Trump News for Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Stephen Colbert Is Going to Get A Sympathy Emmy

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: July 22nd, 2025

One in six US workers pretends to use AI to please the bosses

Danny Bradbury, Theregister.com

AI-nxiety is real, and it's causing some bizarre behavior ai-pocalypse If you're one of those people who pretend to use AI at work, then worry not: there are likely another 15 of you per hundred employees in your company. That's the finding of a survey from n…

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic officials bar transgender women from Olympic women's sports

The Associated Press, NPR

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee tells the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports that it has an "obligation to comply" with an executive order issued by President Trump.

Judges reject Trump lawyer Alina Habba’s bid to serve as federal prosecutor

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration quickly acted to remove Habba's replacement following a decision not to extend her term.

Trump Official Has Pretty Funny Reaction to Colbert Outrage

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

FCC Chair Brendan Carr isn’t right about much, but his assessment of the predicament isn’t far off

Epstein breaks Congress

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump’s self-inflicted Jeffrey Epstei…

Tesla Isn’t a Car Company Anymore

Luc Olinga, Gizmodo.com

As its car business falters, Elon Musk is betting the company's future on a high-risk pivot from manufacturing to an AI-driven, autonomous dream.

Was Last Night the Moment Jon Stewart Became Jon Stewart Again?

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

The host found relevancy in saying ‘f*ck’ and being relentlessly honest

The lawsuit seeking to kill Trump’s tariffs is back

Ian Millhiser, Vox

Three very important tariff-related stories loom over the US economy this month. The first is that, after a few weeks of relative quiet, President Donald Trump is once again threatening to raise tariffs on a whole raft of other nations. According to the New Y…

Marine veteran addresses Congress after dad forcibly detained by immigration agents

Ely Brown, Meredith Deliso, ABC News

Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested Narciso Barranco, who is undocumented, in Santa Ana on June 21, according to DHS.

Trump Honors 81st Anniversary Of Guam’s Liberation From Japan

Dallas Express, Dallasexpress.com

President Donald Trump marked the 81st anniversary of Guam's liberation from Japanese occupation with a message honoring the American forces.

‘I Got You Guys Out of So Much Trouble’: Trump Signs Stablecoin Crypto Bill

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

And then he ended another investigation into a crypto founder for good measure.

Jon Stewart suggests Colbert's cancellation is tied to Paramount's Trump settlement

Erica Star Domena,Rachel Cohn, Business Insider

Jon Stewart is questioning whether CBS's decision to cancel Stephen Colbert's late-night show was purely financial.

Trump dumps a pile of MLK files. Why not the Epstein files?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Trump releases MLK files amidst backlash over withholding Epstein documents, fuelling selective transparency claims.

Reworked F-35 Pitched As ‘Bridging Fighter’ Ahead Of F-47

Thomas Newdick, Twz.com

As well as planning a new ‘5-plus’ generation F-35, Lockheed admitted to taking huge losses on a “highly classified” aeronautical program.

National Urban League says Trump's policies amount to emergency for Black Americans

Mia Venkat, NPR

One of the nation's oldest Civil Rights organization warns the Trump administration's policies have thrust the country into a "state of emergency" for antidiscrimination policies, personal freedoms and black economic advancement.

Judge Reinstates Fired FTC Commissioner While Everyone (Including The Judge) Knows The Supreme Court Will Overturn

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Judge Loren AliKhan knows exactly how this story ends, but she’s going to make the Supreme Court write the final chapter themselves. Her ruling reinstating illegally fired FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter reads like judicial theater—a careful performa…

Trump accuses Obama of 'treason' in the Oval Office

Megan Forrester, ABC News

After President Trump posted an AI-generated fake video showing former President Barack Obama's arrest on social media, Trump accused the former president of "treason."

Tech Billionaires Wanted to Build a New California City. They’re Settling for an Industrial Park, Instead

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

When you can't build the city of your dreams, maybe just settle for a new industrial park.

Democrats are desperately trying to revive the click-to-cancel rule

Lauren Feiner, The Verge

Democratic lawmakers are taking multiple routes to try to revive the Federal Trade Commission's "click-to-cancel" rule after an appeals court blocked it on procedural grounds right before it was set to take effect. Democrats already introduced legislation ear…

Republicans want to rename the Kennedy Center Opera House for Melania Trump

Benjamin Siegel, ABC News

House Republicans have advanced a proposal to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House, one of the center's major theaters, the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”

Trump sets 19% tariff on Philippines in new trade deal

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Details about the agreement, which US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, are limited.

House Republicans Want to Name the Kennedy Center Opera House After Melania Trump

Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone

House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to rename Kennedy Center's opera house to 'First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.'

Former Trump attorney Alina Habba passed over as permanent US attorney in New Jersey

Aaron Katersky, Peter Charalambous, ABC News

Federal judges in New Jersey on Tuesday opted not to appoint former Trump attorney Alina Habba as the state's top federal prosecutor on a permanent basis.

Update: Lumber Prices Up 30% YoY

Calculated Risk, Calculatedriskblog.com

This is something to watch again. Here is another update on lumber prices. SPECIAL NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumb...

Trump Says Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon Are Next

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: July 22nd, 2025

President Trump indicates he'll let Fed Chair Jerome Powell serve out his term

Rafael Nam, NPR

President Trump seemed willing to allow Jerome Powell to complete his term as chair of the Federal Reserve — at least for now. His comment comes as he and his administration continue to attack Powell.

Trump and Jimmy Kimmel are trading barbs after Stephen Colbert's cancellation

James Faris, Business Insider

Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel are beefing after CBS canceled Stephen Colbert's show. Trump said Kimmel would be next to go.

Mike Johnson Is Desperate for You to Stop Asking About Epstein

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Spare a thought for the MAGA lackey: he’s got an impossible task.

Coke Bends the Knee to Trump

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Coca-Cola said it's going to offer "more choices" for consumers with a soda using cane sugar.

Trump's AI Priorities Need to Hit These 5 Marks. I'm Not Holding My Breath

Jon Reed, CNET

Commentary: Artificial intelligence is shaping the future. But we need to start preparing now to ensure it's a better one.

Struggling to sell EVs, Tesla pivots to slinging burgers

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

The diner is now open in West Hollywood, and Musk wants to start a chain video Facing declining sales and a tarnished reputation, EV manufacturer Tesla is looking to a new industry to generate some revenue: Fast-casual food service.…

Wall Street is eyeing more challenges for Tesla heading into its 2nd-quarter earnings report

jsor@businessinsider.com (Jennifer Sor), Business Insider

Tesla faces a handful of challenges heading into Q2 2025 earnings, with Wall Street eyeing weak demand and Elon Musk's politics as headwinds.

National Guard Troops Aren’t Thrilled About Being Part Of Trump’s Performative War On Protesters

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Trump and his loyalists crave actual martial law. DHS head Kristi Noem has — out loud! — threatened to “liberate” Californians from the democracy they currently enjoy in the state of California. Plenty of idiots and idiot newscasters continue to pretend Los A…

Trump deflects from questions about Epstein probe with accusations about Obama

Saige Miller, NPR

President Trump is facing questions about the death of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On Tuesday, he deflected by pivoting to long-held accusations about his Democratic opponents.

WATCH: House panel approves motion to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell

ABC News

A subcommittee has approved a motion directing Oversight Chair James Comer to issue a subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell's testimony regarding an alleged Jeffrey Epstein client list.

Jeff Daniels issues pointed seven-word message for Trump voters

Yahoo Entertainment

WATCH: Deputy AG Blanche says he will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell 'in the coming days'

ABC News

ABC News' Katherine Faulders says this may indicate a "new norm" at the Department of Justice.

MLK's daughter implores the White House to release Epstein files

Bill Hutchinson, ABC News

The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. said the White House should make public the files on financier-turned-sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Americans are mostly paying for tariffs — and price rises may be on the way, says Deutsche Bank

Nora Redmond, Business Insider

People overseas have so far paid very little for tariffs, with Americans bearing the brunt of the cost, per Deutsche Bank.

Everyone Who’s Backed Stephen Colbert Since CBS Canceled ‘The Late Show’

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone

Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, Elizabeth Warren, Jimmy Fallon and more have showed Stephen Colbert their support since CBS canceled 'The Late Show.'

Jeremy Bowen: Israel's allies see evidence of war crimes in Gaza mounting up

BBC News

The Middle East has been transformed since 7 October, and almost two years on, the conflict in Gaza is at another inflection point.

Mamdani Shows How To Frontrun, Defuse, And Reframe Right-Wing Outrage

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Democratic politicians have a chronic problem: they keep accepting Republican framing instead of creating their own. They run scared of Fox News, moderate their positions to appease the unappeasable, and let political consultants convince them that authentici…

China Threatens to Block $23B Port Deal Without Cosco Stake: Report

Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal

Beijing wants the Chinese carrier included in the MSC-BlackRock acquisition of 45 Hutchison ports, raising U.S. security concerns over Panama Canal access.

WATCH: Hunter Biden takes on father’s critics over debate performance

ABC News

In a YouTube interview on Monday, Hunter Biden said his father, former President Joe Biden, was taking Ambien during his disastrous presidential debate in 2024.

Jon Stewart’s ‘Daily Show’ Song Beat ‘Scarface’s Profanity-Per-Minute Rate

JM McNab, Cracked.com

By JM McNab Published: July 22nd, 2025

How Medicaid Cuts Will Bleed Emergency Medicine

Sophia Spadafore, The Atlantic

Many Americans get much of their health care from ERs. Defunding this service will be a financial and human disaster for everyone.

How Trump is making America hungrier

Gabrielle Berbey, Sean Rameswaram, Vox

One of the most far-reaching cuts to federal programs in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is a provision that will largely shift the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to the states. Until now, the federal government ha…

OpenAI and Softbank’s $500 Billion Data Center Project Is Already Stumbling

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Six months after a White House press conference, Stargate reportedly hasn't secured any data center deals.

Brazilian Supreme Court justice threatens to arrest Bolsonaro

BBC News

Judge Moraes accuses Bolsonaro of breaching a social media ban he had imposed on the ex-president.

Inside the crackdown on a flashy new generation of illicit vapes popular with teens

Laura Romero, Youri Benadjaoud, Mike Levine, Lindsey Griswold, Cameron Krakowiak, ABC News

U.S. officials are cracking down on a surge of sophisticated new illicit vaping products that are flooding U.S. markets, an ABC News investigation has found.

460,000 Student Loan Borrowers Seeking Lower Payments Will Be Denied. What to Do If You're One of Them

Tiffany Connors, CNET

Most applicants were eligible for SAVE, which has been struck down. Here's how to apply for other repayment plans.

Coca-Cola plans to sell a US cane sugar version of its flagship soda this fall after pressure from Trump

Dominick Reuter, Business Insider

Coca-Cola said Tuesday that it plans to launch a version of its flagship Coke made with US cane sugar this fall in response to "consumer preferences."

Of Course Rob Schneider Is The One Comedian Against Stephen Colbert

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: July 22nd, 2025

Nearly 300 NASA scientists sign 'Voyager Declaration' to protest Trump space science budget cuts

Samantha Mathewson, Space.com

Nearly 300 current and former NASA employees — including astronauts, engineers and scientists — have signed the "Voyager Declaration," a formal statement raising alarm over recent actions and steep budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

Your favorite national park is struggling to survive

Christine Peterson, Vox

This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk Collaboration. Stories of struggle flow unceasingly from our public lands — here, a senior botanist pulled from invasive species removal to check campg…

US justice department asks to meet Epstein conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell

BBC News

Officials say they want to ask Maxwell "what do you know?", as her lawyers confirm they are in discussions with the government.

DOJ Expected to Meet with Ghislaine Maxwell over Potential Epstein Collaborators

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Major update in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation -- in a huge shift in its approach, the Department of Justice is now willing to work with the late sex offender's right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell. In a surprise announcement Tuesday morning…

How to Check If That ‘Deleted’ Tweet Is Real

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

We've got seven tips for finding that "lost" tweet.

The conservative case against Trump’s worst judicial nominee

Ian Millhiser, Vox

Emil Bove is one of President Donald Trump’s former criminal defense lawyers. He’s now a senior Justice Department official — and he’s widely described as Trump’s “enforcer” for his hard-charging, unapologetically MAGA approach to that job. If Trump gets his …

Leaked Lenovo Legion Go 2 Will Make You Mad at Xbox and Nintendo

Kyle Barr, Gizmodo.com

The Legion Go 2's upgraded screen and improved specs make it a contender, so long as it's not eye-gougingly expensive.

WATCH: Badly wounded Ukrainian soldier perseveres with love of wife

ABC News

A Ukrainian soldier lost his vision and needed three amputations after a Russian drone exploded right next to him last October.

Sounds Like RFK Jr. Could Be the Next Trump Ally to Get a Divorce...

Audra Heinrichs, Jezebel

Word on the street is that Cheryl Hines is no longer leaving Hollywood for her husband.

Europe tests largest-ever Mars parachute in the stratosphere above the Arctic (video)

tereza.pultarova@futurenet.com (Tereza Pultarova) , Tereza Pultarova, Space.com

"We are happy to confirm that we have a parachute design that can work on Mars — an ambitious system with the largest parachute ever to be flown outside Earth"

Why markets are tuning out new US–China trade headlines

Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Entertainment

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be meeting with Chinese officials next week to extend trade talks past the August 12 deadline (the deadline for...

Ukraine, Russia to resume peace negotiations hosted by Turkey

Paul Godfrey, UPI.com

Ukraine said it would send a high-level negotiating team to Turkey peace talks with Russia, even as Moscow wrote off the talks before they had started.

Coca-Cola says it will use 'U.S. cane sugar' in a new drink offering

Bill Chappell, NPR

Coca-Cola's move comes a week after President Trump said he had been talking to the soft drink giant about using cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup in its signature drink.

Trump endorses GOP senator years after asserting 'I will never endorse this jerk again'

Yahoo Entertainment

Deputy AG Todd Blanche will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Bondi says

James Hill, Alexander Mallin, Megan Forrester, ABC News

Attorney General Pam Bondi has released a statement from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announcing he anticipates meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell.

Why I’m Suing OpenAI, the Creator of ChatGPT

Tamlyn Hunt, Scientific American

My lawsuit in Hawaii lays out the safety issues in OpenAI’s products and how they could irreparably harm both Hawaii and the rest of the U.S.

As The Cookie Crumbles: Here's Why Fans Are Boycotting Crumbl Cookies

Kenn Bivins, Parade

‘Never going there again,’ said one person.

Republicans Take A Hatchet To What’s Left Of U.S. Public Broadcasting, PBS Emergency Alerts

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Authoritarian assholes really don’t like public broadcasting. They don’t like it because, in its ideal form, it untethers journalism from the often perverse financial incentives inherent in our consolidated, billionaire-owned, ad-engagement based corporate me…

Every celebrity on Stephen Colbert's first 'The Late Show' since it was canceled

Eammon Jacobs, Business Insider

Stephen Colbert recruited celebrities including Adam Sandler for an Astronomer CEO kiss-cam spoof on Monday's "The Late Show."

WATCH: Spectacular powerboat crash off Monaco

ABC News

Both pilots got out of their powerboats unharmed after a spectacular crash in E1 qualifying in Monaco.

2 military bases expand to detain immigrants. And, Israel advances into central Gaza

Brittney Melton, NPR

Two U.S. military bases are expanding to detain immigrants suspected of being in the country without legal status. And, Israel has advanced into Central Gaza to put pressure on the ceasefire deal.

Democracy Upside Down

Skye Perryman, The Atlantic

This isn’t the typical tug-of-war of federalism.

The Hype Man of Trump’s Mass Deportations

Nick Miroff, The Atlantic

Gregory Bovino has taken his aggressive tactics and propaganda videos from the southern border to the streets of California.

Harvard's case against Trump administration now in hands of a federal judge

Elissa Nadworny, NPR

A federal judge in Boston is weighing arguments from both sides in Harvard's lawsuit against the Trump administration. Harvard claims the government's freezing of research funds is illegal.

Exclusive: Inside the GOP's mission to deliver Trump's megabill

Jay O'Brien, John Parkinson, ABC News

Passing Trump's signature domestic policy package was the culmination of hundreds of meetings, phone calls and conversations in the halls of Congress.

35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act - celebrating the success and concern

Emily Chen-Newton, NPR

It was 35 years ago this month that the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. Across the U.S., it's being marked with festivals and parades — and concern due to recent Medicaid cuts.

Efforts to shrink Social Security's phone wait times are putting a strain elsewhere

Ashley Lopez, NPR

The Social Security Administration reassigned some field office employees in an effort to bring down lengthy phone wait times. But workers say these reassignments have been disruptive for staff.

Is Medicaid rife with fraudsters? One man explains why he breaks a rule

Katheryn Houghton, NPR

Congressional Republicans successfully pushed to add hurdles to qualify for Medicaid by saying they would eliminate fraud. A Montana man says he's breaking the rules to keep his insurance and his job.

The metamorphosis of Sequoia's Shaun Maguire: 'Never back down.'

Jacob Silverman, Business Insider

Shaun Maguire's posts about Zohran Mamdani shocked many. Not the people who know him.

Jimmy Fallon Responds to Colbert Cancelation: ‘I Don’t Like What’s Going On’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

Jimmy Fallon responded to the cancelation of 'The Late Show' during the most recent episode of 'The Tonight Show.'

Stephen Colbert Addresses Cancelation by Telling Trump to ‘Go Fuck Yourself’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

“Now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off," The Late Show host said after CBS pulled the plug on his talk show

Swarms of Russian drones attack Ukraine nightly as Moscow puts new emphasis on weapon

The Associated Press, ABC News

The long-range Russian drones come in swarms each night, buzzing over Ukraine by the hundreds, terrorizing the population and attacking targets from the industrial east to areas near its western border with Poland

Jon Stewart Says Trump Suffers From a Case of ‘Chronic Penis Insufficiency’

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

Plus, he got into those weird ‘bawdy doodles’ to Epstein

Jon Stewart defended his friend, Stephen Colbert, in an f-bomb filled monologue against CBS and the Trump administration

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan, Business Insider

Stewart said CBS was hoping to get into President Donald Trump's good books by cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

WATCH: Coldplay's Chris Martin gives fans warning after CEO kiss cam scandal

ABC News

After the CEO kiss cam controversy, Coldplay's Chris Martin playfully warned fans they could be caught on camera, saying, "We're gonna use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen."

WATCH: Wind rips roof off building in Maine

ABC News

Terrifying footage captures the moment a severe storm ripped the roof off a building in southern Maine, sending debris flying toward a nearby road.

Jon Stewart Says No One Will Watch the Kind of TV That Trump Likes

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

‘FOX spends 24 hours a day blowing Trump, and it’s not enough’

Stephen Colbert Disputes That His Show Loses $40 Million A Year

Tara Ariano, Cracked.com

With some help from Weird Al and assorted other guest stars

Jon Stewart Says ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere… I Think’

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

‘The Daily Show’ host ended an 11-minute tirade against Paramount and Stephen Colbert’s cancellation with a song

How Trump Corrupted the Presidency Into an ATM

Paulina Rodriguez, The Daily Beast Podcast, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump’s shady financial dealings have turned his second term into a brazen moneymaking scheme, says The Atlantic’s David Frum. On the latest...

NASA veterans say political pressure and slashed funding are destroying mankind's ability to go on future missions

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

In a letter to NASA's interim chief, Sean Duffy, the group slammed "wasteful changes" that undermine NASA's core mission.

Ukraine and Russia set for fresh peace talks, Zelensky says

BBC News

Renewed efforts for a ceasefire come after the US pledged fresh military aid for Kyiv.

Migrants deported from US tortured in El Salvador, Venezuela says

BBC News

Venezuela is investigating claims of human rights abuses against 250 people detained in notorious prison.

Critics say Trump tries to distract from Epstein by talking about everything but that

Meredith Deliso, ABC News

Critics say President Donald Trump is working to change the conversation from the Jeffrey Epstein files as the administration faces pushback for more transparency.

Trump administration releases trove of files on Martin Luther King Jr. assassination

Elena Moore, NPR

The release came in response to an executive order issued by President Trump. King's family warned they would object to any use of the records "to spread falsehoods" about King's life and legacy.