Trump News for Friday, October 17, 2025

The Kremlin Wants Elon Musk to Build a Tunnel From Russia to the U.S.

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Russia is probably just trolling, but who knows what could happen in our upside down world?

Trump commutes sentence of former Republican lawmaker George Santos

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

George Santos, serving a prison term on charges of fraud and identity theft, had been held in solitary confinement.

'It's scary to think I could have died': How Americans are coming back from fentanyl addiction

BBC News

Fatal overdoses in the US are falling - and Kayla's state of North Carolina is at the forefront of that trend.

President Trump commutes the prison sentence of George Santos

Saige Miller, NPR

The disgraced New York Republican was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a litany of federal charges, including wire fraud and identity theft.

Zelensky guarded on Tomahawk missile talks with Trump after White House meeting

BBC News

Following the meeting, Trump calls for Kyiv and Moscow to "stop where they are" and end the war.

Trump’s former labor secretary Alex Acosta defends handling of controversial Epstein plea deal

Annie Grayer, Kara Scannell, CNN, CNN

The former US attorney who negotiated a controversial 2008 plea deal with Jeffrey Epstein defended that agreement in a closed-door interview with House...

President Trump Commutes George Santos' Sentence

TMZ Staff, TMZ

President Trump is springing ex-Congressman George Santos from prison, saying the convicted fraudster has no business doing 7 years behind bars. POTUS admitted Santos had been a "rogue" ... but added, at least Santos "had the Courage, Conviction,…

The US has a new roadmap for fusion energy, without the funds to back it up

Justine Calma, The Verge

The Department of Energy (DOE) released a new roadmap for the US to realize the decades-long dream of harnessing fusion energy. It’s a commitment to support research and development efforts and pursue public-private partnerships to finally build the first gen…

George Santos' prison sentence commuted, to be released 'immediately': Trump

Meredith Deliso, ABC News

Santos was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison earlier this year after being convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Trump says he has commuted sentence of former US Rep. George Santos in federal fraud case

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump said Friday he had commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who is serving more than seven years in federal prison...

Trump says Ukraine war could end ‘quickly’ as he meets Zelenskyy

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

The Ukrainian president also expressed optimism about reaching a ceasefire and urged pressure against Russia's Putin.

WATCH: NYC mayoral candidates square off in first debate

ABC News

During a debate on Wednesday, the top three New York City mayoral candidates sparred over who has the right sort of experience to lead the city after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams suspended his campaign.

In talks with Zelenskiy, Trump appears to press pause on fresh support

By Nandita Bose, Gram Slattery and Jeff Mason, Yahoo Entertainment

By Nandita Bose, Gram Slattery and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy came to the White House on Friday looking for...

Trump announces ‘submarine’ attack in Caribbean, amid reports of survivors

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US president also indicated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered concessions in a bid to lower tensions.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to OK National Guard deployment in Illinois

Devin Dwyer, ABC News

The Trump administration filed an emergency stay request Friday with the Supreme Court to undo a lower court order over the deployment of the National Guard in Chicago.

Marc Benioff apologizes for saying Trump should send the National Guard to SF, says the comments were made out of "an abundance of caution" around Dreamforce (Ari Levy/CNBC)

Techmeme.com

Ari Levy / CNBC: Marc Benioff apologizes for saying Trump should send the National Guard to SF, says the comments were made out of “an abundance of caution” around Dreamforce  —  Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff apologized on Friday for making comments in support …

Zelenskyy congratulates Trump on Gaza, asks for help ending Russia’s war

Al Jazeera English

During a White House visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s confident they can end Russia’s war.

How to Stay Safe at the No Kings Protest: 7 Things You Should Know First

Oscar Gonzalez, CNET

Let your voice be heard, but also make sure to be safe.

What does King Charles do and who else is in the Royal Family?

BBC News

As the UK's head of state, King Charles has number of parliamentary and constitutional duties.

Trump confirms strike on submarine but doesn’t comment on any possible survivors

Associated Press Videos, Yahoo Entertainment

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed a U.S. strike on a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean. Sec. of State Marco Rubio did not dispute that...

Andrea Bocelli Sings to Donald Trump in Oval Office

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Donald Trump received a special treat in the White House Friday ... a live solo from Andrea Bocelli! Check out the clip -- the Italian singer fills the Oval Office with his famous tenor vocals as the prez stands behind the Resolute Desk in awe.…

One of Biden’s Most Disastrous Decisions Is Finally Coming Home to Roost

Alex Kirshner, Slate Magazine

This is a bad time to give Trump de facto control of one of the most popular social media apps in history—and that’s exactly what Biden did.

The Young Republicans’ Leaked Chat Isn’t the Future—It’s Now

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

It's our racist, fascist reality. And it's not going away anytime soon.

Looks Like JD Vance Didn’t Get the Memo That This Admin Hates AI Guardrails

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

Wonder what's in JD's ChatGPT history.

The longest government shutdowns in US history, ranked

Kristine Villarroel, Business Insider

The ongoing shutdown is already the fourth-longest in US history, matching the 2013 shutdown.

Karoline Leavitt Had The Nerve To Pull A "Your Mom" Joke After A Journalist Asked This Very Sincere Question

S.V. Date, Buzzfeed

"You are a far left hack who nobody takes seriously, including your colleagues in the media, they just don’t tell you that to your face," Karoline also said.

What is Trump’s approval rating in Florida? He heads back to his home state this weekend

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY NETWORK, Palm Beach Post

President Donald Trump is headed back to Mar-a-Lago this weekend at the same time as the No Kings protests. What do Floridians think of him?

The Depth of MAGA’s Moral Collapse

George Packer, The Atlantic

How we got to “I love Hitler.”

Jimmy Kimmel Hosts Drag Queen Storytime for Eric Trump’s New Book

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: October 17th, 2025

Why Things Are The Way They Are

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Right up front, I want to state that this is a very personal post. While it obviously draws from my many years of writing for Techdirt, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am expressing my own opinions about everything discussed below. I’m not immune to …

Trump, Zelenskyy meet at White House to discuss Russia-Ukraine war

Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

Zelenskyy in Washington to make his case for America’s Tomahawk cruise missiles and other military assets.

November SNAP benefits are at risk from the government shutdown. See how each state depends on food stamps.

Allie Kelly, Business Insider

Forty-two million low-income Americans use SNAP. Benefits could shrink if the government shutdown drags into November.

WATCH: Airlift evacuates hundreds in Alaska after flooding from typhoon

ABC News

The largest airlift in Alaska’s history is taking place after a massive storm surge and winds up to 100 mph, fueled by Typhoon Halong, left at least one person dead and two people missing.

Bitcoin Price Slumps as Wall Street Prepares for Crypto ETF Frenzy

Kyle Torpey, Gizmodo.com

It's been a rough week for crypto.

Europe Is Answering Putin’s Challenge

Shane Harris, The Atlantic

Members of the NATO alliance are showing real grit—and, for now, the U.S. is with them.

Virginia Giuffre's Memoir Puts a Needful Spotlight Back on Ghislaine Maxwell's Crimes

Audra Heinrichs, Jezebel

"Over time, I would come to see Epstein and Maxwell less as boyfriend and girlfriend, and more as two halves of a wicked whole," Giuffre wrote.

At least 2 survivors of US attack on alleged drug smugglers in American custody

Anne Flaherty, Luis Martinez, ABC News

The survivors in the Caribbean Sea were rescued by helicopter.

Exclusive-Hamas aims to keep grip on Gaza security and can't commit to disarm, senior official says

By Ahmed Jadallah and Andrew Mills, Yahoo Entertainment

By Ahmed Jadallah and Andrew Mills DOHA (Reuters) -Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official told ...

Trump’s CISA Raid: Pulling Cybersecurity Experts Off Critical Infrastructure Defense To Process Deportation Paperwork

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Last week we covered how Trump’s immigration theater was pulling federal agents off child sex crimes, drug interdiction, and terrorism investigations to chase landscapers and line cooks instead. Turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg. Now we’re learni…

Trump manages to disappoint nearly everyone with his new IVF plan

Rachel Cohen, Vox

One of President Donald Trump’s boldest campaign pledges was to make in vitro fertilization (IVF) completely free. Yesterday, the Trump administration released its long-awaited proposals — which are nowhere making IVF free, or even significantly more affordab…

How will Putin travel to Hungary to meet Trump with ICC arrest warrant?

Lorraine Mallinder, Al Jazeera English

Will Putin be inspired by fellow ICC fugitive Netanyahu to take a more circuitous route to his destination?

iPhone Air sells out almost instantly in China

Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

When Apple first released the iPhone Air last month, it was missing from a key market: China. This was because the iPhone Air is eSIM-only due to its ultra-thin design, and China has strict regulations about eSIM technology. Today, however, the iPhone Air …

Tri-Fold Phones Are a Dangerous Game, but Samsung Is Playing To Win

James Pero, Gizmodo.com

Samsung could be the first to market a tri-fold phone globally, and that could happen sooner than we expected.

What to know about nationwide 'No Kings' rallies set to protest Trump

Tierra Cunningham, Oren Oppenheim, ABC News

Activists and advocacy groups are running a fresh round of “No Kings” protests on Saturday in response to what organizers call overreach from President Donald Trump.

Republican lawmakers accuse former Trump prosecutor Smith of professional misconduct, New York Post says

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican lawmakers on Friday asked the Justice Department to look at whether Jack Smith, the federal prosecutor who led criminal...

US has seized survivors after strike on suspected drug-carrying vessel in Caribbean, AP sources say

KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and LISA MASCARO, Yahoo Entertainment

The United States took survivors into custody after its military struck a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean — the first attack that anyone...

John Bolton pleads not guilty to mishandling classified information in US

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Bolton, a former Trump advisor, appeared for an arraignment in a federal court, where he faces 18 criminal counts.

Trump expects expansion of Abraham accords soon, hopes S Arabia will join

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Widespread regional anger over Israel's war on Gaza will likely prove a major obstacle to any further signatories.

Landmark global shipping deal suspended under US pressure

BBC News

President Trump intervened in the talks calling the deal a "green scam".

The NIMBY in Chief

Marc J. Dunkelman, The Atlantic

Donald Trump is using the power of the White House to load public-works projects down with bureaucracy.

Trump speaker slams newly elected Democrat — and is immediately fact checked

Lauren Sforza, nj.com

The Louisiana Republican accused Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva of orchestrating a “political stunt."

Pentagon Calls New Netflix Show About Closeted Gay Marine 'Woke Garbage'

TMZ Staff, TMZ

The Pentagon's pissed off at a new LGBTQ-focused military series ... claiming it goes completely against the "warrior ethos" -- and, they're bashing Netflix for it. Here's the deal ... the show "Boots" -- the story of a gay Marine recruit, forced…

El Paso officials slam DHS government shutdown video at airport

Adam Powell, El Paso Times, El Paso Times

El Paso officials are condemning a DHS video at the airport, citing political bias, Hatch Act concerns, and a lack of local input.

Dr. Oz Adds ‘Underbabied’ to List of Issues Facing American Families

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Trump announced a few minimal plans to lower the cost of IVF and Dr. Oz gave us an insane new term.

Mangione's attorneys: Trump administration preventing fair trial

Aaron Katersky, Ahmad Hemingway, Julian Kim, Emmanuelle Saliba, ABC News

The Trump administration is making Luigi Mangione “a pawn to further its political agenda," his attorneys argued.

Trump Suddenly Doesn’t Want to Be a King as Massive Protests Loom

Leigh Kimmins, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump insists he’s no monarch—just hours before thousands of protesters plan to remind him of that fact. In a clip aired Friday on Mornings ...

The State Dept. Memelord Revoking Visas Over Charlie Kirk Posts

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Chris Landau, Trump's deputy secretary of state, is soliciting help from right-wing X accounts as he seeks to revoke visas of Charlie Kirk critics.

Bolton in court to face charges of mishandling classified documents

Al Jazeera English

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton is facing charges for mishandling classified information.

Can Australia provide US with rare-earth metals which China has restricted?

Alex Kozul-Wright, Al Jazeera English

Australia has spied an opportunity amid ongoing China-US rare earths dispute.

Trump, Putin to meet: Will Ukraine get US Tomahawks or not?

Priyanka Shankar, Al Jazeera English

The US has suggested supplying Tomahawk weapons to Ukraine if Russia does not negotiate a ceasefire.

Luigi Mangione Says Trump Publicly Smeared Him as a Domestic Terrorist

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Luigi Mangione says the U.S. Dept. of Justice and President Donald Trump's White House have launched a coordinated public smear campaign against him ... deliberately trying to taint the jury pool in his federal case, which could lead to his execution.

Unions say White House plans mass layoff at Interior Department, despite court order

Andrea Hsu, NPR

A status conference is set for Friday afternoon after union lawyers said the Trump administration is violating a court order that temporarily blocks mass firings during the government shutdown.

John Bolton at federal courthouse for 1st court appearance following indictment

Pierre Thomas, Tia Humphries, Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, ABC News

Former Trump adviser John Bolton is in a Maryland courthouse this morning where's he's expected to make his first court appearance after being indicted Thursday.

Opinion - It’s been a bad year for Iran — Trump should keep pressing to make it worse

Dov S. Zakheim, opinion contributor, The Hill

In December 2004, Jordan’s King Abdullah first warned the world of the emergence of a Sh’ia crescent that could destabilize the region’s Sunni states...

Why Americans Should Care About Trump’s Boat Strikes

Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

The precedent he is setting threatens the rule of law and everyone’s rights.

Border Patrol Responds Like a Petulant Child to Controversy Over Its Antisemitic Video

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The Trump regime exercises real power. Why are they so whiny about it?

Ex-Trump adviser Bolton in court to face charges of mishandling classified documents

BBC News

Prosecutors accuse Bolton of using personal messaging apps and email to illegally transmit sensitive information.

‘Godfather of Silicon Valley’ Torches Billionaire CEO’s Trump Support in Scathing Resignation

Tom Latchem, Daily Beast

A venture capitalist has quit the board of his company’s philanthropic arm, blasting the CEO for backing Donald Trump and urging National Guard troops to be ...

How many times has the US struck Venezuelan vessels?

Hanna Duggal, Alia Chughtai, Al Jazeera English

There have been at least six incidents of US strikes on boats in Venezuelan waters since the beginning of September.

Welcome to the ‘Jobless Growth’ Economy

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

Companies counting on AI are closing the door on entry-level workers.

WATCH: Trump announces deal to reduce cost of some IVF medications

ABC News

President DonaldTrump announces a deal with a prescription fertility drug company to reduce the cost of some IVF medications.

Broadband Monopolies Are Mad Because California Won’t Let Them Rip Off Apartment Dwellers

Karl Bode, Techdirt

California this week signed a new law that tries to prevent your landlord and broadband ISP from teaming up and preventing you from using broadband competitors. Starting January 1, AB1414 requires that landlords “allow the tenant to opt out of paying for any …

Microsoft is reportedly moving Surface and Xbox production — no prizes for guessing why

Adam Hales, Windows Central

Microsoft is reportedly planning to move Surface production out of China by 2026 and is also encouraging Xbox production to be shifted overseas. The move comes amid escalating U.S.–China trade tensions, with new tariffs, port fees, and export restrictions dri…

Trump Spox Went On Stunning Hate Rant Agaist Half The Country — Fox Anchors Did Not Find It 'Deplorable' In The Least

Mediaite, Yahoo Entertainment

Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spewed stunningly vile hatred about Democrats that went unchallenged and unremarked-upon by Fox News ...

Trump and Zelenskyy to meet. And, John Bolton indicted for mishandling classified info

Brittney Melton, NPR

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Trump meet today to discuss Ukraine's request for long-range missiles. And, John Bolton indicted for allegedly mishandling classified information.

A perfect Berkeley paradox: Big-money college football and an antiestablishment protest

Kyle Bonagura and Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

A look back at one of the strangest protests in college football history.

US Governor wins $1.4m playing blackjack in Las Vegas

Emma Rossiter - BBC News, BBC News

Billionaire JB Pritzker won the sum while on holiday with friends and family.

Vibe coding isn't as simple as it sounds. Here's what I learned about AI through trial and error.

Katherine Li, Business Insider

I tried to vibe code a solution to automate a task at work I didn't want to do, and the project taught me valuable lessons on how to learn with AI.

Warren Buffett plowed more than $1 billion into three stocks, and it says a lot about where he sees consumer priorities are right now: Houses, beer, and gas

Eleanor Pringle, Yahoo Entertainment

Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 investments focus on consumer-driven brands like Lennar, Chevron, and Constellation.

Only 15 People Agree to Report on Pete Hegseth's Push-Ups

Claire Guinan, Jezebel

Or, at least, that's the only thing I assume the Pentagon's new press policy will allow journalists to cover.

Kremlin says Putin-Trump summit may happen within two weeks, but there's a lot to do first

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Friday that a summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump could take place within two weeks, or a little ...

10 Friday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: • Revisiting “Intelligence Drift” Why AI models still feel like they’re getting dumber. Anecdotal but widespread experience of LLMs seeming great at first, then getting progressively “dumber” over time. With models like…

Kremlin envoy proposes a 'Putin-Trump tunnel' to link Russia and US

By Andrew Osborn, Yahoo Entertainment

By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia and the United States should build a "Putin-Trump" rail tunnel under the Bering Strait to link the two countries...

Tomahawks take center stage in Trump's Russia-Ukraine diplomacy

Chris Boccia, ABC News

Zelenskyy said discussions military assets from the U.S. -- including Tomahawk missiles -- motivated Putin to meet with Trump in Budapest.

'Doofus' Trump Mocked After Numbers Failed Him In A 'Hard To Believe' Way

Yahoo Entertainment

Senators will force a vote to prevent war on Venezuela without approval from Congress

Claudia Grisales, NPR

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says new legislation is needed to prevent the Trump administration's escalating actions against Venezuela from leading to war.

With some shutdown pain points delayed for now, talks in Congress are 'nowhere'

Deirdre Walsh, NPR

Some key impacts of the shutdown have been pushed back by moves by the Trump administration. But those efforts are temporary, and the pain could spread depending on how long the stalemate lasts.

In small towns and rural communities, young voters say they feel unseen by leaders

Elena Moore, NPR

Gen Z and millennial voters will make up more than half of the electorate in 2028. They're a crucial bloc for both parties, but many are facing daunting economic realities and feel unseen by leaders.

US says India halves Russian oil imports, sources say no cuts seen

By Jarrett Renshaw and Nidhi Verma, Yahoo Entertainment

By Jarrett Renshaw and Nidhi Verma WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, a White House official said, but Indian...

Three labor unions filed a lawsuit in NY federal court to block the Trump administration from searching visa holders' social media for posts it deems hostile (David Ingram/NBC News)

Techmeme.com

David Ingram / NBC News: Three labor unions filed a lawsuit in NY federal court to block the Trump administration from searching visa holders' social media for posts it deems hostile  —  The lawsuit filed Thursday is the latest of several challenges to the Tr…

LIVE: Aid ‘critically low’ in Gaza a week into ceasefire amid Israeli delay

Umut Uras, Urooba Jamal, Al Jazeera English

Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed as Trump threatens Hamas over gang clashes.

Exclusive-Micron to exit server chips business in China after ban, sources say

Hyunjoo Jin and Brenda Goh, Yahoo Entertainment

SEOUL/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Micron plans to stop supplying server chips to data centres in China after the business failed to recover from a 2023 government...

U.S. commander overseeing attacks against alleged drug boats off Venezuela to retire

The Associated Press, NPR

The news of Adm. Alvin Holsey's upcoming retirement comes two days after the U.S. military's fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean against a small boat accused of carrying drugs.

Another Measles Outbreak Leads To 3 Week Quarantine For Over 100 Children

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

Measles is so back, baby! I know, you had thought we were done talking about this vile disease. After all, the outbreak that started in Texas among communities that are relatively unvaccinated finally slowed down at the tail end of the summer. That came after…

Five takeaways from Mamdani-Cuomo New York mayoral debate

BBC News

The three leading candidates for New York City mayor took the stage in Manhattan to make a case to lead America's biggest city.

US carries out new drug boat strike in Caribbean, as admiral resigns

Alastair McCready, Al Jazeera English

The latest strike came a day after US President Trump confirmed he had authorised CIA operations in Venezuela.

FBI Director Kash Patel announces terrorism charges for Texas ICE shooting

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The charges follow an order from President Donald Trump labelling antifa as a 'domestic terrorist organisation'.

Appeals court keeps order blocking Trump from deploying National Guard in Illinois

James Hill, Jack Moore, ABC News

Appeals court keeps order blocking Trump from deploying National Guard in Illinois.

Even Trump Supporters Are Nodding In Agreement With AOC's Latest Takedown

Alana Valko, Buzzfeed

"This is a winning message."View Entire Post ›