Short Takes

US government slapping 21 percent tariff on most tomatoes from Mexico. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “The 2019 deal included enforcement provisions, including an inspection mechanism to bar low-quality tomatoes from being imported and establishing prices for various types of the commodity.”

Trump administration nearing pharma tariffs plan. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “A typical [§232] investigation takes 270 days before a report is given to the president, but public comments on the notice are due just three weeks from the official April 16 publication date, an indication the investigation will move much quicker. 

Repeal of the Definition of Showerhead. Federal Register, DOE direct final rule. Summary: “On April 9, 2025, President Donald J. Trump directed the Department of Energy to repeal the definition of “showerhead” codified at 10 CFR 430.2. See Executive order, Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads [link added]. In compliance with that order, and the President's constitutional authority to direct rescissions of regulations, the Department hereby repeals the definition of showerhead in § 430.2. The agency's decision to rescind that provision is nondiscretionary.”

Personal care pulls away from synthetic polymers. CEN.ACS.org article. Pull quote: “At In-Cosmetics, the chemical maker Lubrizol launched a rheology modifier based on modified cellulose that it’s calling Carbopol BioSense. The name is significant because, for decades, the Carbopol brand has been associated with high-performance polyacrylic acid ingredients. It is Lubrizol’s flagship personal care product line.”

CyberAv3ngers: The Iranian Saboteurs Hacking Water and Gas Systems Worldwide. Wired.com article. Pull quote: “While CyberAv3ngers' initial foray may have appeared to be simple vandalism, The hackers actually rewrote the devices' so-called “ladder logic,” the code that governs their functionality. As a result, the hackers’ changes disrupted service on some victim networks, including a water utility and a brewery near Pittsburgh—distinct facilities that were both coincidentally in the same region—as well as multiple water utilities in Israel and Ireland, according to Dragos and another industrial cybersecurity firm, Claroty, that tracked the hacking campaign.”

CVE program faces swift end after DHS fails to renew contract, leaving security flaw tracking in limbo. CSOOnline.com article. Pull quote: “Although the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) enriches the MITRE CVE records with additional information through its National Vulnerability Database (NVD), and CISA has helped enrich MITRE’s CVE records with its “vulnrichment” program due to funding shortfalls in the NVD program, MITRE is the originator of the CVE records and serves at the primary source for identifying security flaws.”

A drug for heavy metal poisoning may double as a snakebite treatment. ScienceNews.org article. Pull quote: “Enter unithiol, which can block the proteins by mopping up that zinc. The drug can be given orally and is stable at room temperature, opening up the possibility of easy availability in rural areas. That’s needed because a delay in the treatment of venomous snakebites increases the risk of disability and death.

EO 14259 - Amendment to Reciprocal Tariffs and Updated Duties as Applied to Low-Value Imports From the People's Republic of China. Federal Register.

EO 14260 - Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. Federal Register.

EO 14261 - Reinvigorating America's Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241. Federal Register.

EO 14262 - Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid. Federal Register.

EO 14263 - Addressing Risks From Susman Godfrey. Federal Register.

EO 14264 - Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads. Federal Register.

EO 14265 - Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base. Federal Register.

EO 14266 - Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates To Reflect Trading Partner Retaliation and Alignment. Federal register.

EO 14267 - Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers. Federal Register.

EO 14268 - Reforming Foreign Defense Sales To Improve Speed and Accountability. Federal Register.

EO 14269 - Restoring America's Maritime Dominance. Federal Register.

EO 14270 - Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting To Unleash American Energy. Federal Register.