Trump News for Thursday, August 28, 2025

FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American'

Jessica Lyons, Theregister.com

Plus millions of other people across 80+ countries China's Salt Typhoon cyberspies hoovered up information belonging to millions of people in the United States over the course of the years-long intrusion into telecommunications networks, according to a top FB…

National security or xenophobia? Texas restricts Chinese owning and renting property

BBC News

Critics fear a new law in Texas will prove discriminatory - but officials say it it vital to combat "adversaries".

Mass layoffs, major vaccine policy changes: Timeline of turmoil at CDC

Mary Kekatos, Cheyenne Haslett, Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News

The news that the CDC director was being ousted and four high-profile officials were resigning was the latest in turmoil that has been plaguing the federal health agency.

DOGE Falsely Targeted Him On Social Media. Then The Taliban Took His Family

Avi Asher-Schapiro and Christopher Bing, Techdirt

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. It was early morning on April 1 when Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar, got a panicked message from his son. Halimi’s name had just appeared in …

Federal judge says Kari Lake can't fire Voice of America director

David Folkenflik, NPR

A federal judge has ruled that Trump administration official Kari Lake can't unilaterally fire the director of Voice of America.

DOJ drops charges against another client of AG Bondi's brother...

Olivia Rubin, Alexander Mallin, Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News

DOJ drops charges against another client of AG Bondi's brother... (Second column, 6th story, link)

Minneapolis school attacker 'obsessed with idea of killing children', officials say

BBC News

Investigators say a specific motive remains unclear, though the attacker expressed hate towards many groups.

The Duty-Free Loophole Is Closing. What That Means for You—and Your Packages

Boone Ashworth, Wired

President Donald Trump stopped allowing small shipments to enter the country without paying tariffs. Now, things are getting pricier and shipping costs are going up.

Karoline Leavitt Makes Hilarious Mistake While Defending Bullshit on Covid Vaccines

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The term is "emergency use authorization."

A Small Army of Overpaid TikTokers Is Not Going to Save the Democratic Party

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The limits of Democrats' influence are showing.

Donald Trump once threatened to jail Mark Zuckerberg. Now he's his ally.

Peter Kafka, Business Insider

Mark Zuckerberg made a well-publicized pivot to Donald Trump at the beginning of this year. It seems to be paying off.

Who Wants to Work for ICE? They Do.

Nick Miroff, The Atlantic

At a busy hiring expo in Texas, new recruits answer Trump’s call.

Rwanda confirms it received seven immigrants deported under Donald Trump

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has struck deals with third-party countries, including four in Africa, to accept US deportees.

Unprecedented plan for new convention before midterms...

The-express.com

Unprecedented plan for new convention before midterms... (Top headline, 7th story, link) Related stories:JD: I'M READY TO BE PRESIDENT! Vance worried about NFL 'Super Bowl wedding' after Swift-Kelce engagement... FUENTES: This is best …

DHS says it needs $100M worth of counter-drone tech to protect America

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

Our drones are OK, but those other drones? The US Department of Homeland Security has revealed plans to spend more than $100 million on systems designed to take out hostile drones.  …

Federal Funding for Universities Comes With Strings. Now Trump Is Pulling Them.

Yahoo Entertainment

Gavin Newsom’s Bizarro-Trump Schtick Gets Even Weirder With a Memecoin

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"Donald Trump, we'll see how well your coin does versus our coin," said the California governor.

WATCH: Search and rescue underway after Russian attack in Ukraine kills 19

ABC News

The death toll has risen to 19 people after Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine came under a major missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, Ukrainian officials said.

Intel receives $5.7bn as Trump administration buys 10 percent stake

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

CFO David Zinsner has also downplayed concerns that Intel's manufacturing arm could fall under outside control.

Risky Bet: Colorado Gives $35 Million In Taxpayer Broadband Subsidies To Elon Musk And Jeff Bezos

Karl Bode, Techdirt

So I’ve noted how Republicans are rewriting the 2021 infrastructure bill (they voted against) to ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded broadband grants wind up in the back pocket of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos (and their low-Earth orbit (LEO) satell…

‘It Feels Like the CDC Is Over’

Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic

The CDC's departing leaders discuss the agency’s future—or lack thereof.

What do a US envoy’s ‘animalistic’ remarks to journalists signify

Al Jazeera English

Anger after US special envoy Tom Barack tells reporters in Beirut to 'be civilised'.

United Nations says children make up 50 percent of gang members in Haiti

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US and Panama proposed a security force meant to counter gangs, despite setbacks with an existing policing operation.

The CDC Implosion Continues as Staff Plan Walkout

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

At least five senior CDC employees, including its director, have resigned or been fired since Wednesday.

The Probability Machine

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

It’s late August, before a holiday weekend. You don’t need yet another analysis of POTUS’ attempt to fire Lisa Cook – there have been plenty already. Instead, let’s get philosophical and consider a different question: Why Aren’t Markets Freaking Out? Paul Kru…

First deportees arrive in Rwanda from the US

Lucy Fleming - BBC News, BBC News

The first group of deportees arrived in mid-August, according to government spokesperson Yolande Makolo.

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sues Trump for his attempt to fire her

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The lawsuit comes amid concerns that the US president is trying to sway central bank’s decisions on monetary policy.

Investor losses underscore need for private equity regulations, researchers find

Jeff Karoub, Phys.Org

Investors suffer significant losses when they buy into "blank check" companies that acquire private companies in order to take them public—underscoring the need for more regulations on private equity as the Trump administration works to relax standards and ex…

Why are US warships going to Venezuela?

Al Jazeera English

The US has ordered warships to position off Venezuela's coast in a move President Nicolas Maduro has called illegal.

Lamborghini CEO warns tariffs have even forced its wealthiest consumers—who have an average of 5 cars in their garage—to waver on buying a new ride

Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Yahoo Entertainment

CEO Stephan Winkelmann said customers are waiting to see where tariffs for EU-imported cars end up.

How Many Rs Are in Waterboarding?

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The CIA is looking for AI sloppers to join their ranks.

UN Security Council renews UNIFIL mission in Lebanon until end of 2026

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Amid US pressure, vote extends peacekeeping mission, but then calls for 'orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal'.

Trump Admin Goes Full McCarthy, Will Decide Whether Migrants Are Pro-USA Enough To Stay Here

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

This was pretty much inevitable. While the Trump’s band of bigots struggled mightily to expel brown people from this country, the rest of his sycophants are doing everything they can to prevent non-white foreigners from entering the country. It’s counterprodu…

Here’s Why Beck Bennett Thinks Elon Musk Was A Worse ‘Saturday Night Live’ Host Than Donald Trump

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Trump didn’t even try to be funny, while the ‘SNL’ cast wished that Musk wouldn’t

Why RFK Jr. just broke the CDC

Dylan Scott, Vox

The simmering showdown between US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has finally boiled over. The White House said on Wednesday that CDC director Susan Monarez was fired — and Monarez’s …

How Is AI Used In Space? This Wild Look Into a Data Center Plan Has Clues

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

Data centers are a huge burden on natural resources. Some companies think the solution is to send them to space.

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage slips to 10-month low

ALEX VEIGA, Yahoo Entertainment

The long-term rate eased to 6.56% from 6.58% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, it was 5.51%, Freddie Mac said. Elevated...

50% of Americans now think commiting genocide in Gaza...

Qu.edu

50% of Americans now think commiting genocide in Gaza... (First column, 7th story, link) Related stories:Anti-Netanyahu protests sweep Israel... Exhausted Soldiers Complicate Plans for Assault...

JD Vance says he's ready to be president!

Francesca Chambers and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, USA Today

JD Vance says he's ready to be president! (Top headline, 1st story, link) Related stories:MAG: What is really going on with Trump Health? Drama has associates jockeying for leadership... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!…

The clock strikes early: Daylight saving time ends sooner than you think

Liesel Nygard, MassLive.com

Don't snooze on this news. Daylight saving time ends earlier this year, so get ready for that bonus hour of sleep.

WATCH: Witness speaks out about helping Minneapolis shooting victims

ABC News

One Minneapolis resident raced to Annunciation Catholic School to help the victims of the mass shooting on Wednesday. He said a little girl who was shot in the head asked him to hold her hand.

United States moves to restrict visa length for foreign students, reporters

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump administration has proposed restricting student visas to a four-year period rather than the duration of programme.

Europeans Can’t Tell What American Officials Agreed to With Putin

Vivian Salama, Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic

And they’re worried it could unravel progress in negotiations over the Ukraine war.

Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility to be empty 'within a few days'

Greg Allen, NPR

The immigration detention center in Florida's Everglades will soon be empty. State officials expect the facility to have no detainees "within a few days."

The White House says CDC director is fired. She refuses to leave

Garrett Owen, Salon

Lawyers for Director Susan Monarez accused the Trump administration of "weaponizing public health."

The Stock Market Is Selling the Fed's Independence Because ZIRP Broke the World

Splinter.com

Splinter is your home for news and opinions that challenge power in our political and economic system that's becoming more unhinged each and every day.

Fed governor Lisa Cook sues Trump over firing

Scott Horsley, NPR

Lisa Cook is challenging the president's attempt to remove her from office based on what she says is "an unsubstantiated allegation" of mortgage fraud prior to her Senate confirmation as governor.

Minneapolis School Shooter's Alleged Manifesto Indicates Motive

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Robin Westman -- who killed 2 kids and injured 17 people in a targeted shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis Wednesday -- reportedly wrote a long-winded manifesto and uploaded a number of strange videos prior to the attack. According to CNN…

Trump Fires CDC Director, Anti-Vax Wingnuts Now Running Asylum

John Gruber, Semafor.com

Susan Monarez was fired on Wednesday night after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked her to step down.

Europe powers move to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over nuclear drive

AFP, Yahoo Entertainment

France, Britain and Germany on Thursday triggered a mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran for failing to comply with commitments over its...

US Fed Governor Lisa Cook sues Trump over attempt to fire her

BBC News

President Donald Trump has said there was "sufficient reason" to believe Cook had made false statements on her mortgage as thus she should be removed. from her role.

Germany, France, UK trigger process to reimpose sanctions on Iran

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

E3 countries accuse Iran of failing to meet its 2015 nuclear pact commitments, but say they are still open to diplomacy.

The president said residents of the California city are taking steps to ensure criminals don’t “kill” their cars doors.

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

Officials and residents in Beverly Hills have been left bewildered by President Donald Trump’s claims that people willingly leave their cars unlocked in the ...

Neil Young Responds to Donald Trump’s Takeover of DC With Vicious New Protest Song ‘Big Crime’

Andy Greene, Rolling Stone

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts unveiled the new song "Big Crime" at a show in Chicago. It shreds Donald Trump over his takeover of Washington, DC.

‘A finger on the scale’? Inside the US Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’

Joanna Insco, Al Jazeera English

President Trump has repeatedly petitioned the high court for emergency rulings. But critics fear a lack of transparency.

‘Total implosion’: How Trump firing of CDC chief Monarez sparked an exodus

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

At least three high-level officials have resigned in protest against the policies of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy.

WATCH: Huge line of traffic to get into Burning Man festival

ABC News

Burning Man attendees waited in traffic for up to eight hours to get into the festival on Monday after a dust storm swept through the Black Rock Desert.

Are France, Germany and the UK about to ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran?

Mat Nashed, Al Jazeera English

France, the United Kingdom and Germany are demanding Iran make tough concessions to avoid coming under more sanctions.

WATCH: Whale greets tour boat passengers in Patagonia

ABC News

Tour boat passengers in Patagonia, Argentina, had a whale of a time when an aquatic visitor stopped by.

Why Donald Trump keeps talking about heaven

Chauncey DeVega, Salon

Even if he's not quite a humble sinner in search of grace, it's still smart politics

MAGA Puts Wikipedia in Its Crosshairs

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Prominent Republicans are trying to fight "bias" online.

GOP-Friendly Local ‘News’ Broadcasters Plan More Harmful Mergers After Trump Destroys What’s Left Of Media Consolidation Limits

Karl Bode, Techdirt

During Trump 1.0, his FCC took at absolute hatchet to media ownership limits. Those limits, built on the back of decades of bipartisan collaboration, prohibited local broadcasters and media from growing too large, trampling smaller (and more diversely-owned) …

Is Trump trying to engineer Greenland’s secession from Denmark?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Denmark has summoned US envoy over intelligence reports that US citizens covertly tried to influence Greenlanders.

India's small businesses scramble to cushion blow from Trump's 50% tariffs

Ashwin Manikandan and Ira Dugal, Yahoo Entertainment

MUMBAI (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of Indian small businesses are scrambling to find new buyers in markets across Europe, Africa and Asia to dull the impact...

RFK Jr. Suggests Antidepressants Could Be the Reason for Mass Shootings, Ignores Guns

Lauren Tousignant, Jezebel

The GOP will blame anything but the fucking gun.

Russia advances in Kupiansk, rejects US push for Zelenskyy-Putin summit

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Moscow's forces extend encirclement of Ukraine's northeastern city and pummel Kyiv with a deadly attack.

10 Thursday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My morning train WFH reads: • How America’s 1% came to dominate stock ownership: Market’s tenfold gain since 1990 mostly has gone to the richest part of the population. (Financial Post) • • The Lisa Cook Case Could Be the Whole Ball Game: If the Supreme Court…

Did Nvidia Just Pop an AI Bubble? Here’s What the Market Says

Riley Gutiérrez McDermid, Gizmodo.com

Lukewarm results from artificial intelligence giant Nvidia have the entire market asking if the AI boom is heading for the exits.

US CDC chief fired after weeks in role as other top officials quit agency

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Susan Monarez fired while four officials resign amid tensions over vaccine policies and public health directives.

Jordon Hudson Filed a Trademark Application for the Phrase 'Gold Digger'

Kady Ruth Ashcraft, Jezebel

If people are gonna use the phrase against her, she might as well use it to make money for herself!

I’ve Never Been an AC Person. But This Summer, Something Changed.

Franklin Schneider, Slate Magazine

It takes a degree of cognitive dissonance to blast the AC. Such is the American way.

'My friend got hit in the back': Witnesses describe terror of Minneapolis school shooting

BBC News

One young boy says he was protected from gunfire in a church by a friend who lay on top of him and was shot.

Trump and the NFL - why it's complicated

Ben Collins, BBC News

After a lawsuit and many failed team bids, Donald Trump looked to have ended his 40-year feud with the NFL - but is their relationship set for another twist?

Trump Rages at Nemesis Being ‘Disrespectful’ About His Memory in Late-Night Meltdown

Janna Brancolini, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump spent the early-morning hours digging up year-old dirt on his newest political enemy and bashing him on social media. Wes Moore of...

Mexico to suspend package shipments to US as tariff exemption set to expire

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US tariff exemption on packages worth $800 or less due to end this week.

Japan's trade envoy postpones US trip as Tokyo wants faster action on tariffs deal

MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press, ABC News

Japan’s top trade negotiator has abruptly canceled a trip to Washington aimed at issuing a joint statement on a tariffs deal with the Trump administration

What will the end of the 'de minimis' rule mean for U.S. consumers?

Bill Chappell, NPR

On Friday, the U.S. is ending its de minimis rule that made it easy for cheap goods to reach consumers. The change will affect roughly 4 million such packages processed each day.

Amtrak's flagship Acela trains get a long-awaited upgrade

Joel Rose, NPR

The NextGen Acela trains, as Amtrak calls them, are faster and lighter than the current fleet. They're scheduled to start revenue service along the Northeast Corridor on Thursday.

70 years after Emmett Till's murder, Mississippi museum acquires gun used to kill him

Debbie Elliott, NPR

It's been 70 years since Emmett Till, a Black teenager visiting relatives in Mississippi, was killed by white men because he whistled at a white woman. Now the gun used in his death is in a museum.

U.S. Treasury Sanctions DPRK IT-Worker Scheme, Exposing $600K Crypto Transfers and $1M+ Profits

info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News), Internet

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a fresh round of sanctions against two individuals and two entities for their role in the North Korean remote information technology (IT) worker scheme to generate illicit…

US reaffirms Greenland's right to self-determination amid political sway allegations

Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Yahoo Entertainment

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The United States' top diplomat in Denmark has reaffirmed Greenland's right to determine its own future, following Danish intelligence ...

Urban Outfitters says Trump closing the de minimis loophole won't hurt it — but it'll hit competitors like Shein

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

Urban Outfitters' chiefs said the closure of the loophole would lower sales of competitors like Shein, which will "only help" their company.

Several killed, dozens wounded in Russian attack on Ukrainian capital

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Explosions and smoke fill Kyiv's predawn skies as Russia targets residential buildings with drones and missiles.

Two children among dead in Russian drone attack on Kyiv, dozens injured

The Associated Press, NPR

A mass Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital, including a rare strike in the center of the city, early Thursday killed at least 10 people and wounded 48.

India-Pakistan missile race heats up, but China in crosshairs, too

Abid Hussain, Al Jazeera English

South Asia's missile race is heating up. But India and Pakistan aren't only eyeing each other, say analysts.

Denmark summons US envoy over claims of interference in Greenland

The Associated Press, NPR

Denmark's foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenla…

‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine’s Kyiv kills at least 4, dozens hurt

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Ukrainian authorities describe Russia's missile and drone attack as 'massive', with multiple areas of Kyiv hit.

Kyiv hit with barrage of missiles in 'massive attack' from Russia

Ellie Kaufman, Jack Moore, ABC News

Kyiv came under a large, combined missile and drone attack in the overnight hours Thursday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Child among three killed in overnight attack on Kyiv

BBC News

More than 20 districts were targeted in the bombardment which involved missiles, officials say.

How rare earth shortages are stalling India’s burgeoning EV sector

Gurvinder Singh, Al Jazeera English

China introduced restrictions on its rare earth exports in April, two days after Trump announced retaliatory tariffs.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un to attend China military parade

BBC News

The parade will mark the 80th anniversary of China's war against Japan and the end of World War Two.

The Democratic Party’s Identity Crisis

The New Yorker

On The Political Scene Podcast: Donald Trump’s unpopularity hasn’t translated into strength among the Democratic Party. Why are key blocs of voters drifting away?

Russian missiles pound Ukraine, damage EU and British offices

Anastasiia Malenko, Yahoo Entertainment

KYIV (Reuters) -Russia pounded Ukraine with deadly missiles and drone strikes early on Thursday in a sweeping attack that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ...

Chip giant Nvidia’s sales rise 56% in boost for AI boom

John Power, Al Jazeera English

US chipmaker reports revenue of $46.74bn for second quarter, defying fears that AI may be overhyped.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,281

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Here are the key events on day 1,281 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The National Design Studio Is a Scam

Chrbutler.com

President Trump’s appointment of AirBnB co-founder Joe Gebbia as “Chief Design Officer” of the United States is a sickening travesty. It not only

Japan's trade negotiator cancels US visit over tariff deal snag

Mariko Katsumura and Yoshifumi Takemoto, Yahoo Entertainment

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's top trade negotiator cancelled a visit to the United States at the last minute on Thursday, further delaying talks designed to...

CDC Director Denies Report She’s Been Fired by Trump Regime (HHS Says She’s Out)

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Susan Monarez is reportedly being pushed out for not supporting RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine agenda.