🌎 Clean Slate

Good morning. If you haven’t noticed, the newsletter might look a bit different. Hopefully, we’re a bit less ugly and a lot less sarcastic (good luck with that one). Please don’t hesitate to reply to this email with feedback or suggestions, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.

Today, we’ll go over President Trump’s sweeping tariffs, the new ID Americans need to fly, and a couple of groundbreaking spaceflight and scientific achievements.

P.S. It’s International Carrot Day, so make sure you get your dose of Vitamin C in since we all know you’re driving to work today (it’s also Walk to Work Day).

Sit down, have a coffee, and enjoy today’s edition!

— Chase Goepfert, Founder

TRADE
Trump’s tariff plans revealed on “Liberation Day”

The sweeping tariffs will bring in a new economic order. President Donald Trump issued a broad order Wednesday, imposing a minimum 10% tariff on all imports into the US, along with higher reciprical tariffs for countries that maintain "unfair trade barriers" with the US. 

Reciprical tariffs?

Not exactly. "Reciprocal" would imply that they were based on the tariffs that other nations already levy on the US, along with other barriers like cost-raising regulations and policies.

• The president claimed that the US would only be imposing half of what other nations impose on US imports.

• That halving would take into account "the combined rate of all their tariffs, nonmonetary barriers, and other forms of cheating," according to Trump.

That being said, the White House’s formula shows they didn’t calculate this for every country the US has imposed tariffs on and instead based it on getting rid of the US’ trade deficit with a given country. For example:

• The US doesn't have a trade deficit with the UK; however, a 10% levy has been imposed on the country.

So, how was it calculated? Essentially, US officials took the trade deficit the US has with a given country, divided it by the total exports the country had to the US, and divided that number by two (see official formula).

Tariff Time

The White House’s tariff chart (see here) shows the significant new rates that will be levied against countries deemed to have unfair trade practices with the US and will go into effect on April 9th. So, who’s included?

• Most notably, a new 34% tariff on China, which is on top of Trump’s previous 20% tariff, bringing the total to 54% (the US imports ~$460 billion annually from China)

• The European Union will face an uptick of 20% ($605 billion in annual imports), Japan will face a 24% spike ($152 billion in annual imports), and Lesotho will face the highest levy, at 50% ($350 million in annual imports).

More than 100 countries are affected by the new blanket tariffs, including some inhabited islands near Antarctica. See a full list of the countries affected here.

What else happened? Canada and Mexico, which already face 25% tariffs (excluding some goods), didn't get hit with additional levies. Additionally, the previously stated 25% tariff on all foreign vehicles also went into effect on Wednesday.

Stocks plummeted on the news: The market tumbled in extended trading as investors reacted to the aggressive new levies; everything from crude oil to Big Tech stocks fell, and companies that import products— like Nike $NKE ( ▲ 0.46% ) and Apple $AAPL ( ▲ 0.53% ) —were hit particularly hard.

TRANSPORATION
Real ID’s deadline is quickly approaching and citizens are scrambling

Now your regular ID will be as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle. After years of lengthy delays, the deadline to have a Real ID is approaching on May 7th, leaving millions of citizens who don’t have one speeding to the DMV.

An enhanced option

Despite the special IDs that are marked with a star in the top right corner being mandated shortly after 9/11, many Americans are just now applying to get one. Now, the upcoming deadline has DMVs across the country flooded:

• Widespread DMV lineups and appointment shortages are being caused by desperate applicants.

• The Wall Street Journal even reported that DMV scalpers were selling appointments in Miami.

Why do we need these? While they are optional, the special IDs are meant to help bolster security and prevent fraud. Starting early next month, they’ll be required for those 18 and older to board a plane, enter federal buildings, or nuclear power plants.

• As of January, only 56% of Americans have identification cards that comply with Real ID requirements, per federal officials.

• However, this varies by state, as only 26% of Pennsylvanians have a Real ID, while 98% of Texans have obtained one.

Here’s how you can get started: If you would like to get in line, you can see what you need to get your Real ID here and book an appointment at your local DMV here.

SPACE
SpaceX launched the world’s first polar flight

Finally, we’ll get to see Santa’s workshop. Earlier this week, SpaceX launched its Fram2 mission, which will orbit directly above Earth’s polar regions. It marks the first time a crewed spaceflight will explore the North and South poles.

Who’s all aboard?

The manned mission is part tourist trip, part research study and marks SpaceX’s latest trip for those with a little cash who want to get the full SpaceX experience. Four private astronauts are aboard the Crew Dragon capsule Resilience:

1. German robotics engineer and pilot Rabea Rogge.

2. Australian medical officer and polar explorer Eric Phillips.

3. Norwegian filmmaker and vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen.

4. Maltese cryptocurrency billionaire and mission lead Chun Wang.

Wang, who made a fortune from Bitcoin mining, is spearheading the Fram2 mission, while Phillips, Rogge, and Mikkelsen will be conducting the brunt of the research.

What are they doing up there? 

Throughout the mission’s duration, the team will carry out 22 experiments, including research on the health impacts of microgravity, X-ray imaging, and trying to grow mushrooms in space.

• After landing, the crew will test their ability to acclimate to gravity without the usual mobility and/or medical support.

The mission isn’t a cakewalk: It’s challenging enough to get satellites to examine Earth's polar regions, much less a crewed spaceship. Getting into polar orbit is a historically difficult task because of the massive energy requirements and intricate recovery operations.

• Additonally, the rocket was launched southward, which is atypical since an eastern launch gives the rockets a significant power boost.

Despite these challenges, the rocket was able to enter polar orbit without challenges, thanks to the Falcon 9—the most launched orbital rocket in history—and its massive power reserves.

Fun facts: After the launch, Roggie became the first German woman to fly in orbit, and Mikkelsen plans to make a film about the crew’s trip to the North and South Poles. The mission also pays tribute to the Fram, a notable Norwegian vessel that began exploring arctic regions in the late 1800s.

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MEDICINE
Alzheimer’s just got a lot easier to diagnose

The tests mark the latest breakthrough in the treatment of the debilitating disease. According to researchers, a recently created blood test for Alzheimer's disease can diagnose the neurological illness and reveal how far it has progressed with 92% accuracy.

Why is this so important?

Current blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer’s in people with cognitive symptoms, however, they cannot determine the degree of impairment.

The new groundbreaking test can not only differentiate Alzheimer's from other types of cognitive impairment, but it can also distinguish between early and later stage variations of the illness.

• It does this by measuring the amount of MTBR-tau243, a protein that is linked to toxic tau buildup in the brain, in an individual.

• Until now, there has been no test able to identify tau levels in the brain.

What are tau protiens? Tau protein levels correlate with the particular stage a patient is at regarding the disease. For example:

• Tau levels were shown to be normal in individuals with cognitive impairment not related to Alzheimer's, while levels were up to 200 times higher in those in the dementia phase.

Tailored treatment is next: Once the blood tests are clinically available, the ability to easily diagnose and stage the disease should help doctors prescribe tailored treatment plans for patients, optimizing the treatment based on a patient’s particular needs.

TECHNOLOGY
Tinder’s AI wants to see how well you flirt

Leave it to Tinder to tackle the declining birth rate. Earlier this week, Tinder, the popular dating app known for dorm hookups, released “The Game Game,” which allows users to flirt with an OpenAI to practice their, well… game.

Flirtatious feature

The Game Game deals users a virtual deck of cards, where each card has a distinct personality and scenario for you to practice your pickup game using a speech-to-speech chatbot. Before time runs out, users have to win a date by seducing the bot with voice memos:

• As you play, the game gives you feedback, pointing out any possible errors and encouraging you to ask questions.

• Apparently, the game is kind of a joke (it was launched on April 1st, after all), and some users have found it pretty difficult.

The game has a built-in time limit so that users don’t get too good. Tinder’s parent company, Match Group $MTCH ( ▼ 1.33% ), said it isn’t designed to “replace human conversations,” but is more of a “warm up” before users try to score a real date.

Lonely money: The feature releases as users increasingly dump money into dating apps with hopes to make more connections, while the companies themselves began utilizing AI to win back younger users who ghosted them.

Fast Facts
Catch up on this week’s weird news

Avocado Abundance: Chipotle buys 5% of all avocados eaten in the US, according to the Wall Street Journal. The chain went through roughly 132 million pounds of the essential ingredient last year.

Doom Scrolling: TikTok might be in trouble. A Mark Cuban-backed video sharing platform named Skylight released this week after just 10 weeks of active development.

Football Fluctuations: This should solve some fan disputes. The NFL voted to change several key gameplay features, including its overtime rules, the tush push, and sidlining (no pun intended) the infamous “chain gang” in favor of high-tech cameras.

Awful Art: Since everyone is worried about microplastics, a new startup named Clarify Clinic will filter your plasma and rid it of the tiny plastic particles for $12,000.

Ultimate Facebook Championship: Meta and TKO Group's UFC have signed a multimillion-dollar, multiyear sponsorship agreement to include the mixed martial arts league on Meta's platforms and products.

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