Here’s your morning news rundown—but first, a quick thank you. If you believe in this kind of journalism, please consider subscribing or becoming a supporter.

Subscribe

Now, let’s get into the news.

  • Donald Trump backs down. The U.S. has officially released a list of tariff exemptions for certain products. These exclusions cover key items like computers, smartphones, and chip-making equipment. The exemptions also apply to what the administration has been calling "reciprocal" tariffs.
  • The U.S. has removed tariff exemptions on toys imported from China, leading to increased costs for American families. With nearly 80% of U.S. toys sourced from China, industry experts anticipate price hikes of 15% to 20% on items like dolls, games, and action figures by the back-to-school season.
  • The North Carolina Supreme Court issued a mixed ruling impacting the state's recent Supreme Court election. While it allowed over 60,000 disputed ballots to be counted, it gave overseas (UOCAVA) voters 30 days to verify their IDs or face ballot rejection—and upheld the disqualification of 273 ballots from voters who’ve never lived in North Carolina.
  • Trump has authorized the U.S. military to occupy and assume jurisdiction over public land along the southern border, escalating his administration’s immigration enforcement strategy.
  • China is warning that President Trump’s escalating tariffs could trigger a “humanitarian crisis,” particularly harming the world’s poorest nations. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said the U.S. trade war is fueling global instability and uncertainty.
  • Multiple Florida universities, including the University of Florida, UCF, and USF, have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, allowing campus police to act as immigration officers. The move is part of a broader push by Governor Ron DeSantis to support the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
  • The Iranian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the United States and Iran have begun talks in Oman, according to a post on X by the ministry’s spokesperson.
  • Donald Trump is preparing an executive order to build a U.S. stockpile of critical metals sourced from the deep sea, aiming to reduce reliance on China for essential materials used in electronics and defense technologies.
  • ​The Trump administration is intensifying efforts to withdraw federal K-12 education funding from Maine due to the state's refusal to enforce a ban on transgender girls participating in girls' sports.
  • The Trump administration has directed State Department employees to begin reporting colleagues who exhibit what the administration labels as “anti-Christian bias.” The move comes as part of the implementation of a new executive order signed by President Trump. One department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the directive as feeling “very ‘Handmaid’s Tale’-esque.”
  • ​On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing restrictions on the law firm Susman Godfrey, including suspending its security clearances, limiting access to government buildings, and threatening the cancellation of federal contracts involving the firm's clients. In response, Susman Godfrey filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government on April 11, 2025, challenging the constitutionality of the executive order and seeking an injunction to halt its enforcement.
  • Colonel Susannah Meyers, the commander of Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, was relieved of her duties, following an internal email she sent that distanced the base from Vice President JD Vance's critical remarks about Denmark during his recent visit .​