Overview

• China has imposed retaliatory tariffs and frozen exports of rare-earth elements critical to U.S. industries, escalating its trade dispute with the Trump administration.
• Harvard University publicly rebuked the administration's threats to its funding, asserting the importance of academic independence.
• The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ordered the return of Kilmar Ábrego García, a deported legal U.S. resident, but the Trump administration and El Salvador's president have refused to comply.
• The confrontations underscore significant resistance to executive overreach, testing constitutional checks, geopolitical leverage, and institutional autonomy.
• Observers speculate whether the administration will escalate its tactics or seek a strategic de-escalation to avoid further institutional backlash.