Author: NY TIMES

For years, the Chinese government has worked to control the export of rare earths, a group of metals used in an array of products, as common as semiconductors and lights. Now, in its trade war with the United States, China is moving to limit the market for these metals even further, which could have disastrous consequences for American manufacturing and military power. So, what exactly are these metals, and why are they so important?What are rare earths?There are 17 types of metals known as rare earths, which span the periodic table and are crucial to industries like technology, energy and…

The Trump administration took steps on Monday that appear likely to result in new tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceutical products, adding to the levies President Trump has put on imports globally.Federal notices put online Monday afternoon said the administration had initiated national security investigations into imports of chips and pharmaceuticals. Mr. Trump has suggested that those investigations could result in tariffs.The investigations will also cover the machinery used to make semiconductors, products that contain chips and pharmaceutical ingredients.In a statement confirming the move, Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the president “has long been clear about the importance of…

Inside a centuries-old monastery atop a mountain in western Syria, a priest swung an incense holder on a chain, led his flock in melodic chants and delivered a timeless sermon on the importance of loving one’s neighbor.But when the congregation gathered for coffee after the service, their current worries surfaced, about how peaceful Syria’s future would be.Would the Islamist rebels who ousted the strongman Bashar al-Assad in December ban pork and alcohol, impose modest dress on women or limit Christian worship? Would the new security forces protect Christians from attacks by Muslim extremists?“Nothing has happened that makes you feel that…

A new biography and film about Yoko Ono offer more opportunities to assess her contributions to culture. Two pop music critics debate if they’re worthy of their subject.

In past eras, the wealthy tended to attire themselves in the richest of colors: indigo, crimson, the purple of nobilities and kings. We are no longer in that era. These days, the hue preferred by the richest people on earth is that most bland and mousy of non-colors — beige.For Lindsey Woodcock, a luxury travel consultant, the beige onslaught first revealed itself on the terraces and streets of St. Moritz, Switzerland, the exclusive Alpine resort town where she lives part-time.“It becomes something you can’t not see, said Ms. Woodcock, who also has residences in London and Sun Valley, Idaho. “There…

Stock markets around the world jumped on Monday after temporary freeze on some new tariffs on electronics amid more abrupt shifts in President Trump’s approach to trade policy.Stocks in Japan rose 1 percent while benchmarks went up 2 percent in Hong Kong and less than 1 percent in mainland China. Stocks in Taiwan, a global center of technology manufacturing, fell slightly.The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 2 percent in early trading, with every major market in the region up on the day.S&P 500 stock futures, which let investors bet on how the index might perform when it opens in New York,…

Follow the real-time reporting of the final round of the 2025 MastersAugusta, Georgia – The masters will never be happy.Wearing a Millennium Core Clothing for 51 weeks each year may be a fashion sin. But this week, during the Masters, at Augusta National Golf Club, customers dressed up for the scene they found when they stepped onto the property, which is what makes everything normal.The open space between the clubhouse, Augusta National’s first t-shirt and practice green is like the Shibuya Crossing of golf. The audience emanates in every direction, forming a dazzling blur of rye green, pickles and straw…

In a world besieged by turmoil, Jacob Rothman thought he had secured a refuge.Mr. Rothman, 52, grew up in California but has spent more than two decades in China, overseeing factories that make grilling accessories and other kitchen items for Walmart and retailers around the globe. Well before the rest of the business world, he grasped the pressures bearing on the relationship between his native country and the one where he runs his business.President Trump used his first term to impose tariffs on imports from China. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. advanced that policy. The pandemic exposed the pitfalls of…

The Trump administration isn’t letting up on the tech giants.On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission will face off with Meta in court over claims that the social media giant snuffed out nascent competitors when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp. And on April 21, the Justice Department will argue that a federal judge should force Google to sell its Chrome web browser to limit the power of its search monopoly.Both cases, which helped set into motion a new era of antitrust scrutiny, were filed during President Trump’s first term in office. They were advanced by the Biden administration, which also filed…

During his Senate confirmation hearings to be health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presented himself as a supporter of vaccines. But in office, he and the agencies he leads have taken far-reaching, sometimes subtle steps to undermine confidence in vaccine efficacy and safety.The National Institutes of Health halted funding for researchers who study vaccine hesitancy and hoped to find ways to overcome it. It also canceled programs intended to discover new vaccines to prevent future pandemics.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shelved an advertising campaign for the flu shot. Mr. Kennedy has said inaccurately that the scientists who advise…