Trump News for Wednesday, October 15, 2025

“My focus is New York”: Mamdani refuses to take the bait on Fox News

Alex Galbraith, Salon

The NYC mayoral candidate refused to be knocked off message.

CEO Warns of 'Black Swan Event' Under Trump...

Ethan Cotler, Daily Beast

A “black swan event” could be on the horizon without more legal immigrants to satisfy a labor shortage, according to the CEO of an American agricultural...

US Dept of Interior denies canceling largest solar project after axing review

Diana DiGangi, Utilitydive.com

A U.S. Department of the Interior spokesperson said the agency canceled a broad environmental review grouping together seven individual projects that make up the 6.2-GW Esmeralda 7 project, but could review each one individually.

Trump appears to confirm report he authorised CIA operations in Venezuela

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

US president has taken a series of escalatory steps that appear aimed at toppling the Venezuelan government.

Papers: Chelsea likely to rival Man City for Forest's Anderson

Sky Sports

The top stories and football transfer rumours from Thursday's newspapers...

During China visit, Tim Cook pledges further investments in the country

Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

Following months of supply chain adjustments and diversification amid US–China trade tensions, Apple CEO Tim Cook reassured Beijing that the company remains committed to investing in the region. Here are the details. more…

Republican Governor Actually Steps Up To Criticize Trump’s Use Of National Guard Troops

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

This will obviously work out well for Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt. After all, he’s lobbing this criticism in the direction of a presidential administration known for its tolerance of dissent and its refusal to use its considerable power against critics and …

Gaza medics find signs of torture on Palestinian bodies returned by Israel

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Health officials in Gaza say many of the 90 returned bodies bore marks of violence and possible executions.

Trump says Modi has assured him India will not buy Russian oil

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US.

Trump confirms he's authorized CIA operations in Venezuela, looking into land strikes

Michelle Stoddart, Lalee Ibssa, ABC News

President Trump confirmed the authorization of CIA action in Venezuela, and indicated his administration is exploring land strikes inside the South American country.

Pete Hegseth's 'warrior ethos' speech is now mandatory viewing for the entire US military

Chris Panella, Business Insider

US military personnel have until the end of the month to either watch the speech or read the transcript of the defense secretary's comments.

How Trump is paying the troops

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 Trump administration is going to extraordinary — a…

TikTok insiders and creators worry its powerful algorithm could lose its magic after a sale

Dan Whateley,Sydney Bradley, Business Insider

As TikTok prepares to sell its US business, employees, creators, and researchers wonder about the future of its content algorithm.

Virginia Giuffre Recalls Jeffrey Epstein’s Abuse and Trafficking in Harrowing Memoir Excerpt

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone

Virginia Giuffre writes about Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and several alleged encounters with Prince Andrew in an excerpt from her book 'Nobody's Girl.'

Canada threatens Stellantis with legal action over moving production to US

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Stellantis announced a $13bn investment in the US, which will see Jeep Compass production move from Canada to the US.

Union says Education Dept.'s civil rights office was hit hard by shutdown layoffs

Cory Turner, NPR

The Trump administration is cutting another 466 federal workers from the Department of Education, including staff who oversee funding that supports children with disabilities and low-income students.

No one policing Yellowstone bear jams during shutdown...

Kylie Mohr, SFGate

No one policing Yellowstone bear jams during shutdown... (Second column, 26th story, link)

Doesn't rule out killing Maduro...

Jeylin Mehmet, The-sun.com

Doesn't rule out killing Maduro... (First column, 11th story, link) Related stories:Trump Authorizes Covert CIA Action in Venezuela... US military strike on alleged drug trafficking boat in Caribbean targeted -- Colombians... Concern g…

Hamas returns two more bodies but says it cannot retrieve remaining dead hostages

BBC News

The group's armed wing says it has returned all the bodies of hostages it can reach in the ruins of Gaza.

Zohran Mamdani Speaks Directly To Donald Trump In Fox News Interview: “Ready To Speak At Any Time To Lower The Cost Of Living”

Ted Johnson, Deadline

A standout moment of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s interview with Fox News came when he looked into the camera and spoke directly to Donald Trump, figuring he may be watching. The leading candidate in the upcoming mayor’s race, Mamdani has been …

Germany pledges $2bn in military aid for Ukraine as Kyiv seeks more funds

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Ukraine says it will need $120bn in defence funding in 2026 to stave off Russia's more than three-year war.

MAGA Senator Stunned Into Silence On-Air After Learning Trump Admin Sold Out His State

Yahoo Entertainment

“This is going to cost us”: Smith blasts Trump attacks on public servants in rare interview

Garrett Owen, Salon

The former special counsel issued a dire warning during a rare interview in London.

US judge temporarily blocks Trump plan to fire thousands of gov’t workers

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

A federal judge said the layoffs seem politically motivated and 'you can't do that in a nation of laws'.

Trump Called A Female Reporter "Darling" And Said He Just Likes To "Watch Her Talk" Instead Of Answering Her Question, And People Are Livid

Morgan Sloss, Buzzfeed

"Sir, the 20th century is over. Try catching up."View Entire Post ›

Did Trump make the Gaza ceasefire happen?

Andrew Prokop, Vox

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still new and fragile, but the arguments over who should get credit for it — or who should be blamed for it taking so long to achieve — are already heated. Was recent pressure from President Donald Trump on Israeli Pr…

UN calls for Israel to open more Gaza crossings for surge in aid deliveries

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher calls for immediate 'unhindered access' for aid deliveries.

Plane Carrying Pete Hegseth Makes Emergency Landing

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"All good. Thank God. Continue mission!" Hegseth tweeted.

The vice president said the administration is already “retraining” the entire government to attack its political enemies.

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

Vice President JD Vance casually slipped Wednesday that the Trump administration is “retraining the entire government” to focus on “left-wing violence...

Late-Night Is Having a Lot of Fun with Trump’s Saggy Neck

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: October 15th, 2025

He Tweeted Charlie Kirk “Won’t Be Remembered as a Hero.” The State Dept. Revoked His Visa

Shawn Musgrave, The Intercept

Nota Baloyi is one of several people lost his visa to visit the U.S. because he spoke ill of Charlie Kirk on social media. The post He Tweeted Charlie Kirk “Won’t Be Remembered as a Hero.” The State Dept. Revoked His Visa appeared first on The Intercept.

The federal government is still shut down. Here's what that means across the country

The NPR Network, NPR

The federal government is currently shut down. The NPR Network is following the ways the government shutdown is affecting services across the country.

The Right Jumps to Defend Young Republicans’ Racist Texts

Nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

J.D. Vance and other prominent conservative influencers downplayed racist messages sent by members of various Young Republicans chapters.

Trump AI Czar Is Trying to Take Down Anthropic AI

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

David Sacks is at it again.

Ukraine imposes blackouts in most regions after Russian power grid attacks

BBC News

This will be the fourth consecutive winter of outages since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

ICE Ads Are All Over Your Favorite Streaming Services

Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone

HBO Max, Pandora, Spotify, and more have been running recruitment ads from the Department of Homeland Security for months

WATCH: Cartels issuing bounties up to $50,000 for hits on immigration officials, DHS says

ABC News

There is credible intelligence that members of Mexican drug cartels have offered a "tiered" bounty system for hits against ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, according to DHS.

White House budget director plans to shut down US consumer finance watchdog within months

By Nandita Bose and Doina Chiacu, Yahoo Entertainment

By Nandita Bose and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) -White House budget director Russell Vought said on Wednesday he wants to close the U.S.

‘New media’ is just right-wing media

Tina Nguyen, The Verge

Hello and welcome to a post-October Federal Holiday edition of Regulator. Last week, I caught wind that House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with several top House Republican leaders, had held an exclusive press briefing about the government shutdown that was re…

Trump Fabricates Story of Hand-to-Hand Combat Between Troops and Child Gangsters in D.C.

Nick Turse, The Intercept

Trump’s claim that National Guard members beat child gang members on the streets of Washington was disputed even by the military. The post Trump Fabricates Story of Hand-to-Hand Combat Between Troops and Child Gangsters in D.C. appeared first on The Intercept.

US aims to raise $20bn ‘facility’ to support Argentina’s struggling economy

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The additional boost, which comes on top of a $20bn currency swap, comes shortly before Argentina's midterm elections.

Her 13-year-old son was arrested, then taken by ICE to a detention facility. The police chief calls it a first for his city

Andy Rose, Alessandra Freitas, CNN, CNN

Any mother adores getting phone calls from her children. For Josiele Berto, they are now a lifeline and the only way to know where her 13-year-old son is and...

It sure looks like the Voting Rights Act is doomed

Ian Millhiser, Vox

Two things were obvious at Wednesday morning’s Supreme Court argument in Louisiana v. Callais, a case asking the Court to abolish longstanding safeguards against racially gerrymandered legislative maps. The first thing is that the Court will split along party…

Democratic governors form a public health alliance in a rebuke of Trump

The Associated Press, NPR

They're framing it as a way to share data and messages about threats, emergency preparedness and public health policy at a time when the federal government isn't doing its job in public health.

Trump’s Cameo in ‘Home Alone 2’ Has ‘Become a Curse’

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

Trump insists he was begged to appear in the comedy

Senate Democrats want to know: was YouTube’s Trump settlement a bribe?

Adi Robertson, The Verge

A group of Democratic lawmakers are asking questions about YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement with President Donald Trump. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, five Senators — Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sa…

Hey Zuck, Remember When You Said You’d Never Again Cave To Government Pressure? About That…

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

You may recall a year or so ago, when Mark Zuckerberg whined to Jim Jordan about how the Biden administration “repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain… content.” Or maybe you remember when he went on Joe Rogan and whined some more about Bi…

Border Patrol Posts Instagram Propaganda Video Featuring Antisemitic Slurs

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The video was pinned to Border Patrol's Instagram Reels.

EU, Spain reject Trump’s US tariff threats over NATO spending

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Spain argues NATO funding should address real threats, not arbitrary targets, amidst Trump’s tariff retaliation plans.

Big Talk: Treasury Secretary Declares New War on Terror Against the Left

Josh Kovensky, TPM

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that his department is in the process of launching a War on Terror-style...

Denial and amnesia: Is the global community ready to welcome Israel back?

Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera English

Analysts express concern over the rehabilitation of Israel, even as it says it has done no wrong.

US Passport Power Falls to Historic Low

Henley & Partners, Henleyglobal.com

For the first time since the Henley Passport Index was created 20 years ago, the United States is no longer ranked amongst the world’s Top 10 most powerful passports.

Why Is Trump Making Excuses for Hamas?

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

The president seems undisturbed by the terrorist group’s murderous campaign against dissidents. In fact, he seems to admire it.

ICE shot a praying pastor with pepper balls. Top Republican says it's fine. | Opinion

Rex Huppke, USA TODAY, USA Today

Let it be known that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has no problem with ICE agents shooting a pastor in the head with pepper balls.

The Federal Police Are Rioting: Chicago Edition

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Almost every time people protest the government, the government decides to get on the wrong side of the law. This is something every administration is guilty of, but under Trump, attacking protesters and journalists has become the rule, rather than the except…

What to know about the Trump administration's $20B bailout for Argentina

Elizabeth Schulze, Benjamin Siegel, Aicha El Hammar Castano, Ivan Pereira, ABC News

The Trump administration's $20 billion bailout of the Argentine economy has raised questions given the scant details.

Elon Musk said he'd donate to a GOP congressman that Trump wants to defeat. It hasn't happened yet.

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider

Elon Musk said he would donate to Rep. Thomas Massie, a GOP congressman Trump wants to defeat. Months later, FEC records show that hasn't happened.

Photos: Ceasefire in Gaza brings reunions amid devastation

NPR Staff, NPR

As the ceasefire began, Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages freed by Hamas. Amid the rubble in Gaza, families begin to find their way home.

China Is Racing Ahead in EV Sales as US Retreats From the Industry

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

America is turning a corner on EVs at the worst time.

When Conservatism Meant Freedom

David Frum, The Atlantic

The biographer Charles Moore on Margaret Thatcher’s legacy, the soul of conservatism, and what today’s right has forgotten. Plus: David Frum on the current government shutdown and Stefan Zweig’s The World of Yesterday.

Israel’s Mounting Ceasefire Violations in Gaza

Jonah Valdez, The Intercept

“The matter is not a ceasefire — we are talking about a managed genocide, a managed forcible displacement.” The post Israel’s Mounting Ceasefire Violations in Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.

State Supreme Court rejects request to make Florida Bar investigate Pam Bondi

Jay Weaver, Tampa Bay Times

After three months of high-level legal wrangling, the state Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request from a criminal defense attorney to order The Florida ...

GOP Rep Who Blocked Relief for Formula Shortage Suddenly Worried About Moms Getting Formula

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Republicans continue to twist the narrative of this government shutdown.

‘South Park’ Season 27 Is Suddenly Over, and Fans Are Confused

JM McNab, Cracked.com

By JM McNab Published: October 15th, 2025

Boston Mayor Wu responds to Trump’s threats to pull World Cup games out of city

Ryan Breslin,Natalie Khait, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump is turning his attention to Boston as he continues to take aim at U.S. cities set to host FIFA World Cup matches.

What do we know about the Trump plan to disarm Hamas?

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump says Hamas may need to be disarmed ‘violently’ as part of the Gaza peace plan.

Why has the US arrested Indian-American analyst Ashley Tellis?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

US-India relations expert alleged to have retained classified information and met with Chinese officials.

All to know about FIFA World Cup 2026 – teams, qualifying, format, draw

Kevin Hand, Al Jazeera English

As continental qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 nears its end, the focus is shifting to the tournament itself.

The Electric Bill is Too Damn High, and Both Sides Agree: It’s the Local Data Center’s Fault

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

Is AI making your utility bill explode?

US, China impose port fees: Is a return to all-out trade war imminent?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

It's the latest tit-for-tat tariff spat between the two superpowers following a period of calmed tensions.

Pete Hegseth’s press crackdown is backfiring

Sophia Tesfaye, Salon

Even Fox News is fed up with the Pentagon’s new press restrictions

That Disgusting RFK Jr. Tweet Is Actually Fake

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The photoshopped image appears to have come from r/poopfromabutt on Reddit. Seriously.

What is nihilistic violent extremism, blamed for most mass shootings in US?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Prosecutors label crimes as 'nihilistic violent extremism', while experts caution against oversimplifying motivations.

Study: The World’s Satellite Data Is Massively Vulnerable To Snooping

Karl Bode, Techdirt

For many many years, experts have warned about massive longstanding flaws in Signaling System 7 (SS7, or Common Channel Signaling System 7), a series of protocols used by cellular networks hackers can exploit to track user location, dodge encryption, and even…

WATCH: Erika Kirk delivers remarks at Medal of Freedom ceremony for Charlie Kirk

ABC News

President Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presenting the medal to his widow Erika Kirk.

WATCH: Trump presents Erika Kirk with Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk

ABC News

President Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presenting the medal to his widow Erika Kirk.

How Better Contracts Can Strengthen Strategic Partnerships

Harvard Business Review

Instead of trying to spell out every scenario, outline clear guiding principles to build trust.

Video: Netanyahu testifies in corruption trial as protests held in Tel Aviv

Al Jazeera English

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court to testify in his corruption trial.

Kremlin rejects Trump's view that the Russian economy could collapse

By Guy Faulconbridge, Olesya Astakhova and Gleb Stolyarov, Yahoo Entertainment

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin on Wednesday pushed back at U.S. President Donald Trump's warning that the Russian economy was going to collapse, saying that...

MAGA Senator Left Speechless After Hearing Trump Cabinet Member’s Words

Isabel van Brugen, Daily Beast

MAGA Sen. Tim Sheehy froze after CNN’s Kaitlan Collins fact-checked his defense of the Trump administration’s decision to yank $1 billion in clean-energy...

MAGA’s fake Super Bowl halftime show reveals their real failures

Amanda Marcotte, Salon

Turning Point USA's followers are pitifully out-of-touch with pop culture

John Roberts is slowly dismantling America

David Daley, Salon

Twenty years of the Roberts Court has wreaked shocking damage. Is the Voting Rights Act next?

6 Supplements RFK Jr. Loves, But Science Says Are Mostly Useless

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

From raw milk to cod liver oil, few of Kennedy's professed alternatives to mainstream medicine pass scientific muster.

Don’t Blame the Democrats for Trump’s Revenge Tour

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

Defending Trump’s lawfare as just deserts misremembers what actually happened.

Trump demands Hamas disarm, as group moves against 'collaborators' in Gaza

BBC News

BBC Verify analyses footage of Hamas fighters in Gaza, including one of an execution in the centre of Gaza City.

Many rural schools rely on international teachers. Trump's visa changes threaten that

Sequoia Carrillo, NPR

The Trump administration announced a $100k fine to accompany each H1-B visa, the fine could wreak havoc on rural school districts who rely on them to bring in teachers.

How successful is Ukraine’s ‘gas war’ against Russia?

Mansur Mirovalev, Al Jazeera English

Kyiv's drone campaign against energy infrastructure has caused damage and shortages, in areas including annexed Crimea.

Trump targets China cooking oil trade - but sales were already tanking

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering terminating some trade ties with China, singling out cooking oil even...

New Zealand official says Pacific nations threatened by great power contest over deep sea minerals

CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY, Yahoo Entertainment

New Zealand’s defense minister warned in an interview that small countries in the South Pacific face growing pressure from great power competition for their ...

US revokes six visas over Charlie Kirk death amid social media crackdown

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

The State Department says the US has 'no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans'.

Trump threatens to cut ‘Democrat’ programmes, extends funding to military

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

The White House says it will release a list of programmes to axe on Friday after cutting 4,200 positions last week.

Former Ford CEO says automakers 'went full bore' into making EVs without thinking about the consumer

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan, Business Insider

Mark Fields, 64, was the CEO of Ford from 2014 to 2017. He said automakers didn't consider what it would take to get consumers to start buying EVs.

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty in arson attack at governor's mansion

The Associated Press, NPR

Under a plea deal, Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, far less than he could have faced if the case went to trial. He declined to address the judge about the crime.

JD Vance Hits Out at ‘Pearl Clutching’ Over Racist GOP Group Chat

Catherine Bouris, Daily Beast

Vice President JD Vance downplayed the severity of racist texts leaked from a Young Republican online group chat, deflecting and attempting to draw attention...

Trump vows to disarm Hamas but won't say how, avoids details on what's next for Gaza

Alexandra Hutzler, Michelle Stoddart, ABC News

President Trump said his focus now is on rebuilding Gaza, but has shared few specifics on his vision for security and governance of the enclave.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,329

Kevin Doyle, Al Jazeera English

Here are the key events from day 1,329 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Trump says US will not 'waste our time' helping Argentina if Milei loses

Ione Wells -, BBC News

Trump warns if Milei's coalition is defeated in this month elections, "we are not going to be generous".

Scientists lose jobs and grants as US government shutdown takes a toll

Jenna Ahart, Dan Garisto, Max Kozlov, Heidi Ledford, Jeff Tollefson, Traci Watson, Alexandra Witze, Nature.com

Hundreds of people at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have received layoff notices, and work at many federal laboratories has been suspended.

LIVE: Israel restricts aid into Gaza; Hamas releases bodies of 4 captives

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

Handover comes as Trump says Hamas must disarm or be disarmed, 'perhaps violently'.