Worries of recession mounting among US small businesses amid uncertainties over Trump's tariffs

Worries about an economic recession are mounting among U.S. small businesses amid growing uncertainties around the impact of President Donald Trump's tariff policy, according to media reports.

Optimism about the U.S. economy is rapidly fading among consumers, corporate boards, and the Wall Street amid growing uncertainty fueled by tariffs, CNBC reported on Friday.

A CNBC survey showed that 70 percent of small business owners rated the current economic environment as either fair or poor, said the report.

Meanwhile, 70 percent of small business owners believe the country is heading for a recession, according to the report.

Additionally, 51 percent of respondents said they have already felt or expect to feel the negative impact of trade policy changes within the next 12 months, the report showed.

The report also noted that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding trade policies is adding financial strain to small business owners, both for their businesses and their wallets.

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr has also expressed the concern that Trump's tariff policy is likely to push inflation higher, slow economic growth and raise unemployment later this year, according to a Reuters report on Friday.

Barr has also warned that higher tariffs could disrupt global supply chains and create persistent upward pressure on inflation. Some suppliers, particularly the small business, may not be able to adopt quickly enough to the new situation and could fail, the report said.

He also cautioned that the combination of rising inflation and growing unemployment may put the Federal Reserve in a difficult position, according to the report.

Worries of recession mounting among US small businesses amid uncertainties over Trump's tariffs

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation