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Justice Department says law requiring president to turn over records at end of administration is unconstitutional

April 2, 2026 / 2:38 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — The Justice Department said that a federal law enacted in the wake of the Watergate scandal that requires the president to preserve certain documents and turn them over to the National Archives at the end of his administration is unconstitutional.

The opinion from Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser, who leads the Office of Legal Counsel, concluded that the Presidential Records Act exceeds Congress’ power and “aggrandizes the legislative branch” at the expense of the independence of the executive branch.

Gaiser, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, wrote that as a result of his determination that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional, President Trump does not need to comply with it.

“The PRA is not a valid exercise of Congress’s Article I authority and unconstitutionally intrudes on the independence and autonomy of the President guaranteed by Article II,” he found. “The Act establishes a permanent and burdensome regime of congressional regulation of the Presidency untethered from any valid and identifiable legislative purpose.”

The Office of Legal Counsel decision on the constitutionality of the records law was made public Thursday and first reported by Axios.

The Presidential Records Act was enacted in 1978, four years after President Richard Nixon’s resignation. The law established that presidential records belong to the U.S. government, not the president personally, and must be preserved. When a president leaves office, the Presidential Records Act requires material to be turned over to the National Archives, which maintains the documents.

The measure governs the records of the president, vice president and certain parts of the Executive Office of the President, like the National Security Council, and sets out requirements for the maintenance, access and preservation of information during and after a presidency.

Under the law, the White House must preserve material relating to certain political activities and information regarding the president’s duties, including emails, text messages and phone records. But it excludes the president’s personal records, which are documents of a “purely private or nonpublic character.”

The Presidential Records Act has no enforcement mechanism, but Mr. Trump repeatedly invoked the law after he was indicted in 2023 on charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of sensitive government records after the end of his first term in January 2021.

In a case pursued by then-special counsel Jack Smith, Mr. Trump was accused of keeping classified documents at his South Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, after repeatedly rebuffing demands from the National Archives that he turn them over.

Mr. Trump denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he was allowed to keep all of the material under the records law. The case eventually ended after he won a second term in the White House last November.

The Office of Legal Counsel provides the president and federal agencies with advice on legal questions, and its opinions bind the executive branch. But if a court reaches a different interpretation of a legal question, that determination prevails.

‘We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care’: Trump’s ill-timed rant

Apr 2, 2026, 12:41 PM ET / CNN Politics

Analysis by Aaron Blake

Updated Apr 2, 2026, 2:39 PM ET

President Donald Trump attends an executive order signing in the Oval Office on March 31, 2026.

Evan Vucci/Reuters/FILE

President Donald Trump delivered one of his most extensive sales pitches for the Iran war in a primetime address on Wednesday night.

But comments he delivered in a closed-door Easter lunch just hours earlier epitomize why he has utterly failed to make the sale.

In rambling hourlong remarks — video of which was briefly posted on YouTube by the White House and preserved by a reporter for Business Insider— Trump riffed on how the federal government should focus more on funding defense and less on health care and day care, which should be left to the states.

And at one point, he even set it up as a choice between funding war and funding day care — while apparently choosing the former.

The president began by recalling a conversation he had with Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought.

“I said to Russell, ‘Don’t send any money for day care,’ because the United States can’t take care of day care. That has to be up to a state,” Trump said. “We can’t take care of day care. We’re a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people.”

Trump then added, in quick succession: “We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care.”

He said states should raise their taxes to pay for day care and health care.

“It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare — all these individual things, they can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal,” Trump added. “We have to take care of one thing: military protection. We have to guard the country. But all these little things, all these little scams that have taken place — you have to let states take care of them, Russell.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed on X Thursday that Trump “was talking about the importance of stopping the scams and rooting out the billions of dollars in fraud in these vital programs that elected Democrat officials have allowed to happen.” Trump did briefly mention scams, but his larger argument was about who should pay for such programs.

A few points off the bat about his remarks.

First, he has a point that health care expenditures are a major budgetary problem. They are, in fact, the largest portion of federal spending, and the Congressional Budget Office projects they will grow from around $2 trillion today to around $3 trillion a decade from now.

The other point is that Trump’s argument is more nuanced than just choosing between day care and the war; he seems to be making a somewhat philosophical point about which level of government should fund which things, not whether they should be funded at all.

But it’s a heck of a way to talk about spending decisions, especially at this juncture.

And a new CNN poll released Wednesday demonstrates why.

The survey reinforces that perhaps Trump’s biggest political problem with the war is how much it’s costing. That’s especially the case with $4-plus gas, but it’s also the case more generally.

Americans don’t see the point of the war, but they especially don’t see the point given the price tag.

Americans opposed the Pentagon’s proposal to spend $200 billion on the war by an overwhelming margin, 71%-29%. Even about 4 in 10 Republicans opposed that.

The poll also showed that, while 66% broadly disapproved of the decision to take military action against Iran, that number increased to 70% when people were asked whether the war was “worth it” — both in terms of lives and the financial burden.

Even 35% of Republicans said the war wasn’t worth it.

The CNN poll echoes an earlier CBS News-YouGov poll that showed 67% of Americans and 36% of Republicans said Americans should not be willing to pay more for gas during the war.

In other words: There is precious little appetite for sacrificing for this particular cause. Yet here’s Trump setting up the choice in some of the most politically unhelpful terms imaginable — between paying for bombs and paying for taking care of children.

And in case you don’t think it’s a bad talking point, consider that it’s very similar to the argument that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was attempting to use against Iran, just two days earlier.

“Imagine an Iran that, instead of spending their wealth, billions of dollars, supporting terrorists or weapons, had spent that money helping the people of Iran,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday. “You’d have a much different country.”

Trump and those around him have struggled to talk about these kinds of things before. His meandering answer on childcare was arguably one of his worst moments of the 2024 campaign. And the president and other top administration officials have repeatedly spoken awkwardly about how people can make ends meet in tough economic times and during a period of stubborn inflation. (Remember Trump telling Americans to just buy fewer dolls and pencils.)

But none of those comments came in the context of such a high-profile political issue — and one that was cutting against Trump so much.

The White House must be ruing that they somehow went out publicly.

This story has been updated with comment from Karoline Leavitt.

US trade deficit widens in February as imports offset record exports

2026-04-02T13:39:19.498Z / Reuters

By Reuters

April 2, 2026 1:39 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

节点运行失败

Shipping containers are shown stacked together on Terminal Island at the port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. trade deficit widened in February as a rebound in imports offset strong growth in exports, which increased to a record high, potentially keeping trade on track to subtract from economic growth in the ​first quarter.

The trade gap increased 4.9% to $57.3 billion, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis and ‌Census Bureau said on Thursday. Data for January was revised to show the deficit narrowing to $54.7 billion instead of $54.5 billion as previously estimated. Economists polled by Reuters forecast the trade deficit rising to $61.0 billion in February.

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The BEA and Census Bureau are still catching up on ​data releases following last year’s government shutdown. Trade data continues to be volatile amid shifting policy.

The U.S. ​Supreme Court in February struck down President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs, which he pursued under ⁠a law meant for use in national emergencies. Trump, however, responded by imposing a global tariff for up to 150 ​days.

Trump has defended the tariffs as necessary to address the trade deficit and revive the nation’s industrial base, though ​100,000 factory jobs have been lost since January 2025.

Economists expect the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has led to shipping restrictions impacting goods ranging from energy products to fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz, to reduce trade volumes.

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Imports increased 4.3% to $372.1 billion in February. Goods ​imports rose 5.0% to $291.5 billion. They were boosted by imports of capital goods, which increased $7.8 billion, mostly reflecting computers, computer ​accessories and semiconductors. These imports are likely linked to artificial intelligence and the construction of data centers.

Imports of industrial supplies and ‌materials increased $3.1 ⁠billion, mostly lifted by crude oil. Consumer goods imports rose $2.2 billion amid a $1.0 billion increase in pharmaceutical preparations. Imports of automotive vehicles, parts and engines increased $1.6 billion.

Exports jumped 4.2% to a record high $314.8 billion. Goods exports soared 5.9% to an all-time high of $206.9 billion.

Exports of industrial supplies and materials increased $10.2 billion to a record high, driven by monetary gold ​and natural gas. Exports of ​non-petroleum goods were also ⁠the highest on record.

The goods trade deficit widened 3.0% to $84.6 billion in February. When adjusted for inflation, the goods deficit increased $0.5 billion, or 0.6%, to $83.5 billion.

Trade subtracted from gross ​domestic product growth in the fourth quarter. The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting GDP ​increasing at a ⁠1.9% annualized rate in the first quarter. The economy grew at a 0.7% pace in the fourth quarter.

The goods trade deficit with China increased to $13.1 billion in February from $12.5 billion in January, while the shortfall with Mexico swelled $4.1 billion to $16.8 billion.

Exports ⁠of ​services increased $1.1 billion to a record $107.9 billion amid rises in travel, other ​business services, financial services and charges for the use of intellectual property. But exports of transport services fell.

Imports of services jumped $1.3 billion to an ​all-time high of $80.6 billion, boosted by charges for the use of intellectual property.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci

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FLASHBACK: Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs hit one-year mark as economists split on fallout

April 2, 2026 9:45am EDT / Fox News

The revenue from tariffs has emerged as a central pillar of Trump’s economic agenda

By Amanda Macias, Fox News

A year ago today, President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new round of global tariffs, escalating trade tensions with key allies and adversaries alike, raising fresh concerns about the outlook for the U.S. and global economy.

The “Liberation Day” tariffs were introduced as a broad set of import taxes that Trump said would correct long-standing trade imbalances and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods.

In the months that followed, markets experienced bouts of volatility as businesses and investors adjusted to the shifting trade landscape. Policymakers and economists, meanwhile, debated the longer-term impact on growth, inflation and global trade flows.

Many economists warned of potential consequences, including higher prices, slower growth and rising uncertainty for businesses and investors.

TRUMP SAYS US WOULD BE ‘DESTROYED’ WITHOUT TARIFF REVENUE

President Donald Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, 2025, at the White House.(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

But not everyone agreed.

“Trump proved 12 Nobel Prize economists wrong,” economist Stephen Moore told Fox News Digital.

“Inflation didn’t rise. Why? Because the tax cuts, deregulation and ‘drill, baby, drill’ policies lowered prices and offset the tariffs,” added Moore, a former Trump adviser and co-founder of the free-market advocacy group Unleash Prosperity.

But Moore’s view was not widely shared. Here’s a look back at what other economists said at the time.

Larry Summers

Lawrence Summers, former president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, called the tariff policy “masochistic.”(Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs “masochistic,” saying they were the worst levy the U.S. had imposed in decades.

“Never before has an hour of Presidential rhetoric cost so many people so much,” Summers wrote on X. “The best estimate of the loss from tariff policy is now closer to $30 trillion or $300,000 per family of four.”

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate, said Trump had “gone full-on crazy” after the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were announced.(Gene Medi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize–winning economist, said Trump had “gone full-on crazy” in the hours after the “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced.

“If you had any hopes that Trump would step back from the brink, this announcement, between the very high tariff rates and the complete falsehoods about what other countries do, should kill them,” Krugman, a former MIT and Princeton University professor, wrote in his Substack newsletter.

Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), at a rates decision news conference in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, on Thursday, March 19, 2026.(Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, warned that the tariffs would be “negative the world over,” in an interview with Ireland’s Newstalk.

She said Trump’s trade policy would weigh on global growth and carry broad consequences.

“It will not be good for the global economy, and it will not be good for those who impose the tariffs or those who retaliate,” Lagarde said.

Joseph Stiglitz

节点运行失败

Joseph Stiglitz said the Trump administration’s tariffs would “crater the economy.”(Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Economist Joseph Stiglitz said Trump’s tariff threats have made the U.S. “a scary place to invest” and could unleash stagflation. Stagflation refers to a combination of slow economic growth and rising prices. Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor and former World Bank economist, warned in an interview with The Guardian that he does not see a strong economic outlook ahead.

“I cannot see a really robust economy,” said Joseph Stiglitz, former chair of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers. “I see the global economy suffering greatly from the uncertainty that Trump poses.”

He also said the inflation triggered by the tariffs is moving in the wrong direction and that the only thing the Trump administration will succeed in doing is “to crater the economy.”

Jared Bernstein

Jared Bernstein, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, said the Trump administration may reverse course on tariffs if economic pressures intensify.(Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jared Bernstein, the former White House chief economist under President Joe Biden, said the U.S. is a “large, dominant economy” that is relatively closed, meaning it relies less on trade than most countries.

“That means, as Trump has argued, we can hurt other countries more than they can hurt us,” Bernstein said. “But he hasn’t offered a clear rationale for why we should start a trade war with traditionally reliable partners like Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Europe.”

Bernstein said Trump may reverse course if mounting economic pressures—such as higher inflation, slower growth, falling stock prices and rising recession risks—intensify from the tariffs.

“So far, that may have been the approach in Trump’s first term; it doesn’t appear to be the approach this time around,” he said.

Mohamed El-Erian

Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor for Allianz, said the U.S. economy could adjust to the tariffs provided the White House shared more details about the trade policy.(Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Allianz chief economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian called for clarity from the White House. “If we get clarity on this, this is an economy that can adjust,” he told FOX Business.

El-Erian, the former CEO of bond giant PIMCO, wrote on X that “the price action in global financial markets in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. tariff announcement points to major worries about global economic growth.”

Bill Gross

Bill Gross, co-founder of PIMCO, said he did not believe Trump would reverse course on tariffs, even if there was economic pressure.(Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bill Gross, the co-founder of Pacific Investment Management Co., known as Pimco, said the latest round of tariffs is “similar to going off the gold standard in 1971″—an “epic” shift that markets won’t quickly recover from.

“It’s not something where you can time a market bottom quickly,” Gross told CNBC. “It’s something we’re going to have to live with as long as President Trump maintains this stance.”

Gross, dubbed the “Bond King,” added that he does not expect Trump to reverse course. “To be very blunt, President Trump is a macho male, and this macho male is not going to back down tomorrow simply because the Nasdaq is down 5%,” he said.

Amanda covers the intersection of business and politics for Fox News Digital.

泰国猪血获准进口 多数食肆欢迎久违老味道

2026年4月2日 22:50 / 联合早报

卜蜂集团新加坡负责从泰国进口猪血制品。这款400克装的“巴氏灭菌猪血”约可分为两份食用，富含铁质和蛋白质，煎炒或水煮三至五分钟就可吃。 （卜蜂集团新加坡提供）

猪血在本地餐桌消失近30年后获准恢复供应，勾起不少饕客对古早风味的期待。多数食肆表示欢迎，但也有业者谨慎观望，认为猪血久未上桌，需求仍有待时间检验。

1999年立百病毒疫情暴发，马来西亚200多名猪农感染急性脑炎，新加坡也出现病例。我国那时起禁止本地屠宰场采集和供应猪血，此后也没批准任何猪血进口来源。

相隔多年，新加坡食品局星期三（4月1日）宣布，批准本地业者向泰国的邦克拉屠宰场（Bangkhla Pig Slaughterhouse），进口经加热处理的猪血制品。

《联合早报》记者星期四（2日）采访多家熟食中心和餐馆，不少业者都有意愿引进猪血，为菜肴增添风味层次。

大巴窑1巷第127座熟食中心“大成粿汁”摊主史坚固（72岁）说，滑嫩的猪血以往是粿汁必点的食材，乐见当局批准进口，但口感要试过才知道。

他售卖粿汁40多年，早期会从大成的猪场购入一桶桶新鲜猪血，“切开像豆干，只卖五角钱，顾客爱吃，老一辈说有清除毒素的效果，销量不错。后来都说猪血肮脏，我们就没卖了。”

大巴窑1巷第127座熟食中心“大成粿汁”摊主史坚固（不在图中）和妻子王萍售卖粿汁40多年，乐见当局批准进口猪血，带回老味道。（邝启聪摄）

经营12年的武大郎老火锅以四川香辣口味著称，在本地有三家门店。老板武恒（36岁）看见新闻后马上联系进口商，希望早日把猪血带上餐桌。

“涮火锅离不开猪血、鸭肠和黑毛肚，前两者在新加坡无法售卖。一些本地顾客到中国旅行，尝过猪血，不时都会来询问，但不能卖，如今获准进口猪血，当然非常开心。”

泰国餐馆Gin Khao有三家门店，常务董事黄志发（53岁）说，猪血是船面（boat noodles）的灵魂原料，用以增稠和挂汤，增添风味。以往缺少这一食材，难以还原船面传统味道。“当然有意愿要选用，但厨师团队要先研究试菜，看一下猪血的质感，能否融入汤头。”

部分摊贩仍在观望

也有的摊主持保留态度。黄埔通道第90座熟食中心 “猪什汤·药材羊肉汤”摊主游义坤（63岁）说，猪血多年不能卖，食客更习惯吃猪内脏，不考虑增加这一品类。

黄埔通道第90座熟食中心 “猪什汤·药材羊肉汤”摊主游义坤说，食客更习惯吃猪内脏，暂时不考虑售卖猪血。（邝启聪摄）

一些摊贩则因个人喜好、菜单种类足够、食客偏好等因素，不引进猪血。

老字号潮州菜深利美食馆总厨兼老板蔡华春（53岁）说，猪血不是潮州菜主要食材，一般会加入珍珠花菜和肉片汤中，或者与韭菜搭配着炒。

他认为，年长食客可能会怀念猪血的味道，但年轻人却未必，因此不急于一时，可再观望一阵子。

食客陈淑丽（64岁，退休者）说，一家人到马来西亚或泰国旅游都会品尝猪血，本地若能售卖再好不过。“猪血好吃的！细细的口感。”

在科技业工作的陈智颜（40岁）回忆道，儿时常在本地吃猪红粥，后来却再也找不到，只能到香港或台湾解馋。“如今相隔27年终于解禁，能在本地再次吃到，真让人期待。”

公众黄韵璇（24岁，媒体工作者）则不愿意食用猪血和猪内脏。“我总怀疑到底有没有清理干净，即使加热过，我还是不放心。”

包装猪血煮三五分钟就能吃

卜蜂集团新加坡（CP Foods Singapore）是猪血的进口商，预计产品还需一至两个月才能在本地上市。

公司星期四发文告说，这款猪血制品在受控环境中卫生采血、加热处理并进行巴氏杀菌、检测微生物，也配有严格的冷链管理以及可追溯和召回的机制。

包装资料显示，400克装的“巴氏灭菌猪血”约可分为两份食用，富含铁质和蛋白质，煎炒或水煮三至五分钟就可吃。

根据营养标签，猪血每100克含约5.8克蛋白质和12.5毫克铁质，脂肪含量低，不含膳食纤维。

US labor market remains stable; trade deficit widens in February

2026-04-02 12:38:02 UTC / Reuters

By Lucia Mutikani

April 2, 2026 12:38 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

Signage for a job fair is seen on 5th Avenue after the release of the jobs report in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

• Summary

• Weekly jobless claims fall 9,000 to 202,000
• Continuing claims increase 25,000 to 1.841 million
• Trade deficit widens 4.9% to $57.3 billion in February

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) – New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week amid low layoffs, suggesting labor market conditions remained calm in March, though economists warned that a prolonged war in the Middle East posed a downside risk.

The month-long U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has added another layer of uncertainty for ​businesses, which were trying to navigate a forever-shifting trade policy. The war has sent global oil prices soaring more than 50%. The national average retail gasoline price this week topped $4 a ‌gallon for the first time in more than three years.

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Higher energy costs would slow consumer spending and increase costs for business, and further restrain hiring, economists warned. President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran.

“We expect weaker job growth and a higher unemployment rate for 2026 than we had been forecasting prior to the war,” said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. “But the war’s impact on the labor market will take a bit more time to materialize.”

Initial claims for state unemployment ​benefits dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 202,000 for the week ended March 28, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 212,000 claims for the latest week.

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Claims have ​moved in a 201,000-230,000 range this year, consistent with what economists describe as a “low hire, low fire” labor market. They have blamed the labor market stagnation on ⁠lingering uncertainty caused by Trump’s aggressive import tariffs. Growth in private nonfarm payrolls has averaged just 18,000 jobs per month in the three months through February.

Reduced labor supply because of the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policy was ​also hampering job growth, economists said. The claims report has no bearing on the closely watched employment report for March as it falls outside the survey periods. Nonfarm payrolls likely rebounded by 60,000, a Reuters survey of ​economists showed.

Payrolls dropped by 92,000 jobs in February partly because of a strike by healthcare workers and harsh weather. The unemployment rate is forecast to have held steady at 4.4% in March. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release March’s employment report on Friday. Good Friday is not a federal holiday in the United States, though some financial markets are closed.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, increased 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.841 million ​during the week ended March 21, the claims report showed.

The so-called continuing claims have declined from last year’s lofty levels. But people exhausting their eligibility for benefits, limited to 26 weeks in most states, could be ​holding the number down. BLS data this week showed a larger-than-expected drop in job openings in February and hiring falling to the lowest level in nearly six years.

U.S. stocks opened lower. The dollar gained versus a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury yields ‌rose.

IMPORTS REBOUND ⁠IN FEBRUARY

Trade policy shifts continue to cause volatility impacting trade data. A separate report from the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau showed the trade deficit widened 4.9% to $57.3 billion in February. Economists had forecast the trade deficit rising to $61.0 billion.

The two agencies are still catching up on data releases following last year’s government shutdown. The U.S. Supreme Court in February struck down Trump’s broad tariffs, which he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies. But Trump responded by imposing a global tariff for up to 150 days. Trump has defended the tariffs as necessary to address the trade deficit and revive the nation’s industrial base, though 100,000 ​factory jobs have been lost since January 2025.

Trade balance

Economists expect ​shipping restrictions due to the war, which have ⁠affected goods ranging from energy products to fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz, to reduce trade volumes.

Imports increased 4.3% to $372.1 billion in February. Goods imports rose 5.0% to $291.5 billion. They were boosted by imports of capital goods, which increased $7.8 billion, mostly reflecting computers, computer accessories and semiconductors. These imports are likely linked to artificial intelligence and the ​construction of data centers.

Imports of industrial supplies and materials increased $3.1 billion, mostly lifted by crude oil. Consumer goods imports rose $2.2 billion amid a $1.0 billion increase in ​pharmaceutical preparations. Imports of automotive ⁠vehicles, parts and engines increased $1.6 billion.

Exports jumped 4.2% to a record high $314.8 billion. Goods exports soared 5.9% to an all-time high of $206.9 billion.

Exports of industrial supplies and materials increased $10.2 billion to a record high amid rises in monetary gold and natural gas. Non-petroleum goods exports also hit a record high.

The goods trade deficit widened 3.0% to $84.6 billion in February. When adjusted for inflation, the goods deficit increased $0.5 billion, or 0.6%, to $83.5 billion, potentially keeping trade on track to remain ⁠a drag on ​economic growth in the first quarter.

Trade subtracted from gross domestic product growth in the fourth quarter. The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting ​GDP increasing at a 1.9% annualized rate in the first quarter. The economy grew at a 0.7% pace in the fourth quarter.

Exports of services increased $1.1 billion to a record $107.9 billion amid rises in travel, other business services, financial services and charges for the use of ​intellectual property. But exports of transport services fell.

Imports of services jumped $1.3 billion to an all-time high of $80.6 billion, boosted by charges for the use of intellectual property.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

意大利足球衰落 “傲慢”背后藏着大问题

2026年4月2日 23:47 / 联合早报 何欣颜

意大利球员在连续第三次无缘世界杯正赛后，难掩失望之情。 （路透社）

2026年世界杯的最后六张正赛门票的归属已尘埃落定，阔别多年回归的波黑、伊拉克与刚果（金）举国欢腾，出局的国家自然黯然神伤，但对于从四夺大力神杯到沦为世界杯史上首支连续三届无缘正赛的前冠军意大利来说，这种感觉何止是失落？

《米兰体育报》星期三（4月1日）的头版社论将意大利这次的出局形容为“第三场浩劫”，并感叹：“震惊和突如其来的灾难感已经消失，这正在变成常态。”

《都灵体育报》更以“全部人滚蛋”为标题，呼吁进行全面改革。

“蓝衫军”意大利国家足球队连续三届无缘世界杯正赛引发了国人空前的复杂情绪，让许多球迷从最初的愤怒与绝望转为麻木与反思。

波黑球迷在球队阔别12年重返世界杯正赛后，涌向街头大事庆祝。（法新社）

为傲慢付出代价？

从表面上来看，意大利这次被波黑淘汰是输在了点球上，主帅加图索（Gattuso）则认为后卫巴斯托尼（Bastoni）在上半场结束前被红卡罚下，以及基恩（Kean）错失一次将比分扩大至2比0的良机，是比赛的转折点，但或许，他们只是为自己的傲慢付出了代价。

就在世界杯外围赛附加赛半决赛轻松战胜北爱尔兰后，意大利全队当时在更衣室内观看了波黑对威尔士的比赛直播。当看到波黑淘汰威尔士后，意大利球员们竟兴奋地欢呼庆祝，这一画面迅速引发轩然大波。

外界普遍认为，这种反应是对波黑的大不敬，因为在意大利人眼中，波黑比威尔士好对付。社交媒体上瞬间被“我们会记住的”、“泽尼察（比赛场地）见”这类留言刷屏，愤怒的波黑球迷指责意大利队傲慢无礼。

或许正是这种被轻视的感觉，激发出波黑球员更强烈的斗志，再加上意大利自毁前程，波黑最终在阔别12年后重返世界杯正赛，意大利则只能继续沉沦。

意大利足协主席格拉维纳自2018年上任以来，蓝衫军已两次无缘世界杯正赛。他在新加坡时间星期四晚上宣布辞去职务。（法新社）

系统性崩塌：管理青训和联赛三重危机

连续三届倒在附加赛这道坎上，意大利的问题肯定没那么简单，在这背后隐藏着的是意大利足球根深蒂固的系统性问题，是长期积累的矛盾集中爆发。

其中，意大利足协的管理乱象与领导层的不作为，是一切问题的核心症结。

意大利足协主席格拉维纳（Gravina）自2018年上任以来，蓝衫军已两次无缘世界杯正赛，但他始终拒绝下课。前尤文高层莫吉（Moggi）直言不讳地说：“格拉维纳死死抓住职位不放，全靠委员会里的朋友保驾护航。”

不过，意大利体育部长阿博迪（Abodi）星期三说：“意大利足球需要从根本上重建，而这必须从足协高层变动开始。”

在阿博迪公开呼吁格拉维纳辞职的一天后，他在新加坡时间星期四（2日）晚上宣布辞去职务。

领导层的不作为也导致国家队频频换帅。在加图索去年6月接手时，签的也是“晋级世界杯才续约”的短约，因此预计他很快就会下课，这意味着意大利队在四年内就换了三名主帅。战术反复推翻，没有长期重建规划，每次失利都只是临时救火，这种急功近利的用人逻辑，注定无法带领球队走出困境。

更致命的是足协对青训的漠视。2010年巴乔（Baggio）制定的青训改革方案因资金搁置，球探网络、教练培训体系近乎瘫痪，青训注册人数从2006年意大利上一次夺得世界杯时的200万暴跌至2023年的72万，本土新秀在意甲出场率仅32%，位列五大联赛最后。而人才断层的苦果，终究只能由国家队吞下。此外，本土前锋匮乏，迫使国家队不得不归化从未在意大利生活过的雷特吉（Retegui）来撑场面，锋线无力顽疾难解。

随着亚特兰大出局，意甲也成为了欧洲五大联赛中唯一在本季欧冠八强中没有代表的联赛。（法新社）

如果说足协是核心症结，那么意甲联赛的衰落，则是意大利足球沉沦的土壤。在本季欧冠八强中，意甲是欧洲五大联赛中唯一没有代表的联赛。

根据统计，意甲联赛的外援占比高达68%，严重挤压了本土新人的生存空间，俱乐部为短期成绩牺牲长远利益 。同时，意甲经济衰退也非常明显，转播收入仅为英超的六分之一。球场设施老旧，商业开发停滞，导致联赛吸引力下降，陷入“没钱投青训→人才匮乏→成绩差→收入少”的恶性循环 。

联赛竞争力的衰退，让国家队失去了最坚实的人才后盾，也让意大利足球的根基彻底动摇。

再来就是过时的战术。蓝衫军曾靠防守反击拿过欧锦赛和世界杯冠军，但现今的足球，拼的是高位逼抢和快速攻防转换，而意大利队面对密集防守时毫无破局办法，进攻全靠远射和定位球，阵地战推进能力更是差得离谱。

青训过度强调战术纪律，压制个人创造力，也导致球员在高强度对抗下技术粗糙、缺乏突破能力。意大利记者就批评说：“我们根本没有能一对一突破的边路攻击手”。

总的来说，意大利足球的陨落从来都不是某一场比赛的失误，而是整个足球体系从青训到管理的全面崩塌，或许还有那深入骨髓的“傲慢”。

这种傲慢或许并没有直接写在脸上，却体现在赛前那种“抽到好签”后的庆幸和放松之中，体现在面对所谓的“弱旅”时战术准备的不足和专注度的缺失之上。所以，意大利足球想要走出困局、重归巅峰，恐怕是前路漫漫。

美媒：特朗普曾讨论解雇司法部长邦迪

2026年4月2日 23:08 / 联合早报

美媒：特朗普曾讨论解雇司法部长邦迪

美国司法部长邦迪（图）曾任佛罗里达州总检察长。她在特朗普第一个总统任期内的首次弹劾审判中，担任他的辩护律师。 （路透社）

美国媒体报道，美国总统特朗普对司法部长邦迪的领导能力感到不满，已讨论解雇她一事。

《纽约时报》星期三（4月1日）引述四名熟悉相关谈话的消息人士报道，特朗普对邦迪在打击他的政敌，以及处理已故性罪犯爱泼斯坦案卷的方式等问题上的表现感到不满，曾提出用环境保护局局长泽尔丁取代她。

不过，特朗普在《纽约时报》发表的声明中说：“司法部长邦迪是个了不起的人，她做得很好。”

特朗普星期三早些时候现身美国最高法院，旁听权衡他终结出生公民权政策合法性的口头辩论，成为美国历史上首个在任期间出席最高法院辩论的总统。邦迪当时也在现场。

特朗普在2021年首个总统任期结束后，遭到一系列法律诉讼。他在2024年竞选总统时曾誓言报复，并持续公开指责他认定的对手。

再次担任总统后，特朗普敦促邦迪领导的司法部对这些对手提起诉讼。他去年9月在社媒发帖抨击邦迪，抱怨司法部起诉力度不够。

邦迪曾任佛罗里达州总检察长，在特朗普首个总统任期内的首次弹劾审判中，担任他的辩护律师。

她近来也在爱泼斯坦案中面临压力，这起案件已成为特朗普的政治包袱。国会一个特别委员会向邦迪发出传票，要求她在相关调查中作证。

警方全岛取缔非法放贷活动 82人被调查

2026年4月2日 23:55 / 联合早报

警方全岛取缔非法放贷活动 82人被调查

新加坡警察部队4月2日发文告说，刑事侦查局联合七大警署于3月25日至31日，在全岛取缔非法放贷活动。共有82人因涉案被警方调查，他们年龄介于16岁至78岁。 （档案示意图）

82人因涉嫌骚扰借贷人或充当大耳窿跑腿等非法放贷活动，目前正在接受警方调查。

新加坡警察部队星期四（4月2日）晚上发文告说，刑事侦查局联合七大警署于3月25日至31日，在全岛取缔非法放贷活动。共有82人因涉案被警方调查，他们的年龄介于16岁至78岁。

初步调查显示，其中八人被指上门骚扰借贷人，另外14人涉嫌充当跑腿，到自动提款机协助汇款。其余60人则涉嫌开设银行户头，并将提款卡、个人识别码（PIN）或网银密码生成器交给大耳窿，协助他们非法放贷。

针对82人的调查仍在进行中。

根据放贷人法令，进行或协助非法放贷一旦罪成，初犯者可面对最长四年监禁，罚款3万元至30万元，以及最多六下鞭刑；大耳窿骚扰一旦罪成，初犯者可面对最长五年监禁，罚款5000元至5万元，以及三到六下鞭刑。

警方强调，将继续对协助非法放贷集团的人采取严厉执法行动，包括针对那些为大耳窿开设或交出银行户头的人。公众若把自己的银行户头交给非法放贷团伙用于交易，也可能被控，并可在一年内被禁止使用提款机和网络银行服务。

公众若怀疑或知道有人涉及非法放贷活动，可拨打警方热线1800-255-0000，或通过www.police.gov.sg/i-witness提交情报。所有信息将保密。

特朗普宣称已近胜利 誓把伊朗“打回石器时代”

2026年4月2日 23:15 / 联合早报

（华盛顿/德黑兰综合电）美国总统特朗普在伊朗战争爆发一个多月后首次发表全国讲话，宣示核心战略目标已近完成。他恫言，美国将在接下来两三周继续猛烈打击伊朗，势必将它“打回所属的石器时代”。伊朗则誓言坚决抵抗这场“非法战争”，直至敌人投降。

特朗普讲话后，投资者对局势恐难在短期内缓解、甚至可能进一步升级而更感焦虑。市场再受震荡，全球股票和债券价格应声下跌，油价飙升。

特朗普在星期三（4月1日）黄金时段，向美国人民发表近20分钟电视讲话。令人失望的是，他仍未就美以伊冲突如何以及何时结束释出明确信息，只是老调重弹。

特朗普说，美军过去四周在战场上取得了迅速、果断且压倒性的胜利。“我们正在有系统地瓦解这个政权威胁美国或在境外投射力量的能力……这些行动将使伊朗军队瘫痪，粉碎他们支持恐怖代理组织的能力，杜绝他们制造核弹的能力。”

特朗普宣称，战事很快会结束。“未来两三周，我们将对他们进行极其猛烈的打击，把他们打回原本所属的石器时代。与此同时，谈判也在继续。”

延伸阅读

特朗普全国讲话难赋信心 专家：似为尽快抽身做铺垫
特朗普扬言将强力打击伊朗 股市下挫油价大涨

他警告，伊朗若拒绝达成协议，美国将打击伊朗所有发电厂，并可能袭击伊朗石油目标。

美国智库昆西研究所执行副总裁特帕西（Trita Parsi）接受半岛电视台访问时形容，此次讲话基本上是特朗普“过去30天发布的所有推文的总结，且几乎是按时间顺序排列”。

伊朗誓抵抗到底

针对特朗普的威胁，伊朗军方星期四（2日）誓言对美以发动更猛烈、范围更广、更具破坏性的打击，战争将持续“至敌人受尽羞辱、永远后悔并投降为止”。

伊朗军队总司令哈塔米已命令作战指挥部严密监视敌人动向。他警告：“敌人一旦发动地面战，他们将全军覆没。”

伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队星期四稍晚发声明说，他们对美国电商巨头亚马逊在巴林的云计算中心发动了袭击，并称这是对敌人的第一次实际警告。声明说：“如果这些警告被无视，暗杀行为继续，我们将更严厉地惩罚已宣布要瞄准的其他企业。这些企业在中东地区的设施被彻底摧毁，责任完全在美国总统身上。”

革命卫队也声称袭击了波斯湾地区与美国有关的钢铝厂，并警告，如果伊朗工业再受袭击，势必对以色列主要基础设施及美国在中东的经济产业实施更猛烈打击。

伊朗两家大型钢铁厂星期四称，因遭受一系列袭击被迫停运。其中，伊斯法罕省的穆巴拉凯（Mobarakeh）钢铁厂生产线已关闭。位于阿瓦士市的胡齐斯坦（Khuzestan）钢铁厂说，需至少六个月才能重启停产的装置。

伊朗媒体报道，连接德黑兰与西部城市卡拉季的B1公路桥遭到空袭，数人受伤。这座大桥于今年早些时候启用，堪称中东最高桥梁。

伊朗外交部发言人巴加埃星期四说，伊朗全国正团结一致“对抗不公正的侵略战争”，只要敌人继续攻击伊朗的人民和城市，伊朗势必抵抗到底。他重申，美伊之间没在进行任何谈判，并指美方提出的要求“过分且不理智”。

《纽约时报》星期三引述美国官员报道，美国情报机构认为伊朗政府现阶段并不愿意就结束战争展开实质谈判。

伊朗总统：美国如“以色列代理人”

星期三较早时，伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬发表一封致美国人民的公开信，称伊朗对普通美国人并无敌意，并质疑特朗普政府是否真正奉行“美国优先”。

佩泽希齐扬称，把伊朗描绘成威胁并不符合事实，特朗普政府这么做，其实是为施压、维持军事霸权、支撑军工产业与控制战略市场制造借口。

他指责美国袭击伊朗关键基础设施，形同剑指伊朗人民，这构成了战争罪，后果远超伊朗境内。

佩泽希齐扬也质疑美国受以色列的影响和操纵，犹如“以色列代理人”加入这场侵略战。他问道：“这场战争到底符合美国人民的哪些利益……这些行径除了会进一步损害美国国际地位，还有什么作用？”