📌 Mexico Tariffs, France Crisis Looms, More

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned of retaliatory tariffs if the US implements a proposed 25% tariff on Mexican imports.

Sheinbaum said on Wednesday President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal could kill 400,000 US jobs and drive up prices for US consumers.

Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard emphasized the need for regional cooperation and warned that Trump's tariffs would violate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal and harm US jobs and growth.

Ebrard highlighted the significant impact on the automotive sector, noting that 88% of pickup trucks sold in the US are made in Mexico. Trump and Sheinbaum discussed migration and border control, with Trump claiming Sheinbaum agreed to stop migration through Mexico, a statement Sheinbaum later clarified.

Analysts view Trump's tariff threats as a negotiating tactic rather than actual trade policy. According to Barclays analysts, Mexico's automotive industry, a major exporter to the US, could see profits wiped out by the proposed tariffs.

The Institute of International Finance warned of challenging Mexico-US relations and potential increased protectionism. The USMCA trade deal is up for review in 2026 and could be renegotiated rather than continued in its current form.

France's government faces collapse, with the far-right National Rally party threatening to topple Prime Minister Michel Barnier (pictured).

Marine Le Pen, leader of National Rally, stated that talks with Barnier failed to produce necessary changes for her party to support the budget, particularly opposing electricity tax hikes and pension delays.

Le Pen indicated that if the government forces the budget through without changes, the National Rally will support a confidence vote initiated by the New Popular Front alliance. The budget bill, rejected in its original and amended forms, is under Senate review and must be passed by Dec. 21.

Barnier may use Article 49.3 of the French constitution to pass the budget by presidential decree, which could trigger a no-confidence motion from opposition parties. Le Pen's decision is crucial as her party's support or abstention could determine the government's survival amidst her ongoing embezzlement trial.

France's political instability follows inconclusive parliamentary elections. The 2025 budget aims to reduce France's deficit to 5% of GDP, with significant spending cuts and tax increases but faces strong opposition.

Economic analysts warn that if the government falls, France's efforts to cut its deficit and debt may fail, leading to further political and economic instability.

Top law firms are increasingly hiring data scientists and technologists to enhance their AI compliance practices.

The specialists help test clients' systems for bias, ensure regulatory compliance, and improve legal offerings through AI, whose challenges require a combination of legal and computational expertise, unlike more established areas of law.

Danny Tobey, partner and global co-chair of DLA Piper's AI and data analytics practice, said: ”We're working with a major retailer on testing various facial recognition solutions to make sure not only are they living up to their technical promise, but they are also legally compliant.”

He noted that companies also rapidly incorporate AI in human resources, “from hiring to promotion to termination.” AI's use in human resources raises concerns about algorithmic bias and discrimination. Clients seek proper governance models for AI deployment, including processes, controls, and legal compliance.

The EU's AI Act impacts multinational corporations, particularly in HR. Inna Jackson, technology and innovation attorney at Clifford Chance, said companies seek unified AI practices that comply with regulations across jurisdictions "because a segmented approach per market obviously wouldn't be practical.”

Companies are considering the AI guardrails likely to be enacted in the US, said Tony Samp, head of AI policy at DLA Piper. Samp said it hired former Sen. Richard M. Burr of North Carolina, a Republican who chaired the Intelligence Committee, to advise clients on the direction US AI legislation could take.

A groundbreaking analysis of fossilized droppings reveals how dinosaurs evolved to become Earth's dominant land animals.

Scientists from Uppsala University and an international team examined over 500 fossilized droppings, bite marks, and food remains spanning 30 million years. The study identified five key phases in dinosaurs' rise to dominance, each marked by new feeding strategies and adaptations.

Advanced synchrotron imaging analyzed coprolites from the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods. The first dinosaur relatives were small omnivores, followed by early predatory dinosaurs, diversified meat-eaters, plant-eating ornithischians, and large herbivorous sauropodomorphs.

Early sauropod droppings contained significant charcoal, possibly consumed to neutralize plant toxins. Climate change played a crucial role in the dinosaurs' ascent. The region shifted from arid to humid conditions, creating new plant communities.

Environmental changes and dietary adaptability drove dinosaurs’ survival. The study provides insights into how life adapts and thrives under changing environmental conditions, which is relevant to understanding current climate change.

Failing to stick to a regular time for going to bed and waking up increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure by 26%.

Previous studies have focused on the links between sleep duration and health outcomes, with people advised to get between seven and nine hours of shut-eye a night.

That advice still stands. However, researchers are increasingly focusing on sleep patterns, particularly the impact of irregular sleep – defined as variations in the time a person goes to sleep and wakes up.

The study found that irregular sleep — going to bed and waking up at different times each day — was “strongly associated” with a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Experts said even getting eight hours of sleep was insufficient to offset the harmful effects of consistently varying bed and wake-up times.

The research involved 72,269 people aged 40–79 from the UK Biobank study. It did not establish precisely how close you have to get to the same bed and wake-up time – only that the further away you are, the higher the risk of harm.

The lead author, Jean-Philippe Chaput, of the University of Ottawa, said: “We should aim to wake up and go to sleep within 30 minutes of the same time, including weekends. Waking up at different times each morning really messes with your internal clock, which can have adverse health consequences.”

US, Britain, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland on Wednesday condemned escalating violence against civilians in Mozambique.

The southern African nation is embroiled in weeks of post-election protests. “We call on the Government of Mozambique to uphold the role of security forces to protect the people of Mozambique," the countries said in a joint statement.

Public outrage has surged after last month's disputed election results, which sparked protests from opposition supporters. The opposition is contesting what they say is a fraudulent victory by Frelimo, the party that has governed Mozambique since 1975.

The election result saw Frelimo extend its five-decade rule with its candidate, Daniel Chapo, succeeding President Filipe Nyusi to become Mozambique's fifth president since its independence from Portugal.

Footage shared on social media on Wednesday showed an armored vehicle plowing through a crowd of protesters in the capital, Maputo, hitting a woman. The army said the car was in a properly marked convoy that "accidentally ran over a citizen.”

Local monitoring group Plataforma Decide said last week that at least 67 people were killed due to the unrest between mid-October and mid-November.

A Wisconsin sheriff's deputy came to the "rescue" of a 10-year-old who called 911 to ask for help with math homework.

The Shawano County Sheriff's Office posted on social media that a dispatcher answered a 911 call from a 10-year-old who said he needed help with his math homework. "He stated his family 'wasn't very good at math either,' and he needed help," the post said.

Sheriff George Lenzner said dispatcher Kim Krause (pictured) explained to the young caller that 911 was not the appropriate number to call for homework help, but she also offered assistance.

"She had some time and said, 'Can I help you with the problem?' And well, he gave this long problem with decimals and she could not help him, so she informed him, 'Well, let me see if I got a deputy near your residence,'" Lenzner said.

Deputy Sheriff Chase Mason (inset) was in the area and agreed to take a look at the math problem. Mason, who has a stepson the same age as the caller, sat down with the child and was able to "solve the decimal-related math problems.”

Mason said, ”Our young caller was provided a business card and told we are always here to help, except next time, he should probably use the non-emergency line if it's not life-threatening.”