Here are today's featured stories, posted by DU members and curated by the Administrators. More news items can be found in our Latest Breaking News forum, and for all the most up-to-the-minute stories that are being talked about by DU members, visit the Latest Discussions page.
April 28, 2025
Donald Trump Demands Investigations Into Negative Approval Rating Polls
(Newsweek) President Donald Trump has said pollsters that have shown his approval ratings sliding in recent weeks should be investigated for "election fraud." Trump cited recent polls from The New York Times, ABC News/The Washington Post, and Fox News, which put his approval rating on 42 percent, 39 percent, and 44 percent respectively. Responding to the polls, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday: "They are negative criminals who apologize to their subscribers and readers after I win elections big, much bigger than their polls showed I would win, loose a lot of credibility, and then go on cheating and lying for the next cycle, only worse."
Go to discussion'A failed administration': Leaked texts from powerful Republicans reveal souring on Trump
(Raw Story) Leaked texts from a group chat for ultra-wealthy and powerful people has revealed that Donald Trump is losing support even among those tech leaders who voted for him in 2024. Ben Smith, the former media columnist of the New York Times and co-founder of Semafor, wrote for Semafor on Sunday a deep-dive about "Chatham House," described as "a giant and raucous Signal group that forms part of the sprawling network of influential private chats that began during the fervid early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and which have fueled a new alliance of tech and the US right."
Go to discussion'Should Not Treat Them Nicely!' Trump Calls For Republicans to Crack Down on 'Disruptors and Troublemakers' at Town Hall
(Mediaite) President Donald Trump on Sunday blamed “Radical Left Democrats” for recent disruptions and confrontations at town hall events held by Republican lawmakers, saying the “disruptors” are being paid to “infiltrate” and “should not be treated nicely.” Posting on his Truth Social account on Sunday, having returned from his trip to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, Trump angrily brought up the trend of disruptions at town hall events, which have captured the media’s attention and that Republicans say are astroturfed moments designed to make them look bad and foster a false impression that it’s Republican voters who are upset about cuts to government.
Go to discussionTrump staff puts immigrants' mug shots on White House lawn
Trump administration officials late Sunday began placing dozens of posters of arrested unauthorized immigrants along the White House driveway. It's a provocative, sure-to-be-controversial move aimed at highlighting President Trump's immigration crackdown as his 100th day in office approaches. The posters — which read "ARRESTED" — specify various crimes linked to the pictured immigrants and have the White House's official logo at the bottom.
Go to discussionGov. Pritzker: It's time to fight everywhere and all at once
(Semafor) Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told New Hampshire Democrats to “stop apologizing” and “stop surrendering” as the party battles the Trump administration, blaming a “culture of timidity” for its losses last year. “We will never join so many Republicans in the special place in hell reserved for quislings and cowards,” Pritzker said at the party’s annual McIntyre-Shaheen fundraising dinner here. “We will relegate their portraits to the museum halls reserved for tyrants and traitors.”
Go to discussionSen. Chris Murphy's 'emergency' message about Trump is connecting with Democratic voters
(AP) Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy isn’t drawing arena-size crowds like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are as he tours the country talking to voters. But in a packed concert hall in rural North Carolina, people are starting to view the Democrat as worthy of the national spotlight. Murphy and Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., have been staging events in Republican congressional districts in recent weeks, trolling GOP lawmakers such as Rep. Richard Hudson, who represents the area they visited Thursday.
Go to discussionThere are over 926 planned protests for May Day
There are many events scheduled for May 1(Thurs), May 3 (Sat) and May 4 (Sun). "This is a war on working people—and we will not back down. We are reclaiming our power from corporate elites, and we will not be intimidated by Trump, Musk, or their billionaire backers. They’ve ruled for too long. Their time is up. And May Day is just the beginning. We will build a world where every family has housing, healthcare, fair wages, union protection, and safety—regardless of race, zip code, or immigration status."
Go to discussionThe bubble that created Trump is the reason he's stumbling
(Washington Post) No one should be surprised that Hegseth is flailing in his new role, one of the most arduous and complicated in the U.S. government, if not the world. When Donald Trump proposed that Hegseth run the agency, the response was broadly unified: Hegseth lacked the experience needed to do the job effectively. You could debate the other controversies surrounding his bid for the role ad nauseam, but there was no way to reasonably argue that the Fox News talk-show host was prepared to run the Pentagon.
Go to discussionRubio reiterates Trump's view that Canada 'would be better off' as a US state
(USA Today) As Canadians prepare to vote for prime minister in an election where President Donald Trump looms large, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated the president's desire to make Canada a U.S. state. "They'll have their elections this week," Rubio said about Canada on NBC's "Meet the Press". "They're going to have a new leader, and we'll deal with a new leadership of Canada. There are many things we work with cooperatively on Canada on, but we actually don't like the way they treated us when it comes to trade."
Go to discussionEx-NIH chief says he was "not allowed to speak" under Trump administration
(Axios) Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins said in an interview broadcast Sunday he retired last month because his position became "untenable" under the second Trump administration's actions. The noted geneticist's departure occurred after DOGE-driven cuts were announced for research funding and probationary workers' contracts were terminated, and Collins told CBS News that he and other scientists were "not allowed to speak — in any kind of scientific meeting or public setting."
Go to discussion