The Daily Populous

Thursday July 10th, 2025 morning edition

image for Brazil will respond to Trump's 50% tariff with 'reciprocity,' says da Silva

Trump said Wednesday the U.S. will impose the tariff on imports from Brazil starting Aug. 1, partly in retaliation for the ongoing prosecution of the country's former president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Trump said in a letter that the new tariff — a massive jump from the 10% rate the U.S. imposed on imports from Brazil in early April — is also a response to the "very unfair trade relationship" between the two countries.

Trump also claimed that Brazil's trade policies have caused "unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States," which threaten the U.S. economy and national security.

But the United States has a goods trade surplus with Brazil, which totaled $7.4 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Da Silva called out Trump's false allegation of a trade deficit in his response, citing U.S. government figures.

Trump also wrote that the United States is launching an investigation into potential unfair trade practices by Brazil.

Portions of the letter to Lula match the verbiage of the 21 tariff letters that Trump has sent to other world leaders since Monday. »

Forced participation in religious activities to be classified as child abuse in Japan

Authored by straitstimes.com

- New health ministry guidelines in Japan will classify as abuse any acts by members of religious groups who threaten or force their children to participate in religious activities, or that hinder a child’s career path based on religious doctrine.

Children of religious groups’ followers have criticised the authorities’ handling of this issue in the past.

In October, the ministry told local governments not to make perfunctory responses simply because a problem is religious in nature. »

Court Bends Space-Time Continuum to Shield Police From Liability

Authored by slate.com

The police arrested Scott anyway and hauled him to jail, where detention officers strip-searched him and held him overnight.

Scott spent the next seven years trying to hold the police accountable in civil court.

But Anthony Novak got the opposite result when he made fun of the police department in Parma, Ohio. »

The Lesson of Israel’s Success in the Air

Authored by theatlantic.com

Air strikes by Israel against Iranian targets in April 2024 likely helped locate and damage Iran’s air defenses.

Given Iran’s weak air force, old airplanes, and poorly trained pilots, Israeli aircraft didn’t face much danger of being challenged in the air.

The air cap that Israel put in place is too expensive for its relatively small air force to maintain for long. »