Trump News for Thursday, December 4, 2025

Trump hails ‘great day for the world’ as DRC, Rwanda finalise peace deal

Al Jazeera Staff, News Agencies, Al Jazeera English

US president hosts leaders of DRC and Rwanda and says Washington will buy rare-earth minerals from the two countries.

Grand jury rejects DOJ's attempt to revive fraud case against Letitia James: Sources

Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, Nicholas Kerr, Pierre Thomas, Peter Charalambous, ABC News

A grand jury has refused to indict New York AG Letitia James on charges of mortgage fraud, ten days after a judge dismissed a nearly identical case.

New York Times sues Pentagon over rules limiting access for media

News Agencies, Al Jazeera English

Lawsuit challenges rules that give wide discretion to Pentagon chief Hegseth to oust journalists over coverage.

Trump’s war crimes scandal, briefly explained

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 facing renewed scrutiny ov…

Boat strike briefings help Hegseth - but shipwreck video release may hurt

BBC News

Republicans and Democrats agreed he didn't order killing everyone on an alleged drug boat. That's where the consensus ended.

Speaker Johnson pleads with Republicans to keep concerns private after tumultuous week

JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Yahoo Entertainment

House Speaker Mike Johnson is imploring his fellow Republicans to stop venting their frustrations in public and bring their complaints to him directly...

Pete Hegseth’s Weak Excuses

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

His evasive responses to Signalgate are shameful nonsense.

State Department to deny visas to fact checkers and others, citing 'censorship'

Shannon Bond, NPR

The order is focused on applicants for H-1B visas, which are frequently used by tech companies and is part of a campaign by the Trump administration against online content moderation.

President Trump Hires New Architect for His $300 Million Ballroom—After Clashing With Previous Designer Over Size

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump Naming Kennedy Center After His Favorite President

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

There can never be too many buildings with President Donald Trump’s name on them. That’s what the president, 79, appeared to suggest on Thursday while...

Stress of Houthi combat was a key factor in series of costly Navy mishaps, investigations show

KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and BEN FINLEY, Yahoo Entertainment

New investigative reports into a series of high-profile and costly Navy mishaps during a U.S.-led campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels reveal that the most...

Prominent anti-Hamas militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab killed in Gaza

BBC News

His Popular Forces group says Abu Shabab was shot while attempting to resolve a family dispute and not killed by Hamas.

Putin challenges US pressure on India over Russian oil during state visit

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Putin questions US pressure on India's Russian oil purchases as Modi gives the Russian president a warm welcome.

US senators unveil bill to keep Trump from allowing AI chip sales to China

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The bill comes as the Trump gov't mulls greenlighting sales of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips to China.

A White House Photographer Captured This Picture Of Trump In The Oval Office, And His Hair Looks...Interesting

Alexa Lisitza, Buzzfeed

Remember when Donald Trump hated that Time cover photo of his neck? I think we can add this pic to the list of images he reallllllllly won't like.View Entire Post ›

US Treasury slaps $7.1M fine on New York firm for managing properties for Putin ally

FATIMA HUSSEIN, Yahoo Entertainment

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed a $7.1 million fine on a New York-based property management firm Thursday, accusing it of violating sanctions by...

Hegseth needs to go to secure messaging school, report says

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

He's not alone: DoD inspector general says the whole Defense Department has a messaging security problem US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth definitely broke the rules when he sent sensitive information to a Signal chat group, say Pentagon auditors, but he's no…

Trump invites ‘cute’ Japanese kei trucks to come to America

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge

Tiny kei trucks from Japan have a new fan: President Donald Trump. Trump expressed admiration for the pint-sized autos during a briefing with reporters to announce his plan to gut fuel economy standards. “They’re very small. They’re really cute,” Trump said. …

The White House’s 2-word nickname for Trump is raising eyebrows

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

The phrase garnered national attention back in June.

Last foreign carriers halt flights to Venezuela after Trump’s airspace ban

Alfie Pannell, Al Jazeera English

Copa, Wingo, Satena, and Boliviana halt Venezuela flights, citing navigation signal issues and safety concerns.

Senator Tina Smith Says Republicans Stole Their Healthcare Plan From ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Bikini Bottom isn't getting a single-payer system anytime soon

Was Elon in the room where it happened? This senator still wants to know

mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) , Mike Wall, Space.com

As he did eight months ago, Sen. Ed Markey asked Jared Isaacman if Elon Musk was in the room when President Trump first offered him the job of NASA chief. And, once again, Isaacman demurred.

AI chatbots can sway voters better than political advertisements

Michelle Kim, MIT Technology Review

In 2024, a Democratic congressional candidate in Pennsylvania, Shamaine Daniels, used an AI chatbot named Ashley to call voters and carry on conversations with them. “Hello. My name is Ashley, and I’m an artificial intelligence volunteer for Shamaine Daniels’…

DOJ orders prison inspectors to stop considering LGBTQ safety standards

Jaclyn Diaz, NPR

A memo obtained by NPR shows the Justice Department is telling inspectors to stop evaluating prisons using standards designed to protect trans and other LGBTQ community members from sexual violence.

Chatbots Are Surprisingly Effective at Swaying Voters

Matteo Wong, The Atlantic

Could ChatGPT secretly tell you how to cast your ballot?

US prioritizes visas for fans traveling for the World Cup, Olympics and other events

MATTHEW LEE, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration has instructed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to prioritize visa applications from foreigners wishing to visit the...

Rwanda, DRC presidents sign ‘Washington Accord’ peace deal

Al Jazeera English

The presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed the “Washington Accord” peace deal.

Paramount Drops $5 Billion Bomb to Beat Netflix in Warner Bros. Bidding War

Khac Phu Nguyen, Yahoo Entertainment

With Netflix's bid out front, Paramount's Ellison-backed play leans on Washington ties and a giant breakup fee twist

Chatbots Show Promise in Swaying Voters, Researchers Find

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

How far are we from a chatbot president?

WATCH: Newly released images show inside of Jeffrey Epstein's private island estate

ABC News

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday released more than 150 still images and over a dozen short videos of the Virgin Islands estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

AI can influence voters' minds. What does that mean for democracy?

Alex Wilkins, New Scientist

Voters change their opinions after interacting with an AI chatbot – but it seems that AIs rely on facts to influence people

AI Chatbots Shown to Sway Voters, Raising New Fears about Election Influence

Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American

Chatbots can measurably sway voters’ choices, new research shows. The findings raise urgent questions about AI’s role in future elections

Microsoft is quietly walking back its diversity efforts

Tom Warren, The Verge

Microsoft has been publishing data about the gender, race, and ethnic breakdown of its employees for more than a decade. Since 2019 it's been publishing a full diversity and inclusion report annually, and at the same time made reporting on diversity a require…

US authorities arrest suspect in 2021 Capitol Hill pipe bombs

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Arrest of Virginia man potentially ends five-year mystery that highlighted rise of political violence in the US.

From Mogadishu to Minneapolis, Somalis reject Trump’s bigoted remarks

Al Jazeera Staff, News Agencies, Al Jazeera English

Minnesota legislator Omar Fateh says Trump's 'disgraceful' comments are meant as 'political theatre' to rally his base.

Airlines face steep fines as FAA investigates missed flight reductions

Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, USA Today

The Federal Aviation Administration told airlines they could be fined $75,000 per flight if they didn't trim their schedules during the shutdown.

WATCH: Cortina's Olympic village ready for athletes ahead of 2026 Winter Games

ABC News

Cortina's Olympic village is ready to house 1,400 athletes in mobile homes built from recyclable materials during the 2026 Winter Games, set to be staged in northern Italy.

Trump Administration Stops Fucking Around On Immigration, Hangs Official ‘Whites Only’ Sign

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

A recent shooting involving a former Afghani US counter-terrorism asset who worked with the CIA (!!!) has become the tragedy the Trump administration apparently needed to go from “consistently racist” to “openly racist.” The wounding of two National Guard tro…

Putin says Russia disagrees with parts of US plan to end Ukraine war

BBC News

The Russian leader's comments come as US and Ukrainian negotiators are due to hold a new round of talks.

EU probes Meta after WhatsApp kicked rival AIs off platform

Richard Speed, Theregister.com

OpenAI and Microsoft yank their chatbots, telling millions of users to head elsewhere The European Commission has opened an antitrust probe into Meta after WhatsApp rewrote its rules to block rival AI chatbots including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilo…

Putin says there are points he can't agree to in the U.S. proposal to end Ukraine war

The Associated Press, NPR

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the remarks to an Indian broadcaster before landing in India for a state visit, but refused to elaborate on what Russia could accept or reject.

Netanyahu will win again, because in Israel, ‘there is none like him’

Ori Goldberg, Al Jazeera English

His supporters defend him, his opponents cannot look past him and the centre keeps trying to bargain with him.

Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for applicants of H-1B visa

By Humeyra Pamuk, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Wednesday announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, with...

Trump’s ‘Garbage’ Outburst

Adam Serwer, The Atlantic

Immigration isn’t breaking our society. That’s a job Americans can do on their own.

Trump news live: Congo, Rwanda leaders visit White House in push for peace

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump will meet the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Washington.

Altimeter Capital CEO said his and Michael Dell's 'phones were blowing up' after the 'Trump Accounts' donation

Alice Tecotzky, Business Insider

Brad Gerstner, who spearheaded the idea for "Trump Accounts," said he expects a "steady drumbeat" of announcements related to the program.

Stellantis CEO says hybrids are a top priority for the US market

By Nora Eckert and Giulio Piovaccari, Yahoo Entertainment

By Nora Eckert and Giulio Piovaccari DETROIT, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said on Thursday that the automaker is focusing on hybrid...

Melissa McCarthy Was Terrified to Play Chris Farley at ‘SNL’s 40th Anniversary Show

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: December 04th, 2025

Suspect arrested in pipe bomb incident on eve of Jan 6, ending years-long manhunt

BBC News

The bombs were placed the night before the 6 January riots, and were discovered as rioters began to storm the Capitol.

Why is Belgium opposed to using Russian assets to support Ukraine?

Alex Kozul-Wright, Al Jazeera English

Belgium is pushing back against a plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's economy and war effort.

Republican Insider Reveals Exact Moment Trump’s Party Will Abandon Him

Will Neal, Daily Beast

A former top Republican official has reportedly predicted the exact moment the party could abandon President Donald Trump. Politico’s politics bureau chief...

Has the Pentagon really exonerated Pete Hegseth over Signal leaks?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US defense secretary was accused of putting military personnel in danger when he used messaging app to discuss strikes.

Maria Bamford Says We Worry About Freedom of Speech When White Guys Are Affected

Matt Solomon, Cracked.com

By Matt Solomon Published: December 04th, 2025

WATCH: Suspect arrested in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case, sources say

ABC News

Investigators have been working to crack the case for almost five years.

What do Russian nationals, analysts make of US-led Ukraine peace talks?

Niko Vorobyov, Al Jazeera English

While some in Russia believe Ukraine is standing in the way of peace, other analysts say Putin has maximalist ambitions.

A quiet corner of Arkansas has become a hot spot for US immigration crackdown, AP finds

RYAN J. FOLEY and JULIO CORTEZ, Yahoo Entertainment

She was already separated from her husband, the family breadwinner and father of her two youngest children, and had lost the home they shared in Arkansas...

WATCH: On the front lines with Ukraine's drone hunters

ABC News

Ukrainian military drone interceptors are battling Russia in the skies.

Who Is This Mysterious ‘South African Tech Billionaire’ in Olivia Nuzzi’s New Book?

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Everyone's focused on what the book says about the RFK Jr. scandal. But one of its more bizarre elements, is what it doesn't say.

The ‘Trump Phone’ Is An Unsurprising No Show Months After Promised Launch Date

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Earlier this year we noted how the Trump administration had cooked up a half-assed wireless phone company. Even calling it a “phone company” was being generous: the branding deal was basically just a licensing agreement and a lazy coat of paint on another, ha…

Ilhan Omar condemns ‘creepy’ Donald Trump’s attack on Somali communities

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump has doubled down on his attacks on Somali-Americans, saying Somali immigrants have “destroyed our country”.

WATCH: Bird flies into TV reporter's face as she delivers a piece to camera

ABC News

"My eye is all good," she later told concerned viewers.

Rubio says Trump to get involved in Sudan peace efforts as civil war rages

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US Secretary of State says US president is 'the only leader in the world capable of resolving the Sudan crisis'.

The US will now review H-1B applicants' social media — and require them to make profiles public, State Department says

Thibault Spirlet, Business Insider

H-1B applicants and their dependents will face expanded online checks as the US tightens scrutiny of skilled-worker visas, a spokesperson said.

Meet the US’s drug running friends: A history of narcotics involvement

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Trump claims to be cracking down on drug gangs in Venezuela but pardoned a Honduran drug lord serving time in the US.

Trump attacks Somali immigrants. And, CDC to address vaccine schedule for kids

Brittney Melton, NPR

Trump is targeting Somalis with racist remarks ahead of expected immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota. And, a CDC advisory panel will revisit long-standing vaccine recommendations.

10 Thursday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My morning train WFH reads: • Time to admit the truth: Brexit has been an unmitigated economic failure: Leaving the EU has reduced Britain’s GDP by up to 8pc, according to a devastating US study. GDP down up to 8%; Investment down 18%; Productivity down 4%; E…

The impacts of an uncertain economic climate on travel

Clint Henderson and Chris Muscardin, The Points Guy

Falling travel demand, new trade conflicts and a falling U.S. dollar shook up travel in 2025, but economic uncertainty looms over 2026, too.

Putin says Russia ready to take Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region ‘by force’

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Comments to Indian media seem to contradict Trump report that negotiators got the impression he wanted to 'make a deal'.

Trump 'garbage' rhetoric about Somalis draws cheers from administration, silence from Republicans and alarm from critics

By Bianca Flowers, James Oliphant, David Hood-Nuño and Joseph Ax, Yahoo Entertainment

(This story contains language some readers may find offensive) By Bianca Flowers, James Oliphant, David Hood-Nuño and Joseph Ax WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) -...

The New York Times Launches First Amendment Lawsuit Against the Pentagon

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

The Pentagon recently replaced its press corps with hand-picked stooges, and The New York Times is ready to go to court as a result.

Margot Robbie Likens ‘Wuthering Heights’ to a Gut Punch (in a Hot Way)

Lauren Tousignant, Jezebel

"These epic romances and period pieces aren’t often made by women," Robbie told Vogue U.K. of Emerald Fennell's upcoming and already highly controversial film.

'There's no 911 for us': inside America's elite urban search and rescue teams

Rebecca Hersher, NPR

America's urban search and rescue teams are facing financial and political pressure. But their work has never been more in-demand, as weather disasters get more common.

Affordable Care Act premiums are set to spike. A new poll shows enrollees are already struggling

ALI SWENSON, LINLEY SANDERS and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, Yahoo Entertainment

Fifty-two-year-old Dinam Bigny sank into debt and had to get a roommate this year, in part because of health insurance premiums that cost him nearly $900 per...

Hepatitis B: What parents should know about the virus and the vaccine

Maria Godoy, NPR

For decades, newborns in the U.S. have been given the hepatitis B vaccine. This could change. A CDC vaccine advisory panel may vote to end that routine vaccination. Here's what parents should know.

Amid Trump threats, what has the US’s ‘war on drugs’ achieved in 50 years?

Farah Najjar, Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera looks at how years of punitive measures cost billions, filled prisons and did little to curb violence.

Top US and Ukrainian negotiators to meet in Florida after Russia talks, source says

Kevin Shalvey, ABC News

“We’re preparing meetings in the United States," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

UN’s Guterres says Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza ‘fundamentally wrong’

Alastair McCready, Al Jazeera English

Guterres said Israel's war has been waged with 'total neglect' with respect to civilian deaths and Gaza's destruction.

Family of Colombian man killed in U.S. strike files human rights challenge

The Associated Press, NPR

In a petition to the premier human rights watchdog in the Americas, the first challenge to U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats argues that the death was an extrajudicial killing.

Trump to host signing of peace deal between leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda

BBC News

The US president hopes that a peace deal will pave the way for greater American investment in the resource-rich region.

Most Germans, French see ‘high risk’ of war with Russia, survey shows

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Just over half of citizens across nine European countries believe there is a high risk of a conflict, French poll finds.

US will expand social media, work history vetting for H-1B visas

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Past work in content moderation or in tackling misinformation and disinformation could be grounds for rejection.

NY attorney general challenges authority of acting US attorney investigating her Trump lawsuits

MICHAEL HILL, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump's effort to install political loyalists as top federal prosecutors has run into a legal buzz saw lately, with judges ruling that his...

Microsoft is reportedly partnering with Foxconn to expand Xbox manufacturing by "4.8 million" devices per year — as Grand Theft Auto 6 looms

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) , Jez Corden, Windows Central

Thanks to United States tariffs, customers in the U.S. and around the world are being forced to pay higher prices for electronic goods of all types. Xbox was no exception. To combat this, many companies are moving to lower-tariff regions, like Vietnam.

Honduras’s Nasralla holds narrow lead over Asfura in presidential vote

Zaheena Rasheed, Al Jazeera English

With 80 percent of votes counted, centrist candidate widens lead over his Trump-backed conservative rival.

EU proposes using Russian assets, loans to fund $105bn package to Ukraine

Alastair McCready, Al Jazeera English

But Belgium, a vocal critic of the plan to use Russian assets to back Ukraine, says its concerns have not been resolved.

Somalis call Trump’s comments insulting their country a ‘grave mistake’

Al Jazeera English

Somalis are condemning recent comments made by US President Donald Trump insulting their country.

RFK Jr., CDC Vaccine Guidance, A New Deputy CDC Director, And Measles In South Carolina

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

Part of what makes it difficult for the importance of so much of what is happening in the Trump administration to break through to the public mind is that it’s all chaos, all the time. Moving layers deeper to get at specifics can actually make the problem wor…

Putin visits India amid Ukraine peace push: What’s on the agenda?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

President Putin visits India as Russia faces pressure to end war in Ukraine, looking to boost bilateral trade deals.

Trump says 'no problem' releasing video of 2nd strike on alleged drug boat

Selina Wang, Michelle Stoddart, Isabella Murray, Nicholas Kerr, ABC News

ABC's Selina Wang asked President Trump about the Sept. 2 strike video and survivors killed.

Venezuela’s Maduro confirms ‘cordial’ call with Trump amid tensions with US

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Venezuelan leader expresses hope phone call marks beginning of 'respectful dialogue' between Washington and Caracas.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,379

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

These are the key developments from day 1,379 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Who is Kevin Hassett, Trump’s expected pick to lead the Federal Reserve?

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Trump's top economic adviser is odds-on favourite to lead the Fed amid concerns over the central bank's independence.

Trump says Witkoff had 'reasonably good meeting' with Putin despite no breakthrough

Mariam Khan, ABC News

President Donald Trump said he was briefed by his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner about their meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday

Inspector general report raises concerns about Hegseth’s use of Signal chat

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The report, slated to be released on Thursday, is said to recommend further training in the handling of sensitive info.

Spotify Says I Have the Music Taste of a 79-Year-Old: Is That Bad?

Gael Cooper, CNET

I may be old, in Spotify's opinion, but I got to see Prince live in Minneapolis in the 1980s, so I can live with that.

Trump's name added to US Institute of Peace ahead of peace deal signing

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's name has been added to the sign outside the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C...

Jensen Huang says "we don't know" if China would accept Nvidia's H200 AI chips even if the US relaxed export controls, following a meeting with President Trump (Bloomberg)

Techmeme.com

Bloomberg: Jensen Huang says “we don't know” if China would accept Nvidia's H200 AI chips even if the US relaxed export controls, following a meeting with President Trump  —  Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said he's unsure whether China wou…

White House Rolls Back Fuel Economy Standards

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

Longtime Slashdot reader sinij shares a report from Car and Driver: [T]he Trump administration announced less stringent Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in an effort to bring down the price of new vehicles. The administration says that rules pu…

China’s scientific clout is growing as US influence wanes: the data show how

Jeff Tollefson, Nature.com

An analysis of international research collaborations reveals the growing dominance of Chinese science.

AI chatbots can sway voters with remarkable ease — is it time to worry?

Max Kozlov, Nature.com

Experiments involving real-world voters show how talking to a chatbot can shape people’s political opinions.