GEOFF BENNETT:
Meantime, there’s been more global reaction to President Trump’s tariffs today. Mexico’s president said her country could look for other trading partners, if necessary.
And China’s embassy to the U.S. posted on social media that: “If the U.S. wants a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight until the end.”
Severe weather is battering a large chunk of the country. Powerful storms killed at least three people in Mississippi, while other states are experiencing high winds, downpours, and blizzard conditions. In Iowa, wind and snow caused whiteout conditions this morning, stranding vehicles on highways. State troopers warned residents to stay home.
On the East Coast, officials in North Carolina assessed damage on the ground from a possible tornado. In Oklahoma, residents of a small town have been cleaning up from a storm that blasted through windows and tore apart buildings, while, in California, forecasters are expecting rain and mountain snow through Friday.
Los Angeles County is suing Southern California Edison, saying the utility’s equipment caused January’s deadly Eaton Fire. The lawsuit seeks to recover costs and damages caused by the blaze, saying the fire massively impacted the county’s natural resources, harmed the environment and wildlife, and threatened public health.
The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 17 people in the Altadena area. Edison says it is reviewing the case and will respond through the appropriate legal process.
The Justice Department charged 12 Chinese hackers and law enforcement officers today in what they’re calling a global hacking campaign. U.S. officials say the malicious cyber actors targeted dissidents, news organizations, and U.S. agencies. That includes the Treasury Department, which was compromised late last year. The DOJ says that, in some instances, the hacking was done at the direction of China’s Ministry of Public Security.
On Wall Street today, stocks rebounded from recent losses amid hopes for more tariff concessions. The Dow Jones industrial average gained nearly 500 points on the day. The Nasdaq added more than 260 points. The S&P 500 also ended firmly in positive territory.
Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner has died. Turner spent 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives before serving as Houston’s mayor from 2016 to 2024. He was elected this past November to the congressional seat long held by the late Sheila Jackson Lee. Turner took office two months ago and just last night attended President Trump’s address to Congress.
In 2022, he announced that he had undergone treatment for bone cancer and last year said he was cancer-free. Sylvester Turner was 70 years old.
And, finally, NBA superstar LeBron James is finding new milestones to hit.
