– The Trump administration sues the Maine Department of Education for refusing to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports.
– Trump signs an executive order requiring federal agencies to purchase commercial, cost-effective solutions instead of expensive custom products whenever possible, in an effort to reduce the waste of taxpayer dollars and make better use of market innovations.
– The Trump administration disbands R/FIMI, the organization that focused on tracking foreign disinformation from countries including Russia and China. Secretary of State Rubio calls the organization a waste of taxpayer dollars and accuses it of censorship.
– The Trump administration asks the Internal Revenue Service to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, a day after Trump proposes the idea.
– The Trump administration places all AmeriCorps employees on administrative leave. AmeriCorps is a federal volunteer program in which citizens work in community-based programs such as education, disaster relief, and poverty reduction.
– The Commerce Department fires NOAA employees again, immediately after a temporary injunction is lifted, even as lawsuits over their dismissals are still pending.
– The Trump administration is considering delisting about 300 Chinese companies from the U.S. stock exchange as leverage in its trade war with China.
– The Trump administration is giving officials broad authority to decide who to send to Guantanamo Bay, even if they are noncriminal migrants, according to a memo obtained by CBS News, despite an earlier promise to detain only “the worst” there.
– The Trump administration is negotiating with more than 70 countries to isolate China economically in exchange for reduced import tariffs. The U.S. is demanding, among other things, that trading partners block Chinese ships and ban Chinese companies in order to pressure China to negotiate.
– The Trump administration will end funding for the global Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program, which tracks security breaches, effective April 16. The government has not renewed its contract with the nonprofit MITRE Corporation, despite warnings about risks to cybersecurity and critical infrastructure.
– The Trump administration decides to end the free tax filing program Direct File, developed under President Biden. The program allows Americans to file online for free, but is being shut down due to budget cuts and criticism from commercial providers, according to sources.
– Deputy Assistant to the President and counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka says anyone who advocates for a fair trial for Garcia could be considered “aiding and abetting a terrorist” and could be prosecuted federally.
– The Trump administration announces it will appeal Judge Xinis’s ruling that Garcia be reinstated.
– The Trump administration cancels more than $2.7 million in grants to Harvard over alleged “support for anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas ideology.”
Fallout
– The World Trade Organization warns that Trump’s tariffs will crimp global trade this year, with a 0.2% decline instead of the 2.7% growth previously anticipated, with U.S.-China trade expected to fall by 81%.
– After criticism, the Trump administration extends funding for the CVE program at the last minute.
– The Commerce Department reports that retail sales rose 1.4% in March, driven by purchases of big-ticket items like gadgets and cars before Trump’s tariffs took effect. Analysts expect sales to fall because the tariffs raise costs for businesses, which in turn raises prices for consumers.
– An appeals court blocks Judge Chutkan’s order requiring Citibank to disburse funds earmarked for Biden-era climate programs, ruling that the attempt to claw back those funds violates the law and the Constitution.
– A federal judge orders the Trump administration to release funds allocated under Biden for climate investments, and blocks the freezing of those funds, ruling that there is no unlimited power to block legislation from the previous administration.
– Health Secretary Kennedy Jr. calls autism an “epidemic” in the U.S. and promises to investigate environmental pollutants as a possible cause. He claims that many children with autism “will never pay taxes, will never hold a job, will never play baseball, will never write a poem, and will never go to the bathroom without help.” Critics say the statements are stigmatizing and inaccurate and that the rise in diagnoses is related to better recognition of the condition, changing diagnostic criteria and increased access to screening.
– Democratic Congresswoman Delia Ramirez writes to House Committee Chairman Mark Green asking for a congressional delegation to El Salvador.
– ICE has acknowledged in multiple lawsuits that it does not have the authority to terminate student status, allowing students with terminated Student and Exchange Visitor Information System registrations to retain their status. This means that many colleges that disenroll students are unfairly punishing them.
– DOGE wants to place a team within the independent nonprofit Vera, which advocates for criminal justice reform and improved detention and care conditions. After Vera tells them it will not receive government funding, DOGE backs down and refuses to explain the legal basis for their request, prompting Vera to warn other nonprofits of potential political interference.
– DOGE removes nearly $962 million from the website that tracks Trump administration budget cuts. The changes reinforce the impression that DOGE has difficulty consistently accounting for budget cuts. They also refer to state mental health facilities as “Mental Health Retardation” centers.
– The Trump administration is planning to slash the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services by nearly a third, the Washington Post reports. This includes cutting the CDC’s chronic disease programs and HIV work within the U.S., as well as abolishing agencies such as the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
– Chris Krebs is leaving the private sector to defend himself against a Trump administration investigation into his activities after he spoke out against Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims.
– Two law professors are challenging International Criminal Court sanctions that restrict their work for prosecutor Karim Khan, accusing them of violating their constitutional rights. Trump is accusing the ICC of taking unwarranted actions against the US and Israel.
– Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is warning of a “challenging scenario” as tariffs are higher than expected. He sees a strong possibility that consumers will experience higher prices and that unemployment will rise as a result of the tariff hike. Stocks are diving deep into the red again after his remarks. Nvidia fell 6.9% after the company said it expects to lose $5.5 billion due to restrictions on exports of H20 chips to China and other countries. The US requires a license to export to China.
– Trump’s social media company Truth Social is introducing investment accounts, raising questions about conflicts of interest, as Trump has influence over economic policy and can benefit financially as president.
– News site The Lever reports that Billy Long, Trump’s nominee to head the tax agency, received $137,000 in campaign contributions in January, which he used to pay off a $130,000 personal loan. The contributions come from companies in the tax advisory sector, which may benefit from his appointment.
– The Independent reports that British Prime Minister Starmer must repeal “hate speech laws” in order to secure a trade deal with the US, according to a Washington source. These appear to be laws that protect LGBTI rights.
– Chinese purchases of US oil are down 90% year-on-year, while purchases of Canadian oil are up 700%. This results in an annual loss of $20 billion for the US at a price of $60 a barrel.
– Senator Chris Van Hollen says he was not allowed to see or speak to Garcia during his visit to El Salvador. Vice President Félix Ulloa confirms to him that there is no evidence of Garcia’s ties to MS-13, but indicates that the US embassy should make a request to make contact possible. Ulloa also says that Garcia is being held because the US is paying for it. A day earlier, Republican congressman Moore was allowed into the prison.
– British officials are tightening security around sensitive trade documents to prevent them from falling into American hands amid the trade war with Trump, changing classifications and issuing new instructions on how documents can be shared.
– Judge Boasberg rules that the Trump administration has grossly failed to comply with his order to halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, and offers the administration a final chance to comply or face prosecution. The administration is accused of continuing to deport more than 100 Venezuelans despite the court order.
– The IRS is facing a massive staff outflow as a result of a large number of layoffs and voluntary buyouts. According to an internal memo obtained by Politico, the cuts affect 40 percent of the workforce, or about 100,000 employees.
– California is suing Trump over his tariffs, the first lawsuit by a state against his foreign policy. Gov. Gavin Newsom says tariffs are causing chaos for families and businesses in the state and hurting the economy.
– Axios reports that a Trump official told them that Musk would indeed be present at a secret Pentagon briefing on China. After a media outcry about his presence, Trump reportedly responded, “What the fuck is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go.” That was arranged. Musk was later briefed on other matters, but China was not discussed.
