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1. Trump's tariffs struck down by US Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled to strike down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, centered on the fact they were imposed under an "emergency powers law," which Trump used to set the reciprocal tariffs last year, the Associated Press reports.
Typically Congress has the ability to impose tariffs according to the Constitution, but in this case, Trump invoked 1977 legislation giving the president emergency powers.
Legal opposition to Trump's tariffs have come from all political parties and the public, according to the AP report.
The AP reports that this ruling, however, does not preclude the president from imposing similar taxes under other legislation. "Top administration officials have said they expect to keep the tariff framework in place under other authorities," the story reports.
2. US struggles to attract tourists
Tourism numbers grew worldwide in 2025, with the exception of one major destination: the United States, the New York Times reports. The U.S. saw a 6% decline in foreign visitors last year, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council. The trend has continued into 2026, with numbers down 4.8% year over year in January.
The newspaper reports that comments and policies from the Trump administration have hindered demand from foreign travelers. Even with major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup heading to 11 U.S. markets this summer, the country's 250th anniversary and the Route 66 Centennial, international inbound travel is expected to only have modest gains well below what was previously projected.
“When 11 million international visitors aren’t showing up, the result is billions of dollars in economic losses to the travel industry,” said Erik Hansen, a senior vice president at the U.S. Travel Association.
3. China discourages citizens from visiting Japan
The Lunar New Year usually brings a bevy of Chinese tourists to Japan to celebrate the holiday, but that hasn't been the case this year. The Chinese government is pushing false and exaggerated narratives to dissuade its citizens from visiting the country because of Japan's support for Taiwan, the New York Times reports.
"In recent government statements and state media commentaries, Beijing has portrayed Japan as a land where people live under the constant threat of earthquakes, crime, traffic accidents and attacks by bears — and where Chinese travelers, in particular, are targeted," the newspaper reports.
4. Host Hotels & Resorts outperforms expectations in 2025
On Host Hotels & Resorts' fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings call with investors, President and CEO James Risoleo said the company's full-year results came in above its expectations, CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten reports.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for real estate was at more than $1.7 billion, an increase of 4.6% compared to 2024. Full-year revenue per available room and adjusted EBITDAre exceeded Host’s initial 2025 guidance by 2.3 percentage points and 8.5%, respectively.
“Notably, our portfolio outperformed the upper-tier industry RevPAR growth by approximately 200 basis points for the year,” he said.
5. US economic growth slows in fourth quarter
U.S. gross domestic product increased at a 1.4% seasonally and inflation adjusted annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Wall Street Journal reports that the figure is well below economists' estimate of 2.5% and a sharp decline from the 4.4% rate in the third quarter.
The government shutdown played a big factor in the underwhelming results, as federal government spending declined at a 16.6% rate in the fourth quarter.
"Friday’s report caps a year in which GDP recovered from a mild contraction in the first quarter to stronger levels of growth in the second and third quarters," the Wall Street journal reports.