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Trump Slaps Terror Tag On Mexican Cartels

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
February 20, 2025

Good Thursday morning. A British burglar was foiled by a Home Alone-style bucket trap planted by a homeowner after a rash of nearby break-ins. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

  • Texas: Attack foiled

  • Trump: Blasts Zelensky

  • Adams: No decision

  • JetBlue: In talks

  • NFL: Salary cap

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Taking aim

The State Department will take a significant and promised step.

  • The news: Several Mexican drug cartels will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations today in the Federal Register. The MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gangs will also receive the designation. President Donald Trump pledged the moves during his re-election campaign and has called for a war against the groups amid the fentanyl crisis.

  • The impact: U.S. officials can levy financial sanctions against the groups and others linked to them. Cartel and gang members can also face immigration restrictions. The order could also open the door to military action against the groups, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio has somewhat downplayed the possibility.

  • Big picture: Mexican officials have vehemently criticized the prospect of an American strike on a cartel inside their territory. They have vowed increased cooperation against the groups, including recent U.S. surveillance flights along the border region. The order could complicate relations with other nations like El Salvador, which has worked with Trump's administration on migration issues but is also alleged to have governmental ties to gangs.

2) Not ready

The U.S. is about to become the center of international sport -- and there are concerns.

  • Catch up: The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics will be in Los Angeles. The U.S. will also host the 2031 Men's Rugby World Cup, the 2032 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the 2033 Women's World Cup.

  • The news: A travel industry nonprofit group expressed alarm about the fitness of the American travel system to handle the influx of international visitors these events will bring, specifically next year's World Cup and the Los Angeles Games. A U.S. Travel Association report claims that the main issues are aging infrastructure, old security technology, and slow visa processing.

  • The numbers: A report estimated 40M people may visit the U.S. for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics, next year's semiquincentennial celebration and this year's Ryder Cup in New York. It also projects TSA will need to process 3M travelers on 100 days in 2028 after doing so on just five last year. The various hiccups could add up to cost the U.S. economy $19B, the group said.

3) Deep find

An Egyptian pharaoh's tomb was unearthed for the first time in over a century.

  • The news: British and Egyptian archeologists found King Thutmose II's tomb near the city of Luxor. Researchers believed the tomb was located about a mile away, but they stumbled upon it in an area believed to be the resting place of royal women.

  • Long time: This is the final undiscovered tomb of the 18th Egyptian dynasty and the first newly-located tomb since Tutankhamun (King Tut) was found in 1922.

  • More details: Thutmose II's mummified remains were found centuries ago, but his original burial site had remained a mystery. Researchers believe the body was moved after heavy flooding; the ensuing damage inside the crypt assisted with the identification process. It also suggests there may be a second tomb elsewhere.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • The FBI and Texas police said they thwarted a mass shooting plot at a Houston area high school. Two female students were arrested after a social media threat; they also allegedly planned to set off pipe bombs (More)

  • The Transportation Department revoked approval for New York City's congestion pricing program. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the city would sue the federal government; President Trump declared he "saved" the Big Apple with the move and referred to himself as a king (More)

  • Two small airplanes collided midair in Arizona, killing at least two people. The status of two other occupants was unknown; the incident happened at a small airport outside of Tucson that does not have air traffic control (More)

World News

  • President Trump repeatedly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" after Zelensky alleged the president operates in a Russian "disinformation space." French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit the White House next week as tensions rise in Europe (More)

  • Global glacier melt has accelerated more than 30% in the last decade. A new study found sea levels may rise even higher than current projections due to faster-than-expected melting rates in coming years; freshwater supplies will also be impacted (More)

  • South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's criminal insurrection trial begins today. He was impeached and suspended last December after his failed martial law decree; the nation's Constitutional Court has yet to decide on a formal removal from office (More)

Political News

  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams' federal corruption charges remain in limbo. U.S. District Judge Dale Ho delayed his decision on allowing the Justice Department's dismissal request; Adams' attorney denied the mayor made a quid pro quo to support President Trump's immigration policies in return (More)

  • Trump endorsed House Republicans' proposed single-bill budget plan over the one drawn up by the Senate GOP. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said his caucus will still move forward with its two-bill approach; the government has a March 14 funding deadline approaching (More | More)

  • Arizona Gov. Katie Hobb vetoed a bill to expedite vote counting in the state. The Democrat said the law pushing up early balloting deadlines would make it harder for people to vote; Arizona was one of the last states to complete tallying last November (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed higher yesterday. The S&P 500 hit an all-time high and notched a record close for the second straight day (Dow +0.16%, Nasdaq +0.07%, S&P 500 +0.24%).

  • JetBlue Airways is in talks with "multiple airlines" about a new partnership. The airline had two tie-ups blocked by federal regulators in recent years; it tried to partner with American Airlines on Northeast flights in 2023 and made a bid to acquire Spirit Airlines last year (More)

  • Federal Reserve members have concerns about President Trump's economic policies. Tariffs could raise prices and"hinder the disinflation process," according to the central bank's January meeting minutes (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • The NFL salary cap will reportedly fall between $277.5M and $281.5M next season. The projection is higher than expected and will be finalized before free agency opens next month; last year's spending limit was $255.4M (More)

  • Cynthia Erivo will host the Tony Awards in June. The Wicked star takes over from Ariana DeBose, who hosted the last three events; a Best Actress victory at next month's Academy Awards would make the British performer the 22nd competitive EGOT winner in history (More)

  • Canada and the U.S. will meet in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off final tonight in Boston (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Team USA defeated the Canadians earlier in the tournament with three fights in the game's first nine seconds (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Feel Good: She didn't speak any English. He only knew a few German words. And they just celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary.

  • Big Surprise: An intern at a historic film archive on Long Island was sifting through boxes for his boss when he made a stunning find -- a copy of a 1915 silent film about President Abraham Lincoln that was believed lost to time.

  • Deep Dive: IKEA -- yes, the Swedish furniture place -- recently conducted a global study about sleep. The findings were quite fascinating.

  • Go Green: A strawberry farm in Virginia can grow 4M pounds of produce on less than an acre of land using 90% less water than typical. The secret? Just look up.

  • Take Note: Protein intake is a frequent suggestion when it comes to building muscle or losing weight. Here is a close look at just how much you actually need to be healthier.

Easy ways to make everything more expensive.

Looking Ahead …

Elon Musk suggested U.S. citizens could receive $5K rebate checks if his Department of Government Efficiency manages to reach his goal of $2T in federal spending cuts. The billionaire said he would "check in" with President Trump. 

Question of the Day — Thursday Trivia

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