A-Tisket, a Tariff

What's Happening

Politics

A-Tisket, a Tariff 

What's going on: The Supreme Court took up its biggest economics case in years yesterday: President Donald Trump’s global tariffs. Since taking office, he’s hit more than 100 countries with levies, driving up prices on everything from blazers to bubbly. Trump maintains the tariffs will help fix the trade deficit and boost US manufacturing. But a dozen states and a group of small businesses sued, arguing the levies are basically taxes that “take dollars from Americans’ pockets.” Now, the justices are weighing whether Trump stretched his emergency powers too far, since taxes fall on Congress’s turf. Amid yesterday’s oral arguments, there was at least one sweet moment: A debate over pastries.

What it means: A ruling in favor of Trump could embolden future presidents to declare “emergencies” whenever they want to shake up trade. A ruling against him could finally set limits on what the White House can do solo. The Trump administration says it has the authority to enact sweeping tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. But liberal and some conservative justices sounded unconvinced. The timing of the ruling is unclear — it could take weeks or months, and may come before summer if the Court decides it's best to act quickly. 

Related: Traveling? The FAA Says 40 Airports Could See Reduced Air Traffic Starting Friday (AP)

International

Mexico's President Turns Assault Into a Call to Action

Disclaimer: This story contains mentions of assault and groping.

What's going on: A short, run-of-the-mill walk for Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, turned into an unsettling scene when a seemingly drunk man groped her in public and leaned in for a kiss — all caught on video. The clip has drawn attention to the daily harassment and assaults women face in Mexico and beyond. Yesterday, Sheinbaum announced she was pressing charges against the man, who was arrested. Sheinbaum said she felt a duty to speak out, especially at a time when sexual violence in the country largely goes unpunished. An estimated 91% of cases never lead to legal consequences, according to Bloomberg. She also called on Mexican states to reexamine their laws on assaults and harassment.

What it means: As Sheinbaum put it: “If this is done to the president, what is going to happen to all of the young women in our country?” In Mexico, violence against women has been on the rise in recent years. Nearly one out of every two women there has endured some form of sexual aggression, according to one Mexican report. The sexual harassment and assault rates in the US are also alarmingly high. The incident also sparked questions about Sheinbaum’s security, but she brushed them off, saying she won’t add protection or change how she interacts with people.

Related: An Exec Called Miss Mexico “Dumb” — Her Response Was Pure Perfection (USA Today)

Sports

This Wasn't in the Cord-Cutting Plan

What's going on: Sports fans got benched this week. Just as the NFL hits midseason and college hoops heat up, YouTube TV subscribers lost ESPN — and the spectrum of Disney-owned channels — at the end of October. The blackout wiped out a Cowboys–Cardinals Monday Night Football game and a full slate of college matchups. At the center of the battle is money. ESPN says it’s shelled out billions for sports rights. But YouTube TV, which now costs $80/month and has nearly 10 million subscribers, says it doesn’t want to pay the market rate.  Somewhere, your old cable box is laughing.

What it means: This isn’t just about ESPN going dark. It’s a preview of the next era of streaming standoffs. Tech giants like Google (YouTube’s business daddy) don’t follow old-school TV rules, and they can afford to wait out a fight. Disney needs reach. YouTube TV has it. Fans? We keep paying more for less — juggling passwords, losing patience, and enduring costs just to enjoy watching our favorite team. It’s a master class in modern streaming grief. Especially if, after all that, your team still blows the lead.

Related: The Price of Admission to This NBA Season Is… Yikes (NYT)

Highlight Reel

BY SKIMM SPORTS

The week's sports news and culture stories, ranked.

Hang it in the Louvre: Forget Hinge, this New York City Marathon sign was the boldest dating strategy we’ve seen all year. Honestly, we hope it worked.  

Kicking it: The bracket for the NWSL playoffs is set, and the path to glory looks wildly unpredictable. 

Horse girls, rejoice: An equestrian brought “Pink Pony Club” to real life at the National Horse Show. And she won $5K.

On Our Calendar

A few things to jot down today…

🗓️ Alex Rodriguez launches a brand new docu-series. 

🗓️  What is this feeling? It’s the anticipation of the Wicked special.

🗓️  Katy Perry drops her new song, “Bandaids.”

Psst…For more dates worth knowing this week, check out the Skimm+ calendar.

Settle This

Forget politics — this is the real seasonal divide. What is the true flavor of fall?

Game Time

Brick Breaker meets word search in Spelltower, your new favorite game. For every word you find, letter tiles disappear. The fewer tiles left when you run out of words, the better your score. Try it.