U.S. and world news for June 4

Tariffs double on steel, aluminum

Early this morning, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum doubled to 50%. The jump in import taxes was the latest salvo in President Trump’s trade war, one that was praised by the beleaguered American steel industry. However, the move has found detractors in other sectors that use the metals, and experts say Americans will eventually see higher prices on items such as cars, appliances and construction materials. “We urge the administration to take a tailored approach that reserves high tariffs for bad actors — such as China — that flood the market and includes carve outs for proven partners — such as Canada,” the Aluminum Association said in a statement. “Doing so will ensure the US economy has the access to the aluminum it needs to grow, while we work with the administration to increase domestic production.”

Navy ship ordered renamed in Trump’s anti-DEI campaign

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the secretary of the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk. A Navy veteran and gay rights activist, Milk was assassinated while serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. At the time, he was one of the first openly gay politicians elected to office in the U.S. The USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis class of oiler ships that were named after civil rights leaders, which include the USNS Earl Warren, USNS Robert F. Kennedy, USNS Lucy Stone and USNS Sojourner Truth. It’s not yet known if these ships will also be targeted for renaming, although such a move would be in line with Hegseth’s aim of eliminating any diversity, equity and inclusion content in the Defense Department. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said any decisions to rename other vessels would be announced when internal reviews were complete. “Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history and the warrior ethos,” Parnell said.

Trump pushes for Congress to cut USAID, PBS and NPR funds

President Trump has asked Congress to sign off on some of the federal spending cuts that the Department of Government Efficiency sought to make unilaterally. The White House request totals $9.4 billion and targets both the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The annual budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is about $535 million, which works out to $1.60 per taxpayer each year. And even though the U.S. has long been the largest provider of humanitarian assistance globally, foreign aid accounts for less than 1% of the U.S. budget. Congressional approval would codify the Trump cuts into law so that they could not be reversed by the next administration and would help to insulate the Trump Administration from legal challenges.

Trump cuts funds that help combat crime

On the campaign trail, President Trump falsely claimed that violent crime had skyrocketed in the US and that communities were less safe. Although the FBI reported that both violent and property crime had declined during the Biden administration, Trump continued to present a picture of unbridled crime in America. Yet since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has eliminated about $500 million in grants to organizations that bolster public safety, including many working to prevent gun violence. These grant cuts have prompted layoffs and reductions in state- and local-level services around the country, as well as legal proceedings against the Department of Justice.

Judge orders Trump Administration to continue providing gender-affirming care

A federal judge has ordered the Trump Administration to continue providing gender-affirming medication to transgender inmates in federal prisons. Earlier this year, President Trump told the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to revise its policies to “ensure that no Federal funds are expended for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex.” A group of transgender inmates challenged the order and U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said they were likely to succeed in their claim that the agency had violated federal rulemaking procedures. “Nothing in the thin record before the Court suggests that either the BOP or the President consciously took stock of — much less studied — the potentially debilitating effects that the new policies could have on transgender inmates before the implementing memoranda came into force,” Lamberth wrote.

Trump to shut down Chemical Safety Board

The Trump Administration wants to shut down the U.S. agency that is responsible for helping ensure safety at chemical plants and protecting the public from hazards posed by the chemicals themselves. The Chemical Safety Board investigates indents and accidents at chemical plants and makes recommendations to improve safety. Under the Trump Administration’s plan, funding for the board would be cut to zero, resulting in its shutdown. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an outspoken critic of the move, says what Trump is doing will result in more communities affected by chemical fumes, more injuries and deaths and more lives upended.