Trump News for Thursday, December 18, 2025

Trump’s attack on trans health care, 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 escalating its attacks on …

WATCH: This adorable koala rode a public bus after being saved from the road

ABC News

In Australia's Brisbane, one koala named Peri embarked on a bus ride of a lifetime Saturday before being rescued and released safely into the wild.

Pope Leo names Ronald Hicks next archbishop of New York

BBC News

The 58-year-old from Chicago will replace Cardinal Timothy Dolan to lead New York's 2.5 million Catholics.

What you need to know before the Epstein files come out

Cameron Peters, Andrew Prokop, Vox

The “Epstein files” are maybe, finally, coming out — or at least, some of them are. Friday is the deadline for the Justice Department to disclose materials from its two investigations into deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein after Congress passed a bill last m…

Fox News Finally Fact-Checks Trump’s Bizarre Claim About Drug Prices

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic

Donald Trump’s commerce secretary spiraled trying to defend the president’s claims.

The U.S. Is on the Verge of Meteorological Malpractice

Michelle Nijhuis, The Atlantic

The Trump administration says it will dismantle a premier climate center, while somehow keeping weather forecasting intact.

"The Principles of Ray Dalio" | 60 Minutes Archive

CBS News Videos, Yahoo Entertainment

In 2019, billionaire Ray Dalio told 60 Minutes the growing wealth gap in the country is a "national emergency." He warned that the issue "threatens to split ...

Speaker Johnson was ready to move on from ACA subsidies. But his members had other plans

JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Yahoo Entertainment

Speaker Mike Johnson had a ready-made refrain when asked why Republicans weren't moving to extend federal health care subsidies: their party wanted to help...

This Comedy Show Took The Biggest Step Forward In 2025

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

One series continues to reinvent itself to the chagrin of half its fanbase

WATCH: ‘Elf on the Shelf’ meets ‘Snoop on the Stoop’

ABC News

ABC News contributor Megan Ryte discusses the popular elves bringing holiday magic, like “Elf on the Shelf” and “Snoop on the Stoop.”

The Kennedy Center Board Votes to Rename the Venue After Donald Trump

Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork

To the Trump-Kennedy Center

Democrats release latest batch of Epstein photos as justice department deadline looms

BBC News

The materials include photos of women's passports, and Lolita quotes written across a woman's body.

Inside The Trump Administration’s Man-Made Hunger Crisis

Brett Murphy and Anna Maria Barry-Jester, Techdirt

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. On July 18, a mild, overcast night in Nairobi, Kenya, a team of President Donald Trump’s top foreign aid advisers ducked into a meeting room at the Tribe Hotel, th…

Trump Was Slammed For Leveling This 'Disgusting' 3-Word Phrase — And It Might Reveal A Lot

Kimberley Richards, HuffPost

People were outraged by the president's recent use of this particular expression. Experts in political science and mental health say the term tells quite the...

House Democrats share new Epstein photos featuring Sergey Brin and Bill Gates

Jacob Shamsian,Madeline Berg, Business Insider

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released new photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, including some showing him with powerful people.

The U.S. Has a Great Warning System for Deadly Weather. Trump Wants to Destroy It.

Marianne Lavelle, Slate Magazine

The National Center for Atmospheric Research helps power weather and wildfire forecasts across the country. Now it’s being targeted in a presidential feud.

Trump Signs Executive Order Loosening Federal Cannabis Restrictions

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The order won't legalize cannabis at the federal level.

Worried About Health Insurance Costs? There May Be Cheaper Options — But With Trade-Offs

Julie Appleby, KFF Health News, Yahoo Entertainment

Consumers may have to make sacrifices on healthcare coverage — but it comes at a cost.

Feds pave the way for Big Tech to plug data centers right into power plants in scramble for energy

MARC LEVY, Yahoo Entertainment

Federal regulators will allow tech companies to effectively plug massive data centers directly into power plants, issuing a long-awaited order Thursday, as...

Ted Cruz Had The Best Defense of “Profoundly Unfunny” Jimmy Kimmel During The FCC Senate Hearing

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

Cruz is no fan of "Kimball," but he knows exactly what Brendan Carr is all about

How dangerous is the US standoff with Venezuela?

Al Jazeera English

Trump ramps up pressure with major military force deployed.

Trump proposes new rules to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth

Allison Griner, Al Jazeera English

Critics warn that the Trump administration's statements against transgender healthcare contradict decades of research.

WATCH: Trump announces executive order reclassifying marijuana

ABC News

President Donald Trump announced an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, effectively easing federal restrictions on the drug.

‘Always a con artist’: Here’s how Trump is paying for $1,776 checks to U.S. troops

Lauren Sforza, nj.com

Defense One first reported that the funding for those checks actually comes from reconciliation funds that were approved by Congress to subsidize housing...

FCC Boss Brendan Carr Showcases How He’s A Shameless Liar And Opportunist In Testimony Before Congress

Karl Bode, Techdirt

FCC boss Brendan Carr was dragged before Congress this week for some light questioning about his repeated, often-illegal abuses of FCC power. It was the first time the FCC has had to appear before Congress in five years, and the questioning, unsurprisingly, m…

Kennedy Center to be renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, White House says

BBC News

The board of the performing arts centre voted to name it after President Donald Trump, rebranding it the 'Trump-Kennedy Center', press secretary Karoline Leavitt says.

WATCH: Small plane crashes while landing at regional NC airport

ABC News

A Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport earlier this morning around 10:20am in North Carolina, according to the FAA.

Kennedy Center board votes to rename it ‘Trump Kennedy Center’

Yahoo Entertainment

Hut 8 CEO says $7 billion data center deal with Google is 'first domino to fall'

Francisco Velasquez, Yahoo Entertainment

Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot says a 15-year financial guarantee from Google was the key to unlocking billions in project financing from JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.

WATCH: Christmas and New Year's holiday travel period expected to be busiest on record

ABC News

This Christmas and New Year's holiday period is expected to be the busiest on record, with more than 122 million people expected to travel between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1, according to AAA.

Trump Hit With Damning New Epstein Expose on Eve of Files Deadline

Sarah Ewall-Wice, Daily Beast

The Justice Department has until Friday to release the Epstein files, but ahead of the looming deadline, a new report digs into President Donald Trump’s...

UK to name Christian Turner as new ambassador to US

BBC News

Turner has spent a nearly 30-year career working across Whitehall and the Foreign Office.

WATCH: Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade kicks off with dazzling lights and decorations

ABC News

The parade celebrated its 117th anniversary, according to the event.

White House accuses South Africa of harassing US gov’t staff in latest row

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Trump has repeatedly targeted South Africa, including baselessly claiming systemic persecution of white Afrikaners.

Trump Media Wants to Become a Nuclear Fusion Company

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Trump Media just announced a $6 billion deal with an Alphabet-backed outfit that would create one of the first publicly traded fusion companies.

Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Suit Over BBC Doc That Never Aired Here—Using VPN Stats As Evidence

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

President Trump, who keeps pretending he’s for free speech, but who has filed more defamation lawsuits against more media organizations than any president in history (combined), has done so again. This time, he has sued the British Broadcasting Corporation (B…

Jack Smith didn’t invoke Fifth Amendment during 8 hours of testimony, GOP committee chairman says

Casey Gannon, CNN, CNN

Former special counsel Jack Smith did not invoke his Fifth Amendment rights during eight hours of testimony Wednesday behind closed doors to the House...

Isaac Chotiner Sums Up Politics in 2025

The New Yorker

On The Political Scene Podcast: The idea that Donald Trump is acting from a governing strategy or a conception of national interest “seems completely disconnected from reality.”

BBC Inside Science

BBC News

President Trump continues to shake up science. We look at the impact it’s already having.

The Trump Phone Delivers on Its Promise of Being Complete and Utter Bullshit

James Pero, Gizmodo.com

Trump Mobile insists you have a little refurbished phone as an appetizer to the T1.

Why Jim Jordan wanted to keep Jack Smith’s testimony hidden from the public

Steve Benen, Ms.now

After the hearing, Rep. Jamie Raskin said Jordan “made an excellent decision in not allowing Jack Smith to testify publicly,” but the comment was a pointed...

Defense bill bans K-12 students from using cellphones on military bases

Arthur Jones II, ABC News

The bill said it focuses on improving learning outcomes.

Trump Administration Moves to Severely Curtail Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

Lauren J. Young, Dan Vergano, Scientific American

Health officials on Thursday announced a slew of measures that will restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender young people in the U.S.

In a first, a US Navy warship in the Middle East just launched a one-way attack drone

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

A top US commander called the launch a "significant milestone" in delivering cheap drones to American forces.

On Kindness, Power, and Hypocrisy

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

Earlier this week, Vanity Fair published a two-part story about the Trump regime’s “inner circle”, including e

Finland gave two groups identical payments – one saw better mental health

Scott Santens, Substack.com

New research from Finland's basic income experiment proves that simply trusting people with money—not just the money itself—significantly improves mental health

One of Trump’s grudges now threatens America’s weather forecasts

Marianne-Lavelle, Vox

This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. One of the world’s leading climate, weather, and wildfire science research institutions is being targeted for elimination in what many…

This Was The Worst Comedy Trend of 2025

Keegan Kelly, Cracked.com

This year, comedy's favorite joke was the dehumanization of the disability community

TikTok is planning a big 5-day RTO push next year

Dan Whateley,Ashley Rodriguez, Business Insider

TikTok is telling many US staffers they will need to be in the office five days a week starting in September 2026.

How MAGA is reacting to Trump’s speech to the nation: ‘Never seen anything like this’

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

Trump was applauded by MAGA allies for his economic-focused primetime address, despite polls showing that most voters are feeling the opposite.

Palmer Luckey is ushering in a new age of defense tech

Dan DeFrancesco, Business Insider

Luckey's on a victory lap as he shepherds the US into a new era where one of the biggest business battlefields is the literal battlefield.

The Big Mystery Surrounding Netflix’s New FIFA Game Is Who’s Actually Making It

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

Delphi Interactive doesn't seem to have any developers The post The Big Mystery Surrounding Netflix’s New FIFA Game Is Who’s Actually Making It appeared first on Kotaku.

WATCH: A look back at the year 2025

ABC News

From news stories to heartfelt moments and laughs, "Good Morning America" takes a look back at the year that was.

Chicago Launches a Naming Contest for Ice-Abolishing Vehicles

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

At The Money: Stock Market Stories via the Narrative Machine

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

At The Money: Stock Market Stories via the Narrative Machine. (December 17, 2025)   Full transcript below. ~~~ About this week’s guest: Ben Hunt is founder of Perscient, a firm that studies how narratives and stories shape markets, investing, and social behav…

Jared Kushner Doesn’t Want The Heat, Exits Warner Bros Hostile Takeover Bid

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Shortly after Netflix announced a $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Brothers, the Ellison family, alongside Jared Kushner and the Saudis, unveiled their own hostile takeover bid to pre-empt the deal. As we’ve discussed, Larry Ellison is trying to gobble up …

Why is the US claiming it owns Venezuelan oil and land?

Soraya Lennie, Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump has said the US owns rights to Venezuelan oil and land.

Isaacman finally confirmed as NASA boss after Trump derailed first attempt

Richard Speed, Theregister.com

Billionaire space tourist inherits troubled agency facing budget chaos, workforce cuts, and a Moon race against China NASA has a new administrator. Billionaire and space tourist Jared Isaacman was confirmed by the US Senate by a vote of 67 to 30.…

NASA has a leader. What to know about Isaacman's long path to administrator

Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, USA Today

The Senate has voted to confirm Jared Isaacman has the next NASA administrator, ending a long journey for the billionaire private spacefarer.

Thailand bombs near Cambodia's Poipet border crossing

BBC News

The bombings come as renewed border clashes show no sign of letting up between the two countries.

Trump Media is merging with a nuclear fusion company

Dominic Preston, The Verge

Trump Media, the company that runs social network Truth Social, is pivoting to nuclear fusion. It has announced a merger with California-based fusion power company TAE Technologies, and plans to start construction on a fusion power plant in 2026. Trump Media …

North Korea just had its biggest year ever stealing cryptocurrency

David Hollerith, Yahoo Entertainment

North Korea-backed actors have stolen more than $2 billion worth of cryptocurrency this year, the most on record.

Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life

Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone

Melissa Hortman died in a shocking act of political violence. This is her story

Texas Is Refusing to Explain Why It's Compiling a List of Trans Residents

Danielle Han, Jezebel

AG Paxton and Gov. Abbott haven’t explained why the state would be collecting the names and details of trans people, but I’m not too optimistic anything they say will provide much reassurance.

Takeaways from Trump's address. And, some GOP lawmakers shift stance on ACA subsidies

Brittney Melton, NPR

During a nationwide address, President Trump says the U.S. is poised for an economic boom. And, some Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to force a vote on enhanced healthcare subsidies.

The 8 worst technology flops of 2025

Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review

Welcome to our annual list of the worst, least successful, and simply dumbest technologies of the year. This year, politics was a recurring theme. Donald Trump swept back into office and used his executive pen to reshape the fortunes of entire sectors, from r…

Trump Media, fusion power firm TAE Technologies combine in $6 billion deal

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

U.S. President Donald Trump's social media firm is entering the fusion-power business through a $6 billion merger with privately held TAE Technologies...

WATCH: World's 1st gene-edited baby takes 1st steps

ABC News

KJ Muldoon received the first-of-its-kind gene therapy for a potentially fatal disease and is now marking major developmental milestones.

WATCH: 'It was a miracle': Bondi Beach survivor speaks out

ABC News

Arsen Ostrovsky says he was enjoying the Hannukah celebrations with his family Sunday when two gunmen opened fire, killing 15 people and wounding dozens of others.

Now They're Coming for Your Citizenship

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has reportedly been given quotas to meet in denaturalizing citizens in 2026.

Americans facing soaring health insurance costs may get a lifeline in 2026, experts say

By Amina Niasse and Ahmed Aboulenein, Yahoo Entertainment

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Americans facing skyrocketing Obamacare health insurance premiums could still get a break from expanded government...

They quit government to protest Trump. Now they are running for Congress to stop him

By Joseph Ax, Yahoo Entertainment

By Joseph Ax CAPE MAY, New Jersey, Dec 18 (Reuters) - It was Megan O'Rourke's dream job. As a top climate scientist for the U.S.

Trump Melts Down in Fact-Free Rant 48 Hours Before Release of Epstein Files

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Panic seems to energize our 79-year-old president, who reportedly spoke two times faster than his normal talking speed.

Inflation report to be released Thursday expected to show slight uptick in November

Max Zahn, ABC News

The inflation rate stands a percentage point higher than the Fed's target of 2%.

These federal workers proudly served the American people. Then came Trump's upheaval

Andrea Hsu, NPR

Mass firings, buyouts and heightened uncertainty led to an exodus of federal workers in 2025. More than 300,000 employees will be out of the government by the end of December.

ICE is reopening shuttered prisons as detention centers. Many have a troubled past

Meg Anderson, NPR

In its push for more immigrant detention space, the Trump administration is reopening shuttered prisons in several states. Many of these facilities, closed amid allegations of abuse and mismanagement.

Venezuelans brace for hardship as Trump threatens oil blockade

Carrie Kahn, NPR

After years of shortages and economic collapse, Venezuelans face fresh uncertainty as Trump threatens an oil blockade — but many say they're too exhausted to do anything but endure.

Fact-checking Trump's presidential address claim he's brought prices down

Meghan Mistry, Hannah Demissie, ABC News

President Donald Trump said during his presidential address on Wednesday night that his administration is "bringing our economy back from the brink of ruin."

Trump inherited a “different and difficult” economy

Al Jazeera English

Ethan Baker on the rising cost of living in the US and what he sees as President Trump’s efforts to bring prices down.

Jimmy Kimmel Calls Trump’s Address to the Nation a ‘Liar Side Chat’

Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone

In a televised speech Wednesday night, Trump touted his alleged accomplishments in 2025 and blamed Democrats for a myriad of failures

Turning Point youth conference begins in Phoenix without founder Charlie Kirk

JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press, ABC News

Turning Point begins its annual Christian youth conference on Thursday, marking the first event since the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk

Trump touts achievements, attacks immigrants in White House address

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Trump avoids addressing rising Venezuela tensions, fuelling speculation over military intentions and oil interests.

WATCH: President Trump addresses nation in end of year remarks

ABC News

President Trump addressed the nation to tout his first year in office and preview what's to come in 2026.

WATCH: President Trump addresses nation on 1st year in office, 2026 agenda

ABC News

ABC News' Selina Wang reports.

Trump announces 'warrior dividend' payments for troops

BBC News

In an address to the nation, Trump touted his economic record and blamed Democrats for lingering economic pain.

This Is What Presidential Panic Looks Like

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

Donald Trump delivered a fear-drenched rant live from the White House.

The revealing pointlessness of Trump’s primetime speech

Zack Beauchamp, Vox

When a president gives a primetime televised speech, it is typically about something of serious import: to make the case for a major new policy or to announce the beginning of a war. President Donald Trump’s speech on Wednesday night had no grave significance…

WATCH: President Trump announces 'warrior dividend' in address to the nation

ABC News

Trump has announced that more than 1 million U.S. military service members will receive a special warrior dividend in the amount of $1,776.

US announces massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion

MATTHEW LEE, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles...

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: I would ‘stomp’ JD Vance in a presidential election

Benedict Smith, Yahoo Entertainment

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has claimed she would “stomp” JD Vance in a presidential election.

Trump Rants Incoherently at 2X Speed in Bonkers TV Address

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump used a rambling primetime address to brag about his economic record, even as millions of Americans say they are struggling with cost...

Epstein Served Me Up For Trump’s Sick Pleasure: Model

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

Former model Stacey Williams said Donald Trump groped her at the Trump Tower in 1993 while her then-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein watched on in what she...

WATCH: 3 rescued after car plunges into icy Illinois pond

ABC News

Dramatic body camera video shows the moment police officers rescued three people after their vehicle crashed into an icy pond in Glendale Heights, Illinois. The driver was arrested on a DUI charge.

Senate Confirms Billionaire Entrepreneur Jared Isaacman As New NASA Chief

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Politico: The Senate on Wednesday approved Jared Isaacman for the top job at NASA -- an unprecedented comeback after President Donald Trump yanked his nomination this spring. Senators confirmed the billion…

The TikTok Ban Was Set for Dec. 16. It Didn't Happen, and Here's Why

Aaron Pruner, CNET

President Donald Trump has postponed the ban on TikTok five times this year.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino says he will step down in January

Ryan Lucas, NPR

Bongino's tenure was at times tumultuous, including a clash with Justice Department leadership over the Epstein files. But it also involved the arrest of a suspect in the Jan. 6 pipe bomber case.

In this secret missile factory, Ukraine is ramping up its domestic arms industry

BBC News

The BBC goes to a secret Ukrainian factory, where they are manufacturing new long-range missiles.