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Photo of a car being assembled by robotic arms
Lenny Kuhne via Unsplash
Dozens of Questions: How Are Trump’s Auto Parts Tariffs Affecting the Broader Economy?
Jul 11, 2025
President Donald Trump made economic waves earlier this year when he announced a 25% tariff on imported automobiles and parts with the stated goal of revitalizing U.S. auto manufacturing. Yet as of summer 2025, the majority (92%) of Mexican-made auto parts continue to enter the United States tariff-free.
That’s because of a March 2025 revision that exempts cars and parts manufactured in compliance with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) from tariffs.
The auto manufacturing industries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico are deeply intertwined, in part because of trade agreements. USMCA, implemented in 2018, is essentially an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA established tariff-free trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico and led to an increase in manufacturing on the U.S.’s Southern border, with American companies manufacturing goods in Mexico to reduce labor costs. The exemption of Mexico from tariffs is likely to accelerate this trend.
While Mexico and Canada continue to largely dodge the auto parts tariffs, tariffs on imports from other parts of the world are still in effect. Manufacturer Marelli, which made internal electronics for Jeeps and Nissans, filed for bankruptcy this month due to the subsequent financial strain.
Price increases are quantified by inflation metrics like the personal consumption expenditures price index. The PCE price index measures consumer spending on a basket of goods and services, including motor vehicles and parts. The May numbers, released earlier today, show an annual inflation rate of 2.3%.
So far since Trump took office, the PCE has seen monthly changes of +0.4%, 0%, +0.1% and +0.1% in February, March, April and May. The “motor vehicles and parts” component of the PCE has seen changes of +0.1%, -0.4%, 0%, and -0.1% over those same months, showing that the amount that Americans spend on cars and parts has not yet increased.
That component of the PCE did spike notably during the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply chain issues, resulting in slow-downs in car-buying at that time.
Changes in the PCE reflect shifts in price as well as shifts in consumer behavior. “It doesn't just track the cost of groceries per se,” explained Hoffman. “It tracks the cost of the groceries in my basket that I've chosen to purchase.”
In recent months, demand for cars has decreased as tariff news spooks potential buyers. As a result, car prices have remained relatively flat. But industry experts predict that prices will rise in coming months, even on vehicles that are manufactured in North America and thus exempt from tariffs.
“What we’ve seen historically is that if you put a tariff on an import, which drives up the cost, domestic firms are all too happy to raise their prices even though they're not paying tariffs to match the price of that import,” said Dennis Hoffman, professor of economics at the W. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
In the long run, Hoffman said, increases in the price of goods almost always lead to increases in the PCE price index.
Higher prices don’t necessarily spell the beginning of an economic downturn – if they’re matched by a corresponding rise in incomes. But if they aren't, they can portend further economic trouble.
“If goods that I need to purchase on a monthly budget go up in price, that leaves me with less income for discretionary spending, and that can be recessionary,” Hoffman said.
Meanwhile, the President is mulling further action, saying he might increase auto tariffs in the “not-so-distant future.”
Dozens of Questions: How Are Trump’s Auto Parts Tariffs Affecting the Broader Economy? was originally published by the APM Research Lab.
Maya Chari is the APM Research Lab’s data journalism fellow.
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Imagine a democracy concert followed by a yearlong democracy call to action roadshow—designed to build a new civic movement
Getty Images, gilaxia
Live Aid 40th Anniversary: Can Music Spark a Civic Revival Today?
Jul 10, 2025
On Sunday, July 13, CNN will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Live Aid with the start of a four-part documentary series that tells the definitive story of how two rock stars sparked one of the largest global music events in history.
Featuring interviews with icons like Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting, Patti LaBelle, Phil Collins, and Lionel Richie, as well as global leaders including George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, President Obasanjo, and Tony Blair, the series is enriched with rare archival footage of performances and intimate backstage moments featuring Paula Yates, Boy George, Status Quo, and George Michael.
Live Aid’s original mission was to raise funds and awareness for famine relief in Ethiopia, where millions were suffering amid drought and civil war in the early 1980s. But the event evolved into something far greater—a 16-hour transatlantic concert staged simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, broadcast to an estimated 1.9 billion people across 150 countries.
More than a fundraiser, Live Aid was a cultural phenomenon—a moral call to action delivered in the universal language of music. As Bob Geldof put it, they spoke to the world using “the lingua franca of the planet—not English, but rock ’n’ roll,” confronting the absurdity of starvation in a world of abundance.
Live Aid didn’t just raise money; it redefined what music and mass media could accomplish together. Its legacy laid the groundwork for decades of benefit concerts and reimagined the civic potential of entertainment:
- It set a new standard for scale and reach. Live Aid proved a concert could be more than entertainment—it could be a planetary event.
- It galvanized a wave of charitable events. From Farm Aid to Live 8 to the Global Citizen Festival, Live Aid's model continues to inspire.
- It expanded the role of celebrity in activism. Bono, a Live Aid performer, would go on to launch initiatives like ONE and Product Red, becoming a lifelong advocate.
- It influenced institutional behavior. The global response pressured governments to release surplus grain and increase humanitarian aid.
- It sparked necessary debate. Live Aid also prompted critical discussions about the ethics of aid, representation, and Western involvement in global crises.
The Fulcrum now asks: If it was possible then—Why not now?
In this era of division, within the United States and across the globe, when many fear for the future of democracy itself, why not reimagine a democracy roadshow, a tour “For Democracy”?
As jazz icon Wynton Marsalis once said, “Music heals people because music is vibration, and the proper vibration heals.” Music brings people together. It multiplies energy. And when we join as one, we become greater than the sum of our parts.
Imagine a democracy concert followed by a yearlong democracy call to action roadshow—designed to build a new civic movement; a movement that transcends outdated definitions of right and left. One that centers on shared values, optimism, and active participation. In an age of algorithm-driven division, such an effort could channel celebrity influence and social platforms toward healing instead of fracture.
A democracy concert would unite artists from across genres and across the political spectrum—right, left, and center. It would reflect the diversity of American music and mirror the pluralism of its people. The concert would not be about being a Democrat or Republican but instead about being a participant in a more vibrant, inclusive democracy.
So—what’s changed since 1985: Why haven’t we seen another Live Aid-sized response to threats like democratic erosion, war, or climate collapse?
There are many reasons:
- Media fragmentation. In 1985, Live Aid reached billions through a handful of TV networks. Today, audiences are dispersed across countless platforms, making it harder to convene a singular cultural moment.
- The internet redefined activism. As Geldof has noted, online activism happens fast—but often fizzles quickly. Hashtags and livestreams have replaced the emotional resonance of shared, physical experience.
- Cynicism has grown. With hindsight, Live Aid faced criticism over how funds were distributed and for oversimplifying complex issues. Today’s public is more wary of celebrity-led efforts.
- The issues feel abstract. Famine is visceral. Democracy’s threats—disinformation, gerrymandering—are harder to embody in a single image or song.
And yet, Live Aid’s spirit still lingers—just in new forms. Global Citizen, One World: Together at Home, and Stand Up for Ukraine have built on its legacy, often leaning digital, policy-driven, and movement-based.
Part II: A New Kind of Cultural Catalyst
Perhaps what we need today is not just another concert—but a new kind of cultural infrastructure—one that fuses art, activism, and community building into a lasting democratic force. In Part II, we’ll explore how creative practice in the U.S. can meet civic needs, strengthen local economies, and restore our human connections.
Here are a few ideas we’ll unpack in Part II
- Civic Studios. Permanent community-rooted spaces where artists, organizers, and residents co-create murals, performances, and storytelling projects to address local democratic challenges. Part gallery, part organizing hub, part civic classroom.
- The Democracy Mixtape Project. A traveling concert–meets–town hall, remixing core democratic texts (like the Constitution) through music, spoken word, and civic education. Think Hamilton meets Live Aid—but grassroots and mobile.
- The Civic Imagination Fund. A pooled fund supporting long-term residencies for artists embedded in movement spaces—like voting rights or climate justice—designed to spur innovation at the intersection of creativity and civic infrastructure.
- Digital Public Squares. Online platforms that blend artistic storytelling with live civic dialogue. Picture a short film on gerrymandering sparking a real-time conversation between artists, organizers, and historians.
- The Civic Rituals Lab. A think-and-do tank that prototypes new public rituals—like a “Democracy Sabbath” or “Day of Listening”—to replace partisan spectacle with culturally resonant practices of reflection and connection.
Stay tuned for Part II, where we explore how art can become a civic muscle—energizing not just our culture but our democracy itself.
David Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.Keep ReadingShow less
blue and yellow abstract painting
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
LGBTQ Refugees Came to America To Escape Discrimination. Now, They Live in Fear in the U.S.
Jul 10, 2025
Salvadoran refugee Alberto, who is using a pseudonym out of safety concerns, did not feel secure in his own home. Being a gay man in a country known for state-sponsored violence and community rejection meant Alberto lived his life on high alert.
His family did not accept him. He says one family member physically attacked him because of his identity. He says he has been followed, harassed, and assaulted by police, accused of crimes he didn’t commit when he was studying to become a social worker. His effort to escape the rejection in his community left him, at one point, homeless and lost in a new city.
He sought help from the LGBTQ refugee resettlement program Rainbow Railroad to find a new home in the United States, a place renowned for its progressive advancement of LGBTQ rights. He is one of thousands of LGBTQ refugees from around the world who have been forced to flee their homes due to persecution and violence because of who they are or who they love.
“It's a second chance that I think life is giving me,” said Alberto, about resettling in the U.S.
However, many of those who have relocated to the United States, like Alberto, are caught at the intensifying intersections of discrimination and criminalization of asylum seekers and LGBTQ residents here in America.
“I felt safe to live here, but I don't feel safe with this administration, because for me, being a Latino, gay, I had some concerns about the situation for my community, for myself too,” he said, who has been in the U.S. since 2023.
Around the country, masked ICE agents have been seen arresting migrants and asylum seekers who appeared for their scheduled court hearings. Even those with legal residency or those with visas have been subject to detention and arrest by federal law enforcement agents.
The Trump administration has repeatedly deemed immigrants and asylum seekers “criminals,” even those without a criminal record, who have paid taxes to the federal government and/or are seeking asylum.
ICE has reported more than 60,000 removals since the inauguration. Migrant detention camps are expanding and popping up at the behest of the Trump administration in states like Florida and Texas. ICE raids have terrorized communities across the nation.
Alberto is in the middle of his own interview process with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, but it feels increasingly dangerous to attend even these routine check-ins: “I feel very worried, honestly, because I was watching many videos of the people who come for the appointments, and they have been arrested.”
He continued, “I did not cross the border, and I came with all documents, but nothing is secure with this administration. They can change the ideas whenever they want.”
For Alberto and others like him, this fear is compounded by the growing political and social hostility toward the LGBTQ community.
The ACLU is tracking 598 anti-LGBTQ bills across the country this year alone. GLAAD, a national LGBTQ media advocacy organization, tracked almost 1,000 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 2024, including bomb threats, acts of vandalism, assaults, and more.
Over the last year, the Rainbow Railroad received the most requests for assistance from callers in the United States, surpassing any other country.
National activist group Human Rights Campaign declared a “National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans” just last year, and created resources for those looking to move out of their state or the country.
“What we're seeing now could just be the start of the worst that is yet to come,” said Latoya Nugent, Rainbow Railroad’s Head of Engagement. “We are very fearful that in the next three and a half or four years that we may be in a world where we may not even recognize the U.S.”
The change in the dynamic was almost immediate after the inauguration. Rainbow Road’s refugee admissions programs were suspended, and similar global programs that addressed public needs connected to the LGBTQ community ground to a halt – from USAID to the U.N. LGBTI Core Group.
“The U.S. is a powerful actor in the global humanitarian protection system,” said Nugent. “It's not just what is happening in the US, but it's also the impact globally on the work that has been happening over the years.”
The new efforts by the Trump administration to turn back progress on LGBTQ and immigrant rights have increasingly exhausted and drained these already vulnerable populations fighting for their ability to stay safe and alive here in the U.S.
LGBTQ advocacy groups are preparing for the worst, as the changing legal and social U.S. landscape presents unknowns for the future of refugee resettlement and LGBTQ life in America.
“We are also seeing the community really rally around some of the most vulnerable people, including LGBTQ asylum seekers and refugees, recognizing that if we don't hold the line right now, things could become significantly worse,” said Nugent.
Still, many places in the U.S. are a beacon of hope for the queer and transgender community, especially those who hail from countries where they’d be persecuted for those identities. More than 60 countries currently criminalize the LGBTQ community. Individuals in these countries are often faced with state-sponsored violence, family violence, and societal rejection.
For Alberto, moving to Chicago has been a life-changing experience. Rainbow Railroad helped him find stability and build a support system of local connections that share in his experiences. He’s holding these positive moments close to his heart, which has helped him cope with the growing pressures of the political arena.
“For the first time in my life, I can live. I can feel, I'm feeling free to to be who I am, express my identity, who I am, and without concern over thoughts about who I am, and that's made me feel happy,” Alberto said.
Kiara Alfonseca is a reporter and producer with nearly a decade of experience reporting on the intersections of politics and identity.
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From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship
Jul 10, 2025
Social entrepreneur John Marks developed a set of eleven working principles that have become his modus operandi and provide the basic framework for his new book, “From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship," from which a series of three articles is adapted. While Marks applied these principles in nonprofit work, he says they are also applicable to social enterprises—and to life, in general.
PART THREE
PRINCIPLE #8: PRACTICE AIKIDO. By nature, I am an impatient person, and I yearn for rapid solutions to problems that are tearing apart the planet. When I worked in the Middle East and the Democratic Republic of Congo, I witnessed widespread violence. Still, I understood that, even though Search was a comparatively large organization, it lacked the power to reverse events, and it was usually futile to take a confrontational stance. Literally and figuratively, screaming “STOP NOW!” only made matters worse. Instead, I adopted an approach rooted in the Japanese martial art of aikido: namely, when someone is attacked, they do not try to reverse the assailant’s energy flow by 180 degrees. That is the aim in boxing, where the goal is to knock the attacker backward. In aikido, the person under attack accepts the attacker’s energy, blends with it, and diverts it by ten or twenty degrees to make both people safe. For social entrepreneurs, this means accepting a conflict or problem as it is and working with it, transforming it one step at a time. Indeed, aikido makes a virtue out of necessity because almost no one has the power to win with adversarial tactics.
PRINCIPLE #9: DEVELOP EFFECTIVE METAPHORS. For social entrepreneurs, communicating compelling ideas is crucial to reframing reality. Extended metaphors in the form of captivating stories can play a key role in breaking up—and replacing—deeply held beliefs. Metaphors—short or lengthy—can provide a picture of what might lie ahead and why it is desirable. Social entrepreneurs should be adept at what advertising executives call content marketing.
I had a grand vision of global transformation, but to have an impact at that level I had to find ways to move beyond workshops and trainings that reached only small numbers of people—not the masses. I was inspired by a statement made by A. J. Liebling, the New Yorker’s longtime press critic, who said, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” With that in mind, I started Common Ground Productions, whose core premise was that popular culture could cause enormous changes in attitudes and behaviors. So, my colleagues and I became TV producers who made dramatic TV series, reality shows, and documentaries that promoted peaceful conflict resolution across the Global South.
Our best-known series was The Team, and we produced versions in eighteen countries, comprising a total of 356 episodes. Everywhere, the plot centered on a fictional soccer or cricket team whose members reflected ethnic, religious, and/or gender diversity. The core message was that if players did not overcome their differences and cooperate, they would lose. In each location where we worked, we identified an experienced production house to serve as our co-producer, and we secured a TV network to air the series in primetime. Our proposal to prospective broadcasters was to offer a high-quality, entertaining, dramatic series at no cost.
Not every social entrepreneur needs to start a media production company, but all would be wise to develop ways to effectively communicate their core messages.
PRINCIPLE #10: DISPLAY CHUTZPAH. Social entrepreneurship is definitely not a good profession for those who are timid. Launching new initiatives and overcoming seemingly insoluble problems often requires chutzpah (a Yiddish word meaning extreme self-confidence—or nerve or gall). When bold solutions are called for, social entrepreneurs need to dial up their inner chutzpah.
Still, chutzpah should not be viewed as an unbridled quality that social entrepreneurs regularly unleash. No matter how worthy the cause, the ends do not justify the means, and it is not OK to be rude or obnoxious in the name of making the world a better place. Chutzpah needs to be tempered with discretion and wisdom. It should be a calculated response—and not one that is triggered by anger. I believe both good and bad chutzpah exist. Author Leo Rosten described the most familiar example of the bad: “Chutzpah is that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan.” In contrast, good chutzpah is what the prophet Abraham demonstrated when he opposed God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. By standing up to God, Abraham took a grave risk to save lives – even if the people spared were evil and corrupt.
PRINCIPLE #11: CULTIVATE FINGERSPITZENGEFÜHL. Fingerspitzengefühl is a German word that means having an intuitive sense of knowing at the tip of one’s fingers. This is what one-time basketball star and later U.S. Senator Bill Bradley was referring to—albeit in a sporting context—when he said:
When you have played basketball for a while, you don’t need to look at the basket. ... You develop a sense of where you are.
However, like chutzpah, fingerspitzengefühl is not a quality that should be relied upon in all circumstances. Instead, when social entrepreneurs make decisions, they should factor in—but not be overwhelmed by—what feels right. The key to social entrepreneurship is striking a balance between instinct and intellect.
PART ONE
PART TWO
In addition to founding and heading Search for Common Ground, John Marks is a NY Times best-selling and award-winning author, who most recently started the Pro Bono Litigation Corps in partnership with Gary DiBianco under the auspices of Lawyers for Good Government.
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