Learners Live

Just in Time? Manufacturers Turn to AI to Weather Tariff Storm by Mark Bendeich

Manufacturers are increasingly integrating AI into their supply chain operations to cope with volatile tariffs and unpredictable disruptions. AI tools help companies analyze news, assess risks and manage supplier relationships efficiently. Advanced AI agents sift through vast data, including real-time tariff updates and contract details, to suggest actionable plans. Such systems enhance supply chain resilience and enable leaner inventories, but industry experts emphasize that AI tools still require ongoing human oversight for strategic decisions. Just in time? Manufacturers turn to AI to weather tariff storm | Reuters

Trump Is Bringing In So Much Revenue From Tariffs That It’s Seriously Reducing The $37 Trillion National Debt by Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune

President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs are raking in unprecedented sums for the federal government—so much, in fact, that a top budget watchdog says the revenue rivals the impact of creating a brand-new payroll tax or slashing the entire military budget by nearly one-fifth. (These are rough estimates, to be sure, conveyed to communicate the magnitude of the tariffs, not precise contributions to the budget.) But can these massive cash flows, already topping tens of billions monthly, truly put a dent in America’s $37 trillion national debt? Actually, yes, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB).The D.C.-based think tank estimates the tariffs will bring in an estimated $1.3 trillion of net new revenue through the end of Trump’s current term and $2.8 trillion through 2034.  Trump is bringing in so much revenue from tariffs that it’s seriously reducing the $37 trillion national debt

Trump Announces ‘Massive’ Trade Deal with Japan with 15% Tariffs by Lim Hui Jie

President Donald Trump on Tuesday stateside announced that he had made the “largest Deal ever” with Japan, that involves “reciprocal” tariffs of 15% on the country’s exports to the U.S.

  • Trump said that Japan will invest $550 billion into the United States, adding that the U.S. will “receive 90% of the Profits.”
  • He also said Japan will “open their Country to Trade including Cars and Trucks, Rice and certain other Agricultural Products, and other things.”
  • The U.S. president added that the deal would also create “Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs.”  Trump announces ‘massive’ trade deal with Japan with 15% tariffs

New Trade Pacts Confirmed, Tariff Changes Delayed to Aug. 1

US negotiators have reached new trade agreements with several nations, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent each said Sunday, adding that President Donald Trump has moved the start date for all tariff changes from Wednesday to August 1 to provide additional negotiating time with more countries. Countries without a deal by then will see tariffs return to April 2 levels, Lutnick and Bessent said. Lutnick Says Trump’s Tariffs Will Take Effect on Aug. 1 – Bloomberg

How A Lighting Firm Is Quitting China for Cambodia

 Lucidity Lights, a maker of lamps and other lighting products, accelerated its production shift from China to Cambodia in response to rising tariffs and changing global trade dynamics. Company officials said trade policies in President Donald Trump’s first term served as a wake-up call to move production. Lucidity has now moved 70% of its manufacturing to Cambodia and plans to fully exit China. Until last year, his company’s products—lamps and other lighting goods sold to retailers including Walmart and Home Depot—had been made in China.The transition has allowed Lucidity to secure new retailer contracts and boost revenue this year despite ongoing logistical and supply chain challenges in Cambodia.  The Wall Street Journal

Trump Policies Will Cut Deficits Up to $11 Trillion, White House Economist Says by Skylar Woodhouse

President Donald Trump’s policies will reduce US fiscal deficits by up to $11 trillion over the coming decade, according to the White House’s chief economist Stephen Miran, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers— a projection that defies analysts who say government debt is poised to climb to record highs in coming years. About half the savings, or $3 trillion to $5 trillion, would come from faster economic growth — thanks to the pending Republican tax cut bill, along with deregulation efforts — Miran argued. He also cited a $3 trillion bump in revenues from Trump’s tariff hikes, referring reporters to the Congressional Budget Office’s recent calculation — which came in at $2.8 trillion. Reduced debt loads thanks in part to those savings will help to bring down the US Treasury’s interest costs by approximately $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion, he said.  “Those are very big numbers.”  Trump Policies Will Cut Deficits Up to $11 Trillion, White House Economist Says

Fed Leaves Key Rate Unchanged

The Federal Reserve kept its key rate unchanged Wednesdayas it waits for additional information on how tariffs and other potential disruptions will affect the economy this year. The Fed’s policymakers signaled they still expect to cut rates twice this year, even as they also project that President Donald Trump’s import duties will push inflation higher. The Fed expects the bump to inflation will be temporary, but they want to see more data to be sure. They also expect growth to slow and unemployment to edge up.  Fed Leaves Key Rate Unchanged – tEDmag

GM to invest $4 Billion to Shift Some Production from Mexico to the US

Shares of General Motors rose before the opening bell after announcing plans to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to U.S. manufacturing plants as the automaker navigates tariffs that could drive prices higher. President Trump signed executive orders in April, relaxing some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers. GM said late Tuesday that the investment will be made over the next two years and is for its gas and electric vehicles.  GM to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to the US | AP News

Trump Says China Trade, Tariff Deal ‘Done,’ Awaits His and Xi Jinping’s Approval

President Trump on Wednesday announced that the deal with China “is done,” and is awaiting his and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s approval. ,” Trump postedon Truth Social.  “OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!” Trump says China trade, tariff deal ‘done,’ awaits his and Xi Jinping’s approval | Just The News

Name, Image Likeness (NIL) – NIL legislation has transformed the college sports landscape. The Supreme Court, NCAA, and student-athletes all played a role in the new compensation rules. NCAA long argued that amateurs are understood as those who do not profit off of their athletic performance and college sports fans and consumers demanded amateur play on the collegiate level. That argument was denied by the Supreme Court. Student-athletes can now be paid for their autograph, developing their own merchandise, promoting products or services, and event appearances due to their personal celebrity. Now, athletes are starting their own brands, endorsing brands, and becoming their own brands. While the Supreme Court and NCAA passed Name, Image, and Likeness into affect, schools still have their own specificities around the new rule. One of the most important hurdles for student-athletes now is to use these guidelines properly. That is to say athletes must understand how the state they play in or school they attend may affect the way they can utilize now-legal NIL rules. Rules on school logo restrictions, what products may or may not be sponsored, as well as other guidelines, differ from state and school. Athletes are also expected to inform universities of NIL deals and contracts they decide to engage in. Social media and personal branding are now more important than ever. And this is just the beginning.