Today’s Headlines: The U.S.-China trade war escalated after VP JD Vance made a crack about “Chinese peasants,” prompting a sharp clapback from China. Hong Kong also suspended shipments to the U.S. over new 120% tariffs on small packages, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that the growing tariff chaos could have long term consequences on the economy. In El Salvador, Senator Chris Van Hollen tried (and failed) to secure a meeting or visit with wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, as the White House is still insisting he’s not coming back. Meanwhile, a judge blocked Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm behind Dominion’s Fox lawsuit, calling it a personal vendetta and a “shocking abuse of power.” Another judge found probable cause to hold the administration in criminal contempt for ignoring a court order to stop deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act. Lastly, the DOJ is suing Maine for allowing trans athletes in girls’ sports.

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Today’s Headlines: China has halted Boeing jet deliveries and rare earth exports amid the ongoing trade war, while Trump announced a 20% tariff on Mexican tomatoes, aiming to pressure countries to isolate China. Greenland, meanwhile, is strengthening trade ties with Beijing. In the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a federal judge has ordered expedited discovery into his wrongful deportation to El Salvador, as Democratic senators plan a trip to push for his release—while the White House continues floating the idea of sending U.S. citizens to foreign prisons. Princeton, MIT, and others are suing to block steep federal research cuts, and finally, 4chan was hacked, leaking internal data and user info.

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Today’s Headlines: Trump met with El Salvador’s President Bukele amid backlash over the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident now imprisoned in a Salvadoran mega-prison. Despite a unanimous Supreme Court ruling ordering his return, both leaders deflected responsibility—Trump even suggested sending more U.S. citizens abroad. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen now says he’ll go to El Salvador himself if needed. The White House also blocked the Associated Press from the meeting, in defiance of a court order protecting press access. Meanwhile, Russia’s deadly missile strike on Sumy killed 35 civilians, and U.S.–Iran nuclear talks resumed in Oman. Trump lashed out at CBS over unfavorable reporting, Harvard rejected a federal ultimatum to dismantle DEI programs, and an arsonist who attacked the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion is facing terrorism charges. Lastly, Marjorie Taylor Greene made some suspiciously well-timed trades before Trump paused tariffs.

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Today’s Headlines: President Trump announced a temporary tariff exemption on electronics like smartphones and laptops — but his Commerce Secretary clarified that separate semiconductor tariffs are likely coming within months. The administration continues to face backlash after deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, despite a court order. Most migrants sent to the facility reportedly have no criminal records. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to let him fire officials at independent federal agencies — a move that could impact leadership at institutions like the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, a new State Department initiative is asking employees to report “anti-Christian bias” via anonymous tip forms. The Social Security Administration will now communicate exclusively through X, eliminating other forms of public outreach while continuing to reduce staff and office access. Elon Musk's government savings program, DOGE, has cut its projected goal from $1 trillion to $150 billion. FEMA denied North Carolina’s request to extend full reimbursement for hurricane recovery, and Pennsylvania’s Governor was forced to evacuate after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Mansion. And finally, Meta’s long-awaited antitrust trial begins today — with the FTC arguing its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were illegal and should be reversed.

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Today’s Headlines: The stock market fell sharply Thursday, erasing gains from Wednesday’s rally, after the White House clarified Trump’s China tariffs are effectively 145%, not 125%, and will now include small consumer shipments under the “de minimis” rule—impacting retailers like Shein and Temu. Apple reportedly airlifted 600 tons of iPhones from India to beat the tariffs. Amid the chaos, Democratic senators called for an insider trading investigation following unusually well-timed trades before Trump’s tariff pause announcement. Meanwhile, the House passed the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, and Trump’s budget bill, which includes deep spending cuts and $4.5 trillion in tax breaks for the wealthy. The Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to help return a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, despite unsupported claims he was an MS-13 member. The administration is also moving to place Columbia University under a federal consent decree over antisemitism. Elsewhere, a helicopter crash in the Hudson killed six people, two planes clipped wings at Reagan National Airport, and the Senate confirmed Trump donor George Glass as ambassador to Japan.

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Today’s Headlines: Markets are spiraling as global fallout from Trump’s tariffs intensifies. The bond market plunged yesterday, signaling foreign doubts about U.S. economic stability—especially from Japan. China hiked tariffs on American goods to 84%, and the EU approved its first wave of retaliatory tariffs, effective April 15. By afternoon, Trump partially reversed course, pausing tariffs for 90 days on most countries (except China and the EU), leading to a 10% stock market surge—its biggest since 2008. Meanwhile, IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause resigned after backlash over sharing undocumented immigrants’ tax data with ICE, marking the agency’s third leadership exit this year. Trump also floated deporting U.S. prisoners to El Salvador (not legal), signed an executive order to investigate two former officials for treason, and froze nearly $1B in funding to Cornell and Northwestern over campus protests. And in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson failed to get enough support for the GOP’s new tax cut-heavy budget—despite one member literally rebuking him “in the name of Jesus.”

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Today’s Headlines: Trump’s new tariffs officially went into effect at midnight, sending global markets into a tailspin and pushing U.S. mortgage rates to nearly 7%. Despite White House claims that “tailored deals” are on the way, no countries—including China, which now faces a 104% tariff—secured any agreements before the deadline. Canada also retaliated with a 25% tariff on U.S.-made vehicles. Amidst the economic mess, Elon Musk lashed out at Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro, calling him “dumber than bricks,” while the White House responded with a baffling “boys will be boys.” On immigration, the administration announced it would revoke legal status from over 900,000 migrants who used the Biden-era CBP One app to enter the U.S. legally, urging them to voluntarily self-deport. Meanwhile, the IRS is now handing over undocumented taxpayers’ personal info to ICE, sparking fears of a drop in compliance that could cost the U.S. billions. And finally, the Supreme Court ruled that a lower court’s order to reinstate 16,000 fired federal workers can’t move forward—though many will remain on paid leave due to a separate case while a federal judge ruled in favor of the Associated Press after the White House tried to bar them from events for refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico in their reporting.

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Today’s Headlines: The global economy is spiraling as Trump doubles down on tariffs, threatening a 50% increase on China if they don’t back down. Markets tanked again, swinging wildly after a false report hinted at a delay, and the chaos isn't just domestic — Japan’s Nikkei dropped 8% and Europe’s markets fell 4%. Congress remains largely inactive but a few Republican lawmakers are attempting to push back, Trump has already vowed to veto any bill on tariffs. The U.S. also slapped a 17% tariff on Israeli imports, despite Israel dropping theirs in solidarity. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court made two big moves: they temporarily blocked the return of a wrongfully deported Maryland man to El Salvador, but also allowed the administration to keep using an 18th-century law to deport immigrants with minimal due process — a decision so extreme even Amy Coney Barrett joined the dissent. And in Texas, 238 Venezuelan migrants — most with no criminal records — were deported to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.

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Today’s Headlines: The world is still reeling from Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, with markets in free fall and no signs of a course correction. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed the White House is not backing down, and China quickly retaliated with steep tariffs of its own, sanctions on U.S. companies, and an investigation into DuPont. Dow futures were already down 1600 points before markets even opened, and JP Morgan now puts the risk of a global recession at 60%. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brushed off fears, even as he spent the week on Capitol Hill negotiating more tax cuts for the wealthy. In the background, the IRS is quietly working on a project to centralize taxpayer data in a new “mega API” system—likely with Palantir, raising privacy concerns. Elsewhere in the administration, the heads of the NSA and Cyber Command were abruptly fired, reportedly under pressure from far-right activist Laura Loomer. But the courts are beginning to push back: a federal judge ruled the NIH must restore full research funding, another ordered the government to return a man it wrongfully deported to El Salvador, and 19 state attorneys general are suing to block Trump’s executive order requiring proof of citizenship to vote and tossing out mail ballots received after Election Day.

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Today’s Headlines: The economic fallout from Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement sent markets crashing—Nasdaq fell 6%, S&P 500 4.8%, erasing $2 trillion in value. The dollar also dropped, and automaker Stellantis announced major layoffs. Global leaders condemned the tariffs, and France and Germany urged companies to pause U.S. investments. In response, bipartisan senators introduced a bill to limit the president’s unilateral tariff powers. Meanwhile, Trump fired several National Security Council members reportedly at the urging of far-right activist Laura Loomer. The Pentagon’s IG opened an investigation into National Security Advisor Pete Hegseth’s role in the Signal group chat scandal. The administration also banned U.S. personnel in China from relationships with Chinese citizens and is requiring public schools to certify they’ve eliminated DEI practices to keep federal funding. Brown University may lose over $500 million in grants amid unconfirmed reports of federal retaliation. Dr. Oz was confirmed to lead Medicare and Medicaid, overseeing a $2.6 trillion budget. And NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced he’s dropping out of the Democratic primary—and running as an independent.

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Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

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