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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Litigation appears likely: “The Trump administration on Friday announced that it would cancel approximately $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University ‘due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.’”
* One of these days, maybe he’ll make up his mind: “President Donald Trump warned that he may implement tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber as early as Friday, in what amounts to the latest broadside by his administration in the brewing trade war between the United States and Canada.”
* I guess he’ll blame “globalists” for this? “The stock market suffered its worst week in many months, after a series of dizzying policy shifts on tariffs from the White House and simmering concerns about the health of the economy.”
* Adding to the list of Elon Musk’s many unfortunate mishaps: “After SpaceX’s Starship megarocket exploded during a test flight in January, the company had hoped for a better outcome when it attempted a launch on Thursday. But once more, the mission was cut short after controllers lost contact with the upper-stage vehicle.”
* This is very easy to believe: “A day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called new U.S. tariffs ‘a very dumb thing to do,’ Trump struck an ‘abusive’ tone in his call with Trudeau, according to a Western government official.”
* Remember when the United States had good relations with Panama? “The president of Panama accused Trump of lying again after he told Congress that the U.S. is ‘reclaiming’ the Panama Canal.”
* Trump’s explanation for this strategic reserve still needs work: “President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday creating a strategic bitcoin reserve, marking a major shift in U.S. digital asset policy.”
* There are multiple important angles to this: “Employees of the U.S. DOGE Service, the organization overseen by Elon Musk that is tasked with slashing the size of the federal government, successfully gained access to the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) headquarters in downtown Washington on Thursday, a day after the small aid agency blocked the group from entering.”
* The unwelcome return of Republican-imposed, medically unnecessary ultrasounds: “Wyoming Republican lawmakers on Wednesday voted a bill into law that will require women seeking medication abortions to undergo an ultrasound first, overriding the GOP governor’s veto.”
Have a safe weekend.