Across the United States, millions gathered with their families during Easter weekend. And despite genuine efforts to focus on the good things in life, it must have been difficult for many to not at least casually mention harbingers of recession on the horizon, stocks shaking as the bear market takes form and affordable groceries now a “remember when..” story. Unfortunately, recent news will continue to rattle American families:
Starting with what never ceases to terrify every single parent:
Just before the long weekend at Florida State University, a 20-year old unleashed his inner demons killing two and injuring six in yet another mass shooting. While law enforcement and the media dig through the shooter’s past psychological trauma(s) and potential extremist/white supremacist views to uncover his motive, the details are too damn normal:
The first shot was fired at 11:56 a.m. The suspect entered and exited buildings and walked around green spaces, firing the handgun.
McKenzie Heeter, 20, a student who was grabbing lunch at Panda Express, said she heard a gunshot and then saw the gunman about 50 feet away from her. He missed shooting at a boy next to her. She then saw him shoot a woman in purple scrubs, she said.
The police responded and shot the gunman. It was noon. The attack was over in less than five minutes.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is the 6th mass shooting in Florida and 81st in the United States this year alone. And terribly enough, for some students at Florida State University who have not even graduated university, this is already the second mass shooting they survived. Fred Guttenberg, father of 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg who was killed in the Parkland High School shooting in Florida in 2018, posted on X:
America is broken. My daughter Jaime was murdered in the Parkland school shooting. Many of her friends who were lucky enough to survive that shooting went on to attend FSU. Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today.
In response to the Florida State University shooting, President Trump said:
These things are terrible. But the gun doesn't do the shooting, the people do.
As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time. I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment. I ran on the Second Amendment, among many other things, and I will always protect the Second Amendment.
Florida State University President Richard McCullough posted to X:
Classes and campus operations will resume Monday, April 21..
Students: If you decide not to attend classes this week, we understand. The university has waived all mandatory attendance policies that affect your grade.
Those who choose not to attend classes this week must contact their instructors about how to complete any required coursework.
He also provided contact information for counseling services, a victim advocate program, and an employee assistance program.
And now every new parent faces rising baby costs:
Though tariffs are (seemingly a daily) moving target, baby products in the short term could become scarce and very expensive. In an interview with NPR, Munchkin CEO Steve Dunn clarified the issue:
..our whole industry has stopped ordering products from China due to the 145 percent tariffs. These are tariffs that just can't be passed on to two parents..
The products they rely on – Munchkin operates in about 12 different categories of things from bottle brushes to bottles to a new product we launched that helps moms meet their breastfeeding goals. These products will not be on the shelves because our industry and millions of small businesses have simply stopped ordering. We will run out of inventory in the next 60 days, 90s days. And if we don't place orders now, any order we place now will take 45 days to get here.
[moving the] maternal health industry into the U.S. would take years and years..
According to Care.com’s 12th annual Cost of Care Report released in January 2025 before tariffs were even announced, the average cost of child care had already increased heading into 2025:
Average weekly nanny cost: $827 (up 8% from $766 in 2023).
Average weekly daycare cost: $343 (up 6.9% from $321 in 2023).
Average weekly family care center cost: $344 (up 50% from $230 in 2023).
The average parent spends 40% of their household income on care costs — 22% on child care, as well as 18% on the care of older loved ones, pets and the home. Put in dollar terms, the typical parent (57%) paid at least $9,600 on child care costs in 2024, and when you add in all care expenses, that number increased to $14,400.
Almost all respondents (89%) — or their partner/spouse — had to make at least one major change to their work, life or finances to afford care last year.
All of these costs are in addition to the escalated household costs due to Trump’s tariffs. Leo Feler, a chief economist for consumer research firm Numerator, told ABC News:
..we import about $3 trillion worth of goods [and] if tariffs are effectively around 30%, collectively, American households and American businesses are going to pay an extra $1 trillion per year. That's about $7,700 per household in addition that we are paying for imported goods.
The Consumer Brands Association wrote in a letter to the Trump administration on March 10th, more than 3 weeks before ‘Liberation Day’:
While [Consumer Packaged Goods] companies make every effort to source ingredients and inputs from U.S. farms and suppliers, some key ingredients and products simply are not available in the U.S. Products like coffee, oats, cocoa, spices, tropical fruits and even tin mill steel (used to manufacture specialty food and household product cans) are some of the more obvious examples of where lack of domestic supply necessitates imports.
Meanwhile immigrant families (will) continue being torn apart:
Kilmar Ábrego García, the Salvadorian husband and father of three who was deported from Maryland to a Central American mega prison, continues to spark national outrage. This time from the federal court which accuses the White House of acting in “bad faith” and has given the Trump administration until 6pm ET today to explain why it does not have to comply with court orders. US district judge Paula Xinis wrote:
For weeks, defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this court’s orders..
Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions. That ends now.
This judicial action follows Trump saying last week in the Oval Office to El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele, who describes himself as the world’s coolest dictator,
The homegrowns are next, the homegrowns.
referring to US citizens being potentially sent to a foreign prison. Just yesterday, Trump told reporters in the White House “you can't have a trial for all of these [migrants]. And a judge can't say, 'No, you have to have a trial.'"
While defenders of the administration may want to claim that critics are being unfair, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) just last week detained 20 year old Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez for being an “illegal alien” illegally entering Florida. Despite the defendant providing a US birth certificate to the court, Leon County Judge LaShawn Riggans said “this is indeed an authentic document,” but could not legally remove Juan from ICE detention.
Currently US immigration authorities are sending mass emails to people living in the country “It is time for you to leave the United States.” In a copy of a mass email obtained by NBC News, recipients receive the following message:
If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States — unless you have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain here..
Any benefits you receive in the United States connected with your parole — such as work authorization — will also terminate.
Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you.
And since this administration continues to make mass blunders, it should come as no surprise that NBC News discovered that among the recipients are actual U.S. citizens.
On Easter Sunday, Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Francis in Rome. The Vice President, known for being a recent Catholic convert, said of the brief meeting which occurred the day before the Pope's death:
I try to just, you know, remember that I was lucky that I got to shake his hand and tell him that I pray for him every day, because I did and I do.
The New York Times reported:
The meeting came after the pope criticized the Trump administration’s deportation policies and urged Catholics to reject anti-immigrant narratives, in an unusually direct attack on the American government.
The rebuke came in the form of an open letter to American bishops in February, with some of the pope’s criticisms apparently leveled directly at statements made by Mr. Vance.
While it is apparent the Vice President merely sought a photo op, maybe a devout Catholic would have benefited more dearly from spiritual counsel.
In the pope’s Easter blessing, read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli:
I appeal to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear, which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger, and to encourage initiatives that promote development.
His address commented on many developments and regions in the world, including Israel, Ukraine and Africa.
Reflecting on the spiritual significance of Easter, Francis reminded the faithful that Christ’s resurrection represents “the basis of our hope” and that “hope does not disappoint!” He characterized this hope not as “an evasion but a challenge” that “does not delude but empowers us.”
In the most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, the majority of Americans disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the economy, with almost 6 out of 7 Americans concerned about inflation and the cost of living and more than 3 out of 4 Americans concerned about Social Security and an impending recession.
The last time the stock market experienced such a devastating selloff was in the early months of the pandemic. Both times Trump was President. Unlike COVID, the current state of affairs is very much in the President’s hands. If only this administration would challenge itself to be morally courageous in the Golden Age.