Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 - Trump talks DOGE & Mars; Markets crash; SCOTUS weakens water protections; BlackRock buys Panama ports

Today’s Headlines: Trump’s first joint address to Congress touched on immigration, DOGE, Mars, and a new Office of Shipbuilding. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Zelensky called Friday’s Oval Office meeting “regrettable” and pushed for future cooperation. Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China took effect, sending markets tumbling nearly 700 points. Canada and Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted at potential tariff relief soon. The administration is walking back mass federal firings after a judge ruled them likely illegal, giving agencies until September to finalize terminations. Republicans in Congress were advised to avoid in-person town halls after viral confrontations. The Supreme Court weakened the Clean Water Act, making it easier for companies to discharge raw sewage into waterways. Meanwhile, a BlackRock-led group bought majority stakes in key Panama Canal ports, taking control from a Hong Kong-based firm. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNN: Zelensky describes Oval Office meeting as ‘regrettable,’ says he is ready to negotiate peace  WSJ: Trump's Tariffs on Canada and Mexico Take Effect, With Added Duties on China BNN Bloomberg: Trump Mulling Canada, Mexico Tariff Compromise, Lutnick Says  Huffpost: Trump Abruptly Walks Back His Directive To Fire Thousands Of Federal Employees NBC News: Republicans advised to avoid in-person town halls after confrontations over layoffs go viral The Guardian: US supreme court weakens rules on discharge of raw sewage into water supplies  WSJ: BlackRock Strikes Deal for Panama Ports After U.S. Pressure Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices