Stand Up to the Bully and He Loses

9.4.25

Happy Thursday and welcome back to today’s edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco—your daily briefing on American politics. Let’s break it down.

Harvard Wins Big — Judge Rebukes Trump Administration….A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally cut over $2.2 billion in research grants to Harvard, citing retaliation over the university’s policies. The White House is pledging to fight the ruling—but this marks a major win for academic freedom.

Common Sense take: This is what happens when you treat education like a game. You can’t strong-arm institutions into conformity without blowing up public trust.

Wall Street Rebounds as Alphabet Bounces Back….Markets recovered as tech stocks rallied. Google parent company Alphabet surged nearly 6% after a judge upheld its ability to keep distributing Chrome. But tensions bubbled under the surface: TSMC lost autonomy in shipping chip gear to China, and Meta just hired Apple's AI star.

Common Sense take: Markets are riding high on courtroom wins and talent poaching — not fundamentals. That's risky.

Trump Disses Health Rumors, Courts Controversy….Trump dismissed rumors about his bad health as “fake news” while golfing (again) and doing interviews. Meanwhile:

• A court declared his deployment of National Guard troops to L.A. illegal.

• ICE is now clearing usage of Israeli-made spyware.

• The House released 33,000+ pages on Epstein, though most were already public.

• Space Command HQ is officially moving to Alabama at Trump's direction.

Common Sense take: Everything is about Trump all the time—until it comes to his health and the Epstein files. Where was he for those 6 days? The public has a right to know.

Trump Trains His Sights on New Orleans….After his failed attempt to invade Chicago, Donald Trump is now targeting New Orleans, threatening a federal crackdown over what he calls “lawlessness.” He’s mentioned sending in federal agents and hinted at revoking local control if leaders don’t “get tough.” But crime in New Orleans has been falling significantly—making Trump’s threats look less like solutions and more like an attempt to vilify Democratic-led cities, which it is.

Common Sense take: Chicago did what all major cities should be doing. Stand up to the bully and eventually he will back down. Maybe next he should target red states, who have higher homicide rates than everybody else.

That’s all for today. Come back tomorrow for the next edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco.