WASHINGTON—U.S. trading partners did not react well to President Donald Trump’s Thursday announcement to impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Shortly after the president’s statement—laying out a plan to levy a 25 percent steel tariff and a 10 percent aluminum tariff on all imports starting next week—global markets began to decline. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 1.7 percent, Japan’s Nikkei lost 2.5 percent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed down 1.5 percent.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump huddled at the White House with the National Rifle Association’s top lobbyist on Thursday. The president made headlines and confused some of his fellow Republicans during a televised meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday when he suggested waiving due process for gun owners to confiscate their weapons. Chris Cox, the executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, left the White House on Thursday night claiming gun owners have nothing to fear from the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration rebuffed reports on Friday that national security adviser H.R. McMaster is on his way out the door. “Look, Gen. McMaster’s not going anywhere,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox & Friends Friday morning. “As the president said yesterday in the Oval Office to a number of people, he thinks he’s doing a great job.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to levy new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports as soon as next week. The tariffs would tax steel imports 25 percent and impose a 10 percent fee on aluminum imports. “We’re going to build our steel industry back and we’re going to build our aluminum industry back,” the president said during a White House meeting with 15 executives from the steel and aluminum industries and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

WASHINGTON—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., outlined his party’s stance Thursday as Congress debates gun reforms. Schumer said Democrats aren’t in complete agreement, but the vast majority of the party’s lawmakers wants three things: expanded background checks to close loopholes on firearm sales online and at gun shows, a way to temporarily disarm individuals who pose threats to themselves or others, and debate on a ban on what many call assault-type weapons such as the AR-15 rifle, the weapon used in the Parkland, Fla., school shooting that killed 17 people on Feb. 14.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump shook up the gun debate Wednesday during a freewheeling televised White House meeting.

Lawmakers appeared headed toward voting on a narrow reform bill this week, but during the bipartisan discussion the president signaled support for a host of gun proposals—some vehemently opposed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and most Republicans. Trump told members of both parties he wants action on several areas related to gun reform, challenging Congress to combine proposals into a comprehensive piece of legislation. 

Walmart announced Wednesday it would no longer sell firearms or ammunition to anyone younger than 21 years old. “In light of recent events, we’ve taken an opportunity to review our policy on firearm sales,” the retailer announced in a statement.