This week’s lineup arrives in the wake of a major Supreme Court decision striking down portions of the Trump administration’s tariff actions. Independent’s contribution started last April with the Anti-Tariff Declaration, which has been signed by many respected economists, renowned policy experts, and influential business leaders. Over the summer, we joined the Americans Advancing Freedom (AAF) and a broad coalition in submitting an amicus curiae brief in the critical case challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Our brief argued that these tariffs, implemented by executive order, represented an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress’s power and harmed American businesses.

On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed.

In a new episode of Independent Conversations, Senior Fellow and David J. Theroux Chair Phillip W. Magness shares the backstory of the win and the role Independent played specifically. Magness is one of a key handful of people who got the ball rolling on this case.

Following this, Tarnell Brown examines why the administration’s attempt to eliminate the de minimis exemption represented an unlawful expansion of presidential power.

Caleb Petitt unpacks the uncertainty now facing importers, refunds, and existing trade deals.

Jane Shaw Stroup widens the lens, arguing that the Court’s ruling is a reminder of how protectionism threatens the global economic gains made possible by decades of low trade barriers.

Beyond trade, Scott Beyer highlights how cities that pair public‑order enforcement with accountability‑based services and abundant housing supply are making the most meaningful progress on homelessness.

Allen Gindler reflects on the public’s indifference to “Gulf of America Day,” interpreting it as part of a broader backlash against Trump‑era theatrics and political excess.

And finally, Caleb Petitt returns to challenge a recent claim in The Economist that Adam Smith would have supported the Jones Act. Petitt shows why Smith’s nuanced skepticism toward the Navigation Acts actually points in the opposite direction.

Enjoy.

Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor