✍️ What President Trump’s executive orders mean for you
Also: Next four Israeli hostages to be released, how much Walmart managers can make (it's a lot), and a warning for people with ADHD
Let's break down what just went down in DC – In his first few days back in office, President Trump dropped a massive stack of executive orders from immigration to climate policy. Here's what you need to know about the biggest changes:
Tariffs and your wallet
Trump ordered a broad review of U.S. trade relationships and announced plans to slap 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada starting February 1. For Gen Z, this could mean steeper prices on tons of stuff you buy regularly - think iPhones and other electronics, fast fashion from brands that manufacture abroad, avocados, cars, and even that maple syrup for your pancakes. According to economic projections, these tariffs could hit households with an extra $1,700-$3,900 per year in costs. For young people just starting careers or still in school, that's a serious budget hit. Plus, economists warn this could impact the job market right when many Gen Z'ers are entering it. While Trump's team figures out how to implement his "America First trade policy," it could mean rethinking those shopping habits or finding extra room in already-tight budgets.
Immigration gets a complete overhaul
Trump isn't wasting any time on immigration. He declared the situation at the Mexican border a national emergency and is bringing back some controversial policies from his first term. The "Remain in Mexico" program is back, meaning asylum seekers have to wait outside the U.S. while their cases are processed. He's also suspended the refugee program and canceled thousands of appointments made through the CBP One app, which many migrants were using to legally enter the country.
Trump also tried to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. This is huge – we're talking about changing how citizenship has worked in America since the 14th Amendment. Federal judges are already blocking this one, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional."
↳Dig Deeper: Who are the Millions of Immigrants Trump Wants to Deport (New York Times)
Trans rights rollback
In a major move that's getting tons of attention, Trump ordered that the federal government will only recognize two genders – male and female – on all official documents. This effectively ends recognition of nonbinary identities on federal paperwork and blocks transgender people from having their gender identity recognized on passports and other documents. The order also impacts federal prisons, requiring trans inmates to be housed according to their birth sex rather than their gender identity.
He also killed the Biden administration's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies. All DEI officers are immediately on paid leave, and their positions will be eliminated within 60 days.
↳Dig Deeper: Trump's rapid changes in U.S. government stun federal workers (Reuters)
Climate policy gets drilled
For anyone worried about climate change, Trump's environmental orders are pretty dramatic. He's pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement (again), declared a "national energy emergency" to speed up oil and gas drilling, and is targeting Biden's push for electric vehicles. The goal to have 50% of new cars be electric by 2030? Gone.
He's also opening up Alaska for more drilling and putting the brakes on offshore wind projects. Basically, it's a complete 180 from Biden's climate agenda, prioritizing fossil fuel production over renewable energy development.
TikTok ban on pause
Trump put the TikTok ban on hold for 75 days to "pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans." He's ordered his team to assess any security risks and find potential solutions, directing the attorney general not to enforce the recently passed law banning the app during this review period. It's a more measured approach than an immediate ban, acknowledging TikTok's massive user base while still keeping national security concerns on the table.
Other major changes you should know about:
Federal workers have to go back to the office full-time (RIP remote work)
There's a federal hiring freeze (except for military and border security)
The controversial “Schedule F” policy makes it easier to fire federal workers and replace them with political appointees who support President Trump’s policies
Pardoning of roughly 1,500 people charged in January 6 attack
Why it matters
These orders aren't just boring policy stuff – they'll have real impacts on your future. The climate policies could affect how quickly we transition to clean energy, which matters for both job opportunities and the planet you’ll inherit. The immigration changes could impact your friends, classmates, and coworkers who are immigrants or have immigrant families. And the gender recognition policies directly affect trans and nonbinary members of your community.
What's next?
Many of these orders are already facing legal challenges, especially the birthright citizenship one. Some might get blocked by courts, while others could take months or years to fully implement. But they show Trump's priorities and what he plans to do with his presidency.
Whether you support these changes or oppose them, one thing's clear: Trump isn't playing it safe. He's going big and fast, trying to reshape major parts of American policy. And since these issues – from climate change to immigration to LGBTQ+ rights – will directly impact your generation's future, it's worth paying attention and getting involved in whatever way feels right to you.
The best move?
Stay informed, know your rights, and remember that executive orders can be challenged in court and reversed by future presidents. This isn't the final word – it's just it's just the latest chapter in America's ongoing political story.
Let us know what you think in the comments below, and which issues you want to learn more about from Zivvy News.
More: Tracking Trump's executive orders: What he's signed so far (Axios)
🌎 Around the world
➤ Four female Israeli soldiers to be released as part of ceasefire deal, Hamas says
All four hostages are alive, Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told NBC News. (NBC News)
➤ With Gaza quiet, Israel is turning its focus on the West Bank. Here’s why
The Israeli military has intensified operations across the occupied West Bank, targeting Palestinian militant cells, imposing roadblocks and cutting communities off from the outside world. (CNN)
➤ 400,000 displaced this year as conflict rages in DRC's volatile east
The DR Congo army and M23 on Friday clashed near the main city in the country's volatile east as the UN warned the raging conflict had displaced over 400,000 people this year and could spark a regional war. (AFP via Barron’s)
➤ Fighting alongside Russia, North Koreans wage their own war
Ukrainian forces described a different kind of enemy, fighting with unfamiliar tactics and little option to retreat. (New York Times)
🗞️ US News
➤ Progress is made on a huge fire north of LA as new fires erupt in Southern California
Evacuation orders were lifted Thursday for tens of thousands as firefighters with air support slowed the spread of a huge wildfire churning through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, but new blazes erupted in San Diego County, briefly triggering more evacuations. (NPR)
➤ Antioch High School's AI weapon detection system failed to detect student's gun before deadly shooting
An artificial intelligence-powered weapon detection software installed on cameras at Antioch High School failed to pick up on a student's gun during a deadly shooting Wednesday, according to a Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson. (Tennessean)
💰 Money
➤ Walmart boosts some top managers to over $600,000 a year
Walmart is increasing pay, bonus and stock awards for market managers that can bring their total annual compensation to more than $600,000, the retailer told Axios Thursday. (Axios)
⚕️Health and wellness
➤ Adults with ADHD live shorter lives than those without a diagnosis, a new study finds
The research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that men diagnosed with ADHD were dying roughly 7 years younger compared to their counterparts without a diagnosis of ADHD. Women with ADHD lived an average of about 9 years less. (NPR)
➤‘Extremely concerning’ stroke risk for children of divorced parents
Older adults whose parents divorced when they were kids are nearly two-thirds more likely to have a stroke in later life, a study of more than 13,000 Americans suggests. (Forbes)
➤ ReproductiveRights.Gov vanished, so Skimm brought it back
The day after President Donald Trump began his second term, people noticed that they could no longer access a .gov web page outlining women's rights to abortion and contraception under US law. In the wake of its disappearance, theSkimm is publishing the content of reproductiverights.gov to ensure that the critical information and resources it outlined remain available to women and families. (TheSkimm)
👩💻 Technology
➤ Inside TikTok’s frantic scramble to halt U.S. ban
When TikTok pleaded with outgoing Biden officials and threatened to go offline, the White House pushed back, declaring it all a “stunt.” The two sides “just hated each other and fundamentally didn’t trust each other,” one person said. (Washington Post)
➤ Instagram and Facebook blocked and hid abortion pill providers’ posts
Some posts related to obtaining abortion pills were recently hidden on Instagram and Facebook and some accounts were suspended, before being later restored. (New York Times)
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