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Trump Plays Hardball With Colombia

Trump Plays Hardball With Colombia

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
January 27, 2025

Good Monday morning! It has already snowed in all 50 states this year. Have a great start to your week!

In Today’s Brief

South Carolina: Monkeys secured
South Korea: President indicted
Inspectors General: Mass firings
TikTok: Oracle speculation
Australian Open: Big upset

... and more

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Top Tips

1) International incident

President Donald Trump sparked -- and then quickly won -- an unexpected diplomatic confrontation with a South American ally.

What happened: Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to allow two U.S. military planes carrying deported migrants to land in his country. Trump then said he was slapping an emergency 25% tariff on all Colombia imports into the country (and it would go to 50% in a week), as well as issuing a travel ban for Colombian nationals and revoking visas for Colombian officials. Petro then countered with his own 25% tariff on U.S. goods entering his country as the leaders exchanged salvos on social media.
The backpedal: Petro caved to Trump within hours. He offered to send his presidential plane to collect the deported migrants and bring them to Colombia, claiming his issue was with how the U.S. was treating the migrants, not in accepting their return. Colombia then agreed to “unrestricted acceptance” of migrants, including via military flight, and Trump called off the tariffs. But the other sanctions remain in place until the next U.S. flight reaches Colombia. Trump also said he will reinstate the tariffs if Petro does not follow through.
Key context: Colombia has reportedly accepted migrant repatriation flights on a regular basis and had approved the two flights in question. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio said authorization was abruptly canceled by Petro with the flights about to land. The tariffs would have had a significant economic impact for both nations if actually carried out.
Big picture: The brouhaha is the latest example of Trump's determination to carry out the immigration crackdown he campaigned on — and an early validation of his ruthless negotiating tactics. But a follow-through on the tariff threats (or further escalation) could have significant diplomatic impact. Colombia is currently dealing with a domestic crisis involving rebel violence and any economic pain could push a reliable American ally in the region closer to China.

2) New assessment

The CIA now believes the coronavirus pandemic was likely the result of a laboratory leak.

What happened: The agency said it has concluded a "research-related origin" is more likely than a natural origin based on the totality of evidence. But the determination the virus leaked from a Chinese lab remains a "low confidence" conclusion.
Key context: The finding is not the result of new intelligence. The agency produced the report at the direction of former President Joe Biden's administration. But new CIA Director John Ratcliffe ordered the information declassified after being approved by the Senate last week. The agency had no public stance on the matter beforehand.
Big picture: There is no consensus on the cause of Covid-19, but the theory it was somehow leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology has shifted from highly controversial to mainstream in the last five years. Most experts say the lack of Chinese cooperation will likely prevent a definitive answer from ever being reached. The CIA disclosure comes at a time where some in the Trump Administration, including Ratcliffe, have expressed a desire to hold Beijing more accountable on several fronts.

3) Historic rematch

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

Run it back: It is the second time in three seasons the teams will meet in the game. Kansas City, the two-time reigning world champion, has opened as an early 1.5-point betting favorite ahead of kickoff on Feb. 9 at the Superdome (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox).
Triple glory: The Chiefs are seeking to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls and the NFL's first three-peat champion since the Green Bay Packers in 1965-67 (the Super Bowl era started in 1966). The Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02) were the last three-peat champion in the four major professional sports.
How they got here: The Eagles dismantled the Washington Commanders, 55-23, in the NFC Championship Game. The Chiefs rallied to defeat the Buffalo Bills, 32-29, in the AFC title game.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

A South Carolina medical facility said it has recaptured all 43 monkeys that escaped in November. Authorities said the last four primates were recently lured back with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (More)
The founder of a California startup is accused of a $60M fraud against investors over a six-year period. His wife also faces federal charges in the alleged scheme; prosecutors said they claimed their artificial intelligence firm had business with sports leagues and major companies (More)
Police in Hawaii arrested two people in connection with a fatal New Year's fireworks explosion. At least three people died and two were injured; Honolulu cops said they expect to file more charges against other individuals (More)

World News

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted on insurrection charges. He remains suspended from office following his failed martial law decree; he is the nation's first leader to face criminal charges (More)
President Trump said he wants to "clean out" Gaza and see Egypt and Jordan accept Palestinian refugees. Those nations immediately rejected the proposal; the U.S. has frozen all foreign aid except military aid for Egypt and Israel (More | More)
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko won his seventh term in an election condemned internationally as a sham. The strongman suppressed dissent and saw no serious challenge after protests following the 2020 vote marked the most significant challenge to his 30-year rule (More)

Political News

President Trump fired over a dozen inspectors general overseeing various government agencies. The watchdogs were reportedly terminated immediately, which violates federal law; presidents must give Congress at least 30 days notice before sacking IGs (More)
Trump is expected to address a joint session of Congress on March 4. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has formally invited the president; the speech would not be considered a State of the Union, but would be handled in a similar manner (More)
Pete Hegseth was confirmed as Secretary of Defense. Vice President J.D. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate to approve the controversial former Fox News host, 51-50 (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed lower on Friday, all experiencing slight dips. The markets nonetheless posted a second consecutive winning week (Dow -0.32%, Nasdaq -0.50%, S&P 500 -0.29%).
President Trump said he was in talks with several potential TikTok buyers and expects a resolution within 30 days. Oracle, which provides the bulk of the social media platform's infrastructure, could reportedly be a key component of any deal with Chinese parent company ByteDance (More)
Diageo said it has no plans to sell Guinness. A report said the spirits maker was shopping the beer brand, which could be worth more than $10B; the company also intends to maintain its stake in Moet Hennessy (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Madison Keys won the Australian Open women's title, upsetting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Jannik Senner captured his second straight men's title to close out the major tennis tournament (More | More)
Paramount Global has received a last-minute $13.5B takeover bid from a consortium of investors. Project Rise Partners says its offer is superior to the $8B agreement the media giant has with Skydance Media and RedBird Capital Partners (More)
Anthony "DJ Unk" Platt died at 43. The cause of death was not announced; the Atlanta-based rapper was known for hits Walk It Out and 2 Step (More)

Quick Hitters

Feel Good: An Irish man found an abandoned egg while walking in England. He picked it up and brought it home, starting an incredible journey that feels like a real-life Disney movie.
History Lesson: President Trump's inaugural celebrations returned the Village People and YMCA to the spotlight. Here is a thorough look at the disco classic's colorful and complicated legacy.
Go Deep: Everyone has heard of the jet stream. This report explains in detail how the phenomenon can help a commercial airline fly over 800 MPH under the right conditions.
New Idea: Surgeons in England performed a groundbreaking procedure, going through a patient's eyelid to treat a brain tumor. The belief is the technique could address otherwise inoperable masses.
Love Hack: If you are planning a second date, here is a compelling case for heading to IKEA. It's dinner and an activity!

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