Political & Social Commentary - A sitting senator, Alex Padilla, was forcibly removed from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Christy Gnome, sparking outrage and accusations of authoritarianism [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] - The incident involving Senator Padilla is described as a "Rubicon crossing moment," raising concerns about the administration's response to dissent and potential abuse of power [1][9][10] - Concerns are raised about the normalization of authoritarian behavior, with comparisons made to other countries and fears that the military may be used to suppress dissent [10] - The role of media, particularly Fox News, is criticized for allegedly spreading disinformation and creating an alternative reality, similar to state media in countries like Russia [3][5][12] - Governor Gavin Newsome and former Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the treatment of Senator Padilla as outrageous, dictatorial, and a shameful abuse of power [10] Immigration Policy - Donald Trump is accused of surrendering on his promise to deport 15 million people, including essential workers in agriculture and hospitality [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] - Trump's changing stance on immigration is attributed to pressure from industry owners and a realization that mass deportations are impractical [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] - Concerns are raised that Trump's revised immigration stance won't make undocumented workers feel safer due to the incident involving Senator Padilla [25][26] Military & National Security - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsath faced questions about the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles over immigration protests [27][28][29] - Concerns are raised about the impact of political involvement on the military, including reduced training time and potential loss of experienced leaders [30][31] - The planned military parade is criticized for potentially creating a negative image and diverting resources from war fighting and veterans' support [32][33][34][35][36] - Secretary Hegsath is criticized for his handling of the "Signalgate" incident, where he allegedly shared classified information on a group chat [37][38][39][40][41][42][43] Economic Impact of Tariffs - Initial predictions of inflation due to tariffs have not yet materialized, with core goods prices rising by 28% [44] - Economists still expect tariffs to rise by about 3% this year, while consumers anticipate a 65% increase [46][47] - The World Bank has lowered its growth estimates for the US from 23% to 14%, half of the 28% achieved in the last year of the Biden administration [48][49] - The labor market is showing signs of slowing down, with job growth decelerating and 600,000 people dropping out of the labor force last month [51][52] - The housing market is experiencing a slowdown, with a growing number of houses sitting on the market and declining affordability for buyers [55][56][57][58][59] International Relations - Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran, raising concerns about escalation and the need for negotiation [12] - The Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal is criticized for undermining inspections and increasing the risk of conflict [12] - The US military was not involved in or assisted with the Israeli strikes on Iran [13]

former Treasury official and Morning Joe economic analyst Steve Ratner. Steve, there has indeed been plenty of speculation about how Trump's tariffs will impact the country. So tell us, how does the economy look almost 5 months into Trump's second term.Yeah, it's interesting, Jonathan. I think uh all of us predicted that inflation would start to go up as a result of those tariffs, but yesterday there was a report that in fact it has really not yet gone up, or at least not yet gone up. So the commerce depart ...

Core Insights - Skechers U.S.A., Inc. reported first-quarter 2025 results with a revenue miss but earnings beat, leading to a 6.5% decline in shares due to withdrawn full-year guidance amid economic uncertainty [1][4]. Financial Performance - Earnings per share were $1.34, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.17, with a year-over-year increase of 0.8% [4]. - Total sales reached $2.41 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $2.44 billion, but reflecting a 7.1% year-over-year growth driven by domestic and international sales increases of 6.9% and 7.2%, respectively [4][5]. - Wholesale sales increased 7.8% to $1.53 billion, while direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales rose 6% to $879.4 million [5]. Regional Performance - Sales in the Americas increased 8.3% to $1.10 billion, EMEA sales rose 14.4% to $718.2 million, while APAC sales decreased 2.6% to $589 million [7]. Margin and Cost Analysis - Gross profit increased 6.2% to $1.25 billion, with a gross margin decrease of 50 basis points to 52% due to lower average selling prices [9]. - Total operating expenses grew 12.1% to $989.2 million, representing 41% of sales, an increase of 180 basis points [9][10]. Cash and Financial Health - As of March 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents totaled $993.1 million, with long-term borrowings of $82.4 million and shareholders' equity of $4.51 billion [11]. Store Expansion - Skechers operated 5,318 stores as of March 31, 2025, with 13 new domestic stores and 38 international stores opened during the first quarter [12].