Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to attend a summit of the seven countries that border the Bay of Bengal.
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MadAboutPolitics.com - Featured News
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Today's Political News Compilation - Tuesday, April 1, 2025
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Trump is set to announce ‘reciprocal’ tariffs in a risky move that could reshape the economy
By JOSH BOAKUpdated 11:01 PM CDT, April 1, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — After weeks of White House hype and public anxiety, President Donald Trump is set Wednesday to announce a barrage of self-described “reciprocal” tariffs on friend and foe alike.
The new tariffs — coming on what Trump has called “Liberation Day” — is a bid to boost U.S. manufacturing and punish other countries for what he has said are years of unfair trade practices. But by most economists’ assessments, the risky move threatens to plunge the economy into a downturn and mangle decades-old alliances.
The White House is exuding confidence despite the political and financial gamble being undertaken.
“April 2, 2025, will go down as one of the most important days in modern American history,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Tuesday’s briefing while adding that the new tariffs will take effect immediately.
The reciprocal tariffs Trump plans to announce follow similar recent announcements of 25% taxes on auto imports; levies against China, Canada and Mexico; and expanded tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump has also put tariffs against countries that import oil from Venezuela and plans separate import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.
READ THE FULL STORY - AP
GOP senators push ahead on Trump's tax cuts package, punting big decisions for later
Senate Republicans insist they are pushing ahead on President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts this week.
apnews.com
Trump says his tariffs could bring in trillions in revenue. Economists disagree.
Experts estimate far lower figures in tariffs revenue, warning that President Trump's tariffs could drive up prices for American consumers.
www.cbsnews.com
A wary Europe awaits Rubio with NATO's future on the line
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling this week to a gathering of top diplomats from NATO countries.
apnews.com
GOP lawmakers sink House Speaker Johnson's effort to block remote voting push for new parents
Nine Republicans joined with all Democrats to vote against a procedural rule to advance a package of GOP-led bills over the proxy vote fight.
www.nbcnews.com
Republicans win Florida special elections in Trump strongholds by narrower margins than in 2024
Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special elections in two Florida congressional districts, bolstered by Trump’s endorsement to fill vacant seats in reliably GOP strongholds.
apnews.com
'Made-up emergency': Democrats try to block Trump tariffs on Canada
President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on the Senate to keep the United States' tariffs on Canada in place.
abcnews.go.com
Anna Paulina Luna forces House leadership's hand on proxy voting as GOP war escalates
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is pushing a bill to allow new parents to vote remotely.
www.foxnews.com
Democrats' win in Wisconsin court race also is a big loss for Elon Musk
The billionaire supporter of President Donald Trump and his affiliated groups spent more than $21 million supporting the conservative in the race in hopes of breaking liberals' 4-3 majority on the court.
apnews.com
DOJ has contradicted itself on when immigration removal is complete, ACLU argues
DOJ contradicted itself on when US jurisdiction over deportation flights ends, ACLU argues.
abcnews.go.com
Wave of court orders blocking Trump's agenda are a 'judicial coup d'etat,' Gingrich says
President Donald Trump is facing a "judicial coup d'etat' against him by federal judges across the country, former Speaker Newt Gingrich said Tuesday.
www.foxnews.com
Seven takeaways from the elections in Wisconsin and Florida | CNN Politics
Wisconsin voters on Tuesday delivered Democrats their biggest jolt since President Donald Trump returned to power, handing liberals a state Supreme Court majority and defying Elon Musk’s record-shattering effort to bolster a conservative Trump acolyte.
www.cnn.com
The year's first major political test in Wisconsin becomes a referendum on Elon Musk
The election to fill a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat is quickly becoming a referendum on the Trump administration and a test of enthusiasm on both sides.
apnews.com
Democrats have a new boogeyman in Elon Musk: Takeaways from Tuesday's elections
Republicans also got key reinforcements for their slim House majority at an important moment. And Democrats made gains compared with 2024 in each key race.
www.nbcnews.com
FDA lays off bird flu leadership, among steep cuts to senior veterinarians
More than 130 staff were cut from the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, officials said.
www.cbsnews.com
Cory Booker sets a record with marathon Senate speech. Will it rally anti-Trump resistance?
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker held the Senate floor with a speech that lasted more than 25 hours and broke the record set by Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, 68 years ago.
apnews.com
RFK Jr. purges CDC and FDA's public records teams, despite "transparency" promises
It is unclear what will happen to hundreds of pending requests for public information as the health agencies slash staff.
www.cbsnews.com
Entire staff responsible for utility assistance included in HHS cuts, sources say
Those who work closely with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program now fear for its future.
www.nbcnews.com
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Continue reading...De minimis trade loophole that boosted Chinese online retailers to end May 2
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Wednesday's announcement, which came...
Continue reading...Trump in February abruptly ended the de minimis trade exemption, which allows shipments worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. The order overwhelmed U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees and caused the U.S. Postal Service to temporarily halt packages from China and Hong Kong. Within days of its announcement, Trump reversed course and delayed the cancellation of the provision.
Wednesday's announcement, which came...
Trump's tariffs are a longtime goal fulfilled - and his biggest gamble yet
The president acknowledged that he will face pushback from some, but he urged Americans to trust his instincts.
Continue reading...Watch: Key moments in Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs announcement
The US president said universal 10% tariffs would go into effect for all countries starting 5 April.
Continue reading...EU preparing further countermeasures against U.S. tariffs if negotiations fail, EC President von der Leyen says
The European Union is preparing further countermeasures against U.S. tariffs if negotiations fail, according to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed 20% tariffs on the bloc on Wednesday.
Speaking on a livestreamed broadcast, the EC president said that Trump's move was a "major blow" to the world economy.
"There seems to be no order in the disorder, no clear path to the complexity and chaos that is being created as all U.S. trading partners are hit," von der Leyen said.
"Uncertainty will...
Continue reading...U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed 20% tariffs on the bloc on Wednesday.
Speaking on a livestreamed broadcast, the EC president said that Trump's move was a "major blow" to the world economy.
"There seems to be no order in the disorder, no clear path to the complexity and chaos that is being created as all U.S. trading partners are hit," von der Leyen said.
"Uncertainty will...
World leaders react with disappointment to Trump's sweeping tariffs
In a move that could upend American foreign relations across the globe, President Trump announced Wednesday that he is instituting what he described as "reciprocal tariffs" on dozens of U.S. trading partners.
Beginning April 5, all imports to the U.S. will be subject to a baseline tariff of 10%. Then, starting April 9, about 90 countries that, according to the Trump administration currently impose import taxes on U.S. goods, will also be hit by an additional reciprocal tax.
For example, imports from Egypt, the U.K., Ecuador and the United Arab...
Continue reading...Beginning April 5, all imports to the U.S. will be subject to a baseline tariff of 10%. Then, starting April 9, about 90 countries that, according to the Trump administration currently impose import taxes on U.S. goods, will also be hit by an additional reciprocal tax.
For example, imports from Egypt, the U.K., Ecuador and the United Arab...
Senate passes measure to revoke new Canada tariffs as four Republicans break with Trump
A group of Senate Republicans delivered a rare rebuke to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, helping to pass a resolution to block his tariffs on Canadian products as he escalated his broader trade war.
The Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a Democratic-led measure to revoke Trump’s Canadian tariffs. Four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — joined all 47 Democrats in supporting it.
The resolution, authored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is not expected to go anywhere in the...
Continue reading...The Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a Democratic-led measure to revoke Trump’s Canadian tariffs. Four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — joined all 47 Democrats in supporting it.
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Continue reading...Blagojevich, who was pardoned by Trump in February, has agreed to lobby on behalf of the Republic of Srpska, a Serb-majority territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Politico reported. The region has long been mired in ethnic tension.
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DOGE uncovers VA’s agreement to pay $380K per month for minor website modifications
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"Good work by @DeptVetAffairs," DOGE said in a post on X on Wednesday. "VA was previously paying ~$380,000/month for minor website modifications. That contract has not been renewed, and the...
Continue reading...While combing through loads and loads of data, DOGE discovered a previous contract by the VA for its website maintenance.
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Continue reading..."Understand this is the second phase of lawfare," Cruz said during the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing, "Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions."
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Answering your questions about President Trump's reciprocal tariffs
After weeks of anticipation and speculation, President Donald Trump followed through on his reciprocal tariff threats by declaring on Wednesday a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens of nations that run trade surpluses with the United States.
Continue reading...