Trump News for Friday, December 12, 2025

How Cops Are Using Flock Safety’s ALPR Network To Surveil Protesters And Activists

Dave Maass and Rindala Alajaji, Techdirt

It’s no secret that 2025 has given Americans plenty to protest about. But as news cameras showed protesters filling streets of cities across the country, law enforcement officers—including U.S. Border Patrol agents—were quietly watching those same streets thr…

The Fed’s Succession Drama

Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic

Trump’s choice of a new Federal Reserve chair could reflect a broader power play.

Justice Department sues Fulton County for 2020 election records

Olivia Rubin, ABC News

The DOJ has filed a suit against Fulton County, Georgia, to obtain records from the 2020 election, in an apparent effort to investigate the election the president lost.

WATCH: How to keep your holiday party allergy free

ABC News

"GMA" sponsor ARS Pharma and food allergy advocate Hillary Tolle Carter team up to share ways to make food allergies a non-factor at your holiday gatherings this year.

"Our Country Is Currently In Hell Because Of Your Creepy Husband": 31 Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Political Tweets Of The Week

Morgan Sloss, Buzzfeed

"By your own logic, your wife’s entire family is 'stealing the American dream.'"View Entire Post ›

US forces stormed cargo ship travelling from China to Iran: Report

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Incident in November latest reported instance of Trump administration's increasingly aggressive maritime tactics.

US TikTok investors in limbo as deal set to be delayed again

BBC News

A deal to sell TikTok has remained elusive, despite earlier claims that a deal was done.

King Charles Reveals He Will Scale Back Cancer Treatment in 2026

Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone

"Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives. I know, too, what a difference it has made in my own case," the king says in video message

Working Americans will soon get ‘very large refunds’ of up to $2,000/household, says Bessent. How to make the most of it

Jing Pan, Yahoo Entertainment

Why more could be coming.

The Indiana Vote Is an Inflection Point

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

The spines of the state’s Republicans stiffened where so many others snapped.

Mexico’s aerospace sector is growing. Will it be undercut in USMCA review?

Chantal Flores, Al Jazeera English

A North America trade deal helped Mexico get into aeroplane manufacturing. Now that is under threat with Trump.

Arkansas Becoming 1st State To Sever Ties With PBS, Effective July 1

msmash, Slashdot.org

joshuark writes: Arkansas is becoming the first state to officially end its public television affiliation with PBS. The Arkansas Educational Television Commission, whose members are all appointed by the governor, voted to disaffiliate from PBS effective July …

Trump Pretends To Block State AI Laws; Media Pretends That’s Legal

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

The mainstream media just failed a basic civics test so badly that you’d think their brains have been pickled by the kinds of folks who spend all their time on X (oh, wait…). Headlines across major outlets are breathlessly reporting that Donald Trump “blocked…

Sam Altman Got What He Wanted

Matteo Wong, The Atlantic

For now

A momentous week as Syria celebrates lifting U.S. sanctions and a year without Assad

Jane Arraf, NPR

As they mark the first anniversary of toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime, Syrians also celebrate another coming milestone: the lifting of sanctions, which could help give the country a new start.

The global shadow economy behind Trump’s latest move on Venezuela

Joshua Keating, Vox

Following this week’s seizure of a sanctioned ship off the coast of Venezuela, the Trump administration says it will be targeting more oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast. This is, first and foremost, a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s campa…

Home Of The Worst Nuclear Disaster In US History Will Now Power AI

staff@bgr.com (Briley Kenney), BGR

AI data centers are gobbling up energy faster than power grids can supply it, that's why the US is resuscitating a nuclear plant with dark history.

Fox News AI Newsletter: Hegseth moves to revolutionize American warfighting

Fox News

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Trump aims to reform federal cannabis law

Mike Heuer, UPI.com

President Donald Trump has voiced support for reclassifying cannabis and making it a legally obtainable drug -- possibly as soon as next week.

Trump sued by preservationists over his White House ballroom project

Associated Press

President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress. The National Trust for Historic Preservation i…

Rep. Green Again Pounds The Drum On Impeachment, And This Time A Majority Of Democrats March To The Beat

Cathy Gellis, Techdirt

This week Representative Al Green (Texas) filed another set of impeachment articles against Trump. They didn’t move forward; in fact, they failed an initial vote for Congress to decide to even think about moving them forward. But that impeachment didn’t move …

Trump’s Bizarre Chip-Export Own Goal

Rogé Karma, The Atlantic

Lifting export controls on Nvidia’s second-best chip jeopardizes America’s AI advantage over China.

WATCH: Indiana lawmakers reject redistricting plan despite Trump pressure

ABC News

Indiana state lawmakers rejected a bill that would give the state a new Republican-friendly congressional map.

Preservationists sue to halt Trump’s White House ballroom construction

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Trump has championed 90,000-square-foot addition, as critics say his has circumvented legally required approvals.

Xbox leadership gets a shake-up in 2026 — current CFO Tim Stuart transitions to COO of ZeniMax Media

samuelwtolbert@gmail.com (Samuel Tolbert) , Samuel Tolbert, Windows Central

Microsoft Gaming CFO Tim Stuart is transitioning to ZeniMax Media COO in 2026, while Xavier Pokorzynski takes over his old role.

Policymakers behind key state AI bills scoff at Trump's EO; some GOP governors are pushing ahead with their own AI bills; Steve Bannon says Sacks misled Trump (Axios)

Techmeme.com

Axios: Policymakers behind key state AI bills scoff at Trump's EO; some GOP governors are pushing ahead with their own AI bills; Steve Bannon says Sacks misled Trump  —  States are forging ahead with AI laws despite President Trump's new executive order aimed…

Justice Department asks appeals court to block judge's contempt inquiry in mass deportation case

MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Yahoo Entertainment

The Justice Department on Friday asked an appeals court to block a contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to turn around planes...

US Congress releases Epstein estate photos featuring Trump, Clinton

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

House Democrats urge White House to end 'cover-up' of Jeffry Epstein case and bring justice to sex abuse victims.

Against the Federal Moratorium on State-Level Regulation of AI

Bruce Schneier, Schneier.com

Cast your mind back to May of this year: Congress was in the throes of debate over the massive budget bill. Amidst the many seismic provisions, Senator Ted Cruz dropped a ticking time bomb of tech policy: a ten-year moratorium on the ability of states to regu…

Trump’s Own RNC Chair Issues Chilling 2026 Prediction

Tom Latchem, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump’s handpicked Republican National Committee chair is predicting GOP obliteration in the 2026 midterms. With party operatives fearing...

New Batch of Epstein Photos Include Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Segway Inventor

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

President Trump is in there too, but you could probably guess that by now.

Newly released photos from Epstein estate include images of Trump, Clinton

James Hill, ABC News

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released more photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, including ones of Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.

WATCH: Lori's Trend Lab looks at holiday hosting hacks

ABC News

"GMA's" lifestyle contributor shares hot tips for holiday hosting that won't break your budget this holiday season.

Trump’s Beloved Beauty Queen Prosecutor Set to Suffer Fresh Humiliation

Janna Brancolini, Daily Beast

Senate Democrats appear likely to deal yet another blow to Lindsey Halligan, President Donald Trump’s embattled pick to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for...

WATCH: Fired Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore due in court Friday

ABC News

Moore is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday for allegations of assault.

White House sued by historic preservation group over ballroom plans

BBC News

The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues the White House failed to seek necessary reviews before demolishing the historic East Wing.

Donald Trump Condoms and Adult Toys: New Jeffrey Epstein Images Released

Joel Lefevre, Reality Tea

Donald condoms among the bizarre items Jeffrey kept. The post Donald Trump Condoms and Adult Toys: New Jeffrey Epstein Images Released appeared first on...

Trump administration says sign language services 'intrude' on Trump's ability to control his image

MEG KINNARD, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House press briefings “would severely...

Admiral hands over leadership of command overseeing the Trump administration's boat strikes

JOSHUA GOODMAN, Yahoo Entertainment

A U.S. Navy admiral who oversees military operations in Latin America handed off command responsibilities Friday as scrutiny increases over the Trump...

U.S. Mint reveals coin designs commemorating 250th anniversary of America’s independence

Associated Press, Fast Company

The U.S. Mint unveiled the designs for coins commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. They depict the founding documents and the Revolutionary War, but so far, not President Donald Trump, despite a push among some of his allies …

Trump's plan to limit student loans for nurses in his repayment overhaul is facing bipartisan backlash

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Over 140 bipartisan lawmakers wrote to oppose the Education Department's plan to place new student-loan limits on nursing programs.

AI Billionaires’ 2026 Intimidation Campaign Is Already Working

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gutted an AI regulation bill a day after the Leading the Future PAC started attacking congressional candidate Alex Bores.

We’re still talking about the Trump phone

Verge Staff, The Verge

Every week at The Verge, we’re tracking what’s happening with Trump Mobile’s promised and yet undelivered Android phone. Why? Because we cover phones. We also cover vaporware, which the T1 Phone 8002 (gold version) very well may be. The smartphone has now bee…

New Jeffrey Epstein Photos Show Trump, Clinton, Bannon and Others

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a fresh batch of photos Friday sent to the committee by Jeffrey Epstein's estate ... with images featuring President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. Woody Allen, Bill Gates, Steve…

The Unholy Union of Big AI and Big Idiot

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Trump's latest executive order attempts to strip away the rights of states to regulate AI for themselves, and protect their citizens.

Gambling Is Ubiquitous Because People Know America Is a Scam

Jacob Weindling, Jezebel

The 2008 Great Financial Crisis revealed that Western capital had built a scam economy skimming off the top of the greatest economic engine in human history, the difference now is just that everyone gets to get in on it.

Refugees describe neighbours killed as M23 cements control of key DRC city

Faisal Ali, Al Jazeera English

As M23 rebels capture strategic city Uvira despite Trump peace deal, displaced families recount chaos and death.

RSF commander linked by BBC Verify to Sudan massacre sanctioned in UK

BBC News

The UK accuses Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, also known as Abu Lulu, of committing acts of violence against civilians.

Thin Phone Duel: iPhone Air vs. Galaxy S25 Edge

Jeff Carlson, CNET

Does a thin design really make that much of a difference? Here's the skinny on the slim phones from Apple and Samsung.

London Venue Apologizes After Primal Scream Display Star of David Entwined With Swastika

Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork

The band said its film is “meant to provoke debate, not hate”

US signs health agreement with Eswatini

By Katharine Jackson, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The U. and Eswatini signed a five-year health cooperation agreement on Friday, ​the State Department said, as the Trump...

Russia hits back at Europe's big plan to loan Moscow's frozen cash to Ukraine

Paul Kirby - Europe digital editor, BBC News

Russia's central bank says it is suing Belgium's Euroclear in court following an EU bid to use Russian assets to aid Ukraine.

Major Automakers Say China Poses 'Clear and Present Threat' To US Auto Industry

msmash, Slashdot.org

Major automakers have urged Washington to prevent Chinese government-backed automakers and battery manufacturers from opening U.S. manufacturing plants, warning the industry's future is at stake. From a report: The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which re…

Trial starts for a Wisconsin judge accused of obstructing ICE

Maayan Silver, NPR

Was Judge Hannah Dugan trying to obstruct a proceeding or trying to run her courtroom when ICE agents came to arrest an undocumented immigrant? A federal jury will decide

WATCH: Wakeboarding Santa spreads holiday cheer

ABC News

A man dressed like Santa on a wakeboard entertains beachgoers in Argentina.

At The Money: Year-End Tax Planning Time

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

SPOTIFY EMBED     ATM: Title   At The Money:   with Guest name, company affiliation  (Month Date Year) Is it better to blurb or not to blurb? That is the question? In this episode of At the Money, I speak with Guest. Full transcript below. ~~~ About this week…

Danish intelligence report warns of US military threat under Trump

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

The United States is using its economic power to “assert its will" and threaten military force against friend and foe alike, a Danish intelligence agency...

Politico’s Union Journalists Win Key Ruling In Battle Against Lazy, Undercooked AI

Karl Bode, Techdirt

The rushed integration of half-cooked automation into the already broken U.S. journalism industry simply isn’t going very well. There have been just countless examples where affluent media owners rushed to embrace automation and LLMs (usually to cut corners a…

Kremlin official says Russian police and National Guard to stay in Ukraine's Donbas even after peace

DASHA LITVINOVA and ILLIA NOVIKOV, Yahoo Entertainment

A senior Kremlin official says that the Russian police and National Guard will remain in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas to oversee the prized industrial region...

US slaps sanctions on Maduro family, Venezuelan tankers: What we know

Yashraj Sharma, Al Jazeera English

US President Trump imposes new sanctions on Maduro family members as he ups pressure to oust Venezuelan president.

Belarus leader hosts US envoy as he seeks to improve his country's ties with the West

YURAS KARMANAU, Yahoo Entertainment

Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday hosted a U.S. envoy for talks in the Belarus capital of Minsk, the latest step in the isolated...

WATCH: Drones dropping contraband into prisons fuel scams targeting Americans

ABC News

Phones delivered by drones are fueling a scam targeting women in healthcare in Iowa and other states, according to records obtained by ABC News.

WATCH: Home Depot target of major theft ring, prosecutors say

ABC News

More than $2 million in merchandise was stolen from 128 stores across multiple states.

CNN has endured turmoil for years. With Warner Bros. sale, things will get bumpier

David Folkenflik, NPR

In the corporate battle over parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's fate remains up for grabs. President Trump wants a say in what happens next.

Eight wars ended? What’s happened to Trump’s peace deals

Soraya Lennie, Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump has claimed to have ended eight wars and secured peace in the Middle East.

Cheap coffee is winning in grocery aisles — except when shoppers want Starbucks

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, Business Insider

An InMarket report found that, though consumers favor store brand coffee as prices continue to rise, Starbucks products remain their top choice.

A startup discovered a hidden source of abundant, clean energy — and did it in an unusual way

Laura Paddison, CNN, CNN

Finding hidden geothermal systems, where there is no visible sign on the surface of the heat below, is expensive and time-consuming. Zanskar says AI can help...

What we know about 'Trump Gold Card' visas and whether they could make president's predicted profits

Yahoo Entertainment

Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody. And, Indiana rejects redistricting

Brittney Melton, NPR

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man the Trump administration mistakenly deported in March and eventually returned, is now free from ICE custody. And, Indiana lawmakers reject a redistricting proposal.

10 Friday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: • Howard Marks: Is It a Bubble? Ours is a remarkable moment in world history. A transformative technology is ascending, and its supporters claim it will forever change the world. To build it requires companies to invest…

The Indiana GOP Just Told Trump Where to Stick His Gerrymander

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Displaying significantly more backbone than usual, Indiana Republicans told Trump they wouldn't illegally gerrymander their state.

How Indiana's redistricting rejection affects Trump's push nationwide

Kayla Dwyer, Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star

Indiana's rejection of President Donald Trump's redistricting push makes the math more tenuous for ensuring a Republican majority in Congress.

2025 Was David Lynch

Jessica Winter, The New Yorker

The filmmaker, who died in January, showed us what our world was becoming, and how we should respond, Jessica Winter writes.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer sounds like a Midi-chlorian-heavy MotorStorm, something I didn't know I craved

Mark Warren, Rock Paper Shotgun

All right, I've definitely got a weakness for Star Wars games which shift the camera away from all the glowy sword fights and space politics, instead zooming in on galactic ne'er-do-wells getting up to mischief. I blame my dad's influence. Star Wars Outlaws s…

‘It’s a black hole’: Civil rights office at Department of Education veers from original mission

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, CNN

A little-known civil rights office in the Department of Education that helps resolve complaints from students across the country about discrimination and...

Trump Gives Chilling Hint on His Future Plans

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump ended his speech at the White House Congressional Ball with what sounded like a nod to a never-ending presidency. The president again ...

Melania Posts Doctored Video to Make Trump, 79, Look Even Older

Cameron Adams, Daily Beast

First lady Melania Trump’s social media team has posted a video that appears to artistically slow down her arrival with the president at Thursday’s...

WATCH: White House press sec. addresses U.S. seizing of oil tanker off Venezuela

ABC News

“The vessel will go to a U.S. port and the United States does intend to seize the oil. However, there is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed.”

Noem confronted about veteran in contentious hearing over deportations

Luke Barr, ABC News

During a congressional hearing, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defending herself from Democrats who sharply questioned the Trump administration's hardline immigration actions.

WATCH: Gas explosion in San Francisco Bay Area damages homes

ABC News

Six people were transported to area hospitals after a building exploded Thursday in Hayward, California, according to fire officials.

Intel has tested chipmaking tools from firm with sanctioned China unit, sources say

Alexandra Alper and Max A. Cherney, Yahoo Entertainment

Chipmaker Intel, has tested chipmaking tools this year from a toolmaker with deep roots in China and two overseas units that were targeted by U.S. sanctions,...

Flood misery for Gazans awaiting next stage of peace plan

BBC News

Gazans in tents have been hit by heavy rain as failure to find last Israeli hostage risks derailing peace plan.

Maduro says Trump wants Venezuela's oil. But is that the real US goal?

BBC News

The South American nation's output has plummeted and restoring its former glory would be a heavy lift.

Lawmakers urge Education Department to add nursing to 'professional' programs list amid uproar

COLLIN BINKLEY, Yahoo Entertainment

A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered “professional,” adding to ...

Ryan Crosswell quit Trump's DOJ. Now his resignation letter is part of his stump speech for Congress

MARC LEVY, Yahoo Entertainment

Many political candidates like to talk up their résumé in their stump speech. Ryan Crosswell reads from his resignation letter. A former federal prosecutor...

Canada is figuring out what to do with its stockpiles of US alcohol

Katherine Li,Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

At least four provinces will be using the sales of their American liquor to fund food banks and charities.

A Chinese whistleblower now living in the US is being hunted by Beijing with help from US tech

DAKE KANG, Yahoo Entertainment

Retired Chinese official Li Chuanliang was recuperating from cancer on a Korean resort island when he got an urgent call: Don’t return to China, a friend...

Why America gave up on economists

Andrew Prokop, Vox

The US’s two major parties can agree on one thing: They don’t have much use for economists anymore. President Joe Biden ignored economists’ warnings about the risks of inflation. President Donald Trump dismissed economists’ arguments against his tariffs. And …

Trump, 79, Admits He Has No Idea What Melania Is Doing

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

Melania Trump revealed at a White House ball Thursday that she has a “legislative initiative” for next year—leaving her husband largely stumped. The first...

Trump signs order to block states from enforcing own AI rules

BBC News

California's governor Gavin Newsom issued a strongly-worded statement in response to the executive order.

Trump Signs AI Executive Order Blocking State Regulations

Imad Khan, CNET

The executive order establishes a federal task force charged with the job of going after state AI laws.

What's on your TikTok page? U.S. looks to scour tourists' online profiles

Vanessa Romo, NPR

Foreign visitors who are eligible to bypass the visa application process may soon have to turn over five years' worth of social media history to enter the U.S., under a new Trump administration plan.

Indiana’s state Senate votes down redistricting bill despite Trump pressure

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The midwestern state bucks a nationwide trend to embrace more partisan-leaning maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Papua New Guinea grapples with HIV epidemic as it battles stigma and US aid cuts

Marjorie Finkeo in Port Moresby and Virginia Harrison, Yahoo Entertainment

Papua New Guinea has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region, with many unaware they have the virus

6 more states approved to remove unhealthy foods from SNAP benefits

Kelly McCarthy, ABC News

Hawai'i, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee are approved to amend the definition of "food for purchase" under SNAP in 2026.