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New large-sample poll: The issues that matter the most to Americans right now

Panicked Trump, 79, Makes Desperate Move as Devastating Polls Pile Up

(Daily Beast) A myriad of recent polls suggest that Americans are particularly concerned about the economy, the spiraling war on Iran, and how the president is handling those issues. But not in Trump’s mind. In an attempt to regain control of the narrative, the 79-year-old shared a screengrab on Truth Social detailing a poll from an X account named “America First Now.” It cites data from a months-old Wall Street Journal poll—then cherry-picks the most flattering numbers, ignoring the bad. In fact, the post completely ignores the WSJ piece’s headline, which was particularly unflattering to Trump. “It’s Trump’s Economy, and Voters Are Unhappy With It,” it read.

Michigan Refuses Trump Administration Demand for 2024 Election Ballots

(Reuters) Michigan officials on Sunday ⁠pushed ⁠back on a U.S. Department of ⁠Justice demand for Detroit-area ballots and other materials related to the 2024 election, ​accusing the Trump administration of trying to cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections. "This request is as absurd as it is baseless,” Nessel said in a joint statement with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. "If this administration wants to bring ​this circus to our state, my office is prepared to protect the people’s right to vote.”

Now Trump Reportedly Wants Nation's Highest Military Honor... For Himself

(Huff Post) President Donald Trump has never served in the U.S. armed forces, but reportedly wants to give himself the nation’s highest military honor anyway. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Trump has “mused” about awarding himself the Medal of Honor. It’s not apparent how or why Trump thinks he may qualify given that he has never served in the military. During the Vietnam War, Trump received four deferments for college and one for bone spurs in his heels. He later told radio host Howard Stern that avoiding sexually transmitted diseases was “my personal Vietnam.”

Three U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Will Soon Be In The Middle East

(Forbes) The record-length deployment of the United States Navy’s newest and largest operational nuclear-powered supercarrier continues. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has been at sea for 299 days as of Sunday, surpassing the post-Vietnam War-era record of 294 days of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) set during that aircraft carrier’s 2019-2020 deployment. U.S. Navy officials have indicated that USS Gerald R. Ford could be deployed for up to 11 months, equaling and even surpassing the 332-day deployment of USS Midway (CVA-41), which lasted from April 10, 1972, until March 3, 1973, at the peak of the Vietnam War.

Polymarket Faces Congress Over 'Traitorous' Military Bets

(Newsweek) Representative Eugene Vindman, a Virginia Democrat, launched a formal demand for Polymarket to turn over internal records, labeling well-timed bets on U.S. military operations as "traitorous" and "vile." The move follows reports of newly created accounts netting over $500,000 in profit by betting on sensitive geopolitical strikes just minutes before they were made public. “The use of sensitive or classified information to place bets on military actions endangers and undermines national security and risks the lives of our men and women in uniform," Vindman wrote in a letter to Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan last week.

Zelensky Says Ukraine Signs 10-Year Defence Export Deals With Three Middle East Countries

(Kyiv Post) Ukraine has signed 10-year defence export agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Kyiv expands cooperation with Middle Eastern countries on drone warfare and integrated air defence systems. He made the announcement in an interview with Ukraine’s national telethon “United News” on Sunday, April 19. “We already have requests from 11 more countries – the Middle East and the Gulf, and we are also gradually looking at the Caucasus,” Zelensky said.

Jeanine Pirro wants to give taxpayer money to J6 insurrectionists to refund them the fines they paid

(Scott McFarlane) In a court filing, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro asked a court to order the handover of taxpayer-funded reimbursement money to a pair of Jan 6 riot defendants. The defendants had been ordered to pay damages to a fund to help victims and repair the Capitol. Instead, we'll pay for it.

Trump's presidency is what evil looks like: absurd, frightening, cruel

(The Guardian) The consequences of violence are secondary to the validation that comes from inflicting it. Trump’s constant self-aggrandisement, his grudges against political adversaries, the fury at being challenged by the press, the revenge he promises to wreak on the Iranian regime. All are ways to erase and avoid what is a permanent terror of humiliation and obsolescence.

In Trump's Orbit, Women Aren't the Only Ones Concerned About Their Looks

(New York Times) For all the talk about Mar-a-Lago-inspired cosmetic surgery for women in the Trump orbit, the attention paid to, and efforts to safeguard, the male ego also stand out. ... “It’s constant attempts at trying to cultivate a persona that in their eyes seems strong and powerful and dominant and stoic,” said Zac Seidler, a clinical psychologist and the global director of research at Movember, a men’s health charity. “But once you scratch the surface of that, all you see is fragility.”