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Alysa Liu, who quit skating at 16, didn’t ‘need’ a gold medal, she told reporters in Milanshe had already found joy. The 20-year-old from California, who won the first individual Olympic gold in womens figure skating for the U.S. after 24 years, didn’t need to be champion. She says she was just thrilled to perform. “I don’t need this [medal],” Liu said right after winning, full of joy, while cheering on her competitors. “But what I needed was the stage and I got that, so I was all good. No matter what happened.” Liu isn’t feigning enthusiasm for the cameras. You can feel it radiating from her body when watching her skatewhich she did, flawlessly, when performing to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” this week in the long program routine that ultimately won her first place. “That’s what I’m fing talking about!” she could be heard saying as she skated off the ice, knowing she’d just done something magical. Later, standing on the podium, she adorably jumped for joy, squealed, and hugged her competitors. It felt like she was sharing her bright light with them, and everyone watching in the audience, and at home. The moment was truly special. Mainly, because one thing was made crystal clear: Alysa Liu came to the Olympics for the love of the sportnot for a bronze, silver, or gold medal. It goes without saying that most athletes love their sport. But they also want to win. However, Liu’s journey has been different from that of most young athletes’, in more ways than one. Just four years ago, the skater quit, citing burnout after a sixth place finish at the Beijing Winter Games. Burnout easily comes with the territory when you’re a professional athlete. However, Liu focused on herselfon being a teenagerand finding joy outside of the rink. “I was going to concerts, which I never could have done before,” she told NBC Sports. “I also got my driver’s license. I did a whole year at college. I went on vacation for the first time. I went skiing. I went snowboarding. I got to do so many different things that I never would have done had I stayed in the sport.” The step back was crucial for many reasons, like saving the Olympians mental health. But it’s also likely what saved her from quitting skating forever, because she was able to invest in herself in other ways. . .and simply be a kid for a while. At the end of the day, Liu returned to competing because she simply loved skating too much to stay away. One of her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo, even tried to talk her out of it, but her spirit was unstoppable. Alysa is different, said DiGuglielmo, who coaches Liu alongside Massimo Scali, per NBC. We know she wasnt here to win a medal. She was here to skate and to enjoy it. These titles are huge, but I dont want them to overshadow who I am and what I do and what I am all about, Liu said. Winning isnt all that, and neither is losing. All you have to do is watch Liu perform to know that the most important thing to the spirited athlete is not medals. It’s her true love of the sport and a profound joy at getting to keep doing it. And that was something she found before setting one skate on the ice in Milan.
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E-Commerce
As major employers have slashed jobs over the last year, many of them have cited artificial intelligence or automation to justify the cuts. AI was referenced in nearly 55,000 layoffs in 2025, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmasand the latest figures suggest that trend is continuing into this year alongside a record-high surge in job cuts, which crossed 108,000 in January alone. But economists and experts have repeatedly said that employment data does not indicate AI is replacing jobs en masse at the moment. And it seems even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shares this skepticism over whether AI is actually responsible for the layoffs roiling the workforce. “I don’t know what the exact percentage is, but there’s some AI washing where people are blaming AI for layoffs that they would otherwise do, and then there’s some real displacement by AI of different kinds of jobs,” Altman said in an interview during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi this week. “I expect we’ll see more of the latter over time. There are plenty of potential explanations for ongoing layoffs, from immigration policy to broader economic uncertainty, but business leaders have been quick to cite AI. Companies like Citigroup have claimed AI will reshape how work gets done and have alerted employees to additional layoffs in the coming months. UPS has cut tens of thousands of jobs over the last year, and CEO Carol Tomé claimed automation is a core part of the business becoming more efficient. Tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft have declared AI will revolutionize how they work, all the while trimming headcount under the guise of becoming leaner. Despite what business leaders say about the promise of AI, however, research shows that the labor market has not yet seen a dip in employment across the jobs that are most likely to be disrupted. Unemployment figures also do not indicate that workers are being replaced by AI in significant numbers just yet. Altman noted, as many experts have, that AI would likely disrupt more jobs over time. Of course well find new kinds of jobs, as we do with every tech revolution, he told CNBCs India affiliate, TV18. Altman added that the impact of AI will be palpable in the coming years. Some AI leaders have been more forceful than Altman: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has said AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs as soon as five years from now. It is true that AI adoption is starting to affect more junior roles, particularly in the spheres of tech and finance. Early-career workers in sectors like software engineering and customer service have, in fact, seen a 13% decline in employment since 2022, and unemployment among recent college graduates is on the rise. And while its more difficult to quantify how AI is changing the nature of work, it is clear that the technology is transforming how people do their jobs, particularly across HR and software engineering. But Altman argues its not just entry level jobs or engineering roles that might be on the chopping block soon. Altman went so far as to say that CEOs could eventually lose jobs to AI, tooincluding himselfif superintelligence becomes a reality and AI can perform at a level that outpaces humans. AI superintelligence at some point on its development curve would be capable of doing a better job being the CEO of a major company than any executivecertainly me, he said. In other words, the CEOs who are currently using AI as a rationale for layoffs might find themselves out of a job for that very reason in the not too distant future.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trumps far-reaching global tariffs in a 6-3 decision on Friday, handing him a stinging loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda. Furious about the defeat, Trump said he will impose a global 10% tariff as an alternative while pressing his trade policies by other means. The new tariffs would come under a law that restricts them to 150 days. He made that announcement after lashing out at the Supreme Court for striking down much of his sweeping tariff infrastructure as an illegal use of emergency power. Trump said he was absolutely ashamed of justices who voted to strike down his tariffs and called the ruling deeply disappointing. Their decision is incorrect, he said. But it doesnt matter because we have very powerful alternatives. The Latest: Reaction from Europe focuses on renewed upheaval, confusion The initial reaction from Europe focused on renewed upheaval and confusion regarding costs facing businesses exporting to the US. The European Commission had reached a deal with the Trump administration capping tariffs on European imports at 15%. The deal gave businesses certainty that helped them plan, a factor credited with helping the 21 countries that use the euro currency skirt a recession last year. Uncertainty remains high for German enterprises doing business in the US, said the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Because there are other instruments for trade limitations in the hands of the US administration that German companies must prepare themselves for. Trump could resort to laws permitting more targeted tariffs that could hit pharmaceuticals, chemicals and auto parts, said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING bank: Europe should not be mistaken, this ruling will not bring relief. … The legal authority may be different, but the economic impact could be identical or worse. Brazil celebrates US Supreme Courts decision Brazil will continue trade negotiations with the United States regardless. The South American nations leading negotiator on the topic, Vice President and Industry Minister Geraldo Alckmin, told journalists in Brasilia on Friday that the ruling strengthens the trade negotiations between his country and the U.S., but added the two will carry on with their dialogue on the tariffs. The 10% (tariffs imposed later) are for all. We dont lose competitiveness if it is 10% for all. What was happening was Brazil getting a 40% tariff that no one else had, the Brazilian said. Alckmin added Brazils President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Trump are expected to further discuss trade during a meeting sometime in March. Michigan business owner says prices will have to be raised Linda Schlesinger-Wagner, owner of Birmingham, Michigan-based skinnytees, didnt get overly excited after initially hearing about the Supreme Courts ruling. Hell find some way to get around this, Schlesinger-Wagner said. Schlesinger-Wagner estimates that the tariffs, so far, have cost her womens apparel business about a $1 million. She says 100% of her garments come from China. I dont know what Im going to do, she said Friday afternoon. I never raised my prices. Now, with another 10% Im going to be forced to. The tariffs have affected every business I know because everybody gets something from somewhere, Schlesinger-Wagner added. Were supposed to be global unity. Hes just alienating everyone from us. Argentinas VP says the Supreme Court decision is a blow to production policies In Argentina, a key South American ally of the Trump administration, Vice President Victoria Villarruel characterized the U.S. Supreme Courts decision as a blow to production policies and business establishment. While serving as acting President during Javier Mileis trip to the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Villarruel argued on X that the total and unrestricted opening of imports only favors dependence on China. She warned that such policies would deepen economic and social emergencies. The Vice President framed the conflict as a choice between Nationalism or Globalism. Steelmakers groups say key tariff is unaffected by court ruling Steelmaking industry groups say the Supreme Courts decision on Friday didnt affect tariffs on steel imports put in place under national security provisions. The tariffs on foreign steel were enforced under a law that grants the president broad authority to address threats to U.S. national security, Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said in a statement. The Steel Manufacturers Associations president, Philip Bell, said the Supreme Court decision doesnt undo the steel tariff that is revitalizing the American steel industry, strengthened our national security, and fueled the creation of high-quality American jobs. Mexicos economy secretary on tariffs: I dont know how it will end Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, speaking at a public event in parallel with Trumps comments, was cautious about the effects of the Supreme Courts decision. I dont know how it will end, he said, adding: In the case of Mexico, only some of the tariff measures have to do with that legal provision, others do not. However, he said that Mexicos government still plans to move forward this year depending on the strength of trade between the two countries, and recalled that just a year ago, Mexico was facing a 25% tariff on all its exports, and today, as you can see, most of my exports do not have those burdens. It remains unclear what Trumps announcement of 10% generalized tariffs will mean for Mexicos economy, but its among the countries that could be hit the hardest as the U.S. and Mexican economies are inextricably intertwined from decades of free trade. Ebrard and other officials have been locked in negotiations with the Trump administration for months in an effort to offset wider tariffs. Bessent says he was a little surprised by the decision I was a little surprised because I was in the Supreme Court hearing, Bessent said when asked about his reaction to the SCOTUS decision at the Economic Club of Dallas, Friday. I think what we saw was just a very narrowing of the definition of the presidents ability to use IEPPA powers. He added, the look forward no one should expect that tariff revenue will go down. The total amount of revenue that Treasury will collect this year will be little changed Bessent says alternative tariff plan will lead to virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Supreme Court did not rule against President Trumps tariffs, rather Six Justices simply ruled that IEEPA authorities cannot be used to raise even one dollar of revenue. In a prepared speech to the Economic Club of Dallas delivered Friday afternoon, Bessent says the Trump administration will invoke alternative legal authorities to replace the IEEPA tariffs. Treasurys estimates show that the use of Section 122 authority, combined with potentially enhanced Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026, he says. Trump wraps up news briefing after more than 40 minutes The president wrapped on a positive note, saying that with the ruling, great certainty has been brought back to the economy of the United States and actually the economy of the world. He repeated one of his favorite lines, saying that the U.S. is the hottest country in the world, and added: Were going to keep it that way. Trump couldnt care less if justices who opposed his tariffs attend State of the Union address Trump said the justices who voted in the majority against his tariffs are still barely invited to Tuesdays State of the Union address. But he added that honestly I couldnt care less if they come, OK? The president gives the State of the Union before a joint session of Congress. But the chief executive doesnt issue invitations to the speech, aside from his own special guests. The House speaker actually invites the president to give the address in the first place, and while there is always reserved seating for members of the court, Chief Justice John Roberts has previously said its up to individual justices if they want to attend. Trump: Gorsuch, Barretts families should be embarrassed The president is clearly fuming at two of the justices he nominated in his first term who sided against his tariff policy. I think its an embarrassment to their families, if you want to know the truth. The two of them, Trump said of Gorsuch and Barrett. He said, their decision was terrible. Still, he declined to say whether he regretted nominating them. Trump says his reading prowess is above reproach I read very well. Great comprehension, Trump said. The president said that, when it came to the tariffs case, I read everything there is to read. And I said, Cant lose this case. But the Supreme Court did in fact rule against Trumps sweeping tariff policy an outcome Trump suggested was only possible because judges want to be political, they want to be politically correct. Italian winemakers remain skeptical despite Supreme Court ruling Italian winemakers greeted the decision with skepticism, warning that the ruling may ultimately deepen uncertainty rather than deliver immediate relief to transatlantic trade. The U.S. is Italys largest wine market, with sales having tripled in value over the past 20 years. In 2024, shipments to the U.S. reached a value of 1.93 billion, accounting for 24% of Italys total global wine exports, according to Unione italiana vini, or UIV, which represents more than 800 winemakers. New tariffs on the EU, which the Trump administration initially threatened would be 200%, had sent fear throughout the industry, which remained even after the U.S. reduced, delayed and negotiated down. Paradoxically, the wine industry cannot welcome the Courts decision as a clear victory, said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the UIV trade association. There is a more than likely risk that tariffs will be reimposed through alternative legal channels, compounded by the uncertainty this ruling may generate in commercial relations between Europe and the United States. Trump is offering mixed messages about the importance of the tariffs the court struck down For months, the president has warned that if these tariffs were struck down, it would be a disaster for the country and it would literally destroy the United States of America. But as he faced questions about the ruling, Trump repeatedly projected a sunny future for the U.S. and dismissed the idea that the country would face ruin. He said the ruling gave certainty and said I think youre going to see the country get much stronger because of it. Trump also said the alternative paths he will pursue to try to impose tariffs, while a much more drawn out process, will get us more money. And I think its going to be great. Trump dismisses Congress role in tariffs Despite the rebuke from the Supreme Court, the president is scoffing at the need to get Congress involved in enacting tariff policy. I dont have to, Trump said when asked why wouldnt he just work with lawmakers on tariffs. I have the right to do tariffs, and Ive always had the right to do tariffs. The majority ruled that Congress has the power to write tax policy, which includes tariffs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune calls on White House to work with Congress on tariff policies Tariffs can be an important and effective tool to address unfair trade practices and help level the playing field with foreign competitors, the Senate Republican leader wrote on social media. The South Dakota Republican added: Senate Republicans will continue working with the administration and our colleagues in the House to advance our shared goal to strengthen rural America, including South Dakotas farm and ranch communities, and the broader U.S. economy. Trump to impose new tariff, but its temporary On the heels of his Supreme Court defeat, the president says hell sign an executive order that would impose a 10% global tariff under federal law known as Section 122. The catch is that those tariffs would be limited to just 150 days, unless they are extended legislatively. The president also said he is exploring other tariffs through other avenues, such as Section 232, which would require an investigation through the Commerce Department. Trump says he has great alternatives to tariffs the high court opposed Trump says other alternatives will now be used to replace his sweeping tariffs that the Supreme Court rejected. We have alternatives. Great alternatives, Trump aid. He said the ruling opened the door to allow him to go in probably a direction that I should have gone in the first time. Trump also suggested the ruling may not substantially constrain tariffs going forward and mentioned using the Trade Expansion Act and other past laws, including the Tariff Act of 1930 going forward. He said those alternatives would simple mean a little bit longer process. Trump also scoffed at his ability to order full economic embargoes against countries, but not raise tariffs. How ridiculous is that? he asked. Trump calls GOP-appointed justices who supported tariff ruling fools and lapdogs By name Trump thanked Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh for their strength and wisdom and love of our country in dissenting from the majority to uphold his tariff policies. And of the more liberal justices who opposed him, Trump said you cant knock their loyalty, even though he disagrees with their views. But of more conservatives justices who voted to knock down his tariffs Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch Trump said, theyre just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and radical left Democrats. Without naming them, Trump referred to the jurists by their action as very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution. Trump says he will rely on other laws to continue his tariffs The president cited other sections of federal law that give him clearer power to impose tariffs, though those methods involve a more complex and bureaucratic process to impose the taxes on imports instead of the way Trump was quickly firing them off. Their decision is incorrect. But it doesnt matter because we have very powerful alternatives, Trump said. He called it, a little bit longer process, and said his first attempt to impose tariffs was to try to make things simple. But they didnt let us do that. Which of Trumps tariffs are being struck down by the Supreme Court? Fridays decision upends a core set of tariffs that Trump imposed using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. That includes the Liberation Day tariffs the president slapped on nearly every country in the world last spring as well as other IEEPA-based levies he imposed on Canada, Mexico and China. Trump also cited IEEPA to impose additional tariffs on Brazil over the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, and on India over its purchases of Russian oil. Despite Fridays ruling, other sweeping levies remain in place. Trump used another law Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to slap sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, cars, copper, lumber and products like kitchen cabinets worldwide. And the president has plenty of other options to keep taxing imports aggressively. Republican senators praise Supreme Court decision against Trumps tariff policies, call for Congress to reassert role As a matter of policy, the empty merits of sweeping trade wars with Americas friends were evident long before todays decision, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. But as a matter of Constitutional authority, there is now no room for doubt: the use of IEEPA to circumvent Congress in the imposition of tariffs already without precedent is also illegal. If the executive would like to enact trade policies that impact American producers and consumers, its path forward is crystal clear: convince their representatives under Article 1, said the former Republican Senate leader. Other senators also chimed in approvingly after the courts decision. Todays Supreme Court ruling reaffirms that only Congress has the constitutional authority to impose tariffs, and the President can only do so under a clear and limited delegation of authority from Congress, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine wrote on social media. Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah declared that the Founders system of checks and balances remains strong nearly 250 years later. But Curtis noted that the tariff saga may not be over. Several questions remain unanswered, including what happens to the revenue already collected and how the administration may use alternative authorities to impose tariffs, said Curtis. National trade advocacy group applauds the ruling and urges the administration to refund tariff revenues The National Foreign Trade Council applauded the court ruling and urged the Trump administration to refund tariff revenue and change its approach. Its a relief to see the Supreme Court unequivocally decide that IEEPA did not provide the authority for the administration to impose more than $133 billion in tariffs on American businesses and consumers, said Jake Colvin, president of the council. We hope the administration will seize this opportunity to recalibrate its approach rather than rushing to replicate some or all of the tariffs through other means. The council urged the administration to identify a low-burden and automated administrative process to return tariff revenue to U.S. importers quickly and efficiently. Trump calls ruling deeply disappointing Trump told a news conference hes absolutely ashamed of justices who voted to strike down his tariffs, calling the decision deeply disappointing. Its the first major piece of Trumps broad agenda to come squarely before the nations highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term. Trump called the majority decision a disgrace when he was notified during his morning meeting with several governors, according to someone with direct knowledge of the presidents reaction who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Trump was meeting privately with nearly two dozen governors from both parties when the decision was released. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Speaker Johnson says Congress and Trump to find path forward on tariffs in coming weeks House Speaker Mike Johnson backed Trumps use of tariffs in a post on social media after the Supreme Court ruling, sayingthey had brought in billions of dollars and created immense leverage for Americas trade strategy. In the Supreme Court ruling, the majority found that its unconstitutional for the president to unilaterally set and change tariffs because taxation power clearly belongs to Congress. Congress and the Administration will determine the best path forward in the coming weeks, Johnson wrote on X. Some GOP welcome the decision, but may back Trump on future tariffs A GOP Congressman who voted for to impeach Trump says the Supreme Court decision rightly takes back power from the executive branch on tariffs. Washington Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse said in a statement that the ruling restores balance between the legislative and executive branches, adding that hes committed to working with Trump on targeted tariffs to secure trade deals that put American farmers, businesses, and consumers first. Washington state is home to the headquarters of Costco, one of the companies most critical of the tariffs. Newhouse is one of the two GOP representatives to vote to impeach President Trump during his first term and be reelected. Earlier this year, he welcomed the Trump administrations move to effectively lower wages for immigrant farmworkers. Newhouse announced that he is not seeking reelection. Associated Press
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