Hacker News with Generative AI: Politics

Trump Tariffs Hit Antarctic Islands Inhabited by Zero Humans and Many Penguins (wired.com)
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced the US was imposing reciprocal tariffs on a small collection of Antarctic islands that are not inhabited by humans, as part of a global trade war aimed at asserting US dominance.
RFK Jr.'s bloodbath at HHS: Blowback grows as losses become clearer (arstechnica.com)
Despite claims of efficiency, these cuts target proven programs that prevent disease and save lives—and as a result, Americans will be sicker and face increased health care costs.
Trump announces sweeping new tariffs to promote US manufacturing (apnews.com)
President Donald Trump is set to sign a barrage of self-described “reciprocal” tariffs on friend and foe alike.
Trump Announces Sweeping Tariffs (apnews.com)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners — a 34% tax on imports from China and 20% on the European Union, among others — that threaten to dismantle much of the architecture of the global economy and trigger broader trade wars.
Trump Unveils Sweeping Retaliatory Tariffs at White House (nytimes.com)
President Trump unveiled his most expansive tariffs to date in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, saying he would impose a 10 percent tariff on all trading partners as well as double-digits tariffs on dozens of other countries that administration officials said had treated the United States unfairly.
US Administration announces 34% tariffs on China – 20% on EU (bbc.com)
US President Donald Trump announces a universal "baseline" 10% tariff on imports into the US, on what he has dubbed "Liberation Day"
Why I don't discuss politics with friends (shwin.co)
For as much as I enjoy analyzing politics[1], I'm even more against discussing it with friends.
In Alien Enemies Case, Many with Open Asylum Claims Allegedly Removed (lawfaremedia.org)
The Trump administration is wrongfully removing individuals with open asylum cases to an El Salvador mega-prison for terrorists.
Federal judge drops corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams (npr.org)
A federal judge on Wednesday formally dismissed the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, granting the controversial request from the Justice Department that generated a public outcry and spurred the largest mass resignation of senior federal prosecutors in decades.
Trump makes history by pardoning a corporation (thehill.com)
In what may be a first in American history, President Trump just expanded the presidential pardon power to include corporations.
Trump and Musk have ushered in the era of cataclysm capitalism (theguardian.com)
Everything is moving too fast. The Trump-Musk administration is tearing through US government, universities and health organisations, firing tens of thousands of employees, eliminating billons in funding. The scope and speed of the attack is dizzying. It is almost impossible to keep up with the ongoing destruction, let alone to organise the resistance. None of this is accidental.
"Fiume O Morte " Brilliantly Dramatizes the Rise of a Demagogue (newyorker.com)
Many filmmakers display undue faith in their ability to depict ways of life far outside their own experience. This blithe self-confidence is particularly egregious in depictions of distant history, where imagination inevitably courts fabrication.
Judge Ends Eric Adams Case, but Says U.S. Cannot Use Charges as Leverage (nytimes.com)
A judge on Wednesday dismissed federal corruption charges against Eric Adams, ending the first criminal case against a New York City mayor in modern history and underscoring how prosecutorial power is being used to advance President Trump’s agenda.
American shakedown: Police won't charge you, but they'll grab your money (cbc.ca)
Across America, law enforcement officers — from federal agents to state troopers right down to sheriffs in one-street backwaters — are operating a vast, co-ordinated scheme to grab as much of the public’s cash as they can; “hand over fist,” to use the words of one police trainer.
Mike Waltz Used Personal Gmail for Government Communications: Report (newsweek.com)
National security adviser Mike Waltz used his personal Gmail account for government communications, The Washington Post reported, citing documents it reviewed and interviews with three U.S. officials.
Facebook Is Hiding Heather Cox Richardson's Posts (closertotheedge.substack.com)
On March 31, 2025, one of the most trusted historians in America watched her own words disappear from the internet.
An 'administrative error' sent a Maryland man to an El Salvador prison (apnews.com)
The White House admits a “clerical error” was to blame for mistakenly deporting a Maryland man with protected legal status to a notorious El Salvador prison. Still, it asserts the man was an MS-13 gang member and will not be allowed to return to the U.S.
Denmark, Netherlands React to Trump's DEI Ultimatum (newsweek.com)
A Danish official called for the European Union (EU) to mount a united response to President Donald Trump's instruction that foreign companies with American contracts should comply with his orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Opinion: "What I Saw in China on the Eve of Trump's 'Liberation Day'" (nytimes.com)
I had a choice the other day in Shanghai: Which Tomorrowland to visit? Should I check out the fake, American-designed Tomorrowland at Shanghai Disneyland, or should I visit the real Tomorrowland — the massive new research center, roughly the size of 225 football fields, built by the Chinese technology giant Huawei? I went to Huawei’s.
The Proud Boys and Militias Come to Tesla's Defense (wired.com)
Over the weekend, thousands of people joined the “Tesla Takedown” protest movement at the company’s showrooms across the country. At the same time, a much smaller number of Elon Musk supporters turned out at Tesla locations for a counterprotest movement that some participants dubbed “Tesla Shield.”
Nikola founder says $2M he gave to Trump had nothing to do with his pardon (12news.com)
PHOENIX — Trevor Milton, the founder of now-defunct Nikola, says in an exclusive interview with 12News that the president rescued him from political persecution, and his family's nearly $2 million contribution to the Trump campaign last fall had nothing to do with his pardon.
The Doge Axe Comes for Libraries and Museums (wired.com)
The Trump administration, working in coordination with Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, has gutted a small federal agency that provides funding to libraries and museums nationwide.
Move fast, break things: A review of Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (networked.substack.com)
Abundance, the buzzy new political call to arms by New York Times writer/podcaster Ezra Klein and The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson, is less a book than a manifesto.
Cory Booker breaks record for longest speech by US senator in Trump condemnation (theguardian.com)
Cory Booker, the Democratic US senator from New Jersey, has broken the record for longest speech ever by a lone senator – beating the record first established by Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Corey Booker breaks Senate floor speech record (ycombinator.com)
Cory Booker breaks record for longest Senate speech, beating Strom Thurmond (usatoday.com)
Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday delivered the longest recorded floor speech in Senate history, breaking the record set by segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond in 1957.
Senate Bean Soup (wikipedia.org)
United States Senate Bean Soup or simply Senate bean soup is a soup made with navy beans, ham hocks, and onion. It is served in the dining room of the United States Senate every day, in a tradition that dates back to the early 20th century. The original version included celery, garlic, and parsley. One of the two versions used today includes mashed potatoes.
Trump Pauses Federal Grants to Princeton (nytimes.com)
The Trump administration moved this week to suspend dozens of federal grants to Princeton University, the fourth Ivy League school that has seen its financial support from Washington reduced or explicitly threatened since March.
Cory Booker's anti-Trump speech on Senate floor has lasted 17 hours and counting (npr.org)
Sen. Cory Booker has spent all of Monday night and Tuesday morning on the Senate floor, delivering an impassioned speech in protest of the Trump administration's policies.
The Lawless Evil of Denying Due Process (techdirt.com)
The U.S. government just demonstrated exactly why due process matters. In what should be a shocking admission, the Trump administration revealed in court that it had made a bit of an oopsie (they call it an “administrative error”) — one that resulted in trafficking a Maryland father with protected legal status to a Salvadoran prison. Their response to this horrific mistake? Not contrition or attempts to fix it, but rather an argument that U.S.