Today's Liberal News
‘There are no guarantees’: Scott Bessent won’t rule out a recession
He also said he isn’t worried about stock market turbulence, following the worst week in the market in two years.
Trump’s business acumen has long been his armor. It’s being put to the test.
The normally bullish Trump over the weekend declined to rule out the possibility of a full-blown recession as his tariff policies threaten to spark a massive global trade war.
Trump won’t rule out a recession in 2025
“I hate to predict things like that,” Trump said when pressed about the possibility of a recession during a recorded interview that aired on “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.
‘He Finally Shot the Hostage’: Trump’s Trade War Is a Brutal Reality Check
Trump imposing new tariffs on top of broader policy uncertainty will mean a hit to growth. The question is how large of a hit it will ultimately be.
What Antitrust ‘Reformers’ Got Wrong
Lina Khan and her allies tried to remake antitrust law. Trump’s team is likely putting an end to that.
Declassified JFK Assassination Files Expose Covert CIA Operations from the Vatican to Latin America
The U.S. government this week released thousands more records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, long a source of fascination and intrigue. This is the final batch of JFK files after the federal government began declassifying documents in the early 1990s.
“Catch and Revoke”: AI-Driven State Dept. Program Targets Pro-Palestinian Students & Visa Holders
We speak with the Brennan Center’s Faiza Patel, who warns the Trump administration is ramping up efforts to target international students and other visitors and immigrants to the United States over pro-Palestinian speech. The State Department has reportedly launched a new effort using artificial intelligence to help identify and revoke visas for people the government deems to be supporting U.S.-designated terrorist groups, based primarily on the individuals’ social media accounts.
Mahmoud Khalil Update: From ICE Jail, Khalil Warns of Trump’s War on Dissent & Targeting Palestinians
We get an update on legal efforts to stop the Trump administration from deporting Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who has been detained for two weeks despite being a legal resident with a green card. The Trump administration has explicitly said it is targeting Khalil because of his pro-Palestinian advocacy during protests at Columbia University last year, invoking a rarely used provision of immigration law to claim he could undermine U.S. foreign policy.
Trump vs. Public Schools: Executive Order Aims to Dismantle Department of Education
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday instructing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to start dismantling her agency, although it cannot be formally shut down without congressional approval. Since returning to office in January, Trump has already slashed the Education Department’s workforce in half and cut $600 million in grants.
What the JFK File Dump Actually Revealed
In 1962, the CIA had a driver’s license made for one of its officers, James P. O’Connell. It gave him an alias: James Paul Olds. We know this because the document containing the information was released to the public in 2017—part of an effort to declassify information related to John F. Kennedy’s assassination. But now, thanks to an executive order from President Donald Trump calling for the release of all the classified information pertaining to the incident, we know a bit more.
What Does ‘Constitutional Crisis’ Mean?
Editor’s Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic airing every Friday on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings, watch full episodes here, or listen to the weekly podcast here.
Fears of a possible constitutional crisis are on the rise following an apparent standoff between Donald Trump and a federal judge after the president was ordered to stop deportation flights traveling to El Salvador.
The Careless People Won
Perhaps the biggest surprise of Careless People, the new tell-all memoir by the former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams, is that a book chronicling the social network’s missteps and moral bankruptcy can still make news in 2025.
The tech giant—now named Meta—seems determined to make this happen itself.
The Beauty and Weirdness of the E-bike
This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning
E-bikes can add a layer of richness to your life—especially if you name them. “On a chilly morning last October, my 8-year-old daughter and I took our new e-bike, which she had named Toby, on its maiden voyage to school,” Elizabeth Endicott writes.
Americans Are Buying an Escape Plan
Updated at 3:05 pm E.T. on March 22, 2025
Even as Donald Trump advertises his hard-line approach to border crossers, he is actively soliciting one particular group of immigrants: rich ones. In February, Trump proposed that America start offering a U.S. “gold card” for $5 million. “Green-card privileges, plus” is how the president described it: “It’s going to be a route to citizenship, and wealthy people will be coming into our country,” he said.
DOGE Plays with Power
Trump, Musk and the founder of Pirate’s Booty are testing what having authority really means.
Goodbye, Forever 21. You Will Forever Be in Our Hearts, if Not Our Closets
As the fast fashion giant declares bankruptcy, we remember what it gave us.
Money Talks: The World’s Favorite Asset
Edward Fishman and Saleha Mohsin join to discuss how the US dollar became a global currency and what that means under Trump.
The Unnerving Meaning of the Two Kinds of Instagram Kitchens
They look different, but they underscore the same anxieties.
MrBeast is Doing Big Numbers…In the Candy Aisle
The most successful Youtuber ever is selling his fame in the form of chocolatey treats.
Surviving a Plane Crash Isn’t Just Luck. It’s About Doing These Things.
Don’t wear leggings. Do keep your shoes on.
Hawley has pointed questions for Dr. Oz on abortion, trans care
The Missouri Republican alone isn’t enough to block Oz’s nomination to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, even if Democrats join him.
Trump’s pardons spark fresh fights over abortion clinic safety
Democratic state lawmakers are trying to bolster protections, but those efforts are imperiled by legal fights.
Trump admin mulling over cutting HIV-prevention funds in US
The cuts would seem to run counter to a first-term Trump priority.
Dr. Oz, with a TV host’s flair, promises simple solutions for America’s health care ills
At his confirmation hearing to run Medicaid, Oz brushed off Democrats’ concerns about cuts Republicans are planning.
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
Your Opinions on Her Wardrobe Are Probably Unwelcome
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
What Role Does HR Play in the #MeToo Era?
The Waves also discusses the case against Jeffrey Epstein and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is in Trouble.