Technologies
I’ve Been Tracking Tariff Price Impacts Every Day: Here’s the Latest News
CNET’s tariff impact tracker is keeping tabs on price moves for several popular products, and while things seem steady, problems could be coming this summer.

President Donald Trump’s tariff policies could be leading to a rough summer for a lot of US consumers, as Walmart, the largest grocery store chain in the country, has become the latest company, and perhaps the most impactful, to warn of impending price hikes due to the administration’s import taxes. The company said that these increases are «inevitable» due to the circumstances.
«We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible,» CEO Doug McMillon said during an earnings call for the country’s largest grocery chain. «But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.»
This prompted a heated response from the president, who said in a post to Truth Social that the chain should eat the costs of the tariffs instead of passing them onto consumers, a tactic that’s not likely to gain much ground with most businesses, even Goliaths like Walmart. The administration previously lashed out at Amazon over reports that they were considering a plan to show consumers what portion of their purchase prices were caused by tariffs, calling the idea a «hostile and political act.» The Trump White House has by and large been extremely combative over the notion that companies might admit that the president’s tariffs have caused price inflations, which as I’ve explained in the past on CNET, is absolutely the case.
In this article, I’ve been tracking the daily effect of Trump’s tariffs on the prices of 11 popular products you might want or need to buy, whether it be a new phone, laptop or your daily coffee. So far, we’ve seen notable price hikes for the flagship Xbox game console, while everything else has either remained steady aside from occasional fluctuations that might not be tariff-related. That sort of consistency is far from certain, however, especially with new reports emerging that Apple might be looking to make iPhones more expensive this year.
Below, you can check out a chart with the average price of the 11 included items over the course of 2025. This will help give you a sense of the overall price changes and fluctuations going on. Further down, you’ll be able to check out charts for each individual product being tracked.
The recent tariff agreement with China, much-hyped by the White House, did significantly cut tariff rates against the US’s biggest trading partner. The new 30% rate is only temporary, however, and still historically high. It just looks more reasonable next to the ludicrous 145% rate that was previously in place. As those negotiations move along, companies continue to warn of impending price hikes in order to deal with the new tariffs, including Sony, which could potentially mean a price hike for its ever-popular PlayStation 5 consoles.
We’ll be updating this article regularly as prices change. It’s all in the name of helping you make sense of things, so be sure to check back every so often. For more, check out CNET’s guide to whether you should wait to make big purchases or buy them now and get expert tips about how to prepare for a recession.
Methodology
We’re checking prices daily and will update the article and the relevant charts right away to reflect any changes. The following charts show a single bullet point for each month, with the most recent one labeled «Now» and showing the current price. For the past months, we’ve gone with what was the most common price for each item in the given month.
In most cases, the price stats used in these graphs were pulled from Amazon using the historical price tracker tool Keepa. For the iPhones, the prices come from Apple’s official materials and are based on the 128-gigabyte base model of the latest offering for each year: the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. For the Xbox Series X, the prices were sourced from Best Buy using the tool PriceTracker. If any of these products happen to be on sale at a given time, we’ll be sure to let you know and explain how those price drops differ from longer-term pricing trends that tariffs can cause.
The 11 products we’re tracking
Mostly what we’re tracking in this article are electronic devices and digital items that CNET covers in depth, like iPhones and affordable 4K TVs — along with a typical bag of coffee, a more humble product that isn’t produced in the US to any significant degree.
The products featured were chosen for a few reasons: Some of them are popular and/or affordable representatives for major consumer tech categories, like smartphones, TVs and game consoles. Others are meant to represent things that consumers might buy more frequently, like printer ink or coffee beans. Some products were chosen over others because they are likely more susceptible to tariffs. Some of these products have been reviewed by CNET or have been featured in some of our best lists.
- iPhone 16, 128GB
- Duracell AA batteries, 24-pack
- Samsung DU7200 65-inch TV
- Xbox Series X
- Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case
- HP 962 CMY Printer Ink
- Anker 10,000-mAh, 30-watt power bank
- Bose TV speaker
- Oral-B Pro 1000 electric toothbrush
- Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook, 256GB
- Starbucks 28-ounce ground dark roast coffee
Below, we’ll get into more about each individual product.
iPhone 16
The iPhone is the most popular smartphone brand in the US, so this was a clear priority for price tracking. The iPhone has also emerged as a major focal point for conversations about tariffs, given its popularity and its susceptibility to import taxes because of its overseas production, largely in China. Trump has reportedly been fixated on the idea that the iPhone can and should be manufactured in the US, an idea that experts have dismissed as a fantasy. Estimates have also suggested that a US-made iPhone would cost as much as $3,500.
Apple has made several moves this year to protect its prices in the US as much as possible, like flying in bulk shipments of product ahead of the tariffs taking effect and working to move production for the American market from China to India, where tariff rates are less severe. This latter move provoked a response from Trump, given his noted fixation on the iPhone, saying on Thursday that he «had a little problem» with Tim Cook over the move, claiming without evidence that the Apple CEO pledged to bring more manufacturing to the US. Cook and others close to the company for years say that the supply chains for its products are too complex to move manufacturing entirely to the US.
Duracell AA batteries
A lot of the tech products in your home might boast a rechargeable energy source but individual batteries are still an everyday essential and I can tell you from experience that as soon as you forget about them, you’ll be needing to restock. The Duracell AAs we’re tracking are some of the bestselling batteries on Amazon.
Samsung DU7200 TV
Alongside smartphones, televisions are some of the most popular tech products out there, even if they’re an infrequent purchase. This particular product is a popular entry-level 4K TV and was CNET’s pick for best overall budget TV for 2025. Unlike a lot of tech products that have key supply lines in China, Samsung is a South Korean company, so it might have some measure of tariff resistance. In recent days, this model has fluctuated from $400, where its been for most of the year so far, and $470, where it sits today. These fluctuations don’t seem to be influenced by tariffs, at least for the time being.
Xbox Series X
Video game software and hardware are a market segment expected to be hit hard by the Trump tariffs. Microsoft’s Xbox is the first console brand to see price hikes — the company cited «market conditions» along with the rising cost of development. Most notably, this included an increase in the price of the flagship Xbox Series X, up from $500 to $600. Numerous Xbox accessories were also affected, and the company also said that «certain» games will eventually see a price hike from $70 to $80.
Initially, we were tracking the price of the much more popular Nintendo Switch as a representative of the gaming market. Nintendo has not yet hiked the price of its handheld-console hybrid and stressed that the $450 price tag of the upcoming Switch 2 has not yet been inflated because of tariffs. Sony, meanwhile, has so far only increased prices on its PlayStation hardware in markets outside the US.
AirPods Pro 2
The latest iteration of Apple’s wildly popular true-wireless earbuds are here to represent the headphone market. Much to the chagrin of the audiophiles out there, a quick look at sales charts on Amazon shows you just how much the brand dominates all headphone sales. The AirPods Pro 2 have hovered steadily around $200 on Amazon in 2025, but were on sale for $169 the first few days of May before jumping back up.
HP 962 CMY printer ink
This HP printer ink includes cyan, magenta and yellow all in one product and recently saw its price jump from around $72 — where it stayed for most of 2025 — to $80, which is around its highest price over the last five years. We will be keeping tabs to see if this is a long-term change or a brief uptick.
This product replaced Overture PLA Filament for 3D printers in this piece, but we’re still tracking that item.
Anker 10,000-mAh, 30-watt power bank
Anker’s accessories are perennially popular in the tech space and the company has already announced that some of its products will get more expensive as a direct result of tariffs. This specific product has also been featured in some of CNET’s lists of the best portable chargers. While the price has remained steady throughout the year, it is currently on sale for $16 on Amazon, but only for Prime members.
Bose TV speaker
Soundbars have become important purchases, given the often iffy quality of the speakers built into TVs. While not the biggest or the best offering in the space, the Bose TV Speaker is one of the more affordable soundbar options out there, especially hailing from a brand as popular as Bose.
Oral-B Pro 1000 electric toothbrush
They might be a lot more expensive than their traditional counterparts, but electric toothbrushes remain a popular choice for consumers because of how well they get the job done. I know my dentist won’t let up on how much I need one. This particular Oral-B offering was CNET’s overall choice for the best electric toothbrush for 2025.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook
Lenovo is notable among the big laptop manufacturers for being a Chinese company making its products especially susceptible to Trump’s tariffs.
Starbucks Ground Coffee (28-ounce bag)
Coffee is included in this tracker because of its ubiquity —I’m certainly drinking too much of it these days —and because it’s uniquely susceptible to Trump’s tariff agenda. Famously, coffee beans can only be grown within a certain distance from Earth’s equator, a tropical span largely outside the US and known as the «Coffee Belt.»
Hawaii is the only part of the US that can produce coffee beans, with data from USAFacts showing that 11.5 million pounds were harvested there in the 2022-23 season — little more than a drop in the mug, as the US consumed 282 times that amount of coffee during that period. Making matters worse, Hawaiian coffee production has declined in the past few years.
All that to say: Americans get almost all of their coffee from overseas, making it one of the most likely products to see price hikes from tariffs.
Technologies
TikTok’s Sexy Affair With National Parks Isn’t Clickbait. It’s a Wake-Up Call
Social media thirst traps are spotlighting a funding crisis for public lands. And millions of people are paying attention.
National parks, gay country music and thirst traps have a lot in common, at least on the internet.
Hundreds of TikTok posts combining sexually explicit audio, comical memes and stunning views of nature have flooded social media feeds. The viral trend coincides with President Donald Trump’s unprecedented funding cuts targeting federal parks, forests, monuments, seashores and trails.
The message of #ParkTok and #MountainTok is G-rated: to conserve and protect public lands. The raunchy content is merely a wrapper to lure followers and get that message in front of as many people as possible.
At first glance, the TikTok fan accounts for Yellowstone and Joshua Tree — among dozens of other national parks, forests and recreation sites — appear to be competing in an unhinged brawl. Some commenters speculate that federal park rangers or marketing strategists have gone rogue to garner outside financial support.
But the unofficial accounts, which are growing in number daily, are run by independent content creators with no affiliation to the government. According to the National Park Service’s Office of Public Affairs, the NPS has no official presence on TikTok, as there are no terms of service between federal agencies and the platform.
«Viral trends focused on national parks can certainly boost park visibility and drive increased interest and awareness,» the National Park Service told CNET in an email. «We appreciate the enthusiasm for our nation’s parks and the creative ways individuals share their experiences online.»
And millions of social media followers say they’re here for it. Promoting the country’s vast landscape and its preservation for future generations could serve as a kind of spiritual uplift in dark times.
Nature is sexy; budget cuts aren’t
Far beyond the racy adult content, there’s a unifying purpose to posting videos of cascading waterfalls, colossal trees, seductive deserts and enchanting wildlife.
Researchers have noted that national parks are key to conserving biodiversity and supporting people’s well-being. And it seems everyone, not just nature nerds, can get behind these public lands: US national parks saw a record number of recreation visits last year, nearly 332 million.
«If you actually love all this stuff, you get attached to that beauty,» said Kim Tanner, the creator of the Joshua Tree fan account. «And then you realize you don’t want that beauty damaged.»
The Trump administration’s 2026 budget plan includes slashing more than $1 billion from the National Park Service. It also threatens to axe a whopping $33 billion from national recreation management programs and conservation and preservation grants. The grants are critical to maintaining 433 individual areas of public lands covering more than 85 million acres, which are managed by the NPS.
The National Parks Conservation Association says the White House’s budget reductions are the largest proposed cuts to the National Park Service in its 109-year history and could «decimate at least 350 National Park sites.» Many have said Trump is laying the groundwork to sell off public lands and turn recreational areas over to state-level management.
According to Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, the NPS has already lost nearly 2,500 employees, or nearly 13% of its staff, in what she calls a «brain trust exodus» of environmental experts.
«What’s happening right now, in trying to dismantle the National Park Service from the inside out, is more horrific than anything we’ve seen before,» Brengel told me.
Getting wild for the wild
TikTok is controversial, and so is sex. That’s precisely why trends like these have political capital, capable of attracting admirers and haters, and bringing everyone else into the conversation.
«The polarization on social media is reflective of our real-life political polarization,» said CNET social media reporter Katelyn Chedraoui.
The #ParkTok and #MountainTok creators, some of whom are former park employees, are all nature lovers who span the political spectrum. Many of the accounts openly denounce the administration’s threats against the parks and direct viewers to demonstrations or fundraisers, but the trend isn’t overtly partisan or activist-driven.
«Most of their posts work on a subconscious level, prompting viewers to think about the national parks and their own experiences with them,» said Chedraoui. «It’s simple but effective.»
In fact, the TikTok engagement around public lands originated before the budget cuts to the parks. The first three fan accounts — Mount Hood, Mount Rainier and Yellowstone — appeared right after the elections last November. Managed by three friends who are avid outdoor enthusiasts, the accounts put up posts early on that were a mix of comic relief and wilderness awe.
There wasn’t much thirst trap content then. «It was just waterfalls and vistas and sunsets,» said Jaime Wash, the creator behind the Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens fan accounts. Then, two of the creators started trolling each other, and folks loved it.
It was fake beef, but the diss-track template became a winning strategy. By January, the trend started picking up speed, with more fan accounts joining the fray. Over the last several months, the popularity of the posts has seen ebbs and flows — until fairly recently, when all of #MountainTok and #ParkTok blew up for their risqué content.
Private parts in public lands became a magic formula, a kind of viral virility, that the creators knew how to play up.
«Social media users are very used to brands acting unhinged on TikTok,» said Chedraoui.
A bridge over troubled water
Some critics have slammed the parody accounts, accusing creators of trying to monetize a legitimate cause, or claiming that the sexually charged content damages the parks’ reputations.
But according to the creators, who collaborate regularly in a group chat, making money wasn’t, and never will be, their intention. Wash told me that if at any point they do collect a payout for the content, they plan to donate the funds to the parks.
After gaining such a huge following, Wash said, she felt it was her responsibility to get people involved. In April, the Mount Hood fan account brought out followers to Portland’s Hands Off protest.
«We’re building a community to show that things aren’t helpless, that change can happen and we’re there for each other,» Wash said. And besides raising the alarm, the posts add comic relief and entertainment to a daily cycle of doomscrolling and anxiety.
Tanner told me that #ParkTok and #MountainTok can open people’s eyes, showing how fragile nature really is. By highlighting endangered animals and the environmental damage from logging, drilling and mining, the posts can help millions of followers understand what’s really at stake.
The stunning power of social media
Social media acts as a cultural barometer, unveiling public sentiment in real time and broadcasting issues that most resonate. Platforms like TikTok also give grassroots movements a megaphone, allowing everyday people to bypass traditional media filters and speak directly to broad audiences.
«We’ve seen digital action lead to tangible action,» said Sheila Nguyen, associate director of communications and engagement for the National Parks Conservation Association. «The more people who see that social media content, the bigger the pool of people who may speak up and the more collective impact we can have,» Nguyen told CNET in an email.
In fact, social media publicity has been shown to boost national park visitation. A 2024 research study found that positive social media posts that include photos or videos drive the biggest increases in visitation.
«The more people we can get into these parks, the better. That way, they can experience it firsthand, see it, fall in love with it, and then want to protect it,» said Tanner.
The National Parks Conservation Association urges people to sign up for alerts on its advocacy page so they can raise concerns with congressional representatives.
«We feel that Congress is the best option right now to get the administration to back off of these bad proposals,» said the NPCA’s Brengel. «Congress needs to be pushed to stop some of these terrible actions.»
Many TikTok creators I spoke with also said they’re advocating ways to hold elected officials accountable.
«It’s heartbreaking to think the places that I absolutely love may never be the same again,» said Wash, «and I want to do anything to stop that.»
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 20, #239
Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 239, for May 20.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Connections: Sports Edition has one of those oddball purple categories today, and I think I could’ve stared at the puzzle for a week and not solved it. It’s one of those «play with the letters» categories, and they’re always fun after I see the answer, but I seldom get it right. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Your group.
Green group hint: Where the Pope is from.
Blue group hint: All-Star player.
Purple group hint: Change a letter.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Team
Green group: Chicago teams
Blue group: Teams Juan Soto has played for
Purple group: NBA teams with the first letter changed
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is team. The four answers are club, side, squad and unit.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is Chicago teams. The four answers are Bears, Fire, Sky and White Sox.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is teams Juan Soto has played for. The four answers are Mets, Nationals, Padres and Yankees.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is NBA teams with the first letter changed. The four answers are Buns, Gulls, Meat and Slippers.
Technologies
Trump to Sign Bill Banning Deepfakes, Nonconsensual Images: What to Know
The bipartisan ‘Take It Down’ Act passed swiftly in both the Senate and the House, and has been championed by First Lady Melania Trump.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bipartisan Take It Down Act into law on Monday, a significant step in regulating the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes. The legislation aims to protect individuals from the harmful effects of such content, which has been increasingly prevalent in the digital age with the expansion of artificial intelligence.
Read more: Jamie Lee Curtis Celebrates Meta’s Removal of Fake AI Ad
What are deepfakes?
Deepfakes are realistic but fake images, videos or audio created using artificial intelligence to mimic someone’s appearance, voice or actions.
One widely reported example was a 2022 viral video of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the altered clip, Zelenskyy appeared to urge Ukrainian soldiers to surrender to Russian forces, a message he never actually delivered. The video was quickly debunked, but it raised serious concerns about the use of deepfakes in disinformation campaigns, especially during wartime.
Deepfakes have also been used to spread sexually explicit content or revenge porn.
Read more: Election Deepfakes Are Here and Better Than Ever
What are the key aspects of the Take It Down Act?
The Take It Down Act prohibits knowingly sharing or threatening to share intimate images of someone without their permission, including digitally altered or AI-generated deepfakes. Here is a breakdown of the bill and what it targets:
- Criminalization of nonconsensual sharing: The act makes it a federal offense to distribute intimate images without the subject’s consent. The bill applies to both real and AI-generated content.
- Mandatory removal: Online platforms, such as tech and social media sites, are required to remove flagged content, including any copies of the material, within 48 hours of notification by the victim.
- Mandatory restitution: Violators will face mandatory restitution and criminal penalties such as prison time, fines or both.
- Protection of minors: The legislation imposes stricter penalties for offenses involving minors, aiming to provide enhanced safeguards for vulnerable individuals.
- Enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission: The FTC is designated as the primary agency responsible for enforcing the provisions of the act.
Who supports the Take It Down Act?
First Lady Melania Trump has been a vocal advocate for the legislation over the last several months, emphasizing the need to protect children and teenagers from the damaging effects of online exploitation. Her efforts included public appearances and discussions with lawmakers to garner support for the bill.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), gained bipartisan backing, with cosponsors including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). It passed the Senate unanimously in February, followed by House approval in April with a 409-2 vote.
What are the criticisms and concerns about the bill?
While the act has been praised for addressing a growing issue, it has also faced criticism from various groups. Some digital rights organizations express concerns that the law could infringe on privacy and free speech, particularly regarding the potential for false reports and the impact on encrypted communications. There are also apprehensions about the enforcement of the law and its potential misuse for political purposes.
For instance, representatives of The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, a nonprofit that supports victims of online abuse, voiced strong concerns about the bill, according to PBS News. The group criticized the takedown provision as overly broad, vaguely written and lacking clear protections to prevent misuse.
What are the next steps?
Trump is expected to sign the bill Monday at 3 p.m. ET. This act will mark Trump’s sixth bill signed into law so far in his second term. By his 100th day back in office, he had enacted only five, marking the lowest number of new laws signed by a president in the first 100 days of a term since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s, based on an analysis of congressional records by NBC News.
The signing of the Take It Down Act represents a significant move towards regulating nonconsensual intimate imagery in the digital realm. While it aims to provide greater protection for individuals, ongoing discussions will be essential to address the concerns and ensure the law’s effective and fair implementation.
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