Headline Updates

Supreme Court Allows Alien Enemies Act, EU Pitches Zero Tariffs, RFK jr. Wants Fluoride Gone

• Ranting Politics • Season 1 • Episode 149

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 • Supreme Court lifts blocks on Trump administration's use of 1798 Alien Enemies Act in a narrow 5-4 decision
• Attorney General Pam Bondi plans to "scour the country" for members of Tren de Aragua gang for deportation
• European Union extends offer to eliminate industrial tariffs which Trump dismisses, citing $350 billion trade deficit
• Trump characterizes EU as "formed to really do damage to the United States in trade"
• RFK Jr announces plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water
• Utah becomes first state to ban fluoride in public water supplies
• EPA reviewing scientific information about fluoride risks under Administrator Lee Zeldin 


 The Supreme Court just handed the Trump administration an extraordinary victory by reviving a 225-year-old law to deport Venezuelan gang members. In a narrow 5-4 decision, the Court lifted blocks on using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act—legislation so antiquated it hasn't seen action since World War II. Attorney General Pam Bondi wasted no time celebrating this "landmark victory," announcing plans to "scour the country" for members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang. But the decision wasn't without controversy, with Justice Sotomayor penning a blistering dissent accusing the administration of attempting to subvert judicial process.

Meanwhile, as Trump unveils sweeping global tariffs, the European Union extends an apparent olive branch with a "zero-for-zero" proposal on industrial goods. Commission President von der Leyen's diplomatic overture was met with swift rejection from Trump, who bluntly characterized the EU as "formed to really do damage to the United States in trade." Citing a $350 billion trade deficit, Trump made it clear these tariffs aren't just negotiation tactics—they might become permanent fixtures of his economic strategy, sending tremors through global markets.

In a dramatic public health pivot, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water. This policy shift gained momentum after Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public water systems. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin confirmed they're reviewing fluoride risks, acknowledging Kennedy's long-standing advocacy against the practice that's been standard since the 1940s. 

Source Credits:

 

https://nypost.com/2025/04/07/us-news/supreme-court-lifts-order-blocking-trump-from-using-alien-enemies-act-to-deport-suspected-venezuelan-gang-members/ https://nypost.com/2025/04/07/us-news/eu-offers-to-remove-industrial-tariffs-on-us-goods-ready-for-a-good-deal/ https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/health/rfk-jr-plans-tell-cdc-stops-recommending-mixing-fluoride-drinking-water? 

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Speaker 1:

Hello America. Joc here with your Ranting Politics headline updates, where we are diving into today's most explosive political stories that you need to know about Coming up. The Supreme Court just handed Trump a major win, lifting blocks on his use of a 2-25-year-old law to deport Venezuelan gang members. Talk about dusting off the legal archives for some immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, the EU is waving a white flag in the tariff wars, offering to scrap industrial duties on American goods. But is Trump buying what they're selling? Spoiler alert, he's playing hardball and RFK Jr is making waves in the health department taking aim at something you might be drinking right now fluoridated water. Utah's already pulling the plug and Kennedy wants the CDC to follow suit. If you're just tuning in for the first time, welcome to America's fastest-growing daily news rundown, designed specifically for your commute run or coffee time. Stick around for all this and more in your daily dose of unfiltered news and common-sense commentary. This is Ranting Politics Headline Updates.

Speaker 1:

In a landmark ruling that's sure to send shockwaves through immigration circles, the Supreme Court has given the Trump administration the green light to resume deportations of suspected Venezuelan gang members. The high court lifted a lower court order in a narrow 5-4 decision that allows the use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law so dusty it hasn't been pulled off the shelf since World War II. The conservative majority determined that the Trump administration is likely to succeed on the merits in the lawsuit challenging the removal of five Venezuelan men. They also made a technical ruling on Venue, noting that since the detainees are confined in Texas, venue is improper in the District of Columbia. Basically, they're saying, the DC judge who put the brakes on this deportation train wasn't even on the right tracks to begin with. But hold on. This isn't a complete free pass. The Supreme Court did clarify that these suspected gang members must be given notice within a reasonable time and in a manner that allows them to challenge their removal in the proper court before they're shipped out. As the per curiam opinion stated, the only question is which court will resolve that challenge. This effectively overturns DC District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg's temporary restraining order that had been blocking Trump from invoking this rarely used wartime law. President Trump had filed an emergency request to the Supreme Court back on March 28th after a divided panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals refused to lift the stay.

Speaker 1:

The New York Post reports this decision marks a significant victory for the administration's aggressive stance on immigration enforcement, particularly targeting alleged members of the notorious Trendy Aragua gang. What makes this case especially noteworthy is the administration's unprecedented revival of a law that's been collecting dust in the legal archives for decades. President Trump has dusted off a piece of American legal history that hasn't seen the light of day since World War II, invoking the Alien Enemies Act as part of his administration's hardline approach against what he considers an invading force. The target Members of the Venezuelan gang Trendi Aragua, whose presence in America reportedly grew during the Biden administration's border policies. The administration's plan isn't just deportation. It's sending these suspected gang members to El Salvador's infamous terrorist confinement center, known by its Spanish acronym, secot. This facility has earned a reputation as one of the most hellish prisons in the Western Hemisphere.

Speaker 1:

Making this not just a deportation but a statement, attorney General Pam Bondi wasted no time celebrating the Supreme Court's decision, calling it a landmark victory for the rule of law. She announced that she, alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan, will direct our assets to scour the country for any remnants of Tren de Aragua and deport them. Bondi further dismissed the lower court's intervention stating an activist judge in Washington. Bondi further dismissed the lower court's intervention, stating an activist judge in Washington DC does not have the jurisdiction to seize control of President Trump's authority to conduct foreign policy and keep the American people safe. But not everyone on the high court was on board with lifting the stay. Justice Sonia Sotomayor penned a blistering dissent accusing the administration of attempting to subvert the judicial process. She pointed to what appeared to be efforts to defy the initial court order and rush deportations before the March 15th hearing could take place. Sotomayor wrote that the government's apparent plan was to rush plaintiffs out of the country before a court could decide whether the president's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act was lawful. Notably, even Trump appointee Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined portions of the dissent. The case highlights the ongoing tension between aggressive immigration enforcement and due process concerns that has defined much of the national debate on border policy. This latest move represents one of the most aggressive applications of presidential power in immigration enforcement in recent memory and immigration enforcement in recent memory.

Speaker 1:

In what looks like a chess move in the high-stakes tariff game, the European Union has extended an olive branch to the Trump administration with a zero-for-zero tariff proposal on industrial goods. This comes as a direct response to President Trump's recent economic bombshell a 10% baseline global tariff coupled with a hefty 25% tax on all foreign-made vehicles rolling into American ports. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen put it plainly during a press conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Garstura we have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods, as we have successfully done with many other trading partners. She added with diplomatic finesse, because Europe is always ready for a good deal, so we keep successfully done with many other trading partners. She added with diplomatic finesse, because Europe is always ready for a good deal, so we keep it on the table. But the EU isn't just playing nice. They're calculating their moves carefully. While extending this deal with one hand, they're preparing potential counterpunches with the other. Von der Leyen made it clear that while they stand ready to negotiate, they are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests. According to EU Trade Commissioner Maros Shevchevich, this zero-tariff arrangement isn't a new idea. He pointed out that European officials first floated this proposal to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jameson Greer back in February, well before Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcement on April 2nd that sent global markets into a tailspin.

Speaker 1:

The fallout from Trump's tariff announcement has been immediate, with the pan-continental StocksX Europe 600 index plummeting 6% when markets opened Monday, though it rallied somewhat by day's end, in part due to Fonder Lyon's diplomatic overture. The economic tremors are being felt globally as both sides prepare for what could become a prolonged trade standoff. Well, president Trump wasn't exactly impressed with Europe's zero-tariff deal. In a decisive Oval Office response that has traders worldwide clutching their pearls, trump flatly rejected the EU's proposal, essentially saying thanks but no thanks to what many economists considered a significant concession. The EU has been very tough over the years, trump told reporters, not mincing words, it was formed to really do damage to the United States in trade. That's a pretty bold claim about an alliance originally created to prevent another world war, but trump has never been one to hold back his economic grievances.

Speaker 1:

His frustrations ran deeper than just industrial tariffs. They don't take our cars, like japan in that sense. They don't take our agricultural product. They don't take anything practically. He continued painting a picture of a one-sided relationship that's cost american jobs and industry. The numbers Trump cited were staggering a $350 billion trade deficit with the European Union, which he promised would disappear fast under his watch. His solution Make Europe buy American energy, among other products.

Speaker 1:

When pressed on whether these global tariffs were just an opening gambit for negotiations. Trump stood firm we're not looking at that. Instead, he framed the tariffs as potentially permanent fixtures of his economic strategy, saying there can be permanent tariffs and there can also be negotiations. It's classic Trump doctrine Disrupt the status quo first, then deal. It's the only chance that we will have to reset the table. He explained, referencing the loss of 90,000 American plants since NAFTA took effect in 1994. His America First approach isn't just a slogan. It's reshaping global trade relationships in real time, for better or worse, depending on which side of the Atlantic you call home. According to the New York Post, the White House remains divided into team tariff and team deal camps, but for now it seems the tariff hawks have the president's ear In a move that's bound to make waves in both public health and conspiracy theory circles.

Speaker 1:

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water. This isn't just some fringe position anymore. It's now potentially becoming federal policy under the new administration. Just this week, rfk Jr made the announcement while visiting Utah, which recently became the first state in the nation to ban fluoride in public drinking water. The timing couldn't be more symbolic, as Utah's pioneering stance gives Kennedy's position some legislative precedent, despite significant pushback from dentists and mainstream health organizations, who have long maintained that fluoride is essential for preventing tooth decay, I'm assembling a task force to further research the issue.

Speaker 1:

Kennedy told reporters, signaling that this isn't a snap decision but part of a broader scientific review. And he's not alone in questioning fluoride safety. The Environmental Protection Agency, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced the same day that they're reviewing new scientific information about the risks of mixing fluoride with drinking water. Zeldin didn't mince words about Kennedy's influence, stating that Secretary Kennedy has long been at the forefront of this issue. His advocacy was instrumental in our decision to review fluoride exposure risks. The EPA administrator promised a comprehensive evaluation that would inform the agency's future steps on the controversial practice that's been standard in American water systems since the 1940s. This represents a significant policy shift that could affect millions of Americans' dental health, either positively or negatively, depending on which scientific camp you believe. As reported by Just the News, the debate continues over whether fluoride is a beneficial mineral that strengthens teeth or a potentially harmful chemical that shouldn't be in our water supply.

Speaker 1:

Well, that wraps up another action-packed episode of Ranting Politics Headline Updates. What a news day the Supreme Court giving Trump the green light to deport Venezuelan gang members under a law older than most countries, proving once again that everything old can be new again when you've got the right judges. Meanwhile, the EU is practically begging Trump to play nice on tariffs, but the president is standing firm on his America-first approach. And, rfk Jr, he's coming for your toothpaste, folks, or at least the fluoride in your water. These aren't just headlines. They're real policies affecting real Americans, whether it's our national security, the price of your European car or what's coming out of your kitchen tap. These decisions touch all of our lives in ways we don't always appreciate.

Speaker 1:

If you want to stay informed without the partisan nonsense, follow us on X at Ranting RP. We're also on YouTube, spotify, iheartradio and Apple Podcasts, or visit us online at RantingPoliticscom, where we cut through the noise to deliver the straight facts with a side of common sense. This is JOC signing off, and thank you, our loyal listeners, for choosing Ranting Politics Headline Updates. We'll be back soon with the updates you need to navigate these interesting times. Until then, stay tuned, stay informed and, as always, stay free.