Stock Market Losses Highlight News Out of the Political World

The biggest story this week in politics is happening on Wall Street. Stocks have been in a freefall as a result of the impending tariffs on global imports set by President Donald Trump. Here is a look at what is happening so far this week in the world of politics.

Roller Coaster of a Ride for Wall Street

It has been a roller coaster of a week so far for the stock market as investors continue to grapple with the uncertainty surrounding the economy. The week started with stocks tanking within the opening minutes of the session. A short-lived rally on Monday was attributed to false rumors that Trump would be amenable to negotiating some of the tariffs that he announced last week. However, confirmation from the White House that this was not true caused the stocks to fall sharply again.

The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) ended the trading day on Monday at its highest level since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The rating is an indication that investors are not feeling at ease about the impact that the pending tariffs will have on the markets both in the U.S. and abroad.

Tuesday was more of the same with stocks on the move upwards to start the trading day. However, these gains were quickly erased when the Trump administration said that it will hit China with an extra 84% tariff beginning Wednesday. This additional tariff brings the total tax on all goods coming from China to 104%.

Stocks dropped significantly after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement. All three major indexes finished the day in the red.

White House Handed Loss in Case Against Associated Press

A Trump-appointed federal judge ruled on Tuesday afternoon that the White House cannot strip The Associated Press (AP) of its rights to cover the Trump administration. The White House had previously taken away access to the White House, Air Force One, and the Oval Office for the AP. President Trump imposed the ban initially because the AP was still using the term "Gulf of Mexico" rather than Trump's preferred "Gulf of America."

Judge Trevor McFadden sided with the AP, ruling that it is unconstitutional for the White House to prevent the major news agency from accessing Trump. McFadden said that the White House has one week to appeal the decision, meaning that the AP cannot re-enter the premises until this deadline has passed.

Trump Administration Allowed to Continue with Rapid Deportations

Meanwhile, the Trump administration scored a significant victory in the courts on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the president can continue to lean on the Alien Enemies Act. The pivotal ruling means that Trump can use this wartime authority dating back to 1798 to speed up the deportation process. The decision was unsigned while the court's three liberal justices dissented. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett remained more neutral with a partial dissent.

Trump and his team are now able to continue to rapidly deport immigrants as they see fit. The Supreme Court's decision did concede that anyone being deported should be notified prior to the act. Lawyers representing the deported migrants said that the law gives the government the power to speed through the process, mitigating the abilities of their clients to let the decision work through the court system as designed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Visits Trump in Washington, D.C.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House on Monday, meeting with President Donald Trump about a variety of issues. Chief among the discussion was the ongoing war between Isreal and Hamas militants in Gaza. Trump persisted in his belief that the U.S. should take over the Gaza Strip with no pushback from Netanyahu.

The Israeli leader also said that he will work to bring down the trade deficit with the U.S. The words come just days after Trump announced that Israel will also be subject to a 17% tariff as part of the broader overall global tariff plan.

RFK Visits Texas Amidst Ongoing Measles Outbreak

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traveled to West Texas on Sunday. This is the part of the country that has been hit the hardest by the deadly measles outbreak. The visit came after the announcement of a second death blamed on the virus. RFK tried to get ahead of the situation, saying that health officials in Texas were working in coordination with HHS to address the situation. Both deaths happened in unvaccinated children.

Texas is not the only state currently dealing with a measles outbreak. The CDC has confirmed that the virus is now circulating in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The majority of the cases have been in children and teens.

Millions of Americans Participate in Hands Off Protests

Americans all over the country exercised their right to free speech on Saturday, participating in Hands Off rallies and events across all 50 states. The Hands Off movement was designed to present a "hostile takeover" of basic American freedoms. The rallies happened across several state capitals, parks, federal buildings, and other public spaces.

The protests were spearheaded by the group Indivisible, in partnership with labor unions and other pro-democracy groups. According to event organizers, the goals of the protests were to end the billionaire takeover, to stop the loss of funding for programs such as Medicaid and social Security, and to end the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. Millions of Americans participated in the events with one of the biggest rallies happening just blocks from the White House on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Canada Issues Rare Travel Advisory Against the U.S.

In a rare move indicative of the worsening relations between the U.S. and its neighbor to the north, Canada issued a travel advisory telling its citizens that U.S. border officials can now search electronic devices without reason. The advisory urges Canadian citizens to put their electronic devices in airplane mode before arriving at the border with the U.S. The searches can include devices such as phones, laptops, and tablets.

New York Public Schools Refuse to Comply with DEI Orders

The state of New York is fighting back against President Trump's order to end all initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of the state Department of Education, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education stating that the state will not comply with the order to cease all DEI practices.

The Trump administration has been threatening to pull federal funding for education for states that do not end the DEI initiatives. Just last week, Trump said that all K-12 schools are required to certify by the end of the week that they are ending these practices if they want to keep receiving federal funding.

The federal government supplies just a small amount of overall funding for state school districts. For example, the state of New York receives just 6% of its funding from the federal government. However, every dollar is needed with educational programs suffering greatly across the country.

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