Trump News for Thursday, July 31, 2025

Gerdau's adjusted profit falls near 9% in Q2, tariffs boost US operations

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau on Thursday reported an 8.6% decline in its second-quarter adjusted net profit year-on-year, slightly below ...

Fact Check: Posts claim 92-year-old Scottish woman refused to sell her property to Donald Trump. Here's the truth

Yahoo Entertainment

Kamala Harris’ New Book Is A Classic ‘Veep’ Joke

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

The former vice president is promoting the story of her 107 day long campaign

SEC Debuts 'Project Crypto' To Bring US Financial Markets 'On Chain'

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

The SEC has launched "Project Crypto" to overhaul outdated securities regulations for a blockchain-based future, aiming to support tokenized assets, crypto trading, and "super apps." "To achieve President Trump's vision of making America the crypto capital …

Ex-CISA chief slams MAGA 'manufactured outrage' after sudden West Point firing

Jessica Lyons, Theregister.com

US Army Sec appears to fold under pressure from far-right conspiracy theorist comment Jen Easterly has weighed in on the US Army Secretary firing her from a prestigious West Point teaching post a day after the US Military Academy announced the appointment.…

On Trump, Gaza, and the Perils of a Blank Check for Israel

Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker

Susan Glasser on Donald Trump’s changing stance on the starvation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

ICE, Georgia Sheriff’s Office Combine Forces To Keep A Salvadoran Journalist Locked Up Indefinitely

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

This too will be swept away by this administration’s steady stream of injustices, but it’s still worth highlighting before it’s buried by even worse news later. The mass deportation program enacted by Trump — one that intends to turn ICE into the nation’s lar…

The Warped Idealism of Trump’s Trade Policy

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The president once promised he’d prioritize Americans’ bottom line above all else. He’s abandoned that pledge.

Sean Combs’ Allies Have Upped Pardon Talks. His Survivors Want to Shut Them Down

Jason Newman, Rolling Stone

Some Sean "Diddy" Combs’ survivors are in talks to send a letter to President Donald Trump urging him against the idea of pardoning the mogul.

What has been the impact of Trump’s tariffs so far?

Marium Ali, Hanna Duggal, Al Jazeera English

Trump’s tariffs have raised costs, driven up prices, hit key industries, and brought in $124bn ahead of August 1.

National Guard Ordered to Do ICE Paperwork at Immigration Facilities in 20 States

Nick Turse, The Intercept

Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to immigration facilities further blurs the line between military and law enforcement. The post National Guard Ordered to Do ICE Paperwork at Immigration Facilities in 20 States appeared first on The Intercept.

Apple staring down $2 billion in total tariff costs in total before end of September

William Gallagher, AppleInsider

Apple's bill for Trump's tariffs in the third quarter was a little less than first expected, but Tim Cook has cautioned that it will be considerably more in the next quarter, totaling about $2 billion across just two quarters.Trump's tariffs are increasingly …

Apple's Q3 Sales Boosted by Consumers Scrambling to Beat Tariff Price Hikes

Juli Clover, MacRumors

Apple customers afraid of massive price hikes because of tariffs helped Apple's device sales during the fiscal third quarter of 2025, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today. Speaking to Reuters, Cook said that approximately one percentage point of Apple's 10 perc…

The Columbia deal with Trump is a blueprint. All of higher ed should fear what comes next.

Nicole Narea, Vox

One by one, elite universities are signing away some of their autonomy to the Trump administration after it has accused them of civil rights violations and withheld federal funding. The University of Pennsylvania banned transgender women from participating in…

Wilson and Zhao set up Shanghai semi-final

Alex Brotherton, BBC News

World champion Zhao Xintong and world number two Kyren Wilson will meet in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters after eliminating Ding Junhui and Ronnie O'Sullivan respectively.

White House unveils plans for new $200m ballroom

BBC News

Donald Trump has been calling for the White House to build a new ballroom for nearly a decade.

Might Tariffs Get “Overturned”?

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

Somebody’s paying the tariffs. Looks like it’s you.     Source: OptimistiCallie     You probably missed V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump, a little-noticed case that is working its way through the courts. Most investors are not paying attention to this. Maybe …

Republicans want to give Uber workers benefits. There’s a catch.

Rachel Cohen, Vox

Should independent contractors get employment benefits? The question has fueled decades of legal and political battles — and it might finally be coming to an end for the roughly 58 million people who currently work as freelancers, contractors and gig workers …

Fears over tariff price rises prompted panic buying of iPhones

William Gallagher, AppleInsider

Prior to the earnings conference call, Tim Cook said that Apple saw users buying devices such as the iPhone outside of normal expectations because of concerns that tariffs would force prices to rise.Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in…

Was Gen Z’s Trump era just a phase?

Christian Paz, Vox

As Donald Trump’s presidency shoulders on, a curious thing is happening with the youngest cohort of American voters: Gen Z’s support for the president is crumbling, but they’re not swinging in favor of the Democrats — yet. It’s an amplification of a more gene…

White House getting new $200M ballroom

Al Jazeera English

The White House has announced plans for a new $200m ballroom, with construction to start in September.

Air Marshals, reassigned from commercial flights, 'serve sandwiches and check lice' on deportation flights...

Rene Marsh, CNN

Air Marshals, reassigned from commercial flights, 'serve sandwiches and check lice' on deportation flights... (First column, 9th story, link) Related stories:COLD AS ICE: Woman Who Died in Custody Told Son She Wasn't Allowed to See Docto…

In Rare Spasm of Sanity, Pentagon Backtracks on Plan to Scuttle Storm Tracking

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

The Department of Defense has walked back its decision to stop sharing satellite storm data with federal forecasters.

Tesla starts sort-of Robotaxi service in San Francisco by invite only

Iain Thomson, Theregister.com

There's a driver at the wheel Elon Musk's goal of a fully autonomous car that could serve as a Robotaxi is getting another trial this week, albeit with a human operator behind the wheel.…

The Chrisleys' Reality Series Features Prison Pardons Journey in New Trailer

TMZ Staff, TMZ

The Chrisley family's new Lifetime reality show is about to take you on an emotional rollercoaster -- at least, that’s what the first trailer promises -- and trust us, it’s a wild ride! Catch the extended Lifetime clip -- "The Chrisleys: Back…

The effort to ban congressional stock trading has a Trump problem

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider

Sen. Josh Hawley said he spoke to Trump on Wednesday after the president called him "second-tier" over his stock trading ban bill.

Why a ‘Confused’ Trump Lashed Out at a MAGA Senator

Nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

Donald Trump was "confused" about the specifics of a stock trading ban, leading him to blow up at Sen. Josh Hawley on Truth Social.

US to deny visas to Palestinian officials

BBC News

The US says both the PLO and the Palestinian Administration continue to support "terrorism".

Stephen Colbert Should Pull A Reverse Seth Meyers and Convince Kamala Harris Not to Run for President Again

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Harris hasn’t announced her ambitions to run in 2028, and, if Colbert does the right thing, she never will

Family speaks out after Trump said Jeffrey Epstein ‘stole’ Virginia Giuffre

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Giuffre's relatives call on the US president's administration to release further information about the Epstein case.

An MMA fighter Trump hosted at the White House loses appeal in his rape case

Lauren Frayer, NPR

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor used to be the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. President Trump, a UFC fan, hosted him at the White House for St. Patrick's Day this year.

Refugee and migrant crossings to UK hit record high by end of July

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

More than 25,000 people have crossed the English Channel to the UK in 2025, the highest total this early in the year.

Trump breaks tariff promise again

Anand Sinha, TheStreet

The U.S. and Mexico have extended their tariff arrangement for another 90 days.

US says CO2 emissions aren’t harmful – climate science shows otherwise

James Dinneen, New Scientist

The Trump administration is attempting to argue that greenhouses gases don’t endanger people to reverse regulations limiting these harmful emissions – climate scientists are pushing back

‘South Park’ Fans Thank The White House For The Show’s Streaming Explosion

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

President Trump's response to "Sermon on the 'Mount" could be responsible for its massive success

Poll: Nearly 70% of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — think the government is hiding something about Jeffrey Epstein

Andrew Romano, Yahoo Entertainment

About a quarter believe the well-connected sex offender committed suicide. Twice as many think he was murdered.

ICE Is Spending More Time Targeting The Least Dangerous People In America

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The “worst of the worst” ruse was never taken seriously by anyone, least of all those who performatively repeated it to serve as cover for their hatred and bigotry. The mantra means nothing. The same agency that claims it’s doing “God’s work” is going all out…

Retirees: Be very, very worried about who will replace Jerome Powell at the Fed

Brett Arends, MarketWatch

If you’re retired or living on passive income, you have every reason to be grateful to the Federal Reserve chair.

WATCH: New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks at NYPD officer's funeral

ABC News

New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke about his visit with late officer Didarul Islam’s father, and the pain of parents having to bury their children.

Hamas Wants Gaza to Starve

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic

Starvation only helps Hamas end the war in a way that advances its aims.

US appeals court hears arguments about legality of Trump tariffs

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Proceedings in the case, brought by five small businesses, come a day before tariffs are set to take effect.

An investing guru explains why you shouldn't cash out if you think a crash is coming

Theron Mohamed, Business Insider

Wealthfront's Burt Malkiel, an author and economist, told BI that it's "virtually impossible" to time the market, and buying meme stocks is gambling.

New poll finds Americans perceive less racial discrimination in US

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Less than half of Americans believe racial minorities face substantial discrimination, in reversal of previous trend.

Pam Bondi: Who is Trump’s attorney general handling the Epstein files?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The former Florida top cop has embraced loyalty to Trump, but faces fallout from the MAGA base over Epstein files.

5 reasons Democrats are in good shape — and 2 reasons they’re in deep trouble

Eric Levitz, Vox

The Democratic Party’s approval rating is at its lowest point in at least 35 years, according to a Wall Street Journal poll released last week.  In that survey, 63 percent of voters expressed an unfavorable view of the Democrats, while just 33 percent voiced …

Trump’s Sloppy Effort to Distract From Epstein Mess Creates a ‘Ticking Time Bomb’

Andrew Perez, Rolling Stone

Donald Trump’s advisers worry his effort to turn attention away from the Epstein scandal — his threat to jail Obama — will blow up in their faces.

Hundreds of agencies tap Atherton surveillance system for feds; Fails own rules

Arden Margulis, Almanacnews.com

Hundreds of law enforcement agencies used Atherton’s license plate surveillance system with searches tied immigration enforcement despite California law.

Trump agrees to keep US tariffs on Mexico steady for 90-day period

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The deal was reached after a call between the US president and his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum.

The End of America as a Center of Science

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

Ross Anderson writes about how scientific empires, from the ancient Sumerians to the Nazis to the Soviet Union in the 1950s, have

All It Took for Great Stephen Colbert Ratings Was Cancellation

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: July 31st, 2025

Cool! Diddy Still Doesn't Think He Did Anything Wrong

Audra Heinrichs, Jezebel

Meanwhile, Deadline reports that President Trump is “seriously considering” extending a presidential pardon to Combs.

Is Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ Video the Most Copied of All Time?

David Browne, Rolling Stone

From Margo Price's new clip to music videos by INXS, Kim Gordon, and "Weird Al," the lyrics-on-notecard conceit is as enduring as ever

European Union assumes its faces 15% tariffs in the US from Friday. But a key text still isn't ready

LORNE COOK, Yahoo Entertainment

The European Union is working on the assumption that the United States will impose a 15% tariff on most EU exports from Friday, even though the two sides...

ICE’s Mind-Bogglingly Massive Blank Check

Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic

Congress has appropriated billions with few strings attached, creating a likely windfall for well-connected firms.

US State Department sanctions Palestinian Authority for ‘undermining peace’

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has accused the PA of seeking to 'internationalise' its conflict with Israel in court.

Why critics fear Emil Bove’s confirmation will start a MAGA judicial shift

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Bove was recently confirmed to a lifetime position as a circuit court judge, despite concerns about his ethics.

A 'South Park' episode that mocked Trump and CBS attracted almost 6 million viewers and broke a 26-year-old audience record

Thibault Spirlet, Business Insider

The episode, titled "Sermon on the Mount," poked fun at President Donald Trump, CBS, and its parent company, Paramount.

Why Trump Broke With Bibi Over the Gaza Famine

Jonathan Lemire, Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic

The president wants the war to end and thinks Benjamin Netanyahu is standing in his way.

WATCH: Supersized stick insect discovered in Australia

ABC News

Scientists in Australia have discovered a giant new species of stick insect, which is over 15 inches long.

Josh Hawley Says Trump Tariff Rebate Checks Won’t Go to ‘Biden Voters’

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

It sounds like only Trump voters would be eligible for Hawley's theoretical rebate.

What legal tests are Donald Trump’s tariffs facing?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US courts assessing Trump's tariff authority and reliance on 1977 emergencies act amid constitutional power debate.

Americans Wanted a Cost of Living Warrior. Trump Is the Opposite

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Americans are increasingly concerned with cost of living issues. They voted for Donald Trump to help, but he's done the opposite.

Study Shows Musk’s Starlink Too Congested To Tackle U.S. Broadband Woes Despite Billions In New Subsidies

Karl Bode, Techdirt

A new study from researchers at X-Lab shows that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband service lacks the capacity to put a serious dent in U.S. broadband. Despite recent efforts by the Trump administration to rewrite a $42 billion subsidy program with an e…

47 things he would rather talk about...

https://www.facebook.com/politico, Politico

47 things he would rather talk about... (First column, 5th story, link) Related stories:White House claims uproar over Epstein files has slowed... Inmate No. 02879-509 in Florida. But once again Ghislaine is holding court... The Don's …

The Twilight Zone

Sue Halpern, The New York Review of Books

Laila Lalami’s prescient new novel follows a woman imprisoned by the government for her dreams.

The Contradictory Revolution

David S. Reynolds, The New York Review of Books

Historians have long grappled with “the American Paradox” of American Revolutionary leaders who fought for their own liberty while denying it to enslaved Black people.

After Resettlement

Caroline Moorehead, The New York Review of Books

How has a group of Liberian refugees, resettled in the US nearly twenty-five years ago after fleeing civil war, fared in a country that has changed vastly since admitting them?

Romania’s Split Identity

Costică Brădăţan, The New York Review of Books

Romania’s divided loyalties between East and West help explain how a nerdy Sorbonne-educated mathematician was elected president.

Most US iPhones are now made in India as Apple responds to tariffs

Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac

Most US iPhones are now made in India rather than China, as Apple rejigs its supply chain to avoid tariffs on products imported into America from China. The strategy will certainly be of significant help to Apple at present, but there are two reasons why t…

Trump, Epstein and immigration raids: Mehdi Hasan and Mick Mulvaney

Al Jazeera English

Mehdi Hasan goes head-to-head with Mick Mulvaney on Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and his fitness for office.

Trump Explodes at Putin Ally Who Likened Him to ‘Sleepy Joe’

Yahoo Entertainment

Fake AI images are flooding the Internet. Here’s how to recognize them

Jörn-Erik Burkert, Florian Kastner, PCWorld

One of the phenomena triggered by the AI boom in recent years is deepfakes. The term is made up of the words deep learning and fake. Deep learning refers to machine learning methods, while a fake is a forgery, an imitation or a hoax. A deepfake is theref…

Who has a deal, who doesn’t? The state of play on eve of Trump’s tariffs

Yashraj Sharma, Al Jazeera English

There is just a day to go before US president launches sweeping global tariffs.

Vice President JD Vance says 'lawlessness' runs downtown Canton. Some residents disagree

Janson McNair, Canton Repository, Canton Repository

Vice President JD Vance said downtown Canton is filled with "lawlessness." Is there truth to that claim?

Seth Meyers Spots The Exact Moment Donald Trump Looked ‘Actually Broken’

Lee Moran, HuffPost

"I've seen him look upset before but I've never seen Trump look actually broken," said the "Late Night" comedian.

Can San Francisco Be Saved?

Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic

Introducing No Easy Fix, a new three-part miniseries from Radio Atlantic, about the widespread addiction and homelessness that threaten the city’s future

Trump’s Gaza “Food Centers” Miss the Real Problem: Israel’s Aid Blockade

Matt Sledge, The Intercept

As with many of Trump’s proposals, it’s unclear how serious he is about his vague call for further U.S. involvement in Gaza food aid. The post Trump’s Gaza “Food Centers” Miss the Real Problem: Israel’s Aid Blockade appeared first on The Intercept.

Tariff wars: Has Donald Trump killed the WTO?

Alex Kozul-Wright, Al Jazeera English

In the wake of Trump’s global trade war, can the World Trade Organization reclaim its role as guardian of free trade?

Fires and destruction as missile attacks rattle Ukraine’s capital

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Missile strikes on Kyiv leave six dead, including a child, and injure 82 as fires engulf the capital overnight.

Russia kills six in drone, missile strikes on Ukraine’s Kyiv: Zelenskyy

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Rescue teams search for people under the rubble after at least 52 people are wounded.

Medvedev reminds Trump of Russia's Doomsday nuclear strike capabilities as war of words escalates

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump admin lifted sanctions on Israeli accused of killing Palestinian activist

Emily Chang, ABC News

President Joe Biden sanctioned Yinon Levi in 2024 for violence against Palestinians.

What to Do — And Not to Do — About a Judge Like Emil Bove

Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

The constitutional order will not defend us from a judge so committed to Trump’s presidential authoritarianism. The post What to Do — And Not to Do — About a Judge Like Emil Bove appeared first on The Intercept.

Trump threatens trade deal after Canada moves towards recognising Palestine

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Canada and the US are working on negotiating a trade deal by August 1, with Trump threatening a 35% tariff on Canada.

Trump sells the EU more energy and protection, muscling Russia out

John T Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera English

Moscow called an EU-US trade deal 'anti-Russian' as the US formally took over its former energy market.

Russian strikes on Kyiv kill six and injure more than 50, Ukrainian officials say

BBC News

A barrage of Russian drones and missiles have caused damage at more than two dozen locations across Kyiv.

Reform government would have to do unpopular things, says policy guru

BBC News

James Orr, a friend of JD Vance and the man behind a new pro-Reform think tank, speaks to the BBC.

Axing of The Late Show reveals how monopolisation has gutted US media

Donald Earl Collins, Al Jazeera English

CBS’s sacking of Stephen Colbert exposes a media system where corporate control crushes journalism and silences dissent.

Diddy Files Motion for Acquittal or New Trial, Says Mann Act Doesn't Apply to Him

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Diddy wants his conviction on 2 counts of the Mann Act overturned, and if not, he's demanding a whole new trial on those charges ... according to new docs filed late Wednesday night. It's pretty stunning, but in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Diddy and…

Brown University strikes agreement with White House to restore lost federal funding

The Associated Press, NPR

Brown University will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding, officials said Wednesday.

Trump says US does very little business with India, almost none with Russia

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

"I don't care what India does with Russia", he said in a Truth Social post on Thursday, adding that "they can take their dead economies down together, for...

US senator plans trip to Taiwan as Trump’s interest in island cools: Report

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Report says US Senator Roger Wicker may visit Taiwan after President William Lai Ching-te cancelled Latin America trip.

Seth Meyers Has Finally Found A World Where Late-Night Talk Shows Are Thriving

Tara Ariano, Cracked.com

It’s in ‘Digman!,’ the animated series starring his old ‘SNL’ pal Andy Samberg

The surprisingly sound financial advice I got from a chatbot

Adam Clark Estes, Vox

Recently, as an experiment, I gave a bunch of my financial information to an AI chatbot. I know what you’re thinking — it sure doesn’t sound like the wisest move. While the large language models that power such bots are good at many things, math is not histor…

US says sanctions hit Iran ‘shipping empire’ linked to top Tehran official

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Sanctions said to target shipping controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of top adviser to Iran's supreme leader.

Trump announces trade deal with South Korea, setting tariff at 15 percent

John Power, Al Jazeera English

South Korean leader says agreement eliminates 'uncertainties' in trade environment.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,253

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Here are the key events on day 1,253 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

White House claims uproar over Epstein files has slowed...

Ariana Baio, The-independent.com

White House claims uproar over Epstein files has slowed... (First column, 3rd story, link) Related stories:Ghislaine is inmate No. 02879-509 in Florida. But once again, holding court... The Don's Shifting Stories... Drudge Re…

US allies break with Trump to force diplomatic shift on Gaza

BBC News

As Canada joins France and the UK with plans to recognise a Palestinian state, the US stands firmly with Israel - but does Trump have a long-term plan for Gaza's future?

How Bad Is It?: Trump’s War on Comedians

The New Yorker

The former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood, Jr., says the Administration’s attacks on late-night comedy are a game of “stupid whack-a-mole.”