Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,088 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• DOJ wants death penalty for Mangione

• Sony announces Beatles biopics

• Why dogs love trash

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Big Story

“Liberation Day” Tariffs

President Trump has dubbed April 2 "Liberation Day," when he plans to announce widespread "reciprocal" tariffs targeting almost all US trading partners.

• The new import taxes aim to match duties other countries charge on US products. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggests they could raise $600 billion annually, implying an average rate of 20%.

• Already, Trump has implemented tariffs on Chinese imports (20%), steel and aluminum (25% across the board), and partial tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods. Starting today, 25% tariffs will hit imports from any country buying Venezuelan oil or gas. Thursday kicks off 25% tariffs on fully imported cars, with taxes on auto parts following through May 3.

• The trade actions have already triggered retaliatory measures from trading partners. China has imposed tariffs on US farm exports and energy products, while Canada has rolled out counter-measures worth billions. The European Union has announced but delayed retaliatory tariffs targeting $28 billion of American goods.

Big Story

DOJ Seeks Death Penalty For Mangione

Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty against Luigi Mangione for the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.

• Bondi described the murder as a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination.” Her announcement follows Trump's January executive order to restore federal death penalty use after the Biden administration's moratorium since mid-2021.

• Mangione, 26, faces federal charges including murder, stalking, and firearms offenses for allegedly killing Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4. According to police documents, Mangione targeted Thompson as a "symbolic takedown" of the healthcare industry.

• While Mangione also faces state charges in New York (where there is no death penalty), the federal case could result in execution. This case is one of the first major death penalty prosecutions after former President Biden commuted most federal death sentences in December before leaving office.

Big Story

Special Elections

Florida and Wisconsin held special elections on Tuesday.

• Democrat Susan Crawford won the seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating Brad Schimel in a closely watched race. The contest became the most expensive state Supreme Court race in US history. It drew national attention when billionaire Elon Musk spent millions opposing Crawford, with Trump also endorsing Schimel.

• Crawford's victory maintains liberals' 4-3 advantage on the court for at least another year. The court could soon decide significant cases regarding abortion rights, unions and collective bargaining, and congressional redistricting.

• Meanwhile, Republicans secured two key wins in Florida's special congressional elections on Tuesday, despite Democrats pouring millions into both races. Jimmy Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer, defeated Democrat Gay Valimont in the 1st Congressional District race for Matt Gaetz's former seat.

• In Florida's 6th Congressional District, Republican state Sen. Randy Fine defeated Democratic challenger Josh Weil to fill the seat vacated by Mike Waltz, who became Trump's national security adviser.

Quick Stories

US News

• New Jersey Senator Cory Booker broke the record for longest Senate floor speech, talking for over 25 hours about what he calls a "crisis" from Trump's second-term agenda, beating Strom Thurmond's 1957 civil rights filibuster. (More)

• At least six federal agencies are offering workers "deferred resignation," letting them quit while staying on paid leave for months. This is the second buyout offer, about 75,000 federal workers accepted the first. (More)

• Jury selection started Tuesday for Karen Read's retrial. She's accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. (More)

World

• Belgium's new law bans stores from displaying tobacco products and prohibits larger shops from selling cigarettes at all. The goal is to reduce impulse buys and eventually eliminate tobacco use. (More)

• Pope Francis approved three new saints: an Armenian archbishop martyred during a genocide, a Papua New Guinean catechist killed in WWII, and Venezuelan nun Carmen Rendíles who performed a miracle and served the poor through education. (More)

• Germany deployed 5,000 troops to Lithuania on Tuesday, its first permanent foreign station since WWII. The armored brigade will strengthen NATO's eastern border against Russian aggression in Ukraine. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday (S&P +0.38%, Nasdaq +0.87%, Dow -0.03%). The market seesawed during trading as investors await the rollout of President Trump’s tariffs. (More)

• CoreWeave stock jumped 42% Tuesday, hitting $52.57 and pushing its value to $25 billion. The AI cloud company rebounded above its $40 IPO price after Monday's 10% drop. (More)

• A judge rejected Johnson & Johnson's $10 billion plan to settle thousands of lawsuits claiming its talc products cause cancer. This is their third failed attempt to resolve cases through bankruptcy. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Duke's Cooper Flagg and Auburn's Johni Broome lead the five Wooden Award finalists and All-America team. They've been favorites all season for college basketball's top player honor. (More) UConn's Paige Bueckers, UCLA's Lauren Betts, and Texas's Madison Booker headline the five female Wooden Award finalists, alongside Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and USC's JuJu Watkins. (More)

• Sony's Beatles biopic plans are set with four films releasing in 2028, one for each band member. Director Sam Mendes revealed the cast: Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Starr. (More)

• The NFL voted for several rule changes in 2025. Regular season overtime will guarantee both teams a possession. The league approved replay assist for certain penalties and will use Hawk-Eye cameras instead of chain gangs for first downs. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Thousands of Indian doctors are being trained to promote the HPV vaccine to fight cervical cancer, which affects India disproportionately. (More)

• A Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin study shows metal particles from artificial joint implants can enter the nervous system and build up in the spinal fluid. The findings raise concerns about potential brain effects. (More)

• New battery tech from the University of Michigan makes EVs work better in cold weather, charging 500% faster at 14°F while keeping 97% capacity after 100 charges. (More)

Extra Credit

🐕️ Why dogs love to play with trash.

🎭️ The most bizarre brand stunts of April Fools’ Day 2025.

🛎️ Google adds feature to track hotel prices just like flights.

💻️ Visualizing daily internet activity in 2025.