Trump News for Monday, August 25, 2025

Marc Maron Perfectly Articulates Why Bill Maher Is So Awful

JM McNab, Cracked.com

By JM McNab Published: August 25th, 2025

State Dept. Guts Human Rights Reporting, Removing Anything The Administration Doesn’t Think Violates Human Rights

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Not content to rewrite American history to better serve white people, the Trump administration is now rewriting world history on the fly by recasting terminal human rights violators as “not all that bad, actually” and adding stuff to other human rights report…

Trump promises jail time for flag-burners while signing executive order

Garrett Owen, Salon

The controversial practice has been ruled protected speech by the Supreme Court.

New top admiral takes over the US Navy amid military firings

KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Yahoo Entertainment

Adm. Daryl Caudle took over as the Navy’s highest-ranking officer Monday, ending a six-month vacancy created by the Trump administration's firing of his...

Israel bombs hospital, kills journalists, medics, dozens more across Gaza

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

'Double-tap' attack on Nasser Hospital kills at least 21 Palestinians and draws global condemnation.

Trump’s Right-Wing Socialism

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The president is embodying the type of big government that right-wing politicians and thinkers have been warning about for a century.

Tim Walz Doesn’t Mince Words on Trump: ‘These Are Fascist Policies’

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Tim Walz didn't mince words on Donald Trump at the Democratic National Committee's summer meetings in Minnesota, calling his policies "fascist."

House Oversight subpoenas Jeffrey Epstein estate

Lauren Peller, ABC News

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer issued a new subpoena to the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.

FEMA staffers warn Trump’s cuts will result in Katrina-level catastrophe

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Nearly 200 current and former employees of the US emergency response agency urge Congress to protect FEMA.

Donald Trump Kicks His Own Staffer Out of Oval Office After Phone Noise Interrupts His Speech: 'Get Out of the Room'

Yahoo Entertainment

“Chasing relevance”: Maron sounds off on “desperate” Maher

Garrett Owen, Salon

The trailblazing comedian and podcaster said that Maher is "struggling to stay in the conversation."

Saudi AI Firm Launches Halal Chatbot

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

First Saudi Arabia, then the world.

Marc Maron Takes Aim at Netflix, Bill Maher, Dave Chappelle: ‘Fascism Is Good for Business’

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone

On Pod Save America, Maron explains why he severed ties with Bill Maher and finds the consistent platforming of controversial comedians on platforms like Netflix to be considerably dangerous

Wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained again by ICE

Al Jazeera English

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison in March, has been detained by ICE.

Trump Says China Convinced the World ‘Let’s All Do Magnets’

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The president threatened a 200% tariff on China as he rambled incoherently Monday.

The Brutal Curse on Tiffany Trump Remains Very Much Intact

Heather Schwedel, Slate Magazine

In this edition, her allegedly grifting new husband.

Why has Donald Trump not spoken out about the famine in Gaza?

Al Jazeera English

The US president publicly acknowledged 'real starvation' last month.

Epstein accuser’s memoir to be published posthumously

Garrett Owen, Salon

The publisher promised “intimate, disturbing, and heartbreaking new details" from the Epstein accuser's life.

Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital - what we know

BBC News

Netanyahu said it was a "tragic mishap" but did little to address the apparent "double-tap" nature of the attack.

Exclusive-Korean Air to announce 100 Boeing jet order amid Trump-Lee summit, sources say

David Shepardson, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Korean Air is expected to announce an order on Monday for about 100 Boeing airplanes coinciding with the visit of South Korean...

Once elusive Mexican drug kingpin ‘El Mayo’ Zambada pleads guilty in US

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Charges relate to his decades-long involvement in leading the Sinaloa cartel and its role in funnelling drugs to the US.

Trump Stooges Keep Helping The President Indulge In His Vindictive Crime Fantasies

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Even though Trump says it’s about the crime rates, it’s not actually about the crime rates. Just like he used the hallucination that the entirety of Los Angeles was under siege by “violent” protesters to justify sending in the troops, the reality was that any…

Fox News Blasts ‘South Park’s Trump Parody While Claiming That MAGA ‘Knows How to Laugh at Itself’

JM McNab, Cracked.com

They would laugh if it wasn’t so obviously unfunny

'From outgroup hate to ingroup love': How political crises cause a shift in viral online content

University of Cambridge, Phys.Org

While previous research shows outrage and division drive engagement on social media, a new study of digital behavior during the 2024 US election finds that this effect flips during a major crisis—when "ingroup solidarity" becomes the engine of online virality.

Trump threatens new China tariffs over magnets

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The US president’s escalation comes despite a 90-day pause on increased tariffs that has already been agreed.

Intel Warns US Equity Stake Could Trigger 'Adverse Reactions'

msmash, Slashdot.org

Intel said Monday that converting $8.87 billion in federal chip subsidies into a 10% equity stake creates unprecedented complications and potential "adverse reactions" for a company deriving 76% of revenue internationally. The arrangement transforms Biden-era…

Trump predicts ‘conclusive ending’ to Gaza war within three weeks

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US president has made such claims before, but Israel has pressed on with its genocidal war with full US backing.

WATCH: Cracker Barrel faces backlash over rebranding

ABC News

Cracker Barrel is facing backlash after rolling out its redesigned interiors and new logo.

US Interior Department proposes adding copper to critical minerals list

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

The Geological Survey, a branch of the U.S. Department of the Interior, released the draft list in the Federal Register and it will be open for public...

8 TV And Movie Female Presidents To Distract You From Reality

Jamie Lerner, Thoughtcatalog.com

These women killed it as the leaders of the free world.

Rivian CEO says it 'blows my mind' that the US auto industry is reprioritizing capital toward gas-powered vehicles

Henry Chandonnet, Business Insider

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said that the reprioritization of capital toward internal combustion engines would thin the EV market —offering an opportunity.

Bitcoin Flash Crash Roils Crypto Market

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Did a single whale disrupt the crypto ocean?

Dr Pepper will unwind its merger with Keurig after buying Peet's for $18 billion

The Associated Press, NPR

Seven years after they merged, the soft drink maker and coffee pod innovator will become separate companies again. CEO Timothy Cofer said separate coffee and beverage businesses would be more nimble.

Trump Administration Wants to Banish Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda

Nick Turse, The Intercept

Trump aims to expel Abrego Garcia as his global gulag expands to Uganda, which has a long record of human rights abuses. The post Trump Administration Wants to Banish Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda appeared first on The Intercept.

Former Mexican drug kingpin Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada pleads guilty to US charges

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada pleaded guilty on Monday to U.S. charges related to his decades-long leadership of...

Feds fight to keep 'Alligator Alcatraz' open amid legal battle as 3rd challenge is filed

MIKE SCHNEIDER, Yahoo Entertainment

The federal government over the weekend asked a judge in Miami to put on hold her ruling ordering the winding down of an immigration detention center built...

DHS Arrests Kilmar Abrego Garcia With Plans To Ship Him To Uganda, Because He Refused To Plead Guilty To Fake Human Trafficking Charges

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The man who never expected to be the public face of the Trump administration’s shotgun approach to deportation is, yet again, being given a set of untenable options and expected to pick one of them. And when he refused to accept the bad choice they gave him, …

Trump says he is concerned about investigation targeting Korean churches

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was seeking information from South Korea about investigations in that country that he...

Trump: ‘A Lot of People Are Saying Maybe We’d Like a Dictator’

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Donald Trump said "a lot" of Americans want a dictator while taking question in the Oval Office on Monday, but claimed he doesn't want to rule as one.

Trump Goes Mask Off With Chilling Comment About Dictators

Edith Olmsted, The New Republic

Donald Trump claimed the American people are asking for a dictator—and he seems more than happy to give them what they want. While signing executive orders in the Oval Office Monday morning, Trump whined that people were up in arms after he suggested that he …

Pentagon Document: U.S. Wants to “Suppress Dissenting Arguments” Using AI Propaganda

Sam Biddle, The Intercept

The U.S. is interested in acquiring machine-learning technology to carry out AI-generated propaganda campaigns overseas. The post Pentagon Document: U.S. Wants to “Suppress Dissenting Arguments” Using AI Propaganda appeared first on The Intercept.

GOP senator fires back after Trump rages over Alina Habba snub

Garrett Owen, Salon

Chuck Grassley told Trump his former personal lawyer doesn't have the votes.

Democrats can’t win the gerrymander war

David Daley, Salon

They have to win elections instead — and with reapportionment coming, that's about to get a lot harder

Intel says US govt stake could hurt sales, White House hints at more deals

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says the US could take stakes in other companies in the sector.

Trump Bans Flag Burning in Direct Threat to First Amendment

Malcolm Ferguson, The New Republic

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order instructing the U.S. attorney general to pursue criminal charges against anyone caught burning the American flag, blatantly violating basic freedom of speech and expression laws. “Flag burning. All over the …

Trump told a major offshore wind project to stop construction just before it reached the finish line.

Justine Calma, The Verge

The Revolution Wind farm was already 80 percent complete before the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management sent it a letter Friday to “halt all ongoing activities” to address purported national security concerns and “interference” with other potential uses for …

Report: RFK Jr. and Trump to Pull Covid-19 Vaccines ‘Within Months’

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra claims that the Trump administration will take action to remove mRNA vaccines from the U.S. market later this year.

Juries Desperately Need More Moms. Here’s How to Make That Happen.

Michelle Mikhels, Slate Magazine

Abraham Lincoln once said that “the greatest service of citizenship is jury duty.”

Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained in US, faces possible deportation to Uganda

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The wrongfully deported man's case remains a flashpoint in US President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration crackdown.

Supreme Court Architect Is Pumping Money Into the Midterms

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Leonard Leo, the right-wing activist and longtime Federalist Society honcho, is helping back Republican candidates in multiple key 2026 midterm races.

“Who’s going to take care of your child?”: Parents reel from Trump ICE crackdown

Russell Payne, Salon

Republican policies are pushing a strained child care industry to a breaking point.

Biden adviser defends AUKUS submarine project, highlights problems

David Brunnstrom, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An adviser to the Biden administration on the AUKUS project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines warned on Monday...

Syria condemns new Israeli “military incursion” in Damascus countryside

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Syria's foreign minister accuses Israel of violating a 1974 agreement to advance its 'expansionist and partition plans'.

The de minimis shipping rules are slated to change this week. Here's what that means for you.

Sinéad Baker, Business Insider

The de minimis tax loophole for smaller US packages is coming to an end, which could mean higher prices and some postal services pausing their work.

Live: Trump threatens more National Guard deployments

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Threats to send troops into Chicago and Baltimore come as Washington, DC guards begin carrying arms.

Crosscurrents

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

One of the challenges that comes from analyzing markets and the economy is just how much “gray” there is. Most data points exist along a noisy continuum, subject to future revisions. The meanderings above or below the trend may be just noise, or the start of …

Fall Festival Preview: 42 Must-See Films Playing at the Venice, Toronto, and New York Film Festivals

Kate Erbland, IndieWire

As the fall festivals start to roll out, awards season will take shape, best-of-the-year lists will firm up, and some of our favorite filmmakers will debut new work.

Donald Trump Rages At ABC And NBC, Says They Should Lose FCC Licenses Over “Unfair Coverage”

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Donald Trump returned to familiar terrain in a Truth Social post, again calling on broadcast networks to lose their licenses over what he deemed unfair coverage. The president’s target this time was ABC and NBC, and he added another element: Calling for the n…

When and why has the National Guard been deployed in the US before?

Alia Chughtai, Al Jazeera English

The US reserve military force is activated for federal missions and state emergencies, from disasters to civil unrest.

Trump loyalist pushes ‘false alarm,’ and it backfires spectacularly: ‘Seek help’

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

The congresswoman said it was "terrifying" as a mother of a student.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained by ICE during Baltimore check-in

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR

The detention, which was expected, happened after Abrego Garcia walked into the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Baltimore for a check-in after being released from custody on Friday.

Trump’s immigration crackdown could be slowing the hunt for child predators online

Lauren Feiner, The Verge

As President Donald Trump pushes federal law enforcement toward an immigration crackdown, agents and prosecutors fear he's drawing resources from one of the most vulnerable groups: victims of child sexual exploitation online. Current and former government emp…

Fuming Trump Lashes Out at Embarrassing Polls in Bonkers Rant

Janna Brancolini, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump appears to be in deep denial about his historically low approval ratings. “Except what is written and broadcast in the Fake News, I...

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, at center of Trump immigration crackdown, detained again

John Bacon, Evan Mealins and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, USA Today

Garcia, 30, reported to the ICE field office in Baltimore 3 days after he was released from custody in Tennessee and returned to his Maryland home.

With Bolton raid, MAGA media confronts Trump’s war of retribution

Sophia Tesfaye, Salon

The FBI raid on John Bolton draws blowback for its "gratuitous viciousness"

DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.

Avi Asher-Schapiro and Christopher Bing, ProPublica, Gizmodo.com

How DOGE left Mohammad Halimi’s life in tatters.

WATCH: Firefighting helicopter crashes into pond in France

ABC News

Eyewitness video captured the moment a firefighting helicopter spun out of control and crashed into a pond in France.

The Government Makes It Harder For The Public To Comment On Regulatory Proceedings

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Ideally, the U.S. public is supposed to be able to comment on government policy proceedings, and the government is supposed to listen to that input. Of course it doesn’t really work that way: for years we’ve noted how U.S. regulatory comment proceedings are f…

Elon Musk Settles Case With Former Twitter Employees Who Were Purged

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Musk has resisted severance payments for years.

Will Manatees Survive the Trump Administration?

Lois Parshley, The Atlantic

Some species almost certainly won’t, if planned changes to environmental protections go through.

WATCH: Turkey's transport minister posts video of him speeding

ABC News

Turkey’s transport minister was slapped with a speeding ticket after posting a video of himself driving at 140 mph.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia surrenders to ICE in Baltimore, faces possible deportation to Uganda

BRIAN WITTE and BEN FINLEY, Yahoo Entertainment

Kilmar Abrego Garcia surrendered to U.S. immigration authorities in Baltimore Monday and faces possible efforts by the Trump administration to deport him to ...

Trump threatens Chicago with National Guard. And, lessons from Katrina, 20 years later

Brittney Melton, NPR

Trump threatens to send National Guard troops to Chicago, similarly to what he has done in the nation's capital. And, Trump and South Korean President Lee will meet today in Washington.

Transcript: Gavin Newsom’s Harsh Trump Takedown Nails It: “Wake Up!”

The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, The New Republic

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the August 25 episode of theDaily Blast podcast. Listen to it here.Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network. I’m your host, Greg Sargent.California G…

Pritzker set to speak on plans for miltarized Chicago...

Stephanie Wade, WLS-TV

Pritzker set to speak on plans for miltarized Chicago... (Second column, 4th story, link) Related stories:President 'abusing power'... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

Trump admin live updates: Trump to sign executive orders, host South Korea president

David Brennan, Kevin Shalvey, ABC News

President Donald Trump on Sunday responded to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's invitation to a public safety walk in Baltimore, offering to send "troops" to the city.

Trump Rages at Republican Senator in Truth Social Meltdown

Ewan Palmer, Daily Beast

Donald Trump lashed out at Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley after the “blue slip” custom was used to block his former personal lawyer from becoming the U.S...

Trump orders RI’s Revolution Wind developers to stop offshore project already 80% complete

Nancy Lavin, Mainemorningstar.com

Revolution Wind, Rhode Island’s first large-scale offshore wind project, was put on ice by the Trump administration Friday, which ordered developers to...

MAGA knows DC takeover isn’t about crime — which is why they love it

Amanda Marcotte, Salon

Trump's war on the Smithsonian reveals that this is about childish resentment, not safety

Wall Street hires more senior bankers as growing confidence spurs deal rebound

Tatiana Bautzer, Saeed Azhar and Isla Binnie, Yahoo Entertainment

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Wall Street banks have hired dozens of senior executives in recent months, as improved economic sentiment has spurred mergers and IPOs...

How a road trip from hell pushed 2 Tesla alumni to try to solve the 'Achilles' heel' of EVs

Tom Carter, Business Insider

Range is already a major anxiety for EV owners taking long trips, and towing a heavy RV can cause an electric vehicle battery to drain even faster.

Do AI Companies Actually Care About America?

Matteo Wong, The Atlantic

“Democratic AI” is great branding for the Trump era.

Gaza’s famine denounced as international crime against “civilians”

Al Jazeera English

Mark Ruffalo calls Gaza famine a "man-made" by Israel, urging Trump and world leaders to act

New poll shows Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein problem is real

Tatishe Nteta, Adam Eichen, Alexander George Theodoridis, Jesse Rhodes, Raymond La Raja, Salon

Many in his base disapprove of his handling of the files, and some supporters are having second thoughts.

Trump’s DOJ puts John Bolton in its crosshairs

Jesselyn Radack, Salon

What's happening to the former national security advisor should chill Americans

“We Are the World,” January 6th Style

Charles Bethea, The New Yorker

In a Miami studio where the Eagles and Bob Marley recorded, a choir of pardoned Capitol rioters tries to “reclaim” the national anthem, Charles Bethea writes.

Ken Griffin has our attention. What is he going to do with it?

bsaacks@businessinsider.com (Bradley Saacks), Business Insider

With a new worth of $48 billion, Griffin is using his foundation to shape the country, with a focus on Miami to start.

DC students head back to school amid Trump's law enforcement surge

Arthur Jones II, ABC News

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said students in the capital will not be aided by the presence of National Guard troops as children return to school this week.

Confusion, explosive anger, waiting: A 'quiet' day in New York immigration court

Ximena Bustillo, NPR

Dozens of immigration courts across the country have become epicenters of the Trump administration's efforts to increase the rate of immigration arrests.

The former CEO of Gap and J.Crew says American Eagle made a mistake with its Sydney Sweeney ad

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

The former Gap and J.Crew CEO said the brand should have apologized for its advertisement and admitted it had "screwed up."

A Harvard professor on why AI 'evangelism' is harming students' career prospects

asheffey@businessinsider.com (Ayelet Sheffey), Business Insider

"We need actual committed educators who are not the bible salesman version of AI at the front of the room," said Harvard professor Alex Green.

The Airbnb cofounder who just became the US's chief design officer is using the Apple Store's style as his north star

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan, Business Insider

Joe Gebbia says he wants to "update today's government services to be as satisfying to use as the Apple Store."

US National Guard troops begin carrying weapons in Washington, DC

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The military said some troops are now carrying guns as Trump claims there is now 'no crime' in the US capital.

Donald Trump Threatens To Investigate Chris Christie After Former New Jersey Governor Criticizes Him On ABC’s ‘This Week’

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Donald Trump threatened to investigate Chris Christie after the former New Jersey governor criticized him on ABC’s This Week earlier on Sunday. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I just watched Sloppy Chris Christie be interviewed on a ratings challenged ‘News’ Sh…

South Korea’s Lee set to meet Trump, with trade and security high on agenda

David D. Lee, Al Jazeera English

July trade deal and status of US troops in South Korea in focus as two leaders meet for the first time.

Texas factory gives Chinese copper firm an edge in tariff war

Amy Lv, Florence Lo and Shubing Wang, Yahoo Entertainment

GANZHOU, China (Reuters) -Chinese copper flat wire manufacturer Wellascent's decision early last year to build a factory in Texas was a hedge against...