Canada ended a digital service tax that would have hit major American tech companies hard after President Donald Trump announced he was ending trade talks with the country over the levy.
Canada’s Department of Finance said Sunday that it would rescind its Digital Service Tax (DST) in “anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States.” The reversal came after Trump said on Friday that he was “terminating” trade discussions. 
The tax, which was expected to take effect on Monday, was anticipated to have a significant impact on United States-based companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Apple. 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-75638">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
“Canada’s new government is focused on building the strongest economy in the G7 and standing up for Canadian workers and businesses,” <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2025/06/canada-rescinds-digital-services-tax-to-advance-broader-trade-negotiations-with-the-united-states.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne. “Rescinding the digital services tax will allow the negotiations of a new economic and security relationship with the United States to make vital progress and reinforce our work to create jobs and build prosperity for all Canadians.”
Earlier this month, Champagne said that the Digital Service Tax would be implemented despite opposition from the United States. He <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-digital-services-tax-1.7565966" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on June 19 that the tax was “going ahead” as scheduled and would be applied. 
The digital service tax was <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/excise-taxes-duties-and-levies/digital-services-tax.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enacted</a> to require “foreign and domestic large businesses to pay tax on certain revenue earned from engaging with online users in Canada,” according to the Canadian government. The tax would have cost American businesses up to $2.3 billion annually, <a href="https://ccianet.org/research/reports/impacts-canada-proposed-digital-service-tax-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a study conducted by the Computer and Communications Industry Association. 
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that he and Trump had agreed to continue trade discussions with the hope of signing an agreement by July 21. 
The resumption of talks follows Trump&#8217;s social media berating of Canada on Friday. 
“We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400% Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114756567645919781">posted</a> on Truth Social. “Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period.”
Several other trade deadlines are looming, including a July 9 cutoff for the United States and the European Union to make a deal before 50% tariffs on European imports are imposed.

World Leaders Converge In Canada For G7 Summit

Canada Caves: Digital Tax On U.S. Tech Scrapped After Trump Pressure

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“Pride Month” is just around the corner *sigh* — but under the second Trump administration and after the recent backlash to woke companies, questions swirl around how crazy June will get this year. And there’s a hope that maybe — just maybe — the rainbow weirdness won’t show up everywhere you turn your head. 
Multiple large companies have pulled out of annual “Pride” parades that take place in cities across the country. Mastercard, Citi, Pepsi, and Nissan will not sponsor the parade in New York City this year. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch and Comcast ended their sponsorship of the San Francisco “Pride” parade, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/pride-month-sponsorship-decline-2025">reported</a>. 
It appears that LGBT celebrations could be tamed down this June, at least on the corporate side of things, but here are some companies that could still push the “Pride” messaging:
<h3>Harry’s</h3>
Last year, Harry’s — the razor company whose defense of gender insanity sparked the launch of Jeremy’s Razors — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harrys-sends-another-bag-of-cash-to-group-promoting-radical-gender-theory">sent</a> a bag of cash to the Trevor Project, an activist organization that has been blasted for running a <a href="https://www.trevorspace.org/">chat room</a> where minors can talk to peers and adults about their sexuality. 
“Pride Month may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the work stops here. We believe it’s important to support the LGBTQ+ community and take care of ourselves every day, which is why we partner with The Trevor Project all year round,” Harry’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C82E5umtRAB/">said</a> in June 2024. 
In prior years, Harry’s has <a href="https://www.wallpaper.com/beauty-grooming/harrys-new-digital-platform-celebrates-pride">unveiled</a> special edition “Pride” shaving sets.
All signs point toward another colorful June for Harry’s. You’ve been warned. 
<h3>Apple</h3>
It’s not even June, and the California-based tech company has already jumped into the “Pride” festivities, introducing its “Pride Collection” earlier this month. 
“Ahead of Pride Month, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band, watch face, and iPhone and iPad wallpaper to celebrate the strength and beauty of LGBTQ+ communities around the world,” Apple <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/05/apple-introduces-the-2025-pride-collection/">said</a>. 
Apple also sent out free “<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/apples-new-2025-edition-pride-wallpapers-arrive-today/">Pride Month Wallpapers</a>” to its users, allowing them to wrap their phone displays in the colors of the “Pride Flag.” 
<h3>Nike</h3>
In 2024, Nike scaled back its “Pride” month push for the first time in years as companies faced backlash over their woke talking points. The company has long pushed its “Be True” collection during “Pride Month,” but paused it in 2024. 
&#8220;While there is no global Be True product collection for 2024, Nike remains deeply committed to this work,&#8221; the apparel company <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pride-month-campaigns-2024-major-brands-scaled-back-why-that-matters/">stated</a>. 
Will Nike revert to its old woke ways and push its “Pride” promotion this year? It appears that Nike is already doing that. The company recently <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/shopping/nike-pride-shoes-2025-by-courtney-vandersloot-allie-quigley-1236231305/">released</a> “Pride-inspired” shoes in collaboration with the WNBA lesbian couple, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley. 
<h3>Procter &amp; Gamble</h3>
The parent company of popular personal care brands such as Gillette, Head &amp; Shoulders, and Old Spice, wasn’t quiet about its support for LGBT issues last year. In June 2024, P&amp;G <a href="https://us.pg.com/blogs/pride-month/">called</a> “Pride Month” a “culmination of our unwavering commitment to create an inclusive environment where anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can forge a meaningful career.”
Last year, P&amp;G <a href="https://us.pg.com/blogs/pride-month/">celebrated</a> “the 30th anniversary of GABLE, P&amp;G’s LGBTQ+ global employee resource group, spanning over 50 countries with 5,000 LGBTQ+ and ally members worldwide.” The company <a href="https://us.pg.com/blogs/pride-month/">runs</a> a huge “programming effort” called “Can’t Cancel Pride,” which P&amp;G says provides “much needed visibility and funding for six LGBTQ+ organizations to continue their transformative work of supporting the LGBTQ+ community.” Among the organizations recognized by P&amp;G in 2024 were the leftist groups GLAAD and the Trevor Project. 
<h3>Target</h3>
A lot of questions are swirling around Target, which has been at the forefront of the DEI pushback. In 2023, Target was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-to-offer-pride-merchandise-in-fewer-stores-after-backlash-against-tuck-friendly-swimsuit-sale-last-year">blasted</a> for offering “tuck-friendly” female swimsuits, which led to boycotts and sinking sales. After the backlash, Target scaled back its “Pride” displays in June 2024, only offering “Pride” merchandise at a limited number of stores. Then, earlier this year, Target <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-rolls-back-dei-joining-other-major-companies-like-walmart-meta">announced</a> that it was rolling back some of its DEI initiatives, which included focusing investments in black-owned businesses. Now, Target will no longer focus on diversity when choosing suppliers.
The company is now taking flak from the Left over its decision to dial it back on the woke messaging. So will Target jump back into the thick of “Pride” month this year? We’ll have to find out. 
You don’t have to worry about obnoxious “Pride” displays and brand campaigns everywhere. At <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/">Jeremy’s Razors</a> and <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqX1wc2L5M52F-x7QSFI_Dk_vuQqmnAe1NtZfuqVTmwEK5LtAij">Daily Wire Shop</a>, we stick to the business of making quality products for Americans without jumping headfirst into wokeness. In June, we celebrate Father’s Day, not “Pride Month.” And we have numerous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ultimate-gift-guide-for-fathers-day-2025">great gift ideas</a> for you to get for your dad this year. 
Jeremy&#8217;s Razors shares common ownership with The Daily Wire.

Pride Flag

Pride Watch: Will These Companies Jump Back Into LGBT Celebrations This June?

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Harry's Razors

Jeremy's Razors

LGBT

Nike

Pride Month

Target

President Donald Trump floated a series of new tariffs targeting Apple and the European Union on Friday, ramping up his push for companies to make their products in the United States.
In a pair of Truth Social posts, Trump said he was pondering slapping a 50% tariff on products from the European Union and a 25% tariff on Apple products if it does not move manufacturing to the United States. Trump said that trade talks with the European Union were not going anywhere and that he was recommending his new tariff take effect on June 1.
&#8220;The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with. Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable. Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States,&#8221; Trump wrote.
Tariffs on the European Union are currently at 10% after Trump placed a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs on April 9.
Andrew Bremberg, the former ambassador to Geneva and director of the Domestic Policy Institute, praised Trump&#8217;s pressuring of Europe.
“Europe must address the burdens it places on U.S. technology, telecommunications, and other important sectors,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;This is an important step in revitalizing our relationship, correcting systemic imbalances, and presenting a united front against the growing influence of Communist China in both Europe and the United States.”
In an earlier Friday post, Trump said Apple should move to manufacture the iPhone in the United States or face a steep tariff. Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly met with Trump on Tuesday at the White House.
&#8220;I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s (sic) that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s call on Friday for the iPhone to be made in America <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-urges-companies-like-apple-to-move-production-to-u-s-as-china-trade-war-intensifies?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Urges+Companies+‘Like+Apple’+To+Move+Production+To+U.S.+As+China+Trade+War+Intensifies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">echoed</a> his previous comments about wanting to bring production of the popular smartphone to the United States. Last month, after placing more than 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, Trump said it would be a great time for Apple to move manufacturing to the United States.
“This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America, like Apple, and so many others, in record numbers, are doing,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114307832213562859">wrote</a> on Truth Social. “ZERO TARIFFS, and almost immediate Electrical/Energy hook ups and approvals. No Environmental Delays. DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
For years, Apple has manufactured iPhones in China, relying on the country’s cheap labor costs, but it has recently moved some of its production to India as it seeks to diversify its production base. Apple is considering ramping up iPhone production in India and shipping the devices to the United States.
In an April press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed that Trump wanted the iPhone made in the United States.
“Absolutely,” she said. “He believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Fires Off Flurry Of Trade War Barbs, Threatens Apple

European Union

Tim Cook

The Trump administration released new guidance late Friday night on its tariff on China, exempting electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops.
The <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3db9e55?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a>, posted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees collecting taxes on imports, could relieve some anxiety among consumers and tech giants like Apple and Microsoft, which manufacture many of their products in China, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/trump-exempts-smartphones-other-electronics-from-chinese-tariffs-dd8eb31f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Around 20 electronic products — which also include memory cards and machines used to make flatscreens and tablets — will now be exempted from Trump&#8217;s massive &#8220;reciprocal&#8221; tariff on China. The exemption comes after the president increased the tariff on China in recent days in response to China&#8217;s retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security adviser, <a href="https://x.com/StephenM/status/1911092862076289243" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X, &#8220;These products are subject to the tariff under the original IEEPA [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] on China of 20 percent.&#8221; The IEEPA tariff was the first one Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> on China after taking office in January. The tariff was levied on China, along with Canada and Mexico, in an attempt to &#8220;hold&#8221; the countries &#8220;to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.&#8221;
The Trump administration has suggested that the tariff on China will encourage companies, including Big Tech companies, to manufacture their products on U.S. soil, arguing that the move would be better for the economy and national security.
“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday, according to the Wall Street Journal. She added, “Companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.”
Last week, Trump announced a &#8220;90-day pause&#8221; on tariffs for most countries, citing their willingness to negotiate. The tariff &#8220;pause&#8221; didn&#8217;t end tariffs on foreign nations, but instead dropped them to a baseline 10% tariff rate, except for products from China, which he raised to 125%. With the IEEPA tariff factored in, the tariff on Chinese goods stands at 145%.
China <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-hits-back-with-125-tariffs-accuses-u-s-of-bullying-and-coercion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Trump&#8217;s move by increasing the tariff on U.S. imports to 125%, a move that will mostly affect American soybeans, pharmaceutical drugs, and airplanes. Trump is accusing China of &#8220;ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries,&#8221; while China <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-doubles-down-on-fighting-trade-war-to-the-end-says-it-will-not-respond-to-threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it will not respond to &#8220;pressure, threats, and blackmail.&#8221;
Trump remains hopeful that China will come to the negotiating table to work out a new trade deal, but so far, the Chinese government has shown no signs of backing down from the trade war.
“A deal is going to be made with China,” the president said earlier this week. “A deal is going to be made with every one of them [countries], and there will be fair deals. I just want fair.”

iPhone

Trump Exempts Smartphones, Other Electronics From Additional Tariff On China

China

Microsoft

Smartphones

As the United States and China increase tariffs on each other, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that companies should move production to America, explicitly calling out Apple.
Trump raised the tariff on China to 104% on Wednesday morning, sparking further retaliation from the communist country, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-hits-back-with-massive-retaliatory-tariff-after-trumps-104-midnight-tariff-goes-into-effect?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;row=1&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=China+Hits+Back+With+Massive+Retaliatory+Tariff+After+Trump%E2%80%99s+104%25+Midnight+Tariff+Goes+Into+Effect&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit back</a> and raised its total tariff on American goods to 84%. While the president said on Tuesday that he&#8217;s optimistic about China wanting &#8220;to make a deal&#8221; with the United States on trade, Chinese leaders are doubling down on fighting a trade war &#8220;to the end.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America, like Apple, and so many others, in record numbers, are doing,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114307832213562859">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;ZERO TARIFFS, and almost immediate Electrical/Energy hook ups and approvals. No Environmental Delays. DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!&#8221;
Among tech companies, Apple has been hit the hardest so far in Trump&#8217;s trade war with China. As investors anxiously watched Trump&#8217;s massive tariff on China go into effect, with no sign of a trade deal coming anytime soon, Apple stock went on a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/08/apple-slide-puts-microsoft-back-on-top-as-most-valuable-public-company.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-day slide</a>, dropping 23 points. The stock was ticking back up in the early trading hours on Wednesday.
For years, Apple has manufactured iPhones in China, relying on the country&#8217;s cheap labor costs, but it has recently moved some of its production to India as it seeks to diversify its production base. Apple is considering ramping up iPhone production in India and shipping the phones to the United States as the trade war with China continues, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-iphone-production-china-tariffs-6cc37f40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if the president wants Apple to make iPhones in the United States.
&#8220;Absolutely,&#8221; Leavitt <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/apple-stock-iphone-trump-83e195ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>. &#8220;He believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it.&#8221;
Some economic analysts believe that iPhone production in the United States would be impractical and significantly raise the cost of the most popular smartphone on the market, Barron&#8217;s <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/apple-stock-iphone-trump-83e195ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The iPhone is Apple&#8217;s biggest moneymaker, bringing in around half of its revenue, according to the WSJ.

Trump Urges Companies ‘Like Apple’ To Move Production To U.S. As China Trade War Intensifies

Business

India

President Donald Trump marked six weeks in office on Friday as his administration continued to aggressively implement his agenda at home and seek peace abroad.
This week, Trump turned his attention to the war in Ukraine, capping the week with an explosive on-camera shouting match in the Oval Office with the Ukrainian president.
Here are this week&#8217;s highlights.
Foreign Leaders
On Friday, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. The visit was friendly until an Oval Office meeting devolved into an heated argument between Trump, Zelensky, and Vice President JD Vance in front of media cameras.
The back and forth began when Zelensky interrupted questions from the press to challenge Vance on diplomacy with Russia.
&#8220;During the war, everybody has problems, even you, but you have nice ocean and don&#8217;t feel now, but you will feel it in the future. God bless, you will not have war,&#8221; Zelensky told Vance.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t tell us what we&#8217;re going to feel. We&#8217;re trying to solve a problem,&#8221; Trump interrupted, adding, &#8220;you don&#8217;t have the cards right now&#8221; and accusing Zelensky of &#8220;gambling with the lives of millions of people.&#8221;
The exchange went on for several minutes with Trump reminding Zelensky that the United States has sent Ukraine vital and expensive military equipment.
&#8220;Have you said thank you once?&#8221; Vance asked.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve empowered you to be a tough guy,&#8221; Trump told Zelensky. &#8220;You&#8217;re either going to make a deal, or we&#8217;re out.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Full exchange between Trump, Vance, Zelensky <a href="https://t.co/kT3SsqUd0M">pic.twitter.com/kT3SsqUd0M</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1895541735478214783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump to Zelensky: &quot;You&#39;re either gonna make a deal, or we&#39;re out.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/XIc7QZL26L">pic.twitter.com/XIc7QZL26L</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1895560110178783659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Afterward, a joint press conference was canceled, and Trump asked Zelensky to leave the White House. The two presidents had also planned to sign a deal where Ukraine would trade rare minerals for defense help from the United States, but that signing was also canceled, leaving the deal in peril.
“I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump wrote on Truth Social afterward. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Trump also hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Monday. They displayed their friendly relationship with plenty of handshakes, but clashed on the Ukraine war.
Macron said &#8220;peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine,&#8221; while Trump emphasized how much money the United States has spent on aid to Ukraine and said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to make a deal.
Trump hosted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Thursday, where Starmer <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/27/trump-presidency-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Trump to continue supporting Ukraine, as well as not to put tariffs on the United Kingdom.
Trade and American Investment
Trump said China will be hit with an additional 10% tariff next week on top of the first 10% tariff Trump already imposed this month. The president cited China&#8217;s major role in fentanyl flowing into the United States.
Trump also said tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on March 4 &#8220;as scheduled,&#8221; saying those countries have not done enough to stop the flow of drugs into the United States either.
On Monday, Apple <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/02/apple-will-spend-more-than-500-billion-usd-in-the-us-over-the-next-four-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the tech giant will invest $500 billion in the Unites States over the next four years. Apple CEO Tim Cook <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1893048920047018379" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with Trump last week. The move will create 20,000 jobs in the United States and comes amid Trump&#8217;s tariffs aimed at encouraging United States manufacturing.
Trump also <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/addressing-the-threat-to-nationalsecurity-from-imports-of-copper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order aimed at addressing national security threats from copper imports, saying copper products are &#8220;vital&#8221; for defense products and other technology. The order <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-reliance-on-foreign-copper-poses-a-direct-threat-to-national-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directs</a> the Commerce Secretary to look into tariffs on copper imports to encourage domestic production. The order also references China, the global leader in copper smelting and refining, saying China&#8217;s dominance &#8220;poses a direct threat to United States national security and economic stability.&#8221;
Immigration
Illegal crossings at the southern border are <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1892771191787508153" target="_blank" rel="noopener">down</a> to about 285 a day, 94% lower than in February a year ago, and migrants are <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/10/us-news/new-trend-of-migrants-turning-around-and-heading-back-toward-home-under-trump-border-crackdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> giving up and returning home <a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-united-states-migration-trump-beb125ce0ecbebb2895ea9dd18c4c53b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due</a>, in part, to the end of the Biden administration&#8217;s CBP One app.
Arrests inside the country are up 137% <a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1891631396214493594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compared</a> to a year ago. The illegal migrant criminals the administration has arrested <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/sick-politicians-want-killers-rapists-roaming-our-streets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> a Salvadoran migrant convicted of sodomy with a victim under 13, a Sudanese migrant convicted of rape of a victim under 13, and a Mexican migrant who had an order of removal from 2006 and was convicted of drunk driving resulting in a death.
On Thursday, the White House said 29 Mexican cartel members were extradited to the United States for prosecution, including a cartel boss who tortured and murdered a DEA agent in the 1980s.
Health Care
Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/making-america-healthy-again-by-empowering-patients-with-clear-accurate-and-actionable-healthcare-pricing-information/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order aimed at making sure patients have clear and accurate information about the price of their health care. Several departments, including Health and Human Services, are directed to enforce new price transparency regulations to make sure hospitals and insurance companies disclose their actual prices, not estimates, and make prices comparable across the board, including prescription drug prices.
DOGE
Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-cost-efficiency-initiative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a new executive order giving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) more power to slash government spending.
The order tells federal agency heads to work with DOGE team leads to justify government spending over the next month, starting with investigating grants and contracts to educational institutions and foreign entities for waste, fraud, and abuse. Agency heads also have to explain taxpayer-funded conference travel and identify federal properties that are no longer needed. The order also freezes all agency credit cards except those for disaster relief or other critical services.
Meanwhile, one million federal workers responded to Elon Musk&#8217;s DOGE email asking them to describe five things they got done the week before.
The administration continues to slash the federal workforce, with thousands of employees <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/tracking-federal-workforce-firings-dg/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already</a> fired and more taking buyout offers.
Epstein Files
Attorney General Pam Bondi tried to release the FBI&#8217;s files on millionaire sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein, but she was stymied by the FBI allegedly withholding thousands of Epstein documents.
On Wednesday, Bondi said on Fox News that she hoped to release some Epstein files the next day. On Thursday, Bondi <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/right-wing-influencers-get-binders-labeled-the-epstein-files-but-downplay-revelations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> a group of right-wing influencers at the White House binders labeled &#8220;The Epstein Files: Phase 1.&#8221; However, the binders contained little new information, certainly not Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking client list.
Bondi then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pam-bondi-says-fbi-lied-to-her-about-turning-over-all-of-the-epstein-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> the FBI of lying to her about turning over all the Epstein documents after someone at the FBI&#8217;s New York office told her there were thousands more documents.
Also this week, Bondi <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pam-bondi-dismisses-dei-lawsuits-involving-police-officers-and-firefighters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the Justice Department has dropped several Biden-era DEI lawsuits against police and fire departments over their supposedly racist hiring practices such as written exams and credit checks.
Other Moves
Trump held his first official Cabinet meeting, which Elon Musk attended.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1894500240863969327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1894500240863969327%7Ctwgr%5E8f59ae9134259fc75a25aea5ffa53ea38b57d4e5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Ftrump-yanks-clearances-from-jack-smiths-team-scolds-reporter-worried-about-who-hes-targeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nixed</a> the security clearances of a law firm, Covington &amp; Burling LLP, that provided free legal services to Special Counsel Jack Smith&#8217;s office in the cases against Trump before the election.
“I was the target of corrupt politicians for four years, and then four years after that. So don’t talk to me about targeting,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-yanks-clearances-from-jack-smiths-team-scolds-reporter-worried-about-who-hes-targeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a reporter at the signing.
On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/agriculture-secretary-brooke-rollins-my-plan-to-lower-egg-prices-6be0f881" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laid out</a> her plan to lower egg prices, an economic sticking point for years. The strategy will involve spending up to $1 billion to curb avian flu, protecting egg farmers from regulations like California&#8217;s minimum space requirements for hens, and considering temporary egg imports.
Vance, a Catholic, addressed the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Friday. The vice president said ahead of his remarks that during the election cycle, he was &#8220;moved to witness the joyful devotion&#8221; of Catholics &#8220;praying for the future and success of our country,&#8221; and &#8220;thanks to their faithful prayers, hope has returned to America again.&#8221;
Meanwhile, a new poll conducted last week <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/HHP_Feb2025_vFinal.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> Americans are more optimistic about the economy, more say their personal financial situation is improving, and a majority, 52% approve of the job Trump is doing as president.

US-BRITAIN-DIPLOMACY

Keeping Up With Trump: Here’s Everything The President Did In Week Six

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Emmanuel Macron

Health Care

Jeffrey Epstein

Keir Starmer

Trump Administration

Volodymyr Zelensky

Apple is the largest company in the world — and, unfortunately, one of the ones most given to leftward corporate drift. Apple is a top-tier sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign, a radical organization that pressures companies to provide puberty blockers under the guise of &#8216;healthcare.&#8217; It <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-takes-down-quran-bible-jehovahs-witenss-apps-in-china-2021-10#:~:text=Apple%20has%20taken%20down%20a,website%20Apple%20Censorship%20on%20Tuesday." target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquiesces</a> to requests from the Chinese Communist Party to censor Bible and Quran apps in its Chinese market. It <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apple-entrepreneur-camp-program-bars-applicants-based-on-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">held entrepreneurship camps</a> only for applicants of targeted racial minority groups. And the company <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/j-p-morgans-hate-list-1503619180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> a million dollars to the widely-discredited Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that routinely blacklisted conservative organizations, such as Alliance Defending Freedom and Moms for Liberty, as extremists without cause. In a sea of companies that have kowtowed to woke corporate activists, Apple stands apart as one of the worst actors in this space.
That’s why it came as a welcome surprise to hear Apple CEO Tim Cook address the changing climate around diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the company’s annual meeting yesterday. In response to a shareholder question my firm asked about DEI, Cook responded, &#8220;As the legal landscape around this issue evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our north star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver.” 
President Trump quickly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/trump-says-apple-should-eliminate-diversity-policies-2025-02-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Cook’s remark, noting on Truth Social that “Apple should get rid of DEI rules, not just make adjustments to them.”
That’s a big hint that things may be changing for Apple in the future. There’s almost no doubt this is Apple adapting to the new corporate world, where championing DEI is no longer a mainstay of corporate policy but a real source of legal and reputational risk from an administration that’s made rooting out discriminatory ‘diversity’ programs one of its primary missions. But that doesn’t mean we can’t treat this as a positive development for Apple’s political neutrality and fiduciary focus. Although Apple has opposed many efforts from conservative shareholders to get the company ‘back to neutral’ on politics, let’s take Tim Cook’s statement on its face. As someone in the weeds on fighting biased corporate policies, here are 4 ways Apple can bring its corporate policies back in line with being business first.
<h3>End Partnership With The Human Rights Campaign</h3>
If Apple publicly drops its partnership with the Human Rights Campaign and ends its participation in the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, it might be the biggest sign that it’s serious about making changes to its public perception. For companies serious about their fiduciary duty, severing ties with the HRC is the first step, with companies like Walmart and Target having publicly walked away from the organization in the recent past. If Apple wants to drop a major PR liability overnight, throwing the HRC’s mailer in the trash and never responding again would be a good start.
<h3>Take Pro-Fiduciary Shareholders Seriously</h3>
Apple’s meeting yesterday was notable in that its entire shareholder agenda was from investors who aren’t ESG/DEI-aligned. 3 years ago, Left-wing, DEI aligned shareholders dominated Apple’s agenda and set the tone for who exactly was influencing the company. Now, the opposite influences are being felt and yet the company hasn’t exactly been forthright in responding to them.
The firm I work for, Bowyer Research, represented conservative shareholders at Apple’s annual meeting yesterday. We got to witness first-hand the company’s disingenuous dodging of not only questions about the company’s divisive charitable partnerships and lax approach to curbing online child exploitation, but the company’s coverage of transgender surgeries and hormone regimens for children (coverage that’s required as part of its HRC partnership). If the company is serious about its response to the large-scale vibe shift in corporate America, it could stand to actually listen to the shareholders and institutions that are fueling it.
<h3>Actually Ditch Discriminatory DEI Programs</h3>
This was the obvious one. It’s beyond clear that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in corporate America do more to create risk and politicize brands than they do to ensure political neutrality. Costco is a perfect example — its defense of DEI resulted in Al Sharpton making it the focus of his pro-DEI messaging (spoiler alert: Al Sharpton filming propaganda videos at your store is not what political neutrality looks like). IBM is another example — its alleged use of racial quotas is so egregious that it’s brought a <a href="https://ago.mo.gov/attorney-general-bailey-files-suit-against-ibm-for-violating-the-missouri-human-rights-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> from the Missouri Attorney General’s office, along with a shareholder proposal from the Heritage Foundation demanding transparency on the risks such diversity initiatives create. When other tech giants, including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-layoffs-dei-leader-email-2024-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/05/google-dei-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a>, begin slashing DEI initiatives, Cook’s admission about changes is an indicator that Apple can see which way the wind’s blowing.
Right before Christmas last year, Apple melted thousands of hearts with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-non-woke-pro-family-apple-ad-is-making-everyone-cry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wholesome, family-first ad</a> about how its AirPods Pro 2 made life more meaningful for the hearing-impaired. That kind of messaging acknowledges a simple truth: it’s Apple’s products, not its radical corporate partnerships or its donations to partisan groups, that have made the world a better place. If Apple accurately reads the room on corporate culture, Cook’s hint at “making changes” will mean tangible efforts to get the company out of divisive politics and back to making innovative products that create human flourishing in a way that no DEI program ever could.
* * *
Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN, and The Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Apple Will Add 20,000 US Jobs Amid Threat From Trump Tariffs

‘We May Need To Make Changes’: Here’s How Apple Can Delete DEI

'We May Need To Make Changes': Here’s How Apple Can Delete DEI

Corporations

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Opinion

Silicon Valley

Woke Culture

WASHINGTON—Members of the intelligence community are investigating the potential implications of Apple sharing users&#8217; iCloud data with the United Kingdom, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Tuesday.
In a letter to members of Congress first obtained by The Daily Wire, Gabbard addressed reports that the United Kingdom served Apple with a secret order demanding a &#8220;back door&#8221; to its iCloud encryption to &#8220;facilitate UK government access to any Apple iCloud users&#8217; uploaded data anywhere in the world,&#8221; as Gabbard wrote.
&#8220;I share your grave concern about the serious implications of the United Kingdom, or any foreign country, requiring Apple or any company to create a &#8216;backdoor&#8217; that would allow access to Americans&#8217; personal encrypted data,&#8221; Gabbard wrote to Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Andy Biggs. &#8220;This would be a clear and egregious violation of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, and open up a serious vulnerability for cyber exploitation by adversarial actors.&#8221;
<h3><a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/DNI-Wyden-Biggs-Response-1.pdf">READ GABBARD&#8217;S FULL LETTER HERE</a></h3>
Gabbard was not made aware of the order by the United Kingdom or Apple before it <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20g288yldko">was reported in the media</a> earlier this month, she said. Just last week, Apple removed its highest-level data security tool, &#8220;Advanced Data Protection,&#8221; from British customers, meaning that not all United Kingdom customer data stored on iCloud will be fully encrypted, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj54eq4vejo">according to the BBC</a>.
&#8220;I have requested my counterparts at CIA, DIA, DHS, FBI and NSA to provide insights regarding the publicly reported actions, and will subsequently engage with UK government officials,&#8221; said Gabbard. &#8220;The UK’s Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, also known as the Snoopers’ Charter, which I understand would be at issue, allows the UK to issue a &#8216;gag order,&#8217; which would prevent Apple or any company from voicing their concerns with myself, or the public.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_883303" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-tulsi-gabbard-to-probe-national-security-implications-of-uks-demands-to-apple/president-trump-swears-in-tulsi-gabbard-as-director-of-national-intelligence-2" rel="attachment wp-att-883303"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-883303" class="wp-image-883303 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198554496-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
The new Director of National Intelligence also said that she directed a senior Intelligence Community officer to work with ODNI&#8217;s Office of Civil Liberties, Privacy, and Transparency as well as ODNI&#8217;s Office of Partner Engagement &#8220;to outline the potential implications of the United Kingdom compelling an American company to create a &#8216;back door&#8217; that would allow the UK government to retrieve private user content.&#8221;
Initial review of the United States and United Kingdom bilateral CLOUD Act Agreement shows that the United Kingdom may not issue demands for data of American citizens, lawful permanent residents, or nationals, Gabbard said, nor can the United Kingdom demand data of people in the United States. Similarly, the United States cannot use the CLOUD Act agreement to demand data from people in the United Kingdom.
&#8220;Any information sharing between a government—any government—and private companies must be done in a manner that respects and protects the U.S. law and the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens,&#8221; Gabbard wrote. &#8220;I look forward to ensuring the UK government has taken necessary actions to protect the privacy of American citizens, consistent with the CLOUD Act and other applicable laws, irrespective of any press reporting.&#8221;
While Gabbard said that U.S. intelligence relationships with foreign partners are of &#8220;vital importance to our national security,&#8221; she also emphasized that her obligations as Director of National Intelligence &#8220;include protecting both the security of our country and the God-given rights of the American people enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.&#8221;
&#8220;I look forward to working with my foreign counterparts to achieve both,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I remain committed to keeping Congress currently and fully informed of developments on this and other intelligence-related matters.&#8221;
Gabbard&#8217;s letter comes ahead of a high-profile visit from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will arrive in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night ahead of his visit with President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Starmer said that he will increase Britain&#8217;s military spending from 2.3% of the country&#8217;s GDP to 2.5% by 2027 — and the next year, to 2.6%, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/uk/uk-defense-spending-increase-trump-intl/index.html">CNN reported</a>. The prime minister reportedly wishes to be a &#8220;bridge&#8221; between Trump and European countries, POLITICO reports, and Trump&#8217;s recent efforts to end the war in Ukraine have reportedly increased Starmer&#8217;s urgency.

US-POLITICS-INTELLIGENCE-GABBARD

EXCLUSIVE: Tulsi Gabbard To Probe National Security Implications Of UK’s Demands To Apple

Director of National Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard

A decade ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a stirring convocation address to the graduating class of George Washington University.
“The sidelines are not where you want to live your life,” Cook said. “The world needs you in the arena. There are problems that need to be solved. Injustices that need to be ended.”
Cook’s message was right but was missed by conservative shareholders, who for far too long sat on the sidelines while activists on the far-Left, like the radical Human Rights Campaign, Engine No. 1, and As You Sow, have staged a hostile takeover of Corporate America.
In the process, seemingly invincible brands like Bud Light, Target, and Disney bent the knee to these activists and ended up losing billions of dollars in value. Worse, a host of once-cherished American brands have been hijacked, transformed into tools wielded by ideologically driven forces. These actors pursue agendas that clash head-on with the core beliefs of the companies’ own shareholders, as well as the bedrock principles of free markets and constitutional liberties that define our nation.
That’s a problem. One might even call it an injustice that needs to be ended.
Your rights as a shareholder in many ways mirror your rights as a citizen. Like elected officials in Washington, D.C., or your state capital are accountable to their voters, leaders of publicly traded companies answer to their shareholders. That includes major stockholders like Cook, but also everyday Americans who invest in a variety of ways, including through a 401(k) or other investment products. So, just like at the ballot box, your vote matters at the annual shareholder meetings of the companies you own.
Yet, unlike the political process, many Americans simply don’t exercise their voting rights as shareholders. Instead, they delegate that right to activist investment or proxy advisors who often vote against their values. Like a football game where only one team takes the field, the score is as lopsided as you would expect.
Fringe groups pushing extreme ideas understand this all too well. Take the HRC’s current requirement that companies must pay for life-altering and experimental puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones for children as part of their healthcare plan to earn a coveted 100% on the so-called “Corporate Equality Index.”
The HRC <a href="https://reports.hrc.org/corporate-equality-index-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touts</a> 765 businesses — including Apple — that bow to this demand, but it couldn’t be further out of step with most shareholders. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/05/trans-poll-gop-politics-laws/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oppose</a> puberty blockers for young children and the U.S. Supreme Court is currently <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/supreme-court-decide-whether-states-can-protect-children-experimental-medical/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering</a> whether to uphold a Tennessee law protecting children from this practice, with similar laws in a total of 27 states likely affected by the decision.
Thankfully, shareholders who represent mainstream American values are finally taking Cook’s advice and getting in the game. Working with dozens of values-aligned investors, financial advisors, corporate engagement advisors, and state financial officers that together represent over $250 billion in assets under management, Alliance Defending Freedom and Inspire Investing are leading the charge with a coalition that has filed over 68 shareholder resolutions at over 50 corporations this year alone.
For the first time, we are setting the agenda for corporate America. And that’s clearest to see at Cook’s Apple, where all four resolutions on the proxy ballot for the company’s Feb. 25 annual meeting come from our values-aligned shareholder allies.
Inspire Investing filed a resolution calling on Apple executives to report to their shareholders the impact of partnering with divisive groups like the HRC and the <a href="https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/03/the-southern-poverty-law-center-is-everything-thats-wrong-with-liberalism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly discredited</a> Southern Poverty Law Center, which played a <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-12-04-the-fbis-breach-of-religious-freedom-the-weaponization-of-law-enforcement-against-catholic-americans.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prominent</a> role in the FBI’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=aEyd3ErNZ04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targeting</a> of Roman Catholics and parents protecting their kids by speaking out at school board meetings during the previous administration.
Other resolutions include a call for transparency on ethical AI data collection and usage, as well as a directive for Apple to stop discriminating against employees under the financially and legally risky banner of DEI policies from the National Center for Public Policy Research. Meanwhile, Bowyer Research worked with the American Family Association to <a href="https://wng.org/opinions/forbidden-fruit-1739862491">file</a> a proposal asking Apple leadership to explain why it removed an iOS software function designed to identify child sex abuse material — a decision that has led company leaders to admit Apple has become “the greatest platform for distributing child porn, etc.”
Apple should at least see the merit in this proposal, but instead, they are pushing shareholders to reject it — and even tried to dodge accountability altogether by begging the SEC to keep it off their proxy statement. The SEC said no, thanks to ADF’s intervention.
A decade ago, Tim Cook told graduates, “There are problems that need to be solved. Injustices that need to be ended.” Today, the injustice lies in Apple and other corporate giants ignoring shareholders, aligning with divisive groups, and silencing dissent — all while straying from the values that built them.
Freedom and free market loving shareholders are done watching from the sidelines. We’re in the arena now, holding Cook and his peers to their own call: end the injustices, starting with providing accountability to your shareholders.
* * *
Jeremy Tedesco (@Jeremy_Tedesco) is senior counsel, senior vice president of corporate engagement at <a href="http://www.adflegal.org/?utm_source=wallstreetjournal&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alliance Defending Freedom</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/ADFLegal">@ADFLegal</a>). 
Robert Netzly (@RobertNetzly) is CEO of Inspire Investing (@InspireAdvisor).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Apple Holds Annual Worldwide Developers Conference

How Conservative Shareholders Earned A Seat At The Corporate Table

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Human Rights Campaign

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

Apple announced on Monday that it would invest $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, which includes building an artificial intelligence (AI) server factory in Texas.
The Big Tech company said it will open the 250,000-square-foot server manufacturing facility in Houston in 2026, creating &#8220;thousands of jobs.&#8221; The investment also includes the expansion of teams and facilities in Michigan, California, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, North Carolina, and Washington, according to <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/02/apple-will-spend-more-than-500-billion-usd-in-the-us-over-the-next-four-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a>.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a press release. “From doubling our Advanced Manufacturing Fund, to building advanced technology in Texas, we’re thrilled to expand our support for American manufacturing. And we’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”
Apple&#8217;s announcement comes after Cook met with President Donald Trump last week. Trump hinted at the major Apple investment on Friday, saying that the company “stopped two plants in Mexico” and would build in the United States.
“They don’t want to be in the tariffs,” Trump said, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-20/apple-s-tim-cook-meeting-with-trump-as-tariffs-threaten-iphones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a>. In a post on Monday morning, Trump thanked Apple for its investment in the United States, writing: &#8220;APPLE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED A RECORD 500 BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE REASON, FAITH IN WHAT WE ARE DOING, WITHOUT WHICH, THEY WOULD’NT [sic] BE INVESTING TEN CENTS. THANK YOU TIM COOK AND APPLE!!!&#8221;
In a press release, Apple said it would &#8220;also double its U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund, create an academy in Michigan to train the next generation of U.S. manufacturers, and grow its research and development investments in the U.S. to support cutting-edge fields like silicon engineering.&#8221; The tech giant says it currently supports nearly three million jobs in the United States, which includes &#8220;direct employment, work with U.S.-based suppliers and manufacturers, and developer jobs in the thriving iOS app economy.&#8221;
&#8220;As a proud American company, we&#8217;re thrilled to continue to make significant investments in the US,&#8221; Cook <a href="https://x.com/tim_cook/status/1894019006161473996?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X on Monday morning. &#8220;Today, we’re announcing a $500 billion commitment to support American innovation, advanced manufacturing, and high tech job creation.&#8221;
Cook, who has previously supported Democrats, attended Trump&#8217;s inauguration and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apples-tim-cook-donating-1-million-of-his-own-money-to-trump-inauguration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> $1 million to Trump&#8217;s inaugural committee.
The Trump administration has focused heavily on AI development in the first weeks of the president&#8217;s second term. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump announced a multibillion-dollar investment in AI infrastructure from an OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank partnership. Earlier this month, Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/look-to-this-new-frontier-with-optimism-vance-urges-world-leaders-to-follow-americas-lead-on-ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed</a> world leaders at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, urging them to follow America&#8217;s lead on AI.
“This administration will continue to ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide,” Vance said. “And we are the partner of choice for others, foreign countries, and certainly businesses, as they expand their own use of AI.”

Apple Announces $500B Investment In U.S., Plans To Build AI Server Factory In Texas

Artificial Intelligence

Technology

The country&#8217;s most prominent appplication stores, run by tech giants Apple and Google, are actively pushing users to download TikTok just days before it will be illegal for them to do so.
As of Friday morning, the Chinese-owned TikTok is listed as the number one &#8220;must-have app&#8221; on Apple&#8217;s App Store, where roughly 118 million iPhone owners in the United States get their apps. The placement remained after a ruling was handed down by the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-allows-tiktok-ban-to-take-effect?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upholding the ban</a>, which takes effect on Sunday and will immediately make it illegal for app store operators to allow downloads of TikTok as long as it is owned by a Chinese entity.
<div id="attachment_860313" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-860313" class="size-large wp-image-860313" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/IMG_7837-610x576.jpg" alt="" width="610" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/IMG_7837-610x576.jpg 610w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/IMG_7837-300x283.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/IMG_7837-768x725.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/IMG_7837.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px" />Screenshot of Apple&#8217;s App Store</div>
On Google&#8217;s Play Store, TikTok is also put front and center. The first thing visible when opening it is promotion for an event taking place on TikTok after the impending ban, with a prompt to install the app. It is also the top listed &#8220;sponsored&#8221; app, indicating that Google is being paid to promote it on its homepage.
<div id="attachment_860415" style="width: 777px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-860415" class="wp-image-860415 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/c2c90d77c5ae406352ecc15d0b75cbb10a299ebd588f00f1184e66cf20943116-767x576.jpg" alt="" width="767" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/c2c90d77c5ae406352ecc15d0b75cbb10a299ebd588f00f1184e66cf20943116-767x576.jpg 767w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/c2c90d77c5ae406352ecc15d0b75cbb10a299ebd588f00f1184e66cf20943116-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/c2c90d77c5ae406352ecc15d0b75cbb10a299ebd588f00f1184e66cf20943116-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/c2c90d77c5ae406352ecc15d0b75cbb10a299ebd588f00f1184e66cf20943116.jpg 906w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" />Screenshot of Google Play Store</div>
<div id="attachment_860419" style="width: 528px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-860419" class="size-large wp-image-860419" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/signal-2025-01-17-112936_004-518x576.jpeg" alt="" width="518" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/signal-2025-01-17-112936_004-518x576.jpeg 518w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/signal-2025-01-17-112936_004-270x300.jpeg 270w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/signal-2025-01-17-112936_004-768x854.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/signal-2025-01-17-112936_004.jpeg 942w" sizes="(max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px" />Screenshot of Google Play Store</div>
Neither Apple nor Google respond to a request for comment. It is unclear exactly how decisions are made about what applications are recommended.
NBC News reported this week that TikTok was using its platform to push users to Lemon8, which is owned by the same Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
&#8220;On TikTok, advertisements for Lemon8 appear to have ramped up leading up to the ban,&#8221; NBC reported. &#8220;TikTok has used traditional advertisements on its platform urging users to download it. TikTok has also sent notifications to its users suggesting they download Lemon8.&#8221;
This means that a surge of users in TikTok&#8217;s potential final days will likely boost ByteDance&#8217;s effort to maintain a foothold in the United States, a prospect that has been deemed a national security threat. While the only companies explicitly listed in the legislation are ByteDance and subsidiary TikTok, there is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/01/15/tiktok-ban-could-ensnare-rednote-lemon8-and-other-chinese-apps.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculation</a> that other ByteDance apps could also end up banned.
The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the TikTok ban passed by Congress could go into effect this weekend, saying it did not violate the First Amendment.
In an unassigned opinion, the court ruled that Congress was justified in passing the ban because of concerns about the Chinese government using TikTok to harvest the private data of millions of Americans. If China-based ByteDance does not sell the social media platform, the ban will go into effect on Sunday, January 19.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the court wrote. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”
President Joe Biden has said he has no plans to enforce the ban, but top Senators have warned Apple and Google to comply with its orders.
&#8220;Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,&#8221; said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR). &#8220;Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.&#8221;

In this photo illustration, the Google play store and Apple

Apple, Google App Stores Push Users To TikTok In Days Ahead Of Impending Ban

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Apple CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-cook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Cook</a> is reportedly reaching into his own pockets to write a $1 million check to President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s inaugural committee.
Axios reported that only Cook is expected to give to the fund — not the company.
Cook &#8220;believes the inauguration is a great American tradition, and is donating to the inauguration in the spirit of unity,&#8221; the report <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/03/tim-cook-apple-donate-1-million-trump-inauguration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, citing sources close to Cook. He &#8220;has made it clear over the years that he believes in participation, not sitting on the sidelines, and engaging with policymakers from both sides of the aisle.&#8221;
The report noted that Apple is America&#8217;s and the world&#8217;s largest taxpayer.
Trump has secured $1 million donations from other top business leaders and companies including from Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg — whose company owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more.
Amazon.com was also planning to donate $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. The donation is being prepared as Bezos, who serves as Amazon’s executive chairman, is expected to travel to Mar-a-Lago next week for a private meeting with Trump.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was also reportedly planning to donate $1 million to the fund, telling The New York Times: “President Trump will lead our country into the age of A.I., and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead.”
Major automakers General Motors, Ford, and Toyota have all <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-carmakers-latest-companies-to-shell-out-1m-for-trumps-inauguration">promised</a> to donate $1 million each toward the fund.
Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that the shift by business leaders to cozy up to the incoming president reflected a state of &#8220;panic&#8221; that they had.
“I think the term is ‘panic.’ These guys were all anti-Trump, and they all know he has a great memory, an enormous amount of energy and is quite prepared to go after people who he thinks are a problem,” Gingrich told Bloomberg.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Apple’s Tim Cook Donating $1 Million Of His Own Money To Trump Inauguration

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