Trump imposes new tariffs
Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs are back on again with Trump this morning imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum brought into the U.S. Trump also announced that as of April 1 there will be new tariffs on textiles and agricultural products. The tariffs are primarily aimed at the European Union. The European Union responded immediately by imposing its own new tariffs on $28 billion worth of American products. It called Trump’s action unjustified.
Department of Education headquarters closed
Employees at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., were notified yesterday not to report for work today because the building would be closed for security reasons. There were no details provided about the security reasons. Linda McMahon, the billionaire who Donald Trump named to head the department and instructed to shut it down said that half of the department’s employees are being placed on administrative leave as of March 21. The department says they will be paid until June 9, and will receive severance pay or retirement benefits based upon their length of service.
Musk wants to give another $100M to support Trump
 Billionaire Elon Musk, who gave more money than anyone else to back Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign for president, wants to give another $100 million to support Trump’s political operations, according to a report by the New York Times and other sources. Musk was reported to have spent just under $300 million to help support Trump in 2024. Trump yesterday showed his support for Musk by appearing with Musk at the White House where a number of Musk’s Tesla cars were on display. Trump had high praise for the cars and urged people to buy them, saying that one model selling for $35,000 was a bargain.
Ukraine agrees to ceasefire in war with Russia
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has agreed to a one-month ceasefire in the war that was started when Russia invaded Ukraine. He said that he expects the U.S. to take what he described as strong steps if Russia fails to agree to the ceasefire plan that the U.S. has devised. The plan calls for a permanent end to the war to be negotiated while the one-month ceasefire is in effect. A Russian spokesman declined to comment on the ceasefire plan. The Trump Administration said that it will be resuming at least some military aid to Ukraine.
Trump Administration stops $1 billion housing program
The Associated Press reports that it has obtained a document showing that the Trump Administration has stopped a $1 billion program that preserves housing units across the country so they can be used by low-income people. The program was established at the Department of Housing and Urban Development by Congress in 2022. So far, it has preserved an estimated 25,000 housing units. Elon Musk’s operation ordered an end to the program, according to what the Associated Press obtained.
Judge to be briefed on claim Trump Administration is destroying documents
 A federal judge in Washington ordered lawyers for a union that filed a lawsuit and the Trump Administration to submit briefs today detailing arguments about whether he should issue an order to ban the administration from destroying certain documents. A union for employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development complains that the administration ordered USAID documents to be either burned or shredded. The union says the documents could be evidence in lawsuits that were filed to try to stop the administration from dismantling USAID.
