President Donald Trump signed an executive order today, August 28, 2026, to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. This action is part of an escalating trade dispute between the United States and Canada. The order was signed in the Oval Office, with President Trump stating it was effective immediately.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the executive order, asserting that Canadians will continue to refer to the body of water by its original name, Lake Ontario. Carney noted that the name Ontario is over 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States. He explained that the name originates from the indigenous Wendat word meaning the lake is beautiful and big. A Canadian maritime attorney, Marc Isaacs, commented that while Americans can call it what they wish, it remains Lake Ontario, drawing a comparison to previous efforts to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
In other developments, a federal judge blocked a Postal Service regulation that would have given the agency control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections. This ruling represents a setback for President Trump’s efforts to limit voting by mail. The recently finalized measure aimed to implement a provision of an executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to track mail-in ballots and potentially reject those from individuals not on a federal list of eligible voters. The decision by Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani means part of the executive order remains blocked for at least 14 days, impacting its potential implementation before the November election.
Additionally, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., heard arguments today regarding efforts to add President Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Trump-appointed board at the venue voted this month to add the words renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump to the building and to rename the property President Donald J. Trump Plaza by September 8. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper questioned the expedited timeline for this change. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, acting as a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center, downplayed earlier threats from the administration to demolish the center if requested renovations were not allowed.
In White House staffing changes, Ben Moss has been named assistant to the president and White House staff secretary, replacing Will Scharf, who will become White House counsel. These transitions are set to occur on Wednesday. Outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose last day was today, described her departure as bittersweet. She plans to spend more time with her children and work for the president’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the press secretary role, advised her future replacement that President Trump is his own best spokesperson.
Further, a military judge ruled yesterday that the alleged mastermind behind the September 11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will stand trial starting in June 2028. He will be prosecuted alongside Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, who are also suspected of conspiring in the attacks.
