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North America

Today

Donald Trump says he will pay immigrants to “self-deport”.

White House to pay migrants $1500 to leave US

The administration said it would help pay for travel costs for people who are in the US illegally, calling on them to “self deport”.

America is just weeks away from a mighty economic shock

Unlike backward-looking economic data, global shipping is tracked in real time and trade between China and America is already sinking.

Yesterday

Alcatraz Island. Donald Trump wants to restore the tourist attraction as a working prison.

Return to Alcatraz: Trump wants to reopen historic prison

The president’s directive to rebuild and reopen the long-closed penitentiary is the latest salvo in his effort to overhaul how federal prisoners are locked up.

Donald Trump

Trump rules out firing Powell, urges him to cut rates

The president also said he is willing to lower tariffs on China at some point, and was unclear if he needed to uphold the constitution, in a TV interview.

Walt Disney’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was shot in the UK and Spain.

Trump orders 100pc tariff on all movies made overseas

It’s not clear how such a tariff would work, nor how movies would be valued for tariffs, but the move could have strong implications for Australia’s industry.

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Warren Buffett is increasing his stakes in oil and gas producers as the push towards environmentally focused investing makes them cheaper.

Cook, Dimon praise inspirational teacher Buffett

Luminaries from the technology and banking worlds rushed to praise the man whose lessons they partially credit for their success.

Greg Abel during a shareholders shopping day ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha in 2022.

Abel faces tough task running Berkshire after Buffett

The handpicked successor inherits a record cash pile – but will be scrutinised more than the “Oracle of Omaha”.

This Month

Donald Trump shared on social media what appeared to be an artificial intelligence-generated photo of himself wearing the traditional vestments of the Pope.

Trump posts image of himself as Pope

The idea of ‘Pope Trump’, as some called it, was immediately polarising. Some Catholics did not see the humour in it.

Elon Musk speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Musk gets his wish: SpaceX launch site approved as city of ‘Starbase’

A vote to formally organise Starbase as a city was approved by a lopsided margin among the small group of voters who live there and are mostly employees at SpaceX.

Jazwares CEO Judd Zebersky and president Laura Zebersky greet Greg Abel and Warren Buffett at the shareholders meeting.

Warren Buffett devotees say farewell at poignant Omaha ‘pilgrimage’

Many had feared this moment was coming. The man himself delivered the news in his usual casual manner, slipping it in during the final five minutes.

Legendary investor Warren Buffett .

Warren Buffett’s best and worst investments over 60 years

Success made him a Wall Street icon. It also earned him the nickname “Oracle of Omaha”, a reference to the Nebraska city where he was born and chose to live and work.

Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholder meeting on Sunday (AEST). Warraen Buffett always insisted on treating Berkshire’s shareholders as co-owners in the company.

Warren Buffett caps a career built on humility

Operating in an era replete with purported Wall Street soothsayers, the 94-year-old Buffett always rejected the idea that anyone – even him – could predict the future.

Berkshire Hathaway shareholders line up to take selfies with Greg Abel (left).

Who is Greg Abel, the executive picked to succeed Warren Buffett?

The Canadian will take responsibility for Berkshire’s eclectic assortment of businesses, with their nearly 400,000 employees, and a massive stock portfolio.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event about investing in America in the Cross Hall of the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House seeks to slash billions in Trump’s 2026 budget plan

Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to cut billions from the US budget, including decimating international aid, education and healthcare departments.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney has won Canada’s pivotal national election.

Canada’s Carney set to meet Trump next week

It will be the first meeting between the US and Canadian leaders since Mark Carney won a general election by promising to fight back against Trump.

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US jobs have ticked up.

US job market shows surprising resilience

Wall Street jumped after employers added a better-than-expected 177,000 jobs, suggesting the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs haven’t impacted the labour market yet.

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, left, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Sacked Waltz was a key adult in Trump’s room

National security adviser Mike Waltz spoke with moral and strategic clarity. His sacking means good foreign policy advice for Donald Trump grinds to a halt.

Mike Waltz was responsible for adding a high-profile journalist to a private Signal group chat in March.

Trump sacks Waltz over Signalgate in first shakeup of presidency

National security adviser Mike Waltz was abruptly removed from his role, although tensions had been building for weeks in the White House.

Tim Cook

Apple’s chaotic month culminates in tariff-focused earnings test

Today’s earnings come at a time of uncertainty for Apple, after a month which saw enormous swings in the stock.

Ten thinkers on what to make of Trump’s 100 days

Ten experts assess the start of Trump’s second term – to make sense of all that has happened so far and what might come next.

Trump’s readiness to rattle the markets by escalating a trade war has sown distrust and raised fears that the models guiding business can no longer predict what comes next, some investors say.

How Wall Street got Donald Trump wrong

Titans of finance and business are beginning to realise they misread the president’s second-term priorities.

President Donald Trump in his first term with Anthony Pratt at a plant opening in Ohio in 2019.

Pratt pumps billions into Trump’s America in White House meet

The cardboard king says the $7.8 billion investment will result in 5000 new manufacturing jobs across the US.

Donald Trump blamed former president Joe Biden for the state of the stock market, and urged patience until his tariffs kick in.

Trump concedes tariffs politically risky as economy contracts

The US economy contracted by an annualised 0.3 per cent over the first quarter, as US companies responded to Trump’s trade war by rushing to import goods.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

How AI and Wall Street beat Trump at his own game

Even if Mickey Mouse were president, the US would still be on the way to 4 per cent growth because private-sector innovation promises to offset bad policies and erratic policymaking.

April

Straight to work. Mark Carney speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council, the morning after the Liberal Party won the Canadian federal election.

Mark Carney won, but there will be no honeymoon

The newly elected PM told Canadians he was the right person to stand up to Donald Trump and boost the country’s lacklustre economy. Now he has to do it.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/north-america