It has been several months now since President Trump began rolling out the flurry of trade actions that have come to define his America First Trade Policy, which culminated to the so-called Liberation Day reciprocal tariffs. Since then, there have been ongoing trade negotiations with trading partners and newer trade actions with the hopes of getting to the best deal for America. Businesses are advised to take note of the following significant actions and key events that are impacting trade.

On April 28, 2025, President Donald Trump published an executive order (“EO”) requiring the secretary of transportation to overhaul the compliance process of certifying a commercial driver’s English proficiency.

As set forth in 49 C.F.R. § 391.11(b)(2), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require a driver operating a commercial motor vehicle to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.” This change has many implications for the transportation industry.

It is a common misconception believed by many that having a will avoids probate. Not only is it false, it really could not be further from the truth. Rather, a will is a tool that is often used during the probate process and has no power outside of it. For those who seek to avoid probate, it is important to understand these two related concepts—and the planning tools that exist to distribute your assets as you see most fitting.