Trump Tax Hike Proposal and Baby Bonus Endorsement – 4/23/25

President Trump is reportedly considering a tax hike for Americans earning over $1 million annually, while endorsing a $5,000 “baby bonus” for new mothers to address demographic concerns. Internationally, tensions rise as India suspends the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, and Djibouti orders undocumented migrants to leave by April’s end.

United States

  • President Trump is exploring a tax hike for Americans earning over $1 million annually, per WaPo
  • President Trump endorses a $5,000 “baby bonus” for new mothers post-delivery, calling it “a good idea”
  • White House Press Secretary Leavitt claims Democrat officials prioritize “illegal alien criminals, gangbangers, and wife beaters” over law-abiding citizens
  • Secret Service arrests climate activists who allegedly vandalized Trump Tower in New York City
  • Defense Secretary Hegseth vows to eliminate “wokeness” and prioritize “lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards”
  • President Trump claims tariffs will enable “substantially lower taxes” for Americans
  • Secretary Chavez-DeRemer highlights “record investments” and prioritizes American workers under Trump’s leadership
  • Illinois Senator Durbin, a top Senate Democrat, announces he will not seek re-election
  • Congressman Andy Barr enters Kentucky Senate race, pledging to support Trump’s agenda and cut “insane DEI initiatives”
  • Parents spend an average of $220 monthly on adult children’s groceries, with 87% supporting Gen Z food costs, per FORTUNE
  • Georgia mother Tasha Lawson allegedly dies of “heartbreak” after son’s brutal beating in suspected hate crime
  • Pete Buttigieg reveals racial disparities in adoption, stating “there are literally different lists if you say that you want a white kid only versus if you say that doesn’t matter,” per Buttigieg
  • Trump’s approval among Hispanic Americans drops to 27%, with 72% disapproving, per Pew Research
  • Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly clashed in a heated White House shouting match over IRS issues, per Axios
  • Black churches rally to protect Smithsonian African American history museum after Trump’s order claims it promotes “divisive, race-centered ideology,” per NBC News
  • Three federal prosecutors resign rather than admit fault in dropped Eric Adams corruption case, alleging Trump administration mishandled the matter, per NBC News
  • Trump plans to overhaul higher education by targeting college accreditation systems, per The Wall Street Journal
  • Musk and Bessent’s dispute over IRS escalates into a loud West Wing argument near Trump, per Axios
  • A climate activist spray-painted Trump Tower’s presidential plaque and unveiled a “GAME OVER” banner, declaring, “They are ruining the planet for profit,” per New York Post
  • Sunny Hostin on The View alleges Trump’s $5,000 baby bonus plan targets white population growth, saying, “They seem to be more concerned about a decrease in other populations”
  • A massive wildfire in Ocean County, NJ, burns 12,000 acres, forces 5,000 evacuations, and remains only 35% contained, per ABC News
  • Press Secretary Leavitt claims, “The Democratic Party’s motto should be ‘illegal immigrant criminals first, American citizens last,’” citing negotiations with dozens of countries, noting, “We have 18 proposals on paper from nations that recognize they’ve been ripping off the United States”
  • FDA warns unapproved topical finasteride hair loss sprays from Hims and Keeps may cause severe side effects like erectile dysfunction and suicidal thoughts, per NY Post
  • Students at Catalina Foothills High School rehearse for “Double Time: An Original Musical,” written and directed by five students, per KGUN 9
  • Simone Biles unsure about 2028 Olympics, wants to “enjoy life” and support husband, per 12 News

Western States

  • Nevada and Arizona, led by Democrat attorneys general, sue Trump over tariffs despite his electoral victories there
  • Blue Shield of California notifies 4.7 million members of a data breach due to a Google Analytics misspelled word, per San Francisco Chronicle
  • Oregon leads 12-state lawsuit to block four of President Trump’s tariff-raising executive orders, per KOIN News
  • Crater Lake newt population collapses due to invasive signal crayfish and warming lake temperatures, per KATU News
  • Kinder Morgan fined $226,990 for issues at its Richmond and San Jose natural gas terminals, per San Francisco Chronicle
  • Los Angeles City Council votes 11-2 to expand homeless sleeping ban to parts of Chatsworth, per KTLA
  • Police search for man who stole a cross from a Boyle Heights chapel on Holy Thursday, per ABC7
  • Portland leaders announce a summer of concerts, parades, and festivals, per KATU News
  • Steve Hilton, former Fox News commentator, announces run for California governor in 2026, per San Francisco Chronicle
  • Portland’s Hollywood Theatre to open David Lynch-themed Bar Hollywood, per KOIN News
  • San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus reinstates alleged boyfriend to unpaid role amid controversy, per San Francisco Chronicle
  • Portland faces $1 billion infrastructure funding gap, audit reveals, per KOIN News

International

  • White House Press Secretary Leavitt criticizes President Zelenskiy for moving “in wrong direction on peace talks”
  • President Trump will maintain tariffs on China, insisting on a bilateral deal, says Press Secretary Leavitt
  • China expresses willingness to restart trade negotiations with the U.S. after Trump’s tariff reduction remarks
  • French central bank chief warns global trade war could push U.S. into recession, with euro zone also facing economic strain, per Francois Villeroy de Galhau
  • Trump ends de minimis exemption for packages from China and Hong Kong, escalating trade war, per PBS News
  • Eleven killed in Gaza school shelter amid ongoing Israeli bombing, per The Guardian
  • Thousands mourn Pope Francis as long lines form at St. Peter’s Basilica, per CNN
  • Sen. Dick Durbin announces he won’t run again, saying “in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch,” per PBS News
  • UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves vows to protect food standards in US trade talks, saying, “We are not going to be changing our standards based on asks from foreign governments,” per Reuters
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu declares, “We will not allow the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in either the north or the south”
  • US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says, “The time of the USA being the sole guarantor of European security has passed,” urging Europe to lead NATO
  • Press Secretary Leavitt says Trump seeks peace in Ukraine, noting, “Trump is not asking Ukraine to recognize Crimea — he’s asking both sides to come to the negotiating table,” per NewsMax
  • Press Secretary Leavitt states, “There will be no unilateral reduction in tariffs against China,” emphasizing Trump’s push for a fair deal, per Fox News
  • White House spokesperson Karolin Leavitt says, “Zelensky seems to be moving in the wrong direction,” regarding his stance on stopping the Ukraine war
  • Djibouti orders undocumented migrants to leave by April’s end, with advisor Alexis Mohamed saying, “Djibouti cannot accommodate all the world’s poverty,” per Insider Paper
  • India suspends the Indus Waters Treaty and closes the Wagah border, potentially crippling Pakistan’s water supply and trade routes after a deadly attack
  • Trump claims Zelensky’s refusal to recognize Russia’s control over Crimea is “very harmful” to peace talks, alleging Ukraine should have fought Russia in 2014
  • U.S. proposes freezing Ukraine’s frontlines in exchange for ceding territory, per The Guardian
  • Trump criticizes Zelenskyy, claiming a peace deal was “very close” but blames him for derailing talks, per NBC News

Middle East

  • Eleven killed in Gaza school shelter amid ongoing Israeli bombing, per The Guardian
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu declares, “We will not allow the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in either the north or the south”
  • Prosecutors depict Harvey Weinstein as a “serial predator” who used power against women in his retrial, per NBC News
  • India suspends the Indus Waters Treaty and closes the Wagah border, potentially crippling Pakistan’s water supply and trade routes after a deadly attack