Trump News for Friday, October 31, 2025

Trump places Nigeria on watch list over claims of anti-Christian violence

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Allegation that Nigerian Christians face 'existential threat' seems to mirror contested claims by right-wing lawmakers.

White House restricts press office access citing sensitive material

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Reporters blocked from key White House area without prior approval, citing structural changes and security concerns.

Elon Musk Tells Joe Rogan That He Will Demo a Flying Car by End of Year

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"If you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it's crazier than that," said Musk.

Trump says US, Canada will not restart trade talks

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump blamed the 'false' ad in which former US President Ronald Reagan, a Republican hero, said tariffs are a disaster.

Trump faces critical point in government shutdown, SNAP cutoff

Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

Trump, back from a weeklong trip in Asia, will have to confront how to handle deepening impacts from the shutdown on Americans.

ICE’s Hiring Surge Is Attracting A Bunch Of People Who Are Too Unfit (Or Too Criminal) To Work At ICE

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

ICE can generate multiple horrible stories a day but it still can’t seem to find enough brown people to deport daily to satisfy White House advisor Stephen Miller’s demands for 3,000 arrests per day. Trump and the GOP threw a lot of money at this problem with…

Judge orders arrest of ex-Green Beret tied to failed Venezuela raid after court no-show

CURT ANDERSON and JOSHUA GOODMAN, Yahoo Entertainment

A federal judge in Tampa has ordered the arrest of a former Green Beret accused of plotting to invade Venezuela in 2020 after he failed to show up to court...

US courts rule Trump cannot suspend food aid during government shutdown

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Critics expressed alarm after government said it would totally suspend food aid programme utilised by 42 million people.

How Bill Gates Gave Up On Saving the World

Nitish Pahwa, Slate Magazine

The tech billionaire used to be a fierce climate advocate. What changed?

James Austin Johnson Says Impersonating Trump “Used To Not Be As Terrifying”

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Trump's second term is a lot less funny and a lot more frightening than the first one

Watch the Trailer for “The New Yorker at 100”

The New Yorker

The Netflix documentary, directed by Marshall Curry, will be released on December 5th and explores the magazine’s history, with narration by Julianne Moore and appearances by Sarah Jessica Parker, Jon Hamm, Ronny Chieng, Nate Bargatze, and more.

Israel returns 30 bodies of slain Palestinians as new strikes hit Gaza

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Bodies of prisoners returned by Israel show signs of torture, as 3 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes despite truce.

RFK Jr. Just Made Texas AG Ken Paxton Look Like An Asshole And It’s Hilarious

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

When it comes to RFK Jr., I tend not to find much humor in the chaos he creates. The man’s work involves American health and illness, life and death, so it’s just generally not funny. And that holds true to Kennedy’s wielding of incomplete, inaccurate, and un…

Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to maintain a ceasefire -- for now. Here's what to know

Betsy Joles, NPR

Relations between the two neighbors hit a low point this month, with fighting killing people on both sides of the border. At issue is a rise in militancy in Pakistan since the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Accuses 'Pathetic Republican Men' of Misogyny After Ted Cruz Tells People to Ignore Her

Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE

Greene's plans to appear on both 'The View' and 'Real Time with Bill Maher' sparked backlash within her own party

UN condemns US airstrikes on boats, says they violate international law

Mason Leath, ABC News

The U.N. has said that U.S. airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean violate international human rights law and must stop, calling for an investigation.

Dave Herman Says This Classic ‘MADtv’ Political Sketch Is Still Relevant In The Epstein Files Age

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: October 31st, 2025

2 federal judges ruled that the Trump administration has to keep sending out SNAP benefits despite the shutdown

Allie Kelly,Madison Hoff, Business Insider

Judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled Friday afternoon that the Trump administration must fund SNAP during the government shutdown.

FDA autism drug move sparks frenzy, but data lags behind

By Julie Steenhuysen, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump's embrace of an old generic drug called leucovorin for use against a rare disorder that causes autism-like symptoms has triggered a...

Trump's nuclear weapons testing plan is still pretty murky — he and top officials aren't exactly clearing things up

Chris Panella, Business Insider

The President announced the US would resume nuclear testing, but the plan remains unclear. He and other officials haven't provided much detail.

How to Help the Millions of Americans Who Are Losing Their Food Assistance

Joanna Goddard, Cupofjo.com

On November 1st — tomorrow — 42 million people, including 16 million children, will be losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. This is unprecedented and should not be happening.… Read more The post How to Help the Millions …

Netflix Is Reportedly Mulling a Bid to Acquire Warner Bros Discovery

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

The streaming giant is "exploring a bid."

Trump just decided ICE has been too nice

Andrew Prokop, Vox

To many progressives, ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement — is synonymous with President Donald Trump’s brutal and cruel immigration regime. But to hardliners in the Trump administration bent on carrying out mass deportation, ICE has actually been somet…

US judge blocks Trump administration from halting Snap food benefits

BBC News

A federal judge said the plan to suspend food aid to millions of Americans during the ongoing US government shutdown is likely unlawful.

WATCH: JetBlue flight makes emergency landing after losing altitude

ABC News

A JetBlue flight traveling from Mexico to New Jersey on Thursday made an emergency landing after experiencing a drop in altitude, leaving several passengers injured, according to the airline.

Trump says he hasn't made a decision on whether to strike inside Venezuela

ABC News

President Donald Trump on Friday denied reports that he's made a decision to strike inside Venezuela.

Judge rules Trump's attempt to suspend SNAP funding is unlawful

Peter Charalambous, ABC News

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration's attempt to suspend SNAP funding is "unlawful," but declined to immediately order that the program be funded.

The Hunger Games Begin

Paul Krugman, Substack.com

40 million Americans are about to lose food stamps

The “welfare queen” stereotype is back — and it’s going viral

Danielle Hewitt, Noel King, Vox

On Saturday, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — also known as food stamps — will run out for more than 40 million Americans. Those millions of Americans are collateral damage from what is thus far the second-longest government shutdow…

Are trade relations between the US and China back on track?

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discuss trade and tariffs in their first meeting since 2019.

The GOP’s top think tank just defended an open Nazi

Zack Beauchamp, Vox

On Thursday night, the president of the Heritage Foundation — the MAGA right’s leading think tank — welcomed an open Nazi into his political coalition. You might think I am exaggerating. I assure you I am not. The Nazi in question here, podcaster Nick Fuentes…

Trump’s NASA Chief Hits Back at Kim Kardashian Over Fake Moon Landing Conspiracy

Passant Rabie, Gizmodo.com

This timeline is cooked.

Photos: Food banks scramble to get ready as SNAP funding deadline looms

Jaclyn Diaz, NPR

Some 42 million people in the U.S. who rely on SNAP benefits could soon join the already long lines at the nation's food banks and pantries that are also serving struggling federal workers.

Trump shows off Lincoln Bathroom renovated entirely in marble

Hannah Demissie, ABC News

On Friday, he showed off an entirely renovated Lincoln Bathroom on his social media platform.

Canada’s Carney and China’s Xi Jinping take step towards mending ties

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Relations nosedived in 2018 after Canada arrested a senior Huawei executive and have remained rocky ever since.

Canada's Carney to visit Xi in China, marking 'turning point' in relations

BBC News

Finding it hard to reach a resolution of its trade dispute with the US after Trump suspended talks, Canada turns to other major economies.

Wetzel: Louisiana Gov. made finding next LSU coach harder

Dan Wetzel, ESPN

Gov. Landry has made himself a hurdle to overcome in selecting LSU's new coach, Dan Wetzel writes.

Sean Duffy Warns Air Travel Is Going to Get Worse as Orlando Sees 2.7 Hour Delays

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Air traffic controllers are getting second jobs as the stress of not getting paid piles up.

Catching Covid-19 During Pregnancy Could Raise Autism Risk in Children, Study Finds

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

Researchers pinpointed an association between maternal covid-19 infections and children being diagnosed with neurodevelopmental issues years later.

Florida Expects Production Surge, and a New Statewide Below-the-Line Certification Program Will Help

Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire

Exclusive: In anticipation of expanded tax incentives in 2026 and beyond, Film Florida is partnering with Stage 32 to create a pipeline to develop a ready and certified crew base.

Democrats push fight against Trump in California redistricting effort

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Proposition 50 has become a referendum on what steps Democrats are willing to take to counter President Donald Trump.

Lawsuit alleges ‘horrific’ conditions at US immigration facility in Chicago

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Immigrants housed in the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, have described overcrowding and unsanitary holding rooms.

Theo Von 'Scared' After DHS Used Video of Him in Immigration Promo

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Comedian Theo Von is once again addressing the Department of Homeland Security using a video of him to promote ongoing deportations ... vulnerably revealing he was "scared" after DHS published the clip. Theo speaks about the situation on Friday's…

DHS, White House Shrug Off Having Their Social Media Lies Pointed Out To Them

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

It surprises absolutely no one that the Trump administration lies. Trump himself has been lying constantly ever since his first spin in the resolute desk chair. His new administration is right there with him this time around, ensuring we see nothing but a flo…

Trump just kneecapped the GOP’s shutdown strategy

Analysis by Aaron Blake, CNN, CNN

After the government had been shut down for nearly a month, a conspicuously quiet President Donald Trump finally weighed in with a prescription for how to...

Republicans Claimed Biden Censored YouTube. 20 Employees Seem to Say Otherwise

Makena Kelly, Wired

Lawyers for Alphabet, Youtube's parent company, recently alleged that the Biden administration tried to “influence” the company. Interviews with employees don't appear to support their claim.

What to know about the Senate filibuster as Trump calls on GOP to eliminate it

Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

Senate Republicans are resisting his demand to end the long-standing filibuster rule in order to end the government shutdown.

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won

Emma Burleigh, Yahoo Entertainment

Kamala Harris has made history as the first woman to take on the roles of San Francisco DA, California attorney general, and U.S. vice president—but no...

The right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings. But they don’t understand it.

Constance Grady, Vox

Among the many humiliations of being American in the current moment is this: Members of the tech right and the conservative ruling class continually fetishize objects of nerd culture while also displaying a willful inability to grasp the very basic messages t…

Israeli army, settlers target Palestinian olive harvesters in West Bank

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Attacks on Palestinians have intensified during the harvesting season as Israel pushes measures to annex the territory.

Trump’s Anti-Trans Agenda Is Hurting Veterans With Male Breast Cancer

Danielle Han, Jezebel

“Breast cancer doesn’t care what gender you are,” the co-founders of HIS Breast Cancer Awareness told Jezebel.

How some of the world's biggest tech companies stacked up during earnings season

Dan DeFrancesco, Business Insider

To quickly catch you up on how things shook out, here's a rundown on the main takeaways from Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.

Trump’s “Election Observers” Are a Sign of Something Much Worse on the Horizon

Shirin Ali, Slate Magazine

None of the election monitors will have much to do. That doesn't mean they’re not damaging.

WATCH: Devastating aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica

ABC News

Entire communities have been devastated or isolated after taking a direct hit form the powerful storm.

SNAP Benefits Expire Tomorrow. Here Are 3 Easy Ways to Help the Food Insecure

Corin Cesaric, CNET

Federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is set to expire on Nov. 1. Here are ways you can help those struggling with food insecurity.

Trump’s 7,500 refugee cap; echoing restrictive US immigration history

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

The US has historically passed laws denying entry or citizenship to people of specific ethnicities or nationalities.

How ICE is ramping up its surveillance

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera's Linh Nguyen looks at how ICE is expanding its surveillance network.

New $1.5B Trump Resort Is Still Just Fields of Banana Trees Months After Glitzy Launch

Ewan Palmer, Daily Beast

A planned Trump Organization resort in Vietnam has barely gotten off the ground five months after a glitzy ceremony marking the launch of the $1.5 billion...

As millions of Black Americans are set to lose SNAP, Trump heads to resort for weekend dinner with donors

Gerren Keith Gaynor, Yahoo Entertainment

“Without question, the cruelty of this shutdown is intentional,” said Alexsis Rodgers, political director at Black to the Future Action

Threatened with ICE raids, US groups consider cancelling Dia de los Muertos

Adam Shanks, Al Jazeera English

Groups fear the annual festivity, popular in Latino communities, may be targeted for immigration operations under Trump.

US strikes on alleged drug boats violate law, UN human rights chief says

BBC News

Volker Türk said the strikes were "unacceptable" and urged Washington to halt them immediately.

Giuffre family notes Andrew’s UK royal expulsion, calls for US questioning

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, accused both Jeffrey Epstein and the former Prince Andrew of abuse.

US-China minerals deal a “typical Trump mantra” using tariffs for tech

Al Jazeera English

Trump's rare earths deal with China drives US security and tech, says Peter McGuire of Trading.com

Maya Wiley: Trump administration deploys election monitors to blue states. But will it stop there?

Yahoo Entertainment

Donald and Melania Trump Hand Out Candy to Kids at White House for Halloween

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Donald Trump was all treats and no tricks for hundreds of kids ... who showed up in their Halloween costumes to snag some sweets from the President and First Lady at the White House. It all went down Thursday night on the South Lawn ... with DT…

Key Tesla Investor Says It Will Be Voting Against Making Elon Musk a Trillionaire

Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo.com

A spokesperson for the California pension system said it would "further concentrate power in a single shareholder.”

The 10 Best ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketches So Far this Season

Brian VanHooker, Cracked.com

By Brian VanHooker Published: October 31st, 2025

Katie Miller Crashes Out On-Air After Being Called a Liar

Danielle Han, Jezebel

She said that being called a liar is antisemitic.

UN human rights chief says US strikes on alleged drug boats ‘unacceptable’

Al Jazeera Staff, News Agencies, Al Jazeera English

Volker Turk voices rare criticism of the US bombing campaign that has killed more than 60 people in under two months.

Debate over energy costs fuels clear divide in New Jersey and Virginia governor's races

OLIVIA DIAZ and MIKE CATALINI, Yahoo Entertainment

One Virginia voter, Kim Wilson, lamented at a town hall recently that her electricity bill seems to go up every month, no matter how much she tries to...

One month into a US government shutdown – how it’s going so far

Hanna Duggal, Al Jazeera English

The US government has been shut down for 30 days. Al Jazeera visualises where things stand right now.

Dancing, deals and nuclear subs – what did Trump get up to in Asia?

Al Jazeera English

The Trump Administration hails the US President’s five-day, three nation Asia tour as a success.

Oil prices dip as investors brace for OPEC+ output hike

Vicky McKeever, Yahoo Entertainment

Oil prices dipped on Friday, ahead of an anticipated output hike by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies.

Trump's Plan Is Now Out in the Open

Peter Wehner, The Atlantic

It’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.

NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown — and may be breaking the law in the process, critics say

jdinner@space.com (Josh Dinner) , Josh Dinner, Space.com

"There is just a general acknowledgement that a lot of what is happening is illegal…"

Former Reality Star Tells Other Reality Star That Man Did, in Fact, Land on Moon

Audra Heinrichs, Jezebel

After Kim Kardashian theorized that America never planted its flag on the moon, another reality star (who is now the head of NASA) had a rebuttal.

Fact check: Do ICE officers really have ‘federal immunity’ in the US?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Federal immigration agents can face federal or state prosecution for illegal actions under certain circumstances.

Five key takeaways from Trump's week in Asia

Deepa Shivaram, NPR

President Trump is back in Washington after spending a week in Asia. He attended the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, addressed U.S. troops in Japan and met with China's President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

WATCH: Police officer caught without pants during video court hearing

ABC News

A Detroit police officer was caught during a court appearance with his pants down — literally.

What the US-China deal means for rare earths, soybean farmers and TikTok

Max Zahn, ABC News

The world's two largest economies appeared to dial back a monthslong trade war.

WATCH: Dog owner uses smelly socks to lure lost pet back home

ABC News

A 93-year-old man has been reunited with his lost dog — thanks to a pair of smelly socks.

In Trump-Xi summit, a shifting US-China power dynamic on display

John Power, Al Jazeera English

The balance of power between the US and China has shifted since Trump launched his trade war in 2018.

Trump’s Targeting of ‘Narcoterrorists’ Is a Crime in Itself

Mona Charen, The Bulwark

Shoot first, ask questions when?

Russia's new nuclear weapons - real threat or Putin bluster?

Laura Gozzi, BBC News

This week alone, the Russian president unveiled two nuclear-capable weapons - but their value may be more symbolic than military.

China’s Xi defends multilateralism at APEC after striking deal with Trump

Al Jazeera Staff, News Agencies, Al Jazeera English

Beijing is positioning itself as defender of free trade as US tariffs disrupt global economy and Trump skips summit.

Trump says Senate should scrap the filibuster to end the government shutdown

The Associated Press, NPR

President Donald Trump is calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster, so that the Republican majority can bypass Democrats and reopen the federal government.

Nasa hits back at Kim Kardashian's moon landing conspiracy

BBC News

In a recent episode of her TV series, the reality star said she believed the moon landing was fake.

WATCH: President Trump and Melania Trump celebrate Halloween at the White House

ABC News

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed trick-or-treaters to the White House on Thursday, an annual Halloween tradition.

Trump calls for Senate to scrap filibuster tactic to end the gov’t shutdown

Alastair McCready, Al Jazeera English

The US president called for Republicans to go for the 'Nuclear Option' in order to end the Democratic Senate roadblock.

Iran condemns Trump’s call to resume US nuclear testing

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Tehran rebukes US plans for nuclear tests, citing hypocrisy over peaceful nuclear programme accusations.

Rio favelas left reeling after lethal gang raid as families bury the dead

ELÉONORE HUGHES, Yahoo Entertainment

Families of the scores of people killed in a deadly gang raid by Rio de Janeiro police began burying the dead on Thursday, with residents left reeling by the...

Trump Nemesis Trolls President by Giving Him New Address

Erkki Forster, Daily Beast

Donald Trump’s nemesis congressman slipped in a trolling dig in a scathing letter to the president condemning his White House teardown. Democratic Maryland...

Andrew Schulz Has An Almost Funny Explanation of the NBA Mafia Scandal

Opheli Garcia Lawler, Cracked.com

By Opheli Garcia Lawler Published: October 30th, 2025

Radio Free Asia says halting news operations due to Trump admin cuts

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Announcing the move, staff at the outlet said 'authoritarian regimes are already celebrating' its potential demise.

Yes, There Are Some National Guard Willing To Do The Right Thing

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

As of this moment, the National Guard is indefinitely prevented from deploying within the Chicagoland area. The court order was issued pending the Supreme Court’s decision to rule on the matter. And because this administration is a walking, talking clown show…

‘SNL’ Fans Try to Guess the Host Who Amy Poehler Says Fell Asleep Mid-Sketch

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Poehler refused to name names on ‘Good Hang,’ but her fans aren’t as coy

The American adoptees who fear deportation to a country they can't remember

BBC News

Thousands of US adoptees do not have citizenship despite being brought to the country as babies decades ago. Now many fear deportation.

Elon Musk raises eyebrows with unexpected statement about bitcoin: 'It is impossible to fake'

Alyssa Ochs, Yahoo Entertainment

It's possible that Musk's views on bitcoin may influence some people's decisions.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,345

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Here are the key events from day 1,345 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Retired General reacts to Trump announcing U.S. to start testing nuclear weapons: ‘This is just a ruse by the President’

CNN

CNN’s Erin Burnett talks to Major General Randy Manner, who oversaw America’s policies for safeguarding and inspecting its nuclear weapons arsenal, about...