Trump News for Thursday, August 21, 2025

Judge rules Trump lawyer Alina Habba is unlawfully serving as US attorney

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has ignored a July decision from a panel of judges replacing Habba as interim US attorney.

Kennedy Center terminates dance programming team

Andrew Limbong, NPR

This is the latest shakeup since Trump took over the cultural center. "We will have an exciting announcement about the new direction for Dance programming soon," said a Kennedy Center spokesperson.

US DOJ to probe Fed Reserve’s Cook, urges Powell to remove her: Report

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Cook, who has been accused of mortgage fraud, has said she will not be bullied by Trump into resigning.

What’s the Texas redistricting fight about, and how has California reacted?

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Trump's demand for new district maps in Republican-led states sparked a redistricting fight of the midterm elections.

South Park Season 27 Ends An 8-Year-Long Storyline And Fans Love It

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

Season 27 of South Park has finally wrapped up a storyline that's lasted almost a decade, and fans are happy to see that era come to an end.

US Supreme Court rules Trump admin can cut nearly $800m in health funding

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

SCOTUS decision impacts DEI programmes that include breast cancer research and HIV prevention.

Supreme Court allows NIH to stop making nearly $800M in research grants for now

Nina Totenberg, NPR

But the court, in its emergency docket order, also left in place by a 5-4 order a lower court ruling that threw out NIH memos that enforced the administration's policies.

Bill Burr Says Right-Wing Stand-Ups Have Their Own Version of ‘Claps Over Laughs’ Comedy

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Burr gets worried every time a fan says he ‘tells it like it is’

Vance touts tax cuts, Trump's domestic agenda in Georgia

Stephen Fowler, NPR

The vice president spoke about the administration's domestic agenda enacted in a sweeping bill last month that will shift resources from social safety programs to immigration enforcement and tax cuts.

Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push

LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion...

Tesla Takes So Long to Report Crash Data, Even Trump’s Regulators Are Taking Notice

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

The rule is to submit a report within five days. It takes Tesla months.

The New Cracker Barrel Logo Sucks And So Does The Mess Around It

Zack Zwiezen, Kotaku

The President's son says the new logo is woke which is more evidence that we live in the worst timeline The post The New Cracker Barrel Logo Sucks And So Does The Mess Around It appeared first on Kotaku.

UK Backs Down On Apple Encryption Backdoor—But The Secret Deal Raises New Questions

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

The UK government has reportedly backed down from its dangerous demand that Apple build encryption backdoors, following pressure from the Trump administration. But the secretive nature of this “mutually beneficial” agreement should make us deeply suspicious a…

The Trump phone changes its appearance ahead of launch

Vlad, GSMArena.com

The Trump Mobile T1 Phone was announced alongside the Trump Mobile carrier in the US in June, when it was promised to arrive in August or September. In the meantime, the text has changed and now only says "later this year". The Trump T1 has already undergone…

US lawmakers embark on Democrat redistricting plan in California

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Democrats aim to counter Texas GOP bill flipping five Democratic seats to Republican control in US Congress.

Trump administration says it’s reviewing all 55 million US visa holders

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US State Department said it was continuously vetting all visa holders for possible violations.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Featured in Latest South Park Episode

Juli Clover, MacRumors

Popular cartoon series South Park has been satirizing U.S. President Donald Trump, and the latest episode, titled "Sickofancy," includes Apple CEO Tim Cook. A cartoon version of Cook is depicted visiting Trump in the White House to provide him with a gif…

WATCH: Hurricane Erin brings coastal flooding to North Carolina

ABC News

Hurricane Erin caused massive coastal flooding in North Carolina on Tuesday as the storm continued its northward march up the East Coast.

Exclusive-Trump weighs using $2 billion in CHIPS Act funding for critical minerals, sources say

Yahoo Entertainment

Eric Adams aide faces corruption charges amid New York City mayoral race

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Former adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin faces new indictments as pressure on Mayor Eric Adams grows during election season.

We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines

James Dinneen, New Scientist

An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste

Ted Cruz Gets Played Off Fox News By Hilariously Loud Background Music

Marco Margaritoff, HuffPost

The Texas Republican was criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) for nearly half a minute over a hilariously unrelenting score.

Will Trey Parker Still Be ‘D&D’ Buddies with Elon Musk After This Week’s Ketamine-Filled ‘South Park’?

JM McNab, Cracked.com

By JM McNab Published: August 21st, 2025

Fatal Florida crash fuels immigration fight between DeSantis and Newsom

KATE PAYNE, Yahoo Entertainment

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched his top deputy to California to oversee the handover of a truck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn...

A week of summits reveals Trump is closer to Moscow than Europe

John T Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera English

US summits with Putin and European leaders offered a glimmer of hope for peace, but Russia seemed to cloud it.

Ex-GOP leader goes on CNN, immediately continues feud with Trump loyalist

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

The former congressman seems like he can't live this down.

ICE Goes Full Hegseth: Adds Random Person To Group Chat Discussing Ongoing Manhunt

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The Trump administration has been described as many things, none of them good. What no one will ever accuse it of being is “competent.” Trump has surrounded himself with sycophants, most of them known only for waving the MAGA flag when not hosting shows on Fo…

Walmart scoops customers from rivals but warns inventory cost is rising

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Second-quarter results showed that the retailer has continued to benefit from price sensitivity among US consumers.

WATCH: Husband flees to Peru after wife found dead, California police say

ABC News

Chilling surveillance video shows a husband dragging something wrapped in fabric before fleeing to Peru, California police said. They say his wife's body was found wrapped in similar material.

Cracker Barrel's controversial new logo is the latest phase of the restaurant chain's turnaround plan

Alex Bitter, Business Insider

Cracker Barrel's new, simplified logo is drawing criticism from some customers. The chain unveiled a new logo on Tuesday.

Stephen Miller is undercutting Trump’s war on democracy

Zack Beauchamp, Vox

In the public imagination, Stephen Miller is the dark heart of the Trump administration — a pulsing mass of anti-immigrant hatred behind its most aggressively authoritarian moves. But what if there’s a different story to be told — that Stephen Miller’s obsess…

Amy Klobuchar Promotes Law Against Deepfakes While Denying She Said Sydney Sweeney Has ‘Perfect Titties’

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"It had me saying vile things," writes the senator from Minnesota.

Unauthorized A.I. Jon Stewart Bashes Trump, Representing Scary Future of Comedy

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

A disturbing deepfake shows us where political satire is heading

With Fed under pressure, Jerome Powell prepares for a high-stakes speech

Scott Horsley, NPR

The Fed chair will speak Friday at an annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The speech comes as the central bank is under mounting pressure from the White House to lower interest rates.

How to tackle environmental issues when the world can't agree

Madeleine Cuff, New Scientist

The failure to agree a global treaty on plastic pollution highlights how the UN’s requirement for unanimity holds back environmental policy, but there are better ways to make progress

Business leaders concerned as Mamdani’s mayoral lead widens

Liz Hoffman, Semafor.com

More associates of New York City Mayor Eric Adams are likely to face corruption charges, which could boost Mamdani’s campaign.

Trump says he will go out with police, military to patrol DC Thursday night

Lalee Ibssa, Michelle Stoddart, Isabella Murray, ABC News

President Donald Trump announced that he is "going out" with police and military in Washington, D.C. Thursday to oversee the surge in federal law enforcement

WATCH: Trump criticizes Biden for not letting Ukraine fight back against Russia

ABC News

ABC News’ White House Correspondent Karen Travers reports that it’s “unclear” if this indicates a policy shift towards Ukrainian defense.

WATCH: NY appeals court throws out civil fraud judgment against Trump

ABC News

A New York appeals court has thrown out the half billion-dollar civil fraud judgment handed down last year against President Trump, his family and his company.

JD Vance Had a Busy Week Getting Booed at Shake Shack & Doing Putin Propaganda

Audra Heinrichs, Jezebel

The VP braved the crime-ridden streets of D.C. to give burgers to troops and gossip with Laura Ingraham about California Governor Gavin Newsom and his MAGA besties.

If a Putin-Zelensky summit takes place, where could it be?

BBC News

Geneva, Istanbul and Budapest have been put forward as potential locations - but bilateral talks still remain a long way off.

‘SNL’ Cold Opens Need to Take Lessons From ‘South Park’

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

‘SNL’ satire looks scared compared to ‘South Park’

Amy Klobuchar Wants To Break The Internet Because Someone Made A Stupid Satirical Video About Her

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of the top Democrats in the Senate. She could be fighting to protect democracy against fascists. She could be working on a new, better vision for Americans. But instead, she’s focused on breaking the internet. And now we know why:…

James Dobson, controversial evangelical who advised US presidents, dies

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Dobson advised Trump and four other US presidents and was a fierce opponent of abortion and LGBTQ rights.

Apple’s Blood-Oxygen Reading Feature Is in Legal Jeopardy… Again

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Masimo claims CBP unlawfully reversed its earlier ban of the feature.

Elon Musk Slapped With Major New Complication

Riley Gutiérrez McDermid, Gizmodo.com

The reigning king of controversy has one more expensive problem.

I did 98,000 Anki reviews. Anki is already dead

Miguel Conner, Substack.com

what 98,000 flashcard reviews and japanese taught me about learning with llms

COVID Revisionism Has Gone Too Far

Rogé Karma, The Atlantic

If the center and left succumb to the view that “nothing worked,” no one will remain to defend sensible public-health measures the next time a pandemic comes around.

Appeals court tosses Trump's $500 million civil fraud penalty — but leaves a path open for appeal

Jacob Shamsian,Laura Italiano, Business Insider

A group of five New York judges struck down the fines issued by the trial court, finding it excessive — but couldn't agree on much else.

Analysis: Israel E1 settlement plan makes Palestinian state further away

Mat Nashed, Al Jazeera English

Analysts warn E1 plan will fragment Palestinian lands, undermining the viability of a future Palestinian state.

Trump Calls for Another Convicted Felon to Be Set Free

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Donald Trump called or Tina Peters, a MAGA loyalist and convicted felon, to be set free from prison, threatening "harsh measures" if she is not.

Russia says Ukraine ‘not interested’ in long-term peace

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Comments by Russia's FM come as Ukraine's Zelenskyy says security guarantees needed before Putin meeting.

Sydney Sweeney Calls Out Female Fans Over Bathwater Soap Hate

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Sydney Sweeney is coming out swinging against her haters for her bathwater soap ... calling out female fans for perpetuating a double standard. The actress reacted to the soap saga in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, where she remained…

New York appeals court tosses $515m civil fraud penalty against Trump

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The court's ruling delivers a major victory to the US president, who has rejected accusations he inflated his assets.

Appeals court throws out Trump's $454 million civil fraud judgment

Aaron Katersky, Peter Charalambous, ABC News

A New York appeals court has thrown out the half billion-dollar civil fraud judgment against President Donald Trump, his family and his company.

What Trump Actually Wants From a Ukraine Deal

Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic

The president has one goal clearly in mind—and his fixation may benefit Kyiv.

Gutted: How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies (ProPublica). “Food and...

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

Gutted: How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies (ProPublica). “Food and drug facility inspectors are having to go t

DOJ Wants Private Records from Hospitals That Provide Trans Youth Healthcare

Danielle Han, Jezebel

One subpoena sent to a children’s hospital in Pennsylvania asked for “every writing or record of whatever type” relating to “gender-related care,” including emails, calendar entries, and Zoom recordings.

Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump

JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK, Yahoo Entertainment

An appeals court has thrown out the massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump, ruling Thursday in New York state’s lawsuit accusing him of...

Trump’s Stance on Science Is Starting to Look Uncomfortably Soviet

Lois Parshley, Grist, Gizmodo.com

The U.S. is drifting away from science and climate reality. So why does life seem so normal?

GameStop Fighting PS5 Price Hike By Paying $50 More For Your Old Console, But There’s A Catch

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

Trade-ins for PS4, Switch, and Xbox are getting a Trump tariff bonus The post GameStop Fighting PS5 Price Hike By Paying $50 More For Your Old Console, But There’s A Catch appeared first on Kotaku.

Uganda agrees deal with US to take in deported asylum seekers

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

A Ugandan official said the country would prefer to receive people from African nationalities under the agreement.

WATCH: Children orphaned in Gaza get graduation ceremony

ABC News

Over 1,000 orphans are receiving support and classes at Al-Wafaa Orphan Village in Khan Younis.

Walmart says more tariff-driven price hikes are coming this year

Dominick Reuter, Business Insider

Walmart said it managed to avoid some of the price hikes it expected last quarter, but its costs continue to increase each week.

Are Any of Gavin Newsom’s Tweets Actually Funny?

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: August 21st, 2025

CA Governor Gavin Newsom Jokingly Applauds Trump For PS5 Price Hike

Eddie Makuch, GameSpot

California governor Gavin Newsom has reacted to the PlayStation 5 price hike in the US, jokingly thanking US President Donald Trump for making it happen via his controversial tariff strategy.Re-sharing a news story about the PS5 price hike, Newsom, a Democrat…

Opinion - Putin has a Melania Trump problem, and the DC media is too slanted to see it

Keith Naughton, opinion contributor, The Hill

The Russian president and his thugs may well have created an implacable foe in the White House who cannot be displaced.

MAGA Loses It Over New CRACKER BARREL Logo...

The Daily Beast, Dnyuz.com

Southern-themed restaurant chain Cracker Barrel has changed its logo–and furious MAGA mouthpieces cannot stomach it.This week, Cracker Barrel unveiled a

Kristi Noem Wants to Spend Big Money on New Deportation Planes for ICE: Report

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The so-called Big Beautiful Bill might be her ticket to building ICE Airlines.

Why a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting matters -- and why it might not happen

David Brennan, ABC News

The presidents of Ukraine and Russia "have not been exactly best friends," U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week, as he pushed for an in-person meeting.

Trump Admin Kills Enforcement Action Against 165 Corporations For Various Bullshit And Fraud

Karl Bode, Techdirt

I don’t mean to harp on this, but a central promise of the Trump administration during the last election season was that a second Trump term would “take aim at big tech,” protect the little guy, rein in corporate power, and even “continue the legacy of antitr…

Jack White Responds to Trump Official Calling Him a “Washed-Up, Has-Been Loser”

Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork

Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, was not happy that the White Stripes musician said the Oval Office now “looks like “a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler’s dressing room.” White pulled no punches in further criticizing…

Trump’s occupation of DC is a rehearsal for autocracy

Donald Earl Collins, Al Jazeera English

By federalising the capital’s police and stifling protests, Trump is testing how far he can go to remake the US.

WATCH: Assembly line worker's wallet found under hood of Ford SUV 11 years after losing it

ABC News

While mechanic Chad Volk was hard at work repairing a 2015 Ford SUV in Lake Crystal, Minnesota, he discovered a piece of its past under the hood – more than a decade after it wound up there.

Bolsonaro planned to flee to Argentina, Brazil police say

BBC News

Police say they found a letter on the former Brazilian president's phone requesting asylum in Argentina.

Budget airline Norse is axing half its US to Europe routes, making cheap Transatlantic travel more difficult

Pete Syme, Business Insider

Norse Atlantic Airways is cutting six routes between the US and Europe as it struggles to turn a profit, instead focusing on taking Europeans to Asia.

CA Supreme Court denies GOP request for hold on Dem-pushed redistricting legislation

Monica Madden, Oren Oppenheim, ABC News

California Supreme Court denies GOP request for hold on Dem-pushed redistricting legislation.

Trump Has No (Legal) Power to Mess With the Election

Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic

But that won’t stop him from finding ways to make chaos.

Tracking US and NATO support for Ukraine: A full breakdown

Hanna Duggal, Al Jazeera English

Ukraine has received at least 309 billion euros ($360bn) in aid from 41 countries since the start of the war.

Tired of waiting for Tesla's 'more affordable' car? Check out Nissan's new sub-$30K EV.

Lloyd Lee, Business Insider

Nissan says its 2026 LEAF has the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV in the US. Its EPA-estimated range is up to 303 miles.

US college declines to oppose Trump travel ban after Iranian students’ plea

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Letter called on University of Texas at Austin to denounce ban on Iranians and take 'immediate legal action'.

Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills one, wounds 15

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Russia unleashes a major attack on Ukraine in the wake of renewed efforts to strike a ceasefire.

The National Guard has been deployed to enforce the law before. What's different now?

Alana Wise, NPR

The National Guard has been deployed many times historically. Experts say the president's decision to deploy the Guard as a blanket response to crime in D.C. is a departure from its intended mission.

Living in the shadows: Stateless people face unique perils during Trump's crackdown

Jaclyn Diaz, NPR

An estimated 218,000 people in the U.S. are stateless or are at risk of becoming so. As a result of President Trump's aggressive policies, people without any citizenship are more vulnerable than ever.

Older Americans in their 80s are applying for jobs — and hitting a wall

Noah Sheidlower, Business Insider

Older Americans who can't afford retirement say workplace ageism makes job searching futile. Some take part-time, low-wage work to stay afloat.

Russia launches fresh wave of strikes on western Ukraine

BBC News

Ukrainian officials say the attacks included drones, hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.

North Korea’s Kim lauds ‘heroic’ troops deployed with Russia in Ukraine war

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Kim Jong Un 'conveyed warm encouragement' to the officers and the soldiers serving in Russia's Kursk region.

Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina

The Associated Press, NPR

Bolsonaro is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling about an alleged coup attempt and learned Wednesday he might face another case as police formally accused him and one of his son of obstruction of justice

‘South Park’ Is Running Into the ‘Veep’ Problem But Much Faster

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: August 20th, 2025

Trump has bought more than $100m in bonds in office, disclosure shows

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Trump's investments include Meta, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and T-Mobile, according to filing.

South Park mocks Tim Cook’s golden gift to Donald Trump

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

While political satire has always been a part of South Park across almost three decades, things have reached a whole new level during the new season, with plenty of jokes involving the Trump Presidency. Tonight, that involved Tim Cook, and his recent White Ho…

‘South Park’ Reminds Us That Qatar Gave Trump A Mega-Jet That Might Go Inside Satan

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

All the bribes that Trump keeps taking are going somewhere very special

The New ‘South Park’ Somehow Had Even More Jokes About Trump’s Tiny Penis Than the Season Premiere

JM McNab, Cracked.com

It’s not the size of the jokes that count, right?

Randy Becomes A Ketamine-Snorting, Elon-Style Tech Bro in Tonight’s New ‘South Park’

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Randy’s Techridy gamble hasn’t yet yielded Tesla results

Jim Cramer Says “This AMD Move is Extraordinary”

Syeda Seirut Javed, Yahoo Entertainment

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer talked about. An Investing Club member asked if the Charitable Trust would consider...

Brazil’s ex-President Bolsonaro planned asylum in Argentina, police say

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Police claim Brazil's ex-President Jair Bolsonaro wrote letter seeking asylum in Argentina amid coup probe.

Did ‘South Park’ Finally Bow to Fan Demands to Get Rid of Tegridy Farms?

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Randy ran out of runway on the seven-year experiment in testing the fandom’s patience

Europe must shoulder ‘lion’s share’ of Ukraine’s security, Vance says

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US vice president says Europe will be expected to play the 'leading role' in guaranteeing Kyiv's post-war security.

Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices in US as tariff fears persist

BBC News

The Japanese technology giant cited economic challenges as it raised prices for the consoles by around $50.

US warships may reach Venezuela coast by weekend in drug cartel operation

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Three US warships to be stationed off the coast of Venezuela in fight against 'narco-terrorists', according to reports.