Trump renames Lake Ontario as Lake America
President Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America on US maps, a move viewed as a distraction from low approval ratings.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America on US maps and documents. This follows his similar rebranding of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America last year.
Trump told reporters that with a renamed gulf and lake, "now all we need is an ocean." He suggested possibly changing the name of the Atlantic or Pacific. The move is widely viewed as an attempt to distract from domestic and international crises.
A political distraction
The order comes as Trump's approval ratings have hit a new low. They have slid 14 points from 47% at the start of his second term to 33% amid rising costs. The war in Iran, initially sold as a brief operation, has now lasted six months with no clear resolution.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was forced to clarify the lake's origins on social media. He stated the name Lake Ontario has been used for over 400 years and comes from the Indigenous Wendat/Huron word 'Ontari’io'. It predates both Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence. The governor of New York has also said the state will ignore the name change.
Strained international relations
The unilateral renaming is also seen as a provocation against Canada. Recent trade negotiations between the two nations collapsed, with the Trump administration imposing a 50% tariff on some goods. Carney promised a "dollar for dollar" response.
A global survey by Pew Research Center earlier this year found the US's reputation has plummeted. The 36-country survey showed overall ratings for the US are largely negative, with only seven countries viewing it positively. Israel was at the top of that short list.
Other briefs
In other news, a study tracking 183,450 postmenopausal women in the UK found those who used hormone replacement therapy for at least a year were 10% less likely to develop dementia.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on a podcast that Israel should conduct "30 to 40 targeted assassinations per night" in Gaza and later occupy the entire territory. At least 100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the last two weeks, more than ten months into a ceasefire.
US District Judge David Hittner struck down a 2023 Texas law restricting drag shows, ruling it was unconstitutionally vague. He advised those offended by such shows to simply not attend.
The death of Dolly Parton prompted rare unified grief. A March poll cited by The Washington Post found Parton was the only global figure a majority of both conservatives and liberals supported.
