Tariffs take effect Friday; Steve Witkoff in Israel

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Today’s top stories

A new set of higher tariffs, which the Trump administration believes will help usher in an economic boom, is expected to take effect this week. Recent economic data casts doubt on that outlook. Last week, the Labor Department reported that the job market weakened sharply during the late spring and early summer as President Trump’s tariffs began to take effect. Hours after the report, Trump made a social media post calling for the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, who releases the job reports.

• Job numbers are not the only statistic that is less than flattering, ‘s Scott Horsley tells Up First. Inflation is speeding up, and the overall economy is growing more slowly than in each of the last two years. Economists across the political spectrum have denounced Trump’s move to fire McEntarfer as something out of an authoritarian handbook.

Tariffs on imports from Mexico have been delayed for 90 days as trade negotiations continue. The president made the announcement after a “very successful” conversation Thursday with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

• In El Paso, Texas, as well as along other border communities, the two economies are functionally one that happens to be split by an international boundary line, says Angela Kocherga of network station KTEP. The big trade community includes manufacturing, supply chains, purchasing, logistics, trucking and warehousing. Mexican tariffs took effect for a day in April before being rolled back. Since then, companies along the border began to stockpile what they could on the U.S. side. With stockpiling comes warehousing costs, which can also impact companies.
• Here are five things to know about how Trump’s trade policies could impact the U.S. and the global economy.

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff visited Israel over the weekend, meeting with families of the hostages being held in Gaza. Witkoff informed them that Trump is working to reach a deal to help bring the hostages home. This comes a week after ceasefire talks stalled and many across the globe expressed outrage over mounting hunger in Gaza.

• Videos surfaced over the weekend showing two men who were kidnapped at the NOVA music festival. In the footage was an emaciated hostage who said he feared he was digging his own grave, according to ‘s Eleanor Beardsley. Last night, a person familiar with the details informed that among Israeli officials, there is an understanding that Hamas is uninterested in a deal and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for hostage release through military defeat. Hostage families have expressed that military action to free the hostages is a death sentence for them.

Today’s listen

Life advice

It can sometimes feel awkward to receive a compliment, and it may be difficult to accept one. Your reaction to compliments reveals a lot about your self-esteem and can also influence how the person giving the compliment feels. Social psychologist Erica Boothby and behavioral scientist Xuan Zhao break down the science of compliments and make the case for accepting the kind remarks about you.

• There can be a disconnect between how you see yourself and how others see you, which can make you feel uncomfortable. Those with high self-esteem have an easier time accepting compliments because they are consistent with how they view themselves.
• In some cultures, accepting a compliment can make you look boastful or overconfident.
• Declining a compliment can make the giver feel rejected. Try acknowledging the compliment and saying thank you.
• If you want to give others a great compliment, try being specific, sincere and sensitive.

3 things to know before you go

1. About 3,200 unionized workers at Boeing facilities in Missouri and Illinois have gone on strike today after failing to reach a labor contract agreement.
2. The Krasheninnikov Volcano in Russia began erupting early yesterday for the first time in centuries, just days after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the area.
3. Loni Anderson, known for playing the empowered receptionist at a struggling radio station on the hit TV comedy WKRP in Cincinnati, died yesterday, just days before her 80th birthday.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.