Trump’s Mercurial, Constantly Changing Import Taxes Took American Businesses on a Wild Ride

Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum

“There was little rhyme or reason to the president’s ’emergency’ tariffs, which fluctuated wildly depending on his mood.” (04/02/26)

https://reason.com/2026/04/02/trumps-mercurial-constantly-changing-import-taxes-took-american-businesses-on-a-wild-ride/

Thomas L. Knapp

US mortgage rates climb for fifth straight week

Source: CNN

“Average US mortgage rates climbed again for the fifth week in a row, making homebuying more expensive than it was just a few weeks ago, before the outbreak of war with Iran. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.46% this week, jumping from 6.38% the previous week and reaching the highest level in seven months, according to Freddie Mac. The rise may be unwelcome news for those hoping to buy a home this spring, typically the busiest time of year for the housing market. During the last week of February, before the US-Israeli attack on Iran, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 5.98%.” (04/02/26)

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/02/economy/us-mortgage-rates-iran

Thomas L. Knapp

Anarchists and Crime

Source: Isonomia Quarterly
by Katrina Gulliver

“The anarchist ‘movement’ (if we could apply such a concept to a decentralized group) was the beginning of modern global terrorism. The idea that killing, bombing, were a tactic to bring adversaries to the negotiating table, in the age of mass media, was a novel concept, in the late nineteenth century. It would be a model followed by various political sects to come. But anarchists did not want negotiations.” (04/02/26)

https://isonomiamag.substack.com/p/anarchists-and-crime-403

Thomas L. Knapp

Anti-Birthright Escalation a Cautionary Tale for the US

Source: Common Dreams
by Jordan Liz

“On April 1, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s executive order to ban birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. Every lower court that has ruled on this issue thus far has found this executive order to be straightforwardly unconstitutional — and they are correct. The 14th Amendment is clear: ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.'” (04/02/26)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/dr-birthright-us

Steve Trinward

Trump regime prepares up to 100% pharmaceutical tariffs on American buyers of some imported drugs

Source: CNBC

“The Trump administration is preparing to impose new tariffs on [American buyers of] branded drugs from pharmaceutical companies that have not struck landmark deals with the president to lower their U.S. drug prices, CNBC has learned. [American buyers of] Patented medications and their active ingredients would be hit with a 100% tariff, according to a draft of the document obtained by CNBC. But there are pathways for drugmakers to reduce or avoid the levies [on American buyers] if they move their manufacturing to the U.S. or are negotiating deals with the administration. … The plan would represent another shift in Trump’s aggressive trade strategy, more than a month after the Supreme Court struck down the global levies he imposed in 2025, which excluded the pharmaceutical industry.” (04/02/26)

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/02/trump-pharmaceutical-tariffs-100percent.html

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump Is Serious About Accepting a Humiliating Defeat

Source: The Contrarian
by Jennifer Rubin

“Donald Trump started an unconstitutional, reckless war without goals and with minimal planning. He failed to anticipate Iran’s entirely predictable response. No one, therefore, should be surprised that the war may end with the United States and its allies (or, rather, countries that used to be allies) worse off than when the war started.” (04/02/26)

https://www.contrariannews.org/p/trump-is-serious-about-accepting

Thomas L. Knapp