Trump News for Thursday, December 11, 2025

US sanctions six more ships after seizing oil tanker off Venezuela

BBC News

The White House plans to move the tanker to a US port and seize the oil on board, a move Caracas has labelled as an act of "international piracy".

Judge rules Trump unlawfully ended FEMA disaster prevention programme

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Twenty states had challenged the end of the programme, meant to make localities more resilient to natural disasters.

Trump Confronts His Political Reality

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The president has entered the lame-duck era of his career.

These Are The Best And Worst Trump Jokes On ‘South Park’ In 2025

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

The funniest and most tired gags that the President himself definitely watched

Trump’s redistricting loss in Indiana, 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: President Donald Trump’s Indiana redistricting campaig…

Could an end to the Ukraine war be near?

Al Jazeera English

Diplomatic efforts intensify with Trump impatient for a deal.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell announces run for Minnesota governor

OLIVIA RUBIN and OREN OPPENHEIM, ABC News

Gov. Tim Walz has already announced he is running for reelection

Not China, Not Russia: Our Most Threatening Enemy is…Europe?

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

It’s as if the Trump administration is writing off Europe as “too woke.”

This Is The Best Line In The 'South Park' Season Finale

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

The end of Season 27/28 featured a divine line about Jesus Christ

Trump Accounts: Don’t Believe the Hype

James Surowiecki, The Atlantic

It’s hard to see how a savings vehicle with no tax incentives will bring anyone closer to the American dream.

Software Mogul/Secretary of (*checks notes) the Interior Says AI Will Cure Cancer

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"This is the miracle of AI. We can actually manufacture intelligence."

ChatGPT Is Pitching In To Help Federal Officers Misrepresent Confrontations With Protesters

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

We’ve already written several times about the danger posed by adding AI to law enforcement incident/arrest reports. There are a lot of obvious problems, ranging from AI misinterpreting what it’s seeing to it adding so much unsupported gibberish it isn’t the t…

Paramount’s Warner Bros Discovery bid faces conflict of interest concerns

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Experts are worried that Paramount-Skydance might undercut the editorial independence of CNN, among other issues.

New York’s new law forces advertisers to say when they’re using AI avatars

Mia Sato, The Verge

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Thursday that will require advertisers to identify if an ad includes AI-generated people. Hochul's announcement said the bill, S.8420-A/A.8887-B, was the first of its kind in the US, describing it as a "common sense" l…

WATCH: Stranded father, son rescued from Everglades

ABC News

The pair were rescued by helicopter after their ATV became stuck in mud.

Head Start centers told to avoid 'disability,' 'women' and more in funding requests

Cory Turner, NPR

New court documents reveal a list of nearly 200 words or phrases the Trump administration told Head Start programs it does not want to see in their funding requests.

Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing makes first in-court appearance

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

Dec 11 (Reuters) - Lawyers for Tyler Robinson, the accused killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, sought on Thursday to limit media access to ensure a...

Stock market today: Dow jumps X post to record, S&P 500 climbs above 6,900 for first time

Rian Howlett, Yahoo Entertainment

The Dow and S&P 500 notched new records on Thursday as US stocks mostly rose, with tech stocks under more pressure after Oracle (ORCL) earnings revived AI...

Kristi Noem Testifies DHS Hasn't Deported Any Veterans. Seconds Later, a Kicked-Out War Hero Calls into the Hearing

Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE

Noem was questioned about her department's deportation practices during a tense hearing in Washington, D.C.

Rattled Leavitt Cornered on Trump’s Mystery Bandages

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has sought to dispel fresh speculation about President Donald Trump’s health by insisting that mystery bandages ...

WATCH: Airman surprises siblings in early Christmas present

ABC News

Stacie Garrett shared a TikTok video of her eldest son surprising her younger kids ahead of Christmas.

Trump said affordability is a ‘hoax’ in his Pennsylvania speech. What do the latest numbers show?

Andrew Romano, Yahoo Entertainment

Here's how expensive it really is in America right now, in 10 charts.

Rivian Reveals New AI Assistant, Lidar, and Autonomous Driving Coming in 2026

Jody Serrano, Gizmodo.com

This EV company is trying to become more affordable and wants to cut Nvidia out of the process.

For 2nd time, grand jury refuses to indict New York AG Letitia James: Sources

Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, Nicholas Kerr, ABC News

For a second time in a week, a federal grand jury in Virginia has refused to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud, sources say.

WATCH: Competing Democrat, Republican health care proposals both fail in the Senate

ABC News

The Senate failed to advance two competing health care proposals aimed at addressing a spike in costs expected for tens of millions of Americans who receive enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Prosecutors need more time to deal with pandemic fraud. A top senator says Democrats are blocking a bill to give it to them.

Jack Newsham, Business Insider

Joni Ernst and Ed Markey are split over extending deadlines to pursue fraud in restaurant relief and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant programs.

Russia could attack Nato within five years, says alliance chief in stark new warning

BBC News

Russian could attack Nato within five years, Mark Rutte said, warning allies to start ramping up preparations "now".

US government wants 5 years of foreign visitors' social media history and other personal info

Alison Fox, The Points Guy

International travelers headed to the U.S. may soon have to provide five years of social media history to enter the country.

If Google wins AI race, Nvidia is 'in trouble,' says author of Jensen Huang biography

Francisco Velasquez, Yahoo Entertainment

Jensen Huang biography author Stephen Witt explains why Google's self-developed AI model, Gemini, could pose a threat to Nvidia's AI dominance

Treasury Secretary Bessent calls for looser regulations for the U.S. financial system

FATIMA HUSSEIN, Yahoo Entertainment

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is proposing to overhaul a regulatory panel that monitors the nation's financial stability, by advocating for looser...

JD Vance Pledges Allegiance to Nicki Minaj Over Cardi B in Rap Feud

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone

Vice President JD Vance sides with Nicki Minaj over Cardi B in an ongoing rap feud between the two rappers, expressing his support on social media.

Blame Republicans for our health insurance mess

Dylan Scott, Vox

Health insurance premiums on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces are set to soar after Congress failed Thursday to pass a last-minute plan to avert the rate hikes.  As many as four million people could be forced to go uninsured, because they can no longer …

Senators seek to change bill that allows military to operate just like before the DC plane crash

JOSH FUNK, Yahoo Entertainment

Senators from both parties pushed Thursday for changes to a massive defense bill after crash investigators and victims' families warned the legislation would...

US proposes ‘free economic zone’ in parts of Donbas after Ukrainian pullback, Zelensky says

Christian Edwards, Kosta Gak, CNN, CNN

The United States has suggested creating a “free economic zone” in parts of the eastern Donbas region from which Ukraine would withdraw under a negotiated...

Trump's proposed travel rule demands social media history from tourists

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) , Nickolas Diaz, Android Central

The Trump administration has proposed a change to the ESTA that would require tourists to submit years' worth of sensitive data, including social media history.

WATCH: 'Catastrophic' flooding forces emergency rescues in the Pacific Northwest

ABC News

Up to 100,000 people in Washington state could be ordered to evacuate amid a threat of "catastrophic" flooding from an atmospheric river event, officials said.

ICE Deports Man To Guatemala, Blowing Off Ruling That Said He Was Likely To Be Tortured There

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

ICE continues to be increasingly awful as it chases arrest and deportation quotas it will never meet. The administration’s desire to rid this nation of as many migrants as possible is generating new nastiness on a daily basis. This bit of hideousness will lik…

Trump-imposed changes at national parks faces swift pushback in Congress, courts

Steve Benen, Ms.now

If the White House hoped to these changes would go unnoticed or unchallenged, those hopes have been dashed.

Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be released from ICE custody

NPR Washington Desk, NPR

The native of El Salvador and resident of Maryland has become a symbol of the Trump administration's policy of mass deportations after he was mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador in the spring.

WHO chief still hopes Trump administration will rethink withdrawal

By Emma Farge, Yahoo Entertainment

GENEVA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization chief said on Thursday that he was still hoping the U. administration would ​reconsider its decision...

Lawsuit Says Winning Photo, Not Trump’s Face, Must Be On National Parks Pass

Pesala Bandara, PetaPixel

An environmental group has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to replace a photography competition winner with an image of President Donald Trump on the National Parks' America the Beautiful pass. [Read More]

Measles Outbreaks Accelerate as U.S. Inches Closer to a Disease Tipping Point

Claire Cameron, Scientific American

More than 1,900 people, mostly children, have been sickened by measles in the U.S. in 2025. The outbreaks are moving the country toward losing its measles-free status by early next year

‘Why am I even here?’ Prominent Republican torches GOP House leadership

Adam Bass, MassLive.com

The lawmaker went as far as to compliment a former Democratic House speaker, calling her ruthless but effective.

US Judge orders release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Abrego Garcia's wrongful deportation to El Salvador has become rallying point against Trump's hardline policies.

‘MyPillow Guy’ and Trump supporter Mike Lindell says he’s running for Minnesota governor in 2026

STEVE KARNOWSKI, Yahoo Entertainment

Mike Lindell, the fervent supporter of President Donald Trump known to TV viewers as the “MyPillow Guy,” officially entered the race for Minnesota governor...

Whose Inflation Is This?

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

Perhaps the most overlooked element in the “affordability hoax” is the president’s own role in it. Before we get into the details, a few preliminary caveats. First, as COVID-19 ran wild, lockdowns were beginning, and a vaccine was still off in the future, the…

Paramount Pictures Twitter Account Hacked By Apparent 'Nathan For You' Fan

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

One hacker has the same feelings towards Paramount as Fielder

7 million student-loan borrowers could soon owe higher payments. Here's what to know.

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Trump's administration announced an agreement to officially end the SAVE student-loan repayment plan. Borrowers would have to transfer to new plans.

AI Fails to Win Time’s Person of the Year… This Time

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Sorry to the Polymarket bettors.

Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

A federal judge in Maryland ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia freed from immigration detention on Thursday while his legal challenge against his deportation moves...

Judge orders immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention

Laura Romero, ABC News

A federal judge has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention.

Against the Federal Moratorium on State-Level Regulation of AI

Nathan E. Sanders and Bruce Schneier, Gizmodo.com

The common refrain that a patchwork of regulations would kill innovation doesn't pass the smell test.

Did that Colorado station sign say gas for only $1.69? Yes, it did

Michael Booth, The Colorado Sun

Gas prices in Colorado have fallen even farther than the national price drop, and some drivers can see prices as low as $1.69.

Disney’s AI Slop Era Is Here

James Whitbrook, Gizmodo.com

The studio has announced a landmark deal and $1 billion investment with OpenAI to bring hundreds of Disney characters to its generative AI platforms.

Nancy Mace's Response to Why She Yelled at TSA Agents?: I Have Fought the Transgender Community

Danielle Han, Jezebel

When Maria Bartiromo asked about the airport incident, Mace launched into her latest unhinged rant.

Disney bets $1 billion on OpenAI in deal that opens its vault of characters to ChatGPT and Sora

Steven Tweedie, Business Insider

Darth Vader and other Disney characters are coming to ChatGPT and OpenAI's Sora AI video app as part of a three-year licensing deal.

US Could Ask Foreign Tourists For Five-Year Social Media History Before Entry

msmash, Slashdot.org

Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials. From a report: The new condition would affect peop…

AP Photographers Become Key Witnesses as Reporters Barred from White House Meetings

Matt Growcoot, PetaPixel

The Associated Press has long been a fixture in the White House press pool, but earlier this year the entire organization found itself locked out over a dispute that stemmed from the correct name for the Gulf of Mexico -- President Donald Trump wants it to be…

Our Corrupt Congress Just Quietly Killed Military Right To Repair Reforms

Karl Bode, Techdirt

We’ve covered how there’s a real push afoot to implement statewide “right to repair” laws that try to make it cheaper, easier, and environmentally friendlier for you to repair the technology you own. Unfortunately, while all fifty states have at least flirted…

Venezuela’s crisis is not an oil grab but a power grab

Jasim Al-Azzawi, Al Jazeera English

Trump has manufactured the Venezuela crisis, not to grab more oil but to expand his executive power.

Bids for Warner Bros. Discovery face uncertain Trump approval process, experts say

Max Zahn, ABC News

Rival efforts from Netflix and Paramount could upend the media industry.

WATCH: Skydivers narrowly averting disaster

ABC News

A stunning video shows skydivers narrowly averting a disaster after a parachute deployed too early.

Why Indiana Republicans Are Standing Up to Trump

Russell Berman, The Atlantic

Small-c conservatism is still a point of pride in the state.

Convicted Crypto Wallet Developer Warns Miners Will Be Next in Bitcoin Crackdown

Kyle Torpey, Gizmodo.com

Many in the crypto world have been pleased with Trump's friendly treatment. Others still think the government is out to get them.

So This Is What ‘America First’ Looks Like

Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic

The practical application of Trump’s isolationism is hardly the big break he promised.

Trump’s AI-Regulation Ban Is a Threat to National Security

Chuck Hagel, The Atlantic

The United States should not be lobbied out of protecting its own future.

He’s Undocumented. She’s Not.

Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic

A young couple decides whether to stay in the U.S.—or leave.

WATCH: Skydiver's parachute gets caught on plane

ABC News

The man cut himself free and landed safely, suffering only minor injuries.

Jimmy Kimmel Brands Trump With Perfect New Nickname After 'Indian' Claim

Ron Dicker, HuffPost

The talk show host wasn't having one of Trump's fantasies, so he gave him a fiercely funny new moniker.

ICE threatens family separation, indefinite detention to satisfy Trump deportation goal

By Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, Yahoo Entertainment

By Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The email from a U.S. immigration officer presented Kelly and Yerson Vargas with a stark...

Are we getting $2000 tariff rebate checks in 2025? Trump's latest comments

Mike Snider and Josh Kelly, The Oklahoman, Oklahoman.com

The plan to gift Americans $2,000 is still on President Donald Trump's agenda, even as the year comes to a close.

Analysis-The 13-letter word tripping up Trump - and risking Republicans' hold on Congress

By Tim Reid, Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne, Yahoo Entertainment

By Tim Reid, Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s repeated mockery of the word “affordability” is worrying...

Give Us Your Ultra Wealthy. Give Us Your Corrupt Elites, Yearning to Own America

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Trump unveiled his "gold card" system for letting wealthy foreigners buy their way into America, without saying where the money would go.

Will Trump Torpedo North American Trade?

Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker

Stephania Taladrid on the scramble among envoys from the United States, Mexico, and Canada to preserve a trade agreement as a crucial negotiating deadline looms.

WATCH: At 100, war veteran still volunteers to tell history

ABC News

Danny New speaks to Arthur Grabiner, a WW II veteran who continues to educate people about his experience during the war in the Pacific.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Makes Terrifying Prediction for Trump

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump amid their high-profile divorce. The Georgia Republican told CBS News...

Uber Reportedly Downplaying EV Incentives for Drivers As It Prepares to Miss Emissions Goals

Zac Estrada, Gizmodo.com

Trump 2.0 has been hard on EV adoption. Uber is just one more example.

Will U.S. military strikes slow drug overdose deaths? Experts say no

Brian Mann, NPR

President Trump says U.S. strikes on supposed drug-smuggling boats will save Americans from overdose deaths. But most experts worry the strategy is counterproductive.

Zelenskyy will hold urgent talks with 30 countries as Trump pushes for swift peace deal with Russia

ILLIA NOVIKOV, Yahoo Entertainment

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold urgent talks Thursday with leaders and officials from about 30 countries that are supporting Kyiv’s...

Amanda Seyfried Says She’s ‘Not F-cking Apologizing’ for Calling Charlie Kirk ‘Hateful’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

Amanda Seyfried said she won't apologize for calling Charlie Kirk "hateful" after he was shot to death earlier this year.

Cross-border fighting between Thailand, Cambodia enters fourth day

Alastair McCready, Al Jazeera English

Both sides have accused each other of violating international law as they await a promised phone call from Donald Trump.

David Ellison told Warner Bros. shareholders it's 'not too late' to switch teams from Netflix to Paramount

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

Paramount's CEO urged shareholders to tender their shares and slammed WBD for an "opaque sales process" that gave Netflix preferential treatment.

Jesus Fixes The 'South Park' Canon With A Christmas Miracle

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

The Marshs are finally back where they belong, thanks to the power of Christ

'South Park' Closes Trump's Season 27/28 Arc With The Perfect Jeffrey Epstein Joke

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Shoddy surveillance footage gives the President a second miracle

WATCH: US to require tourist social media history

ABC News

Berardi Immigration Law managing partner Rosanna Berardi joins ABC News Live to discuss the new plan that would require some tourists to submit their social media history to visit the United States.

Despite opposition, US House passes record $901bn defence spending bill

Alastair McCready, Al Jazeera English

The bill faced notable opposition from lawmakers concerned about the Trump administration's management of the military.

Trump threatens to primary Indiana Republicans ahead of key redistricting vote

Aaron Pellish, Politico

The Indiana Senate will vote on a new map on Thursday that could create two new GOP-leaning House seats.

Senator calls for release of man detained by federal agents after he was attacked by a patrol dog

Cindy Von Quednow, Caroll Alvarado, Jillian Sykes, CNN, CNN

A Washington state man was attacked by a patrol dog while being detained by Customs and Border Patrol agents last month as his wife and young children looked...

Nvidia: Reports of an Elaborate Chinese GPU Smuggling Operation Are ‘Far-fetched’

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

Deepseek reportedly received banned chips, and is allegedly using them to train a new model.

‘He’ll be next’: Donald Trump threatens Colombian President Gustavo Petro

Allison Griner, Al Jazeera English

The Republican renewed his threats against Colombia, blaming its left-wing leader for the country's cocaine production.

WATCH: US seizes tanker off coast of Venezuela, Trump says

ABC News

Amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuela, the U.S. has seized a tanker off the coast of the South American nation, President Donald Trump announced

María Corina Machado makes first public appearance in months in Oslo after Peace Prize win

BBC News

The Venezuelan opposition leader traveled in a dramatic escape to Norway to address her supporters.

US seizes oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Trump says

BBC News

Venezuela condemns the operation as an act of "international piracy", vowing never to be an "oil colony".

Grandpa Trump, 79, Struggles to Get His Head Around 6G

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump launches $1m 'gold card' immigration visas

BBC News

The special visas will be awarded to those who can show they can make a "substantial benefit" to the US.

WATCH: Extreme weather wreaking havoc from coast to coast triggers rescues

ABC News

Water rescues are underway in the West after major flooding from an atmospheric river as an Arctic-air-fueled snowstorm sweeps from the Midwest all the way East.

WATCH: Arizona rescuers save hiker stuck on boulder at Camelback Mountain

ABC News

A helicopter on a routine patrol spotted a man stuck on top of a large boulder on Arizona's Camelback Mountain. Crews used a drone to get him blankets and food and were able to rescue him in daylight.

64% of Teens Say They Use AI Chatbots as Mental Health Concerns Mount

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

The teens just love ChatGPT. Does OpenAI love them back?