DAGR Weekly Reader W1-APR
“It’s now clear that the [Trump] Administration computed reciprocal tariffs without using tariff data. This is to economics what creationism is to biology, astrology is to astronomy, or RFK thought is to vaccine science.” ~ Lawrence Summers, former US Treasury Secretary
Fed work helped build Black wealth in this suburb. Now families worry.
Prince George’s was until recently the nation’s wealthiest majority-Black county. That standing has been fueled by workers who gravitated to the federal sector. And if you think that gutting the fed work force was just to save money, think again. It’s another sure way to Make American Jim Crow Again.
Washington Post, Apr 7, 2025 GIFT LINK
USDA cuts hit small farms as Trump showers billions on big farms
The dollars that Biden programs sent out helped schools and food banks buy from small farmers, boosting the local food system. No longer, says Trump. Under the guise of ‘efficiency,’ his EOs are warp-speeding the ‘income redistribution’ from us to his donor cronies.
Kevin Hardy, Stateline, Apr 04, 2025
U.S. military aims to turn island bird refuge into SpaceX rocket site
Landing tests at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific could advance a plan to use rockets to ship military cargo but could also threaten an important nesting site. Unsurprisingly, SpaceX rockets are the farthest along in planning/readiness for the tests.
Washington Post, Apr 04, 2025 - GIFT LINK
Denmark Just Took JD Vance to the Woodshed
That was just about the worst vice presidential trip abroad ever. Billed as a cultural visit for Usha, it turned into ‘you’re grounded!’ Denmark and Greenland clearly didn’t want the Vances prancing around. They were previously put off by JD’s critique of EU social and politial norms. Why his animosity? Might it have anything to do with JD’s bio-tech investment falling short to Denmark’s Novo Nordisk?
Virginia Hefferman, The New Republic, Apr 03, 2025
‘People Will Die’—RFK Jr. Guts America’s Health Bureaucracy
Stunned experts fear major damage to U.S. health, science, and expertise. A deeper look at which divisions are losing what and how that stands to impact health in the US.
Jonathan Cohn, The Bulwark, Apr 02, 2025