Two small American businesses sue Trump administration over new tariffs

The plaintiffs of the latest lawsuit argued that Trump’s actions exceed the authority of Section 301, which should be “targeted, country-specific and practice-specific remedial authority”, unlike the vast duties Trump levied on Thursday night. 

They also allege the US trade representative (USTR) “failed to provide a reasoned, record-based explanation for its determinations” and argued that more country-specific findings about forced labor are needed in order for the tariffs to be legally justified... 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/24/american-businesses-lawsuit-trump-tariffs

 

Trump imposes fresh tariffs on UK, EU and dozens of other trading partners

A Harris Poll survey, conducted exclusively for the Guardian, found earlier this year that seven in 10 Americans said they paid higher prices because of Trump’s tariffs, and 72% of voters believe the tariffs have had a negative rather than a positive impact on consumers. 

This belief persisted even among Republican voters: 64% agreed that Trump’s tariffs had led to higher prices, and 60% said tariffs have had a negative impact. 

American consumers have also been pummeled by the effects of the war in the Middle East, which have sent energy costs and gas prices soaring. The rise in energy prices has also led to a surge in inflation, which jumped to a three-year high this May. 

Trump and his administration, however, are adamant that his policies have only improved the lives of American consumers. During a heated exchange before US senators on Wednesday, Greer appeared to claim Trump’s policies had not driven prices higher. Asked by the Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren if the tariffs had increased prices for American families, Greer said: “No.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/23/trump-administration-trade-tariffs

Rationale for Trump tariffs met with bewilderment

Donald Trump has once again inspired anger and confusion in US allies and trading partners as he imposed a wave of tariffs on more than 80 countries, replacing an expiring global duty introduced earlier this year...

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/24/trump-tariffs-forced-labor-us-trading-partners-react

 

Immigrant detention firm seeks immunity in case before Supreme Court - The Washington Post

A lower court denied Geo Group's claim that it couldn't be sued for allegations of forced labor in an ICE detention center because it was acting in the government's interest...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/10/immigrant-detention-work-geo-supreme-court/

Megachurch Pastor (and Trump Ally) Sentenced to Jail (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #604)

— An appeals court has vacated a ruling saying Ten Commandments posters in Louisiana schools are unconstitutional. (1:26)

— Oklahoma has already started erasing Ryan Walters’ disastrous legacy. (14:14)

— The Christian Right tried to make a late-night talk show—and it bombed spectacularly. (36:09)

— Trump’s NSPM-7 memo casts critics of Christianity as enemies of the state. (1:05:19)

— Megachurch founder and Trump ally Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex abuse. (1:20:00)

— Faith, fear, and forced labor: The Kingdom of God Global Church scandal. (1:39:12)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2025/10/09/megachurch-pastor-and-trump-ally-sentenced-to-jail/

Is Inmate Labor Modern-Day Slavery? (Joshua Johnson, The 1A)

Fighting wildfires in California is a tricky and dangerous job — and some make an average of just $2 a day to do it.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, low-level offenders in the California corrections system are put to work as firefighters, making an average of one dollar an hour.

As far as getting a job as a firefighter upon release from prison, most former inmates wouldn’t qualify for the job, even though they have key experience.

Labor practices like this motivated prison workers in 17 states across the country to plan a strike, in part, to protest underpaid or forced labor. The strike is planned for at least 21 days...
Interview:
https://the1a.org/shows/2018-08-27/prison-strike

Why are for-profit US prisons subjecting detainees to forced labor? | Azadeh Shahshani - the guardian

Private prisons have for years enriched themselves by exploiting detained immigrant labor. They must be held accountable ....
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/17/us-private-prisons-forced-labour-detainees-modern-slavery