SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
mexico
'World's Leading Trump Whisperer' Sheinbaum Gets Another 90 Days for Tariff Talks
"Sheinbaum continues to run circles around Trump," said one observer.
Jul 31, 2025
On the eve of President Donald Trump's dramatic tariff hike on countries around the world, the U.S. leader and his Mexican counterpart on Thursday announced another 90-day extension in trade deal negotiations.
"I have just concluded a telephone conversation with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, which was very successful in that, more and more, we are getting to know and understand each other," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border."
"We have agreed to extend, for a 90 Day period, the exact same Deal as we had for the last short period of time, namely, that Mexico will continue to pay a 25% Fentanyl Tariff, 25% Tariff on Cars, and 50% Tariff on Steel, Aluminum, and Copper," Trump added. "Additionally, Mexico has agreed to immediately terminate its Non Tariff Trade Barriers, of which there were many."
Sheinbaum wrote on the social media site X that she "had a very good call with the president of the United States, Donald Trump. We avoided the tariff increase announced for tomorrow and secured 90 days to build a long-term agreement through dialogue."
Trump had threatened to impose a 30% tariff on Mexico, the United States' largest trading partner, on Friday, absent an agreement. However, for the third time, Sheinbaum negotiated her way around his ultimatums. In March, the last time she did so, The Washington Post's Mary Beth Sheridan and Leila Miller dubbed her "the world's leading Trump whisperer."
The aplomb with which Sheinbaum has handled Trump has earned her widespread praise in Mexico and beyond, and has strongly contributed to her 80% approval rating.
"Sheinbaum secures another pause on Trump's tariffs," Mexico City-based journalist José Luis Granados Ceja said on X. "Given yesterday's positive economic news that shows a growing economy, shrinking inequality, and a drop in poverty, the Mexican government is accomplishing extraordinary things in a very unpredictable situation."
Eric Michael Garcia, the Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the British news site The Independent, said on X that "Sheinbaum continues to run circles around Trump for the exact opposite reason the [European Union] conceded to Trump: The success of Trump's presidency relies on the border with Mexico. She can open the spigot anytime he crosses her."
Mexican journalist Jorge Armando Rocha opined on X that "among all nations, Mexico has the best possible trade agreement with the United States."
Some observers warned against Mexican triumphalism or complacency, given Trump's volatility and past threats against Mexico—including talk of an invasion targeting drug cartels. The United States has launched three major invasions and even more minor incursions into Mexico, including an 1846-48 war waged on false pretenses that ended with the U.S. taking more than half of Mexico's territory.
As Trump makes progress in talks with one U.S. neighbor, he's making threats against another. On Wednesday, Trump said that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to conditionally recognize Palestinian statehood "will make it very hard" to complete a trade deal ahead of the president's August 1 deadline to avoid 35% tariffs on all imported Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that "at some point this afternoon or later this evening" Trump will order tariffs against dozens of nations with which agreements have not been reached.
Although Trump administration officials promised "90 deals in 90 days," only around half a dozen tariff agreements have been reached, including with the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
In stark contrast with these agreements, Trump also imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil for prosecuting his friend and fellow far-right insurrection inciter Jair Bolsonaro, widely known as the "Trump of the Tropics" during his tenure as president of the South American giant.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Toxic Waters Know No Borders: The Tijuana River Crisis
We are facing a creeping ecological and public health disaster—one that has persisted for decades because of political inaction and a lack of cross-border communication and coordination. But solutions exist.
Jul 24, 2025
The intense, acidic stench of raw sewage penetrating your nose and clinging to the back of your throat and yellow “Keep Out, Sewage Polluted Water” warning signs have become far too “normal” for us, southern San Diego, California residents. The Tijuana River once carried stories of binational friendship, but now it carries toxic pollution, including human feces and disease, into the United States.
Originating in Mexico, the Tijuana River crosses the U.S.-Mexico border into an estuary and the ocean, shaping the ecology, culture, and identity of the binational communities it touches. But today, it’s a symbol of failure and neglect. The Tijuana River was recently named the second most endangered river in the United States, and for good reason—the toxic mix of raw sewage, chemical runoff, and bureaucratic inaction threatens not only the health of ecosystems but also the health of Southern California residents.
The river has been a dumping ground for untreated wastewater from Tijuana’s overwhelmed sewage infrastructure and for toxic and sometimes lethal industrial chemicals, including cyanide, primarily from U.S. factories in Mexico seeking lower environmental regulation policies. Thirty-five to 50 million gallons of contaminated water per day make their way through the Tijuana River Estuary, one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in Southern California, before spilling into the Pacific Ocean.
Communities in southern San Diego County, especially Latinos near the river, are on the frontlines of this crisis. Communities impacted by the Tijuana River pollution include Imperial Beach (50.8% Latino), Coronado (19.4%), National City (65.8%), and Chula Vista (60.4%). People in these cities are suffering from coughing, sore throats, asthma exacerbations, skin rashes and infections, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, headaches, and fatigue just from living in proximity to the toxic river. Even more troubling, many recreational fishers—again, often Latinos seeking affordable ways to feed their families—continue to fish in waters that carry dangerous levels of pathogens and heavy metals, unaware of the health risks.
The Tijuana River may be endangered, but it is not lost. With continued pressure, investment, and solidarity, it can once again become a source of life.
This isn’t just a neighborhood issue. The pollution affects Navy SEALs training at the Coronado naval base and U.S. Border Patrol agents, who frequently report infections after exposure. Then there’s its effect on our wildlife. The watershed is home to over 370 bird species and multiple endangered species that depend on clean estuarine habitats for nesting and feeding. The toxic flow erodes their ecosystems, disrupts food chains, and jeopardizes biodiversity along the Southern California coast.
We are facing a creeping ecological and public health disaster—one that has persisted for decades because of political inaction and a lack of cross-border communication and coordination. Yet solutions exist—and many are already underway—driven by the leadership of Latino residents who are boldly demanding action.
Across Southern California, Latino communities and advocacy groups are raising their voices, organizing town halls, urging local officials to act, and educating neighbors about the health and environmental impacts of pollution from the Tijuana River. Their efforts underscore the urgent need for federal government resolution and robust international collaboration to invest in wastewater infrastructure, enforce existing treaties, and modernize pollution control systems on both sides of the border.
At the same time, we must strengthen protections under the Clean Water Act, not weaken them as the federal government intends, and declare the Tijuana River pollution a national emergency due to the environmental disaster impacting public health. Protecting and restoring the Tijuana River will require viewing it as a shared responsibility between nations and communities. Clean water and health should not depend on your ZIP code or nationality. A river that knows no borders should not suffer from a lack of cross-border care.
Despite the daunting challenges, there is hope. The voices rising from Latino communities in southern San Diego are powerful and persistent, with ever-growing resonance. Their advocacy, led by newly sworn-in San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, is making a difference. Federal funds have trickled into the region. Joint U.S.-Mexico commissions are revisiting decades-old agreements. And more Americans beyond California are finally beginning to see this crisis for what it is—a national emergency. Hispanic Access Foundation’s advocacy toolkit provides effective strategies to help address this issue.
The Tijuana River may be endangered, but it is not lost. With continued pressure, investment, and solidarity, it can once again become a source of life. The fight to restore this river is not just a campaign to clean a waterway and entry into the ocean; it is a movement to ensure that every community, regardless of language, location, or ethnicity, can breathe clean air, swim in safe water, and raise their children free from environmental harm.
We owe it to the river. We owe it to each other.
Keep ReadingShow Less
For June Dairy Month, Trump Should Celebrate the Canadian System, Not Denounce It
Trump’s plans don’t work for U.S. farmers. In fact, his intention to increase exports and enter the Canadian market fails both American farmers and our partner to the north.
Jun 29, 2025
Uncertainty is nothing new for farmers.
Freak weather changes and fluctuations in the market make planning for the future a gamble, never a sure thing. Dairy farmers have to deal with the additional issues of needing to keep their herds healthy and well-fed, as the price farmers receive in part depends on bacteria counts, and also the fat and protein content of the milk. If things weren’t hard enough, milk is a highly perishable product, which, unlike grains, cannot be stored and then sold when prices improve.
Giving farmers even more headaches these days is President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again trade war. Specifically, farmers have to endure even more uncertainty than normal as prices for inputs like seed or fertilizer may rise with tariffs, while their export markets abroad are endangered. In this mix of the president’s ongoing trade spats, he's ridiculing Canada for protecting its dairy farmers with their supply management system, alleging that it harms U.S. farmers.
The moral of the story is that exports don’t keep farms in business, but instead allow larger operations to capture market share for themselves while driving out the smaller operations that have long defined U.S. dairy.
But here’s the reality—Trump’s plans don’t work for U.S. farmers. In fact, his intention to increase exports and enter the Canadian market fails both American farmers and our partner to the north.
Mexico has long been the main customer for our dairy exports and is regularly the No. 1 importer of all U.S. goods. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement as Mexico is a milk deficit country and meeting their domestic consumption needs requires imports. That’s how trade should work—when one country has stuff to sell that another country wants to buy, everyone wins.
With our neighbors to the north, the story is much different.
Canadians do not want our products forced into their market. Actually, Canadians want their system to stay as it is. It’s not difficult to see why. The Canadian supply management system ensures dairy farmers a fair price for their milk by tying domestic dairy production to consumption. Prices are negotiated in periodic meetings between farmers and processors to assure a baseline cost of production for producers and an adequate supply for domestic needs. Unlike the U.S. system, in which price controls were lifted for dairy in the 1980s, Canadian dairy farmers have a semblance of certainty year after year. U.S. dairy producers must fend for themselves, adopting a “get big or get out” mentality and increasing production whenever they can to maintain some kind of financial security. This push to constantly increase production leads to chronic overproduction and price volatility. Also unlike the U.S. system, Canadian farmers do not rely on tax-payer financed bailouts, or inadequate insurance payments that keep American farmers hanging on by a thread.
Furthermore, the production treadmill promoted by U.S. government policy has caused the loss of small farms and the hollowing out of rural communities. Trump continued this “get big or get out” mantra the first time he was in office, targeting Canadian dairy much like he is doing now. During the renegotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement into the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the Canadian market was slightly opened to U.S. dairy exports.
Despite the heralding of this change a “win” for farmers, it has proved to be anything but.
Specifically, even though exports to Canada have nearly doubled since 2018, U.S. farmers continue to exit the industry at alarming rates. While U.S. dairy operations numbered at about 34,000 operations in 2020, the year when the USMCA was officially passed, that number fell to just about 26,000 by 2023—a 25% decrease.
The moral of the story is that exports don’t keep farms in business, but instead allow larger operations to capture market share for themselves while driving out the smaller operations that have long defined U.S. dairy.
Particularly as we celebrate June Dairy Month, we should learn from the Canadian system instead of denouncing it. Granted, Canada’s supply management is not perfect—few government policies are. But their system provides for fair returns for farmers and certainty in a profession already marked by so many challenges. A similar production management system in the U.S. could ensure farmers a fair milk price thereby eliminating the need for taxpayer subsidies, while providing consumers with fairly priced, locally produced dairy. Let’s stop championing an economic vision for agriculture that has already been shown to be a failure.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular