Trump admin probes imports of computer chips, pharmaceuticals

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

GOOD MORNING

I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI

IT’S TUESDAY APRIL 15TH, 2025 

AND THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES:

TARIFF TALK TURNS TO COMPUTER CHIPS. THE REVIEW THAT IS NOW TAKING PLACE AND THE PUSH TO SEE IF AMERICA CAN HANDLE THE WORK LOAD DESPITE ALL OF THE FOREIGN MANUFACTURING. 

AND, SAYING it  will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights, HARVARD UNIVERSITY DECIDES TO FOREGO MORE THAN TWO-BILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING.  THE DECISION BY THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL WHEN IT COMES TO ON-CAMPUS, PROTESTS AND ACTIVISM.

L3: TRUMP ADMIN BEGINS PROBE INTO COMPUTER CHIP AND PHARMACEUTICAL IMPORTS

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING THE NEXT STEPS TOWARD IMPOSING MORE TARIFFS ON KEY ITEMS  — BY LAUNCHING INVESTIGATIONS INTO IMPORTS OF COMPUTER CHIPS,  CHIP-MAKING EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS PHARMACEUTICALS.

IN NOTICES POSTED TO THE FEDERAL REGISTER LATE MONDAY — THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT SAID IT’S INVESTIGATING HOW IMPORTS OF COMPUTER CHIPS, EQUIPMENT TO MAKE THEM AND PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN THEM — WHICH INCLUDE MANY DAILY NECESSITIES SUCH AS  CARS, REFRIGERATORS AND SMART PHONES, — AFFECT NATIONAL SECURITY.

SECTION 2-32 OF THE TRADE EXPANSION ACT OF 19-62 PERMITS THE PRESIDENT TO ORDER TARIFFS FOR THE SAKE OF NATIONAL SECURITY.

ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT  TRUMP PAUSED MOST OF HIS BIGGEST TARIFF INCREASES LAST WEEK FOR 90 DAYS,  EXCLUDING IMPORTS FROM CHINA,  HE HAS SAID HE STILL PLANS ON IMPOSING TARIFFS ON PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS, LUMBER, COPPER AND COMPUTER CHIPS.

THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT’S INVESTIGATION IS TO ASSESS WHETHER THE U-S CAN MEET ITS OWN DEMAND FOR COMPUTER CHIPS  AND THE ROLE OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLY, TESTING AND PACKAGING IN MEETING THOSE NEEDS.

MEANWHILE, DONALD TRUMP’S TOP ECONOMIC ADVISER SAID MONDAY THE U-S IS CLOSE TO DEALS WITH MORE THAN 10 TRADING PARTNERS OVER THE CURRENT TARIFFS THAT ARE ON HOLD.

AND THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF SUGGESTED HE MIGHT TEMPORARILY EXEMPT THE AUTO INDUSTRY FROM TARIFFS HE PREVIOUSLY IMPOSED — TO GIVE CARMAKERS TIME TO OVERHAUL THEIR COMPLEX SUPPLY CHAINS, SAYING THEY “NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME” TO RELOCATE PRODUCTION FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, TO THE UNITED STATES.  

L3: EL SALVADOR WON’T RETURN MISTAKENLY DEPORTED MARYLAND MAN

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING IT CLEAR A MARYLAND MAN WHO WAS DEPORTED DUE TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR — WILL NOT BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE U-S GOVERNMENT.

AS PRESIDENT TRUMP MET WITH the PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR  NAYIB BUKELE IN THE OVAL OFFICE ON MONYDA,  DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF STEPHEN MILLER SAID THE DECISION TO RETURN KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA IS NOT IN THE UNITED STATES’ HANDS.

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF

“No version of this legally ends up with him ever living here because he is a citizen of El Salvador. That is the president of El Salvador, your questions about it per the court can only be directed to him.”

MILLER ALSO CONTENDS ABREGO GARCIA LOST HIS DEPORTATION PROTECTION WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP DESIGNATED THE MS-13 GANG A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.   THE MAN’S FAMILY HAS DENIED ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS THAT GARCIA HAS TIES TO THE GANG. 

THERE IS STILL A CHANCE ABREGO GARCIA COULD BE RETURNED TO THE U-S.

 BUT AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTER KARAH RUCKER EXPLAINS — EL SALVADOR’S PRESIDENT IS NIXING THE IDEA.

ABREGO GARCIA’S ATTORNEYS TOLD A-B-C NEWS THEY WILL BE ASKING A JUDGE TO HOLD MEMBERS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN CONTEMPT FOR DEFYING THEIR ORDER TO FACILITATE HIS RETURN — SAYING THAT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO GET THEM TO MOVE QUICKLY ON THE CASE.

L3: FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRUMP CAN’T REVOKE LEGAL STATUS OF CERTAIN MIGRANTS

THIS MORNING A REPRIEVE FOR MORE THAN HALF-A-MILLION MIGRANTS, WHO ENTERED THE UNITED STATES UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, BUT WERE RECENTLY URGED TO **SELF-DEPORT** BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

A FEDERAL JUDGE IN BOSTON, HAS BLOCKED THE TRUMP PLAN TO TERMINATE THEIR LEGAL STATUS, AS OF NEXT THURSDAY.

THE MIGRANTS, FROM CUBA, HAITI, NICARAGUA AND VENEZUELA HAVE LEGAL PROTECTION, KNOWN AS IMMIGRATION PAROLE.

UNDER THE PROGRAM, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ALLOWED THE MIGRANTS TO FLY TO THE UNITED STATES, IF THEY HAD A SPONSOR IN THE U.S.

ONCE HERE, THE GOVERNMENT GRANTED THEM IMMIGRATION PAROLE AND ALLOWED THEM TO WORK IN THE U.S., LAWFULLY, FOR TWO YEARS.

HOWEVER, THE NEW ADMINISTRATION HAD SAID RECENTLY THEY WOULD NEED TO SELF-DEPORT  BY APRIL 24TH OR FACE ARREST AND DEPORTATION BY FEDERAL AGENTS.

JUDGE INDIRA TALWANI RULED THOSE MASS PAROLE TERMINATIONS COULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT EACH CASE, REVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY.

L3: HARVARD REJECTS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT TIED TO BILLIONS IN FUNDING

HARVARD UNIVERSITY SAYS IT WILL NOT PLAY BALL WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION — REFUSING TO ACCEPT A PROPOSED AGREEMENT TO ELIMINATE ITS D-E-I PROGRAMS AND SCREEN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FOR IDEOLOGICAL CONCERNS, INCLUDING ANTISEMITISM.

THAT DECISION NOW COSTING THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTER LAUREN KEENAN HAS THE DETAILS.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS FOCUSED ON COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AS PART OF ITS CRACKDOWN ON D-E-I PROGRAMS  AND ANTI-SEMITISM ON CAMPUSES NATIONWIDE.

EARLIER THIS YEAR — IT CUT 400 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY OVER ITS HANDLING OF THE PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS THAT ERUPTED ON CAMPUS AND LEFT MANY JEWISH STUDENTS IN FEAR, AS THE WAR IN GAZA TOOK PLACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST PITTING ISRAEL AGAINST HAMAS.

COLUMBIA THEN ACQUIESCED TO MANY OF THE WHITE HOUSE’S DEMANDS.

AND JUST LAST WEEK — THE WHITE HOUSE SAID IT HALTED MORE THAN ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND ROUGHLY 790 MILLION FOR NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

L3: TRUMP ADMIN DIRECTS NIH TO STUDY GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE REGRET

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS ORDERED THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH TO STUDY DE-TRANSITIONING AMONG TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS AND ANY “REGRET” THEY MAY EXPERIENCE FOLLOWING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE, ACCORDING TO AN INTERNAL MEMO OBTAINED BY MULTIPLE OUTLETS.

THE MEMO WAS SENT OUT TWO WEEKS AGO BY THEN-ACTING DIRECTOR MATTHEW MEMOLI.

IT REPORTEDLY INSTRUCTS THE N-I-H TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF “SOCIAL TRANSITION AND/OR CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION” IN CHILDREN WHO TRANSITION, WITH THE WHITE HOUSE SPECIFICALLY REQUESTING RESEARCH ON “REGRET” AND “DE-TRANSITION” IN BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO HAVE UNDERGONE GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE, WHICH CAN BE A RANGE OF social, psychological, and medical TREATMENTS. 

THE MEMO ALSO STATED THE RESEARCH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY ROBERT KENNEDY JR. –WHO ARE CALLING FOR N-I-H FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE RESEARCH WITHIN SIX MONTHS.

L3: WNBA ADDRESSES PLAYER SAFETY DURING STAR-STUDDED DRAFT

FINALLY THIS MORNING… THE W-N-B-A IS WELCOMING ITS ROOKIE CLASS WITH THE 20-25 DRAFT — GETTING A NEW INJECTION OF STAR POWER AFTER LAST YEAR SAW A SURGE IN POPULARITY FOR THE LEAGUE.

BUT LIKE WITH ANYTHING — THERE HAVE BEEN GROWING PAINS.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS SPORTS REPORTER CHRIS FRANCIS HAS A LOOK AT SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOP DRAFT PICKS — AND THE DETAILS ON CHANGES THE LEAGUE IS MAKING TO ENSURE PLAYER SAFETY.

THE W-N-BA’S TRAINING CAMPS OPEN IN JUST TWO WEEKS.