What Happened today - 23 April 2025

What happened today – 23 April 2025

Today’s Topics
Big Ten is stepping up in a BIG way
Sheriff, County Commissioners and Jail admin wanting to lynch Black People…
Suicide Hotline – Potential Cuts for LGBTQ Youth
Bondi launches Probe into Anti-Christian Bias
Pay to Play – Big corporation buying their way out of Trouble
Trump and his Egg Obsession
El Salvador CECOT
Not in headlines, but should be
Trump and Powell – I hate you….just kidding, I don’t
The Market
Ukraine Ceasefire Talks Collapse
Trump’s China Tariff Flip-Flop
Trump’s approval rating
Is Trump Looking to Fire Pete Hegseth?

Big Ten is stepping up in a BIG way
The Big Ten universities are basically saying “NOPE” to political interference and threats from the Trump administration. All 18 schools in the conference are joining forces to protect academic freedom and the integrity of higher education. They’re not messing around—every faculty senate is signing onto a mutual defense pact, which means if one school gets targeted by political or legal attacks (like losing funding or being pressured to change their policies), the rest will have their back.
Rutgers is leading the charge, setting up a defense fund to help any school that needs support, and university leaders are promising to share their legal teams and resources across all campuses. It’s a real show of unity—think of it as the Big Ten’s version of “an attack on one is an attack on all.”
This move is a direct response to the Trump administration’s recent threats and actions—pulling funding, freezing grants, and trying to strong-arm universities into changing how they operate. The Big Ten is making it clear they’re not going to be bullied or picked off one by one. They’re standing together to defend what higher education is supposed to be about, and honestly, it’s about time someone drew a line in the sand.

Sheriff, County Commissioners and Jail admin wanting to lynch Black People…
Some top officials in McCurtain County, Oklahoma (we’re talking the sheriff, county commissioners, and a jail administrator) got caught on tape saying some absolutely disgusting stuff. They were literally talking about hiring a hitman to kill local reporters and joked about “beating, killing, and burying” them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they went on to complain that they can’t lynch Black people anymore, actually wishing for the days when law enforcement could “hang them up with a rope” and get away with it.
This all came out because a reporter, who suspected they were having shady, secret meetings, left a recorder running after a county meeting. When the audio was released, it blew up—people across Oklahoma and the whole country were outraged. The governor immediately called for everyone involved to resign, saying these comments are flat-out unacceptable for anyone in public office. One commissioner did step down, but the rest are still under investigation and facing a ton of public backlash.
Of course, the sheriff’s office tried to spin it, saying the recording was illegal or maybe even doctored, but nobody’s buying it—the focus is on what they actually said. Now the FBI and DOJ are getting involved, and people are demanding real accountability.
The scandal was exposed back in 2023, but between legal fights, slow-moving investigations, and local officials trying to discredit the story, it didn’t get sustained national attention. Now, with more fallout and leadership changes, people are finally paying attention again—even though it’s been two years since the audio first came out.
Bottom line: This is racism and abuse of power at its worst, coming straight from the people who are supposed to protect and serve. It’s exposed just how deep the problems still run in some corners of local government.

Suicide Hotline – Potential Cuts for LGBTQ Youth
HHS is planning to pull all federal funding for the LGBTQ youth support line on the national suicide hotline. If this goes through, it means that starting in October 2025, LGBTQ kids in crisis won’t have access to counselors who actually understand what they’re going through—stuff like bullying, family rejection, or just trying to survive in a world that can be pretty hostile.
This isn’t some small side project, either. Since 988 launched, the LGBTQ support line has taken over a million calls, texts, and chats from kids who needed someone to talk to—literally thousands every day. And let’s be honest: LGBTQ youth are already way more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. Cutting this support is not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous.
HHS is trying to spin this as just “reorganizing” mental health programs, but what it really means is they’re gutting services for the people who need them most—not just LGBTQ youth, but also kids in foster care, Indigenous youth, and others who are already at higher risk. Groups like The Trevor Project are sounding the alarm, saying this will put thousands of lives at risk and make it almost impossible to train enough counselors to handle the need.
This move is just wrong. Suicide is already the second leading cause of death for young people, and now we’re talking about taking away one of the only lifelines some of these kids have? It’s not just a budget cut—it’s a decision that could cost lives. Congress needs to step up and stop this before it does real, irreversible harm. Every kid deserves someone in their corner, especially when things get dark.

Bondi launches Probe into Anti-Christian Bias…
The Trump administration, with Pam Bondi leading the charge, started a federal task force on 22 April to get rid of what they’re calling “anti-Christian bias” in government agencies. This was set up by an executive order in February 2025 and includes a bunch of top officials. Their job is to dig through every department, look for anything that might be unfair to Christians, listen to complaints, and suggest new rules or laws.
Bondi and others say this is needed because Christians were supposedly treated badly under the last administration—like pro-life protesters being prosecuted or Christian groups being watched by law enforcement. They’ve already dropped some cases and changed how certain laws are enforced to give more protection to pro-life and Christian organizations.
But here’s the big issue: this whole thing goes against the basic American principle of separating church and state. The Constitution is clear—the government isn’t supposed to favor one religion over another. We’re a country made up of all kinds of people: Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, and more. If the government starts giving special treatment to Christians, it sends a message that everyone else is less important. That’s not just unfair—it’s un-American.
It also feels incredibly targeted. Christians are already the majority in the U.S. and have a lot of influence. Meanwhile, other groups—like Jews—actually face more documented discrimination. So why is the administration spending time and money on this, when there are so many bigger issues that affect everyone? It honestly seems more like a political move to fire up a certain group of voters than a real solution to a widespread problem.
This task force is being sold as a way to protect religious freedom, but in reality, it risks tearing down the wall between church and state and making non-Christians feel like second-class citizens. The government should be protecting everyone equally, not picking favorites. I hope on wrong on this – but it sure feels like “something shiny” as well as a push within Project 2025. And look at that, I looked it up – and it is: “Project 2025’s published plans call for the federal government to prioritize faith-based organizations, expand religious exemptions, and reshape regulations in ways that favor conservative Christian perspectives. The executive order establishing the task force, and its mission to review federal agencies for “anti-Christian bias” and recommend policy and legislative changes, directly reflect Project 2025’s stated goals for religious liberty and government support for faith-based initiatives.”

Pay to Play – Big corporation buying their way out of Trouble
Let’s call this what it is: pay-to-play, plain and simple. During Trump’s inauguration, a bunch of big-name corporations that were under federal investigation or facing lawsuits dumped a combined $50 million into his inaugural fund. We’re talking about heavy hitters like Bank of America, Capital One, Coinbase, DuPont, JPMorgan, Google, Apple, Intuit, and a whole crowd from the crypto world.
Here are some of the most glaring examples:
- Google handed over $1 million. Not long after, the DOJ mysteriously dropped the most aggressive part of its antitrust case against them—the part that would have forced Google to sell off some of its AI businesses. Google’s CEO even got the VIP treatment at the inauguration.
- Apple donated $1 million. Suddenly, most of Apple’s imports were exempted from tariffs—a huge financial win for them.
- Coinbase (crypto giant) dropped $1 million. The SEC then dropped a major lawsuit against them, and the administration gutted the DOJ’s crypto enforcement team entirely. The crypto industry as a whole gave over $13 million, and at least five donor companies saw their federal cases just vanish.
- Intuit (TurboTax) gave $1 million, and right after, the administration started moving to kill off the IRS’s free tax filing program—basically handing Intuit a monopoly.
- Bank of America, Capital One, DuPont, JPMorgan—all gave big, and all saw their federal enforcement cases dropped, dismissed, or put on hold after the checks cleared.
And this isn’t even the full list. There are 58 companies in total that were facing at least 88 federal enforcement actions when Trump took office, and at least 17 of those cases have already been dropped, paused, or outright dismissed.
These companies didn’t hand over millions out of the kindness of their hearts—they were buying influence, and in a lot of cases, buying their way out of legal trouble. The fact that there’s still no DOJ or Congressional investigation into this is outrageous. This needs way more public attention, and it absolutely demands a real, formal investigation. If this isn’t corruption, I don’t know what is. Enough is enough.

Trump and his Obession with Eggs
Trump’s claim yesterday that egg prices have dropped 93-94% is just flat-out false. The real numbers show wholesale egg prices have come down about 50-59% from their peak, not anywhere near what he’s saying. And for regular people buying eggs at the store, prices are still much higher than they were before. Once again, Trump can’t seem to tell the truth about even the simplest things—he just makes up numbers that sound good to him, regardless of reality.

El Salvador CECOT
Kilmar Abrego Garcia—the Trump administration deported him to a brutal prison in El Salvador, even though a judge had specifically said he couldn’t be deported because his life would be at risk. They claimed he was in a gang, but there’s no real evidence of that, and his family says it’s just not true. Now, the administration is dragging its feet, refusing to cooperate with the court, and basically stonewalling every step of the way. The judge is clearly fed up and has called them out for not following the law or her orders.
Then there’s the case of the gay Venezuelan hairdresser, Andry Hernández Romero. He came to the U.S. for asylum because he was being persecuted for being gay and for his political beliefs. Instead of protecting him, the Trump administration deported him—again, to that same dangerous prison—based on nothing but some tattoos, which he says are just tributes to his parents. There’s no real evidence he’s a criminal or in a gang. Now, no one knows where he is or if he’s even safe, and his family and lawyer are desperate for answers. A congressman is demanding an investigation into how this could have happened.
The Trump administration keeps making excuses, ignoring court orders, and refusing to be transparent. They’re putting lives at risk and not taking responsibility for their actions. It’s a total mess, and people are rightfully outraged. Meanwhile – due process for all prisoners sent were violated, therefore – can our due process rights be removed?

Not in headlines, but should be
AmeriCorps just got absolutely gutted, and the fallout is hitting communities everywhere—hard. The Trump administration’s budget cuts, carried out by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have axed the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), which means more than 2,000 young adults who were out there rebuilding homes after hurricanes, helping with wildfire recovery, and supporting local nonprofits were suddenly told to pack up and go home—mid-assignment, no warning, projects left unfinished.
This isn’t just some obscure program. Here’s what’s now on the chopping block or already gone:
- Disaster Relief: NCCC teams were the boots on the ground after hurricanes, floods, and wildfires—think Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Helene, and countless other disasters. They’ve logged over 8 million hours on nearly 3,400 disaster projects since 1999. Now, when the next disaster hits, those teams won’t be there to help communities rebuild.
- Afterschool Programs: AmeriCorps funding is a lifeline for afterschool programs across the country. With these cuts, programs are closing their doors, and millions of kids—especially those whose parents rely on these programs to keep working—are left with nowhere to go after school. For every child in an afterschool program, four more are already waiting for a spot, and now that wait just got a lot longer.
- Education Support: AmeriCorps members provide vital tutoring, mentoring, and mental health support in public schools, early childhood programs, and out-of-school settings. These cuts mean fewer resources for students who desperately need extra help to succeed.
- Affordable Housing & Community Projects: Teams were in the middle of rebuilding homes damaged by disasters and working on affordable housing projects. Those efforts are now stalled or abandoned, leaving families in limbo.
- Behavioral Health and School Support: AmeriCorps volunteers were helping address the youth mental health crisis in schools. That support is now gone, just as students need it most.
- Veterans and Military Families: Programs that helped veterans transition to civilian life and supported military families are now at risk or already cut.
Even the education awards that volunteers counted on to pay for college are being slashed. Instead of the full benefit, they’re getting a fraction of what they earned, if anything at all.
This isn’t just about “efficiency”—it’s a direct hit to disaster recovery, education, afterschool care, affordable housing, and support for veterans and families. Communities are losing critical help, and the people who depended on AmeriCorps—whether for a safe place after school or help rebuilding after a flood—are the ones paying the price. This is the kind of cut that people are going to feel, everywhere, and it’s happening right now.

Trump and Powell – I hate you….just kidding, I don’t
Trump’s ongoing feud with Fed Chair Jerome Powell is a mess, and it’s all over the place. Trump has been ranting for weeks that Powell is too slow, too late, and basically useless—he even said Powell’s “termination can’t come fast enough” and called him a “major loser” on social media. Trump keeps blaming Powell for not slashing interest rates fast enough to help his own economic agenda, especially as his tariffs are starting to bite and markets are getting shaky.
Behind the scenes, Trump’s White House lawyers were actually looking into how they might fire Powell, even though the law says the Fed chair can only be removed “for cause”—meaning actual misconduct, not just because Trump’s impatient. Senior advisers warned Trump that firing Powell would tank the markets and trigger a legal and financial disaster, so he’s backed off for now.
As of yesterday, Trump is suddenly claiming he “never did” plan to fire Powell and has “no intention” of doing so—just days after publicly demanding his ouster. He says he just wants Powell to “act more quickly” and cut rates, but the reality is, Trump can’t stand waiting for Powell to retire and would love to see him gone as soon as possible. Powell, for his part, says he’s not going anywhere and plans to finish his term through next year, no matter how much Trump fumes about it.
Trump’s all bluster, can’t get his story straight, and just keeps stirring up chaos—he wants Powell out, but firing him would be a disaster, so now he’s pretending it was never on the table. It can’t come soon enough for Trump, but for now, Powell’s staying put.

The Market
The market absolutely took off today. The S&P 500 shot up 1.7%, the Dow was up over 400 points, and the Nasdaq jumped more than 2.5%. Basically, Wall Street loved that Trump finally backed off his threats to fire Jerome Powell and started talking about maybe dialing down those insane China tariffs. That little bit of sanity was all it took—investors piled back in.
Tech stocks were on fire—Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Amazon, you name it, they all surged. Tesla jumped 7% just because Elon Musk said he’s actually going to focus on the company for once instead of playing government czar. Even Bitcoin kept climbing, while gold slipped since people weren’t as freaked out.
After weeks of chaos, the market’s finally breathing a little easier. Trump’s softer tone on the Fed and China trade war gave everyone a reason to buy again, and it showed.

Ukraine Ceasefire Talks Collapse
The high-level Ukraine peace talks in London just fell apart—big surprise, right? Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff bailed at the last minute, which basically tanked any hope for a ceasefire deal this week. The official excuse was “logistical issues,” but let’s be honest: the real story is that the Trump team is frustrated Ukraine won’t cave to demands, especially on giving up Crimea or other territory to Russia. Zelenskyy flat-out refuses, saying Ukraine’s not going to hand over its land just to get a deal. Trump, naturally, blamed Zelenskyy for being “inflammatory” and for supposedly derailing the negotiations, even though Russia keeps dragging its feet and bombing civilians. Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy is still heading to Moscow to try and get Putin on board, but it’s looking like another round of empty promises and finger-pointing.

Trump’s China Tariff Flip-Flop
After weeks of chest-thumping and jacking tariffs on Chinese imports up to a wild 145%, Trump is now “actively” talking about cutting those tariffs—at least if China plays ball. He’s suddenly saying the rates will “come down substantially,” which is a total reversal from his earlier threats. China, for its part, is warning the U.S. to quit the “threats and blackmail,” but markets loved Trump’s softer tone—stocks shot up as soon as he hinted at a deal. The reality is, these tariffs were hammering American businesses and consumers, and even Trump’s own Treasury Secretary called the trade war “unsustainable.” So now Trump’s scrambling for a win and hoping to calm the markets with talk of a breakthrough, but there’s no actual deal yet—just more of his usual back-and-forth.

Trumps Approval Rating
Trump’s approval rating is now down to 40% as he hits 100 days in his second term—a 7-point drop since February.
The majority of Americans are fed up with his tariffs and deep government cuts, and even a lot of Republicans are getting nervous. People are especially tired of him ruling by executive order and ignoring court rulings. In fact, there’s overwhelming bipartisan agreement that if a federal court says something is illegal, the administration should have to stop—period. But Trump keeps pushing the limits, and the public is noticing. His support is slipping not just among Democrats, but among independents and even some of his less hardcore 2024 voters. Bottom line: most Americans think his policies are making things worse, not better, and they want him to follow the law like everyone else.

Is Trump Looking to Fire Pete Hegseth?
There’s a ton of drama swirling around Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he got caught (again) leaking military secrets in private Signal chats—including to his own family. The White House is quietly looking for a replacement, and even some Republicans in Congress are saying it might be time for him to go. But Trump, true to form, is publicly standing by Hegseth for now, calling the whole thing “fake news” and blaming “disgruntled employees” for the leaks. Behind the scenes, though, the administration is definitely feeling the heat, and Hegseth could easily be the first cabinet member out the door this term. Trump hates to admit mistakes or fire his own guys, but with the Pentagon in chaos and the leaks piling up, it’s just a matter of time.
Progress – there is progress happening, look for the silver linings.

If this has helped, please like and share—cause good trouble.

Go Cause Good Trouble, with Your Elbows Up!

**These are facts that I researched and verified – AI helped put together some sentence structure, but the words and tone are mine. These are my views based upon facts, research and thoughtful consideration using logic. I own the copyright to any images used. I’m comfortable to stand alone to uphold truth. Feel free to check me, but do not attack me. I am only causing good trouble.**