Trump News for Thursday, October 16, 2025

TSMC hurrying to bring advanced chip tech to Arizona fab

Tobias Mann, Theregister.com

CEO C.C. Wei cites strong demand for AI products. Intel may also be a factor TSMC is accelerating the rollout of advanced process nodes at its Arizona fabs to meet growing demand for American-made AI products.…

Survivors reported for 1st time in latest US Caribbean airstrike: Official

Luis Martinez, ABC News

In previous, similar strikes, the U.S. has claimed that there have been no survivors.

The complicated but unsettling indictment of John Bolton

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: President Donald Trump’s former national security advi…

‘Party of parents’: Trump touts government guidance to increase IVF access

Allison Griner, Al Jazeera English

Critics, however, highlight that the cost-cutting proposals fall short of Trump's campaign pledge to make IVF free.

It’s Not a Dog Whistle If Everyone Can Hear It

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

A week of ostentatious bigotry in American politics

Vance’s Telling Defense of a Racist Group Chat

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

How a trove of bigoted and violent texts among young Republicans indicates the future of the party.

Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton indicted over handling of classified documents

Abby Rogers, Al Jazeera English

Former national security adviser charged with 18 counts of mishandling classified documents.

Head of US command overseeing Trump ‘drug boat’ strikes steps down after expressing concern with the attacks: report

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump says he will meet Putin in Budapest, touting progress in Ukraine talks

By Trevor Hunnicutt, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to another summit on the war in Ukraine, a surprise move that came as Moscow...

‘500 Days of Summer’ Star Is Warring with Gavin Newsom Over A.I.

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

Joseph Gordon-Levitt really wants Newsom to take a major stand against artificial intelligence

The Pentagon Is Learning It’s Not So Easy to Sink a Boat

Nick Turse, The Intercept

Videos of U.S. attacks in the Caribbean suggest boats have been obliterated in a single strike. The reality is a lot messier. The post The Pentagon Is Learning It’s Not So Easy to Sink a Boat appeared first on The Intercept.

Gaza Ceasefire Brings Relief and Uncertainty About Future Peace

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson, Slate Magazine

The war wouldn’t have been as brutal without Trump, but it wouldn’t have ended without him either.

Disney Gives 2-Year Contract Extension To Communications Head Kristina Schake

Dade Hayes, Deadline

Kristina Schake, whose duties as Disney’s communications head encompass the company’s closely watched CEO succession process, has been given a two-year contract extension. In an SEC filing, Disney said it had extended the agreement with Schake to continue as …

Trump Adds 3 More Names to the List of Enemies He Wants the Justice Department To Prosecute

Jacob Sullum, Yahoo Entertainment

"There was tremendous criminal activity," the president averred, urging unspecified charges against former Special Counsel Jack Smith, former FBI lawyer...

Trump says he will meet Putin in Hungary for Ukraine talks after 'very productive' call

BBC News

The Trump-Putin phone call came a day before Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky visits the White House.

Against The New Feudalism Of Algorithms And Oligarchs

Mike Brock, Techdirt

Americans are not peasants. We are citizens of a republic founded on the revolutionary proposition that ordinary people can govern themselves. This isn’t poetry or aspiration—it’s the foundational premise of the American project. And right now, a faction of t…

WATCH: House Speaker Mike Johnson on alleged Young Republicans group chat

ABC News

Following a report that members of the Young Republicans allegedly shared slurs and racist messages in a group chat, Speaker Mike Johnson said, "Obviously, we roundly condemn any of that nonsense."

Panama’s president alleges US threatening to revoke visas over China ties

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Jose Raul Mulino says the visa-removal policy is 'not coherent' with the 'good relationship' he hopes to have with US.

WATCH: Trump threatens to 'go in and kill' Hamas members as violence in Gaza continues

ABC News

President Trump threatened to "go in and kill" Hamas members in Gaza after a Hamas-linked gunmen appeared to carry out a public execution in Gaza this week.

Unions Sue to Stop AI Surveillance Powering Trump’s “Catch and Revoke” Deportation Scheme

Matt Sledge, The Intercept

From pro-Palestine students to Charlie Kirk commenters, the immigration system is being weaponized against people whose views Trump doesn’t like. The post Unions Sue to Stop AI Surveillance Powering Trump’s “Catch and Revoke” Deportation Scheme appeared first…

Unions are trying to stop Trump from kicking out immigrants over social media posts

Lauren Feiner, The Verge

The Trump administration’s heightened monitoring of immigrants’ social media accounts seeking grounds to revoke their visas stifles the speech rights of both noncitizens and citizens alike, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) alleges in a new lawsuit. Th…

US Chamber of Commerce sues Trump administration over $100,000 H-1B visa fee

Kelsey Vlamis,Lloyd Lee, Business Insider

The Unites States Chamber of Commerce sued the Trump administration over the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.

US Senate vote to end government shutdown fails for 10th time

Joseph Gedeon in Washington, Yahoo Entertainment

Second vote on Pentagon funding also failed meaning process to begin military operations becomes a non-starter

Judge orders immigration agents in Chicago to use body cams

Terrence O’Brien, The Verge

Judge Sara L. Ellis of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said during a hearing Thursday morning that she would require ICE agents in Chicago engaged in “Operation Midway Blitz” to use body cameras.  But the logistics of enforcin…

Panama president says US Embassy threatened to cancel visas over ties to China

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

Panama President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday that someone at the U.S. Embassy has been threatening to cancel the visas of Panamanian officials as the...

Trump says he will meet Putin again after ‘productive’ phone call

Abby Rogers, Al Jazeera English

US leader announces that he will meet Russia's Vladimir Putin would in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

‘South Park’ Has a Long History of Making Episodes About Memes

JM McNab, Cracked.com

It’s been going on for at least 6 or 7 years

The Trump administration wants to hire hundreds of new government lawyers. It's off to a slow start.

Jack Newsham, Business Insider

A review of data from LinkedIn profiles shows fewer assistant US attorneys have joined the Justice Department so far this year than years prior.

Trump says he plans to meet Putin again as Ukraine war drags

Franco Ordoñez, NPR

President Trump says he will meet with the Russia president in Budapest, after high level meetings next week that would include Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

WATCH: Trump says he's 'looking at' land strikes on Venezuela

ABC News

President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed he had authorized CIA action in Venezuela and indicated his administration is exploring land strikes inside the South American country.

South Park's Latest Episode Is Very Strange, And Not For The Reasons You'd Think

staff@slashfilm.com (Quinn Bilodeau), /FILM

This week's episode of South Park, titled 'Twisted Christian,' featured plenty of strange developments, but nothing as odd as what happened with it off-screen.

Nearly Half Of FBI Agents In Large Field Offices Have Been Put On ICE

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

As far as the Trump administration is concerned, there’s only one crime worth targeting: not being white. Despite ICE now being the best-funded federal law enforcement agency and military troops being scrambled to any area of the country that pisses Trump off…

Trump threatens ‘to go in and kill’ Hamas in Gaza over internal clashes

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Statement appears to signal about-face from US president, who previously backed Hamas’s crackdown on Gaza gangs.

Iowa Democrat Jackie Norris ends US Senate campaign, citing Des Moines superintendent's ICE arrest

RYAN J. FOLEY, Yahoo Entertainment

Democrat Jackie Norris ended her campaign for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat Thursday, saying she would focus on her job leading the Des Moines public school...

Judge blocks Trump cuts, restores $34 million in anti-terror funds for New York City transit system

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

A federal judge has permanently blocked the Trump administration from withholding nearly $34 million in funding earmarked to protect New York’s transit...

Why the Nobel Peace Prize sparked fury in Caracas

Al Jazeera English

Venezuela’s president shut down an embassy after a peace prize. Why did the Nobel trigger such outrage?

Microsoft Joins Big Tech Giants Looking to Exit China Operations

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

Trump is getting what he wanted.

Tig Notaro Ended Friendship With Cheryl Hines After Marriage to RFK Jr.

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

‘You’re okaying a particular ride for this country to go on’

FIFA World Cup 2026: Organisers dismiss Trump venue move threat

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

United States President Donald Trump threatened to change FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities if concerned by safety.

At least 27 states turned over sensitive data about food stamp recipients to USDA

Jude Joffe-Block, NPR

Democratic-led states secured a legal victory to keep the personal data of food recipients out of the federal government's reach. But NPR's reporting shows that millions of records on Americans have already been shared.

Average long-term US mortgage rate slips to 6.27%, nearing a low for 2025

ALEX VEIGA AP business writer, ABC News

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage declined again this week, easing to just above its lowest level this year

How soybeans took over America — and the world

Marina Bolotnikova, Vox

Americans have a weird relationship with soy, one of the most important and widely cultivated crops in the world.  Most of us associate the protein-packed, butter-yellow orbs known as soybeans with niche vegetarian products like tofu, soy milk, and veggie bur…

Vance’s Double Standard: Nazi Jokes Are “Kids Being Kids,” But Mocking Charlie Kirk Gets Your Visa Revoked

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

JD Vance thinks praising Hitler and talking about putting political enemies into death chambers is harmless “kids being kids,” but criticizing Charlie Kirk is somehow deserving of state-supported punishment. It sure looks like he’s got quite the double standa…

Netanyahu 'determined' to pressure Hamas to find remaining dead hostages

BBC News

The Israeli prime minister's comments come after Hamas said it could not access the bodies of 19 hostages in Gaza.

Prosecutors expected to seek grand jury indictment of John Bolton: Sources

Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, ABC News

Prosecutors are expected to ask a grand jury to indict ex-Trump national security adviser John Bolton for his alleged mishandling of classified documents, sources say.

What to know about the New York City mayoral debates

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo will face off in two debates ahead of the November 4 election for New York City mayor.

Wilmer Valderrama, Gina Torres Rally Behind New Org Turning Latino Innovation Into Political Power

Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone

“Culture is not a side note to change, it’s the engine of it,” says Jess Morales Rocketto, who founded Maremoto, a multi-million-dollar effort aimed at uplifting Latino stories and creatives

WATCH: Barbara Palvin Sprouse returns to the Victoria’s Secret runway after health battle

ABC News

After undergoing surgery for endometriosis and recovering from a foot injury, Barbara Palvin Sprouse is making a powerful comeback, ready to grace the Victoria’s Secret runway once again.

Asus’ latest gaming NUC mini PC is powered by a Ryzen X3D chip

Michael Crider, PCWorld

The Intel NUC family of tiny mini PCs was ahead of its time in many ways—and Asus apparently agreed, given that the company took the brand off Intel’s hands in 2023. The new ROG NUC series under Asus’ gaming brand is kind of a replacement for Intel’s gaming-f…

WATCH: Barbie Ferreira walks in her first Victoria’s Secret fashion show

ABC News

Model and actor Barbie Ferreira is repping PINK while walking down the Victoria’s Secret runway, a move she says she did not see on her 2025 bingo card.

WATCH: Angel Reese talks being the first pro athlete to walk the Victoria’s Secret runway

ABC News

WNBA star Angel Reese shares what it means to make history as the first pro athlete to walk the Victoria’s Secret fashion show runway.

JACK SMITH SPEAKS!

William Kristol, Andrew Egger, Will Saletan, Jim Swift, The Bulwark

JACK SMITH SPEAKS! (Second column, 2nd story, link) Related stories:DOJ Asks for Indictment of Trump Critic Bolton...

What to know about Trump’s threat to take World Cup games from Boston

News Agencies, Kevin Hand, Al Jazeera English

United States President Donald Trump has taken aim at Boston over safety concerns ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures.

EA’s Saudi Arabia Buyout Faces Fresh Backlash From Senators And Developers

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

The deal is set to net Wall Street banks $500 million in fees alone The post EA’s Saudi Arabia Buyout Faces Fresh Backlash From Senators And Developers appeared first on Kotaku.

Donald Trump’s speech to the Israeli Knesset

Jillian Wolf, Al Jazeera English

Trump claimed a “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in his speech to Israel’s Knesset. We Fact Check his claim.

‘No Kings’ Protest Organizers Aren’t Afraid of Trump’s Court Jesters

Nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

Republicans are attempting to brand the "No Kings" protests as part of a left-wing terror movement ahead of planned peaceful demonstrations.

Popular ESPN analyst storms off after telling members of Congress why Americans are ‘ticked off’

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

He announced that he was “going to take a break” after a fiery rant.

Trump confirms covert CIA operations against Venezuela

Al Jazeera English

The US President has confirmed he has authorised the CIA to operate in Venezuela, sparking fears of a US coup.

The stock market just got its first signal from earnings that the AI trade is still booming

sobrient@insider.com (Samuel O'Brient), Business Insider

TSMC reported strong third-quarter earnings, with executives pointing specifically to the "mega trend" of AI as the force powering its stellar results.

JD Vance Tries to Paint Young Republicans' 'I Love Hitler' Chat as 'Kids' Being Kids

Danielle Han, Jezebel

The 'kids' in that chat are members of the Young Republican Federation, ranging in age from 24 to 31, and some already hold elected office.

India casts doubt on Trump's claim Modi will stop buying Russian oil

BBC News

The Indian government says it is "not aware" of a call in which the US president claimed India's leader made the commitment.

French PM survives confidence votes after freezing Macron's pension reform

BBC News

After five days in office, Lecornu has survived a first major ordeal in parliament and can now focus on passing the 2026 budget.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to meet Trump as Russia focuses on Donetsk offensive

John T Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera English

Ukraine's leader, who is seeking US-made Tomahawks, says Russia has launched a new wave of 'air terror'.

Where Wall Street stands on the NYC mayoral race, and how that could shift closer to Election Day

Dan DeFrancesco, Business Insider

Finance worker donations show a split between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo. But as a clear favorite emerges, some could change their tune.

US-led coordination center for Gaza to be operational in coming days: Officials

Anne Flaherty, ABC News

To be located inside Israel, the command center will include 200 U.S. troops staffing logistics.

Pras Michel’s Story, From Fugees Rapper to Spy Charges, Will Be Focus of New Documentary

Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone

Pras Michél's story, from Fugees rapper to his conviction on federal conspiracy charges, will be the focus of a documentary produced by Mark Wahlberg.

Can Trump force India to give up buying Russian oil?

Alex Kozul-Wright, Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump claims that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to stop relying on Russian energy.

French PM Lecornu survives no-confidence parliament vote, now eyes budget

Mariamne Everett, Al Jazeera English

The two motions were tabled by the far-right National Rally and far-left France Unbowed parties.

Palmer Luckey’s AI and Crypto-Focused Bank Wins Conditional Approval

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The bank is called Erebor, another tech venture from the Tolkien universe.

The Other Reason Americans Don’t Use Mass Transit

Charles Fain Lehman, The Atlantic

People will take buses and trains only if they feel safe while riding them.

Trump Sued Again For Illegally Destroying The Digital Equity Act (And A Bunch Of Useful Programs That Helped His Own Supporters)

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Back in May we noted how Trump illegally declared he was unilaterally destroying the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, lying repeatedly that the law was “racist” and “unconstitutional.” The law, passed as part of the infrastructure bill, was slated to bring m…

Pervasive Impunity

Cora Currier, The New York Review of Books

Rich Beck’s Homeland charts how four presidential administrations managed to evade moral responsibility for the “war on terror” by hiding behind legality and process.

Storm Warnings

Mark Lilla, The New York Review of Books

The MAGA movement is not fed by conservative ideas but by a nihilistic, apocalyptic determination to stage a counterrevolution against the Sixties, against liberalism, against even democracy itself.

B-52s fly over...

Harvey Geh, The-sun.com

B-52s fly over... (First column, 5th story, link) Related stories:The Don Authorizes Covert CIA Action in Venezuela... Doesn't rule out assassinating Maduro! LAND STRIKES? Bombing of 'drug trafficking' boat in Caribbean targeted -- Co…

Which countries owe the IMF the most money in 2025?

Hanna Duggal, Al Jazeera English

From Argentina to Egypt, at least 86 countries collectively owe the International Monetary Fund more than $162bn.

As the shutdown drags on, these people will lose if health care subsidies expire

ALI SWENSON and KENDRIA LAFLEUR, Yahoo Entertainment

Celia Monreal worries every day about the cartilage loss in her husband’s knees. Not just because it's hard for her to see him in pain but also because she ...

How Trump got his Nobel Peace Prize after all

Steve Striffler, Al Jazeera English

The Nobel given to Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado was really a prize for Donald Trump.

Trump approves CIA operations in Venezuela: What we know, and what’s next

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Trump confirmed he has green-lit CIA covert operations in Venezuela, and that ground attacks might be next.

Trump diverts anti-terror funds from Democratic strongholds to Republican states

By Courtney Rozen and Jason Lange, Yahoo Entertainment

By Courtney Rozen and Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration plans to shift terrorism prevention funding from Democratic-led states...

Who's winning the blame game over the shutdown? Here's what a new AP-NORC poll shows

JOEY CAPPELLETTI and LINLEY SANDERS, Yahoo Entertainment

As the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, a new AP-NORC poll finds that most Americans see it as a significant problem — and all of the major...

The Conflict on the Streets of Chicago

Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker

Federal agents have violently arrested hundreds of undocumented immigrants in the city. Pastors, activists, and lawyers are considering how aggressive the response should be.

Mamdani has backers on Wall Street. It's their bosses who are boosting Cuomo for NYC's next mayor.

Alex Nicoll,Juliana Kaplan, Business Insider

NYC's mayoral election reveals Wall Street's wealth gap. Staffers worried about cost of living back Mamdani, while their bosses donate to Cuomo.

He Was the Most Acclaimed Novelist of His Generation. He Won the Nobel. He Was Worse Than Anyone Knows.

Alec Nevala-Lee, Slate Magazine

“The greatest American author ever” wrote a book that changed everything. The damning backstory is only becoming clear now.

Celia Imrie’s Fart Helps Lift BBC’s ‘The Celebrity Traitors’ To Series High Rating

Jake Kanter, Deadline

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the third episode of The Celebrity Traitors Celia Imrie has put some wind in the sails of The Celebrity Traitors’ viewing figures. The British actress, known for her work in Bridget Jones and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, provided o…

'This is not Gaza': Palestinians return to war-torn neighborhoods amid ceasefire

Diaa Ostaz, ABC News

Many Palestinians said they found their old neighborhoods unrecognizable from the relentless fighting that reduced most of the buildings to rubble.

Insurrection Act: What is it, and does US president have plenary authority?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump considers deploying military domestically using Insurrection Act amid debates on legal terms and implications.

The ABCs of what's on the chopping block at the Department of Education

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

America's schools are facing a shaky start to the school year amid uncertainty at the Department of Education.

Trump acknowledges challenges of finding Gaza captives’ bodies

Al Jazeera English

US President appeared to acknowledge Hamas’s struggle to recover Israeli captives’ bodies from beneath Gaza’s ruins.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,330

News Agencies, Al Jazeera English

Here are the key events from day 1,330 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

India's exports to US plunge as Trump's 50% tariffs kick in

BBC News

US has become India's most severely affected market since the tariff war began.

US media return Pentagon passes, giving up access after new rules kick in

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Reporters from more than 30 news outlets have vacated the Pentagon, refusing to comply with new reporting restrictions.

Why Peter Thiel Became the Exorcist in Tonight’s ‘South Park’

JM McNab, Cracked.com

The real Thiel is somehow worse than the cartoon one

‘South Park’s Peter Thiel Is Somehow Less Creepy-Looking Than the Real One

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

For once, the ‘South Park’ animators made a celebrity look more human

Donald Trump Is Confused on Exactly How Abortions Work on ‘South Park’

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: October 15th, 2025

Tonight’s ‘South Park’ Ends on A Cliffhanger With Cartman Fighting for His Life

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Peter Thiel will need a couple of weeks to save Cartman from the Antichrist

‘South Park’ Takes On Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession As Trump Tries To Get Satan An Abortion

Glenn Garner, Deadline

South Park returned from another two-week break on Wednesday with some fresh jabs at Donald Trump and Peter Thiel. During the Season 27 episode ‘Twisted Christian‘, Theil visits the children of South Park to preach against the “satanic numerology shit” going …

RFK Jr. Discovers Second Cause Of Autism: Foreskin Deficiency

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

It’s story time! I came home from the grocery store over this past weekend very proud. I rushed to tell my wife about how I was complimented in the check out line by the very nice woman behind me. She mentioned that she was impressed by how I “Tetris-ed” my g…

Egypt seeks 10,000-person Palestinian force in Gaza as talks on Trump plan enter second phase

THE MEDIA LINE STAFF, The Jerusalem Post

Egypt proposed an initial deployment of 1,000 security personnel trained in Jordan or Egypt, aiming to gradually expand the effort to enforce post-ceasefire ...

WATCH: Massachusetts community demands release of 13-year-old boy detained by ICE

ABC News

A Massachusetts community is calling for the release of a 13-year-old boy being held by ICE in Virginia after his arrest by local law enforcement for allegedly threatening a student at his school.

The US and Europe have cut billions in health aid — can anyone fill the gap?

Fred Schwaller, Nature.com

It's time to radically reimagine global health, leaders tell World Health Summit in Berlin.