The Supreme Court Casts a Skeptical Eye on Trump’s Tariffs

Briefing|The Supreme Court Casts a Skeptical Eye on Trump’s Tariffs

A majority of the justices on the Supreme Court suggested during a hearing today that President Trump might have exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs this year on imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner.

The outcome of the case, which could be decided within weeks or months, has immense implications: Just under half of all goods that enter the U.S. are now subject to steep tariffs. The president — who has made tariffs a centerpiece of his agenda — described the case as “literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country.”

At issue is whether Trump can impose the tariffs under a 1977 law that gives the White House the power to respond to an “unusual and extraordinary threat” by regulating the importing of foreign property. His critics argue that trade deficits do not qualify as a national emergency and that the tariffs seem to run afoul of the “major questions doctrine,” which requires Congress to weigh in on big issues.

The court’s three liberal justices are likely to side with the states and small businesses that sued the Trump administration. Some of the conservative justices seemed inclined to side with Trump. The deciding votes appear to belong to Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch — conservatives who cast doubt on Trump’s tariffs. Gorsuch warned of “a one-way ratchet” of delegating power from Congress to the presidency.

Elections showed Trump’s edge on the economy slipping

One year ago today, Trump won back the White House with a promise to fix the economy. Yesterday, Republican election losses delivered a reminder that the party’s longtime advantage on the economy has evaporated, as a drumbeat of polls have showed.

Democratic victories in New Jersey and Virginia were built on promises to address the sky-high cost of living, for which the winning candidates blamed the president. In New York City, Democrats celebrated Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist whose ambitious agenda put a punctuation mark on affordability as a political force in 2025.

Some food stamp recipients may receive $0 this month

Millions of low-income Americans will see staggering cuts and delays to their food stamps this month because of the way that the White House has chosen to pay partial benefits during the government shutdown. One analysis estimated that as one result of the changes, roughly five million people could receive no benefits at all.

Congress has shown little interest in negotiating a quick end to the shutdown, which entered a record 36th day. The president blamed it for his party’s losses on Election Day and insisted to Republican senators today that the only way out would be to get rid of the filibuster, a move most Republicans are opposed to.

In other shutdown news, the F.A.A. said that it would reduce air traffic in 40 key markets by 10 percent if there is no resolution by Friday.

Ukraine’s front lines are a drone-infested hellscape

Russia and Ukraine both operate drones that pursue and kill targets on sight. They have made being stranded in no man’s land, between the front lines, even deadlier and more harrowing.

My colleague C.J. Chivers reported from the Kharkiv region on how rescuing Ukrainian soldiers has never been more difficult. A wounded soldier’s wait to reach a doctor now often stretches to times reminiscent of the worst of World War I.

More top news

• Crash: The UPS cargo plane that crashed in Louisville yesterday, killing at least 11 people, lost an engine just before takeoff.

• Venezuela: How would the country’s large but poorly trained armed forces respond to U.S. military action? Here’s what experts told us.

• Health: Headlines this week raised alarms about melatonin, the popular sleep supplement, and heart health. We evaluated the claims.

• Hostage: Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli Russian academic, was held captive in Iraq by an Iran-backed militia for two and a half years. She told The Times her harrowing story.

• France: Officials moved to block access to the Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein after the discovery of child pornography sex dolls posted for sale on its website.

• Crime: A man is set to be sentenced for filing fake deeds to steal homes in some of the wealthiest parts of Queens. Despite a decades-long criminal career, no one knows his real name.

• Ireland: A truck driver’s grainy video spurred bewilderment, speculation and calls to the police about a lion. It was actually a dog named Mouse with a unique haircut.

The audiobook version of a Hollywood blockbuster

Audible, the audiobook giant, is out this week with what one executive described as its “most ambitious project” to date: a full-cast reading of the first Harry Potter book.

It’s technically an audiobook, but it doesn’t sound like a typical one. The project features more than 200 actors (including Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Hugh Laurie and Kit Harington) voicing more than 500 characters, along with a 60-piece orchestra playing an original score.

Telescopes captured explosions on the moon

It can be easy to forget that the moon is less a serene orb in the night sky than a noisy battleground constantly gaining new craters.

Last week offered a reminder when a Japanese astronomer captured a pair of big flashes on the lunar surface. Both were the result of asteroids traveling about 30 times as fast as a fighter jet and slamming into the moon.

A quest to recreate a century-old secret spice blend

My colleague Priya Krishna never met her paternal grandparents. But she still feels close to them thanks to a spice blend that she’s frequently used since her childhood. It’s called Atom Masala, and it was invented by her grandparents to add the zingy essence of Indian cuisine to bland food on her grandfather’s frequent trips abroad.

But like so many family recipes, the details were never shared before her grandparents died. So, Priya embarked on a journey of more than a year to recreate Atom Masala at home, relying on the guidance and critiques of her family. Watch a video of her journey here.

Have a beloved evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Philip Pacheco was our photo editor.

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