On War Room, Steve Cortes breaks down the recent market swings and tells people not to panic. He says, yes, it's a rough patch, but zoom out. There’s still a path forward — one that includes rebuilding American industry and getting back to real prosperity. He points to falling interest rates and everyday costs like gas and eggs as early signs things might be turning.
They hate Trump more than they love this country. They despise him more than they care about the prosperity of their fellow Americans. — Steve Cortes on War Room
Cortes argues that the fear swirling around financial markets is more about politics than economics. He says the media’s focus on panic is aimed at undermining Trump, not protecting everyday investors. Despite the current turbulence, he stresses the importance of staying grounded and looking ahead.
Key Takeaways
- Markets are choppy, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to lose your head.
- America can absolutely bounce back — it just takes real leadership and a focus on rebuilding.
- Money moving into bonds is bringing interest rates down, which helps with the debt load.
- Gas, eggs, and other basics are getting cheaper — that matters at the kitchen table.
- The big picture? Tough road, but still totally doable if we stay focused.
Watch The Videos
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1. NATO: Europe Scolds Russia For Rejecting Trump's Truce Push - D.W.
Foreign ministers from the NATO member states met for a second day in Brussels on Friday amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the alliance, as well as a faltering push for peace in Ukraine.
European NATO members publicly admonished Russia for undermining the Ukraine peace deal put forward by Trump, in a clear attempt to persuade Washington to take a harder line on Moscow. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been sincere in ceasefire talks with U.S. representatives, calling his talk of negotiations "nothing by empty promises."
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"I think [with] the Trump administration, we are now in [a] realm of thinking about what is possible, what can really work, and how we can find a long-term solution," Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev told CNN following talks with members of President Trump's administration in Washington.
Dmitriev said on Telegram that restoring dialogue “is a difficult and gradual process. But each meeting, each frank conversation allows us to move forward." He did not name the Trump administration officials he met with, but said they conducted themselves “with great respect, ask a lot of questions, find compromises.”
3. China Levies 34% Duties On U.S. Goods - D.W.
Beijing has said it will introduce 34% tariffs on U.S. imports to counteract the duties imposed by the Trump administration. The levies will take effect on April 10.
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing also said it would increase the export controls on key rare earth materials that are essential for high-tech industries that produce chips and electric vehicle batteries. It also announced export controls for 27 U.S. companies. On top of the retaliatory measures, the ministry said it was filing a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
4. "China Played It Wrong:" Trump - TIPP Insights
In response to President Trump’s recent 34% tariffs on Chinese goods, China announced it will impose a reciprocal 34% tariff on all US imports starting April 10. The Chinese government criticized the US tariffs, calling them unilateral and a violation of international trade rules.
5. Vietnam Wants To Negotiate, Eliminate Tariffs On U.S. Imports - TIPP Insights
President Donald Trump is imposing a 10% baseline tariff on nearly every country, including China and Vietnam, two key players in the U.S. toy industry. Vietnam may be more willing to negotiate quickly than China due to the importance of its trade ties with the U.S.
According to details shared by Trump on Truth Social, he had a productive conversation with Vietnam’s General Secretary, To Lam, who expressed a desire to reduce tariffs to zero if an agreement is reached between both countries. Trump indicated plans for an upcoming meeting to discuss further terms as well.
6. China Floats Battle Barges In Taiwan Invasion Plans - AFP
A memo from U.S. Naval War College has revealed another potential weapon in Beijing's arsenal – barges that can connect via extendable ramps to form a half-mile-long pier from deep waters to land.
With retractable legs that can push into the sea floor, the Naval War College said they could create a platform for personnel and "hundreds of vehicles" an hour to land on Taiwan.
7. Turkey Moves To Take Control Of Syria’s Strategic T4 Air Base: Sources - Middle East Eye
Turkey and Syria have been negotiating a defence pact since December, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. The agreement would see Turkey provide air cover and military protection for Syria’s new government, which currently lacks a functioning military.
While Israel views a Turkish military presence in Syria as a potential threat, Ankara aims to stabilise the country by leveraging its military capabilities and filling the power vacuum left by the withdrawal of Russia and Iran.
8. EU Talks Tough On Trump Tariffs In Hope Of U-Turn - BBC
Germany's outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, described the new Trump tariffs as fundamentally wrong. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also saw them as a unilateral attack.
The response to the new U.S. tariffs is being coordinated at the European Union HQ in Brussels. The European Commission deals with all overarching trade matters for the bloc's members. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claims they hold "a lot of cards", including the strength to negotiate and the power to push back.
9. German Poll: Majority For Return To Nuclear Energy - D.W.
A new poll released by the marketing company Innofact, found that 55% of Germans questioned were in favor of a return to nuclear power. More than six in ten men favored a return, while less than half of women did.
The issue of nuclear energy has vexed German politics for some time, and it has been a sticking point in current ongoing coalition negotiations between Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD).
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Six years ago Mexico’s president disbanded the country’s Federal Police and handed security responsibilities fully to the military. Now, his successor has quietly begun to build an elite civilian investigative and special operations force to fight the drug cartels.
President Claudia Sheinbaum had already shown a willingness early in her presidency to move away from former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s oft-criticized “hugs, not bullets” strategy. The government has yet to formally announce the new National Operations Unit, known by its Spanish initials UNO, but its existence is an open secret among former members of the Federal Police, where García Harfuch started his career.
11. South Korean Court Removes President Yoon From Office After Martial Law Debacle - RFA
South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, removing him from office following his short-lived imposition of martial law.
Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly in mid-December on charges of violating the constitution and other laws by declaring martial law on Dec. 3. He ordered troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting against the martial law decree and the arrest of politicians, evoking an earlier era of authoritarianism in South Korea.
12. Backpacks For Carrying Cash: Surging Inflation In North Korea Hits Residents Hard - RFA
Surging inflation in North Korea has some people complaining that they need to carry a backpack full of cash just to go shopping, residents told Radio Free Asia.
Despite government attempts to tightly control prices, the cost of many items on informal markets called jangmadang, have steadily risen. The main reason appears to be a shortage of supplies and the depreciation of the North Korean won against the Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar, which makes goods more expensive in local currency, the sources say.
13. Meta Nears Release Of New AI Model Llama 4 This Month, The Information Reports - Reuters
Meta Platforms (META) plans to release the latest version of its large language model later this month, after delaying it at least twice, the Information reported, as the Facebook owner scrambles to lead in the AI race.
Meta, however, could push back the release of Llama 4 again, the report said, citing two people familiar with the matter. The report said one of the reasons for the delay is during development, Llama 4 did not meet Meta's expectations on technical benchmarks, particularly in reasoning and math tasks.
14. Teen Girls' Screen Time Linked In Study To Poor Sleep, Depression - HealthDay News
Teenagers who spend more time on screens tend to get worse sleep, both in terms of sleep quality and duration, researchers reported in the journal PLOS Global Public Health.
Screen time also caused teens to put off sleep until later hours, affecting their wake/sleep cycles, researchers found. These sleep disturbances are linked to later depression symptoms in girls, but not in boys, results show.
