The People (and Penguins) Dissent

THE LATEST

More than 500,000 people — across 1,300 peaceful rallies in the U.S. — protested the Trump Administration on Saturday in events coordinated by MoveOn.org.

These protests could grow in size and scope given the breadth of the Trump Administration’s controversial policies. Elderly protesters came to say “hands off” Social Security. Parents came to defend public education. Others were there for reproductive rights, the economy, Panama, Greenland, the federal workforce, tariffs, and free speech. There’s no shortage of reasons to protest.

THIS WEEK AT THE WHITE HOUSE

President Trump announced tariffs on the entire planet — except Russia — including penguins in the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands. (PS: I will never get tired of the penguin memes).

Marketing them as “reciprocal tariffs,” Trump held a Rose Garden press conference Wednesday and unveiled a misleading chart that he claimed showed other countries would now be charged the same tariffs they impose on us. Sounds fair, right? Au contraire, mon frère.

• The chart didn’t show tariffs — it showed the trade deficit between the U.S. and other countries. For example: in 2024, the U.S. imported $8.4 billion in goods from Bangladesh (mostly clothing) and exported just $2.2 billion (mostly iron, steel, seeds, grains, and fruit). That $6.2 billion trade deficit isn’t because Bangladesh is cheating — it’s because we buy more from them than they buy from us. That’s common with lower-income countries, where wages are low and consumers typically can’t afford expensive U.S. goods.
• Tariffs aren’t random. They’re negotiated through the World Trade Organization (WTO), which the U.S. helped found. These agreements are legal, structured, and decades in the making.
• “Reciprocal” is misleading. Tariffs aren’t a tit-for-tat system — if China imposes 30%, we don’t just slap back with 30%. Tariffs depend on wages, industries, currencies, and consumer habits — and one-size-fits-all doesn’t work.
• Trade deficits aren’t inherently bad. The U.S. has run trade deficits during economic booms and busts. Mostly, it means Americans can afford foreign goods — not that we’re “losing.”
• Consumers don’t lose from trade deficits. But they do lose when tariffs go up, because companies raise prices to protect profits — and you pay more.

The Reaction

The markets plunged after Trump’s tariffs turned out to be more aggressive than economists had anticipated — sparking a $6 trillion selloff over two days, the worst since the early days of the Covid pandemic. CNBC

China Fires Back

China announced:

• It will impose 34% tariffs on all U.S. imports starting April 10.
• It is filing a WTO grievance, claiming Trump’s tariffs violate existing trade agreements.
• It will restrict U.S. access to seven rare earth minerals vital for manufacturing everything from magnets to planes and sports equipment.

The U.S. currently imposes 54% tariffs on all Chinese imports under Trump. Experts warn this could trigger a full-blown trade war, raising prices on goods from electronics to sports gear. CNBC

Other developments:

• National Security Council employees — including adviser Michael Waltz — used personal Gmail accounts for official business, per The Washington Post. Waltz was the official who added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a sensitive Signal chat about an imminent attack on Yemen’s Houthis. Washington Post
• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said 20% of nearly 10,000 laid-off employees may have been fired by mistake — including some in departments focused on lead poisoning. He claims it was all part of the plan. CBS
  • RELATED: The Pentagon’s inspector general is investigating Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal to discuss classified info, following bipartisan pressure. Politico
• In Wisconsin, a Democratic candidate – Susan Crawford – beat a Musk-backed Supreme Court contender by over 10%. Musk spent $20 million on the race and gave away $2 million at a pre-election event. Democrats see this as a good sign — but 2026 midterms are still far off. NPR
• In Florida, two special elections went to Republicans, but both candidates underperformed expectations. Jimmy Patronis replaces Matt Gaetz – who resigned – and Randy Fine replaces Waltz. NBC News
• Trump skipped the dignified transfer of four U.S. soldiers killed in Lithuania to play golf. Defense Sec. Hegseth attended instead. Trump only attended 4 of 96 such ceremonies during his first term, per HuffPost. Newsweek
• Trump unveiled a prototype of his “gold card” — featuring his face and signature — that would grant U.S. citizenship to wealthy foreigners in exchange for $5 million. The Hill
• Trump fired three National Security Council employees after 9/11 denier Laura Loomer presented him with “oppo research” claiming they weren’t loyal enough. “Fire them,” Trump told Waltz. It’s a snapshot of how Trump’s second term is shaping up — fewer guardrails, more chaos. The New York Times

CONGRESS

• Democrats were feeling proud this week after Sen. Cory Booker broke the record for longest Senate speech, beating Strom Thurmond’s anti–civil rights filibuster. But for many voters, it wasn’t enough. Anxious and frustrated Democrats want more than symbolic speeches. As Kurt Davis put it in a Hill op-ed: “While Booker committed to a day-long monologue, the Trump administration has perfected Steve Bannon’s 'flood the zone' approach… ensuring a constant stream of headlines, controversies and policy shifts... Trump demonstrates an intuitive grasp of narrative control through this relentless cadence of headlines. The approach prevents any single controversy from gaining critical mass while ensuring his administration retains the initiative in shaping public discourse.” The Hill
• In a rare break with Trump, four Republicans --Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins – voted with Democrats (51–48) to end Trump's emergency fentanyl declaration — which he used to justify Canadian tariffs. BBC

JUDICIARY

• A federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to return a Maryland father mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison, calling the move “illegal.” The administration is appealing, claiming — without evidence — that he’s part of MS-13. NPR & Washington Post
• Another federal judge said the Trump Administration likely acted in “bad faith” by rushing to deport hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants in violation of a court order. Judge James Boasberg may consider contempt hearings. NBC News
• The Washington Post profiled Boasberg as a respected judge with bipartisan support — and a Yale Law housemate of Brett Kavanaugh. “Trump and allies may see him as a political target, but they’ve picked a fight with a seasoned judge,” the piece notes. The Washington Post

GAZA

• Video from a murdered Palestinian paramedic’s phone proves Israeli military lied about why they shot and killed him and 14 others before burying them in a mass grave. The New York Times (gift link)
• After the NYT report, the IDF admitted the medics were unarmed and wrongly killed — but still claimed, without evidence, they were linked to Hamas — and said the mass grave was to protect bodies from wild animals. Um, ok. BBC
• The UN says Israel now controls 60% of Gaza in an effort to seal it off and create a “security corridor.” AP News

HEADLINES

• Trump extended the TikTok ban by another 75 days after a possible deal fell apart over the new tariffs. ByteDance must find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned — though it says it’s still negotiating, not selling. NBC News
• The founder of Ben & Jerry’s wants to buy the company back from Unilever, which fired its CEO over pro-Palestinian advocacy. “Social justice and human rights are core to its DNA,” the company says. WSJ
• Val Kilmer, star of Top Gun and Batman, died of pneumonia while battling throat cancer. He was 65. PEOPLE
• Bruce Springsteen announced he’ll release seven new albums with 80+ unreleased tracks on June 27. All were written between 1983 and 2018. CNN
• President Obama photobombed some kids at the cherry blossoms. “I felt terrible,” he said. “I’m not used to walking around, so I screwed that one up.” The Washington Post

Thanks for reading!