North American Trade War Averted, For Now
Plus: USAID headquarters closed as Trump and Musk move to shut down agency
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Good morning,
On the heels of her big Grammy wins, Beyoncé announced her 2025 "Cowboy Carter" tour dates.
The tour: The 22-date stadium tour kicks off in Los Angeles on April 28 and wraps up in Atlanta on July 11.
General-sale ticket sales will start Feb. 14 at beyonce.com.
Music’s biggest night: On Sunday night Queen Bey became the first Black female artist to win Best Country Album (we love her reaction). She also took home Album of the Year for the first time.
With 35 wins and 99 nominations, she is the most-awarded and most-nominated artist in Grammy history.
Last year, her husband Jay-Z called out the Grammys for never awarding Beyoncé Album of the Year, despite all her wins and nominations. Do you think that had anything to do with this year’s results?
TBH, we forgot how good this album is 🎶
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
🌙 STRUGGLING TO GET QUALITY SHUT EYE? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BEAN DREAM
We’ve all been there: one night of bad sleep can leave you cranky and exhausted. Over time, poor rest can take a toll, leading to weakened immunity, trouble concentrating, and even increased risk of high blood pressure. But there’s good news for tossers and turners: Beam Dream is here to help!
What is Beam Dream? A delicious nighttime drink crafted with natural sleep-promoting ingredients to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. A clinical study revealed Dream helped 93% of users get a more restful night’s sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed.
Packed with five natural sleep-promoting ingredients (CBD, reishi, magnesium, L-theanine, and melatonin), zero added sugar, and only 15 calories, Beam has what you need to avoid sleepy side effects.
Simply sip 30 minutes before bed, then drift into your deepest night’s sleep.
And now, Beam’s best-selling Brownie Batter flavor is back! This fan favorite has sold out three times, so don’t miss your chance to try it. Use code MONEWS at checkout to get up to 40% off and discover how better sleep can transform your day.
📌 CANADA & MEXICO AVOID U.S. TARIFFS, WHILE CHINA LEVIES GO INTO EFFECT
President Trump’s tariff order took effect just after midnight, but – as of yesterday – it only applies to China. Mexico and Canada both brokered last-minute deals to avoid steep levies… for at least 30 days.
Trump said this weekend that he would impose steep 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with 10% tariffs on China, if those countries did not crack down on illegal immigration and end fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. In agreements with Mexico and Canada, the two countries have agreed to take measures to secure their borders — concessions that signal to Trump that his tariff threat strategy is working.
TRUMP’S NEIGHBORLY HANDSHAKES
On Monday morning, Trump agreed to “immediately pause” tariffs on Mexico for a month, after a discussion with the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum. On Truth Social, Trump called it a “friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States.”
On the other side, the U.S. will be expected to prevent weapons trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico.
While the two leaders spoke of a month-long pause, Sheinbaum said, “I am sure that in this month we are going to give good results,” signaling hopes for the deal to last longer.
Hours later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a similar one-month extension, after agreeing to several measures regarding fentanyl, border security.
Trudeau said Canada will implement the $1.3 billion border plan (originally announced in December) – including new helicopters, technology, and 10,000 personnel at the border. He also announced the appointment of a Fentanyl Czar, who will help launch a joint US-Canada strike force to combat organized crime, as well as fentanyl and money laundering.
📲 Over on the Mo News Instagram page, Canadians are voicing frustration with the deal, saying they are disillusioned with the games and might still boycott American products.
Responses to Mo News’s IG on how Canadians are feeling post-deal.
WHAT ABOUT CHINA?
China still faces tariffs — though at a lower rate of 10%.
Beijing is reportedly drafting a proposal for Trump that involves reviving a dead deal from Trump’s first presidency, called "Phase One.”
Under this agreement, China would increase its purchases of American goods and services by $200 billion over two years and boost investment in the U.S.
Additionally, China has indicated it may adopt a more flexible approach in negotiations over TikTok.
It’s not clear if either of those ideas would go over well with China-hawk Republicans.
📌 ELON MUSK’S LIGHTNING MOVE TO CLOSE USAID — WHAT’S NEXT?
The headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were closed to employees Monday, after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Trump had agreed they should close the agency and fold it into the State Department.
On X, Musk announced Trump's support for shutting down USAID, the world’s largest food assistance provider, saying the agency “is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”
USAID’s website and social media accounts have gone dark, now reduced to a page on the State Department’s website.
FUTURE OF USAID
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that he is now acting head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The move suggests USAID will likely fold into the State Department, as Trump has proposed for years.
Speaking to reporters in El Salvador, Rubio confirmed his new role and criticized USAID for failing to prioritize U.S. national interests.
Rubio said, “I'm very troubled by these reports that they've been unwilling to cooperate with people who are asking simple questions about what does this program do, who gets the money, who are our contractors, who's funded. And that sort of level of insubordination makes it impossible to conduct a sort of mature and serious review that I think foreign aid writ large should have.”
Trump claimed Sunday that it is “run by a bunch of radical lunatics.”
Rubio clarified that the move isn’t about ending all USAID programs, but aligning the organization’s work with the goals of the current administration. However, there is a freeze on nearly all its aid work that has employees warning of life/death ramifications. While Congress has the legal authority to end a government agency, it appears the Trump administration has attempted to find a loophole here by gutting the agency and folding it into another department. Still, there will be lawsuits and questions on Capitol Hill.
PROS & CONS
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused USAID of spending millions on D.E.I. programs abroad.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce posted a thread on X (above) highlighting what she called "unjustified" foreign aid spending. Her examples included: $600,000 for family planning in Latin America; $16 million in gender development offices; and $102 million to a contractor in Gaza, allegedly including funding for contraception.
🚨 Since the USAID website is down, verifying these claims is difficult, though some have already been debunked – including the claim that USAID sent millions of dollars worth of condoms to Gaza.
While $8 million from the 2023 budget was allocated to purchasing condoms, none of that funding was used in Gaza.
But there are examples of misuse: A Syrian national was charged with redirecting $9 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to a terrorist organization affiliated with Al-Qaida.
Supporters of USAID emphasize that U.S. foreign assistance is a key tool in countering the growing global influence of Russia and China.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is a massive Chinese-led infrastructure project that pours billions of dollars into member nations and is expected to expand Beijing's global power.
They also say that ending or pausing these programs will cause “irreparable harm” to people suffering around the world.
Programs already frozen or folded: The National Malaria Control Program suspended spraying insecticide in villages in Uganda; life-threatening medication for pregnant women and children have not been able to reach villages in Zambia because they were driven there on USAID trucks; and clinical trials in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America have been halted mid-treatment.
DEMOCRATS REACT
Democratic lawmakers opposing the Trump administration’s actions gathered outside its Washington headquarters Monday to declare their opposition to the closure.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) stated that Congress would fight what he called Musk’s attempts to override congressional authority: “You don’t control the money of the American people. The United States Congress does,” he said.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) declared he would place a “blanket hold” on all Trump State Department nominees until the administration ceases its actions against USAID.
Charting overall U.S. foreign aid for 2023.
BIG PICTURE
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 funds USAID programs focused on global health and alleviating poverty. In the 2023 fiscal year, the U.S. government spent about $68 billion of foreign aid — roughly $44 billion of that was disbursed across 160 countries through USAID. In total, the U.S. spends less than 1% of its federal budget on foreign aid — a smaller percentage than the average wealthy nation.
Ukraine received most U.S. aid in 2023, with over $16 billion issued. Ethiopia and Jordan each received over $1 billion.
By law, a U.S. government agency needs to administer overseas spending — it’s unclear if those decisions will now fall under the State Department, or if that’s even legal without Congress’s approval.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 American Airlines engine and fuselage lifted from Potomac in effort to recover all victims of D.C. midair collision (NBC)
📌 FBI agents group tells Congress to take urgent action to protect against politicization (FOX)
📌 Judge maintains block on Trump administration's funding freeze (CBS)
📌 Finance Committee to vote on RFK Jr. Tuesday — who to watch (POLITICO)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Trump has a deal for Netanyahu when they meet Tuesday. Will he take it? (NPR)
📌 Emergency crews deployed on Santorini as an earthquake swarm worries Greek experts (AP)
📌 Car bomb blast in northern Syria kills at least 20 (BBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Scott Bessent, who was confirmed as Treasury secretary last week, has been named acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — orders staff to halt work (NPR)
📌 State Farm seeks an emergency insurance rate increase after LA wildfires (CNN)
📌 Bird flu crisis enters new phase (AXIOS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni muzzled by judge in heated sexual harassment battle (FOX)
📌 ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ reboot starring Sarah Michelle Gellar nears Hulu pilot order with Chloé Zhao directing (DEADLINE)
📌 2025 Super Bowl ads you can watch now (AXIOS)