Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Ukrainian officials agreed to accept the Trump administration’s proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire with Russia: “Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties,” according to a joint statement issued Tuesday after meetings in Saudi Arabia. Russia has not, however, agreed to the same terms.
* On a related note: “The United States will immediately lift a pause on intelligence sharing and resume providing security assistance to Ukraine after delegates from Kyiv agreed to accept the Trump administration’s proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire with Russia.”
* On Wall Street: “Markets whipsawed on Tuesday, as investors puzzled through President Trump’s commitment to tariffs, with stocks dropping in early trading before recovering late in the day.”
* As for why the markets had another tumultuous day: “Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he had agreed to suspend a 25% surcharge on electricity imports into the U.S. after conversing with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threats to hike steel and aluminum tariffs on the nation by 50%.”
* Incidentally, Trump’s statement on steel and aluminum tariffs ran 336 words. It did not mention fentanyl or drugs, which ostensibly is the focus of the White House’s policy.
* One of the many cases related to the White House worth watching: “A federal judge found on Monday that Elon Musk’s government-cutting unit is likely subject to public disclosure laws and must promptly turn over documents to a group that had sued for access to its internal emails.”
* The obvious call: “Ever since Donald Trump granted blanket clemency to more than a thousand Jan. 6 defendants, an open legal question has been how far that executive grace extends beyond offenses committed that day in 2021. For example, does it cover a defendant’s conviction for subsequently plotting to kill law enforcement who investigated him? No, a federal judge in Tennessee ruled Monday.”
* This would be a four-week deal: “Top Democratic appropriators released a short-term funding bill Monday night meant to serve as an alternative to the House Republican plan to fund the government through September as the two parties face off ahead of a Friday midnight shutdown deadline.” * The war on science is ongoing: “NASA is eliminating its chief scientist and other roles as part of efforts by the Trump administration to pare back staff at the agency’s Washington headquarters. The cuts affect about 20 employees at NASA, including Katherine Calvin, the chief scientist and a climate science expert. The last day of work for Dr. Calvin and the other staff members will be April 10.” * Remember when Trump cozied up to Duterte? Things aren’t going well for him now: “Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was on Tuesday on his way to The Hague, the Netherlands, to face International Criminal Court accusations that he committed crimes against humanity during his deadly war on drugs. Duterte, 79, who left office in 2022, was arrested earlier on an Interpol warrant at the international airport in Manila after his arrival from Hong Kong.” * A regressive new day in the nation’s capital: “Local government crews in Washington began on Monday morning to remove the Black Lives Matter mural that was painted near the White House nearly five years ago. The mural, spelling ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ in bright yellow letters, covered two blocks of 16th Street Northwest. It was painted in June 2020, turning the pavement into a pedestrian zone called Black Lives Matter Plaza.” See you tomorrow.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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