Trump News for Friday, August 8, 2025

Azerbaijan and Armenia sign peace deal at White House summit with Trump

BBC News

"It's been a long time coming," Trump said of the agreement, which will reopen key transport routes.

Why Donald Trump’s environmental data purge is so much worse this time

Justine Calma, The Verge

Now that we're about halfway into the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, we can take stock of his administration's destruction of online environmental resources. It's worse than last time. It's also, seemingly, just the beginning - paving the…

Faith, family and fish - the unlikely bond between JD Vance and David Lammy

BBC News

The US vice president is beginning his UK holiday with a visit to the foreign secretary. Since when were they so close?

WATCH: Active shooter reported on Emory University's Atlanta campus

ABC News

Emory University reported an active shooter on its Atlanta, Georgia, campus on Friday.

The New Leader of Comedy Central Can’t Commit to Jon Stewart’s Television Future

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

A new interview with Paramount executive George Cheeks doesn’t seem promising

Inspector General Probing FAA’s Handling of D.C. Airspace After Thousands of Close Calls

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

Seems overdue.

What’s Really Driving Netanyahu’s Decisions

Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic

A conversation with Yair Rosenberg about the hard-line Israeli faction that has long wanted to resettle Gaza

Colbert Says ‘Netflix, Call Me’ on Hiatus Sign Off

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

‘The Late Show’ is taking a three-week break — Colbert might spend that time looking for new jobs

Intel CEO responds to Trump resignation call with letter to employees

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

Yesterday, President Donald Trump publicly called for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s resignation, over accusations of “deeply conflicted” ties to China. Now, he is speaking out and making it clear he has no plans to step aside. more…

A Complete Timeline of the Right Claiming Sydney Sweeney

Miles Klee, Rolling Stone

For years, right-wingers have tried to claim that actress Sydney Sweeney represents a victory over leftists, Democrats, and 'wokeness.'

Here Is the Ruff Credits Scene That Comedy Central Cut From This Week’s ‘South Park’

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Kristi Noem closes the uncensored cut with a tragic trip to the pet store

Humans make better content cops than AI, but cost 40x more

Thomas Claburn, Theregister.com

To keep toxic content from damaging brands, both people and machines have a place Human content moderators still outperform AI when it comes to recognizing policy-violating material, but they also cost significantly more.…<!--#include virtual='/data_centre/_w…

US Mining industry benefitting from bi-partisan federal assistance

Sam Fuqua, NPR

American has almost no domestic mineral smelters, compromising economic and military security. A nickel smelter proposed for a former North Dakota coal mine site could turn that around.

Some legal experts say ICE in criminal courts means a slower path to justice

Meg Anderson, NPR

As President Trump ramps up deportations, ICE agents have been seen not just at immigration courts, but at criminal courts, too. Defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges fear a chilling effect on criminal proceedings.

Trump’s War On Big Law Means It’s Harder to Challenge The Administration

Molly Redden, Techdirt

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Two weeks into President Donald Trump’s second presidency, and just days after he pardoned hundreds of Capitol rioters, officials Trump had placed in charge of the…

Israel rejects international criticism of Gaza City takeover plan

BBC News

Israel's defence minister says countries that condemn Israel and threaten sanctions "will not weaken our resolve".

FCC Commissioner Slams Paramount’s New ‘Truth Arbiter’ for the Trump Regime

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Anna Gomez says the new company is "born in shame."

The Best Jokes About Trump’s White House Rose Garden Renovation

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: August 08th, 2025

Trump administration subpoenas New York Attorney General Letitia James

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

James successfully sued Trump for fraud in 2023, sparking the president's ire and accusations of retaliation.

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)’s Azure Growth Slowdown Would Mean Amazon “Doesn’t Look Stupid,” Says Jim Cramer

Ramish Cheema, Yahoo Entertainment

We recently published 10 Stocks Jim Cramer Discussed As He Blasted China’s Hostility Towards The US. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one of the stocks...

President Trump taps federal law enforcement agencies to police Washington, D.C.

Meg Anderson, NPR

President Trump has ordered federal law enforcement agencies to begin policing the streets of Washington, D.C., citing crime in the city.

A Bug at Social Security Admin Has Been Rerouting Phone Calls to Random Offices

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The agency initially denied there was an issue.

Environmentalist Lawsuit Halts Construction of Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

Environmental groups allege that officials broke federal law by rushing construction without attaining public input or an environmental impact statement.

Intel CEO Responds to Trump’s Threat

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Intel’s chief executive says there is a lot of ‘misinformation’ circulating about his past.

Trump removes Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than 2 months after his confirmation

FATIMA HUSSEIN, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump has removed former U.S. Rep. Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said...

The Last Food Dye Standing

Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic

RFK Jr.’s crackdown on artificial dyes has left behind the chemical that turns food white.

Public Relations Expert Explains Why President Trump Should Let ‘South Park’ Cook for His Own Good

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

The official White House statement on ‘South Park’ is the perfect example of what not to do while in the show’s crosshairs

US diplomat says UK would have lost WW2 with Starmer as leader

BBC News

Mike Huckabee's comments come after the UK prime minister condemned Israel's Gaza City military takeover plan.

Diddy's bid to avoid prison: He'll become a domestic abuse counselor

Natalie Musumeci, Business Insider

Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team plans to ask a judge that he serve no prison time. The mogul wants to counsel domestic abusers, his lawyer said.

Another Trump Pump Sends Ethereum, XRP and Dogecoin Flying: What Happens Next?

Yahoo Entertainment

Sex is getting scrubbed from the internet, but a billionaire can sell you AI nudes

Adi Robertson, The Verge

In the fascinating new reality of the internet, teen girls can't learn about periods on Reddit and indie artists can't sell smutty games on Itch.io, but a military contractor will make you nonconsensual deepfakes of Taylor Swift taking her top off for $30 a m…

Trump directs Pentagon to prepare military options to use against some drug cartels

Katherine Faulders, Luis Martinez, Michelle Stoddart, ABC News

Trump has directed the Pentagon to prepare options for the possible use of U.S. military force against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, officials say.

Courts Start Asking About The ICE Arrest Quota The Administration Is Now Pretending Isn’t A Quota

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Arrest/ticketing quotas have almost always been found illegal by courts. They used to be commonplace, but courts (at all levels) have generally ruled that quotas pervert incentives so much they encourage open, deliberate abuse of constitutional rights. Enter …

DOJ seeks to unseal exhibits from grand jury probes into Epstein, Maxwell

Aaron Katersky, ABC News

The DOJ is seeking to unseal the exhibits shown to the federal grand juries in New York that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, according to a court filing.

Trump seeking $1-billion fine from UCLA over antisemitism allegations

Jaweed Kaleem, Michael Wilner, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration has proposed the University of California pay more than $1 billion to settle antisemitism charges and restore frozen grant funding...

'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary says he's not stressing about an AI bubble or tariff pain

Theron Mohamed, Business Insider

Kevin O'Leary of "Shark Tank" fame told Business Insider that AI is "not the same hype that the internet bubble was," and tariffs aren't biting hard.

Kristi Noem Says Her Melting-Face ‘South Park’ Parody Was ‘Petty’ and ‘Lazy’

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Ironically, Noem didn’t watch her ‘South Park’ parody

Update: Lumber Prices Up 24% YoY

Calculated Risk, Calculatedriskblog.com

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

The Flaw in the Texas Democrats’ Plan

Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic

Eventually, they’ll have to go home.

Justice Department launches grand jury probe of N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James

Carrie Johnson, NPR

James prosecuted the president and his companies, winning millions in fines linked to fraud allegations. Her attorney called the probe "an attack on the rule of law."

DOGE’s “Efficiency” Theater: Wasted $21.7 Billion While Destroying Life-Saving Programs Based On Conspiracy Theories

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

We’ve talked plenty about how Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) was always more about performative cruelty than actual efficiency. But a new Senate report reveals just how spectacularly DOGE failed at its supposed core mission while cau…

142,000 millionaires are uprooting in 2025—forget Switzerland, they’re flocking to this eastern European nation

Preston Fore, Yahoo Entertainment

The ultra-rich are fleeing once hotspots of wealth like London and Paris in favor of Montenegro, the world’s fastest-growing millionaire hub.

DOJ issues subpoenas to NY AG Letitia James, including over Trump fraud case: Sources

Katherine Faulders, Olivia Rubin, Alexander Mallin, Aaron Katersky, ABC News

The subpoenas are inquiring about the office’s civil fraud case against President Donald Trump and corruption case against the National Rifle Association, sources said.

Trump admin. planning Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac IPOs, WSJ reports

Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to take Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) public, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal...

EPA plans to end a program that makes solar power available to low-income Americans

Julia Simon, NPR

The Trump administration plans to end a $7 billion Biden-era program that helps low-income households get solar power.

These visa holders reveal a program that can transform lives — and quickly unravel them

Hallam Bullock, Business Insider

The H-1B visa can be a life changing opportunity for skilled immigrants in the US, but it comes with risks, too.

Get this new Apple Wallpaper that celebrates Southeast Asian musicians & artists

William Gallagher, AppleInsider

Apple is highlighting the creative work of five artists from Southeast Asia that it calls Dreamers, and says your iPhone wallpaper can be inspirational.Apple's inspirational iPhone wallpaper — image credit: AppleYou have to wonder at the word "Dreamers," sinc…

How Trump Could Be Setting Up the Next Financial Crisis

Brendan Ballou, Slate Magazine

Private equity and credit firms need new investors. This is where Donald Trump—and you—comes in.

South Park Season 27's Darkest Joke Is About Dora The Explorer

staff@slashfilm.com (Rafael Motamayor), /FILM

Everyone is paying attention to South Park season 27, and the latest episode unleashes what might be its darkest joke yet.

Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Want to Talk About Golden Dome

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

National missile defense is still impossible—and expensive.

'It's become a game for Israel': Gaza City residents fear takeover plans

BBC News

Palestinians have told the BBC they are living in fear of the plans, which have been heavily criticised by the international community.

America Is Living in a Climate-Denial Fantasy

Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic

On climate, the U.S. and the rest of the planet are now in “completely separate worlds.”

Donald Trump Jr posts meme showing his father throwing sex toy onto WNBA court

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump's deadline arrives for Putin to agree to a ceasefire or face sanctions

Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

President Donald Trump's deadline is here for Russia's Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face secondary sanctions.

Scientists launch coordinated response to Trump’s attempt to wipe credible climate research off the record

Ella Nilsen, Andrew Freedman, CNN, CNN

Dozens of climate scientists responsible for authoring or contributing research to hundreds of peer-reviewed studies are launching a coordinated response to ...

What is Laura Loomer?

Tina Nguyen, The Verge

For the uninitiated, watching a Jeffrey Epstein truther such as Laura Loomer have such influence over the White House's decisions is nothing short of baffling. ABC News attributes "the ouster of at least 15 individuals from Trump's second administration" to L…

Trump’s Golden Dome Sparks Unprecedented Surge in Space Force Funding

Passant Rabie, Gizmodo.com

Space Force's 2026 budget is set to jump 40% thanks to Trump's multibillion-dollar missile shield.

He built Michigan's Medicaid work requirement system. Now he's warning other states

Kate Wells, NPR

Michigan's health director spent a year and $30 million building a work requirements system for Medicaid. The problems he encountered have him worried now that 40 states must do the same by 2027.

Exclusive-India pauses plans to buy U.S. arms after Trump's tariffs

Shivam Patel and Aftab Ahmed, Yahoo Entertainment

New Delhi has put on hold its plans to procure new U.S. weapons and aircraft, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter, in India's first ...

Professional Bull Riders Accuses Dr. Phil of ‘Orchestrating’ Merit Street Bankruptcy and Forming New Company to Avoid Paying Creditors

Todd Spangler, Variety

Professional Bull Riders wants to know whether Dr. Phil led his Merit Street Media to file for bankruptcy in a “bad faith” move — while shifting assets into ...

Nancy Mace Wants the Hard Questions Asked. Wait No Not That Kind!

Danielle Han, Jezebel

A reporter fact-checking Mace was deemed "a raging leftist with that kind of questioning."

WATCH: Young children transported for urgent medical treatment amid Israel-Hamas war

ABC News

ABC News' Ian Pannell spoke to a mother and father from Gaza whose young children will be traveling to Jordan for urgent medical treatment.

WATCH: Passengers cry out in horror as water slide malfunction injures cruise ship guest

ABC News

The guest, whose condition is stable, received medical attention and is being treated for injuries.

After Endless Layoffs And Chaos, Time Warner Discovery Splits Back Into Two Lesser, Unremarkable Companies

Karl Bode, Techdirt

We’ve well documented how the AOL–>AT&T->Warner Brothers->Discovery series of mergers were among some of the most destructive and pointless “business deals” ever conceived by modern man. Just decades of “savvy deal-making” that resulted in an increasingly shi…

‘Uh oh!’: Top pollster just exposed what Trump fears most

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

CNN's data guru looked to the Lone Star State.

Sydney Sweeney Appears In Freeway Banner Saying Proud Boys ‘Love’ Her

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Members of the Proud Boys are seemingly letting the world know they are all in on Sydney Sweeney ... and it's not because of her jeans -- it's about her genes. The far-right extremist group appears to have vandalized a billboard along an L.A. area…

A leaky White House wants people to know about attempts to rewrite Trump’s relationship with Epstein, O’Donnell said.

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell tore into Vice President JD Vance’s attempt to hold a private meeting about the Epstein scandal at his house. On The Last Word...

WATCH: Trump declines to recommit to Aug. 8 as ceasefire deadline for Putin

ABC News

President Donald Trump said Russia's Vladimir Putin doesn't have to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order for him and Putin to meet.

WATCH: Sea turtles return to ocean after 8 months of rehabilitation in Massachusetts

ABC News

Footage shows one green sea turtle and two Kemp’s ridley sea turtles crawling into the Nantucket Sound after care from the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital.

WATCH: MLB to debut its first-ever female umpire

ABC News

Jen Pawol is set to become the first woman to umpire a game in Major League Baseball when she works games this weekend.

So Much for the ‘Best Health-Care System in the World’

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

Republicans used to trumpet the innovation of the American medical sector. Now they’re taking a meat axe to it.

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Stagflation

Paul Krugman, Substack.com

And it's all about Trumponomics

Why the stock market shrugged off weak data, recession fears

Max Zahn, ABC News

"The mindset of the market is to embrace risk," one expert said.

Trump and the global rise of fascist anti-psychiatry

Eric Reinhart, Al Jazeera English

Trump is using psychiatry to cut care, expand policing and turn public despair into political control.

Israel plans to take control of Gaza City. And, Trump wants a new U.S. census

Brittney Melton, NPR

Israel has announced plans to extend the Gaza war and take over Gaza City. And, President Trump wants a new U.S. census to exclude people without legal status.

The Song of the Summer Is Dead

Jason Parham, Wired

In an age of wavering consensus and widening divisions, music reflects the times more than ever. One factor missing from the discussion of this year’s song of the summer? The Donald Trump of it all.

So, About Those Big Trade Deals

Rogé Karma, The Atlantic

If you read the fine print, the “concessions” from America’s trade partners don’t add up to much.

What we know about Israel's plan to take over Gaza City

Kelly Ng - BBC News and Hugo Bachega - Middle East correspondent, BBC News

The plan faces fierce opposition within Israel as well as international criticism.

Congressman Eric Sorensen on Defending Climate Science, Depoliticizing Weather and Bringing Scientific Rigor to Capitol Hill

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

Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois shares how his meteorology roots drive his fight to protect climate science and push back against political interference.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan breaks his silence after Trump calls for his resignation

Thibault Spirlet, Business Insider

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan defended his integrity and vowed to continue leading the semiconductor company through a "critical moment."

Do Americans support Trump’s White House renovations? New poll shows…

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

The White House announced plans of a new $200 million ballroom.

GOP Texas map has Austin residents sharing district with rural Texans 300 miles away

Fritz Farrow, Oren Oppenheim, ABC News

It would "suppress the votes of Black and brown Austinites," one Democrat said.

Over what does the Trump admin want to unleash 'dominance'? Find out in the quiz

Holly J. Morris, NPR

Plus: physical fitness, Confederate statues, robot overlords and weird zoo requests.

NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Here's what that means.

Chandelis Duster, NPR

NASA is accelerating plans to have a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030.

Meet the judge hearing Harvard's lawsuits against the Trump administration

Carrie Jung, NPR

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs is presiding over two Harvard cases challenging Trump's moves to cut federal funding from the university and to ban it from enrolling international students.

Trump Lashes Out at Chuck Schumer in Truth Social Post, Claims U.S. Is in Democrats' Grasp

NBC, Yahoo Entertainment

Seth addresses Trump mocking Apple CEO Tim Cook in front of reporters, the president of Switzerland managing to broker a deal to reduce the country's 39...

Trump lashes out after (another) Republican joins Democratic Party: ‘Total loser!’

Lauren Sforza, nj.com

The former Georgia lieutenant governor announced his switch to the Democratic Party earlier this week.

US pauses most visa applications from Zimbabwe

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The announcement marks the latest restriction imposed by the Trump administration on travellers from Africa.

Donald Trump Orders Crackdown on Politically-Motivated ‘Debanking’

Joel Khalili, Wired

In a new executive order, the US president has called on federal regulators to investigate and punish banks for alleged discrimination against conservatives, Christians and certain types of business.

U.S. Air Force to deny early retirement benefits to some transgender service members

The Associated Press, NPR

The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits.

Israel announces plan to retake Gaza City in another escalation of the war

Aya Batrawy, NPR

Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan to take over Gaza City despite demands by families of hostages and mounting international calls for Israel to end the war.

It’s Bold of Jimmy Fallon to Bring on a Guest That’s Much Better at His Job

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

Greg Gutfeld might be obscure to anyone that’s not in the Fox News universe, but he’s lapping ‘The Tonight Show’ host by most metrics

Jim Cramer Says “Reddit’s Got A Lot More Room to Run”

Syeda Seirut Javed, Yahoo Entertainment

Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, Cramer recommended “sticking” with the company stock, as he said: “I...

Israeli security cabinet approves Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza City

David Brennan, Jordana Miller, Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News

The Israeli security cabinet has approved plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza City.

IRS Commissioner On Direct File Program: ‘It’s Gone’

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

For no less than 25 years now, Techdirt has been writing about how the tax preparation industry, especially Intuit, has spent gobs of money bribing lobbying government to keep relatively low-earners from simple methods for filing their tax returns. The series…

Meet Stephen Miran, Trump's newest Federal Reserve Board pick

Bryan Metzger,Katherine Li, Business Insider

Stephen Miran has been serving as the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. Trump said he would only serve at the Fed until January 2026.

Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan under fire amid Washington backlash and board friction

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

When Lip-Bu Tan took over as Intel’s CEO last March, the market reacted with a 13% stock bump, signaling renewed confidence in the company’s future. But today, after weeks of internal tensions, Intel’s situation has grown even more delicate, now drawing scrut…

Secretive, Peter Thiel-Founded ‘Tech Bilderberg” Group Is Moving Up in the World

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Where well-connected folks sit around and discuss naughty ideas that the American peasantry just wouldn't get.

Myanmar signs deal with Washington lobbyists to rebuild US relations

David Brunnstrom, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Washington lobbying firm has signed an agreement worth $3 million a year with Myanmar's Ministry of Information to help the long-time...