Travel Ban v2.0: Expanded Restrictions and Political Theater, The administration has announced a complete travel ban on citizens from 12 countries (Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen) and partial bans on 7 others (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela).

Suppression of Unfavorable Information: Trump officials are reportedly censoring government reports that contradict the President's narrative. A recent example is the suppression of a forecast in an agricultural trade report predicting an increased trade deficit, as "Trade deficits are anathema to Trump." The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reduced inflation data collection due to the government hiring freeze. This includes "reducing sample in areas across the country" and stopping data collection entirely in specific cities (Lincoln, Provo, Buffalo).

Crusade Against Universities: Targeting Dissent and Control. Trump is escalating his "war on the universities," characterized by "firing bazooka shots at two of the Ivy League universities he has decided are the enemy." The "war" is nominally about antisemitism but "in reality is clearly about something else." Thomas Edsall suggests Trump "hates higher education in toto, and especially the elite institutions, and wouldn't mind destroying a few of them as an example to the others." Trump justified cutting grants to Harvard because "the students they have, the professors they have, the attitude they have, is not American."

Ex-DoJ Lawyers Form Defense Group: Former Department of Justice (DoJ) lawyers are forming a network to provide legal assistance to individuals targeted by the Trump administration, especially those who cannot secure representation from large law firms due to fear of reprisal.

Trump Wins Election Case (Standing): A lawsuit filed by Democrats challenging an Executive Order (XO) mandating that all executive branch agencies obey legal opinions issued by the Attorney General (AG) was dismissed. Judge Amir Ali ruled that the Democrats lacked standing as they could not demonstrate actual damage had already occurred. The ruling leaves open the possibility of refiling if concrete damages can be shown.

Birthright Citizenship Case in Appeals Court: An appeal is underway in the Ninth Circuit regarding Trump's XO limiting U.S. citizenship to those born in the U.S. to at least one citizen parent.

Economic Contraction: The Federal Reserve's "Beige Book" reports that "economic activity has declined slightly since the previous report" and that the "U.S. economy has contracted over the past six weeks." Inflation: Prices are rising "at a moderate pace" with "widespread reports of contacts expecting costs and prices to rise at a faster rate going forward." Businesses anticipate passing along tariff-related costs within three months. Regional Disparities: Boston, New York, and Philadelphia reported declining economic activity, while Richmond, Atlanta, and Chicago saw better growth. New York specifically cited "heightened uncertainty" and "tariff-induced cost increases."

Dutch Government Collapse

Increased Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum, imported steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%. This is a significant escalation of existing tariffs. Obscured Consumer Impact.

Politicization of Government Data: The USDA Farm Trade Report. Delayed and Redacted Report: Trump administration officials delayed and redacted a quarterly USDA farm trade report because its forecast of an increase in the nation’s trade deficit in farm goods. The unredacted analysis projected a record deficit of $49.5 billion for the current fiscal year, surpassing the previous record of $31.8 billion in fiscal 2024.

Elon Musk, "now that he's been cut loose," has launched a "verbal rampage" against the "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill," calling it a "disgusting abomination."

The Harvey Milk Story and USNS Harvey Milk Renaming Controversy. The White House has confirmed it will not issue a proclamation honoring Pride Month, a tradition for Democratic presidents since Bill Clinton (1999) but not for Republican presidents, Pushing too far could lead people to conclude that "the anti-trans stuff... is just a smokescreen" for broader anti-gay sentiment, potentially triggering an "anti-anti-gay backlash" similar to the 1970s, which ultimately helped Harvey Milk get elected.

Supreme Court Declines Gun Law Appeals (for now)

Supreme Court Declines Racial Discrimination Case. The Court refused to hear a racial discrimination case from Texas. The Fifth Circuit ruled that Chanel Nicholson, a Black adult entertainer, brought her case too late.

Lee Jae-myung (DPK) Wins: Lee Jae-myung of the center-left Democratic Party (DPK) won the South Korean presidential election. The Trump White House is "clearly unhappy about the results" and declined to comment.

Karol Nawrocki (PiS) Elected President: Karol Nawrocki of the far-right/populist Law and Justice Party (PiS) was elected president.

Importance of Remembrance: The submission emphasizes the importance of keeping these family stories alive and that "Remembrance is a commitment, it's an act,"

The "Big, Beautiful Bill": Political Headwinds and Internal Divisions, Parliamentarian Review,

U.S. Debt Limit 2025: Financial Market Stability Amidst Political Uncertainty. Concerns about declining reserves have led to discussions about the Federal Reserve pausing, slowing, or stopping quantitative tightening. The FOMC "announced on March 19 its intention to slow the balance sheet runoff," reducing the monthly redemption cap on Treasury securities from $25 billion to $5 billion.

Elon Musk's Reputation and DOGE Departures. Elon Musk's reputation continues to suffer, with accusations of drug abuse reported by The New York Times. Additionally, several key personnel are leaving DOGE, including Steve Davis (day-to-day operations) and James Burnham (top attorney). There is an unconfirmed rumor about Katie Miller (wife of Stephen Miller) also leaving, linked speculatively to Musk's black eye and Stephen Miller's left-handedness.

USAID Cuts and Public Health Impact, Boston University's Department of Public Health estimates that Musk's USAID cuts have already led to the deaths of 300,000 people, the great majority of them children,

Antisemitism and Free Speech Debates