What do Americans think of Trump ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs? What a new poll found

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries that run trade surpluses with the United States, including major trading partners such as the European Union, China and Japan. He also imposed a minimum 10% tariff on all imports.

“This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American history,” Trump said in a speech in the Rose Garden. “It’s our declaration of economic independence.”

What has been the initial reaction from the American public? Far more negative than positive, according to new polling.

In a YouGov poll conducted shortly after Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement, 51% of respondents said they either strongly (40%) or somewhat (11%) disapproved of the new tariffs. In contrast, about one-third of respondents (34%) said they either strongly (15%) or somewhat (19%) approve of the new policy.

—Miami Herald

Bill preventing transgender Texans from updating birth certificates passes Senate

AUSTIN, Texas — Transgender Texans would not be allowed to have their birth certificates amended to reflect their gender identity under a bill the Senate passed Thursday despite warnings from constituents of the harm it could cause.

Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said his legislation would ensure birth certificates “remain accurate, consistent and reflective of biological reality.”

“A birth certificate, like a death certificate, is a snapshot in time that records accurate vital statistics existing at the time of birth,” Middleton, who authored the proposal, said during Senate debate Wednesday. “A birth certificate states that child’s God-given sex.”

Senators voted 20-11 to send Senate Bill 406 to the House, where the legislation also must pass in order for it to reach Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. All Senate Democrats voted against the bill.

—The Dallas Morning News

Europeans are outliving Americans — even the wealthy, study finds. Why?

Americans are falling behind Europeans in lifespan, even among older and wealthier groups, a Brown University study found.

The study compared age groups and income across the United States and 16 European countries, ultimately including 73,838 participants between the ages of 50 and 85, and was published April 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The participants were followed over a 10-year period, according to the study.

“The results revealed that people with more wealth tend to live longer than those with less wealth, especially in the U.S., where the gap between the rich and poor is much larger than in Europe,” researchers said in an April 2 news release from the Brown University School of Public Health.

—The Charlotte Observer

NATO: 900,000 Russian troop casualties recorded in Ukraine

BRUSSELS — Russia has seen around 900,000 troop casualties since unleashing its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, a senior NATO official said on Thursday.

Up to 250,000 soldiers have been killed in the conflict that started on Feb. 24, 2022, according to NATO. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian onslaught with broad support from Western allies.

After Kyiv's forces were able to recapture some territory following Russia's initial advance, both sides have been locked in a war of attrition for months, with the Russians making incremental gains. According to NATO's assessment, the "situation on the battlefield remains very difficult."

"While we don't expect a major breakdown of Ukraine's defensive lines in the next couple of months, even if Moscow continues to advance, we do believe that Russia will continue to increase the pressure along the front lines and on Ukraine in general," the official said on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

—dpa