Bulletins and News Discussion from April 14th to April 20th, 2025 - The Lamentations of a Levy-Loving Leader

Image is of Trump's initial set of reciprocal tariffs. Source is CNN and Reuters.

It's difficult to keep up with the news around the tariffs; they get instated, then dropped, then reinstated... for example, on Friday, Trump said that certain electronics like smartphones would be exempt, causing markets to rally a great deal, but now the Commerce Secretary has said that they might not be exempt? The state of play right now, if you haven't been keeping up this week, is that the US recently announced a 90-day global pause on implementing the tariffs he had planned (that is, 25% on certain Canadian and Mexican goods, and at least 10% on every other nation) but nonetheless increased tariffs on China to 145%.

Meanwhile, China has been - quite remarkably - standing their ground, increasing tariffs on the US to 125%, and putting restrictions on rare earths. Xi Jinping has been in Vietnam and has made statements against a tariff war there, saying that it would have no winners. Meanwhile, a Chinese spokesperson has essentially said that China can endure the tariff war due to the increasing demand from its domestic market in combination with its growing economic ties with other countries.

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US airstrikes continue on Yemen for the 37th night in a row, with multiple airstrikes on Kamaran Island and Marib Governorate.
More airstrikes on the capital, Sana'a.
Renewed airstrikes in Sana'a and Saada Governorates.
More airstrikes on Saada, Sana'a Ma'rib, Al Mahwit, and Amran Governorates. ~~I think this is the first strike on Al Mahwit during this campaign.~~
Turns out that the cruise missile that landed in Al Mahwit government was likely not from a US airstrike, but a failed Ansarallah Quds series cruise missile launch.
More airstrikes on Ma'rib.
Warning for potential graphic imagery of casualties during ongoing airstrikes:
Al Masirah TV twitter
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- Is there any estimate on total casualties from these strikes? It's kind of wild to me the US can have such a sustained campaign of bombing and I would bet most Americans don't even know about it.
  
  I think that the total figures are over 300 killed and 400 wounded, and those are just the casualties reported on by the Ansarallah media outlets like Al Masirah TV, they obviously don't report on every single airstrike, especially those on military sites in the middle of nowhere. There are probably more casualties on the military side that they've not announced yet.

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