Trump News for Wednesday, December 31, 2025

WATCH: Fireworks over the Arc de Triomphe as Paris rings in the new year

ABC News

Paris lit up the sky above the Arc de Triomphe with a fireworks display as France's capital rang in 2026.

Mar-a-Lago Spa Sent Teen Workers on House Calls to Jeffrey Epstein's Lair

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Donald Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein may be even worse than previously thought ... according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ says DT's Mar-a-Lago spa in Florida would send teenage workers to Epstein's mansion, despite it…

Trump Mocks George and Amal Clooney For Becoming French Citizens: ‘Two of the Worst Political Prognosticators of All Time’

Jack Dunn, Variety

Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon to poke fun at George Clooney and his family for becoming French citizens. He also made sure to loop in some of his favorite political targets: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. “Good News! Geo…

Media Stocks Winners & Losers In 2025: WBD Rides M&A Wave, EchoStar Jumps On SpaceX Speculation

Dade Hayes, Deadline

On Wall Street, speculation is often the sincerest form of flattery. That’s what the media and entertainment sector experienced in 2025, with Warner Bros Discovery shares surging 170% due to investor theorizing about the upside of the company’s acquisition by…

Donald Trump Caps Off 2025 With Digs At George Clooney And His New French Citizenship

Ted Johnson, Deadline

With just a few hours left in 2025, Donald Trump went after George Clooney and his new French citizenship, apparently in response to a recent interview in which the actor recalled that the president was “a big goofball” before he entered politics. Trump poste…

Chief Justice says Constitution remains 'firm and unshaken' with major Supreme Court rulings ahead

LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Yahoo Entertainment

Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday that the Constitution remains a sturdy pillar for the country, a message that comes after a tumultuous year in the ...

Trump says ‘removing’ National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

US president backs away from troop deployment to US cities amid legal setbacks, vows return when crime 'begins to soar'.

WATCH: The biggest pop culture moments of the year and what's ahead in 2026

ABC News

ABC contributor Rocsi Diaz gives us her last vibe check of the year and teases what's ahead in the new year.

WATCH: Burj Khalifa lights up as Dubai rings in the new year

ABC News

Dubai rang in 2026 with the city's iconic Burj Khalifa at the center of a massive fireworks display.

WATCH: Delivery robot knocks down motorcycle parked on sidewalk

ABC News

A delivery robot was spotted trying to go around a motorcycle parked on a Los Angeles sidewalk — but still ended up hitting the bike and knocking it over.

The 10 Most Googled People in the World in 2025, Ranked

Sam Hindman, Mental Floss

From Donald Trump to Sabrina Carpenter, these public figures received millions and millions of Google searches this year.

Venezuelan security forces have detain several Americans...

John Bowden, The-independent.com

Venezuelan security forces have detain several Americans... (Third column, 17th story, link) Related stories:CIA strike brings Trump closer to grave new year decisions... Oil Tanker Pursued by the U.S. Appears to Claim Russian Protectio…

As Trump takes 2 hard swings at Americans with student loan debt, some are discovering a surprising way out

Victoria Vesovski, Yahoo Entertainment

The student loan system feels increasingly unstable and that uncertainty is driving more people to look for relief.

“Cheaters and thieves”: Trump spends New Year’s Eve bashing Democratic Party, blue cities

Alex Galbraith, Salon

The president spent the last day of 2025 attacking his enemies on social media.

US imposes more sanctions on tankers transporting Venezuelan oil

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

The sanctions come amid President Trump's pressure campaign that critics say is aimed at toppling Nicolas Maduro.

Scientists are getting our robotic explorers ready to help send humans to Mars

Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com

"It's really not a question of robotic exploration or human exploration," Ehlmann said. "It is an 'and' — it's robotic and human exploration and how we do these best together."

Trump administration terminates lease for Washington's 3 public golf courses

STEPHEN GROVES, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration has ended the lease agreement for three public golf courses in Washington, a move that offers President Donald Trump an additional...

Trump announces National Guard to be removed from Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland

ABC NEWS, ABC News

National Guard troops will be removed from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, President Donald Trump announced in a social media post on Wednesday.

Why this strategist is still buying the dips in Big Tech

Yahoo Finance Video, Yahoo Entertainment

There have been concerns about an AI bubble and that, perhaps, some Big Tech stocks are becoming too expensive. But Hamilton Capital Partners chief...

WATCH: United Arab Emirates celebrates the start of 2026

ABC News

UAE starts new year with a dazzling firework show to bring in the new year.

Deadline’s Theater Critic Greg Evans Picks His Top 10 Broadway Shows Of 2025

Greg Evans, Deadline

Last spring, Broadway prognosticators would have been well within the boundaries of common sense to posit that the big theater story of 2025 might be the arrival of big-name Hollywood stars on Manhattan stages. George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Kieran Culkin…

White House ‘looking at’ denaturalising Somali Americans for alleged fraud

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Trump renews attacks on Somali Americans a day after freezing federal childcare funding to Minnesota over fraud claims.

Trump Media company announces plans to award shareholders digital tokens

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump, the majority shareholder for Trump Media, has actively championed the growth of cryptocurrency.

WATCH: Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of JFK, dies at 35

ABC News

Schlossberg was diagnosed with a "rare mutation" of acute myeloid leukemia in 2024.

Hezbollah weapons deadline: What’s next for Lebanon amid Israeli strikes?

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

End of 2025 marks deadline for first phase of disarming Hezbollah, but group says it will not give up its weapons.

Drugmakers hike US prices on 350 medicines despite pressure from Trump

Reuters Videos, Yahoo Entertainment

<body><p>STORY: :: Bristol Myers Squibb </p><p>:: File</p><p>Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 350 branded medications in 2026, including...

Trump sent Mar-a-Lago masseuses on Epstein house calls: report

Alex Galbraith, Salon

A new report from the Wall Street Journal dives into the origin of a rift between Trump and Epstein.

The Trump administration just ordered another retiring coal plant to stay open. It could cost ratepayers millions

Ella Nilsen, CNN, CNN

The Trump administration ordered an aging coal-fired power plant in Colorado to stay open on Tuesday, a day before it was set to retire.

Trump issues 1st vetoes of 2nd term, including bipartisan Colorado water act

Hannah Demissie, Lauren Peller, ABC News

"This isn’t over," said Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, one bill's co-sponsor.

WATCH: Sydney rings in new year with fireworks display

ABC News

Sydney rang in 2026 with the city's biggest ever fireworks display over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

WATCH: Must-know hacks for travel during the holidays

ABC News

"The Points Guy" managing editor Clint Henderson shares advice on getting to your destination safely this holiday season.

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Texas may get a moonship, not space shuttle Discovery

tmalik@space.com (Tariq Malik) , Tariq Malik, Space.com

NASA's new chief Jared Isaacman said controversial proposal to move the space shuttle Discovery to Texas from its current home in a Smithsonian Air and Space Museum hangar in Virginia, may end with a different spacecraft entirely landing in Houston.

‘Rule Of Law’ Administration Keeps Losing Cases Because It Has No Respect For The Rule Of Law

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

America continues to be made great again. Or so says the collective of fascist buffoons currently holding federal positions of power. The Trump administration has made a lot of noise about bringing the “rule of law” back to America — something that supposedly…

In evolving Latin America, US-Venezuela discord remains a constant

Mauricio Torres, Gonzalo Zegarra, Germán Padinger, Jhasua Razo, CNN, CNN

The following is a deep look at contemporary Venezuela, its history, its riches, its alliances and its delicate internal balance of power amid growing...

DHS Says REAL ID, Which DHS Certifies, Is Too Unreliable To Confirm U.S. Citizenship

C.J. Ciaramella, Yahoo Entertainment

It's the punch line to a bad joke that started 20 years ago when Congress passed the REAL ID Act.

Kottke Wrapped 2025

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

Spotify really started something, didn’t they? Everyone has a “Wrapped” this year; I even got an email one fro

Trump says construction of the ‘Triumphal Arch’ to begin in ‘2 months’

Sophia Cai, Politico

The monument would be a centerpiece of the White House’s plans for America’s 250th birthday.

Right-Wing YouTuber Behind Viral Minnesota Fraud Video Has Long Anti-Immigrant History

Jonah Valdez, The Intercept

Before alleging fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community, right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley built a following with anti-immigrant clips. The post Right-Wing YouTuber Behind Viral Minnesota Fraud Video Has Long Anti-Immigrant History appeared first on The Intercep…

Four reasons why Benjamin Netanyahu may not want a Gaza ceasefire to hold

Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera English

After his trip to the US, Israel's prime minister returns home in an apparently strong position.

Kennedy Center reportedly changed rules before vote to add Trump’s name

Robert Tait, Yahoo Entertainment

Bylaws that would limit voting to Trump-appointed trustees appears to reveal long-held renaming plan

How is Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill changing US taxes and healthcare in 2026?

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Big changes are coming in the new year as healthcare subsidies expire and requirements for food assistance take effect.

US jobless claims slow in last full week of 2025 amid weak labour market

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

November saw highest unemployment since 2021, largely attributed to federal worker reductions under Trump.

CIA strike brings Trump closer to grave new year decisions on Venezuela...

Stephen Collinson, CNN

CIA strike brings Trump closer to grave new year decisions on Venezuela... (Third column, 10th story, link) Related stories:Oil Tanker Pursued by the U.S. Appears to Claim Russian Protection... Drudge Report Feed needs your su…

Russian claims of Ukrainian attack on government sites 'unfounded', EU's top diplomat says

BBC News

It comes after Russia claimed Ukraine had attempted to launch a drone strike on one of Putin's residences.

Oil tanker pursued by US now has a Russian flag painted on its side

Kevin Liptak, CNN, CNN

Crew members aboard the aging, rusted oil tanker that the US has been pursuing at sea for nearly two weeks appear to have painted a crude image of a Russian ...

Kennedy Center Altered Rules So Only Trump-Appointed Board Members Could Vote on Name Change

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

The Washington, D.C.-based institution was renamed the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts earlier this month

Project 2025 has been a success — with the help of the press

Sophia Tesfaye, Salon

Mainstream media outlets dismissed Trump's ties to Project 2025. Now it's facing unprecedented crackdowns

The clever Scary Movie 6 logo design is an absolute scream

joe.foley@futurenet.com (Joe Foley) , Joe Foley, Creative Bloq

The typographic parody is perfect.

How Donald Trump launched a new push to amass US government data in 2025

Cy Neff, Al Jazeera English

Proponents say compiling personal information in a single database is more efficient. But critics fear risks to privacy.

Trump’s Drone Ban Is Corrupt, Protectionist Nonsense Dressed Up As A National Security Fix

Karl Bode, Techdirt

For years we had to listen to a bipartisan roster of lawmakers insist that TikTok was one of the greatest national security threats to ever face the nation. In reality, they were mostly just interested in protecting Facebook from a short-form video company it…

FRESH LANDGRAB...

The-sun.com

FRESH LANDGRAB... (Top headline, 3rd story, link) Related stories:BLACKOUT MOSCOW: DRONES CUT POWER... PUTIN ORDERS EXPANSION OF WAR... Russia thanks Trump and celebrates 'total victory' over Ukraine...

WATCH: NYC doorman becomes hit on TikTok by serving the homeless at night

ABC News

Noel Maguire is going viral on social media for his big car, big personality and even bigger heart.

Trump's First Second-Term Vetoes Deny Clean Drinking Water and Return of Native Land

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Both vetoes by Trump were bills passed by Congress unanimously, setting up a pending override showdown if Republicans have any guts.

RIP MTV: The 9 Music Videos that Defined the Network & Reshaped the Culture (& the 1 That Killed Feminism)

Scarlett Harris, Jezebel

As of today, MTV will no longer air music videos—and of all the lists and round-ups published this past month, few, if any, highlighted women's impact on the medium.

How many countries has Trump bombed in 2025?

Shola Lawal, Al Jazeera English

Venezuela is the latest country to be hit by US strikes as the Trump administration ramps up military interventions.

The right hit peak incel in 2025

Amanda Marcotte, Salon

From Mar-a-Lago face to Elon Musk, MAGA's sexual dysfunction exposed itself

Here is to a quarter century of US military havoc

Belén Fernández, Al Jazeera English

The US has waged its 'war on terror' for 25 years now, sowing death and destruction across the world.

WATCH: Wandering wallaby's escape ends at Walmart

ABC News

Rex was missing for nearly a day before being returned to the petting zoo and animal sanctuary in Williamstown, New Jersey, from which he escaped.

Trump’s war on the climate demands resistance

Troy Farah, Salon

The antidote to climate despair is collective defiance.

10 New Year’s Eve AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My morning train WFH reads: • The Unexpected Winner of Rising American Tariffs Is Mexico: Its exports to the U.S. have surged since President Trump imposed new duties on countries this year. (Wall Street Journal) • Earth Is Running Out of Sand … Which Is, You…

WATCH: Jamaican mom's 1st experience with snow goes viral

ABC News

A recent video showing 63-year-old Rose Peters of Jamaica experiencing snow for the first time now has millions of views on social media.

These reporters were doing their jobs. The Trump administration accused them of stalking.

Charles Ornstein, Salon

Reporters trying to do their jobs were met accusations of intimidation and harassment by Team Trump.

Farmers are about to pay a lot more for health insurance

Sarah Boden, NPR

Tariffs, inflation, and other federal policies have battered U.S. farmers' bottom lines. Now many farmers say the expiration of federal health care subsidies will make their coverage unaffordable.

Trump Spent 2025 Making Trans Lives Unliveable. It's Time for Democrats to Defend Them.

Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

Elected Democrats haven't done nearly enough to oppose attacks on gender-affirming care. They risk being on the wrong side of history. The post Trump Spent 2025 Making Trans Lives Unliveable. It’s Time for Democrats to Defend Them. appeared first on The Inter…

From the US to China, 2025 a blockbuster year for stock markets

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 sees third year of double-digit gains, while non-US stocks register best run since 2009.

Zelenskyy suggests Trump fly to Ukraine to help 'end the war'

David Brennan, ABC News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday suggested that U.S. President Trump should visit Ukraine, amid the latest U.S.-led push for a peace deal.

Discovering the Dimensions of a New Cold War

Michael McFaul, Wired

The United States’ plan for dealing with Putin’s Russia and Xi’s China remains ill-defined among a shifting global order. That must change.

The Feds Keep Prosecuting Protesters Against ICE — and Losing

Noah Hurowitz, The Intercept

Prosecutors for the Trump administration have been quick to bring charges against ICE protesters. They've also been quick to lose the cases. The post The Feds Keep Prosecuting Protesters Against ICE — and Losing appeared first on The Intercept.

Morning news brief

Michel Martin, NPR

Trump says the U.S. military conducted a strike on a Venezuelan dock he claims was used by drug smugglers, protests over economy flood Iran, flu cases in the U.S are on the rise, CDC data shows.

War in Sudan: Humanitarian collapse, fighting, deadlock, December 2025

Mohammad Mansour, Al Jazeera English

Paramilitary RSF seize Heglig oilfield, Kordofan battles rage, and UN aid cuts prompt famine fears.

14 Unflattering Things Trumps’ Staff Have Revealed About Him

Emma Mills, Bolde.com

Trump's staff has shared these secret (and really unflattering) things about him.

Mali, Burkina Faso ban US citizens in response to Trump travel bans

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

The West African countries say the bans are equivalent to those imposed on their citizens by the United States.

Trump administration freezes Minnesota childcare funds over fraud claims

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Move comes after a conservative YouTuber claimed daycare centres run by Somali Americans were defrauding the state.

The most controversial rebrands and logo redesigns of 2025

joe.foley@futurenet.com (Joe Foley) , Joe Foley, Creative Bloq

From Cracker Barrel to Range Rover, these were the rebrands that most got people talking.

Kennedy Center renaming prompts a new round of cancellations

The Associated Press, NPR

The Kennedy Center is ending the year with a new round of artists saying they are canceling scheduled performances after President Donald Trump's name was added to the facility.

The Sydney Sweeney ad for American Eagle revisited: what can it teach us about branding in the 2020s?

journo.tommay@gmail.com (Tom May) , Tom May, Creative Bloq

When a jeans campaign becomes a culture war battleground, it forces us to step back and take a wider view of society.

An A-Z list of 2025’s biggest stories

Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Hanna Duggal, Al Jazeera English

From artificial intelligence to Zohran Mamdani, Al Jazeera compiles an A-Z list of 2025's biggest stories.

Trump Hit by New Bombshell Account of Twisted Ties to Epstein

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club sent young women to massage Jeffrey Epstein for years—even though he exposed himself to them, a disturbing new report from The...

Russia deploys hypersonic Oreshnik missiles in Belarus amid Europe tensions

David D. Lee, Al Jazeera English

Moscow has positioned nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles in Belarus as tensions rise in Europe.

Leftist Mamdani to take over as New York mayor under Trump shadow

AFP, Yahoo Entertainment

Zohran Mamdani, young upstart of the US left, was readying Wednesday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President...

How Pakistan’s Asim Munir became Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’

Abid Hussain, Al Jazeera English

The army chief, analysts say, has driven Pakistan's geopolitical reemergence over the past year as a soldier-diplomat.

Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers as ceasefire holds

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Thailand hands over 18 soldiers after 155 days of captivity as truce agreed over the weekend continues to hold.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,406

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

These are the key developments from day 1,406 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland ‘strange, unexpected’: Somali president

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says his country believes the move is linked to Israel's plans to forcibly displace Palestinians.

US government audits cases of Somali US citizens for potential denaturalization...

By Kanishka Singh, Yahoo Entertainment

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration said on Tuesday it was auditing immigration cases involving U.S...

WATCH: Ohio officers save man from burning car in daring rescue

ABC News

Officers in Ohio raced to save a man trapped inside a burning car, who was badly injured and couldn't move.

WATCH: Blizzard conditions paralyze parts of New York as California braces for new storm

ABC News

After pummeling the Midwest, blizzard conditions are paralyzing parts of Upstate New York. Meanwhile, after torrential downpours in the West, Southern California is bracing for more rain.

LABASH: 2025 Is Finally Over... But Not Soon Enough

Matt Labash, Substack.com

A conversation about MAGA media catfights and why they deserve each other, our stuck culture, Drudge as the new Philip K. Dick, AI cannibalism, what inspires us, and much more....

CONTROL: MELANIA ERASES IVANKA, KEEPS BARRON ON TIGHT LEASH IN HER NEW DOC, CLAIMS REPORT...

ROB SHUTER, Substack.com

CONTROL: MELANIA ERASES IVANKA, KEEPS BARRON ON TIGHT LEASH IN HER NEW DOC, CLAIMS REPORT... (First column, 1st story, link)

Donald Trump Attacks Kennedy Family on Truth Social Hours After Death of JFK's Granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg

Yahoo Entertainment

'Foreign Tech Workers Are Avoiding Travel To the US'

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

In an opinion piece for Computerworld, columnist Steven Vaughan-Nichols argues that restrictive visa policies and a hostile border climate under the Trump administration are driving foreign tech workers, researchers, and conference speakers away from the U.S.…

Kennedy Center Honors Draws All-Time Low Viewership On CBS With Host Donald Trump

Nellie Andreeva, Deadline

The official ratings for the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors are in, and the Dec. 23 telecast averaged 3.01 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data. That is an all-time low audience for the annual special, down from 4.1…

Trump Wants To”Unleash Hell” In 2026; POTUS Tries To Go Full Maximus With A Misguided ‘Gladiator’ Flex

Dominic Patten, Deadline

In the dying days of 2025, Donald Trump wants to be more Maximus than POTUS as a new video from the White House today laughably tries to assert Grabbing that pivotal battle scene at the beginning of Ridley Scott and Universal’s 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, the…

Trump administration says it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota

The Associated Press, NPR

President Trump's administration announced that it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota after a series of fraud schemes in recent years.