and Washington fail to reach a deal. Brazil, meanwhile, is facing a 50% tariff on its goods.

Lula and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both BRICS leaders, spoke earlier in the week ahead of the factory’s opening. The call followed Lula’s comments to Reuters that he planned to raise the issue of responding to U.S. tariffs with fellow BRICS leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after a signing ceremony and a joint press conference, at the Great Hall of the People on May 13, 2025 in Beijing, China.

On Wednesday, the Brazilian government unveiled an aid package for companies hurt by U.S. tariffs. According to Reuters, the package focused on credit lines for exporters and government purchases of products struggling to find new markets. The U.S. tariffs on Brazil are expected to impact the coffee, beef, seafood, textiles, footwear and fruit industries, Reuters reported.

Earlier this month, Lula told Reuters he was willing to talk to Trump but would not "humiliate" himself by trying to engage while the U.S. president "doesn’t want to talk." However, Trump has said that Lula is free to "talk to me anytime he wants."

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and President Donald Trump feud over tariffs and Brazil's treatment of Bolsonaro.

Tensions between the two leaders extend beyond tariffs into politics. The Trump administration has lambasted Brazil’s treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest.

Trump commented on the situation in an executive order in which he denounced Brazil's "politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution" of Bolsonaro.

Lula told Reuters that Brazil’s Supreme Court "does not care what Trump says, and it should not." He also reportedly said that Bolsonaro was a "traitor to the homeland" who should face another trial for provoking Trump’s intervention.

Original article source: World leader who took swipe at Trump over tariffs appears to cozy up to China

HE LIES

Mike Rowe warns America has 7 million men in their prime who aren’t working — and aren't looking either. Here’s why

Fri, August 15, 2025
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC 

Moms For America/YouTube

American TV host and philanthropist Mike Rowe believes there’s a “horror story” unfolding in the American labor market.

“The stat that sticks with me and worries me today is 7.2 million able-bodied men, today in their prime working years, are not only unemployed … [they’re] officially not even looking,” he said in an interview with non-profit Moms For America.
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Rowe did not provide a source for this statistic, but 3.3% of prime working-age men (ages 25 to 54) did not participate in the labor market in June 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that of the 65,162,760 working-age men in June, 3.3% or about 2.2 million men were unemployed. There is no information on whether they were “able-bodied” or not.

Rowe also pointed to the shortage of tradespeople in the U.S. and said the nation’s labor force is “wildly out of balance.” Here’s why many men have abandoned the formal economy.

Able-bodied men? Not really

To understand why men in their prime were participating less, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) conducted a survey in 2024.

Fifty-seven percent of prime-age men not seeking work cited physical, mental or behavioral health reasons. Close to 30% said they are not working by choice, and 9% said they are busy caring for others.

Put simply, men who are not employed and not looking for work may not be as “able-bodied” or mentally fit as Rowe assumes.
Solving the male participation crisis

Since mental and physical health concerns are keeping many men out of the workforce, a better framework for supporting employees in the workplace could address some of the participation challenges.

A majority of men (52%) not looking for work in the Bipartisan Policy Center survey said that better health insurance coverage from their employers would be an important factor for them to consider going back to work.

Meanwhile, Rowe is trying to address the talent gap by compensating young Americans who try to gain new skills and enter sectors with severe talent shortages.

His foundation, mikeroweWORKS, has given out nearly $12 million in scholarships to over 2,000 recipients across the country since 2008.

Lawyers say immigrants battling medical emergencies and disease at Alligator Alcatraz: ‘I don’t want to die in here’

James Liddell
Fri, August 15, 2025 
THE INDEPENDENT, UK

A respiratory disease allegedly sweeping through Alligator Alcatraz has prompted multiple affidavits in support of a class-action lawsuit against the remote Florida immigrant detention center.

Lawyers and migrants being held inside the Everglades facility have reported a trend of negligence and worsening conditions, including a mystery illness, possibly Covid-19, running rampant through the camp.

Eric Lee, an attorney for former detainee Luis Manuel Rivas Velásquez, filed a complaint on Wednesday against Alligator Alcatraz, accusing it of being a “petri dish for disease.”

Last Thursday, Velásquez, a 38-year-old Venezuelan influencer, told Lee that he fell seriously ill with breathing problems. After allegedly being denied medical care for 48 hours, at one point, the detainee collapsed and became unresponsive.

In the filings, Lee said that Velásquez was taken to Miami’s Kendall regional medical center and diagnosed with a respiratory infection before being briefly returned to the Florida camp and then transferred to another facility in El Paso, Texas.

The Department of Homeland Security denied that any disease is running rampant at Alligator Alcatraz (Getty)

The Department of Homeland released a statement on Thursday and said that Velásquez “fainted and was taken to the hospital out of precaution.”

Along with reporting respiratory symptoms, the plaintiff said that conditions at the facility had deteriorated significantly, with more detainees falling ill.

Lee told the Guardian on Tuesday that “multiple detainees” have informed him that the “vast majority” of those held in the camp have become sick.

“There are people who are losing breath,” he said. “There are people who are walking around coughing on one another.”

Protesters at the jail gates say they have recorded several instances of ambulances arriving and leaving.

However, the DHS said in its statement that there is “no widespread disease circulating at Alligator Alcatraz” and “no cases of COVID and no cases of Tuberculosis.”

In an earlier statement to the Miami New Times, Stephanie Hartman, a department spokesperson, did not answer questions about a possible outbreak.

“Detainees have access to a 24/7, fully staffed medical facility with a pharmacy on site,” she said.

President Donald Trump toured the freshly opened immigrant detention facility on July 1 (AFP via Getty Images)

After being transferred to the El Paso facility, Velásquez reportedly called Lee and said that his condition was worsening.

“I don’t want to die in here,” he told Lee on the phone call before abruptly being cut off, according to the filing.

In a separate filing, detainees and attorneys alleged that Alligator Alcatraz had poor sanitation, limited access to legal counsel, and overcrowded tented housing.

Plaintiffs portrayed the site as lacking “adequate medical infrastructure” with hundreds of migrants “crammed into close quarters in extreme heat and humidity, with poor ventilation and limited access to hygiene.”

According to the filing, detainees have been left in their bunks without testing or treatment. It also accuses immigration officials of erecting “an unconstitutional barrier between detainees and their counsel.”

Federal judges have recently intervened in other detention settings to order improved conditions after lawyers documented unsafe and unsanitary environments.

Separately, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams last Thursday temporarily halted any further construction of Alligator Alcatraz after two days of testimony about the environmental impact of the site.

In response, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that “operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing.”

Father Frank's protest and prayer: Alligator Alcatraz Mass opposes immigration

 crackdown

Valentina Palm and Hannah Phillips, 

Palm Beach Post
Sun, August 17, 2025 

OCHOPEE — This week, Angelica Maldonado faced her first day of high school without her father, Rufino.

Authorities detained the 51-year-old Mexican immigrant Aug. 10 and are holding him at Alligator Alcatraz.

On Aug. 16, 14-year-old Angelica joined more than 100 people for a Mass outside the immigrant detention facility, led by the Rev. Frank O'Loughlin. For the 83-year-old O'Loughlin, founder of the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth Beach, and the teenager, the service was both a protest of today's conditions and a prayer for a better tomorrow.

“We are not just fighting for the future,” O'Loughlin said. “You are proclaiming this kingdom of death will end and the reign of God will shine forth among us.”

Immigration crackdown: He lived an immigrant's nightmare. One problem: He's a citizen, got his arrest on video

The Mass was part of O’Loughlin's 60th jubilee celebration as a priest. He has spent his years serving immigrants and migrant workers across Florida and is known to many as "Father Frank." O’Loughlin said he brought people like Angelica to the shadows of the detention center to rally against the reported conditions of the people detained there.

"I am here to protest to have my dad back with me and my family again,” Angelica said as she stood outside the detention center built in the Everglades, an hour from her family's home in Homestead.

“My dad has always been there for me on the first day of school,” she said, breaking into tears. “This is cruel what they are doing to people. They are ripping families apart.”

"I miss my father,” said Angelica, hugging her younger brother.

The Rev. Frank O'Loughlin, 'Father Frank' to much of South Florida and the founder of the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth Beach, celebrates Mass outside the immigrant detention center in Ochopee known as Alligator Alcatraz on Aug. 16, 2025.More

Most of those who traveled to the service, which took place on a hot day at a buggy crossroad on the Tamiami Trail midway between Naples and Miami, came from South Florida, but others came from far away to take part. They said they did it to honor O'Loughlin.

Jerry Kay, 78, flew in from California days earlier.

“He’s much more frail than when I knew him 50 years ago,” Kay said of O'Loughlin. “But when he takes to the pulpit, he’s got more strength than most people I know."
About 100 gathered in summer heat for Mass at Alligator Alcatraz

The staff of the Guatemalan-Maya Center — which over the past 30 years has become a key point of services for new arrivals from Central and South America — arrived hours early to erect a large white tent in front of Alligator Alcatraz’s entryway. The facility itself wasn’t visible from the road, but its sign stood opposite the pulpit.

Between the two, organizers arranged rows of folding chairs on a plastic sheet, welcoming newcomers with bug spray and water bottles. With 30 minutes to go before the start of the Mass, the tent began to fill in earnest.

"While we gather together to celebrate Father Frank’s diamond jubilee, we remember all the parents who fled violent regimes only to be met with further oppression here,” said Mariana Blanco, the center's director.

Mariana Blanco, Director of the Guatemalan-Mayan Center, places Father Frank O'Loughlin's signature Guatemalan drape before his Mass on Aug. 16, 2025 held outside Alligator Alcatraz detention center in the Florida Everglades.

Attendees’ cars lined either side of the two-way road. Some were dressed for church and others only to withstand the heat. Those who arrived early enough to get a seat in the tent sat shoulder to shoulder, a swamp to their right and the detention center at their backs.

O'Loughlin appeared next, along with a swarm of friends and followers, some to ask for a photo, others to clip a microphone to his lapel, to put spray bug repellent down his back or to give him a cold cup of water and aim a portable fan, equipped with a mister, at the octogenarian.

He accepted the help warmly.

Those who stood outside the tent did so with mud on their shoes. They raised their hands in prayer, then kept them up to block the sun. When a young woman — called to the lectern to speak about those inside the detention center walls — began to cry, others wiped their faces too, from tears or sweat or both.

Worshippers traveled from as far as 175 miles away to Ochopee on Aug. 16, 2025, for the Rev. Frank O'Loughlin's Mass outside the immigrant detention center called Alligator Alcatraz. O'Loughlin celebrated Mass to protest President Trump's treatment of immigrants.More

If they weren’t fanning themselves or shielding their eyes, they were clasping hands with strangers. They prayed aloud, sometimes in unison, during a Mass that was as much a sermon as a show of solidarity with those inside the detention center.

“Shall we ever permit anybody to call them aliens?” O’Loughlin asked, to a resounding “No.”


“If you start calling them illegal, the next stop is calling them criminal," he said.

Again and again, the priest returned to the language of the biblical book of Exodus. He reminded the crowd that God once freed his people from Egypt, calling on his own congregation to see today’s migrants as modern-day Israelites. Communion itself, he said, was born of slavery’s escape: the unleavened bread of “the runaway slaves” who struck out into the desert for freedom.

To accept the sacrament was not only to savor one’s own deliverance, he said, but also to accept the responsibility to liberate others.

"Thank you, Father Frank," someone shouted as O'Loughlin wound up his remarks. The crowd erupted in laughter and clapped in a standing ovation.

Immigration crackdown: He played Jesus on Good Friday. Ten days later, he was deported.

Many who atttended Mass said they opposed ICE separation of families

The Aug. 16 service, a blend of prayer and policy talk, drew parishioners, immigrant advocates and families from across Florida.

One couple, Hilario and Maria Barajas, both 75, left their home in Auburndale at 5 a.m. to attend. They picked fields across the country their entire lives and first protested along with O'Loughlin 45 years ago. He even baptized their son.

This time, they came to rally against the detentions at Alligator Alcatraz.

“We are against all this separation of families,” said Maria. “And of people being deported for no other reason than being here to make a better life for their children.”

 Stones and Rachel McGerman drove from Lake Worth Beach to join the Mass. Both said they are concerned with reports of authorities detaining day laborers in their city and across Palm Beach County.

"The terror that these families are in on C Street, this is our home,” McGerman said. "I also know it would mean a lot to the people who are being detained across the street to know that there are people here praying for them.”

Also from Lake Worth Beach, Karim Salcedo, a teacher at the Guatemelan-Maya Center, brushed tears off her cheeks throughout the ceremony. She said she has learned the father of one of her voluntary pre-K education students is also detained at Alligator Alcatraz.

"I can visualize her dad in there,” Salcedo said, her voice thinning out. “Many of them came here looking for freedom and liberty and now they are locked up in there without hope.”

Salcedo said O’Loughlin’s Mass gave her hope.

"This Mass, it was like the grace of God shining in a moment of darkness,” Salcedo said.

The Rev. Frank O'Loughlin smiles at one of about 100 people who gathered outside the detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz for Mass on Aug. 16. O'Loughlin, known as 'Father Frank' to many, held the Mass to protest the treatment of immigrants in the U.S.More

Maria Garcia, a Naples resident, celebrated her 30th birthday by holding a banner along the busy road in from Alligator Alcatraz holding a sign that read “Silence is compliance.”

“Don’t ever think it's not going to be you,” Garcia said. “Because by the time it is you, there is not going to be enough people to speak up.”

“Our rights are getting chipped away day by day,” she added. “So wake up and speak up.”

Valentina Palm and Hannah Phillips are reporters for The Palm Beach Post. Reach them at vpalm@pbpost.com and hphillips@pbpost.com.

WEF clears founder Schwab of wrongdoing; appoints interim co-chairs

Mrinmay Dey
Fri, August 15, 2025 

REUTERS

(Reuters) -The World Economic Forum closed an investigation on its founder Klaus Schwab on Friday, clearing him of any wrongdoing, and appointed BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Roche Holding's vice-chair Andre Hoffmann as interim co-chairs of its board.

The Geneva-based organisation had launched an investigation in April into 87-year-old Schwab following a whistleblower letter alleging misconduct.

The probe was announced a day after Schwab resigned as chairman. The forum at that time did not say why he was quitting.

For decades, Schwab has been the face of the WEF's annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, which has become a symbol of globalisation.

The WEF said on Friday that its board had completed an investigation into allegations raised by anonymous whistleblowers against Schwab and found there was no evidence of material wrongdoing by him.

WEF also did not find any misconduct by Schwab's wife and former assistant, Hilde Schwab.

"Minor irregularities, stemming from blurred lines between personal contributions and forum operations, reflect deep commitment rather than intent of misconduct," WEF said.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the probe in April, had said an anonymous letter raised concerns about the WEF's governance and workplace culture, including allegations that the Schwab family mixed their personal affairs with the forum's resources without proper oversight.

Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, 

speaks during an interview with CNBC on the 

floor at the NYSE in New York · Reuters

In May, a spokesperson for Schwab informed Reuters that he had filed a criminal complaint against the whistleblowers.

The Schwab family denied all the allegations in the whistleblower complaint to the Journal.

Following the conclusion of the probe, a spokesman for Schwab told WSJ on Friday that he intends to drop his lawsuitspokesmanthe WEF and a separate legal action against anonymous whistleblowers.

The WEF also said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe had stepped down as interim chairman following the investigation’s conclusion.

In a statement posted on the WEF website, newly appointed co-chairs Fink and Hoffman said they were honored to take on the leadership role on an interim basis and looked forward to reinventing and strengthening the organisation.

WEF's Davos gathering has in recent years drawn criticism from opponents on both left and right as an elitist talking shop detached from lives of ordinary people.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru. Editing by Jane Merriman and Nia Williams)

US appeals court sides with Argentina, keeps YPF share turnover on hold

The headquarters of Argentina's state energy company YPF is seen in Buenos Aires

By Jonathan Stempel

Fri, August 15, 2025 

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Friday granted Argentina's request to put on temporary hold a judge's order that it turn over its 51% stake in oil and gas company YPF to partially satisfy a $16.1 billion judgment won by two investors.

In a brief order, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan stayed U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska's June 30 turnover order while Argentina appeals.

Friday's order provides a reprieve for Argentine President Javier Milei's government, which warned of irreparable harm and economic instability if it gave up its stake in YPF, the country's largest energy company.

Argentina is separately appealing the $16.1 billion judgment, which Preska awarded in September 2023 to Petersen Energia Inversora and Eton Park Capital Management.

The investors are represented by litigation funder Burford Capital, which would share in their damages.

Lawyers for Petersen and Eton Park did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Friday's order did not provide reasons for the stay, which should last at least a few months. Argentina's next legal filing related to YPF is due on September 25, court records show.

The dispute stemmed from Argentina's 2012 decision to seize the YPF stake from Spain's Repsol without making a tender offer to minority shareholders.

Argentina had argued that the YPF shares were immune from turnover under the federal Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

The U.S. government sided with Argentina, saying a resolution of the dispute should not be rushed and potentially interfere with relations between the countries.

Lawyers for the investors countered that a commercial activity exception to immunity, together with Argentina's "many years" of evasion, justified a turnover.

In her June 30 order, Preska said Argentina's control over the YPF shares triggered the exception, and the country could not simply invoke its own laws to prevent a turnover.

A spokesperson for the Argentine government said the country welcomed Friday's order, and confident the $16.1 billion damages award would also be overturned.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler, Edmund Klamann and Marguerita Choy)

A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks

Hanna Park, 

CNN
Sat, August 16, 2025



Sarah Shaw and her 6-year-old son have spent over three weeks in US immigration detention. CNN obscured portions of this photo to protect the identity of minors. - Courtesy Victoria Besancon


A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand.

Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn’t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN

But Shaw didn’t realize the travel permit that allowed her to exit and re-enter the US had expired. That’s when Shaw and her son, whose immigration documents were valid, were taken into custody by CBP.

Shaw tried to get a humanitarian parole, which would have allowed her to enter the US and return home, but she was denied, her attorney said.

Shaw then asked if her boyfriend or a friend could pick up her son since his documents were up to date, but she was again denied, Thorward said.

They were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, roughly 2,000 miles from their home.

Shaw’s detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw.

Shaw arrived in the US as a tourist in 2021 and married a citizen that year. Shortly after, the marriage ended, and she filed an I-360 petition in April 2022, her lawyer told CNN. Her application remains under review after multiple delays.

Shaw had been living in the US under a “combo card,” a dual document that serves as both a work permit and travel document. She secured the permit through her job working for Washington state, her lawyer said.

When it came time to renew both parts of the combo card, Shaw paid to have the work permit renewed, but didn’t renew the travel permit “because she didn’t have any plans for travel at that time and it’s expensive,” Thorward said.

In June, Shaw received confirmation of her work permit renewal, but mistakenly believed it also extended her travel authorization – a “minor administrative paperwork error” – according to her lawyer.

“She had completely re-established herself. She had a full-time job, an apartment, adopted a dog, a new boyfriend, and the kids were in school and doing great,” Thorward said. “She made a mistake, but she has no previous convictions – none. This is a very clean case.”

Immigrants walk through the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center , in Dilley, Texas on August 23, 2019. - Eric Gay/AP/File

Shaw previously told Thorward the Department of Homeland Security said she may be released on Friday, but Thorward said she hadn’t received any direct updates from authorities. CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Shaw’s case.

New Zealand’s foreign affairs ministry said it was in contact with Shaw but declined to provide further details for privacy reasons.

Set to begin a master’s program in psychology this month at Northwest University, Shaw was worried about whether she would be released from detention in time, her lawyer said.

Thorward said border officials had the discretion to grant Shaw humanitarian parole rather than detaining her.

“It was not necessary, inappropriate and inhumane (to detain Shaw and her son),” Thorward said. “She’s lawfully in the country. She’s been doing everything in good faith.”

In a statement to CNN, a CBP spokesperson said that individuals with expired parole trying to re-enter the US would be detained in compliance with immigration laws.

“If they are accompanied by a minor, CBP will follow all protocols to keep families together or arrange care with a legal guardian,” a spokesperson said.
A facility for migrant families

A friend of Shaw’s, Victoria Besancon, told CNN Shaw has spent three weeks in a cramped detention facility, feeling “incredibly isolated.”

“Each room contains 5 to 6 bunk beds, and rooms are locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.,” Besancon told CNN, adding that she has been able to phone Shaw daily and recently video chat.

Besancon said they were among the few English speakers in the facility.

Shaw’s son has been “very sad he lost his summer vacation to being locked in the facility.” Shaw has used commissary funds to buy him ice cream and colored pencils to make him feel at home.

“There’s not a lot for kids to do. Maybe some coloring books. There’s no time for them to be outside,” Thorward said, adding detainees were left sweltering in the South Texas heat, where summer temperatures can reach up to 97 degrees.

The South Texas Family Residential Center, one of the largest of its kind in the US, primarily houses migrant women and children. After closing last year, it reopened in March under an agreement between a private prison operator and ICE, with a capacity to detain up to 2,400 people.

Other mothers who have been detained with their children at family migrant facilities have similarly described their experiences as traumatic and said they will have lasting psychological effect on children.

ICE says the detention centers are safe. On its website, the agency includes a list of safety and health standards for family residential centers.

The Dilley facility is “retrofitted for families,” an ICE spokesperson said. “This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening” and access to medical care.

CNN’s Lex Harvey and Todd Symons contributed to this report.

Is it legal for CBP to search your cell phone at the U.S. border?

Electronic device searches at the border are raising serious privacy concerns, especially for international travelers arriving in the U.S.


Caleb Harmon-Marshall
Creator of Gate Access•
Fri, April 18, 2025 




Imagine just landing from an international flight, exhausted, ready to start your visit or return home. As you reach customs, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer asks to see your phone. Not just a glance, they want to go through your messages, photos and even social media apps. You pause because you think to yourself, "there's no way this can be legal."

Surprisingly, yes. Under current U.S. policy, CBP officers are allowed to search your electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops and tablets, without a warrant when you enter the country. And while it’s rare, it does happen. In fact, some high-profile incidents have sparked growing concern and confusion about what rights travelers really have when crossing the border.

So what’s really going on here?

The legal loophole at the border

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. But, according to the federal government, the border is different. Courts have long held that routine searches at U.S. entry points don't require a warrant, and that includes digital devices. CBP says it has the authority to inspect electronics as a matter of national security.

That means your phone, your photos, emails, texts, DMs, cloud storage and even deleted content can be accessed and reviewed if CBP deems it necessary. Travelers aren’t always warned in advance, and refusal to comply could result in denied entry, device seizure or further detention.

Real travelers, real stories

This isn’t just hypothetical. A recent case involved a French scientist who was reportedly denied entry to the U.S. at Houston’s airport. Why? CBP found messages on his phone criticizing President Trump’s science policies. In another incident, a physician returning to the U.S. from Lebanon on a valid work visa was held at Boston Logan Airport because of photos on her phone showing a Hezbollah funeral.

These are extreme examples, but they underscore a growing trend that border agents are paying closer attention to what’s on our screens.

Immigration attorneys are taking notice, too. Elissa Taub, a partner at the law firm Siskind Susser, advises her clients to be extra cautious about what’s stored on their devices. “I've told my clients to make sure they haven't unintentionally saved photos to their phone that might be controversial,” she told Newsweek. “Be very careful about your actions online in WhatsApp, Telegram or group chats. If CBP holds you up, they might ask to see everything — and there's not much you can do to stop it.”

How often does this happen?

The good news: not very often. According to CBP, fewer than 0.01% of international travelers were subjected to electronic searches in fiscal year 2024. So, statistically, the chances of this happening are extremely low.

But it’s still a possibility — especially if you're a visa holder, visiting from a flagged country or if something in your travel profile triggers a secondary inspection. Sometimes it's random. Other times, it's based on a hunch, a red flag in your travel history or simply the discretion of the officer.

What happens if they take your device?

CBP has the authority to copy data from your phone and store it for up to 15 years. Yeah, you read that right. This includes photos, messages, contact lists, downloads and app content. While the agency claims to have “robust privacy safeguards,” critics like the ACLU warn that sensitive data could be at risk.

The ACLU has argued for years that these practices violate constitutional protections. But so far, courts have largely sided with the government, citing national security interests and the special legal environment that surrounds U.S. borders.
What you can do to protect yourself

If you're concerned about privacy while traveling internationally, consider taking some proactive steps:

Travel light — digitally. Bring only the data you need. Consider using a secondary device or wiping your phone before your trip and restoring it later via secure cloud backup.

Use strong passwords and encryption. Although CBP can ask for your passcode, encryption adds a layer of delay or deterrence.

Log out of social media apps. Some travelers even delete social media before crossing borders and reinstall afterward.

Back up everything beforehand. In the rare event that your device is seized, you won’t lose your files forever.

The bigger picture

Nations like New Zealand, Germany and the UK have issued travel advisories pointing to increased scrutiny at U.S. borders, and immigration lawyers are warning clients: Think twice before reentering the U.S. with data that could be misinterpreted or taken out of context.

This isn’t about hiding illegal activity; it’s about understanding how your digital footprint could affect your travel experience, especially when laws are still catching up to modern technology.

Final thoughts

We're in crazy times. The fact that CBP can legally search your phone without a warrant should raise eyebrows, especially as more of our lives are stored on our devices. While the chances are low, the consequences can be significant. Whether you're a visitor, visa holder or U.S. citizen, it's worth knowing your rights — and traveling smart.

After all, in today’s world, your phone says more about you than your passport ever could.

Yahoo CreatorCaleb Harmon-MarshallCreator of Gate AccessTravel writer, creator, and flight rights advocate dedicated to empowering travelers with the knowledge they need to navigate travel challenges confidently and make informed decisions.
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Mexico, Guatemala and Belize to create tri-national nature reserve to protect Mayan jungle

SONIA PÉREZ D. and MEGAN JANETSKY
Fri, August 15, 2025 



A Maya Train car arrives at a station in Campeche, Mexico, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Passengers pass through a hallway to board the Maya Train in Mérida, Mexico, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Guatemalan president Bernardo Arévalo looks on while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shakes hands with Belize Prime Minister Minister Johnny Briceño, in Calakmul, Campeche state, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, from left, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Belize Prime Minister Minister Johnny Briceño hold a joint press conference in Calakmul, Campeche state, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum talks to reporters during a joint press conference, in Calakmul, Campeche state, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)ASSOCIATED PRESS


GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The leaders of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize announced on Friday that they were creating a tri-national nature reserve to protect the Mayan rain forest following a meeting during which they also discussed expanding a Mexican train line criticized for slicing through jungle habitat.

The nature reserve would stretch across jungled areas of southern Mexico and northern parts of the two Central American nations, encompassing more than 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares). Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the move “historic” and said it would create the second biggest nature reserve in Latin America, behind the Amazon rain forest.

“This is one of Earth’s lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should preserve with our eyes on the future,” Sheinbaum said, standing side-by-side with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño.

The announcement was met with cautious celebration by environmental groups like Mexico-based Selvame, who have sharply criticized the Mexican government and Sheinbaum's allies in recent years for environmental destruction wrought by megaprojects like a controversial train line, known as the Maya Train.

The group said in statement that the reserve was a “monumental step for conservation" but that it hoped that the reserve was more than just “symbolic.”

“We’re in a race against the clock. Real estate and construction companies are invading the jungle, polluting our ecosystems, and endangering both the water we consume, and the communities that depend on it,” the group wrote.

It called on Sheinbaum’s government to put an effective monitoring system in place to “stop any destructive activities.”

At the same time, the leaders also discussed a proposal by Mexico to expand the very train line those environmental groups have long fought from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Belize. The thousand-mile train currently runs in a rough loop around Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, and was created with the purpose of connecting Mexico’s popular Caribbean resorts with remote jungle and Mayan archaeological sites in rural areas.

However, it has fueled controversy and legal battles as it sliced through swathes of jungle and damaged a delicate cave system in Mexico that serves as the area’s main source of water. In a span of four years, authorities cut down approximately 7 million trees, according to government figures.

Sheinbaum’s mentor and predecessor former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador fast-tracked the train project without detailed environmental studies. The populist repeatedly ignored orders from judges to stop construction due to environmental concerns and publicly attacked environmentalists warning about damage done to fragile ecosystems.

López Obrador first proposed the idea of expanding the train to Guatemala, and Sheinbaum has continued to push for the project. On Friday, she said the extension would usher in development in rural areas with few economic opportunities.

But Arévalo was already on record saying Guatemala’s laws would not allow it to be built through protected jungle in the north of the country.

The Guatemalan leader said on Friday he sees the economic potential of the project to the jungle region but remained adamant that the construction should not come with the kind of environmental damage that it inflicted in Mexico.

“Connecting the Maya Train with Guatemala and eventually with Belize is a vision we share,” Arévalo said. But “I’ve made it very clear at all times that the Maya Train will not pass through any protected area.”

He said there would also have to be careful environmental studies and the two presidents looked at an alternative proposal that would have the train loop instead of directly cut through the jungles of Guatemala and Belize.

It remained unclear how the train’s potential route would be affected by the new protected area.

——

Janetsky reported from Mexico City.

While AI wipes out entry-level roles, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says it’s actually ‘the most exciting time to be starting out one’s career’

Jessica Coacci
Fri, August 15, 2025

FORTUNE


Denied thousands of roles postgraduation? Don’t fret, it’s the best time to start—according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, at least.


Billionaire OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a message for new Gen Z graduates struggling to gain a footing in the entry-level job market: “This is probably the most exciting time to be starting out one’s career, maybe ever.” But as the class of 2025 scrolls through LinkedIn for new postings, they’re facing a tougher reality—AI has stolen most of their opportunities to kick-start their nine-to-fives.

In what seems like a dumpster fire of an early career job market for Gen Z—filled with ghost jobs and AI agents—Sam Altman said it’s actually “the most exciting time to be starting out one’s career, maybe ever.”

“I think that [a] 25-year-old in Mumbai can probably do more than any previous 25-year-old in history could,” Altman said on an episode of the People by WTF podcast with Nikhil Kamath.

“I felt the same way when I was 25, and the tools then were not as amazing as the tools we have now … A 25-year-old then could do things that no 25-year-old in history before would have been able to, and now that’s happening in a huge way.”

But Gen Z isn’t experiencing the same exciting job market as Altman describes. Entry-level positions are decreasing for ambitious, fresh-faced graduates, as employers expect rookies to come in fully skilled. ChatGPT and AI agents are taking over junior staffers’ beginner skills that Gen Zers use to kick-start their journey up the corporate ladder, and the dream of landing a six-figure tech job after college is becoming a distant reality. Some Gen Zers are even seeking their first jobs at Chipotle instead.

As a result of skyrocketing tuition costs and a depressing white-collar job market, Gen Z’s situation is so dire that 4.3 million young people are now NEETs: not in education, employment, or training.
Altman even says he’s envious of Gen Z’s career options today

Even though many young job-seekers are in despair, the tech leader said he’s envious of young people because his early career jobs will look “boring” by comparison. Comparatively, he said, Gen Z will be exploring the solar system and lock down jobs with sky-high salaries.


“If I were 22 right now and graduating college, I would feel like the luckiest kid in all of history,” he added.

The billionaire cofounder compared the current AI revolution to how computers changed the world of work when he was growing up.

“People are now limited only by the quality and creativity of their ideas,” the OpenAI CEO said, adding that advances in AI are transforming programming, accelerating scientific discovery, and enabling entirely new kinds of software.

But still, in a job market where the first rung of the ladder is disappearing thanks to AI, Altman’s optimism is a reminder that Gen Z’s success will be determined by how they integrate the tools into their next role.
The split of tech founders on AI

Altman isn’t alone in his optimism about AI. Billionaire Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates said using AI to improve productivity in the workplace could open up more jobs in the future, despite there being some career “dislocation” for entry-level graduates.

In addition, AMD CEO Lisa Su doesn’t believe AI is out to cause massive job losses, but admits anxiety around the technology’s innovation is a natural feeling.

On the flip side, other tech leaders have warned of AI’s threat to entry-level roles and the white-collar job market altogether. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said AI could wipe out roughly 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years, causing unemployment to spike as high as 20%.

LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer Aneesh Raman also echoed that sentiment. Raman said that AI is increasingly threatening the types of jobs that historically have served as stepping stones for young workers who are just beginning their careers.

“While the technology sector is feeling the first waves of change, reflecting AI’s mass adoption in this field, the erosion of traditional entry-level tasks is expected to play out in fields like finance, travel, food, and professional services, too,” he said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

We still aren’t sure what’s going on with tariffs and inflation — or what will happen next

Jason Ma
Sun, August 17, 2025 

Recent economic data continue to give mixed signals on how much tariffs are affecting prices, leaving Wall Street conflicted on who is paying for what. While companies may be absorbing much of the tariff costs for now, it’s not clear how much longer they can keep it up and how much consumers will be able to shoulder later.

Months after President Donald Trump launched his trade war, economic data continue to give mixed signals on how much tariffs are affecting prices in the U.S.

While the consumer price index has ticked higher, it has also consistently come in below forecasts, though the latest reading on producer prices surprised to the upside.

Certain sectors heavily exposed to tariffs have seen spikes, but July data showed less upward price pressure on some goods prices and more pressure on some services.

“Despite this firmness, the tariff pass-through effect on consumer prices arguably has been less bad than expected so far,” JPMorgan economists led by Michael Feroli said in a note on Friday.

According to the bank, one potential explanation for the muted inflation numbers is that firms are eating the tariff cost at the expense of their profit margins, which are currently wide by historical standards and can accommodate the added costs without harming capital or operating budgets.

Other explanations include the delayed effects of duties on prices as companies draw down pre-tariff inventories, the seasonality of prices as inflation during the summer tends to be softer than in the winter, and tariff costs being passed though more via services rather than goods, JPMorgan added.

A pet supplies retail store in Manhattan on August 12.

Yet another explanation could be that the tariff rates importers are actually paying are far below the headline numbers. A recent Barclays report found that the weighted-average levy in May was just 9% versus the bank’s estimate for 12%.

That’s because demand shifted away from countries with higher tariffs while more than half of U.S. imports that month were duty-free. Despite higher rates on Canada, for example, they don’t apply to goods covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

“The real surprise in the U.S. economy’s resilience lies not in its reaction to tariffs but that the rise in the effective tariff rate has been more modest than commonly thought,” the report said.

To be sure, Barclays said the weighted-average rate has edged up to 10% today and predicted it will eventually settle at around 15%, as more products like pharmaceuticals are expected to get hit with levies and as loopholes close.
Businesses vs. consumers

Citi Research still doesn’t see much evidence of broad-based price pressure from tariffs and attributed the recent uptick in services to one-time anomalies, such as the 5.8% jump in portfolio management fees due to the rally in asset prices.

Citi also doesn’t expect consumers to get hit with big price hikes in the future, even as more levies are expected to roll out.

“Softer demand means firms will have difficulty passing tariff costs on to consumers,” chief US economist Andrew Hollenhorst said in a note. “While some firms might still attempt to slowly increase prices in coming months, the experience so far suggests these increases will be modest in size. This should reduce concerns about upside risk to inflation and increase concerns that decreased profit margins will cause firms to pullback on hiring.”

By contrast, Goldman Sachs predicted consumers will pay most of the tariff costs. As of June, they had absorbed 22%, but that figure should jump to 67% by October if the pattern seen in early rounds of Trump’s trade actions continues.

For businesses, the burden will shrink from 64% down to 8%, while foreign suppliers will see an uptick from 14% to 25% of the tariff impact.

Unraveling the mystery over what tariffs are doing—or not doing—to inflation has major implications for the Federal Reserve, which is trying to balance both sides of its dual mandate.

Tariffs have kept inflation stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target, causing policymakers to hold off on rate cuts. But weakness in jobs data have raised alarms on employment, fueling demands for easing.

“The evidence so far is that almost all of the costs of tariffs are being born by domestic firms,” Citi’s Hollenhorst wrote. “The lack of pass-through should reduce lingering Fed official inflation concerns and allow for a series of rate cuts beginning in September. If anything markets are underpricing the potential for faster and/or deeper cuts.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com