Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings

Up First from NPR

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4.5 • 52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 April 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

Steep new tariffs are set to take effect at midnight on nearly everything the U.S. imports. Big businesses are losing market value and small businesses feel like they're caught in the middle of something they can't control. And, a number of National Security Council staffers have been fired after President Trump met with a far-right activist.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	President Trump's tariffs on nearly all imported goods will go into effect at midnight.
0:07.8	This is the reordering of global trade.
0:11.2	Will the U.S. come out ahead or fall behind?
0:13.9	I'm Lela Faldi.
0:14.9	That's Michelle Martin, and this is up first from NPR News.
0:21.3	Small business owners are reacting to the magnitude of the White House's new tariffs.
0:26.6	I had to come up with $15,000 of extra cash to release my goods just this last month.
0:31.5	How are they thinking about their future?
0:33.1	And several National Security Council staffers have been fired following a meeting
0:37.4	between President Trump and far-right activist Laura Lumer.
0:40.6	Always, we'll let go of people, people that we don't like, or people that we don't think you do the job.
0:48.8	Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
0:58.4	Music news you need to start your day. You have your job, but you also have a life, and you're not just one thing.
1:03.6	Neither is the Here and Now Anytime podcast. Every weekday, we break down the biggest story
1:08.8	of the day and something else, like a new trend
1:11.5	everyone's talking about. It's here and now anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBR.
1:22.2	Over 70% of us say that we feel spiritual, but that doesn't mean we're going to church.
1:29.2	Nope, the girls are doing Reiki. The bros are doing psychedelics, and a whole lot of us are turning
1:35.2	inward to manifest our best selves. On It's Been a Minute from NPR, I'm looking at why maybe you
1:41.5	and your closest friends are buying into wellness for spirituality.
1:45.6	That's on the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR.
1:48.7	From Wall Street to Main Street, businesses are reeling from President Trump's expanded trade war.
	...

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