On Politics

Wed Apr 9 2025

Rebecca Morin | Newsletter Writer

@RebeccaMorin_

Hello! It's Rebecca Morin here. Just when I thought winter was over in D.C., the cold weather returned.

Trump undeterred amid tariff backlash

U.S. stocks are swinging back and forth as people brace for growing inflation and a possible recession. And President Donald Trump has one message for Americans: "BE COOL!" The trade war is escalating as China and the European Union unveil stiff retaliation levies on U.S. exports in response to the president's steep tariffs. But Trump maintains the United States "will be bigger and better than ever before!" How Trump and his administration are defending the tariffs.

•	Despite Trump maintaining that it's "a good time to buy" goods, summer 2025 is shaping up to be an expensive season for parents. Food and clothing prices are disproportionately affected by tariffs, and economists are warning that *families should expect to pay a lot more for most products they buy.*
•	Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed the impact of China's 84% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports. He also called a trade war between *the U.S. and Beijing "a loser for them."*
•	On Wall Street, stocks drop while bonds sell off amid the trade war. *Follow where the market stands.*
•	JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is predicting that Trump's sweeping tariffs will likely lead *to borrowers defaulting and a recession.*

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on April 09, 2025 in New York City.

Spencer Platt, Getty Images

A politics pit-stop

•	Trump administration freezes funding for Cornell, Northwestern universities
•	Climate activist guilty of defacing a Degas exhibit in the National Gallery
•	Judge lifts Trump restrictions on AP over "Gulf of Mexico"
•	Jared Isaacman could be the next NASA head. He's been to space twice.
•	White House replaces 200-year-old "Jackson Magnolia" with sapling

RFK Jr., vaccine skeptic, encourages measles vaccine

After two children died in a measles outbreak in Texas, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , a vaccine skeptic, is encouraging people to get vaccinated against measles. The recent fatalities are the first in the United States in a decade from the highly contagious disease. Kennedy has previously said that the vaccine is "the most effective way" to prevent the spread of the measles but hadn't categorically encouraged people to get the vaccine. What to know about Kennedy's comments on measles.

IRS agrees to help with Trump deportation plans

They paid their taxes. Now, it could be used against them. The IRS has agreed to share tax information with federal immigration agents to help them find immigrants who are not authorized to be in the U.S. – a move that will help fulfill President Donald Trump's promise to crack down on millions of undocumented people. Millions of immigrants in the U.S. who don't have legal status or social security numbers use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to pay their taxes each year. The IRS has their names and addresses. See how much undocumented immigrants have paid in taxes.

•	Amid the news that the IRS agreed to share tax information with federal immigration agents, *acting IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause plans to resign.*
•	Trump cancels hundreds of student visas, *forcing rapid departures.*