Trump News for Friday, September 5, 2025

Two authors accuse Apple of illegally training AI models on pirated books

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

A new proposed class action suit was filed in the federal court in Northern California today, accusing Apple of illegally using books to train its AI models. Here are the details. more…

Silicon Valley’s most powerful alliance just got stronger

Alex Heath, The Verge

Eddy Cue deserves a raise. As the executive overseeing Apple's services division, he's highly incentivized to protect the tens of billions of dollars a year that Google pays to be the default search engine in Safari. "I've lost a lot of sleep thinking about i…

WATCH: Pete Hegseth speaks on 'Department of War'

ABC News

Hegseth said the move was about "restoring the warrior ethos" in the military.

The RFK Jr. Congressional Hearing Was An Unmitigated Disaster

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

Well, that was certainly a thing. We mentioned yesterday that RFK Jr. was scheduled to go before the Senate Finance committee to answer all kinds of questions as to just what in the holy hell is happening at HHS. As we said, this was always going to be a cont…

What the new jobs report tells us, briefly explained

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly jo…

Melania Trump turns heads in power suit at White House after 2-month hiatus

Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, USA Today

Melania Trump hasn't been seen at the White House in weeks, but returned with a statement – and a statement piece.

The Biden-Era Plan to Pay Travelers for Airline-Caused Delays Is Dead

Nelson Aguilar, CNET

The Trump administration axed a proposal that would have forced airlines to pay cash for delays or cancellations that were the carrier's fault.

Why This Administration Can’t Fill Its Jobs

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

Making many officials work multiple roles is bad for governance.

Chicago braces for expanded ICE enforcement over the weekend

Luke Barr, ABC News

A Mexican Independence Day festival was postponed because of the ICE activity.

Trump symbolically changes Department of Defense to ‘Department of War’

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Pentagon chief says name signals more offensive approach to US military, but change unofficial without change to law.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro in war of words with judge over Trump's DC crackdown

Alexander Mallin, ABC News

Top D.C. prosecutor Jeanine Pirro is slamming a judge who criticized prosecutors for bringing cases he says lack evidence in support of the president's crime crackdown.

Trump’s New Labor Stats Nominee Was a Jan 6 ‘Bystander’ Accused of Making Unhinged Posts

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Two different reports claim Trump's new labor statistics guru ran a social media account that routinely posted bigoted content.

OpenAI Spends $10 Billion to Get Into the Chip Business

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

Gotta spend that money somewhere.

Chicago teachers hand out safety tips as troop deployment looms

Al Jazeera English

The Chicago Teachers Union was handing out flyers at schools Friday informing parents of their rights.

Trump administration warns it may deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador

Laura Romero, ABC News

The Trump administration will seek to remove Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador again if a judge grants his attorneys' request to reopen his immigration case

Jan. 6 rioter who wore 'Camp Auschwitz' hoodie arrested on animal attack charges

Meredith Deliso, Jessie DiMartino, ABC News

The Jan. 6 rioter seen in photos wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" hoodie inside the U.S. Capitol building has been arrested in Virginia on charges stemming from a dog attack.

Top DOJ Official Caught in Catfish Video Claiming Gov Will ‘Redact Every Republican’ From Epstein Files

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The White House's least favorite subject just had another viral glowup this week.

EPA moves to suspend without pay over 100 employees who signed letter of dissent

Ella Nilsen, Andrew Freedman, CNN, CNN

The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to suspend more than 100 staffers who signed a letter of dissent against the Trump administration’s policies in...

Belgium asks US not to destroy millions in contraceptives bound for Africa

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump administration has confirmed it plans to destroy already purchased supplies, preventing their distribution.

WATCH: Trump defends RFK Jr. after heated Senate hearing

ABC News

President Donald Trump reacted to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Senate Finance Committee testimony, which came after a week of fast-moving shake-ups at Health and Human Services.

Tim Heidecker Roasts Jimmy Fallon and His ‘Dead Soul’ for Selling Out to Tech Sales

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Fallon’s Google demo special and his marketing reality show has real comedians laughing at his lifeless face

1,000+ HHS Staffers Send Letter To Congress, RFK Jr. Demanding His Resignation

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

Well, the RFK Jr. congressional hearing is now over. And, to the shock of very few thinking persons, it was a complete and total shitshow. I’m sure I will be writing something up on the hearing soon, but the short version is that Congress members on both side…

Tesla Wants Out of the Car Business

Patrick George, The Atlantic

Elon Musk’s grand vision is coming into focus.

Justice Department talks about banning transgender gun owners spark fury across political spectrum

ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Yahoo Entertainment

The Justice Department is drawing swift condemnation from gun rights groups and LGBTQ advocates alike after floating that it was considering restricting...

How Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans are reacting to Trump's National Guard threats

Rachel Treisman, NPR

Even after a federal court ruled his use of the National Guard in LA was illegal, the president has weighed sending troops to Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans. Here's where things stand in those cities.

IOC sets up working group 'to protect women's sport'

Adwaidh Rajan, BBC News

The International Olympic Committee has set up four working groups, including one for the protection of female sports in its bid to reshape the Olympic Games under new president Kirsty Coventry.

Amanda Knox Has A Shockingly Solid Stand-Up Routine About Her Italian Murder Trial

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: September 05th, 2025

Bose Debuts QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) With Upgraded Noise Canceling and Other Small Improvements

David Carnoy, CNET

While they look the same as their predecessor, Bose's new flagship 2nd-Gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones offer some small but legitimate improvements for $449.

Why it’s called the Department of “Defense” in the first place — and why Trump wants to change it

Joshua Keating, Vox

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Friday renaming the Department of Defense the “Department of War.” The move on its own has no legal power; officially changing the name would require approval by Congress, though the White House…

Trump Admin Raids Hyundai Construction Site as US Manufacturing Jobs Keep Shrinking

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

The raid targeted the construction of a new factory in Georgia. The timing was less than ideal.

WATCH: South Florida grandmother convicted in murder-for-hire killing

ABC News

A South Florida grandmother was convicted of murder on Thursday in the killing of her former son-in-law, a law professor who was shot and killed in 2014 while in a custody battle with his ex-wife.

Federal judge dismisses Newsmax's 'shotgun' antitrust lawsuit against Fox News

Natalie Musumeci, Business Insider

US District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the lawsuit just two days after Newsmax filed it against Fox News and its parent company.

EU Fines Google $3.45B for Giving Its Ad Tech Preferential Treatment

Imad Khan, CNET

The case comes after a US judge gave Google a light punishment for operating an illegal monopoly in online search.

National Guard Troops Aren’t Happy They’re Just Trump’s Toy Soldiers

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Trump continues to wield everything he controls like a weapon against his enemies, even when the law says he can’t. Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops (and a couple hundred Marines) to Los Angeles to quell nonexistent riots and otherwise get in the…

What the Hell Is Going on With Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun and Donald Trump?

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"I believe that a truly great financial brand must be built on fairness, transparency, and trust—not on unilateral actions that freeze investor assets," Sun tweeted Thursday.

‘South Park’ Fans Surprised At How Comedy Central Has Been Letting the F-Bombs Slide

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Contrary to commonly-held belief, it’s not illegal to swear on cable

The ‘Remarkable Ability’ Many Dissidents Share

Boris Kachka, The Atlantic

The novelist Lauren Grodstein visited Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2023, and the protests she witnessed made her think differently about perseverance.

Tesla proposes trillion-dollar compensation package for CEO Elon Musk

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The compensation would be delivered in shares and tied to performance milestones set by the Tesla board over 10 years.

WATCH: Hiring slowdown continues in first jobs report since Trump fired commissioner

ABC News

Fresh data showed a continued hiring slowdown last month, in the first report since President Trump fired the top labor statistics official.

US job growth slows as Trump policies weigh on labour market

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Economists suggest the smaller gains show employers are increasingly wary of Trump’s tariff-driven economic policies.

Tech leaders take turns flattering Trump at White House dinner

Lauren Feiner, The Verge

Several of the most powerful business leaders in the country gathered around a table last night to fawn over President Donald Trump for his AI policies. “You and your policies are really helping a lot,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told the president. AMD CEO …

Deported Venezuelan mothers ask Melania Trump to help reunite them with their children

Yahoo Entertainment

Chicago braces for possible National Guard deployment: What we know

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Officials in US city have pushed back against the looming deployment, but Trump confirmed it will go ahead.

Jobs slowdown seals Fed rate cut as White House criticizes Powell for not acting sooner

Jennifer Schonberger, Yahoo Entertainment

A weak jobs report released Friday likely sealed an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's next policy meeting this month, as the Trump administration...

Trump Gushes Over Google Founder’s ‘MAGA Girlfriend’ in Front of Melania

Sarah Ewall-Wice, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump put Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s girlfriend center stage as he lavished praise on her for being MAGA. Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto, 32...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams being eyed as Saudi ambassador: Reports

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Sources tell US media the move aims to withdraw Adams from mayoral race to strengthen Cuomo and defeat Mamdani.

Trump's DOT cancels compensation for airline delays and cancellations

Sean Cudahy, The Points Guy

The Trump administration withdrew a Biden-era proposal to compensate passengers at least $200 when their flight is delayed or canceled.

Trump Flips Out in Wild Early-Morning Truth Social Rant

Leigh Kimmins, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump was on the warpath as soon as he woke up Friday, firing off strongly-worded Truth Social posts at a retiring congressman as well as...

Trump is gutting America’s consumer watchdog to feed Wall Street’s greed

Marceline White, Al Jazeera English

The CFPB clawed back $21bn for Americans. Now Trump is dismantling it, leaving families exposed as his donors celebrate.

Tech CEOs Praise Donald Trump at White House Dinner

Brian Barrett, Wired

At a White House dinner Thursday night, America’s tech executives put on an uncanny display of fealty to Donald Trump.

Four Democratic senators urge Smithsonian to resist White House attempts to 'bully the institution'

Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and three other Democrats are reminding the Smithsonian's secretary that the institution "is the responsibility of Congress."

US economy added just 22,000 jobs in August, unemployment highest in 4 yrs

Alicia Wallace, CNN

The US job market is stalling out.

The World No Longer Takes Trump Seriously

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

At parades and in the halls of global power, America has been sidelined.

South Park Season 27 Wages Hilarious War On Two Very Different 2025 Menaces

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

After taking shots at ICE and various politicians, South Park season 27 has now gone after two of 2025's greatest sources of evil: Labubus and tariffs.

Tesla Offers ONE TRILLION DOLLAR Pay Package to Elon Musk (If He Can Stay Focused)

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Musk could become the first trillionaire.

What guarantees has Macron’s ‘coalition of the willing’ promised Ukraine?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Macron announces a 'reassurance force' as 26 European countries pledge to place troops in Ukraine after the war ends.

Columbia tries using AI to cool off student tensions

Hayden Field, The Verge

Can AI help "smooth over" discussion on abortion, racism, immigration, or Israel-Palestine? Columbia University sure hopes so. The Verge has learned that the university recently began testing Sway, an AI debate program currently in beta. Developed by two rese…

YouTube star MrBeast reportedly wants to launch a phone company. Problem is, half of his core demographic doesn’t pay their own phone bills

Dave Smith, Yahoo Entertainment

Roughly 73% of Gen Z’s phone bills are paid by their parents.

Do Self-Driving Cars Need Windshield Wipers?

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The new rules will take effect next year.

Is Trump really considering relaxing laws on cannabis?

Niko Vorobyov, Al Jazeera English

The arguments for and against 'reclassifying' of cannabis in the US are varied.

Trump tells Big Tech: Your power woes? Totally fixable

Dan Robinson, Theregister.com

White House hosts back-slapping dinner for Tim Apple and co, datacenter grid connection relief promised by US Prez President Donald Trump has pledged to sort out the power and grid connection nightmares plaguing the US datacenter industry.…

India will continue to buy Russian oil despite US tariffs, finance minister says

Hritam Mukherjee and Nidhi Verma, Yahoo Entertainment

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India will continue to buy Russian oil as it proves economical, its finance minister said on Friday, despite the Trump administration's ...

South Korea objects as US immigration raids Hyundai plant

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Seoul demands protection for nationals, investors as Trump's immigration crackdown sees hundreds detained in ICE raid.

Another Cat Euthanized After Eating Raw Food Tainted With Bird Flu

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The CDC stop publishing data on bird flu infections in animals back in July.

Job growth badly missed expectations in August, and unemployment ticked up

Madison Hoff, Business Insider

The US added far fewer jobs in August than the expected gain of 75,000, while unemployment increased to 4.3%.

Trump FCC Boss Brendan Carr Joins Ted Cruz In Fucking Over Poor Rural School Kids

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Last year, the Biden FCC passed a new rule that would help bring Wi-Fi access to school kids who struggle to do their homework online. More specifically, the rule allowed schools to leverage the FCC’s E-Rate program funds to pay for mobile hotspots in things …

Trump Photo Shows The Perils of AI Upscaling Tools

Matt Growcoot, PetaPixel

Over the Labor Day weekend, rumors swirled about President Trump's health. On Monday, Getty Images photographer Andrew Caballero-Reynolds captured a grainy image of Trump leaving the White House. [Read More]

Washington, DC residents press Congress to end Trump's federal law enforcement surge

Beatrice Peterson, ABC News

Some Washington, D.C. residents fanned out across the halls of Congress on Thursday, urging lawmakers to end Trump's federal law enforcement surge.

South Koreans detained in ICE raid at Hyundai electric vehicle site in Georgia

BBC News

The raid has sparked an angry response from South Korea which called it an unjust infringement of people's rights.

Chinese public is divided over whether to seek global dominance or share leadership

Jan Camenzind Broomby, NPR

A new poll shows a majority of Chinese people see competition with the U.S. as a threat, but there is a split on what role Beijing should take on in the world stage.

Trump says India and Russia appear "lost" to "deepest, darkest China"

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said India and Russia seem to have been "lost" to China after their leaders met with Chinese...

10 Friday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: • ‘The Einstein of Wall Street’: How I Became the Face of the Wall Street Trader: It all began with a picture taken in February 2007. But my own Wall Street story started long before that. (Wall Street Journal) • The US…

Inside the CDC’s Breakdown—Legal Battles, Staff Exodus and Public Health Concerns

Rachel Feltman, Lauren J. Young, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura, Scientific American

With the CDC in disarray and its future uncertain, this episode explores what’s driving the exodus of agency staff and what this means for national health security.

People can't get COVID vaccines as cases surge. Anger is building against Trump

Rong-Gong Lin II, Yahoo Entertainment

Doctors and pharmacists say new federal guidance is all but guaranteed to discourage some people from getting the vaccine this fall — even as a late summer...

By blowing up a suspected cartel boat, the US signaled it's bringing War on Terror tactics to the drug war

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

US officials said a deadly strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean Sea this week marks the start of a new campaign.

BLS set to release 1st jobs report since Trump fired commissioner

Max Zahn, ABC News

A weak jobs report last month showed a sharp hiring slowdown.

Former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy says he wouldn't go back

Peter Kafka, Business Insider

Former CNN reporter Oliver Darcy says he wouldn't go back if the network came calling. That tells us something about the media moment we're in.

Hats on hats: How the Trump administration is loading officials with jobs

Tamara Keith, NPR

At least a dozen Trump administration officials wear more than one hat, often doing roles that are not directly related to their original post.

Trump's D.C. takeover has led to more arrests. NPR looks at cases of those swept up

Ryan Lucas, NPR

NPR combed through court records and other data related to Trump's takeover of D.C. police to get a better understanding of who has been swept up in the federal surge and what charges they are facing.

Young Democrats want to unseat their elders. Young Republicans are happy to wait

Elena Moore, NPR

More than 20 Democrats under age 40 are vying for Congress, while on the GOP side, party organizers can point to only one. Young Republicans say it's a sign of how they're rallying behind the party.

Etsy sellers are being hit hard by tariffs and the end of the de minimis rule

Bill Chappell, NPR

For years, the U.S. was essentially "an extension of our domestic market," says an Etsy seller in Canada. But now the rules and costs are far more imposing.

What ICE agents can and cannot legally do during arrests

Jaclyn Diaz, NPR

Tactics by immigration agents attempting to arrest undocumented immigrants have shocked the public and led to protests. But what is, and isn't, allowed by law when it comes to ICE arrests?

Western troops in Ukraine would be ‘targets’ for Russian forces: Putin

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Moscow hits out at plan by Kyiv's allies to send forces as a security guarantee following any peace deal.

US deploying 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for drug cartel fight, sources say

Steve Holland, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels, two...

From student-loan repayment changes to a new AI push in classrooms, here's what Trump has in store for the new school year

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Students are going back to school while the Trump administration is pushing new policies for K-12 and higher education.

US Department of Defense to be renamed ‘Department of War’: Report

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump recently said 'defence is too defensive' as the US wants 'to be offensive too'.

Pentagon warns Venezuela as 2 military aircraft fly near US Navy ship

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Defense Department says 'two Maduro regime military aircraft' flew near US warship in a 'highly provocative' move.

Trump is rebranding the Pentagon as the Department of War. Here are 5 other things he's renamed since he got back to the White House.

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

In January, he issued an executive order titled "Restoring names that honor American greatness." Take a look at five other things Trump has rebranded.

A deadly strike marks a moment in Rubio's long desire to confront Venezuela

ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, FARNOUSH AMIRI and REGINA GARCIA CANO, Yahoo Entertainment

The deadly strike on a boat U.S. officials say was carrying drugs from Venezuela may have marked a stunning shift in the countries’ relations, but escalating...

PBS cuts 15% of jobs in wake of federal funding cut

David Folkenflik, NPR

After Congress clawed back public media funding PBS cuts 15% of its staff. More than 100 jobs jobs are being lost.

WATCH: 3-year-old boy dies after being left in hot car, police say

ABC News

A 3-year-old boy has died after being left alone in a hot car outside of his home, according to authorities in Utah.

WATCH: New Jersey town council candidate breakdances to protest property tax hikes

ABC News

A town council candidate in Cranford, New Jersey, pulled out some breakdancing moves during a town hall meeting to protest local property tax hikes.

Sam Altman, Tim Cook, and other tech leaders lauded Trump at a White House AI dinner

Katherine Li, Business Insider

Top tech executives from Google and OpenAI flocked to the White House for an AI education event and praised President Donald Trump over dinner.

'Highly provocative': Venezuelan military aircraft flew near US Navy vessel, DOD says

Anne Flaherty, ABC News

The Pentagon said two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel on Thursday in international waters in a "highly provocative move." In a statement posted on the social media platform X on Thursday night, the Defense Department wrote the move …

At White House dinner, Tim Cook praises Trump’s ‘leadership and focus on innovation’

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

Yesterday, news broke that Apple CEO Tim Cook was one of many tech CEOs who had been invited for a “White House event on AI hosted by first lady Melania Trump.” Now, The Wall Street Journal has a few details of how the event went. more…

The president looked to the first lady, 24 years his junior, for assistance after a question didn’t register.

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump had to lean on First Lady Melania to help him understand a reporter’s question while hosting tech leaders at the White House. The...

Rubio says US will 'blow up' foreign crime groups if needed

BBC News

The secretary of state made the comments during a trip to Ecuador, where he announced new measures targeting criminal gangs.

Watch: UK online speech laws 'not a good thing', says Trump

BBC News

The US president made the remarks during a dinner hosting prominent tech leaders at the White House.