Trump News for Friday, August 29, 2025

White House defends Robert F Kennedy Jr amid CDC turmoil

BBC News

The Centers for Disease Control had several top officials depart recently, leading to calls for the health secretary's resignation.

Trump nixes $679m in funding for offshore wind farms amid fossil fuel push

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The cancellation is Trump's latest move against renewable energy, which the US president has dismissed a 'scam'.

The Inversion Of American Values

Mike Brock, Techdirt

There’s a particular kind of person who cheers when the president deploys military forces against American cities over the objections of their elected leaders. They call themselves patriots. They wrap themselves in the flag while applauding the systematic dem…

US appeals court rules Trump’s foreign tariff campaign is largely illegal

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

But the court has allowed the tariffs to remain in place while the Trump administration appeals to the Supreme Court.

Trump's global tariffs are illegal, federal court rules. Here's why they'll remain in place.

ktl@businessinsider.com (Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert,Katherine Li), Business Insider

A federal appeals court struck down President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plan, ruling that he overstepped his executive power.

Trump’s global tariffs are unlawful, appeals court says

Katherine Faulders, Peter Charalambous, Steven Portnoy, ABC News

A federal appeals court has ruled that most of President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs are unlawful.

At Trump's urging, Missouri jumps into redistricting race to help Republicans

Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio, NPR

Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session starting Wednesday to help the GOP hold onto Congress. It's part of the battle to reshape the voting map and help Trump keep a majority for his agenda.

Uncle Sam doesn't want Samsung, SK Hynix making memories in China

Tobias Mann, Theregister.com

End of verified end user status means South Korean memory vendors will need licenses to bring restricted chipmaking tech into Chinese fabs The US government already has a lot to say about what products chipmakers can and can't sell in China. This week the Com…

WATCH: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spotted at college football game after engagement

ABC News

Taylor Swift made her first public appearance wearing her engagement ring from Travis Kelce at the Cincinnati Bearcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers game Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Show Me the Person, and I’ll Show You the Crime

Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

Mortgage fraud is bad, but digging up dirt to target political opponents is worse.

‘SNL’: Every Cast Member Leaving Ahead of Season 51

Ethan Shanfeld, Variety

There’s a shakeup at Studio 8H, as a handful of “Saturday Night Live” cast members have left the show ahead of its 51st season. The exodus began on Aug. 25 with the departure of Devon Walker, who wrote on Instagram that sometimes his time on “SNL” was “really…

Lego Will No Longer Ship Individual Pieces Thanks to Trump Tariffs

Sabina Graves, Gizmodo.com

Elevated shipping costs are making your already expensive hobby more pricey.

WATCH: Family plays speech from late Judge Frank Caprio at his funeral

ABC News

The family of the late judge Frank Caprio -- known as 'America's nicest judge' -- played a 20-year-old speech from Caprio at his funeral service in Providence, Rhode Island, on Friday.

Chaos At CDC As Trump Admin Ousts CDC Director After Only Weeks On The Job

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

The CDC has plunged into chaos. Dr. Susan Monarez, the newly minted CDC Director, a role she held for a matter of mere weeks, has been fired by the Trump administration. We actually wrote about Monarez previously, as she was engaged with both the CDC team tha…

Eric Trump Claims His Company Is Mining ‘3% of the World’s Bitcoin Every Single Day’

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

The president's son promoted his latest venture at a Bitcoin conference in Hong Kong.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs Trump-backed redistricting bill

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Texas redraw sparks gerrymandering fight nationwide, fueling voter power battles in states across the political divide.

‘Saturday Night Live’ Is Reportedly Considering Poaching A Comedian From ’Kill Tony’

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

26-year-old Kam Patterson is reportedly a candidate to join Season 51

Germany, France push for secondary sanctions on Russia amid Ukraine war

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

European Union’s two biggest economies have agreed to push for measures targeting companies that support Russia’s war.

The CDC’s Nightmare Interim Director Is a Peter Thiel Pal

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

As America's pivotal health agency descends into chaos, the White House has selected the worst possible person to run it.

Court blocks Trump effort to end protected status for Venezuelans

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Court rules against Trump push to cancel TPS for Venezuelans, keeping protections intact amid ongoing legal battles.

Upcoming 'upgrade' to Holocaust Museum exhibit sparks some staff concerns: Sources

Will Steakin, Emily Chang, ABC News

A Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibit will temporarily close for upgrades, sparking concern from some staff over potential changes amid President Trump's review of museums.

Why has Kamala Harris' security detail been withdrawn?

BBC News

The overstretched Secret Service is required to provide 6 months of protection to former vice-presidents.

Zelensky rejects proposals for buffer zone to end Ukraine war

BBC News

Ukraine's president says those suggesting a buffer zone do not understand the realities of modern warfare.

A Postcard From an Occupied Washington

Ashley Parker, Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic

The presence of the National Guard on the streets of D.C. has terrified some, relieved others, and left even the troops themselves confused.

Democrats launch probe into Trump son-in-law over alleged wedding deal

Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill

Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are launching a probe into Michael Boulos, the son-in-law of President Trump, following...

WATCH: Trump cuts nearly $5B of foreign aid

ABC News

President Donald Trump told Congress that he will slash $4.9 billion of congressionally-approved USAID and State Department foreign aid funding.

WATCH: Grandchildren gift grandma Hawaii vacation after taking all 16 on individual trips

ABC News

After 24 years of one-on-one vacations with their Grandma Noreen, now as adults, her grandchildren are giving back by taking her on a summer trip.

Homeland Security Claps Back at Kim Kardashian Over Immigration Comment

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Kim Kardashian doesn't understand the government's immigration policy, and she's actually doing the bidding of criminals ... according to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin went after the…

Trump seeks to cut $5bn in congressionally approved foreign aid

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

White House seeks to run out clock on funding after already slashing billions in aid in move decried as overreach.

MAGA Has a New Favorite Slogan

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

Donald Trump and his allies would like to remind you that “no one is above the law.”

WATCH: Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas play 'Rapid Fire' with 'GMA'

ABC News

The 2026 Cadillac F1 drivers answered quick questions backstage at "Good Morning America."

Texas Gov. Abbott signs redrawn congressional map favoring Republicans into law

Oren Oppenheim, ABC News

Experts said the new map could allow Republicans to flip up to five seats.

WATCH: President Trump revokes Kamala Harris' Secret Service detail

ABC News

President Donald Trump has revoked Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a copy of a letter reviewed by ABC News.

FBI: Making America Great Means Lowering The Bar For New Hires

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Trump’s desire to punish, oust, and eject anyone who isn’t white and/or MAGA enough from this country means the preferred outlets for his aggression are running out of manpower. Tons of federal officers have already been rerouted to immigration enforcement, l…

Why Miriam Toews Writes

Maya Chung, The Atlantic

The Canadian novelist’s new memoir reckons with the deaths of her father and sister—and examines the forces that made her an author.

‘I am in no rush’: Brazil’s Lula weighs countermeasures to Trump’s tariffs

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Brazil currently faces 50 percent tariffs on many of its US exports, as a result of its prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro.

Joni Ernst won't seek reelection to Senate in 2026, sources say

Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News

GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is expected to announce next week she's not running for reelection in 2026.

UK Sought Broad Access To Apple Customers' Data, Court Filing Suggests

msmash, Slashdot.org

A newly published Investigatory Powers Tribunal filing indicates the UK government's Technical Capability Notice to Apple went beyond the company's Advanced Data Protection encryption to include standard iCloud services used by millions [non-paywalled source]…

House Speaker Mike Johnson weighs in on CDC turmoil, Epstein files and more

Justin Gomez, Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

House Speaker Mike Johnson, on "Good Morning America," weighed in on turmoil at the CDC, the Minneapolis shooting and what's next for Congress on the Epstein files.

Elon Musk Hopes to Wriggle His Way Out of Allegations He Duped Twitter Investors

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Regulators claim he cheated investors out of a $150 million gain.

DOJ hammers Lisa Cook for not explaining mortgage document problems as Trump tries to push her out of Fed

jshamsian@businessinsider.com (Jacob Shamsian,Brent D. Griffiths), Business Insider

Lisa Cook asked a judge to issue a temporary restraining order on President Donald Trump, ensuring she keeps her job at the Federal Reserve.

Portuguese President: Trump Is a Soviet Agent!

Newsukraine.rbc.ua

Portuguese President: Trump Is a Soviet Agent! (Top headline, 1st story, link) Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

Obama Quietly Boosting Rising Dems...

The Daily Beast, Dnyuz.com

Obama Quietly Boosting Rising Dems... (First column, 7th story, link) Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

US denies visas for Palestinian officials before UN assembly

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

State Dept cites Palestinian appeals to ICC and ICJ over Israeli abuses in occupied territories in justifying move.

Years Before ‘South Park,’ the Author of ‘Jurassic Park’ Hid Behind the ‘Small Penis Rule’

JM McNab, Cracked.com

He definitely didn’t stop to think if he should

Trump revokes Secret Service detail for political opponent Kamala Harris

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Move comes as spectre of political violence has grown in the US, with Trump facing two campaign assassination attempts.

Is Trump taking control of Corporate America?

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump pledges more deals like Intel stake, worrying business community.

Trump Invokes Rare Move—Pushing Country One Step Closer to Shutdown

Yahoo Entertainment

Is Gmail Biased Against Republicans? FTC Probes MAGA’s Latest Conspiracy Theory

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Republicans are seeking justice for MAGA inboxes.

Minneapolis Shooter ‘Idolized’ Mass Murderers and ‘Appeared to Hate All of Us,’ Officials Say

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone

Officials have said the shooter who killed two kids at a Catholic school and church 'idolized' mass murderers and 'wanted to watch children suffer.'

Russia, China slam European nations over Iran ‘snapback’ sanctions move

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Russia said it 'strongly condemns' actions of Germany, France and UK as China says sanctions move 'counterproductive'.

NHC monitors new tropical system in Atlantic. Is it headed to Texas? See map

Brandi D. Addison and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

The tropics have been relatively kind to Texas this year, especially compared with last year, when hurricane season kicked off early with Alberto and Beryl.

Why has South Africa’s Malema been found guilty of hate speech again?

Shola Lawal, Al Jazeera English

This is the third time the fiery opposition politician and leader of the left-wing EFF has been accused.

Trump blocks $4.9B in foreign aid Congress OK'd, using maneuver last seen nearly 50 years ago

JOSH BOAK, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump has told House Speaker Mike Johnson that he won't be spending $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, effectively...

Minneapolis Church Shooter's Mother Lawyers Up, Hasn't Spoken With Cops

TMZ Staff, TMZ

The mother of the Minnesota church shooter is reportedly lawyering up after her kid went on a shooting spree, killing 2 children and injuring 18 other people. According to FOX News, Mary Grace Westman -- the mother of Robin Westman, who died from a…

95 People Sickened, 18 Hospitalized After Eating These Recalled Eggs

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Salmonella illnesses have been identified in 14 states so far.

Lessons ‘unlearned’: 20 years after Katrina, disaster readiness lags in US

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Katrina's legacy persists, emphasising hard truths and fears Trump White House failing to learn from past disasters.

MiB: Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

This week, I speak with Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp. Dr. Zandi is a cofounder of Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005. He currently hosts the “Inside Economics” podcast. We discusse the state of the U…

Trump Broke the Barrel

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The Cracker Barrel saga nears its dopey, unfortunate conclusion.

Trump ends Secret Service protection for Harris

BBC News

A memo seen by the BBC ends the security arrangement for the Democratic former vice-president.

How Trump’s newfound love for Chinese students is drawing MAGA backlash

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Trump said he would allow Chinese students into US universities, months after administration announced visa revocations.

Trump ends security protection for former Vice President Harris, senior White House official says

Steve Holland, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has canceled Secret Service protection for former vice president and 2024 Democratic rival Kamala Harris, a...

Kim Kardashian Criticizes Donald Trump's ICE Raids and Immigration Policy

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Kim Kardashian is challenging Donald Trump's controversial immigration policy ... arguing the U.S.A. is kicking out people who've worked hard to build the country. KK was asked Thursday about the ongoing ICE raids by a journalist, just before…

European Leader Calls Trump 'Russian Asset'...

Erkki Forster, Daily Beast

European Leader Calls Trump 'Russian Asset'... (First column, 7th story, link) Related stories:MOSCOW THREATENS MARCH TO PARIS... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

Republican Storms Out of Back Door After Being Laughed at During Town Hall...

The Daily Beast, Dnyuz.com

Republican Storms Out of Back Door After Being Laughed at During Town Hall... (Second column, 12th story, link)

Conservatives Don’t Get to Claim Taylor Swift’s Love Story

Sophie Vershbow, Jezebel

The blonde pop star may be marrying the football player, but the moral of this all American love story is the opposite of the trad wife narrative they’re trying to inspire.

A Terrible Week for Pumpkin Spice

Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic

Tariffs are coming for the flavor of fall.

Hegseth Puts Up Painting of Confederate General With a Chilling Detail at West Point

Janna Brancolini, Daily Beast

Defense chief Pete Hegseth is restoring to West Point Military Academy a giant painting of rebel Gen. Robert E. Lee that shows him wearing his gray...

Oil faces uphill struggle as supply glut worries mount: Reuters poll

Brijesh Patel, Yahoo Entertainment

(Reuters) -Oil prices are unlikely to gain much traction from current levels this year as rising output from top producers adds to the risk of a surplus and ...

10 Friday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My end of Summer, 3-day weekend reads: • Walmart and Other Retailers Have Eaten the Cost of Tariffs. Now It Is the Consumer’s Turn. While the last quarter’s sales were strong, price increases could be felt starting now. (Barron’s) see also No More Free Ride f…

The Internet Revolutionized Porn. Age Verification Could Upend Everything

Jason Parham, Wired

Platforms like Pornhub and OnlyFans have given porn stars more autonomy. But sweeping age-check laws are already impacting their bottom lines.

20 Years after Hurricane Katrina, Major Forecasting Advances Could Erode

Andrea Thompson, Scientific American

Hurricane forecasts have made huge leaps since Katrina hit 20 year ago, but that progress is threatened by Trump administration cuts to research

Moderate North Carolina Democrat Won’t Take AIPAC Cash for 2026

Jonah Valdez, The Intercept

Rep. Deborah Ross became the latest Democrat to swear off AIPAC amid pressure to hold Israel accountable for its genocide in Gaza. The post Moderate North Carolina Democrat Won’t Take AIPAC Cash for 2026 appeared first on The Intercept.

UK Still Demanding Global Access to iCloud User Data, Filings Suggest

Tim Hardwick, MacRumors

The UK government's secret demand for Apple to create backdoor access to encrypted user data was far broader than previously known, reports the Financial Times. British officials didn't just want to break Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, but sought t…

The Trump administration wants to build more roads through national forests

Nathan Rott, NPR

The Trump administration argues that rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule will help wildland firefighters. Fire researchers warn that more roads could exacerbate the problem.

Ukraine’s Fight Is Far From Over

Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic

Documenting Russia’s occupation of Ukraine from the ground

The Science behind Hurricane Katrina: What Researchers Knew before the 2005 Disaster

Mark Fischetti, Andrea Thompson, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Jeffery DelViscio, Alex Sugiura, Scientific American

Two decades after Katrina, we revisit the storm and discuss the evolution of hurricane preparedness since then.

WATCH: Andy Samberg is a 'KPop Demon Hunters' superfan

ABC News

The actor dished on his love for the record-breaking Netflix film.

How Windows 11 is breaking from its bedrock and moving away

Rupert Goodwins, Theregister.com

The once mighty Wintel supercontinent is cracking in more ways than you might think Opinion Say what you like about its role in the destruction of civilization, the net is still good for a few party games. Take bets on when the "Wintel Empire" was first repor…

China's Alibaba develops new AI chip to help fill Nvidia void, WSJ reports

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

The chip, now in testing, is manufactured by a Chinese company, in contrast to an earlier Alibaba AI processor that was fabricated by Taiwan Semiconductor...

The long recovery on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 'ground zero' for Hurricane Katrina

Debbie Elliott, NPR

While much of the focus marking 20 years since Hurricane Katrina is on New Orleans, where federal levees failed and flooded the city, the historic storm also decimated the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Kyiv in mourning after strikes as allies discuss military support

BBC News

EU defence ministers are meeting to discuss further support following a large aerial attack on Kyiv.

WATCH: Hennepin EMS Chief thanks teachers and students for bravery during shooting

ABC News

Hennepin County EMS Chief Marty Scheerer thanked students and teachers for protecting each other during Wednesday's shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school.

WATCH: Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg on playing a couple

ABC News

The "SNL" alums joked about their chemistry in their new film, "The Roses."

Outraged over Russian strike on Kyiv, European defense leaders pledge pressure to end the war

SAM McNEIL, Yahoo Entertainment

European defense ministers are meeting in Copenhagen to discuss the war in Ukraine, the day after a Russian air assault on Kyiv killed 23 people and badly...

Top US senators arrive in Taiwan to discuss security amid China threat

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Roger Wicker, head of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, says trip is focused on security ties with island.

Gavin Newsom Berates Stephen Miller Over ‘Shrill’ Yelling

Cameron Adams, Daily Beast

Gavin Newsom told top Trump aide Stephen Miller to dial down his yelling and remarked on how “shrill” his voice had become while he was berating the...

‘In a nightmare’: India braces for big layoffs as Trump’s tariffs bite

Yashraj Sharma, Al Jazeera English

From textile factories to shrimp peeling units, hundreds of thousands of workers could lose jobs, say traders.

New trial ordered for 3 Memphis ex-officers in connection with death of Tyre Nichols

The Associated Press, NPR

The ruling marks the latest setback for prosecutors in a case that shocked the country when videos were released showing officers violently kicking and punching Nichols during a traffic stop.

China seeks stronger ties with Brazil to resist ‘bullying’ on world stage

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

China's top diplomat tells Brazil's FM Mauro Vieira that Beijing-Brazil ties are at their 'best in history'.

The US Air Force's new mini-cruise missile, built for bringing mass to Ukraine's long-range fight, is taking off

Matthew Loh, Business Insider

The US is gearing up to sell 3,350 of the Extended-Range Attack Munitions it built for Ukraine's Air Force to strike deeper against Russia.

What to know about the US warships sent to South America and the reaction in Venezuela

REGINA GARCIA CANO and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Yahoo Entertainment

The United States is boosting its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels with the expected arrival of ...

US ends tariff exemption for delivery packages valued at $800 or less

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The 'de minimis' import tax exemption helped fuel home delivery and the rise of e-commerce in the US.

Automakers Are Running Out Of Time To Deal With Tariffs

staff@jalopnik.com (Matthew DeBord), Jalopnik

The clock has been ticking all year, and once the end-of-year clear-outs are finished, the bell is going to toll for car companies and consumers alike.

Trump Administration Approves New COVID Vaccines… For Barely Anyone At All

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

I’m starting to think that American is suffering from some sort of collective amnesia. Look, whatever your opinions on how the government handled the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in its early days, I would hope we can all agree that it sucked. Think the gove…

Venezuela’s Maduro says ‘no way’ US can invade as Trump deploys naval force

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says country ready to defend 'territorial integrity' amid US military buildup.

Small businesses worldwide — from sticker shops in Japan to beret sellers in New Zealand — are scrambling after Trump's tariff rule on small packages

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

Starting Friday, package deliveries to the US will face duties, prompting postal carriers of at least 25 countries to pause package deliveries.

Lawyers ask judge to order Trump admin to stop vilifying Abrego Garcia in remarks

Laura Romero, ABC News

Public comments about Kilmar Abrego Garcia by Trump administration officials are "highly prejudicial, inflammatory, and false," his attorneys said in a court filing.

White House picks Robert Kennedy Jr’s deputy to replace ousted CDC director

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Former CDC head was expelled after clashing with Trump administration over policies she says were not driven by science.

How triggering snapback sanctions may deepen Iran nuclear crisis

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

Europe's move to re-impose UN sanctions against Iran will make nuclear diplomacy more difficult, experts say.