Trump News for Thursday, January 1, 2026

WATCH: Zohran Mamdani speaks at public inauguration as New York City mayor

ABC News

Mamdani delivered his first public address as New York City's mayor on Thursday, after being officially sworn in as the city’s first Muslim mayor and first mayor of South Asian descent.

Venezuela releases more prisoners amid US pressure campaign: Rights groups

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Second release of prisoners related to 2024 election protests seen as possible conciliatory move from Maduro.

2025 Crookies: Lifeboat Builder Of The Year, Marjorie Taylor Greene

driftglass, Crooksandliars.com

She's a maniac, maniac on the floorAnd she's dancing like she's never danced before... And being the #1 MAGA maniac on the House floor for five years has been a very profitable enterprise for Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose net worth went from a pre-Congression…

Deaths reported during widening protests in Iran sparked by ailing economy

The Associated Press, NPR

The protests began due to economic pressures, with Iran's currency rapidly depreciating. Demonstrators have also chanted against the country's theocracy.

US says Chinese military drills around Taiwan cause unnecessary tensions

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US recently approved $11bn arms package for Taiwan, which condemned 'provocative' Chinese military drills.

Trump, 79, Rings In The New Year With Makeup-Covered Hand

Yahoo Entertainment

Washington secures funding for medical research grants after lawsuit

KIRO 7 News Staff, Yahoo Entertainment

Washington State’s Attorney General Nick Brown says that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has agreed to resume grant evaluations for...

US federal employees file complaint against Trump’s anti-transgender policy

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The complaint targets a policy that would nix coverage under federal health insurance for gender-affirming healthcare.

Trump says he got a CT scan instead of an MRI

Hannah Demissie, ABC News

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Thursday, President Trump revealed that he received a CT instead of an MRI at Walter Reed Medical Center.

2025 Bad Guy Crookie: Trump's Incompetent 'Prosecutors'

Heather, Crooksandliars.com

Jeanine Pirro, Lindsey Halligan and Alina Habba all showed us what failing upwards looked like this year. Chris Hayes provided a nice summary on his show on Christmas Eve on these incompetent hacks, like Jeanine Pirro who couldn't even indict a ham sandwich b…

‘My health is perfect’: Trump dismisses scrutiny of his age and fitness

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

By the end of his second term, Trump will be the oldest sitting president in US history, though he denies slowing down.

Spirit Airlines starts the year in turmoil, and 8 other air travel storylines we'll be watching in 2026

Sean Cudahy, The Points Guy

From Spirit Airlines starting the year in turmoil to the role of AI and new airline routes and destinations, here's a look at the year ahead in aviation news.

WATCH: HHS freezing child care payments to all states after Minnesota fraud allegations

ABC News

The Trump administration is pausing child care funding to all states after allegations of fraud in daycare centers in Minnesota emerged, an HHS official said.

Russia Requests Trump Admin To Stop Pursuit Of Oil Tanker In Atlantic Basin

zerohedge.com, Biztoc.com

Russia Requests Trump Admin To Stop Pursuit Of Oil Tanker In Atlantic Basin The U.S. State Department received a request from Russia on New Year's Eve to stop pursuing an oil tanker in the Atlantic Basin linked to a dark-fleet network that ships Venezuelan …

Trump rejects bipartisan bills tied to water and tribal lands

CK Smith, Salon

The White House cited policy concerns, while opponents pointed to strained relationships with lawmakers and tribes

George Clooney Responds To Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve Insults, Says He Agrees “We Have To Make America Great Again. We’ll Start In November” – Update

Ted Johnson, Deadline

UPDATED, with Clooney comment: 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 h…

20 surprisingly true rumors we verified in 2025

Megan Loe, Snopes.com

Looking back on 2025, we fact-checked multiple rumors that seemed unbelievable but were true. Snopes reporters picked these examples.

Kennedy Center Dismisses 2025 Honors Ratings Comparisons as “Evidence of Far-Left Bias”

Scoop Harrison, Consequence.net

A spokesperson for the Trump-Kennedy Center blamed the low ratings on "industry and timing disadvantages" Kennedy Center Dismisses 2025 Honors Ratings Comparisons as “Evidence of Far-Left Bias” Scoop Harrison

Sick and Sleepy Trump, 79, Is Begging Staff for Easier Schedule

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

President Trump is battling with White House staff over how much work he actually has to do. The 79-year-old president, who has repeatedly dozed through...

GOP transcript release reinforces Jack Smith’s conclusion on Jan. 6

CK Smith, Salon

Smith told the House committee the attack on the Capitol "does not happen" without Donald Trump’s role

WATCH: The benefits of going dry this January

ABC News

Dr. Stephanie Widmer explains the health effects that can be gained from the popular trend in which some people choose to stop drinking alcohol for the month.

Laura Loomer: Crookie White House HR Officer Of 2025

NewsHound Ellen, Crooksandliars.com

Laura Loomer, the extremist without a single national security credential or even an actual job in the Trump administration, convinced the president of the United States to fire six real national security experts and officials, apparently because she convince…

2025 Crookie Good Guy For Journalism: ProPublica

Heather, Crooksandliars.com

Once again, the independent journalists at ProPublica are doing the work that most of or corporate media either won't take the time, or refuses to do. We first learned that Kennedy wanted to shift research away from infectious diseases and vaccines and has sa…

Tax refunds could be up. When will the IRS accept returns in 2026?

Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, USA Today

Taxpayers could be stretched to new limits in 2026 as key but complicated new tax breaks kick into place on 2025 federal income tax returns.

Brazil’s Supreme Court rejects Jair Bolsonaro’s request for house arrest

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Bolsonaro's latest petition, one in a series, comes after he spent the week in hospital for a hernia and hiccups.

Donald Trump pauses US tariff hike on furniture, cabinets for one year

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

The tariff pause comes as Trump's Republican Party faces questions of affordability going into the midterm elections.

10 Friday Monday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

52 things I learned in 2025: This year I stopped being a consultant, started a tiny company, sold hundreds of little modular synths…   https://medium.com/@tomwhitwell/52-things-i-learned-in-2025-edeca7e3fdd8 See also 52 things I learned in 2025 The news (to m…

Five of the biggest stories ignored by news outlets on the left in 2025

Cole Lauterbach, San.com

When a news event is ignored by one side of the aisle, we bring it to you. Here are some of the most notable stories ignored by the left media in 2025. The...

Donald Trump's NYE Bash Raises $2.75 Million For Charity With Jesus Painting Auction

benzinga.com, Biztoc.com

At his New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump turned auctioneer, successfully selling a painting of Jesus Christ for $2.75 million. The proceeds from this auction are earmarked for charity. The bidding kicked off at $100,000. The crowd qui…

Federal employees file complaint against Trump administration's ban on gender-affirming care

pbs.org, Biztoc.com

The complaint argues that denying coverage of gender-affirming care is sex-based discrimination and asks the personnel office to rescind the policy.

Empty lot next to Bezos sells for $105M...

Business Insider, Dnyuz.com

Empty lot next to Bezos sells for $105M... (Second column, 6th story, link) Related stories:Year of the $100 Million House... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

‘Their first instinct was to loot’: how Trump’s acolytes are plundering the Kennedy Center

David Smith in Washington, Yahoo Entertainment

Sheldon Whitehouse, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, remains undeterred and determined to press on with his investigation

The Big Picture

PS editors, Project Syndicate

Project Syndicate - The World’s Opinion Page

2025 Crookie Award For Clusterf**k Of The Year: DOGE

Heather, Crooksandliars.com

Trump and Musk's debacle was a failure on every level for the American people, however it was a huge success for the ones that wanted to steal all our data and dismantle government. We covered the damage Musk and his DOGE bros did quite extensively here, whet…

Trump tells WSJ he takes a higher daily dose of aspirin than his doctors advise in lengthy interview on his health

Kaanita Iyer, CNN, CNN

President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that he takes a higher dose of aspirin than his doctors have...

2025 Letter

Dan Wang, Danwang.co

Corgis, compute, Cold War; Ecclesiastes; ties; Stendhal; humor; Pascal's Wager; deep infrastructure; Germanic obedience; Texas State Fair

3 Cryptos That Could 5x in 2026 If Trump Delivers on Pro-Crypto Promises: XRP, BTC, and One Surprise

Sam Daodu, 24/7 Wall St.

The Trump administration spent 2025 building crypto infrastructure. Now comes the payoff. After a year of policy groundwork—from signing the GENIUS Act in...

Trump’s cultural coup is doomed to fail

Heather Digby Parton, Salon

Artists are protesting Trump's Kennedy Center takeover — and creating art in defiance of his repression

Does a video show ICE agents in NYC being pelted with snowballs? Not so fast

Jordan Liles, Snopes.com

The footage, displaying no visible signs of AI, showed dozens of people throwing snowballs at law enforcement officers wearing riot gear.

Social media fuelled Mamdani's rise. Can he keep the momentum as New York mayor?

BBC News

To succeed in office he will need to keep his supporters engaged with day-to-day governing, experts say.

President humiliated as courts force National Guard retreat from cities...

Peter Rubinstein, Cheyenne R. Ubiera, Themirror.com

President humiliated as courts force National Guard retreat from cities... (First column, 5th story, link) Related stories:NOW BOEBERT TURNS ON THE DON...

Mike’s Blog Roundup

Steve in Manhattan, Crooksandliars.com

Crooked Timber - some thoughts on charitable donations; Diane Ravitch’s Blog - questioning whether to honor Charlie Kirk; How Things Work (Hamilton Nolan) - beyond religion, a better world; One Damn Thing After Another (PM Carpenter) - the world could become …

"Empire of AI": Karen Hao on How AI Is Threatening Democracy & Creating a New Colonial World

webdev@democracynow.org (Democracy Now!), Democracy Now!

In this holiday special, we revisit our interview with longtime technology reporter Karen Hao, author of the new book Empire of AI, which unveils the accruing political and economic power of AI companies — especially Sam Altman’s OpenAI. Her reporting uncover…

Crookie Award For Lie Of The Year: The Epstein Files

Frances Langum, Crooksandliars.com

Above: From November 18, 2025, Donald Trump was extremely triggered when an ABC News reporter asked him, “Why wait for Congress to release the Epstein files? Why not just do it now?” We don't give any Crookie awards to Donald Trump, ever. He has enough gold c…

Hundreds of thousands march in Istanbul in solidarity with Gaza

Elis Gjevori, Al Jazeera English

Demonstrators in Turkiye demand global pressure on Israel, calling the so-called ceasefire 'a slow-motion genocide'.

AP Top Stories January 1

Associated Press Videos, Yahoo Entertainment

Here’s the latest for Thursday, January 1st: New Year celebrated worldwide; Fatal fire in bar in Switzerland; Former special counsel Jack Smith says Capitol ...

How crypto's promised year-end fireworks turned into a bloodbath

Krisztian Sandor, Oliver Knight, CoinDesk

Digital asset treasuries, new altcoin ETFs and bitcoin’s famed year‑end seasonality were meant to supercharge prices. What came instead was the worst drawdown since the 2022 crypto winter.

Trump Toasts the New Year With Race-Baiting Rant

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

New Year’s celebrations are historically a time for positivity and goodwill, but not for Donald Trump, who rang in 2026 by toasting his Mar-a-Lago guests...

Links 1/1/2026

Yves Smith, Nakedcapitalism.com

Our solemn daily links: New Year in Gaza, nifty nugget, US contagion surge, Xi Taiwan vow, Pax Silica? Putin drone attack dispute, Trump tariff retreat, Google warrantless searches, billionaires richer, moar US boat strikes, metal margin panic debunked, crypt…

10 New Years Day Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My New Years Day reads: • Financial Discipline Is an Easy Resolution to Make, but a Hard One to Keep: We all say we want to save more and spend less. The key is to think more broadly. (Wall Street Journal) • Trump’s First Year Back, in 10 Charts: President Tr…

The double-edged sword of AI data centers

Russell Payne, Salon

The data center buildout is papering over the economy most Americans are living with

Guides to help you tackle your New Year's resolutions

Brittney Melton, NPR

From building your strength to tackling credit card debt, NPR's Life Kit has a newsletter journey to help you tackle your New Year's resolution.

Citi Maintains Neutral Outlook on Monday.com (MNDY) Amid Stable but Uncertain Software Demand

Maham Fatima, Yahoo Entertainment

Monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:MNDY) is one of the best NASDAQ stocks to buy in 2026. On December 23, Citi lowered the firm’s price target on Monday.com to $293...

H.C. Wainwright: BioMarin’s (BMRN) Amicus Acquisition Stabilizes Cash Flow While Voxzogo Remains Near-Term Driver

Maham Fatima, Yahoo Entertainment

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRN) is one of the best NASDAQ stocks to buy in 2026. On December 22, H.C. Wainwright raised the firm’s price target on...

Truist Maintains Hold on Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) While Lowering PT Amid Scrutiny of 2026 Demand

Maham Fatima, Yahoo Entertainment

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:ZBRA) is one of the best NASDAQ stocks to buy in 2026. On December 18, Truist analyst Jamie Cook lowered the firm’s...

Morgan Stanley Cuts Tenable (TENB) PT as Cybersecurity Platform Giants Outpace Best-Of-Breed Peers

Maham Fatima, Yahoo Entertainment

Tenable Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:TENB) is one of the best NASDAQ stocks to buy in 2026. On December 18, Morgan Stanley lowered the firm’s price target on...

Israel looking to reopen Rafah crossing after US pressure: Israeli media

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Israel currently occupies the Palestinian side of the crossing, choking Gaza of a vital humanitarian entry point.

What Zohran Mamdani and Michael Bloomberg Have in Common

Molly Fischer, The New Yorker

Molly Fischer writes about the similarities between the socialist and the plutocrat, who each embody outsized ideas of the city—and distinct forms of capital.

American Labor Needed Unity. Then Came Trump’s Immigration Crackdown.

Jessica Washington, The Intercept

Trump has aimed to turn American workers against their immigrant colleagues. Labor leaders say it backfired. The post American Labor Needed Unity. Then Came Trump’s Immigration Crackdown. appeared first on The Intercept.

Trump Is Ready to Send Afghan Refugees to Their Death

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic

Five years ago, they risked their lives to support American troops in Afghanistan. Now, refugees across the U.S. are facing the threat of certain death thanks to ICE.Some 100,000 Afghans resettled in America, repayment for assisting the U.S. government during…

How the Supreme Court’s Judicial Sanewashing Wrecked the Legal System

Erin M. Carr, The New Republic

Last fall, in the run-up to the presidential election, a new phrase began to circulate. “Sanewashing” emerged as a term to describe the media’s coverage of Donald Trump, which critics claimed made the rambling, often incoherent statements of the then-wannabe …

My Work Just Made a Terrifying New Hire. I Fear What It Will Take to Avoid Him.

Laura Helmuth, Slate Magazine

Weighing safety versus privacy.

Trump's crypto empire continues to grow with a new plan to issue tokens to Trump Media shareholders

sobrient@insider.com (Samuel O'Brient), Business Insider

As most of Donald Trump's crypto empire struggles, Trump Media Group announces new token launch to reward DJT shareholders.

6 reasons why bitcoin will outperform stocks and gold in 2026, research firm says

jsor@businessinsider.com (Jennifer Sor), Business Insider

Bitcoin's price is attractive at current levels, which is one reason why it's poised for a bounce back in 2026, K33 said.

Volunteer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly killed during widening protests

AP, The Indian Express

Iran's civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged that there is not much he can do as Iran's rial currency has rapidly depreciated, with…

Trump's 'unprecedented' diplomat recall sparks concerns over politicization of foreign service

CBC News

The Trump administration’s recent recall of 30 career diplomats from around the world as part of its "America First" priority push is unprecedented, according to experts who say it may serve to politicize the American Foreign Service while populating it with …

Father and son dress as Santa, visit Gaza tent city with gifts, music to celebrate New Year

CBC News

Sunset bathed the north of Gaza City in golden light Tuesday evening as Izzat Al-Qawasmeh and his 11-year-old son Mohamed climbed through rubble to the top of a building that once housed hundreds of people. The duo had decided to visit the tent city with gift…

Why are some African countries banning US citizens from entry?

Shola Lawal, Al Jazeera English

Mali and Burkina Faso are the latest to issue 'tit-for-tat' bans on visas for US citizens with immediate effect.

Jezebel's 2026 Celebrity Predictions

Nora Biette-Timmons, Jezebel

Who's more likely to drop music, Rihanna or Blue Ivy? Will Sydney Sweeney finally lose it? What might happen at the Oscars? Come speculate wildly with us!

All the big elections to look out for in 2026

Fatima Shafiq, Al Jazeera English

From the February vote in Bangladesh to the November US midterms, here is a calendar of key election dates.

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor, capping historic rise

Brian Mann, NPR

Mayor Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office in New York City after midnight Thursday. The city's first Muslim mayor, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has promised to focus on affordability and fairness.

Zelensky says peace deal is 90% ready in New Year address

BBC News

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his New Year speech to tell troops that he "believed in you and our victory" in Ukraine.

U.S. military says 8 killed in strikes on 5 more alleged drug boats — but survivors jumped overboard

CBC News

The U.S. military said Wednesday it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days, killing a total of eight people while others jumped overboard and may have survived.

U.S. military strikes 5 more alleged drug boats, killing 8

The Associated Press, NPR

The U.S. military says it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days. The attacks killed eight people, while others jumped overboard and may have survived. U.S. Southern Command did not reveal where the attacks occurred.

WATCH: Washington Monument light show kicks off America's 250th celebrations

ABC News

President Trump's plans for wide-scale celebrations to commemorate the nation's 250th birthday got underway on New Year's Eve with the illumination of the Washington Monument on the National Mall.

Capitol riot 'does not happen' without Trump, Jack Smith told Congress

The Associated Press, NPR

Former special counsel Jack Smith also described President Trump as the "most culpable and most responsible person" in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results, according to a transcript of Smith's closed-door interview with the House Jud…

The Year in Review, 2025: I wanted lower prices, and all I got is this lousy hole in the ground

Menzie Chinn, Econbrowser.com

Here are some of the most ridiculous (and tragic) events of 2025, in economic or economic policy terms.     January: CEA designate Stephen Miran cobbles together a disjointed attempt at international finance, wherein exorbitant privilege is diminished, but US…

WATCH: Fireworks over the Pyramids of Giza as Egypt celebrates new year

ABC News

Egypt celebrated the New Year with fireworks over the pyramids in Giza.

Trump administration removes three spyware-linked executives from sanctions list

By Raphael Satter, Yahoo Entertainment

By Raphael Satter WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has lifted sanctions on three executives tied to the spy software...

WATCH: Fireworks over Edinburgh Castle as Scotland celebrates the new year

ABC News

Fireworks illuminated the sky over Edinburgh Castle as Scotland celebrated the new year.

US kills three in attack on alleged drug boats, searches for survivors

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Latest attacks bring total number of boat strikes to 33 and the number of people killed to at least 110 since September.

Ukraine will not sign 'weak' deal that only prolongs war with Russia, Zelenskyy says

CBC News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his New Year address to the nation, said late on Wednesday that Kyiv wanted the war to end, but not at any cost, adding he would not sign a "weak" peace agreement that would only prolong the war.

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.

WATCH: London lights up the River Thames to ring in the new year

ABC News

As Big Ben chimed midnight, London celebrated 2026 with fireworks over the River Thames.

US strikes 3 vessels and leaves survivors -- now a search-and-rescue operation

Chris Boccia, ABC News

U.S. Southern Command said it targeted three vessels traveling in a convoy in international waters -- leaving "narco-terrorists" as survivors after they jumped overboard.

Jack Smith says 'no historical analog' for Trump's actions, denies being influenced

Lauren Peller, ABC News

Jack Smith told lawmakers he had evidence to convict Trump in both cases, according to a deposition.

Wrong place, wrong bird in Trump's post about bald eagles and 'windmills'

Emery Winter, Snopes.com

U.S. President Donald Trump posted "Windmills are killing all of our beautiful Bald Eagles!" on social media with an image of a bird that's not an eagle and not in America.

Amazon is letting visa workers stranded in India work remotely — as long as they don't code or talk to customers

pdixit@insider.com (Pranav Dixit), Business Insider

Amazon allows India-based employees affected by H-1B visa delays to work remotely until March, with strict restrictions on coding.

Trump Pulls National Guard Out Of Chicago, Los Angeles & Portland

zerohedge.com, Biztoc.com

Trump Pulls National Guard Out Of Chicago, Los Angeles & Portland President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he's pulling National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland. "We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, a…

News Wrap: Millions ring in new year amid Arctic temperatures and heavy snow

pbs.org, Biztoc.com

In our news wrap Wednesday, millions in the U.S. will ring in the new year in their warmest clothes amid Arctic temperatures and heavy snow, President Trump says he's removing National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland and newly-released tra…

Azerbaijan-Armenia peace plan hinges on narrow strip of land along Iran border

pbs.org, Biztoc.com

President Trump has claimed to have solved eight conflicts since he began his second term. One of those is between Azerbaijan and Armenia, rivals since the collapse of the USSR, whose leaders met with Trump in the Oval Office this summer. Special corresponden…

Trump will drop push for National Guard deployments in Chicago, LA and Portland, Ore.

Alina Hartounian, NPR

Courts blocked troops from deploying in Chicago and Portland, Ore., and the Los Angeles deployment effectively ended after a judge blocked it earlier this month.

Science in 2026: what to expect this year

Nick Petrić Howe, Miryam Naddaf, Nature.com

Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 01/01/2026