A Health Secretary Goes Swimming & a Deal Maker in Chief Goes Abroad

Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. Today's daily news & Smartt Takes.

A healthy but not absurd amount of updates today. Prob because Trump is out of town.

Nevertheless, quick read, quick hits.

Just in: At least 25 people—several in wheelchairs—were arrested on Capitol Hill today for loudly protesting Medicaid cuts in the House Republican’s latest budget bill. Turns out Medicaid is extremelyyyy popular across the nation. Think like pre-existing conditions popular.

One thing to watch: For the first time in history, the United States is losing the worldwide popularity contest to China. The latest poll indicates that people now have a more positive perception of China than the United States. Though, people still like the U.S. more than Israel.

People (out of a survey of 111k) also have a highly negative perception of Trump —even compared to Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping. The Leo rising gets knocked off his pedestal.

This also comes as the world is continuing to figure out how to confront, what some see as excessive, demands of the Trump admin. And as Trump continues to push foreign elections to the left. We’ll see.

Read on for the rest of today’s updates.

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CBP detains Twitch influencer

(such a 2025 headline)

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(his words, not mine, sry dad ;))