Desi Weekly News Digest 

Ready to join the movement to put the nail in the coffin of this corrupt, chaotic, and inhumane administration? We are gearing up for the first big campaign of 2026 - the Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 7, 2026. State judiciaries have been protecting the American people from the worst excesses of the Trump regime, and it is very important we win this one. Click here to sign up for postcard writing or join our phonebanking effort here. If time does not permit, donate to our Wisconsin effort. Just 850 dollars gets us ready to contact every Desi Democratic and Independent voter in the state, and even a small contribution will help! Cartoon above by Mike Luckovich, published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. View more at https://www.ajc.com/opinion/mike-luckovich/.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

“Justice for everyone else, Just ICE in the US?”: Mike Luckovich’s brilliant cartoon exposes the shameful truth that while celebrities and politicians outside the US appear to be suffering some sort of consequence for their association and alleged crimes with Jeffrey Epstein, there seems to be no accountability at all here at home. In the UK, former Prince Andrew has been arrested for sharing confidential information with Epstein and new allegations have emerged about his participation in the torture of a child. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of DP World resigned, as did Peter Mandelson, UK ambassador to the U.S. But the biggest name in the Epstein Files, President Trump, whose friendship with Epstein is public news and whose name has been found thousands of times in the files despite DOJ attempts at redaction, has yet to answer for his association with the convicted pedophile.  LAIST (paywall)

Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s sweeping tariffs, sparking fierce pushback and vow of new levies: The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a stinging loss that sparked a furious attack on the court he helped shape. Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of some justices who ruled 6-3 against him, calling them “disloyal to our Constitution” and “lapdogs.” He then announced a 15% sweeping tariff under a different law. Despite the court’s check on his powers, the President still intends to ratchet up tariffs in an unpredictable way. While businesses may be able to get refunds for their tariff payments, it’s unlikely consumers will, said Rathna Sharad, CEO of FlavorCloud, a shipping and logistics firm. CNBC

US debt forecast to hit $64T in a decade as Trump policies widen deficit: The U.S. national debt is on track to reach $64 trillion within a decade as the federal government continues its trend of red-ink balances under President Donald Trump and Republican control of Congress. POLITICO

Hunger games in the military?: The Army will soon have senior warrant officers bid against each other in an eBay-style auction for retention bonuses and six-year service commitments. Soldiers who agree to take a “minimum” bonus can cash in, while those who ask for larger ones will lose out, Army officials announced in a recent press release. TASK AND PURPOSE

DEMOCRACY IN DANGER

Turns Out There Was Voter Fraud in Georgia—by Elon Musk: In October 2024, the Georgia secretary of state’s office launched an investigation after receiving numerous reports from residents across several counties saying they’d received partially prefilled absentee ballot applications from Musk’s America PAC. Members of the Georgia State Elections Board voted Wednesday to issue a formal letter of reprimand to Musk’s America PAC over the billionaire technocrat’s illegal scheme to get Trump elected. TNR

Colbert Reveals CBS Blocked ‘Late Show’ Guest to Appease Trump: Colbert said he was told “in no uncertain terms” that he could not feature Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat running to flip Republican John Cornyn’s seat in the Senate. Talarico, 36, has been touted by Politico as “the next big thing in Texas politics.” DAILY BEAST

“Confidential” Agreements Show Trump Administration’s Plans for States’ Voter Data: Since May, the Trump administration has been on a quest to collect complete voter files from almost every state. Most states have refused the Justice Department’s unprecedented demands for the data, which includes driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers. The government has sued more than 20 states over that refusal. But at least 10 states — home to over 37 million registered voters — have provided their full voter lists to the federal government. BRENNAN CENTER

Concerns over autocracy in the U.S. continue to grow: Staffan I. Lindberg, the founding director of Sweden's V-Dem Institute, which monitors democracy across the globe, says the U.S. has already crossed the threshold and become an "electoral autocracy." NPR

IMMIGRATION  

U.S. Deports Nine Migrants in Secret, Ignoring Legal Protections: The United States is now deporting migrants fleeing war or persecution in their home countries to the African nation of Cameroon, often in defiance of U.S. courts. TIME

H-1B Fight Fuels Surge in Anti‑Indian Rhetoric Online: America’s fight over H‑1B visas is spilling well beyond policy. Anti‑Indian posts on X drew about 280 million views last summer, a sign that an argument over skilled-immigration rules is morphing into open hostility toward Indian and other South Asian communities. GO ELITE

CORRUPTION ALERT  

Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi Owned Palantir Stock While Voting to Fund Homeland Security: Government integrity advocates argued that Suozzi’s holdings are problematic because he recently voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, while Palantir has earned tens of millions of dollars through contracts with the department and its subagencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. NOTUS

GOP Senators block amendment to stop Donald Trump from profiting off Palm Beach airport renaming: It was a simple change to a controversial bill aimed at renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump: neither the President nor anyone else can profit from it through royalties, licensing, or trademark fees. Republicans unanimously shot it down. FLORIDA POLITICS (YES, IT’S A CULT)

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

A Bad Week for Clean Water and Public Health: How President Trump’s Glyphosate Executive Order and the 2026 Farm Bill Threaten Us All: President Trump signed an executive order titled Promoting the National Defense by Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Elemental Phosphorus and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides. Using the Defense Production Act, the order declares glyphosate and elemental phosphorus “critical” to national security and U.S. agriculture. This is the same chemical that has been blamed by HHS Secretary RFK Jr for everything from cancer to autism, though the Secretary has reversed course and approved the Trump decision by calling it a matter of national security. WATERKEEPER

US ocean regulator faces criticism over changes to right whale protection rule: The U.S.'s ocean regulator plans to make industry-friendly changes to a longstanding rule designed to protect vanishing whales, prompting criticism from environmental groups who cite the recent death of an endangered whale. AP