Fri Oct 10 18:20:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

**White House Announces Layoffs Amidst Shutdown, Threatens China with New Tariffs**

**Washington D.C.** – The Trump administration announced Friday the start of another round of federal layoffs, impacting workers at the Department of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security. The move comes as the government shutdown continues, with the White House citing budget constraints and a desire to “cull” agencies. While Budget Director Russell T. Vought didn’t specify the number of affected employees, sources indicate the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are particularly hard hit. Union officials are challenging the legality of the firings, arguing that proper procedures are not being followed. A lawsuit has been filed in an attempt to block the mass firings.

President Trump also threatened “a massive increase” in tariffs on Chinese imports in response to new export restrictions on rare earth minerals imposed by China. He also suggested that a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may be canceled. The news sent the stock market tumbling, with the S&P 500 dropping 2 percent by early afternoon.

In other news, M.I.T. has rejected a White House proposal that would have linked university support for the administration’s higher education agenda to favorable scientific funding decisions.

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