SmartNews

'Startling': Dems rally to block bill to make it easier for Trumps to 'line their pockets'

Even Democrats who once supported regulatory legislation for "stablecoins" are backing off now that the Trump family is a major player in the crypto market, according to a new report in The New York Times.

Stablecoins are "a type of cryptocurrency that maintains a price of $1"; Crypto traders like stablecoins because they don't "swing in value the way other digital currencies do, making them convenient for many types of business transactions," according to the report.

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'Critical': Hegseth orders massive purge of generals and admirals

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is seeking a drastic cut to the number of high-ranking military officials.

According to CNN, a new memo issued by President Donald Trump's Pentagon chief directs the department to cut 20 percent of four-star generals and admirals, and "also directs the Pentagon to cut the number of general officers in the National Guard by 20%, and to cut the total number of general and flag officers across the military by 10%. There are currently about 900 general and flag officers — those with the rank of one star or higher — across the military."

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'Barbie' maker hikes prices as Trump tells Americans to buy fewer dolls: report

Two large United States businesses had big announcements Monday, and they cited President Donald Trump's tariffs as the cause.

Mattel, the company responsible for "Hot Wheels" and "Barbie," "scrapped its financial forecast for the year, saying tariffs make it hard to predict consumer spending," The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

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‘Devastating blow’: Trump admin uncorks new threat to colleges and universities

The Trump administration is once again turning up the heat on colleges and universities – this time as it threatens to cut off federal student loan funds to schools whose former students aren’t paying back what they owe.

In a notice expected to be sent out Monday and obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the Education Department said it will begin enforcing a long-dormant rule that could block schools from receiving new federal student loan money if too many of their graduates are in default. The move – a piece of a “broader strategy to accelerate repayments” – could put many institutions at risk of losing a key pipeline for tuition dollars, according to the Journal report.

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Messaging app at heart of Cabinet scandal suspends operations as it probes reported hack

The messaging app at the heart of a burgeoning Trump administration national security scandal has temporarily shuttered its operations as a result of a reported hack, CNBC said on Monday.

"The potential hack of TeleMessage, an Israel-founded app that acts as a modified version of the encrypted messenger Signal, was first reported Sunday by the tech news site 404 Media," said the report.

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'Daily Show' initiative urging viewers to seek office scrapped amid Paramount merger

Paramount is shelving a "Daily Show" initiative to encourage viewers to run for elected office out of fear that the Trump administration could block the company's pending acquisition deal.

The entertainment company's social impact team has been working on the "Take A Seat" civic participation program for months, partnering with the veterans group New Politics Leadership Academy, the progressive group Run For Something, and the right-leaning group Women’s Public Leadership Network.

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'Huge Coup for Dems': GOP dragged as prominent governor bows out of Senate race

News that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will not run for Senate in 2026 had social media buzzing Monday.

Kemp had been the Republican favorite to take on incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA). Kemp's departure from the race may be a boon for MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has expressed interest in the Senate seat.

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America's 'gerontocracy' poses greater risk than mere 'feebleness': Ex-GOP governor

Former Republican Indian Gov. Mitch Daniels said he doesn’t agree with Sen. Dick Durbin about much, but his recent decision to sail into retirement at the end of his current time is something Daniels said he hopes more politicians pushing 80 will follow.

In a blistering Washington Post column on Monday that calls out America’s aging politicians, Daniels warned the United States is slipping into a “gerontocracy” where government is run by leaders who are too old to fully grasp, let alone manage, the crises ahead. He built the case for readers on why a younger generation is better suited to take on new challenges and why “Congress shouldn’t be an assisted-living facility.”

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'Kick to the gut': Expert warns Trump could devastate film industry

President Donald Trump teased the idea of increased tariffs on Hollywood films made in other countries, claiming there would be a 100% tariff on such movies.

Deadline executive editor Dominic Patten told MSNBC called the idea "crazy."

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'Bottom of the barrel': Top Dem says GOP 'stuck' with MTG in Georgia Senate race

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) mocked Republicans for being "stuck" with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as a candidate after Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) decided not to run for Georgia Senate in 2026.

"Why does Donald Trump make such ridiculous statements, like he's unsure as to whether he has a responsibility to follow the Constitution?" Jeffries asked at a Monday news conference. "Why is the Republican Party stuck with Marjorie Taylor Greene as their candidate for the United States Senate seat in Georgia?"

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Israel plans to 'flatten' what's left of Gaza if Trump leaves Mideast with no deal: report

Israel plans to "occupy and flatten" what remains of key parts of Gaza if no deal is reached by the time President Donald Trump finishes up his tour of the Middle East this month, Axios reported on Monday.

"Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan Sunday night to gradually reoccupy all of Gaza and hold it indefinitely if no deal is reached by May 15," said the report. "Plans for the operation call for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to flatten any buildings that remain standing and displace virtually the entire population of 2 million people to a single 'humanitarian area.' The alternative to remaining in the humanitarian zone is for Palestinians to leave the enclave 'voluntarily' for other countries 'in line with President Trump's vision for Gaza,' an Israeli official said."

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'Whoa': Legal expert floored as report could reveal if Trump's ICE 'telling the truth'

A prominent immigration attorney was shocked over a report that could reveal if Immigration and Customs Enforcement was "telling the truth" about the last of three flights to El Salvador carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, wrote on X, "Whoa. @404mediaco reports that hackers have shared flight manifests for the 3 GlobalX flights to El Salvador on March 15. This could confirm whether ICE is telling the truth that the third plane, which took off after Boasberg's order had only people with final orders of removal."

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'Stop it!' CNN host says strategists begging Trump to 'walk back what he's doing'

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump continued to use his "doll" metaphor to illustrate to Americans how they'll have to make do with less due to his tariffs.

Inside Politics' Dana Bash played two videos of Trump repeating his claim that kids can settle for "two dolls instead of 30," albeit with different numbers.

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