Trump News for Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Rubio suggests Russia, Ukraine not ready for Trump meeting

Tara Suter, The Hill

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine are not ready for a meeting with President Trump as the war between the two...

Made-in-America iPhone not happening anytime soon & Trump seems okay with that

Wesley Hilliard, AppleInsider

A made-in-America iPhone seems to no longer be a priority for President Trump after Apple's additional $100 billion investment in the United States and local component use.iPhone won't be assembled in the US anytime soon, if everNothing really changed with Ap…

WATCH: New Yorker spends decades carving model of NYC

ABC News

A truck driver from Queens has gone viral on TikTok for showcasing a wooden model of New York City that he's been working on for the past two decades.

Jamelle Bouie on the Death of the Fourth American Republic

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

This is a great piece from Jamelle Bouie on the likely death of the Voting Rights Act and, zooming out, the end of an era in Ameri

Trump Vows 100% Tariff On Chips, Unless Companies Are Building In the US

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

Without providing specifics, President Trump said on Wednesday that he will impose a 100% tariff on imports of semiconductors and chips, but not for companies that are "building in the United States." CNBC reports: "We're going to be putting a very large tari…

Apple piles another $100B on top of previous US manufacturing pledge

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

Quick - someone ask Siri if there are still tariffs on India US President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook made a joint announcement from the White House on Wednesday of another Apple pledge to move manufacturing back to the United States, with an addition…

I'm tired of stupid people treating me like I'm an idiot

Matthew Hughes, Substack.com

Why are the biggest backers of generative AI so incredibly stupid? And why do they think we're as dense as they are?

Apple exempt from 100% semiconductor tariffs, thanks to its $100B U.S. investment

Marko Zivkovic, AppleInsider

Apple has secured an exemption from the Trump administration's 100% semiconductor import tariff, but it's not clear how much this will impact Apple's bottom line.Apple has received a tariff exemption, thanks to its $100B U.S. investment.Following an initial r…

Apple CEO Tim Cook gifts President Trump gold & glass commemorative plaque

Wesley Hilliard, AppleInsider

In addition to the announcements to expand US investments to $600 billion, Apple CEO Tim Cook provided a piece of Gorilla Glass and a golden stand to President Donald Trump to commemorate the news.Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald TrumpApple has been pl…

Tim Cook just got what he wanted

Brent D. Griffiths, Business Insider

Tim Cook presented Donald Trump with a special piece of Apple-made glass. Trump gave the tech giant something much better.

Paramount's deal with Skydance is finally closed: Here are 6 questions for its new owners.

Lucia Moses, Business Insider

David Ellison has finally closed the Paramount-Skydance deal. Now what? He faces huge competition and a complicated political landscape.

The Nepo Baby Running Skydance Thinks the Future of Television Is A.I.

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

David Ellison is ready to use a lot of shiny new tech in his TV empire

Tim Cook gifts Trump with 100% US-made piece of glass on a 24k gold base

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

During today’s Oval Office announcement of the American Manufacturing Program (AMP), a visibly nervous Tim Cook presented President Trump with a “unique unit of one” piece of Kentucky-made glass, mounted on a 24k gold stand crafted in Utah. more…

The ‘Daily Show’s Josh Johnson Thinks Trump Will Pardon Diddy

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

‘Diddy in your home is the devil’s version of Elf on the Shelf’

Trump Announces 100% Tariff on Semiconductors, With Exemptions for Companies Building in the U.S.

Juli Clover, MacRumors

U.S. President Donald Trump today said that there will be a 100 percent tariff on chips and semiconductors imported into the United States, but with a major exception. Companies that are building in the United States, or that have made a commitment to bu…

There’s only one type of American who still trusts the Supreme Court

Ian Millhiser, Vox

A new Gallup poll finds public approval of the Supreme Court falling below 40 percent for the first time in the poll’s history. The poll aligns with many others, which have shown public support for the Supreme Court collapsing since Justice Amy Coney Barrett’…

Apple's $100 billion investment has almost nothing to do with US iPhone manufacturing

William Gallagher and Mike Wuerthele, AppleInsider

Apple's latest announcement of a further $100 billion investment in US manufacturing is a positive, but it still has incredibly little to do with reshoring iPhone assembly.Tim Cook and Donald Trump, at the Mac Pro factoryThe expected announcement of Apple inv…

On Ukraine's front line, twisted wreckage shows sanctions haven't yet stopped Russia

BBC News

In Kharkiv, investigators gather evidence of Russian attacks - and how it has dodged sanctions.

Donald Trump Doesn’t Want You to Read This Article

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The president keeps trying to change the subject from Jeffrey Epstein, but his tactics are only making it worse.

Apple launches the ‘American Manufacturing Program,’ with a new $100B commitment to the US

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

Apple just announced a new “$100 billion commitment to America”, which includes plans to move the manufacturing of all of the cover glass for iPhone and Apple Watch to the U.S. Here are the details. more…

OpenAI Really Wants the U.S. Government to Use ChatGPT

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

The AI company is offering access to ChatGPT Enterprise to federal agencies for just $1.

Apple announces $100 billion US manufacturing plan after pressure from Donald Trump

Emma Roth, The Verge

Apple is putting another $100 billion toward expanding manufacturing in the US as the company responds to pressure from President Donald Trump to manufacture more of its products in the US. The move builds upon the company’s initial plan to invest $500 billio…

RFK Jr. defunds a medical miracle

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: In a blow to US pandemic preparedness, Health Secretar…

WATCH: Flash flooding in northern India sweeps away Himalayan village

ABC News

Video circulating online shows the moment the forceful stream of water carrying debris came down on the village of Dharali, killing at least four and leaving many others trapped under debris.

WATCH: Baby takes 1st steps during WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces halftime crawling race

ABC News

Ten babies lined up on one end of the court, but one baby stood above the rest. David Muir shares the story of how the girl took her very first steps before a crowd of hundreds – and won the race.

How Democrats Tied Their Own Hands on Redistricting

Russell Berman, The Atlantic

Their threat to match Republican gerrymandering could be difficult to fulfill.

The jobs report is a big deal. Trump’s response is an even bigger one.

Rebeca Ibarra, Sean Rameswaram, Vox

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a jobs report that upended the narrative pundits, journalists, government officials, and the White House had been repeating for months: The economy is doing just fine. The numbers showed that the US economy a…

The War Over America’s Birthday Party

Michael Scherer, The Atlantic

As plans for the festivities became Trumpier, allies of the president tried to oust Republican commissioners.

Apple's existing U.S. manufacturing partners main beneficiaries of new $100B investment

Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider

Apple will be making another $100 billion investment to enhance the company's manufacturing facilities in the United States, but there are no new companies named, nor any efforts to move full device assembly to the US.Tim Cook (left) with Donald Trump in a me…

The Trump on Roof Late-Night Jokes Were As Stale As Expected

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

No one can meet the moment as reality becomes increasingly absurd

WATCH: Dramatic rescue of pilot after plane crashes into ocean off North Carolina coast

ABC News

Video captured the moment the single-engine plane crashed in the water. Thankfully, rescue teams were already in the area after responding to another call nearby.

WATCH: At least 3 in New York City from Legionnaires’ disease

ABC News

A cluster of Legionnaires’ disease – a type of pneumonia that is caused by a bacteria that grows in warm water – broke out in the Harlem area of New York City last week.

WATCH: 5 soldiers injured in shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia

ABC News

Five soldiers were allegedly shot by a fellow service member in an active shooter incident at Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday, according to a U.S. official and the military base.

WATCH: Robin Roberts sees endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda

ABC News

Robin Roberts travels to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, where the last thousand endangered mountain gorillas live in the wild.

Grand Canyon ‘Megafire’ Explodes in Size and Is Now Creating Its Own Weather

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

The Dragon Bravo wildfire has been burning for over a month, and U.S. firefighting agencies are too understaffed to stop it.

A Trump-Putin meeting could happen as soon as next week, White House official says

Selina Wang, ABC News

A bilateral meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could happen as soon as next week, according to a White House official.

A South Korean shipyard just picked up a new repair job from the US Navy as it turns to allies to help fix the fleet

Chris Panella, Business Insider

South Korean shipbuilders and the US are increasingly working together on fixing the Navy's fleet.

Trump's Truth Social is getting its own AI search engine — powered by Perplexity

Lauren Edmonds, Business Insider

An AI search engine powered by Perplexity is now available on Truth Social, Trump Media announced on Wednesday.

Why nuclear is the center of the stock market's energy trade in 2025

sobrient@insider.com (Samuel O'Brient), Business Insider

Nuclear stocks surged this week on comments from a top official about putting reactors on the moon. It's just the latest rally for the sector in 2025.

Public health experts dismayed by RFK Jr.'s defunding of mRNA vaccine research

Rob Stein, NPR

The Trump administration cancelled about $500 million for research into mRNA vaccines. The move slows progress in using the technology to prevent a future pandemic or treat disease, experts say.

Only ISPs get to determine what constitutes 'affordable' broadband, says team Trump

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

A good deal, like beauty, is in the ISP of the beholder, after all - at least if you want BEAD funding US states that want to make use of rural broadband deployment funds had better not require ISPs to offer what they consider affordable service. According to…

Companies Find Potential Way to Avoid Trump Tariffs and Keep Prices Low

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The administration might be forced to pay back much of the revenue it's generated via the program.

mRNA Vaccine Tech Could Transform Medicine and Cure Diseases. RFK, Jr. Just Pulled Its Funding

Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American

Speed and flexibility have made mRNA a blockbuster technology

See ‘Pathetic’ Trump rebuked by icon Bob Woodward on live TV

Yahoo Entertainment

Apple to Invest Another $100 Billion In the US to Sidestep Massive Tariffs

Jeremy Gray, PetaPixel

During its last quarter financial briefing, Apple admitted it had already paid about $800 million to handle ever-changing tariffs and estimated it would pay another $1.1 billion in the current quarter. Apple is poised to spend $100 billion to invest in U.S. m…

Trump And Apple To Announce Additional $100 Billion Investment In U.S. Production

staff@bgr.com (Yoni Heisler), BGR

Apple will boost its investment in U.S. production to appease President Trump, but don't expect the iPhone to be manufactured here any time soon.

Inside the Biden Administration’s Unpublished Report on AI Safety

Will Knight, Wired

The US government conducted a groundbreaking study on frontier models—and never published the results.

Area Bigots Annoyed ICE Is Offering $50,000 Signing Bonuses To Area Bigots

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The recently passed budget bill throws nearly $200 billion at something that doesn’t actually seem to be that much of a problem: undocumented migrants. Law-abiding, hardworking taxpayers are the targets of choice for ICE, which has a 3,000-per-day arrest quot…

WATCH: Witkoff meets with Putin in Moscow as ceasefire deadline looms

ABC News

President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday ahead of expected talks, the Kremlin said in a short statement.

Grok’s ‘Spicy’ Mode Makes NSFW Celebrity Deepfakes of Women (But Not Men)

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Taylor Swift and Melania Trump? You bet. Elon Musk and the author of this article? Not so much.

Proposed House Bill Would Weaken Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangering Whales, Dolphins and More

Ryan Green, Scientific American

Proposed amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act would cut down protections to whales, dolphins, polar bears and other species

ICE Detentions Are Failing Pregnant Women. Again.

Danielle Han, Jezebel

A new report from Senator Jon Ossoff's office reveals just how bad the nightmare has become.

The Trump-Texas redistricting mess, briefly explained

Christian Paz, Vox

A political showdown is unfolding in Texas, where state Republican lawmakers are trying to game the system to give their national party an advantage in next year’s midterm elections. They’ve hit a temporary roadblock, for now. But the whole gambit has huge na…

Tim Cook to Appear With Trump at the White House as Apple Announces $100 Billion Investment

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Trump says he's raising tariffs on goods from India to 50%.

Arista pushes Ethernet for AI, downplays effect of tariffs

Dan Robinson, Theregister.com

Thanks to LLMs, CEO expects to see networks 'back-end and front-end converge' Arista Networks is expecting the AI datacenter industry to be dominated by open standards such as Ethernet or UALink in the near future, and has upped financial forecasts on the bac…

NASA Approves Ted Cruz’s Plan to Move a Space Shuttle to Houston, Setting Up a Fight With the Smithsonian

Passant Rabie, Gizmodo.com

The Smithsonian acquired the shuttle from NASA in 2012, and it's openly objecting to its possible relocation.

Google, OpenAI, Anthropic get blanket deal to saturate US government with their AI

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

Act now and Uncle Sam will throw in ChatGPT Enterprise for your agency for just $1 It's just become a lot easier for US government agencies to procure AI products from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI, as the firms and the feds have signed a government-wide agre…

A new Supreme Court case asks whether children still have First Amendment rights

Ian Millhiser, Vox

Let’s give credit where it is due. The current Supreme Court has a decent record on free speech issues.  There have been some worrisome moves, such as the Court’s decision not to immediately reverse an appeals court decision that stripped activists of their r…

Tim Cook will be at the White House for US investment announcement

Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider

Apple CEO Tim Cook will be joining President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to jointly announce Apple's $100 billion U.S. investment.Apple CEO Tim Cook [left] with Donald Trump [right] at a Mac Pro factoryApple is expected to be making…

WATCH: Minnesota hiker missing in Bighorn National Forest

ABC News

Grant Gardner last contacted his wife on July 29 after summiting Cloud Peak. There has been no contact with Gardner since then.

Homeland Security removes age limits for ICE recruits to boost hiring for Trump deportations

Yahoo Entertainment

Tim Cook expected at White House event, Apple ‘largely unaffected’ by India tariffs

Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

Two quick updates to a couple of stories from this morning involving Apple, the Trump administration, and increased India tariffs. more…

Korean American researcher held at airport for weeks over decade-old weed conviction

Ryan General, NextShark

A 40-year-old scientist and legal permanent resident has been detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco International Airport since...

The End of the Howard Stern Show Seems Near

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: August 06th, 2025

White House envoy Witkoff meets with Putin as deadline looms for Russia to end war

Charles Maynes, NPR

White House envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a last-ditch effort to convince him to make peace in Ukraine or face punishing new economic penalties by Friday.

Apple's iPhone manufacturing plan hit by Trump doubling tariffs on India

Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider

Apple's iPhone production shift to India has been hit by a doubling of tariffs, as President Donald Trump hammers the country for buying Russian oil.The iPhone 17 is supposed to be imported to the U.S. from India - Image Credit: AppleInsiderApple has worked h…

The Internet Wants to Check Your I.D.

Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker

Kyle Chayka on how safety rules that require users to verify their identities before gaining access to sites could end the relative anonymity that we’ve come to expect online.

Diddy 'hopeful' about a possible Trump pardon after his camp reached out to the administration, attorney says

Natalie Musumeci, Business Insider

President Donald Trump recently suggested in an interview that it was unlikely he'd pardon Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Why the EPA’s Latest Move Could Worsen the Climate Crisis

Rachel Cleetus, Carlos Martinez, Scientific American

If the EPA abdicates its responsibility to address climate change, it will harm health and the planet in exchange for pandering to fossil fuel interests

Trump admin live updates: Trump hits India with more tariffs over Russian oil imports

Kevin Shalvey, Ivan Pereira, ABC News

Trump on Monday said he would be "substantially raising" tariffs on India, after imposing a 25% tariff rate against the nation last week

Trump hits India with extra 25% tariff for buying Russian oil

BBC News

This will bring the tariff rate on India to 50%, among the highest rates imposed by the US.

Trump, Apple To Announce New $100 Billion Commitment To Manufacturing in US

msmash, Slashdot.org

President Trump and Apple are expected to announce a new $100 billion commitment by Apple to boost manufacturing in the U.S. CBS News: The new investment would increase Apple's commitment to U.S. manufacturing to $600 billion over the next four years, accordi…

Trump Is Going After Abortion Access for Veterans

Ria Gupta, Jezebel

The administration appears to be using the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement its first nationwide abortion ban.

Apple expected to announce another $100B U.S. manufacturing investment

Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider

After an early-morning tease, further reports claim that Apple will invest another $100 billion into manufacturing in the United States, and President Donald Trump is expected to announce it on Wednesday alongside CEO Tim Cook.Tim Cook [left], President Donal…

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…

Trump says Apple will invest a further $100B in US production

Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac

A report says that Trump will shortly make an announcement from the White House claiming that Apple will spend a further $100 billion on US manufacturing over the next four years. Apple has so far not confirmed the announcement, which would bring its total…

White House: Apple set to announce a major investment

Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has hinted that Apple could be making a major investment announcement sometime on Wednesday, albeit without explaining what that announcement will be.Inside Apple's R&D center in Austin, Texas — image credit: AppleAp…

Here’s how India tariffs could affect Apple and iPhone production

Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

Shifting final assembly of Apple products like iPhone from China to India has helped Apple avoid costly tariffs in the United States. But what happens when the US imposes similar tariffs in India to those seen in China? more…

What to Know About Traveling to China for Business

Mitch Moxley, Wired

Recent developments and an escalating trade war have made travel to cities like Beijing challenging but by no means impossible.

Five Times ‘South Park’ Had Major Retcons

Brian VanHooker, Cracked.com

A Saddam Hussein-inspired Donald Trumps isn’t the first time ‘South Park’ rewrote its history

Trump Is Sabotaging His Own AI Plan

Thomas Wright, The Atlantic

And setting America back in a race he desperately wants to win.

Trump Cuts Kill The Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Harming All Of Us

Karl Bode, Techdirt

The U.S. right wing has won a generational war against education and informed consensus with the closure of the Corporation For Public Broadcasting (CPB), which states it will being shuttering its doors after being unable to survive recent brutal funding cuts…

Beto O'Rourke's group helping front costs of bolting Texas House Democrats

Brittany Shepherd, ABC News

Members are racking up bills from travels to remain outside of state boundaries.

New NASA head wants to build a nuclear reactor on the moon – but why?

Leah Crane, New Scientist

The acting administrator of NASA, Sean Duffy, announced a directive to build a powerful nuclear reactor on the moon, but it is unclear what it would power – or even if his plan is legal

Trump claims TSMC will invest $300 billion in Arizona, pledges semiconductor tariff

William Gallagher, AppleInsider

President Trump has announced that iPhone processor supplier TSMC is to invest $300 billion in US manufacturing, and says a semiconductor tariff is imminent.TSMC is reportedly investing more in US expansionAfter Trump threatened higher tariffs on imports from…

Donald Trump Calls Top Cabinet Member By Wrong Name, While She's Standing Right There

Yahoo Entertainment

NASA Budget Cuts Could Halt Space Missions, Climate Research, Experts Warn

Rachel Feltman, Lee Billings, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura, Jeffery DelViscio, Scientific American

NASA faces historic budget cuts that could shutter missions and stall vital research, prompting a bipartisan outcry from all of the agency’s living former science chiefs.

Contributor: The true cost of abandoning science

Steven R. Furlanetto, Yahoo Entertainment

American science — until now the envy of the world — will not survive the Trump administration's wanton cuts.

Trump’s tariffs are bringing in tens of billions of dollars a month. What’s the government doing with all that money?

Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, CNN

Hardly a day goes by without President Donald Trump boasting about the record tariff revenue the US government has been collecting since he ratcheted up...

Judge to mull halting operations at 'Alligator Alcatraz' over environmental concerns

Peter Charalambous, ABC News

A federal judge will hold a hearing Wednesday on whether to block operations at the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" facility due to environmental concerns.

60 years later, Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters face new threats

Hansi Lo Wang, NPR

Sixty years after the Voting Rights Act became a landmark law against racial discrimination, legal challenges heading to the Supreme Court could curtail its remaining protections for minority voters.

The key pillar of Russia's war chest is cracking. The timing couldn't be worse.

htan@insider.com (Huileng Tan), Business Insider

In July, Russia collected 787.3 billion rubles, or $9.8 billion, from oil and gas revenue — 27% lower than a year ago.

Trump envoy Witkoff arrives in Moscow ahead of Ukraine ceasefire deadline

David Brennan, ABC News

The visit is Witkoff's fifth to Moscow since January.

NASA Satellites That Scientists and Farmers Rely On May Be Destroyed On Purpose

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

The Trump administration has reportedly directed NASA to draw up plans to shut down its Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite missions, which provide vital climate and agricultural data for scientists, oil and gas companies and farmers who need detailed infor…

RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine contracts

The Associated Press, NPR

The Department of Health and Human Services will cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines that are being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.

Trump suggests J.D. Vance is 'most likely' his heir apparent

Reuters Videos, Yahoo Entertainment

STORY: :: August 5, 2025:: Washington, D.C.:: Trump suggests J.D. Vance is his heir to lead the MAGA movementJournalist: "Do you agree that the heir apparent...

Consumer spending may be up, but so is household debt, a new report from the New York Fed shows

Katherine Li, Business Insider

As the economy sends mixed signals with a solid stock market and consumer spending, household debt and credit card bills are also rising

Rivian expects tariffs to increase car production costs by 'a couple thousand dollars per unit'

Lloyd Lee, Business Insider

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said during Tuesday's second-quarter earnings call that US policies around EVs will impact Rivian's cash flow.

WATCH: Trump asked if Vance is 'heir' to the MAGA movement

ABC News

When asked if he thinks that the "heir" to the MAGA movement is Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump said he is "doing a great job" and that he would be "probably favored at this point."

WATCH: Trump takes unusual stroll on White House roof

ABC News

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