Politics
/ArcaMax

How Trump's tariffs were honed in final hours before rollout
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s trade salvo was years in the making. The details came down to the final moments.
Hours before Trump announced his signature tariff plan, aides were still rushing to hone key elements, including its size and scope as well as how to sell it to the American public and communicate some of its chief ...Read more

Economists say Trump's tariffs boost uncertainty, recession odds
President Donald Trump’s big tariff rollout was supposed to reduce uncertainty for businesses. Economists say it did the exact opposite, while also raising recession risk.
Some 76% of the 54 forecasters who responded to a Bloomberg survey conducted April 2-3 after the announcement said the imposition of sweeping levies only adds to the ...Read more

Trade war heats up: Mexico keeps calm as Canada hits back
MEXICO CITY — Mexico has avoided the worst of the Trump tariff onslaught.
At least for now.
That was the message of relief that Mexican officials were sending Thursday, a day after the Trump administration unveiled its much-anticipated “Liberation Day” tariff regimen, imposing import levies on scores of nations worldwide.
Spared in the...Read more

Tariff confusion reigns as Trump triggers biggest change to global trade in a century
The wide-ranging new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump on Wednesday represent the biggest change to global trade in a century, prompting urgent questions about how the new taxes were calculated, how long they will last and what exactly the White House hopes to achieve with them.
Confusion over the details — and the fact that the ...Read more

Trump defends tariffs, claiming 'the patient lived' amid meltdown
President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his shocking plan for massive tariffs by claiming “the patient lived,” a less-than-reassuring message about the American economy as global markets melted down in a stunning selloff that knocked more than 1,600 points off the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
“The operation is over. The patent lived,...Read more

Trump says his tariffs are 'reciprocal.' Are they?
As with many of his political positions, President Trump's extraordinary new tariffs are based on the presumption that the United States is being treated unfairly by the rest of the world.
He proclaims his tariffs are merely "reciprocal." "They do it to us, and we do it to them," Trump said. "Very simple."
But are the new levies on foreign ...Read more

Trump says tariffs are 'going very well' as markets plummet, countries aim to retaliate
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is facing global blowback after announcing a dramatic series of tariffs on countries around the world, with U.S. adversaries and allies alike promising crushing responses that could devastate the American economy.
Stocks plummeted at the market’s close Thursday, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones industrial ...Read more

19 states sue Trump administration to block order on voting overhaul
A coalition of states sued President Donald Trump and his administration Thursday over his recent executive order purporting to radically reshape voting rules nationwide, including requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship, calling it an illegal attempt by the White House to strip states of their authority to govern elections.
"My fellow...Read more
Tariffs are affecting NC small businesses. It's not just about higher costs
In 2024, Chris Pence was in talks with multiple Canadian distributors to bring his North Carolina company’s products to additional customers.
Haand, the Burlington-based ceramics company he co-founded with Mark Warren in 2012, had already been doing business with Canadian firms. The Canadian hospitality industry was growing, Pence said, and ...Read more

Emails expose attack on Maine Social Security over Trump's feud with governor
President Trump’s administration intentionally made a mess of Social Security operations in Maine as part of an unrelated feud with the state’s governor, according to emails released Wednesday.
Trump’s pick to lead the Social Security Administration, Leland Dudek, briefly canceled longstanding contracts in the state in March. The ...Read more

Trump's tariff hikes raise concerns on impact to schools, economy, Whitmer says
ALPENA, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday she is worried about the effects of the tariff hikes President Donald Trump announced Wednesday and the damper they could have on economic growth and state tax revenues.
Trump announced 25% tariffs last week on imported vehicles and certain major auto parts would begin to be collected ...Read more

'No pain': Trump team doubles down on tariffs as global markets plummet
WASHINGTON — The White House doubled down Thursday on President Donald Trump’s sweeping worldwide tariffs, as he slapped stiff duties on unexpected allies and threatened an economic upheaval that could put Republicans’ House and Senate majorities at risk next year.
As Marine One lifted the president skyward from the White House South Lawn...Read more

After Idaho's abortion ban, doctors fled. Lawmakers say they want them back
BOISE, Idaho — As Idaho reels from an exodus of obstetricians, lawmakers have raised the alarm about the state’s doctor shortage — and this legislative session, they’ve put forward a raft of bills they said would address the problem.
Their efforts to do so have included proposals to allow doctors to refuse to perform procedures they don...Read more

Trump defends tariffs, claiming 'the patient lived' amid meltdown
President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his shocking plan for massive tariffs by claiming “the patient lived,” a less-than-reassuring message about the American economy as global markets melted down in a stunning sell off.
“The operation is over. The patent lived, and is healing,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “The ...Read more

The Trump administration is giving schools 10 days to certify they have no 'illegal DEI practices'
The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday instructed that if state education agencies wish to continue receiving federal funding, they have 10 days to certify that schools are complying with anti-discrimination laws and have no “illegal DEI practices.”
A letter released by the federal education department cites the U.S. Supreme Court’...Read more

What do Americans think of Trump 'Liberation Day' tariffs? What a new poll found
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries that run trade surpluses with the United States, including major trading partners such as the European Union, China and Japan. He also imposed a minimum 10% tariff on all imports.
“This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American history,�...Read more

How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works
When presidents try to make big changes through executive orders, they often hit a roadblock: A single federal judge, whether located in Seattle or Miami or anywhere in between, can stop these policies across the entire country.
These court orders have increasingly become a political battleground, increasingly sought by both ...Read more

Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell leads bipartisan push to give Congress control over tariffs
Amid a widening trade war launched by President Donald Trump, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell is leading a bipartisan push to give Congress more authority in setting tariffs.
Cantwell on Thursday introduced legislation that would limit the ability of the president to impose tariffs unilaterally. Cantwell, a Democrat, co-sponsored the bill with ...Read more

Preparing tariff retaliation, US allies say Trump will 'buckle under pressure'
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is facing global blowback after announcing a dramatic series of tariffs on countries around the world, with U.S. adversaries and allies alike promising crushing responses that could devastate the American economy.
Stock markets in the United States, Europe and Asia plunged in the aftermath of President ...Read more

Senate Democrats unconvinced on GOP push to curtail injunctions
WASHINGTON — Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee showed no signs Wednesday they would back the Republican push to curtail the power of federal district judges to issue nationwide injunctions, a type of court order that has been used to hobble executive actions from the Trump administration.
Republican lawmakers are pursuing the issue ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Vance, Harris are favorites for 2028 election, poll finds. Who else receives support?
- Illinois GOP suffered major election losses in suburbs that are critical for its rebuilding effort
- Hill wants $15 billion for weapons Pentagon didn't seek: report
- Fear grips markets as Trump tariffs raise risks to global growth
- What to make of Florida's special US House elections after Republicans stave off upsets