Desi Weekly News Digest 

NATIONAL Liberation Day!: President Donald Trump on Wednesday unveiled expansive new tariffs in a major escalation of his trade war, referring to the historic move as a “declaration of economic independence.” Trump’s risky bet to address unfair trade practices could send prices higher for American consumers and weaken economic growth, according to most economists.  CNN

Bloodbath!: Stock market closes week in bloodbath as Trump’s tariffs cause historic two-day drop and wipe out $6 trillion. INDEPENDENT

Mr. Booker Goes to Washington:  Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Tuesday set a new record for longest floor speech in Senate history, having held the floor for 25 hours and 5 minutes to decry potential GOP spending cuts in their looming tax bill and policies put in place by the Trump administration. THE HILL

China Imposes Retaliatory Tariffs: China announced Friday that it will impose a 34% tax on all U.S. imports next week, part of a flurry of retaliatory measures to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs that delivered the strongest response yet from Beijing to the American leader’s trade war. AP 

Hands Off 2025: Demonstrators gathered across the country on Saturday, many animated by differing issues, but united in opposition to the Trump administration with the single message: "Hands off!". Organizers said more than 1,300 "Hands Off!" rallies of varying sizes took place on Saturday. Estimates put the number of participants in the millions. NPR COMMON DREAMS

INTERNATIONAL

China Swoops in with Soft Power: The U.S. canceled two aid projects in Cambodia in late February—one to encourage child literacy and another to improve nutrition and development for kids under five. A week later, China’s aid agency announced funding for programs to achieve almost identical goals. China has also been providing aid to victims of the earthquakes in Myanmar and Thailand. FORTUNE

CORRUPTION ALERT

Trump is using the power of government to punish opponents. The unprecedented breadth of the actions Trump and his allies inside the government have taken against his perceived political and ideological opponents in his first two months back in office is stunning – both in the president’s willingness to test the limits of his powers and the extent to which his foes have struggled to respond or even bent to his will.CNN

HEALTH

Measles Cases Surge in Texas: As of April 4, 2025, measles cases in Texas have risen nearly 14% in three days, reaching a total of 481 cases. Gaines County remains the epicenter, with significant increases in both cases and hospitalizations. The majority of those infected were unvaccinated, highlighting ongoing concerns about low vaccination rates. ​REUTERS

JUST THE HEADLINES

Scrapping DEI initiatives will hurt minority-owned businesses. INDIA CURRENTS

South Korea’s highest court has removed embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, ending months of uncertainty and legal wrangling after he briefly declared martial law in December and plunged the nation into political turmoil. CNN

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