Trump News for Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Democrats release counteroffer to avert shutdown while House advances GOP plan

Kaia Hubbard, CBS News

House Republicans advanced their own plan earlier Wednesday, moving one step closer to funding the government without provisions sought by Democrats.

The Fed Rate Cut Won’t Be Enough to Appease Trump

Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic

The president is bent on consolidating his influence over the Federal Reserve.

Leading Hamas official makes first comments since Israeli attack in Qatar

Usaid Siddiqui, Al Jazeera English

Hamas official Ghazi Hamad was at the location Israel had attacked in Qatar last week, describing it as 'intense'.

Nexstar’s Decision To Drop Jimmy Kimmel’s Show From Its ABC Stations Indefinitely Comes As It Seeks FCC Approval For Major Merger

Ted Johnson and Dade Hayes, Deadline

UPDATED: Nexstar’s decision to pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel’s show from its ABC stations “for the foreseeable future” comes amid furor over the host’s comments...

iPhone Air vs. Galaxy S25 Edge: Thin Phones Compared

Jeff Carlson, CNET

If you're tired of carrying a bulky phone everywhere, one of these slim designs can make a big difference. Here's how two top thin phones' specs fare against each other.

Kate Middleton and Melania Trump took different approaches to white-tie fashion for a state banquet at Windsor Castle

Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn, Business Insider

Melania Trump and Kate Middleton both wore eye-catching dresses for a state banquet at Windsor Castle, though the first lady chose a bolder color.

Trump gets lavish UK banquet - and an awkward guest

Danny KEMP, Yahoo Entertainment

US President Donald Trump got a succulent menu for his UK state banquet -- but there was also an awkward guest at the feast in the form of Rupert Murdoch.A...

US House advances stopgap spending bill to avert government shutdown

David Morgan and Richard Cowan, Yahoo Entertainment

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday cleared the way for a vote later this week on a stopgap funding measure to avert a...

Tim Cook attends Windsor Castle State Banquet as part of Trump’s visit to the UK

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook was among multiple high-profile guests at a state dinner at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, joining King Charles III and Donald Trump. Here are the details. more…

Acting CDC director says agency too involved in Americans' health decisions

Will McDuffie, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, ABC News

Acting director Jim O’Neill wrote in part that the CDC was experiencing "mission creep" that has led it to be too involved in Americans' health decisions.

Watch: Pomp and protests on day one of Trump state visit

BBC News

King Charles hosts Donald Trump at Windsor Castle on the first full day of his UK state visit.

RFK Jr.’s biggest disruption yet to vaccine policy is coming

Dylan Scott, Vox

This morning, ousted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez came to the Senate to share her story of being fired by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump, the latest volley in an ong…

China's Nvidia ban marks 'experimental phase' of trade talks

Yahoo Finance Video, Yahoo Entertainment

China has reportedly banned Chinese firms from buying Nvidia (NVDA) chips, according to reporting from the Financial Times. Rhodium Group director Reva...

Trump’s Latest Lawsuit Names ‘SNL’

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: September 17th, 2025

I have no relationship with Trump, Brazil's President Lula tells BBC

BBC News

In an exclusive interview, Brazil's president says Trump is "not emperor of the world".

Military personnel suspended for social media posts about Charlie Kirk's death

ANNE FLAHERTY, ABC News

An Army official said numerous people had been suspended pending investigation.

Spirit Airlines Pilot Reportedly Warned to ‘Get Off the iPad’ After Veering Too Close to Air Force One

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The incident took place as President Trump was headed to the U.K.

Smotrich: Gaza could be a ‘real estate bonanza’

Al Jazeera English

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says there’s a “business plan” to turn Gaza into a “real estate bonanza.”

WATCH: Democratic reps question FBI Director Kash Patel on Epstein files

ABC News

Democratic lawmakers continued to grill FBI Director Kash Patel about the Jeffrey Epstein files. "Why don't you just release the entire file as you promised to do?" Rep. Jamie Raskin said.

California Lawmakers Pass A Bill That Would Ban Use of Face Masks By Law Enforcement

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

It’s probably too much to ask, but I hope California law enforcement agencies will remember who to direct their hate at if this bill becomes law. It’s not the “liberals” running the state. It’s the Trump administration and its mass deportation efforts. ICE an…

Anthropic Wants to Be the One Good AI Company in Trump’s America

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

It put limits on law enforcement usage and backed an AI safety bill. Just ignore the whole pirating a bunch of books thing.

The Fed's dot plot shows one member wants to cut rates like crazy by the end of the year

Allie Kelly, Business Insider

The Fed's projections show the median member expected another half percentage point of cuts in 2025. One member called for something more ambitious.

Body Language Expert Dissects Melania Trump And Kate Middleton’s Awkward State Visit Moment

Analice Couto, Boredpanda.com

"[Melania] may feel like a fish out of water."

RFK Jr. Claimed CDC Was ‘Killing Children’ According to Former Director

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Susan Monarez was grilled Wednesday by Republican senators who are running cover for Kennedy and Trump's anti-science agenda.

Elizabeth Warren says there's a hidden reason why Trump wants to end companies' quarterly earnings requirement

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider

"It undermines transparency," Sen. Elizabeth Warren said of Trump's proposal. "That is the whole point here."

“Not Designing Products, We’re Designing Relationships”: Inside Electrolux’s Human-Centric AI Revolution

Sarang Sheth, Yanko Design

“Not Designing Products, We’re Designing Relationships”: Inside Electrolux’s Human-Centric AI RevolutionA new chapter is beginning at Yanko Design, and it comes with a fresh voice. Every Friday, the Design Mindset podcast invites listeners into a...

‘South Park’ Has Always Been Made and Released Unusually, but Missing a Deadline Is Bizarre Even for Them

Brian Welk, IndieWire

"This one's on us," Matt Stone and Trey Parker said, the latest twist in a strange semi-weekly release schedule on Comedy Central.

World’s Sorest Winner: Trump Demands $15 Billion From NY Times For Not Fluffing His Ego Enough

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Even by Donald Trump’s standards for frivolous defamation lawsuits, this one is impressively stupid. On Monday, the president filed yet another lawsuit against the NY Times—this time seeking $15 billion over a book that claims he’s not quite as successful a b…

China Just Pulled the Plug on Nvidia's China Workaround--Here's Why That Matters

Khac Phu Nguyen, Yahoo Entertainment

Beijing tells Alibaba, ByteDance to cancel RTX 6000D orders as U.S.-China chip war hits new flashpoint

Trump Plagued by Jeffrey Epstein Projections During UK Trip

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Four arrests were made over "malicious communications.”

US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates for the first time since December

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The central bank’s widely expected 0.25% cut comes amid a cooling labour market, which has stalled economic growth.

This Is the Only Other Time That ‘South Park’ Missed Its Deadline

JM McNab, Cracked.com

It’s been more than a decade since Trey Parker and Matt Stone didn’t deliver an episode on time

Alleged Shooter’s Discord Chats Cut Against Rush To Blame Online Games And Memes

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

Reported chats from a Discord server offer little evidence of internet radicalization amid call for Congressional hearings The post Alleged Shooter’s Discord Chats Cut Against Rush To Blame Online Games And Memes appeared first on Kotaku.

US farmers face 'financial calamity' without extra aid soon, Republican lawmakers say

Bo Erickson and Leah Douglas, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -As U.S. farmers enter autumn harvest season worried that low crop prices and a trade war could hurt their livelihoods, Republican farm-...

Anthropic irks White House with limits on models’ use

Reed Albergotti, Semafor.com

The AI firm declined requests by contractors working with federal law enforcement that could see its tools being used for surveillance.

TikTok To Be Sold To Trump’s Right Wing Billionaire Buddies And Converted Into A Propaganda Mill

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Donald Trump has successfully used xenophobia and fake concerns about propaganda and national security to get what he’s long wanted: TikTok (and its fat ad revenues) are poised to be sold off to his right wing billionaire buddies and, inevitably, slowly conve…

Vaccines Are at Risk, Fired CDC Director Warns Senators

Dan Vergano, Scientific American

Former CDC chief Susan Monarez testified that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., had demanded she rubber-stamp recommendations from his remade vaccine panel

Brazil’s Bolsonaro discharged from hospital

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

His release comes a day after the convicted ex-leader was rushed to a hospital after falling ill at home.

Fired CDC director warns of backslide in US vaccine science under RFK Jr

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Ex-CDC Director Monarez says she was fired for refusing to approve vaccine policy changes without scientific review.

Trump Troop Deployment in U.S. Climbs to 35,000 Boots on the Ground

Nick Turse, The Intercept

A federal judge found the deployment to LA violated bedrock constitutional law, but Trump’s domestic military campaign continues. The post Trump Troop Deployment in U.S. Climbs to 35,000 Boots on the Ground appeared first on The Intercept.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone Postpone Tonight’s ‘South Park’ Episode, Claim They Couldn’t Finish It In Time

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

‘South Park’ will return one week from today following the extended delay

China bans tech firms from Nvidia chip purchases: Report

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

CEO Jensen Huang is expected to discuss the developments with US President Donald Trump in London on Wednesday.

Donald Trump and Melania Trump displayed a united front with matching outfits for their visit to the UK

Amanda Krause,Talia Lakritz, Business Insider

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump chose dark outfits with purple accessories for their state visit to the UK.

US Treasury Sec Bessent accused of contradictory mortgage pledges: Report

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Bloomberg News report comes as the White House pushes to fire fed governor Lisa Cook for a similar reason.

VANCE: WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

Charlie Jones, Irishstar.com

VANCE: WATCH YOUR MOUTH! (Main headline, 3rd story, link) Related stories:MAGA VOWS TO SILENCE FOES WILL PROSECUTE 'HATE' SPEECH Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

‘The Morning Show’s Mimi Leder On This Season’s Deepfake, Misinformation Themes: “We’re Examining How Far People Will Go In Quest For Power”

Lynette Rice, Deadline

The Morning Show returned on Wednesday with promises to explore issues like deepfakes, conspiracy theories and corporate coverups — in other words, just normal, every day stuff that currently keeps us up at night. Here, Executive Producer Mimi Leder recaps th…

‘One Battle After Another’ Review: Paul Thomas Anderson Returns to the Modern World with a Blisteringly Hilarious Dad-Core Masterpiece

David Ehrlich, IndieWire

A propulsive, hilarious, and overwhelmingly tender paranoid comedy-thriller car chase blockbuster whatever, PTA's $~150 million Leonardo DiCaprio epic is the first movie of its size to accurately crystallize how insane it feels to be alive right now.

“Trump told voters that they could indulge their resentments and still walk...

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

“Trump told voters that they could indulge their resentments and still walk away richer and more prosperous. But they can&#8

British protesters say ‘No to racism, no to Trump’

Caolán Magee, Al Jazeera English

Demonstrators offer counterbalance to royal grandeur and flattery of US president at Windsor Castle.

The Art of the Prisoner Deal

Joe Parkinson, Drew Hinshaw, The Atlantic

How Trump embraced the game of trading prisoners with Vladimir Putin

These Are the First Words Donald Trump Said Upon Seeing Princess Kate

Joel Calfee, HarpersBAZAAR.com

The U.S. president and first lady arrived to Windsor Castle for their second state visit, where Trump greeted the Princess of Wales in a very typical way.

Obama says US faces 'political crisis' after killing of Charlie Kirk

BBC News

The former president criticised the response to the shooting by President Trump, who has vowed to tackle "radical leftists".

Britain Indulges 'King Trump' Fantasy With Historic Ceremony...

The Daily Beast, Dnyuz.com

Britain Indulges 'King Trump' Fantasy With Historic Ceremony... (Third column, 1st story, link) Related stories:UK state visit begins under shadow of Epstein scandal... Air Force One in near miss with SPIRIT jet as it flew to Britain...…

Trump Got a Hell of a Greeting in the U.K.

Audra Heinrichs, Jezebel

“Forgive the cliche, but it is rather Orwellian for a piece of journalism, which raises questions about our guest’s relationship with America’s most notorious child sex trafficker to lead to arrests," a spokesperson for the group behind the protest said.

Has Elon Musk really been awarded a $1 trillion pay deal?

Alex Kozul-Wright, Al Jazeera English

And why has the South African entrepreneur been busy buying up shares in Tesla?

King Charles greets Trump with royal pageantry in UK’s Windsor Castle

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US President Trump receives a royal welcome at the UK's Windsor Castle, with a dazzling display of military bands.

Anthropic Refuses Federal Agencies From Using Claude for Surveillance Tasks

msmash, Slashdot.org

Anthropic has declined requests from federal law enforcement contractors to use its Claude AI models for surveillance activities, deepening tensions with the Trump administration, Semafor reported Wednesday, citing two senior officials. The company's usage po…

Zuckerberg Gets a Personal Political Piggy Bank With Meta Super Pac

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Meta is turbo charging its political influence machine.

OpenAI is building another Stargate roject in the UK — scaling up to a whopping 31,000 of NVIDIA's most advanced GPUs

richard.devine@futurenet.com (Richard Devine) , Richard Devine, Windows Central

The rumored OpenAI and NVIDIA UK AI project is official, with the creation of Stargate UK bringing OpenAI's tech for "sovereign" AI in the country.

‘Ball still in Iran’s court,’ European powers say after nuclear issues call

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Germany says it's possible to temporarily delay sanctions after E3's top diplomats hold call with Iranian counterpart.

WATCH: Terrifying moment Russian drone strikes building in Ukraine

ABC News

Eyewitness video captures people fleeing in terror as a Russian drone strike hits a building in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Obama calls Kirk murder 'horrific,' says a president should 'pull people together'

Brittany Shepherd, ABC News

He said President Donald Trump's rhetoric is part of a broader problem.

‘The Morning Show’ Review: Season 4 Is Both Utterly Nonsensical and Numbingly Monotonous

Ben Travers, IndieWire

After sending Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) into orbit and Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) into the arms of alt-reality Elon Musk, "The Morning Show" scales things back (relatively speaking) to focus on basic relationship drama... and makes even less sense.

Michigan Bill Would Digitally Cockblock Entire State

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

A lawmaker in the Great Lakes State wants to ban all porn, and he isn't stopping there.

NEXT: MAGA VOWS TO SILENCE FOES

Chris Megerian, Lisa Mascaro, Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press

President Donald Trump is escalating threats against what he calls the "radical left" after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. His administration is considering classifying some groups as domestic terrorists and revoking tax-exempt status for certain nonprofi…

Donald and Melania Trump Meet Royal Family at Windsor Castle

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, are in for some royal treatment ... meeting with the British Royal Family at Windsor Castle. The President and First Lady touched down Wednesday via helicopter, where they were immediately greeted by Prince…

CDC Employees on What Science From the Agency They Still Trust

Keren Landman, The Atlantic

Information on subjects other than vaccines is largely reliable—for now.

Nvidia boss 'disappointed' by China chip ban

BBC News

Jensen Huang told reporters he would be "patient" as the US and China grapple for global AI dominance.

Kirk's alleged shooter faces death penalty. And, Pritzker concerned for 2026 elections

Brittney Melton, NPR

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of shooting and killing Charlie Kirk, faces the death penalty in Utah. And, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talks about why he is worried about the 2026 elections

Trump Isn’t Interested in Competing With China

Yahoo Entertainment

The UK is getting a bite-sized version of Stargate, a sweeping AI infrastructure project from OpenAI and Nvidia

Thibault Spirlet, Business Insider

OpenAI, Nvidia, and Nscale partnered for Stargate UK, pledging tens of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure to boost Britain's computing power.

Trump’s second state visit to the UK will be met by royal pomp, protests

Mariamne Everett, Al Jazeera English

The visit comes as both the US and UK leaders face fallout over the furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.

The Data Shows Political Violence Is Actually Down

Alain Stephens, The Intercept

After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, everyone was handwaving about rising political violence. But is it? The post The Data Shows Political Violence Is Actually Down appeared first on The Intercept.

Trump Mobile’s earliest actual phones are neither made in America, nor cheap

Tushar Mehta, Android Authority

Trump Mobile has started selling phones from other brands while leaving out details about the proclaimed T1 Phone's availability.

The hidden workforce behind earnings reports — and what less reporting could mean for them

Kaja Whitehouse,Bradley Saacks, Business Insider

President Trump's call for fewer earnings reports stands to save publicly traded companies millions, including money spent on white-collar jobs.

Beyond 'draining the swamp': How Trump is knocking down checks on presidential power

Andrea Hsu, NPR

President Trump wants to be able to fire far more executive branch employees at will — upending checks on presidential power that have existed for more than a century.

Facing Trump's pressure, the Fed is likely to cut rates for the first time this year

Scott Horsley, NPR

The Fed is likely to lower interest rates by a quarter percentage point Wednesday in an effort to cushion the sagging job market. The move comes as policymakers face growing pressure from Trump.

How to measure the returns to R&D spending

David Rotman, MIT Technology Review

MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here. Given the draconian cuts to US federal funding for science, including the admini…

Stephen Colbert Celebrates Emmys Win: ‘Donald Trump Doesn’t Have One’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

"Man, I'm telling you, we should have gotten cancelled years ago," the host said on The Late Show

Huawei's affiliate was neighbors with Nvidia in California for a decade. US lawmakers want to know why.

Lee Chong Ming, Business Insider

US lawmakers are asking for information about Huawei's US research arm, which they say shared a campus with Nvidia's headquarters.

Four arrests after images of Trump and Epstein projected on Windsor Castle

BBC News

Police said four people remain in custody after the "stunt," which coincided with the US president's arrival in the UK.

Donald Trump’s UK State Visit Brings Billions Of Dollars Of AI Investment, Protests & A Jeffrey Epstein Projection Onto Windsor Castle

Max Goldbart, Deadline

Donald Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to the UK has begun and artificial intelligence (AI) is the name of the game. Later today, Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to sign a landmark technology deal that has already seen the world…

Trump to begin historic UK state visit with royal reception

David Brennan, ABC News

President Donald Trump will kick off his state visit to the U.K. on Wednesday by traveling to Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles III.

Trump and Epstein images projected onto UK’s Windsor Castle

Al Jazeera English

Images of US President Donald Trump and the UK’s Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle.

'It's scary for us': Gun violence, safety concerns keep these visitors from the US

Nathan Diller and Ignacio Calderon, USA TODAY, USA Today

Some travelers are minimizing time spent in the U.S. or avoiding it altogether due to gun violence and other safety fears.

Ben & Jerry's co-founder quits over social activism row

BBC News

His resignation marks the latest development in a dispute with parent company Unilever.

Mexico celebrates historic Independence Day led by first female president

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Tens of thousands gather in Mexico City as Sheinbaum rings Hidalgo’s bell, celebrating a milestone in nation's history.

Colombia halts US arms purchases as row over drug fight delisting escalates

Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera English

President Gustavo Petro defends drug war policy and insists he will not be a 'puppet president' of Washington.

Trump announces deal with China to allow TikTok continue operating in US

John Power, Al Jazeera English

US president says a 'group of very big companies' wants to buy the popular video-sharing platform.

Australia, PNG delay defence pact as China’s rise in Pacific region looms

Kevin Doyle, Al Jazeera English

Australian PM Albanese fails to sign mutual defence pact a week after also failing to sign security deal with Vanuatu.

Netanyahu threatens Hamas if it uses hostages as human shields

DPA, Dpa-international.com

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned the Palestinian militant organization Hamas not to harm the hostages it abducted. "If they harm a...

Climate Change Fuels Record Summer Heat, Killing Thousands

Andrea Thompson, Scientific American

Climate-fueled heat has caused thousands of excess deaths over the past three summers, which were the three hottest on record

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche breaks silence on meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell

Alexander Mallin, ABC News

'Impossible' to say if she was credible: Blanche breaks silence on meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell.

Charlie Kirk shooting: Tyler Robinson’s messages and charges against him

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Utah prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty for Robinson.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro taken to hospital after feeling unwell

Zaheena Rasheed, Al Jazeera English

Convicted ex-leader rushed to a hospital in Brasilia after falling ill at his residence, his son says.

ACCUSED KIRK KILLER FACING DEATH PENALTY...

NBC News

ACCUSED KIRK KILLER FACING DEATH PENALTY... (Top headline, 2nd story, link) Related stories:SUICIDE WATCH... UPDATE: First Court Appearance... Left note under keyboard saying he planned to kill... 'Confessed after shooting'... Texts …

DOJ Quietly Deletes Study After Charlie Kirk's Death That Says Right-Wing Extremists Engage in 'Far More' Political Violence

Angel Saunders, PEOPLE

"Far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists," an archived version of the...