February 08, 2025 | Read Online

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Good morning. America's use of tariffs as carrots and sticks has left allies and adversaries unsure of what's coming next. But one thing is certain: the late 20th/early 21st century free trade obsession is dead and buried. Plus, we look into Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first trip abroad.

Mentioned in this edition: Donald Trump, JD Vance, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Megyn Kelly, Shigeru Ishiba, Bart De Wever, Nigel Farage, Giorgia Meloni, Marco Rubio, Javier Milei, Nayib Bukele, Nicolás Maduro, José Raúl Mulino, the French prime minister, the Colombian president, Rwandan and Mexican troops, and more.

Have tips? Send them to me at ari@upward.news

🔎 WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

1. 🇺🇸 America sanctioned the International Criminal Court. In an executive order, President Donald Trump banned individuals who work at or aid the ICC in investigating America or its allies — including Israel — from entering the United States; the travel ban also extends to their family members and freezes their financial transactions. The order mirrors a bill that was stalled by Senate Democrats.

2. 🇮🇷 Trump wants a nuclear peace deal with Iran. Although he left the details vague, Trump's call for a deal is whiplash from his first term, in which he ended Obama's Iran Deal. After a year in which its proxies across the Middle East have been decimated, Iran may feel that it cannot pass up an opportunity to strike a deal with the United States, and the Iranian president argued that his country did not seek nuclear weapons.

3. 🇯🇵 The Japanese prime minister announced massive US investment. In a meeting with President Trump at the White House, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced that Japan would double its defense spending by 2027, that his Nippon Steel would invest in US Steel rather than seek to buy it outright, and that Japan would invest up to $1 trillion in America. Trump announced he had approved $1 billion in weapons sales to Japan.

4. 🇧🇪 Belgium swore in its most right-wing leader ever. Bart De Wever, who was sworn in as prime minister after close to a year of negotiations with other parties, is a Flemish nationalist who believes that the northern, Flemish-speaking part of the country should separate from the poorer, French-speaking south. His rise to power marks yet another progressive European country turning to right-wing populism.

🇪🇺 EUROPE

The United Kingdom expelled a Russian diplomat, accusing him of being a spy.
Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party led in their first national poll.
France's prime minister survived two no-confidence votes after the populist right decided to abstain.
The International Criminal Court is investigating Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's decision to release a Libyan warlord they had wanted detained.
A Greek region declared a state of emergency after days of small earthquakes, with officials fearing the potential for a tsunami.

🌏 ASIA-PACIFIC

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Mentioned behind the paywall: A Chinese complaint, a new Australian law, and a crucial Philippine vote.

🐪 MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

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Mentioned behind the paywall: An Israeli departure, Rwandan troops, Marco Rubio skipping a summit, and President Trump freezing aid.

🚢 THE AMERICAS

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Mentioned behind the paywall: Javier Milei, the World Health Organization, Mexican troops, Nicolás Maduro, a US seizure, and legalizing cocaine.

Here's what Marco Rubio accomplished on his Latin American excursion

What's happening: Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently traveled to five countries — Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic — on his first foreign trip as a member of the Trump administration…

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Trump shuns global free trade for American protectionism

What's happening: President Donald Trump delayed tariffs on Canada and Mexico after both agreed to negotiate on border security and other issues. 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods went forward, and tariffs on the European Union also may be imminent…

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Today's newsletter was written by Anthony Constantini, Brandon Goldman, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won't find in the mainstream media.