{
  "id": 5645042,
  "title": "Trump's Strait of Hormuz and Lake Ontario name ideas 'annoy' USGS workers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/trumps-strait-of-hormuz-and-lake-ontario-name-ideas-annoy-usgs-workers-5645042",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T19:13:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/09/04/strait-of-hormuz-news-trump-lake-ontario/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Donald Trump's proposal to rename the Strait of Hormuz as the \"Trump Strait\" has caused annoyance among employees of the US Geological Survey (USGS), which is responsible for federal map names. The USGS recently ordered the agency to refer to Lake Ontario as \"Lake America\" due to a trade dispute with Canada. One USGS employee expressed their displeasure, stating, \"I'm not happy. We've had other controversies about names before, but never something like this.\" Name changes are typically decided by a vote at the US Board on Geographic Names, not through executive order.\n\nThe employee noted that this situation is particularly frustrating because the USGS is dealing with a significant workload, and now must update signs, maps, and other references to Lake Ontario. The change is also costing taxpayer money and time. Furthermore, both Apple and Google have altered their map software to display \"Lake America\" for US users, leading to increased animosity towards Trump and affecting these technology giants.\n\nWhen announcing the name change, Trump referenced a letter from USGS Director Ned Mamula stating that the transition was complete in USGS electronic documents. Mamula, a Trump appointee, was confirmed by the Senate in 2025 but faced opposition from Senator Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, who criticized Mamula's history of spreading misinformation and conspiracies.\n\nThe USGS has previously reversed a name change, altering the name of Alaska's Mount McKinley back to its native name, Denali, before the polarized political landscape of today. Some USGS workers believe Trump's motive for changing Lake Ontario's name was to irritate Canada. They also mentioned that other countries, such as Canada, would continue to refer to the lake as \"Lake Ontario.\"",
  "summary": "President Donald Trump 's suggestion he might rename the Strait of Hormuz as the Trump Strait has irked some employees of the US Geological Survey, which oversees map names on the federal level. Several workers described a gloomy atmosphere at the agency since Mr Trump ordered the federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as Lake America amid a trade dispute with Canada. \"I'm not happy,\" said…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Trump's Strait of Hormuz and Lake Ontario name ideas 'annoy' USGS workers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/trumps-strait-of-hormuz-and-lake-ontario-name-ideas-annoy-usgs-workers",
        "published": "2026-09-04T19:13:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "National Post",
        "title": "‘We’re taking it very personally’: Republican mayor from Lake Ontario city rejects Trump’s ‘Lake America’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/were-taking-it-very-personally-republican-mayor-from-lake-ontario",
        "published": "2026-09-04T19:28:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Trump: alternative oil pipelines may reduce Strait of Hormuz’s future role",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/trump-alternative-oil-pipelines-may-reduce-strait-of-hormuzs-future",
        "published": "2026-09-04T19:42:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}