President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to cushion the impact of his automobile tariffs for domestic carmakers. The measure aims to prevent overlapping duties from applying to the same vehicle or auto part. It blocks the cumulative effect—or “stacking”—of separate tariff regimes such as those targeting steel, aluminum, and drug-related imports, when a 25 percent auto tariff is already in place.

The order applies retroactively to all affected imports entering the country on or after March 4, 2025. The 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles took effect earlier this month, part of the administration’s broader strategy to revive U.S. auto manufacturing.

“I have now determined that, to the extent these tariffs apply to the same article, these tariffs should not all have a cumulative effect (or ‘stack’ on top of one another) because the rate of duty resulting from such stacking exceeds what is necessary to achieve the intended policy goals,” Trump wrote. (More)

PepsiCo is speeding up its transition away from artificial colors, its CEO said, after the Food and Drug Administration announced it was banning two food dyes. Pepsi owns brands such as Doritos, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, and Cheetos that include artificial colors.

“We obviously, we stand by the science and ... where products are very safe and there’s nothing to worry about this, but we understand that there’s going to be a probably a consumer demand for more natural ingredients, and we’re going to be accelerating that transition,” Ramon Laguarta, the CEO, said during an earnings call last week. Laguarta said that some brands, such as Lays and Tostitos, will contain no artificial colors by the end of 2025.

“In the next couple of years, we'll have migrated all the portfolio into natural colors or at least provide the consumer with natural color options,” he added later. “And obviously, every consumer will have the opportunity to choose what they prefer.” (More)

Residents in mainland China say that sudden deaths appear to be increasing. A resident in Dalian city told The Epoch Times that the recent death rate is apparently higher than the death rate during the period from December 2022 to early 2023, when a massive wave of COVID-19 infections and deaths swept across the country.

Mr. Wang, who declined to provide his full name for safety concerns, told The Epoch Times that many people in their 20s to 50s suddenly died. At least two of his relatives have died, he said. “Four or five of my colleagues have passed away. Those who were vaccinated against COVID-19 suffered more serious conditions. Many of my colleagues’ relatives have also passed away, and they have had to take time off from work to attend the funerals,” Wang said.

Mr. Cao from Huadian City in Jilin Province, who didn’t reveal his first name for safety concerns, also told The Epoch Times that many young and middle-aged people he knew have died, one after another. (More)