"Live from NPR News," I'm Lakshmi saying.
The United States and Canada are negotiating to finalize a trade agreement before new
“U.S. levies at about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods take effect at midnight.”
NPR's Emily Fang reports some American businesses are bracing for a hit to their bottom lines. Jeff Quinn is the owner of Cedar Ridge Distillery, which makes craft bourbon from Iowa corn.
He likes to say his business is the first legal distillery in Iowa.
Canada has been boycotting American liquor and Quincyne his sales to Canada plummet to zero. There is a lot of uncertainty about tariffs plus the future of a North American trade pact with Canada. "We want to know with as much certainty as possible what the rules are. What the rules are today what the rules are going to be next year too because this is
a long process." And the current uncertainty is making him pessimistic about ever reviving sales in Canada. Emily Fang and Pierre News. Meanwhile, President Trump says he will temporarily lower tariffs on ground beef imports for 90 days to lower the cost of meat.
“The federal government is out with a new plan that calls for a significant cuts to the”
amount of Colorado River water flowing to Arizona, California, and Nevada.
From Member Station KJZZ, Alex Heger reports the principal lower basin states will reign in demand by about 20%. The cutbacks will last through 2028. It's an attempt to prop up the nation's two largest reservoirs which both hit record low levels earlier this month.
The cuts could have been nearly double this amount, but the federal government negotiated with Arizona, California, and Nevada to soften the blow of water reductions. Cities in the Phoenix and Tucson areas will be the hardest hit, but most have robust backup plants to keep taps flowing normally. The upstream states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico will not have to take cut backs
under the new plant. That's after years of failed negotiations. Former officials said they want to keep working with states that use the river to come
“up with a consensus agreement for cutting back on demand.”
For NPR News, I'm Alex Heger, in Phoenix. National Weather Service confirms a tornado struck at Latin Beach on Long Island last night, local authorities say there were no reports of significant injuries. Medicare coverage could soon be coming to a Costco near you, and Pierce Chris and Wright has more on the pilot program.
Costco is partnering with a nonprofit health insurer called Scan to sell Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Supplement Plans for adults 65 and older. The plans will be offered in Costco stores, through insurance agents and online. Medicare Advantage and Supplemental Plans are run by private insurance companies, but some of them are dropping Medicare Advantage, leaving patients uncovered.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins estimate 3 million Americans will lose coverage this year as a
result. Costco was testing the program in three states, it hasn't said which ones or when. People won't need a Costco membership to sign up. Costco's plan still needs regulatory approval. That's Chris and Wright reporting, it's NPR News.
A Texas court has cut a $50 million judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones down to 1.5 million. He and his company free-speech system were found liable for damages for claiming the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax. Today's ruling does not affect a 1.25 billion dollar judgment against Jones and Connecticut with a massacre claim the lives of 21st graders and 6 educators.
FIFA has banned three Argentine players for striking their Spanish opponents who'd won the World Cup final. The punishment includes a 10 match suspension from mid-fielder lander parades. A legal battle is unfolding over who, if anyone, can own something called Italian brain rot and PRS Jeff Brumfield explains, "You may not have heard of Italian brain rot,
but the youth in your life probably half. AI generated characters like Tung Tung Tung to her. He looks like a stick with a face, arms, and legs, and kids love him." Tung Tung's popularity is now sparked a fight over who owns him. On one side is a company representing Tung's creator, their lawyer Steve Steinses.
This AI meme was made by a human. He created the character by drawing on inspiration from his life and culture. But the maker of a popular video game featuring Tung Tung disagrees. A turning Aaron Moss representing that side says, "Because Tung Tung and characters like him are AI generated, they're not owned by anybody."
It remains to be seen who will get a slice of the brain rot pie. Jeff Brumfield and PR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News This week on the MPR Politics podcast. The Trump administration is taking credit for a major drop in violent crime. Murder, robbery, assault, all-down in big cities and small towns.
We're going to dig into the numbers and unpack whether this is really as simple as the President claims it is on the MPR Politics podcast.
