Trump News for Wednesday, July 23, 2025

US court decisions allow for Abrego Garcia’s release, bar his deportation

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump officials have indicated they plan to deport Abrego Garcia to a third-party country if he is released from jail.

In a Haitian city ruled by gangs, young rape survivor raises baby she was told to abort

BBC News

Helene, abducted aged 17, is among thousands of women attacked as gang violence spreads in Haiti.

White House plan signals “open-weight first” era—and enterprises need new guardrails

Emilia David, VentureBeat

Enterprises will not see immediate impact from the AI Action Plan, but it signals wider support for open-source models and evaluations.

'Come hug it out!' - How a Canadian tourism ad went viral

BBC News

The video features an embrace between a Canadian concierge and an American tourist, amid shifting US-Canada relations under President Trump.

US Supreme Court says Trump can remove Democrats from consumer safety panel

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The nation's highest court has frequently ruled in favour of Trump's expansive interpretation of presidential powers.

Why is Trump quitting global institutions?

Inside Story, Al Jazeera English

The US is pulling out of UNESCO, saying the UN agency focuses on divisive issues.

Why your energy bill is suddenly so much more expensive

Umair Irfan, Vox

Americans are paying more for electricity, and those prices are set to rise even further. In almost all parts of the country, the amount people pay for electricity on their power bills — the retail price — has risen faster than the rate of inflation since 202…

Birthright citizenship ruling now part of Apple’s appeal argument against Epic Games

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

In its ongoing appeal against Epic Games over App Store rules, Apple has decided to cite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on President Trump’s birthright citizenship directive. Here are the details. more…

WATCH: Kaylee Goncalves’s sister to Bryan Kohberger: ‘No one is scared of you today’

ABC News

Alivea Goncalves, sister of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves, told Bryan Kohberger her sister "would have kicked your f------ a--" if he hadn't attacked her while she slept.

It Took Less Than Two Weeks for the Late-Night Epstein Jokes to Stop Being Funny

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

As the political situation reaches fever-pitch, the comedy is already feeling stale

WATCH: Judge pauses Abrego Garcia’s release from federal custody for 30 days

ABC News

A magistrate judge in Tennessee paused Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from criminal custody for 30 days, after a separate judge ruled he should return to Maryland if released while awaiting trial.

Six months of 'shock and awe' on immigration enforcement

NPR

Since returning to office, President Trump has moved swiftly to upend decades of federal policy—from education to healthcare to vaccines...but nowhere more aggressively than immigration. <br><br>Congress just passed tens of billions in funding for immigration…

Trump was told by Bondi his name appeared multiple times in Epstein files: Report

ABC NEWS, ABC News

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Pam Bondi informed President Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the Epstein files.

Tesla reports biggest quarterly revenue decline in more than a decade

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Analysts expect a turnaround in future quarters as the automaker bets on robotaxi expansions.

Gig Speeds for Every American? Trump FCC Moves to Drop One of the Group’s Most Ambitious Goals

Joe Supan, CNET

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on adopting the new rules next month.

After Paramount cancelled the Late Show with Stephen Colbert after he criticized...

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

After Paramount cancelled the Late Show with Stephen Colbert after he criticized the network’s $16 million bribe to Trump, D

How the Jeffrey Epstein scandal became the mother of all conspiracy theories

Andrew Prokop, Vox

The political world’s frenzy over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has essentially blotted out the sun. That’s even though Epstein has been dead for nearly six years, and the scandal around him has no apparent import to American public policy. So why is the obsess…

Supreme Court allows Trump to fire 3 Democrats on consumer safety panel

Nina Totenberg, NPR

The decision further limits a 90-year-old high-court precedent that was aimed at protecting the independence of certain regulatory agencies.

Trump admin leans into unsubstantiated claims Obama committed ‘treason’

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration says former President Obama sought to undermine Trump through faulty claims.

White House suggests Trump doesn't want Elon Musk's xAI to have federal contracts

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider

The White House Press Secretary told reporters that she "doesn't think" Trump wants federal agencies to have contracts with Musk's AI company.

US to deregulate AI and incentivize exports under Trump's new AI Action Plan

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) , Brady Snyder, Android Central

The Trump administration today laid out its plans for deregulating AI development as it tries to help the U.S. win the global AI race.

Trump Media Is Now a $2 Billion Bitcoin Bet

Luc Olinga, Gizmodo.com

The company behind Truth Social is converting its cash into crypto, creating a high-stakes link between its future and the volatile digital currency.

How millennials ruined summer camp

Anna North, Vox

This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Vox’s newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions. Summer camp is supposed to be fun. It’s a place for swimming, crafts, new friendships, and learning repetitive songs that will annoy you…

Supreme Court allows Trump to remove 3 Democrats on the Consumer Product Safety Commission

MARK SHERMAN, Yahoo Entertainment

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Trump administration to remove three Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, who had been...

US federal judge refuses Trump’s bid to unseal Epstein grand jury records

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump had sought to dispel rumours his administration had attempted to conceal information about Jeffrey Epstein.

Tesla’s earnings hit a new low, with largest revenue drop in a decade

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge

Tesla released its second quarter financial earnings today, offering the latest evidence of the damage Elon Musk’s political activities have done to his flagship company. Tesla said it earned $1.17 billion in net income on $22.5 billion in revenue. That’s abo…

Philadelphia found a way to keep kids learning in the summer, without federal dollars

Lee V. Gaines, NPR

Federal pandemic relief money supercharged summer learning. When that funding expired, Philadelphia found a way to keep its program going. It's an investment that's all about making learning fun.

Trump administration unveils wide ranging AI action plan

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

The plan is said to put pressure on China and build new data centers in the US.

Nations must act on climate change or could be held responsible, top U.N. court rules

Lauren Sommer, NPR

The International Court of Justice ruled that nations have an obligation to act on climate change under international laws protecting the environment and human rights.

Ghislaine Maxwell Subpoenaed by House Oversight Committee

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Ghislaine Maxwell has been subpoenaed by the United States Congress amid questions about the so-called Epstein Files. Republican Congressman James Comer -- the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chair -- announced the news Wednesday…

Here’s the Front-Runner to Play Elon Musk in Luca Guadagnino’s AI Movie

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Artificial is being described as a comedic drama about the world of artificial intelligence.

Judge denies Trump administration's request to release Epstein files

BBC News

Trump had sought the release of documents after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters.

Donald Trump Might Have Just Made the Epstein Story a Hundred Times Worse

Aziz Huq, Slate Magazine

Consider the risks to the president here.

Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch. That doesn't mean the case will make it to court.

Peter Kafka, Business Insider

Donald Trump's suit against Rupert Murdoch is extraordinary. NPR's David Folkenflik tells me whether it's likely to be successful.

WATCH: Family of Kaylee Goncalves speaks after Bryan Kohberger's sentencing

ABC News

The family of Kaylee Goncalves, who was stabbed to death by Bryan Kohberger, spoke after Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for murdering Goncalves and three others.

Judge denies release of Jeffrey Epstein transcripts in Florida

Ryan Lucas, NPR

President Trump had called for the release of grand jury testimony related to Epstein. Two judges in New York also are weighing requests from the Justice Department to unseal grand jury transcripts.

Rubio says Harvard might lose visa program eligibility

Mike Heuer, UPI.com

The State Department is investigating whether Harvard University undermines U.S. policy through its participation in a federal educational visa program.

Trump Releases His All-American Action Plan for AI

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

The goal? beat China. What that means? Who knows.

The Fight for the Political Center

David Frum, The Atlantic

It’s not enough for the center-left to oppose the far left, Representative Ritchie Torres tells David Frum—it needs to offer solutions to problems such as the affordability crisis. Subscribe and watch the full episode of “The David Frum Show”:

WATCH: Man punched in viral Jacksonville traffic stop speaks publicly for first time

ABC News

William McNeil Jr., the 22-year-old Florida man whose violent arrest by Jacksonville sheriff’s deputies was caught on video, addressed the incident publicly for the first time Wednesday morning.

Trump Wants to Deport a Children’s Hospital Chaplain to Egypt, Where He ‘Faces Death’

Andrew Perez, Rolling Stone

Chaplain Ayman Soliman has comforted the parents of dying children. Trump wants to deport him back to Egypt, where his lawyers say he “faces death.”

Some Democrats may finally be ready to play dirty over redistricting

Christian Paz, Vox

A new kind of political battle is emerging between America’s parties — one centers on the composition of Congress and congressional redistricting. This process usually occurs every decade, after the US Census finishes its work and releases new demographic inf…

On The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Vandalism In Service Of Inherited Wealth

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Peter Shane’s devastating analysis in The Atlantic has performed the invaluable service of documenting what many suspected but few could prove: that Chief Justice John Roberts has systematically dismantled American constitutional government while claiming to …

Trump ally Lindell wins appeal in lawsuit over $5 million 2020 election contest

Mike Scarcella, Yahoo Entertainment

(Reuters) -Donald Trump ally and MyPillow.com chief executive Mike Lindell on Wednesday persuaded a U.S. appeals court to throw out a judge’s order requiring...

Trump is bringing back the AI law moratorium

Hayden Field, The Verge

The White House unveiled its long-awaited “AI Action Plan” on Wednesday, and it included a zombie: A resurrected form of the controversial AI law moratorium that died a very public death.  The failed congressional moratorium would have stipulated that no stat…

The absurd fight over Trump’s MAGA prosecutor in New Jersey, explained

Ian Millhiser, Vox

About four months ago, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Alina Habba, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Habba spent her brief tenure in office bringing dubious prosecutions and investigations against elected Demo…

‘Daily Show’ Host Michael Kosta Theorizes Why Paramount Didn’t Fire Jon Stewart Along With Stephen Colbert

JM McNab, Cracked.com

For starters, Trump probably doesn’t know what Comedy Central is

Space Force's Golden Dome chief says space-based missile interceptors are possible today. 'We have proven every element of the physics'

brett.tingley@futurenet.com (Brett Tingley) , Brett Tingley, Space.com

The head of the Trump administration's Golden Dome program says the technologies needed to create such an ambitious space-based missile defense system already exist.

Schools face uncertainty with budget cuts, but some welcome funding reevaluation

Aidan Gellert, Arthur Jones II, ABC News

As a new school year approaches, multiple school systems around the country told ABC News that a Department of Education funding freeze is causing confusion.

Trump Action Tracker. “Each action is mapped to one or more of...

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

Trump Action Tracker. “Each action is mapped to one or more of five broad domains of authoritarianism, helping to make sense

Trump's 'Deal' With Japan Is Another Loser for Americans

Eric Boehm, Yahoo Entertainment

Not only does it raise taxes on American consumers, but it leaves American automakers at a distinct disadvantage relative to their Japanese competitors.

Trump's Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Potential Causes and Symptoms, According to a Vein Specialist

Anna Gragert, CNET

A vein specialist weighs in on President Trump's chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) diagnosis.

JFK grandson rips move to name Kennedy Center theater after Melania Trump: This administration ‘stands for freedom of oppression’

Yahoo Entertainment

IRS has lost one-quarter of its IT staff since Trump took office

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

The 2026 tax year ought to be fun A quarter of the Internal Revenue Service's IT staff has departed since President Trump's workforce reduction efforts began earlier this year, and that has officials worried the 2026 tax season could be a mess.…

Trump White House probes Harvard University’s scholar exchange programme

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a probe will ensure the programme does 'not run contrary to our nation's interests'.

DHS Still Pretending 15 Assaults A Month Is Evidence Of Widespread Violence Against ICE Officers

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

When you’re shooting for 3,000 arrests a day, it seems kind of pathetic to complain about being mildly bruised a few times a week. DHS and ICE have constantly used a supposed massive increase in assaults on ICE officers to justify ICE’s tactics: the masks, th…

States with strict AI laws could see federal dollars withheld under Trump's new AI plan

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider

The Trump administration's new "AI Action Plan" recommends withholding federal funding from states with "burdensome" AI regulations.

Trump aims to get rid of AI regulations and finance exports to win AI race

Deepa Shivaram, NPR

President Trump says he wants to make sure the United States wins the artificial intelligence race. The White House says fewer regulations will help.

Trump paused student-loan forgiveness for nearly 2 million borrowers on income-based repayment plans

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Trump's Department of Education said it is temporarily pausing student-loan forgiveness under IBR plans to comply with ongoing court orders.

US AI Action Plan

Ai.gov

Explore President Trump's AI Action Plan, America's roadmap to win the AI race focused on Three Pillars: Accelerating Innovation, Building AI Infrastructure, and Leading in International diplomacy and Security.

EU steps up air defences for Ukraine and sanctions for Russia

John T Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera English

The US returns as a seller of critical anti-ballistic systems, but remains neutral, with no ideological standpoint.

Why is Columbia University expelling pro-Palestine students?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Nearly 80 students have been disciplined, with some being fully expelled, over pro-Palestine protests on campus.

I still keep my wired peripherals around after going wireless

Tanveer Singh, XDA Developers

I have an all-wireless setup, but I always need a backup.

Trump’s hefty tariff on Brazil expected to push the country towards China

Eleonore Hughes, Al Jazeera English

Chinese investments could play a crucial role in enabling Brazil to boost its industrial capacity and diversify economy.

Bryan Kohberger in Court for Sentencing, Watch Live Stream

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Bryan Kohberger is finally being sentenced after admitting to murdering 4 University of Idaho college students -- he's in court and so are his victims' families ... and TMZ is streaming live. The confessed killer is set to be sentenced to four…

Republicans Are Already Giving Up Hope in This Key Election Race

Janna Brancolini, Daily Beast

Republicans have already written off this year’s gubernatorial race in Virginia as a lost cause. With Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears facing weak polling and low...

What can we expect as fire season ramps up in California?

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Officials and scientists say the state has had a mild season thus far, but fires are expected to surge in drier months.

U.S. Olympic Committee Is Bending to Trump’s Anti-Trans Animus

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

MAGA Senator Mike Lee Falls for Fake Letter That Appears to Be Generated by AI

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Why are President Trump's supporters so easy to fool on social media?

As Tesla’s Sales Dwindle, a Critical Revenue Source Is Running Dry

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Tesla needs all the help it can get.

US and Japan Strike ‘Massive’ Trade Agreement

Jeremy Gray, PetaPixel

The United States has reached a trade agreement with Japan that exchanges Japanese foreign investment in the U.S. for a lower tariff rate. [Read More]

Fact Check: Old pics of Trump with his daughter Ivanka have resurfaced. They're real

Aleksandra Wrona, Snopes.com

While the president is frequently the subject of digitally edited or AI-generated images, these are genuine scenes from years ago.

Malaysia “calls on world leaders” to restrain Israel

Al Jazeera English

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim called on world leaders including US President Donald Trump, to restrain Israel

With His Bribe Paid, Trump’s FCC Will Now Help CBS Pretend Its Shitty Merger Is Good For Journalism And The Public

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Earlier this month, CBS wimped out and paid Donald Trump a $16 million bribe to settle a completely baseless lawsuit — and to buy regulatory approval of their $8 billion merger with Skydance. The result is now going to be a CBS owned by Trump’s close billiona…

Morgan Stanley’s blunt challenge to GM CEO Mary Barra: ‘How does GM expect to be profitable with EVs when players like Tesla apparently cannot?’

Christiaan Hetzner, Yahoo Entertainment

Wall Street was unimpressed by General Motors’ Q2 earnings call.

Photographer Checks Archive and Discovers Unseen Images of Epstein at Trump’s Wedding

Pesala Bandara and Matt Growcoot, PetaPixel

A photographer has revealed how he checked his old contact sheets and uncovered never-before-seen photos that show Jeffrey Epstein attending Donald Trump's 1993 wedding. [Read More]

The Download: what’s next for AI agents, and how Trump protects US tech companies overseas

Rhiannon Williams, MIT Technology Review

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Navigating the rise of AI agents AI agents is a buzzy term that essentially refers to AI models and algorithms that can n…

Musk's A.I. Chatbot Grok Claims Trump's Obama Accusations Are Attempt to 'Distract from Epstein File Scrutiny'

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Elon Musk's A.I. chatbot Grok is coming for Donald Trump's new probe into Barack Obama ... bluntly claiming it's all a ruse to get people's minds off the Jeffrey Epstein files drama! Check out Grok's reply to a user who asked if Director of…

The US decision to leave UNESCO again puts a spotlight on what the agency does and why it matters

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

With the support of international partners and the mobilization of $115 million, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO recently helped rebuild the Iraqi city of...

Hurricane Center warns of system to drench Florida, flash flooding possible. Here's where

C. A. Bridges and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida, The Florida Times-Union

A low-pressure system just off the Florida coast is forecast to bring heavy rains, thunderstorms and possible flooding the next few days, the NWS said.

WATCH: Dramatic video shows people in the water after ferry caught fire

ABC News

At least 575 people were rescued, but three people died and two remain missing.

This Tiny Gadget Should Be at the Heart of Every Smart, Energy-Saving Home

Tyler Lacoma, CNET

As energy prices rise, a high-tech smart thermostat could help save you hundreds of dollars.

Tesla sales are nosediving in California, and it's dragging the state's entire EV market down

Tom Carter, Business Insider

Tesla's registrations in the West Coast state fell more than 20% in the second quarter compared to the previous year, according to new data.

Trump Administration Changes at NIH, EPA, NASA, NSF Spark Internal Dissent

Meghan Bartels, Scientific American

Hundreds of staffers at the National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and the National Science Foundation have signed public letters to leadership opposing the direction in which the agencies are headed

Has Brazil Invented the Future of Money?

Paul Krugman, Substack.com

And will it ever come to America?

Latino tenants sued their landlord. A lawyer told them they would be "picked up by ICE."

Jack Flemming, Yahoo Entertainment

When a Latino tenant filed a lawsuit against a landlord and real estate agent for selling the home she was evicted from, an opposing lawyer suggested she'll ...

Japan’s PM Ishiba vows to stay in office despite election debacle

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Shigeru Ishiba says he wants to ensure the new tariff deal agreed with the US is properly implemented.

Billionaire Jeff Greene predicts house prices will soar once rates fall — and warns the US faces a 'downward spiral'

Theron Mohamed, Business Insider

Real estate billionaire Jeff Greene sees a housing boom once interest rates fall, and says he's worried about the US debt and a lack of immigration.

I grew my career at TikTok from intern to global product marketing manager before quitting. Here's what working there was like.

Claire Turrell, Business Insider

Sarah Teng joined TikTok in December 2020 as as a technical product specialist. When she left in 2024, she worked on a global team.

Columbia University disciplines over 70 students for pro-Palestinian protests in May

Jessica Gould, NPR

Columbia disciplined over 70 students who took part in a pro-Palestinian protests on campus in May. It comes as the university negotiates with the Trump administration over frozen research funds.

Trump Admin to Torch $10 Million in Birth Control Meant for Women in Crisis Zones

Ria Gupta, Jezebel

On Wednesday, Reuters confirmed that the contraceptives, intended for women in war zones and refugee camps, are being shipped to France to be incinerated.

Iran ready for war with Israel, will not halt nuclear programme: Pezeshkian

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

In his first TV interview since the war, Iran's president insists Tehran's uranium enrichment programme will continue.

WATCH: Couple walks down flooded aisle on their wedding day in Philippines

ABC News

This couple in the Philippines was determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day. Even if it meant walking down a flooded one.

WATCH: Crackdown on illegal vapes that appeal to kids

ABC News

ABC News' Linsey Davis took a closer look at a new generation of vaping products — some of which are unrecognizable as e-cigarettes.

WATCH: Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath legend, dead at 76

ABC News

Ozzy Osbourne, famed Black Sabbath frontman and heavy metal pioneer, has died at 76.

Columbia University suspends, expels nearly 80 students over Gaza protests

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Some students also had their degrees revoked for participating in antiwar protests, including the 2024 Gaza encampments.

During Late-Night’s Last Stand, Fans Want to Know: Where the Hell is Conan O'Brien?

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

Every other late-night stalwart has spoken out, but no one has heard from the current podcast show

Trump announces ‘massive’ trade deal with Japan

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US president says Japanese exports will be subject to a 15 percent tariff under the trade agreement.

A Top NASA Official Is Among Thousands of Staff Leaving the Agency

Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, Wired

Makenzie Lystrup’s departure from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center comes soon after the resignation of the director of JPL.

It’s a Jet2 Holiday Summer, and We’re All Screwed

Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone

A popular new meme, based on an ad for the British budget airline Jet2, perfectly captures the chaos and consequences of 2025.