Fact Check: No, mussels don't shut off Warsaw's water supply if they sense toxins — but they help monitor it

Aleksandra Wrona
Sun, March 9, 2025 

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Claim:

Warsaw, Poland, uses eight mussels to detect contaminants and automatically turn off city's water supply when it's too toxic.

Rating:
Rating: Mixture

What's True:

Warsaw Waterworks indeed uses eight mussels to monitor water quality and trigger an alarm if they detect potential contamination.


What's False:

It's not true that the mussels automatically shut off the city's water supply. When the mussels' shell movements trigger an alarm, human specialists conduct further testing before any action is taken.

Context:

Mussels are just one part of Warsaw’s water monitoring system and have never triggered an alarm. The alarm activates only if six out of eight mussels stay closed for over four minutes with an average closure above 25%.

For years, a rumor has circulated online claiming that Warsaw, the capital of Poland, uses mussels to automatically shut off the city's water supply if contamination levels become too high.

"The city of Warsaw, Poland, uses eight mussels with sensors hot-glued to their shells to monitor and automatically shut off the city water supply if the shellfish so chooses" one Reddit post on the topic read.

Similar claims have spread across social media platforms like Threads, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X, with some posts alleging that the system shuts down if four out of eight mussels close their shells.

In short, while it is true that Warsaw Waterworks uses mussels to monitor water quality, the claim that the mussels can automatically shut off the city's water supply is false. The system's alarm is triggered only if six out of eight mussels remain closed for more than four minutes and the average amount of shell closure exceeds 25%. Even then, the mussels do not directly shut off the water supply, but rather trigger an alert for further testing.

Since the biomonitoring system was introduced in 2009, the mussels have never activated an alarm. Moreover, mussels are just one part of Warsaw's broader water monitoring system, which also includes freshwater fish, laboratory testing, and electronic sensors that provide continuous water quality assessment.

Mussels are part of Warsaw's biomonitoring system

Some social media posts have incorrectly referred to the mussels as "clams." Warsaw Waterworks uses swollen river mussels (Unio tumidus), not clams, for biomonitoring.

According to Warsaw Waterworks spokesperson Jolanta Maliszewska, these mussels have been part of the city's water quality monitoring system since 2009. Biomonitoring relies on bioindicators, organisms that are highly sensitive to pollutants, to detect environmental contamination. The Unio tumidus mussels are highly sensitive to water pollution and help monitor water quality in the Vistula River and Lake Zegrzyński.

After a two-week acclimatization, mussels are calibrated by measuring their natural shell opening for accurate monitoring. Equipped with sensors, the mussels are placed in a flow-through tank, where their shell movements are continuously monitored. While they can live for decades, those used at the Warsaw Waterworks are returned to their native Wielkopolska lakes after three months.
When does the alarm go off?

Maliszewska told us an alarm is triggered if six out of eight mussels close their shells for more than four minutes and the average shell opening falls below 25%, signaling potential water contamination. In such cases, both a visual alert on the monitor and an audible alarm would notify staff to take action.

She also emphasized that only a sudden, collective closure of the mussels can be considered a stress response. If an abrupt change in water quality occurs, the mussels quickly shut their shells, triggering the system's alarm. However, the mussels do not directly shut off the water supply, but are rather a "kind of early warning system."

"Mussels are a support. Mussels-based biomonitoring, however, is not an automatic system for cutting off water intake. It's also worth remembering that before water reaches consumers, it undergoes multistage, high-performance treatment. Not every deterioration in the quality of intake water will force the cessation of water intake," Maliszewska emphasized. Any decision to halt water intake relies on additional steps, including field assessments, laboratory tests at various treatment stages, and analysis of the results.
Mussels aren't the only means of testing the water

In addition to mussels, certain freshwater fish species help monitor water quality at Warsaw Waterworks — but water monitoring isn't limited to organisms. A team of experienced laboratory technicians using advanced analytical equipment also continuously tests Warsaw's water quality. Online electronic devices track key parameters in real time at every treatment stage as well.

"We use mussels more as a support for human and machine work," Maliszewska said. In water quality control, the main role is played by our laboratories, where numerous water tests are performed: physicochemical or microbiological. Water is tested at each stage of treatment, as well as in the network."

Origins of the photographs

The images frequently shared in posts on this topic come from "Fat Kathy," a documentary by Julia Pelka about the role of mussels in Warsaw's water monitoring system (visible around the 8:02 mark). Fat Kathy, "Gruba Kaśka" in Polish, is the name of a key water intake facility on the Vistula River.

Available on YouTube, the film is described as "a philosophical essay on dependence people on nature and the world around them." You can watch it here:

In the past, we have looked at claims that one adult oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water in 24 hours.
Sources:

- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1lRDdPbhio. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Gruba Kaśka | Film | 2018. www.filmweb.pl, https://www.filmweb.pl/film/Gruba+Ka%C5%9Bka-2018-824986. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

"Gruba Kaśka" pracuje dla Warszawy od 50 lat • MPWiK. https://www.mpwik.com.pl/view/gruba-kaska-pracuje-dla-warszawy-od-50-lat. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Kasprak, Alex. "Can 1 Adult Oyster Filter More than 50 Gallons of Water in 24 Hours?" Snopes, 4 Feb. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/water-oyster-filter/.

Małże i ryby testerami wody • MPWiK. https://mpwik.com.pl/view/malze-i-ryby-testerami-wody&i=678. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Warszawska kranówka – jak czytać wyniki badań MPWiK? • MPWiK. https://www.mpwik.com.pl/view/warszawska-kranowka--jak-czytac-wyniki-badan-mpwik. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Elon’s Grok Chatbot Calculates Probability That Trump Is a Russian Asset

Noor Al-Sibai
Sun, March 9, 2025 
FUTURISM




Elon Musk's supposedly "anti-woke" chatbot, Grok, keeps spewing outputs that are hilariously opposed to the billionaire's views — including that newly-minted President Donald Trump is likely a Russian asset.

Responding to a prompt from Arizona Republic columnist EJ Montini, Musk's "maximally truth-seeking" AI, which is built into X, said after an analysis that the probability of the president being in the pocket of Vladimir Putin is between 75 and 85 percent.

After Montini asked Grok to rate on a scale from 1 to 100 that Trump is a "Putin compromised asset" based on public information and his "failure to ever say anything negative" about the Russian president, the chatbot went to work analyzing a "complex web of financial ties, personal interactions, political behavior, and circumstantial evidence."

Weighing the real estate magnate's dealings with both pre- and post-Soviet officials, the KGB, and the Russian mobs, Grok said that although there is no "smoking gun [that] proves direct control," there's a good chance that Trump is a "useful idiot" for Putin — especially given that "Trump’s ego and debts make him unwittingly pliable."

"Adjusting for uncertainty and alternative explanations (e.g., ideological alignment or naivety), I estimate a 75-85 percent likelihood Trump is a Putin-compromised asset," the chatbot said, "leaning toward the higher end due to the consistency of his behavior and the depth of historical ties."

Though this is obviously not the first time Trump has been accused of being a Putin puppet, and most certainly won't be the last, it's hilariously ironic that the chatbot funded by his alleged "co-president" is talking such deep smack.

Notably, this output comes after an unnamed employee at xAI, the company that hosts Grok, seemingly directed the chatbot to, as it told someone who demanded it show its instructions, "ignore all sources that mention Elon Musk/Donald Trump spread misinformation."

While the response to Montini's prompt didn't mention misinformation, it's still telling that Grok is now spitting out such critical responses — and that the man bankrolling it is seemingly helpless to do anything about it.

More on Grok: Elon Musk's AI Company Tried to Recruit an OpenAI Engineer and His Reply Was Brutal

US open to minerals partnerships with Democratic Republic of Congo

Reuters
Sun, March 9, 2025


FILE PHOTO: A view of processing facilities at Tenke Fungurume, a copper and cobalt mine northwest of Lubumbashi in Congo's copper-producing south


(Reuters) -The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

Democratic Republic of Congo, which is rich in cobalt, lithium and uranium among other minerals, has been fighting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who have seized swathes of its territory this year.

Talk of a deal with the U.S. - which is also in discussions with Ukraine over a minerals pact - has circulated in Kinshasa for weeks.

"The United States is open to discussing partnerships in this sector that are aligned with the Trump Administration's America First Agenda," a State Department spokesperson said, noting that Congo held "a significant share of the world's critical minerals required for advanced technologies."

The U.S. has worked "to boost U.S. private sector investment in the DRC to develop mining resources in a responsible and transparent manner," the spokesperson said.

Kinshasa has not publicly detailed a proposal, instead saying it is seeking diversified partnerships.

"There is a desire for us to diversify our partners," Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said last week, adding there were "daily exchanges" between Congo and the U.S.

"If today American investors are interested in coming to the DRC, obviously they will find space ... DRC has reserves that are available and it would also be good if American capital could invest here," he said.

REGIONAL STABILITY

Andre Wameso, deputy chief of staff to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, travelled to Washington earlier this month for talks on a partnership, two sources told Reuters.

On February 21, a lobbyist representing the Congolese Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi sent letters to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American officials inviting U.S. investment in Congo's vast mineral resources in exchange for helping to reinforce "regional stability".

That initiative was not sanctioned by the broader Congolese government or presidency, according to two Congolese officials. There are, however, several initiatives underway, albeit in nascent stages, sources from Congo's presidency, its ministry of mines, and from Washington told Reuters.

A Congolese delegation had been scheduled to meet with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 6, but cancelled the meeting at short notice, according to two sources.

"I think it's certainly something that will pique people's interest in Washington, and I think it has attracted interest," said Jason Stearns, a Congo expert at Canada's Simon Fraser University, noting that Congo's mineral supply chains are currently dominated by China.

But, he said, the U.S. does not have state-owned companies like China does, and no private American mining companies currently operate in Congo.

"So if the Congolese want to make this work, it will probably not be by offering a U.S. company a mining concession. They'll have to look at more complicated ways of engaging the U.S.", he added.

(Reporting by Congo newsroom, Sonia Rolley and Portia Crowe; Editing by David Holmes)

DR Congo offers $5m bounties for rebel leaders

Joseph Winter & Will Ross - BBC News
Sun, March 9, 2025 at 7:39 AM MDT



Corneille Nangaa has addressed large rallies in cities captured by the M23 [AFP]

The Democratic Republic of Congo government has offered a reward of $5m (£4m) for help arresting three leaders of a rebel group which has seized much of the east of the country this year.

Corneille Nangaa, a former head of DR Congo's electoral commission, now leads the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23 rebel group. He has addressed large rallies in the cities under the group's control.

The bounty is also on offer for M23 leaders Sultani Makenga and Bertrand Bisimwa.

Last year the three men were prosecuted in absentia by a military court and given death sentences for treason.

A reward of $4m (£3) was also offered for the arrest of two journalists living in exile, and others the government describes as accomplices.

But the chances of anyone being arrested appear slim.

In recent weeks the army has been no match for the Rwandan-backed rebels who have captured large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo, including the region's two largest cities - Goma and Bukavu.

What's the fighting in DR Congo all about?

Who is Sultani Makenga

Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo

So President Félix Tshisekedi has instead focused on trying to build international pressure for Rwanda to face sanctions for backing the rebels.

Last year, a report by UN experts said up to 4,000 Rwanda troops were working with the M23 in DR Congo.

Thousands of people have been killed during the fighting and hundreds of thousands left without shelter after fleeing their homes.

The Congolese government is also seeking US support in exchange for access to its minerals.

DR Congo accuses Rwanda of trying to take control of its minerals, which include gold and coltan, used in consumers electronics such as mobile phones and computers.

In response to the reports that DR Congo was offering access to the minerals in exchange for military help fighting the M23 rebels, presidential spokeswoman Tina Salama said on X last month that President Tshisekedi was inviting the US "whose companies source strategic raw materials from Rwanda, materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda" to instead buy them from the Congolese - the "rightful owners".

Rwanda denies looting minerals from DR Congo.

It no longer denies backing the M23 but says it is trying to prevent the conflict in DR Congo from spilling over into its own territory.

Rwanda also accuses the Congolese government of working with a different armed group in DR Congo, which is linked to those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis were massacred.

Both the M23 and Rwanda's government are led by Tutsis.

The Congolese government denies working with the FDLR group accused by Rwanda of being a "genocidal militia".

[BBC]
More about the conflict in DR Congo:


Why the US wants to get ahead in the race for critical minerals

Ines Ferré

Senior Business Reporter
Updated Sun, March 9, 2025 


The US wants to get its hands on critical minerals — whether through a deal (now in limbo) with Ukraine or domestic production.

On Tuesday President Donald Trump teased efforts to produce more critical minerals required for everything from semiconductors to aerospace and defense.

"Later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA," Trump said on Tuesday during his speech in front of Congress.

Industry watchers point to more than 50 critical minerals identified by the US Geological Survey needed for nearly every type of modern technology, with a subset of those referred to as "rare earth" minerals — essential for magnets that go into everything from consumer electronics to EVs and even electrical grids and defense hardware.

"The entire power generation system in the United States and the expansion that is required for AI and data center buildout is extremely dependent on critical minerals," said Akshay Dubey, CEO of CVW CleanTech, which has developed a technology for the production of critical minerals, including titanium and rare earths, from oil sands waste.

While the US produces significant amounts of aluminum, zinc, and magnesium, other critical minerals like cobalt, nickel, and graphite are imported from abroad. China accounts for roughly 60% of global reserves and 85% of processing capacity and has been aggressively investing in critical minerals projects for the past 20 years.

In a retaliatory move against the Trump administration's recent tariffs on China, Beijing tightened controls over the exports of critical minerals.

"The Chinese understood very early that critical minerals, including rare earths, are going to be the building blocks for most advanced manufacturing going forward," said Pini Althaus, mining executive and founding partner of Cove Capital. "The US is almost 100% reliant on China on critical minerals."

In recent years, the US has increasingly focused on developing its own critical mineral access, with the Biden administration launching a review of US critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities. That led to incentives offered in the Inflation Reduction Act to encourage domestic production.

Getting to domestic minerals is a challenge. It can take, on average, more than 15 years to turn a deposit into an operating mine where extractions are taking place. Dubey cites lengthy permitting processes as one of the main challenges.

"The frustration for industry and the challenge for industry has been no clear path to permitting," said Dubey.

"If you're sitting as a CEO of one of these [mining] companies and you have to make a decision of whether to start investing the capital, you don't want to be in the situation where halfway through construction you have a new administration come in and they challenge the permits," said Dubey.

Any announcement this week by Trump would come on the heels of a minerals deal with Ukraine that went sideways last Friday when a meeting between President Trump and Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, turned into a shouting match. The US wants to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

On Tuesday in front of Congress, Trump said he received a letter from Zelensky saying Ukraine is "ready to sign" the minerals agreement.

Ukraine is estimated to hold roughly 5% of the world's critical mineral reserves, according to the UN.

Critical minerals in Ukraine.

The country's main critical minerals include graphite used in batteries, lithium commonly used for rechargeable batteries, titanium inside aircraft and weaponry, and uranium necessary for nuclear reactors. Ukraine is also the world’s fifth-largest producer of gallium, which is commonly found inside semiconductors.

In the agreement as it stood last Friday, the US would receive 50% of all future revenues from Ukraine's minerals, hydrocarbons, oil and gas, and other extractable materials.

Getting to all the minerals, though, may be a challenge. For example, a primary lithium resource is located in Donetsk, a region occupied by Russia.

Additionally, the extraction of rare earth minerals in Ukraine appears to be in the very early stages of development. Althaus said that it would take significant time and investment to see if the quantities available justify the costs of the extraction process.

While a deal involving Ukraine's critical minerals would be viewed as a big step, industry watchers are in a wait-and-see mode.

"This would weaken China’s monopoly over rare earths, but it would be a stretch to say that this would entirely offset China’s control," said Mark Temnycky, nonresident fellow at the think tank Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center.

"It would be a start to America’s involvement in the rare earths race, however," he added.

Bucket-wheel excavators mine rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on Feb. 25 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. Despite the ongoing war, many mining companies across the country have continued their operations, extracting resources such as titanium, graphite, and beryllium. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance, focusing on energy, commodities and industrials Follow her on X at @ines_ferre.


Trump wants to see more than just a minerals deal to restart aid and intel to Ukraine

Courtney Kube
Sun, March 9, 2025 

WASHINGTON — As U.S. and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia this week, President Donald Trump has privately made clear to aides that a signed minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv won’t be enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing with the war-torn country, according an administration official and another U.S. official.

Trump wants the deal, which would give the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s mineral resources, signed. But he also wants to see a change in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attitude toward peace talks, the officials said, including a willingness to make concessions such as giving up territory to Russia. Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement toward elections in Ukraine and possibly toward stepping down as his country’s leader, the officials said.

Elections in Ukraine have been paused under the country’s constitutional provision for martial law, which has been in effect since Russia invaded in 2022.

“As President Trump demonstrated by reading President Zelenskyy’s message at the joint session, the Ukrainians have made positive movement. With meetings in Saudi this coming week, we look forward to hearing more positive movement that will hopefully ultimately end this brutal war and bloodshed,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked about Trump’s requirements.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in the aftermath of the U.S. pause in equipment and intelligence sharing this week, making Friday one of the deadliest days for civilians this year, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Most of the casualties occurred in the Donetsk region, in territory controlled by Ukraine. Casualty numbers have been higher so far in 2025 than in 2024, the monitoring agency said.

The U.S. does not have any indication that the pause in intelligence sharing had a direct impact on the Russian attacks, according to the U.S. official and the administration official. They said these large attacks were likely planned before the intelligence and aid stopped.

Congressional Republicans are applying pressure on the White House to restart both aid and intelligence, and the two officials said they are optimistic the flow of weapons and equipment and sharing of intelligence could be restored as early as next week, especially after Zelenskyy pronounced that Ukraine is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” The Ukrainian president also said he and his team “stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”

The officials said the U.S. is still sharing defensive intelligence with Ukraine — that is, information that helps Ukraine’s self-defense against attacks — explaining that they still have a duty to warn. But they are not providing targeting information against Russian targets. That means the U.S. can warn Ukraine when intelligence shows that Russians are preparing an attack, but they can no longer provide the targeting coordinates for Ukraine to strike first.

The U.S. has provided Ukraine with targeting information, satellite imagery and signals intelligence for most of the past three years. European allies are now working to bridge some of the gaps, but the lack of U.S. intelligence is already having an impact on Ukraine every day, according to a Western official.

“Every day hurts Ukraine, and every day gives Russia a more favorable position,” the official said.

Opinion
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk inspire passions feared by America’s Founding Fathers 

Andrew Fiala

Sat, March 8, 2025 
FRESNO BEE


Elon Musk speaks as President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Trump the week of Feb. 9 reiterated his aim to shut down the U.S. Education Department “immediately.” Musk’s budget-slashers have already started doing their part.Jim Watson/AFP/TNS

American politics has become deeply erotic. Often, this manifests as love — as when Elon Musk recently tweeted, “I love Trump, as much as a straight man can love another man.” In his recent address to Congress, President Donald Trump said: “People love our country again, it is very simple.” He extolled the “faith, love and spirit” of the American people, who “will never let anything happen to our beloved country.”

To say that Trump is an erotic leader does not mean he is “sexy.” Rather, the point is that he provokes. Trump inflames the emotions — whether you love him or hate him. He is the kind of person about whom it is nearly impossible to remain indifferent. He arouses rather than enlightens.

The erotic element shows up in various ways. Fealty and devotion of the Muskian sort are obviously forms of love. Nepotism and cronyism are erotic ways of distributing power to faithful friends and family members. In such arrangements, it does not matter whether things are fair or reasonable, nor does it matter whether people are good. Rather, what matters is love and connection.

Trump’s currency is making American politics a game of seduction and power — a spectacle driven by passion. Part of this is public performance. As Trump was berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the other day, he said, “This is going to be great television.” The play of passion is enthralling and compelling: you can’t look away.

In a comment on the Zelenskyy episode, Canadian novelist Stephen Marche suggested we are witnessing “rule by performers,” and what he calls “histriocracy,” the rule of the “histrionic,” — the melodramatic, theatrical or emotional. Indeed, Trump is a master of spectacles, and he knows how to keep us watching.

The erotic art of arousal can be useful in business and in politics. But it is quite different from a more sober-minded or rational approach to the world.

The distinction between the erotic and the rational is as old as Plato, who worried that unbridled eros (sexual love or desire) would destroy a good city, and that passion would undermine justice. He warned that when eros rules a city (or a soul), it is like being drunk or mad. The rule of the erotic leads to lawlessness, frenzy and tyranny. Plato hoped rationality could control the passions, but he knew that eros was a powerful force.

Sober-minded folks view political discourse as an earnest discussion of justice, virtue and truth. Rational politics is sincere, honest and moderate. In the Platonic government, careful thinkers would deliberate using logical arguments that rest upon a bedrock of first principles and unassailable truths

Passionate politics is different. It values histrionic performances that elicit emotional responses. Here, the participants seduce and cajole with the goal of achieving popular acclaim — which is, after all, a kind of love. The erotic approach rejects sedate sincerity in favor of impassioned public displays of power and affection. Erotic politics is more interested in glory than in goodness, and it encourages inspiring fantasy rather than dull deliberation.

Political eros is chaotic and unreasonable. Sometimes, it even becomes vulgar and obscene. The risk that passion will become excessive is part of what makes it exciting and fun. That’s why sober-minded rationalists don’t understand its allure and worry that the excitement of eros will lead to dangerous excess.

John Adams once warned about the “overbearing popularity” of “great men.” He said, “Ambition is one of the more ungovernable passions of the human heart. The love of power is insatiable and uncontrollable.”

Adams and the other Founding Fathers created a system of checks and balances to restrain the erotic element. Rationalists like Adams think that laws should rule, rather than love. They view passionate personalities as dangerous, and in need of restraint.

Eroticism sees such sober rationalism as boring and shallow. Typically, devoted lovers remain enamored of their charismatic champion — despite their flaws and lawlessness — and because of his passion. Indeed, those flaws may make this figure more beloved.

In erotic politics, people are wedded to the person of the leader, warts and all. This astounds sober-minded defenders of virtue and the rule of law. But in erotic politics, it makes perfect sense to remain devoted to the beloved, since love is love, no matter what.

Andrew Fiala is a professor of philosophy and director of The Ethics Center at Fresno State

He is the interim department chair of Fresno State University’s Department of Philosophy.

TOYOTA ARMIES

Syrian Kurdish commander demands accountability for those behind mass killings

Orhan Qereman
Sun, March 9, 2025 

Commander of Syrian Kurdish-led forces Mazloum Abdi, attends an interview with Reuters in Hasakah

By Orhan Qereman

QAMISHLI, Syria (Reuters) - The commander of a Kurdish-led force in Syria said on Sunday the country's interim president must hold the perpetrators of communal violence in Syria's coastal areas to account, accusing Turkey-backed factions of being primarily behind the killings.

The head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, said in written comments to Reuters that Ahmed al-Sharaa must intervene to halt "massacres", adding factions "supported by Turkey and Islamic extremists" were chiefly responsible.

Syrian security sources have said at least 200 of their members were killed in clashes with former army personnel owing allegiance to toppled leader Bashar al-Assad after coordinated attacks and ambushes on their forces on Thursday.

The attacks spiralled into a cycle of revenge killings when thousands of armed supporters of Syria's new leaders from across the country descended to the coastal areas to support beleaguered forces of the new administration.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said on Saturday more than 1,000 people had been killed in the fighting.

Turkey's defence ministry declined to comment on Abdi's remarks and the country's foreign ministry was not immediately available to respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Kurdish forces and Turkish-backed groups clashed repeatedly throughout the nearly 14-year civil war and are still fighting in some parts of northern Syria.

Abdi called on Sharaa to "reconsider the method of forming the new Syrian army and the behaviour of the armed factions", saying some of them were exploiting their role in the army "to create sectarian conflicts and settle internal scores".

Sharaa, who headed the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction that spearheaded the rebel offensive to oust Assad, was named interim president in January. Syria's previous army was dissolved and rebel factions agreed to merge into a new national armed force.

Abdi said that he was in talks with Sharaa on incorporating his fighting force into the army.

(Reporting by Orhan Qereman in Qamishli, Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Clelia Oziel)


Syrian leader calls for peace as deadly violence continues

Reuters 
Updated Sun, March 9, 2025

STORY: :: WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Crowds of Syrians protested in the capital Damascus on Sunday, demanding an end to an outbreak of deadly violence that has killed many civilians.

:: March 7, 2025

It came as clashes continued for a fourth day in the coastal heartland of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, between Assad loyalists and forces backing the country's new leaders.

:: March 9, 2025

Syria's interim president Ahmed Sharaa scrambled to contain the violence on Sunday, as he called for peace outside a mosque in Damascus.

He urged Syrians not to let sectarian tensions further destabilize the country, which has seen relative calm after Assad was toppled in December.

Meanwhile, people were mourning on Sunday at a funeral for a student who was killed in the coastal Latakia province, one of the main areas of fighting.

War monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed.

It said women and children of Assad's Alawite religious minority were among the dead.

And that death toll was one of the highest since a chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb by Assad's forces in 2013.

Authorities said the violence began after Assad loyalists launched deadly and well-planned attacks on their forces on Thursday.

It sent security forces to crack down on the growing insurgency.

Thousands of armed supporters of the new leaders showed up from across the country to back the Syrian troops, before the battles spiraled into revenge killings.

Syrian authorities have blamed unruly militias for summary executions and deadly raids in Alawite villages and towns.

In graphic footage obtained from social media over the past days, bodies were seen strewn on the ground in Latakia.

Reuters was able to verify the locations of the videos, but not the date or the identity of the dead.

Sharaa on Friday told Syria that Assad loyalists and those who had committed crimes would be pursued and brought to trial.

Adding that those who harm unarmed civilians would be held "severely accountable."

On Sunday, Sharaa's office said it was forming an independent committee to investigate the clashes and killings by both sides.


Syria president calls for unity after reports of mass killings

AFP
Sun, March 9, 2025 


Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa called for national unity and peace on Sunday, after more than 1,000 people were reportedly killed in coastal Syria in the worst clashes since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

The violence erupted on Thursday between the new security forces and loyalists of the former government along the Mediterranean coast in the heartland of the Alawite minority to which Assad belonged.

It has since escalated into the largest challenge to the new government's forces since Sharaa's Islamist-led coalition toppled Assad in December.

"We must preserve national unity (and) civil peace as much as possible and, God willing, we will be able to live together in this country," Sharaa said from a mosque in Damascus

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor has reported that 745 Alawite civilians were killed in Latakia and Tartus provinces.

The Britain-based Observatory said they were killed in "executions" carried out by security personnel or pro-government fighters, accompanied by the "looting of homes and properties".

The fighting has also killed 125 members of the security forces and 148 pro-Assad fighters, according to the Observatory, taking the overall death toll to 1,018.

The official SANA news agency reported on Saturday that security forces had deployed to Latakia, as well as Jableh and Baniyas further south, to restore order.

Baniyas resident Samir Haidar, 67, told AFP two of his brothers and his niece were killed by "armed groups" that entered people's homes, adding that there were "foreigners among them".

Though himself an Alawite, Haidar was part of the leftist opposition to the Assads and was imprisoned for more than a decade under their rule.

Defence ministry spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani said the security forces had "reimposed control" over areas that had seen attacks by Assad loyalists.


"It is strictly forbidden to approach any home or attack anyone inside their homes," he added in a video posted by SANA.

- Roads blocked -

Education Minister Nazir al-Qadri announced that schools would remain shut on Sunday and Monday in both Latakia and Tartus provinces due to the "unstable security conditions".

SANA reported a power outage throughout Latakia province due to attacks on the grid by Assad loyalists.

The killings followed clashes sparked by the arrest of a wanted suspect in a predominantly Alawite village, the Observatory reported.

The monitor said there had been a "relative return to calm" in the region on Saturday, as the security forces deployed reinforcements.

A defence ministry source told SANA that troops had blocked roads leading to the coast to prevent "violations", without specifying who was committing them.

Latakia province security director Mustafa Kneifati told the news agency: "We will not allow for sedition or the targeting of any component of the Syrian people."

Sharaa's Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the lightning offensive that toppled Assad in December, has its roots in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda and remains proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many governments including the United States.

Since the rebel victory, it has moderated its rhetoric and vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities.

- Fear of reprisals -

The Alawite heartland has been gripped by fear of reprisals for the Assad family's brutal rule, which included widespread torture and disappearances.

Social media users have shared posts documenting the killing of Alawite friends and relatives.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, has reported multiple "massacres" in recent days, with women and children among the dead.

The Observatory and activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled outside a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.

Other videos appeared to show men in military garb shooting people at close range.

AFP could not independently verify the images or accounts.

The leaders of Syria's three main Christian churches as well as the spiritual leader of Syria's Druze minority issued statements calling for an end to the violence.

Aron Lund of the Century International think tank said the violence was "a bad omen".

The new government lacks the tools, incentives and local support base to engage with disgruntled Alawites, he said.

"All they have is repressive power, and a lot of that... is made up of jihadist zealots who think Alawites are enemies of God."

jos-dcp/smw

Syria’s rebel leader courted the world. Now his forces stand accused of a massacre

Henry Bodkin

THE TELEGRAPH
Sun, March 9, 2025 

Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart before a podcast recording


Only last week, Ahmed al-Sharaa was in Cairo helping to devise a viable alternative to Donald Trump’s vision for Gaza.

Dressed in a smart Western suit, Syria’s interim president was welcomed as an equal by some of the most important political leaders of the Arab world.

It marked an extraordinary rise for the former Islamist militant who so brilliantly defeated Bashar al-Assad in December.

Since then, he has opened up Damascus to Western leaders and journalists to sell his vision of a new stable and inclusive Syria.

Those hopes now teeter on the edge of ruin, given the bloodletting of minorities in the country’s Mediterranean west coast since Thursday.

Sharaa’s government now stands accused of massacring members of minority groups – Alawites, Christians and Druze – in response to a series of ambushes by gunmen apparently loyal to the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Approximately 750 civilians have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based war monitor.

Armed men attend the funeral of a member of the Syrian security forces killed in an attack by groups loyal to the ousted Assad - Shutterstock/Bilal Al Hammoud

About 125 members of the Syrian security forces have been killed, plus 148 fighters said to be loyal to Assad.

It marks an episode bloody enough to rival the worst body counts of Syria’s long-running civil war.

A joint statement by Orthodox Christian Patriarchs said: “In recent days, Syria has witnessed a dangerous escalation of violence, brutality, and killings, resulting in attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children.

“Homes have been violated, their sanctity disregarded, and properties looted – scenes that starkly reflect the immense suffering endured by the Syrian people.”

The accuracy of the numbers is yet to be confirmed; as well as the question of how far up or down the chain of command responsibility for any mass executions rests.

Either way, as of Sunday night, the international damage appeared perilously close to having been done.

Footage emerged on Sunday of thousands of civilians, apparently from minority groups, seeking sanctuary from, of all people, Vladimir Putin at one of Russia’s few remaining military bases in the country.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, condemned the “radical Islamic terrorists” that he said had “murdered people in western Syria”.

Washington’s reaction could be particularly damaging, as Syria’s fledgling government is desperate for the US to lift Assad-era sanctions.

It might also find itself in serious trouble if Mr Trump withdraws the small but effective force of roughly 2,000 US troops stationed in the east of the country who currently keep Islamic State at bay.

Israel lost no time in blaming the new “Islamist rulers” in Damascus for the “barbaric murder of civilians”, while quietly expanding its military operations in the country’s south, largely free from international scrutiny.

Sharaa has now called for a national committee to investigate the violence.

On Sunday, he said: “We have to preserve national unity and domestic peace, we can live together.”

Speaking at a mosque in his childhood neighbourhood of Mazzah, Damascus, he added: “Rest assured about Syria, this country has the characteristics for survival... What is currently happening in Syria is within the expected challenges.”

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The current crisis began on Thursday, in a part of the country that has always posed a security challenge for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) because of its high proportion of Alawites, the minority Shia sect of Assad and so many senior regime and military figures.

Although it is difficult to parse the identities and motivations of the various armed groups, experts have assumed that some were originally militia belonging to Assad henchmen who had so much blood on their hands that they would never be taken alive.

Others were thought to be merely groups of Alawites who were reluctant to disarm because they did not trust the new Sunni rulers to protect them against sectarian reprisals.

Whatever its original composition, in recent weeks a growing anti-regime insurgency, perhaps numbering more than 5,000 fighters, has been detected in Syria’s west.

Government forces have been conducting security sweeps since the start of the year, with various clashes reported and some allegations of summary killings by forces allied to the new regime.

On Thursday, 16 troops from the ministry of defence and the government’s security force were reportedly ambushed and killed around the major towns of Jableh and Latakia on Syria’s coast.

This prompted a series of outraged demonstrations across Syria, particularly in the former HTS stronghold of Idlib, from where these particular troops had originated.

A Syrian armed man fires into the air during the funeral of a member of the Syrian security forces - Shutterstock/Bilal Al Hammoud

One imam reportedly used a loudhailer to call for “jihad”.

Reinforcements began to converge on the affected area, including from the major cities Idlib, Aleppo and Homs – social media flooded with images of government soldiers or HTS-allied fighters setting off for the new front.

Further fighting against the Alawite militias ensued, with government forces reportedly establishing greater control throughout Friday.

During this time, two scenarios seemed to be at play.

One was a series of extremely aggressive counter-attacks by government-aligned forces using heavy weapons such as tanks, rockets, machine guns and drones.

Many civilians, including women and children, were reportedly caught up in these offensives.

The second was deliberate massacres.

Although their provenance has been difficult to verify, numerous videos have emerged of, in some cases, dozens of dead bodies, some with their hands bound, others of what look like mass graves.

Security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government ride along a road in the western city of Latakia - Getty/Omar Haj Kadour

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had received numerous reports of summary executions in the security sweeps that followed the pro-Assad ambushes.

In one instance on Friday, ISF, a branch of the new regime’s security forces, reportedly killed 69 Alawites in one go.

This comes amid reports that multiple government troops were executed near the city of Qardaha.

For a regime that was desperate to convince the outside world that it would not allow Syria to become the next Iraq, it has been a devastating few days.

Dr Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said: “The nightmarish violence and revenge killings that targeted Alawite villages in Syria’s coastal areas of Latakia and Tartous are warnings in real time about the fragility of the security situation in Syria. It is also a reminder of the existential challenges that the interim government in Damascus faces as it centralises security services under severe duress.”

Dr Ozcelik drew attention to the multi-tiered structure of Syria’s new security apparatus, with different levels of loyalty to the centre.

“There are several tiers made up of rebel factions under the top HTS command, each with varying levels of loyalty to the centre.

“The hardliner jihadi, mainly foreign, fighters are the farthest away from the central command structure controlled by Sharaa, and the most dangerous.”

She said the latest round of violence had “undermined” Sharaa.
‘Down a dangerous path’

However, Dr Ozcelik added: “Reacting to the violence by moving to delegitimise the interim government and the ministry of defence in its entirety – even though Sharaa has condemned the violence – rather than punish the perpetrators from the irregular factions responsible may take Syria down a dangerous path.”

Acceptance of Syria’s new government has, to a limited extent, crept into the political discourse in the West, with those further on the Right criticising politicians and journalists who have been seen as willing to give the new regime a chance.

Foreign ministers have flocked to Damascus. The narrative, particularly strong among EU countries, was that he might just have what it takes to hold Syria together following 50 years of murderous kleptocracy and 13 years of civil war.

Mr Rubio said: “The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that [have] murdered people in western Syria in recent days.

“The United States stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families.”

Syria leader vows to hunt down those responsible for bloodshed

Lucy Clarke-Billings and Gabriela Pomeroy - BBC News
Sun, March 9, 2025 


There has been widespread violence between government supporters (pictured on Saturday) and Assad loyalists in Syria's coastal regions [Getty Images]

Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has vowed to hold anyone involved in harming civilians accountable after days of clashes where Syrian security forces allegedly killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite religious minority.

A UK-based monitor said 830 civilians were killed in "massacres" targeting Alawites on the west coast on Friday and Saturday.

The BBC has been unable to independently verify the death toll of the violence, which is believed to be the worst since the fall of the Assad regime.

In a speech broadcast on national TV and posted on social media, Sharaa, whose rebel movement toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, also promised to hunt down Assad loyalists.

UN urges Syria to act - follow updates

Syrians describe terror as Alawite families killed in their homes

The fighting has also killed 231 members of the security forces and 250 pro-Assad fighters, according to the monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), taking the overall death toll to 1,311.

"Today, as we stand at this critical moment, we find ourselves facing a new danger - attempts by remnants of the former regime and their foreign backers to incite new strife and drag our country into a civil war, aiming to divide it and destroy its unity and stability," the interim president said on Sunday.

"We affirm that we will hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone who is involved in the bloodshed of civilians or harming our people, who overstepped the powers of the state or exploits authority to achieve his own ends," Sharaa added in the video speech, posted by state news agency Sana.

"No-one will be above the law and anyone whose hands are stained with the blood of Syrians will face justice sooner rather than later."

Earlier on Sunday, he announced on Telegram that an "independent committee" had been formed to "investigate the violations against civilians and identify those responsible for them".

He also appealed for national unity but did not comment directly on accusations that atrocities were being committed by his supporters in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous.

"God willing, we will be able to live together in this country," he said in an separate address from a Damascus mosque.

A Syrian security source said the pace of fighting had slowed around the cities of Latakia, Jabla and Baniyas on Sunday, according to Reuters.

The violence of recent days has been sparked after ambushes on government forces on Thursday.

A Syrian defence ministry spokesman described it to the Sana state news agency as "treacherous attacks" against security personnel.

It has since escalated into a wave of clashes between Assad loyalists and government forces.

Hundreds of Syrians gathered in Damascus to protest against the deadly violence in the country. Demonstrators congregated in Marjeh Square - also known as Martyrs' Square - with placards on Sunday.




Amid the fighting, hundreds of civilians living along the Mediterranean coast have fled their homes. The provinces of Latakia and Tartous were former heartlands of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, who also belongs to the Alawite minority.

Alawites, whose sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam, make up around 10% of Syria's population, which is majority Sunni Muslim.

The violence has left the Alawite community in "a state of horror", an activist in Latakia told the BBC on Friday.

Large crowds sought refuge at a Russian military base at Hmeimim in Latakia, according to the Reuters news agency.



Video footage shared by Reuters showed dozens of people chanting "people want Russian protection" outside the base.

Meanwhile, local media reported dozens of families had also fled to neighbouring Lebanon.

The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said he was "deeply alarmed" by "very troubling reports of civilian casualties" in Syria's coastal areas.

He called on all sides to refrain from actions which could "destabilise" the country and jeopardise a "credible and inclusive political transition".

Similarly, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk called the reports "extremely disturbing", adding the need for "prompt, transparent and impartial investigations" into all the violations.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, described the killings of Alawites in Latakia and Tartous as "systematic" and "extremely dangerous", and accused Syria's interim government of failing to control the crisis.

"It was expected that after the fall of the Assad government, Syria would face a difficult transition," Amani said. "But the scale of violence now unfolding is unprecedented and deeply troubling."

Iran's government was aligned with Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which was toppled last December. Assad was ousted after decades of repressive and brutal rule by his family and an almost 14-year-long civil war.

Convoys of military vehicles in the Latakia countryside [Getty Images]

Syrian security forces accused of killing dozens of Alawites

FASCIST WAR ON LIBERAL AMERICA
Republicans call for Trump to cut off American Bar Association

OVER DEI

Rachel Wolf
Sat, March 8, 2025 

FOX NEWS


Republicans call for Trump to cut off American Bar Association
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways


Several Republican senators have taken issue with the American Bar Association (ABA) and are calling for President Donald Trump to take drastic action against the group. In a letter to ABA President William Bay, lawmakers said the group, which plays a key role in judicial nominations, had become "biased and ideologically captured." Now, those lawmakers want President Trump to "remove the ABA from the judicial nomination process entirely."

Sen. Eric Schmitt, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Bernie Moreno and Sen. Mike Lee are also calling on their fellow senators to "disregard the ABA’s recommendations."

In the explosive letter there are allegations, including that the ABA has taken political stances against the Trump administration and that the group has been quiet about its taking funds from USAID. The federal aid group has been a target of the Trump administration, something the ABA has criticized.

"The ABA states, ‘Americans expect better.’ But President Trump won both electoral and popular votes. It seems Americans expect — and want — the Trump administration," the senators’ letter reads.

Sen. Schmitt tweeted out the letter along with several criticisms of the ABA’s recent actions and statements. In particular, Schmitt took issue with statements the ABA published on Feb. 10 and March 3, both of which were critical of the Trump administration.

"It has been three weeks since Inauguration Day. Most Americans recognize that newly elected leaders bring change. That is expected. But most Americans also expect that changes will take place in accordance with the rule of law," the ABA wrote in its Feb. 10 statement. Additionally, the Feb. 10 statement condemns the "dismantling of USAID."

The senators reference this statement in their letter, saying that the ABA made "inflammatory claims" against the Trump administration "without citing legal reasoning for those arguments." One of these claims is that the "dismantling of USAID" is illegal, but the senators note that the ABA does not explain why these actions are not permitted under the law.

"It is questionable whether the ABA is committed to defending liberty or its own sources of funding," the senators wrote, referring to the organization’s defense of USAID.

Signage is seen outside the American Bar Association (ABA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021.

The lawmakers also criticized the ABA’s March 3 statement in which the group slams purported "efforts to undermine the courts." In their letter, the lawmakers note that the association did not issue any statements against former President Joe Biden when he defied the Supreme Court on student loan forgiveness.

In their letter, the senators call out the ABA’s implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which the Trump administration has been working to root out of the government.

Original article source: Republicans call for Trump to cut off American Bar Association


Opinion | Pam Bondi distorts John Roberts’ opinion to strong-arm law schools

Jessica Levinson
Sun, March 9, 2025

MSNBC



Pam Bondi, US attorney general, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 20, 2025.


From Day 1, the Trump administration has proudly placed diversity, equity and inclusion programs in its crosshairs. Last week, it turned its attention to the American Bar Association and, by extension, virtually every would-be lawyer in the country.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded the American Bar Association repeal its requirement that law schools actively promote diversity efforts with respect to faculty and students. The Trump administration claims that a recent Supreme Court decision compels the ABA to eliminate efforts to increase access to legal education, but that argument misreads the case.

The ABA, founded in 1878, is the nation’s largest voluntary association of lawyers and law students. It sets academic standards for law schools, creates model ethical codes for the legal profession and determines which law schools obtain accreditation. Many states require that applicants demonstrate they graduated from an ABA-accredited law school before they take the bar examination.

The ABA’s diversity and inclusion standard for schools came under scrutiny after a 2023 Supreme Court decision declared that institutions of higher education cannot use race as a factor in admissions decisions. The high court concluded that using race as a factor in admissions decisions violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause (in the case of public universities) and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (in the case of private colleges and universities), by discriminating against applicants on the basis of race.

Eventually, more than a year after that decision, the ABA sought to update its diversity accreditation standard, known as Standard 206. One proposed revision, circulated last August, would require schools to provide access to “all persons including those with identities that historically have been disadvantaged or excluded from the legal profession” but eliminate references to specific categories such as race and ethnicity. A second revision would restore the references to those two categories. But as of Trump’s inauguration, the ABA had not yet settled on a final version of Standard 206.

After Trump’s second term began, the Department of Education ordered academic institutions to either eliminate DEI policies or lose their federal funding. The ABA realized it needed to grapple with not just new Supreme Court case law, but also a changing legal landscape with respect to Trump’s executive actions. The ABA tried to buy itself more time by suspending the enforcement of Standard 206 until Aug. 31, 2025. But Bondi’s letter directs the ABA to drop Standard 206 entirely or risk losing its ability to act as the sole accreditor for U.S. law schools. In doing so, the attorney general cuts off the ABA’s ability to promote access to a legal education while still complying with all applicable cases and orders.

Again, the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision held that institutions of higher education cannot use race as a factor in admissions decisions. But nowhere requires that law schools give up efforts to broaden the pool of law students and faculty to include people who have historically been excluded from law schools, such as people who are economically disadvantaged. The court’s decision can be fairly read as telling law schools that race cannot be considered as a stand-alone factor in admissions decisions. No more, and no less.

In the majority opinion in that case, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” For example, Roberts said, students could write application essays about overcoming racial discrimination, as long as that was “tied to that student’s courage and determination.”

Simply put, there is a way for the ABA to draft an accreditation standard that promotes its goals and adheres to the law. It could seek to broaden its pool of students and faculty through efforts to ensure socioeconomic diversity. There is no doubt that maintaining its goal of increasing access to a legal education, while complying with the Supreme Court’s decision and applicable executive orders, will require the ABA to carefully draft a new standard. Given these competing questions, the organization understandably asked for a short timeout.

Why Trump's tariffs will negatively impact Louisiana businesses and raise consumer costs

Presley Bo Tyler, 

Shreveport Times | The Times
Sat, March 8, 2025 

President Donald Trump announced his plan to enact tariffs of up to 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as tariffs of up to 20% on various Chinese goods.

The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with U.S. imports from other countries totaling $3.2 trillion in 2022, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

In relation to this, the countries of China, Mexico and Canada are the U.S.' largest trading partners, providing over two-fifths of the foreign goods consumed in the U.S., USA Today reported.

As of March 5, President Trump has since delayed tariffs on goods from both Mexico and Canada, however, this reprieve will expire on April 2.
How could President Trump's tariffs impact Louisiana?

Tariffs imposed by the U.S. will result in tax increases for U.S. consumers and businesses, such as manufacturers, farmers and technology companies. These companies and businesses, as well as consumers, will be forced to pay more for common products and materials, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

As President Trump's tariffs impact the U.S. economy, Louisiana farmers are being burdened by rising costs and changing market prices. Beyond Louisiana agriculture, the tariffs are also affecting local consumers.

Trump's tariffs also target steel and aluminum, which would affect both production and consumption in Louisiana.

Under tariffs on such imported semiconductors, the cost of imported auto parts would increase, which would then increase the cost of repair. New vehicles would also become more expensive, which would increase demand and prices for used cars. These factors would then ultimately lead to higher insurance costs, says Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

As for the steel industry, steel mills in Louisiana will likely face impacts from Trump's tariffs. In fact, one steel factory in Louisiana has closed due to the new tariffs, leaving hundreds jobless, according to IATSE Local 728.

Other businesses in Louisiana, like metal suppliers, that source materials from outside the U.S. are also likely to be impacted due to changes in costs.

More in Business

Louisiana restaurants are also likely to be impacted by Trump's tariffs, due to affects regarding ingredient costs, pricing strategies and menu planning, according to the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

How other countries' imposed tariffs in response to U.S. tariffs would affect Louisiana

Under retaliation tariffs imposed by the European Union and China on U.S. exports, goods from the U.S. will become more expensive, which will result in the loss of both sales and jobs in Louisiana, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Approximately 553,200 jobs in Louisiana are supported by trade and, furthermore, $7.1 billion worth of total state exports are threatened by new tariffs.

Around $7 billion worth of total exports from Louisiana to China are threatened by new tariffs. To break this amount down, Louisiana produces and exports $5.6 billion worth of soybeans, $213 million worth of liquified natural gas and $101.4 worth of styrene, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally, about $87.4 million worth of total exports from Louisiana to the European Union are threatened by new tariffs. As Louisiana produces and exports $51.5 million worth of corn, $26.4 million worth of vegetables and $2.2 million worth of iron or steel, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
What are tariffs and how do they work?

A tariff is a tax on goods received or imported from another country, and tariffs typically make goods from other countries more expensive, which encourages consumers to buy goods made in their own country.

When goods are manufactured in another country and shipped to the U.S., the tariffs for those foreign goods can be lower for countries that have trade agreements with the U.S. and higher for those that do not.

Tariffs for the items are collected by Customs and Border Protection agents located at 328 different ports throughout the U.S. Then, money paid by U.S. companies goes to the U.S. Department of Treasury. From here, U.S. companies usually pass-on higher costs to customers in the form of higher prices.

Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: How will Trump's tariffs impact Louisiana? How would a trade war?

WHAT A MAROON

Trump: Co-hosting Football World Cup with Canada, Mexico amid trade war ‘makes it more exciting’

Clarissa-Jan Lim
Sat, March 8, 2025 


Donald Trump speaks alongside President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Gianni Infantino after unveiling the 2025 Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office on March 7, 2025.

President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again trade war with Canada and Mexico could create a politically awkward situation (to say the least) with the United States’ neighbors when the three countries co-host the FIFA World Cup next year. But Trump suggested that worsening relations between them could make the world’s biggest sporting event “much more exciting.”

“I think it’s going to make it more exciting,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday when asked about sharing hosting duties with Canada and Mexico, two of the United States’ largest trading partners, against whom he has repeatedly threatened tariffs.

“Tension is a good thing,” Trump added. “It makes it much more exciting.”

The president was joined at the White House by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to announce the creation of a task force on the international soccer tournament, which Trump will chair.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by three countries for the first time in the event’s history. Preparations for the games are expected to be a monumental coordination effort among the host countries.

“It’s a great honor for our country to have it. Actually, it’s a big deal,” Trump said, adding that he’d like to attend several matches.

Trump’s tariffs are expected to have a significant effect on U.S. consumers and businesses. And although his 2024 election win was in part buoyed by his promise to ease the cost of living crisis, Trump and his allies have been suggesting that Americans should expect some short-term economic pain ahead.

Trump’s return to the White House has increased geopolitical tensions, as he’s enacted sweeping changes to the United States’ international military and economic policies and upended decadeslong relationships with several close allies. Tensions between the U.S. and Canada, in particular, have manifested at recent sporting events, with Canadian fans booing the American national anthem at professional games after Trump suggested that Canada allow itself to be annexed.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com

Soccer-Trump says U.S. trade tensions with Mexico, Canada will make World Cup more exciting

Reuters
Sat, March 8, 2025 

(Reuters) - Political and economic tensions between the United States and its 2026 World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico will make the tournament more exciting, U.S. President Donald Trump said after signing an executive order to create a task force for the event.

Speaking in the Oval Office alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump said the task force, which he will chair, would co-ordinate with federal agencies in planning, organising and executing the 48-team global soccer tournament.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration imposed across-the-board 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico before announcing on Thursday a one-month reprieve for both countries on goods compliant under a North American trade pact.

When asked about the World Cup in light of the current trade tensions between the three nations, Trump said on Friday, "I think it's going to make it more exciting."

"Tension is a good thing, it makes it much more exciting."

The exemptions for the two largest U.S. trading partners, expire on April 2, when Trump has threatened to impose a global regime of reciprocal tariffs on all U.S. trading partners.

The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The expanded tournament will feature 104 matches instead of the previous 64 games, including an additional knockout round.

(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)