Good morning, everyone! Here’s your morning news rundown—but first, a quick thank you.
Because of your support, I had the honor of being one of the first journalists to speak with Senator Cory Booker after his historic 25-hour speech last night. He spoke with Rachel Maddow—and then he spoke with me. That moment was only possible because of you. I’m not backing down. I’m not slowing up. I’m committed to reporting with integrity, honesty, and a relentless pursuit of truth—and I’m doing it with you by my side.
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Now, let’s get into the news.
Donald Trump has declared today “Liberation Day” in the U.S. He’s scheduled to make major announcements from the Rose Garden at 4 PM EST, and I’ll be covering it live. Sources say he’s leaning toward announcing either a flat 20% tariff or a system of adjustable tariffs depending on other countries’ trade policies.
Economists warn that if Trump goes through with a 20% tariff on all countries, it could push the U.S. into a deep recession—triggering 7% unemployment and millions of job losses. As a result, the stock market is on edge this morning.
According to latest reporting, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will be the fall guy if tariffs flop.
Cory Booker set a new record in the Senate, surpassing Strom Thurmond with the longest speech ever delivered. He spoke for 25 hours and 4 minutes straight on the Senate floor. He ended with a powerful message: "Let's get in good trouble, my friend. Madam President, I yield the floor."
Democrats secured major victories in Wisconsin. Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed judge, won her Supreme Court race. Meanwhile, the candidates supported by Elon Musk and Donald Trump were defeated.
Jill Underly, the Democrat-backed candidate, has won the race for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Republicans won in Florida’s 1st and Florida’s 6th, both districts they were heavily favored. However, Democrats shocked many by flipping Escambia County for the first time in decades, and both races were much closer than anticipated.
Elon Musk’s DOGE is moving to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, firing thousands of local staff, diplomats, and civil servants working for the agency abroad.
In a late-night Truth Social post, Trump slammed four Republican senators—Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul—accusing them of betraying the GOP for opposing his plan to impose tariffs on Canada over fentanyl.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate funding for programs that offer legal aid to unaccompanied minors in immigration court.
A federal judge in Maryland has scaled back an order to reinstate fired probationary federal workers, limiting the ruling to those who live or work in the 19 states—and D.C.—that joined the lawsuit.
A judge has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil’s habeas corpus case will proceed in New Jersey, since that’s where he was located when he filed the petition.
Republican Senator Jim Banks of Indiana was caught on camera telling a former HHS employee that he "deserved" to be fired, then called him a "clown." The clip, posted Tuesday by Mack Schroeder, shows the ex-HHS worker confronting Banks in a Senate basement, saying he was illegally terminated by DOGE back in February.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
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