Tariffs take effect Friday; Steve Witkoff in Israel : NPR

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Today’s top stories

A new set of higher tariffs, which the Trump administration believes will help usher in an economic boom, is expected to take effect this week. Recent economic data casts doubt on that outlook. Last week, the Labor Department reported that the job market weakened sharply during the late spring and early summer as President Trump’s tariffs began to take effect. Hours after the report, Trump made a social media post calling for the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, who releases the job reports.

• 🎧 Job numbers are not the only statistic that is less than flattering, NPR’s Scott Horsley tells Up First. Inflation is speeding up, and the overall economy is growing more slowly than in each of the last two years. Economists across the political spectrum have denounced Trump’s move to fire McEntarfer as something out of an authoritarian handbook.

Tariffs on imports from Mexico have been delayed for 90 days as trade negotiations continue. The president made the announcement after a “very successful” conversation Thursday with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

• 🎧 In El Paso, Texas, as well as along other border communities, the two economies are functionally one that happens to be split by an international boundary line, says Angela Kocherga of network station KTEP. The big trade community includes manufacturing, supply chains, purchasing, logistics, trucking and warehousing. Mexican tariffs took effect for a day in April before being rolled back. Since then, companies along the border began to stockpile what they could on the U.S. side. With stockpiling comes warehousing costs, which can also impact companies.
• ➡️ Here are five things to know about how Trump’s trade policies could impact the U.S. and the global economy.

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff visited Israel over the weekend, meeting with families of the hostages being held in Gaza. Witkoff informed them that Trump is working to reach a deal to help bring the hostages home. This comes a week after ceasefire talks stalled and many across the globe expressed outrage over mounting hunger in Gaza.

• 🎧 Videos surfaced over the weekend showing two men who were kidnapped at the NOVA music festival. In the footage was an emaciated hostage who said he feared he was digging his own grave, according to NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley. Last night, a person familiar with the details informed NPR that among Israeli officials, there is an understanding that Hamas is uninterested in a deal and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for hostage release through military defeat. Hostage families have expressed that military action to free the hostages is a death sentence for them.

Today’s listen

NPR Music has compiled a list of great headphones at different price points — covering everything from casual listening to professional mixing and mastering.

Deborah Lee/NPR

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Deborah Lee/NPR

NPR Music has compiled a list of great headphones at different price points — covering everything from casual listening to professional mixing and mastering.

Deborah Lee/NPR

Movie soundtracks used to consistently produce hit after hit on pop radio, but it now feels like such occurrences are rare. In the 1980s, if you turned on the radio, there was a good chance you would hear numerous songs tied to blockbuster films. During the 1990s and 2000s, movie studios and music labels formed stronger relationships and heavily invested in soundtracks. Today, you can find individual songs from movies online without needing to purchase an entire album. However, that doesn’t mean today’s soundtracks lack impact. NPR’s Isabella Gomez Sarmiento takes you on a journey through this evolution, detailing what happened to memorable movie songs and sharing snippets that evoke nostalgia.

Life advice

It can sometimes feel awkward to receive a compliment, and it may be difficult to accept one. Your reaction to compliments reveals a lot about your self-esteem and can also influence how the person giving the compliment feels. Social psychologist Erica Boothby and behavioral scientist Xuan Zhao break down the science of compliments and make the case for accepting the kind remarks about you.

• 🥰 There can be a disconnect between how you see yourself and how others see you, which can make you feel uncomfortable. Those with high self-esteem have an easier time accepting compliments because they are consistent with how they view themselves.
• 🥰 In some cultures, accepting a compliment can make you look boastful or overconfident.
• 🥰 Declining a compliment can make the giver feel rejected. Try acknowledging the compliment and saying thank you.
• 🥰 If you want to give others a great compliment, try being specific, sincere and sensitive.

For more guidance on how to accept a compliment, listen to this episode of NPR’s Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

3 things to know before you go

A Boeing sign is pictured outside the Renton Production Facility in Renton, Washington, on November 3, 2024.

Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

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Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

1. About 3,200 unionized workers at Boeing facilities in Missouri and Illinois have gone on strike today after failing to reach a labor contract agreement.
2. The Krasheninnikov Volcano in Russia began erupting early yesterday for the first time in centuries, just days after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the area.
3. Loni Anderson, known for playing the empowered receptionist at a struggling radio station on the hit TV comedy WKRP in Cincinnati, died yesterday, just days before her 80th birthday.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.