Trump News for Tuesday, August 5, 2025

‘South Park’ Tells ICE to ‘Eat a Bag of Dicks’ After Co-Opting Cartoon to Recruit Agents

Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone

A DHS spokesperson thanked South Park for "drawing attention to ICE law enforcement recruitment," even though the Trump administration called the show irrelevant

How Trump's secondary tariffs on Russia could hit the global economy

BBC News

The sweeping secondary tariffs could cut the flow of Russian oil and gas to global markets.

Despite Trump's peace calls, Russian attacks on Ukraine double since inauguration

BBC News

Missile and drone attacks on Ukraine are now higher than at any other point of the war, according to Ukrainian data.

‘Irrelevant’ ‘South Park’ Claps Back at ICE for Contradicting the President

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Why is ICE using a desperate, fourth-rate comedy show to try and boost its recruiting numbers?

Trump says it is ‘up to Israel’ whether to occupy all of Gaza

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president's comments come amid warnings that expanding Israeli operations would be 'catastrophic' for Palestinians.

New association gives players 'stronger voice' - Higgins

Dan Roan, Jamie Broughton, BBC News

A new, independent association for leading snooker players gives them "a stronger voice", according to its chairman John Higgins.

Did we just lose $7 billion for solar?

Cameron Peters, Paige Vega, 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: The Trump administration plans to claw back some $7 bi…

ICE Is Already Using Tomorrow’s ‘South Park’ Episode As A Recruitment Tool

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

The Right has begun reappropriating ‘South Park’s attacks for their marketing campaigns

Hulk Hogan funeral in Largo: ‘Even in heaven, he sold out again’

Christopher Spata, Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay Times

LARGO — Friends and colleagues of Terry Bollea, the pro wrestler better known to the world as Hulk Hogan, gathered Tuesday evening to say goodbye to the...

The House Oversight Committee subpoenas the Justice Department for Epstein files

Elena Moore, NPR

The committee asked the DOJ for files related to its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. It is also looking to question Bill and Hillary Clinton, among several other former government officials.

Trump appoints task force to ensure ‘safe, seamless’ LA Olympics

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump creates LA28 task force to prepare for the first Olympics in the US since the 2002 Winter Games.

The Trade Deal Coup

Mike Brock, Techdirt

As the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues apace, and MAGA grapples with the gaslit reality they live in, the Trump Administration continues to negotiate so-called trade deals, which are negotiated and implemented using pure executive fiat, under emergency powe…

The Democrats Need to Stop Talking About Stephen Colbert

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

He’s not the winning cause some elected officials seem to think he is

Trump’s tariffs have pissed off the right’s favorite “pervert”

Zack Beauchamp, Vox

Unfortunately, we have to talk about Bronze Age Pervert. The pseudonymous writer, widely identified as a Romanian-American political theorist named Costin Alamariu, has become a popular influencer among very online young conservatives. BAP’s worldview is crud…

Drones delivering coffee? Trump administration wants more companies using UAVs

Joe Hernandez, NPR

The Trump administration wants to make it easier for companies to use drones for business — from delivering coffee to inspecting power lines to working on farms.

40 years later, Brazil is as prescient as ever

Kevin Nguyen, The Verge

Brazil opens with a bureaucratic error. A fly gets stuck in a typewriter, changing the surname of Archibald Tuttle to Archibald Buttle, a misprint on a form that dictates the government forcibly detain a suspected terrorist (Tuttle) but instead leads to the a…

Why Trump’s tariffs could live forever

Eric Levitz, Vox

President Donald Trump’s tariffs are slowing economic growth, raising prices, undermining American manufacturing, marginalizing the US geopolitically, and attracting widespread public opposition. And future presidents may largely preserve them.  This is becau…

WATCH: House Oversight chair issues subpoenas for Epstein files

ABC News

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has issued a number of new subpoenas — including one to the Department of Justice for the complete Jeffrey Epstein files.

Federal judge rules Trump administration cannot reallocate billions meant for disaster mitigation

JACK BROOK and MICHAEL CASEY, Yahoo Entertainment

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from reallocating $4 billion meant to help communities protect against natural disasters. U.S...

How gerrymandering became a blood sport

NPR

Fights over Congressional maps never used to be this intense. On Tuesday, Texas Republicans voted to issue civil arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state.<br><br>The GOP is trying to redraw house districts, and the proposed new map could give Republic…

Tourists from Malawi and Zambia are first to face $15,000 visa bonds in US

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Advocates have denounced the bond scheme as a 'legalised shakedown' that profits from vulnerable, lawful travellers.

Trump Administration Moves to Destroy Satellite That Monitors Greenhouse Gases

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

The Orbiting Carbon Observatories have been a game-changer for agriculture and climate science. Now, NASA is under pressure to terminate them.

Another Horror Story Leaks Out From Trump’s Favorite Deportation Hellhole

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Anyone with the tiniest bit of humanity would have found a better way to mass deportations, if they even felt compelled to do it all. Under Trump, the extra layers of cruelty are an essential part of the package — something that piles the deliberate inflictio…

How a Texas showdown could reshape Congress - and Trump's presidency

BBC News

A dramatic redistricting fight could spread to other states before next year's crucial midterm elections.

NASA aiming to build nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030

mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) , Mike Wall, Space.com

NASA is accelerating its plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon, aiming to establish such a power outpost by 2030, according to Politico.

Trump Wanted To Arrest 3,000 Immigrants A Day. He Didn't Realize 1 Very Important Thing.

Yahoo Entertainment

OpenAI Unveils Two New AI Models: gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b — and run locally on Snapdragon PCs and NVIDIA RTX GPUs

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) , Sean Endicott, Windows Central

Windows PCs powered by Snapdragon processors or NVIDIA RTX GPUs can run OpenAI's gpt-oss-20b model natively.

The Gen Z divide that could decide the next election

Christian Paz, Vox

The future of American politics might be decided by whether young voters get most of their news through TikTok.  I don’t mean to single out the Chinese-owned vertical video app here. TikTok is a stand-in for a bigger phenomenon in modern American society: pas…

The AI bubble is so big it's propping up the US economy (for now)

Brian Merchant, Bloodinthemachine.com

Plus how American professors are fighting back against the AI onslaught, a backlash over AI models in Vogue, and more.

Tennessee executes Byron Black despite concerns about his defibrillator

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Black's US lawyers raised concerns that his heart implant could shock him back to life, leading to undue suffering.

‘South Park’ Fans Thank Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Resignation of Paramount’s Streaming CEO

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Tom Ryan is stepping down, and the ‘South Park’ community is claiming divine intervention

Trump takes unusual stroll on White House roof

Mary Bruce, Lalee Ibssa, ABC News

Ever the developer-in-chief, President Trump makes surprise appearance on White House roof above the briefing room in an apparent effort to inspect future construction.

Texas redistricting: What's at stake as Republicans aim to pick up 5 House seats

Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

President Donald Trump claimed Republicans are "entitled to five more seats" in Texas, where a redistricting battle is playing out among state lawmakers.

Tesla and Elon Musk Sued by Shareholders Who Say Robotaxis Violate Traffic Laws

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The Tesla Robotaxi still has a human babysitter.

TV Analyst Believes ‘Late Show’ Could Be Losing $25 to $40 Million a Year

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

There’s no real future to late night, according to experts

Sydney Sweeney and the unsettling legacy of the blonde bombshell

Constance Grady, Vox

Are you tired of hearing about the controversy over Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans ad? A remarkable thing about this latest culture-war dust-up is just how much people seem to resent its sheer existence. The whole thing feels, on its face, ginned up an…

Take Back Our Digital Infrastructure To Save Democracy

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Watch the tech oligarchs who lined up behind Donald Trump at his inauguration, and you’ll see the most important story of our time: the fascists are winning because they’ve built a direct pipeline from concentrated technological power to concentrated politica…

4 European countries agree to buy $1 billion in U.S. weapons for Ukraine

Greg Myre, NPR

The weapons include U.S. missiles for Patriot air defense systems already in Ukraine. President Trump opposes more direct U.S. military aid for Ukraine, but announced the new arrangement last month.

The Internet Reacts To President Trump Wandering Around On The White House Roof

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

He reportedly shouted something about launching nukes into space The post The Internet Reacts To President Trump Wandering Around On The White House Roof appeared first on Kotaku.

US House panel subpoenas Epstein files from Trump administration

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Oversight Committee also issues deposition subpoenas for former top US officials, including Bill and Hillary Clinton.

'No One Cares' About Elite Degrees at Palantir, CEO Tells Investors

msmash, Slashdot.org

Palantir chief executive Alex Karp has told analysts and investors that the company treats Harvard, Princeton and Yale graduates the same as those without college degrees, calling employment at the data analytics firm "a new credential independent of class an…

WATCH: Hong Kong pummeled by record-setting rain

ABC News

The Hong Kong Observatory says it has recorded 355.7mm of rainfall, making it the highest daily rainfall recorded for August since records began in 1884.

Colorado Says Yes To Junk Science

Danielle Han, Jezebel

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

Exclusive-Trump administration to formally axe Elon Musk's 'five things' email

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration plans as soon as Tuesday to formally axe a program launched by billionaire former Trump adviser Elon Musk...

Woody Allen Compares Jeffrey Epstein to Dracula in Years-Old Letter

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Woody Allen compared late pal Jeffrey Epstein to Count Dracula in a wild letter the filmmaker allegedly wrote to the notorious pedophile for his 63rd birthday. The letter -- published Tuesday by the New York Times -- is both shocking and…

Trump's politically motivated sanctions against Brazil strain relations among old allies

GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA and NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Yahoo Entertainment

U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear who his new Latin America priority is: former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a personal and political ally. ...

Trump accuses banks of discriminating against his supporters

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The White House is said to be preparing an order calling for regulators to review US financial institutions.

President Trump Walks Around White House Roof, Says He's Building Nukes

TMZ Staff, TMZ

President Trump is going where no president's gone before ... the roof of the White House -- and he's talking about nuclear missiles. The Prez went for a stroll Tuesday morning at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, checking out the grounds from above ...…

The “Warrior Ethos” According To Trump: A Field Guide To Being Scared Of Everything

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

The Trump administration wants you to know they’re very, very tough. So tough, in fact, that they’re launching a comprehensive purge of the Naval Academy to eliminate “corrosive DEI programs” and restore what they call the “warrior ethos.” Because nothing say…

Rupert Murdoch promises to give Trump 'regularly scheduled' health updates while staving off deposition

Jacob Shamsian, Business Insider

The deal between Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump came in a lawsuit the president filed over an article about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

xAI’s Grok AI Lets Users Create ‘Spicy’ NSFW Images and Videos

Jeremy Gray, PetaPixel

Long before Elon Musk bought Twitter and rebranded it to X, the platform was known for allowing users to post a wide range of explicit content. Under Musk's anti-censorship stewardship, the social media platform has only become more of a Wild West. xAI's new …

CBS Exec Who Fired Stephen Colbert Now In Charge of ‘South Park’

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: August 05th, 2025

Clintons subpoenaed in congressional Epstein investigation

BBC News

Former top officials from the justice department during the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations were sent subpoenas

Rwanda agrees to accept ‘third-party’ migrant deportations from the US

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

As many as 250 migrants may be deported to Rwanda under the plan, as part of Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign.

Bill & Hillary Clinton Subpoenaed by Congressional Committee in Epstein Probe

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Bill and Hillary Clinton -- and nearly a dozen other former feds and politicians -- have been subpoenaed for depositions by a Congressional committee ... all in connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. James Comer, Chair of the House Oversight…

Acting NASA Chief Tells Agency to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon, Before China Does It First

Passant Rabie, Gizmodo.com

The project would power a future human settlement on the lunar surface.

Trump wonders if ‘low IQ’ foe Jasmine Crockett ‘is any relationship to the late, great Davy’ as he rips ‘lost’ Democrats

Yahoo Entertainment

WATCH: US Coast Guard releases final report on deadly Titan submersible implosion

ABC News

OceanGate's Titan submersible, which killed five people on a deep-sea voyage to the Titanic wreckage in June 2023.

NASA Boosts Plans for Nuclear Reactor on the Moon

Lee Billings, Scientific American

Spurred by competition from China and Russia, the Trump administration is pushing for nuclear power on the moon by 2030

Trump doubles down on his decision to fire BLS chief after disappointing jobs report

Brent D. Griffiths, Business Insider

President Donald Trump continues to claim without evidence that the jobs report was "totally rigged."

Democrats ask how Trump’s government will regulate Trump Mobile

Lauren Feiner, The Verge

When a Trump-branded phone on a Trump-branded mobile network launches sometime this year (if all goes according to plan), US regulators will face what's become a recurring conundrum in Donald Trump's presidency: how to regulate a product with ties to the head…

WATCH: Texas Democrats face arrest in redistricting fight

ABC News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest the Democrats who fled the state over a Republican redistricting plan.

Zelenskiy speaks with Trump ahead of Putin ceasefire deadline

Yahoo Entertainment

Why is Ghislaine Maxwell so central to Trump-Epstein conspiracy theories?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

With prison move, Justice Department meeting and possible Congress testimony, Trump faces scrutiny from his own base

The real problem with America's jobs data

Andy Kiersz, Business Insider

President Donald Trump fired the commissioner of the BLS after a disappointing jobs report. It likely won't help the data get better.

Trump’s Africa deal: Peace plan or power grab?

Al Jazeera English

As Rwanda and the DRC hold their first meeting under a US-backed peace deal, Trump is touting it as a diplomatic win

As Texas redistricting showdown continues, Trump claims GOP 'entitled' to more seats

Oren Oppenheim, Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

President Trump is weighing in on the Texas redistricting showdown as the statehouse is set to reconvene again Tuesday afternoon.

WATCH: 2 hikers rescued by helicopter from remote beach as rising tides cut off exit route

ABC News

Two hikers were rescued by helicopter after becoming stranded on a remote beach in California after rising tides cut off their exit route, police said.

Seth MacFarlane Delivers Very Backhanded Compliment to ‘South Park’

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

Everyone is focusing on the compliment part of the statement, not the insult part

US trade deficit narrows to $60.2 billion in June

Dan Burns, Yahoo Entertainment

(Reuters) -The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in June on a sharp drop in consumer goods imports, the latest evidence of the imprint on global commerce President...

What is the missile treaty Russia has walked out of – and why?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Kremlin has accused Washington of deploying missile platforms around the world. But did the treaty matter earlier?

Canada's trade deficit widened to C$5.9 billion in June

Promit Mukherjee, Yahoo Entertainment

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's merchandise trade deficit widened in June to C$5.9 billion ($4.24 billion) as imports grew faster than exports due to a one-time...

Trump FCC Abandons Efforts To Make U.S. Broadband Fast And Affordable

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Section 706 of the Telecom Act requires the FCC to determine whether broadband is being deployed “on a reasonable and timely basis” to everyone. If the answer is no, the law says the FCC must “take immediate action to accelerate deployment of such capability …

Bowling alleys, movie theaters, and a $200 million ballroom: What first families have added to the White House throughout history

Talia Lakritz, Business Insider

Throughout US history, first families have made the White House their own with new amenities and additions, from bowling alleys to basketball courts.

Texas Republican: GOP ‘will never have the White House again’ if state lost to Democrats

Filip Timotija, The Hill

Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison (R) claimed Monday the Republican Party will “never have the White House again” if Democrats overtake the majority in the...

India accuses US, EU of Russia trade double standards: Who is right?

Yashraj Sharma, Charu Sudan Kasturi, Al Jazeera English

India pushes back against sanctions, tariffs over its purchase of Russian oil, says West trades more with Moscow.

Trump Brazenly Preyed On Me as Epstein Watched: Model

Erkki Forster, The Daily Beast Podcast, Daily Beast

Stacey Williams, a former model who once dated Jeffrey Epstein, says Donald Trump groped her in his Trump Tower office in 1993—while casually chatting with...

Russia’s Medvedev: From failed Kremlin reformer to Trump’s boogeyman

Mansur Mirovalev, Al Jazeera English

The former Russian president, infamous for late-night online rants, is locked in a row with the US leader.

WATCH: Two men jump into rushing water to save stranded monkey

ABC News

Two men in India sprang into action when they spotted a stranded monkey in a rushing river.

Grand jury transcripts in Ghislaine Maxwell case contain nothing new, DOJ filing says

Aaron Katersky, ABC News

The Justice Department turned over a version of the Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts that identifies which information is not already publicly known.

Nasa to put nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 - US media

BBC News

The reactor would provide power for humans on the Moon but there are questions about feasability.

Is California’s congressional map a Democratic gerrymander as Vance claims?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Texas GOP plans new map; Vance references CA, but its bipartisan map is not skewed, contrary to his claims, say experts.

'Vote him out!': Town hall erupts in anger at Nebraska GOP congressman

Lauren Peller, ABC News

'Vote him out!': Town hall erupts in anger at Nebraska GOP congressman over Trump megabill, policies

Trump again threatens to 'very substantially' hike tariffs on India over Russian oil

Andrea Shalal and Aftab Ahmed, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would increase the tariff charged on imports from India from the current rate ...

Texas GOP threatens to arrest Democratic leaders. And, why 2 NASA missions could end

Brittney Melton, NPR

Texas GOP is threatening to arrest Democratic lawmakers unless they return to vote on redrawing the congressional map. And, two NASA satellite missions that scientists and farmers rely on could end.

Exclusive-Putin doubts potency of Trump's ultimatum to end the war, sources say

Darya Korsunskaya, Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan, Yahoo Entertainment

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to bow to a sanctions ultimatum expiring this Friday from U.S. President Donald Trump, and...

Texas Governor Is Using Disaster Relief as Political Leverage in His Redistricting Wars

Danielle Han, Jezebel

“Greg Abbott just told flood survivors across Texas that their suffering comes second to Donald Trump’s thirst for power,” the Texas Democratic Party chairman said in a statement.

Democrats Have Found Their Message—and Trump Is Freaking Out

Yahoo Entertainment

US perceptions of China are improving, poll finds

Elana Schor, Semafor.com

Since 2023, the share of Americans who view China as an 'enemy' dropped by seven percentage points, while the share who see it as an 'ally or trade partner' ...

If You Think Men Are in Crisis Now … Just Wait

Jill Filipovic, Slate Magazine

Men may be less well equipped, in many ways, to weather the societal shifts on the horizon.

Unemployment among Black Americans is rising. Why that may be a bad sign for the economy.

Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, USA Today

Economists say the rise in unemployment among Black Americans could be a troubling sign for the economy at large.

Pixel 10 series users could get free access to Google’s smartest features (APK teardown)

Aamir Siddiqui, Android Authority

The Pixel 10 series may come with a free trial of Google AI Pro, letting users enjoy Google's best AI features for free. Read on for more!

Welcome to brain rot summer

Amanda Hoover, Business Insider

No breakout song, no runaway blockbuster: Summer 2025's biggest vibe is the lack of actual vibes

A retired Israeli Major General on letter to President Trump from former Israeli military officials

Leila Fadel, NPR

Hundreds of former Israeli military officials are demanding an end to the war in Gaza. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin about this letter signed a letter to President Trump.

Brazil's Supreme Court orders house arrest for former President Bolsonar

The Associated Press, NPR

The trial of the far-right leader is receiving renewed attention after U.S. President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally's judicial situation.

‘Hail Satan’ But For Break Rooms, As Trump Issues Guidance For Religious Freedom In Workplaces

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Trump — perhaps more than other presidents — often feels compelled to present his religious bona fides. Of course, he naturally has none. But as often as evangelical figureheads proclaim him to be (their) God’s personal pick for POTUS, even Donald Trump occas…

Russia’s Medvedev issues warning as Moscow says not bound by missile treaty

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warns of 'further steps', blaming NATO's 'anti-Russian policy'.

Palantir exec calls LLMs a 'jagged intelligence' and outlines the company's next steps in the AI race

Katherine Li, Business Insider

Palantir outlined why its approach to AI is superior to normal LLMs, and explains how it plans to attract AI talents.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,258

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Here are the key events on day 1,258 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

'I'm upset, angry and disgusted,' Epstein accuser tells BBC

BBC News

Haley Robson says recent speculation Ghislaine Maxwell could be pardoned has left her "extremely angry".