Trump News for Friday, January 2, 2026

Israel Accuses Mamdani of Antisemitism for Reversing Orders Adams Gave Under Indictment

Jessica Washington, The Intercept

New York civil liberties groups celebrated Mamdani’s orders as a step to protect the First Amendment right to criticize Israel. The post Israel Accuses Mamdani of Antisemitism for Reversing Orders Adams Gave Under Indictment appeared first on The Intercept.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,409

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

These are the key developments from day 1,409 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

CHKTesla loses place as world’s top electric vehicle seller to China’s BYD

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Decline in sales comes amid outrage of Elon Musk's political forays, end in US electric vehicle tax breaks.

The President’s Busy Holiday

Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic

Donald Trump spent the past few weeks doubling down on foreign interventions.

‘CBS Evening News’ Unveils “Five Simple Principles” In Advance Of Tony Dokoupil’s Debut As New Anchor

Ted Johnson, Deadline

CBS Evening News has unveiled “five simple principles” to guide the broadcast, as Tony Dokoupil prepares to take over as the new anchor of the broadcast on Monday. Dokoupil, who has been a co-host on CBS Mornings, will be the sixth anchor of the newscast in t…

US judge orders DC pipe bomber to remain in custody ahead of trial

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Prosecutors say Brian Cole confessed to planting bomb while parroting Trump's false claims 2020 election was stolen.

WATCH: Do pet-friendly policies belong in the workplace?

ABC News

Erika Skinner, author of “Pets are Family,” breaks down the discourse around companies allowing pets into the office.

Tech Companies Show Feet as They Try to Appeal to Gen Z

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

You can't work from home, but you can bring your slippers to the office.

Steve Bannon Turns on Trump Over His Threat to Iran

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic

The president is apparently taking foreign policy lessons from one of his political nemeses, Hillary Clinton—at least, that’s what one of his biggest first-term acolytes seems to believe.Trump’s former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon accused his old…

Palestine advocates praise NYC’s Mamdani for revoking pro-Israel decrees

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

Israeli government hits out at newly sworn-in New York City mayor, falsely calling him a 'Muslim Brotherhood Islamist'.

WATCH: Zohran Mamdani sworn in 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.

South Carolina measles outbreak grows to 185 cases amid vaccination worries

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The outbreak comes after the US charted its highest number of annual measles cases in more than three decades in 2025.

WATCH: Lava flows on Mount Etna on New Year's Day

ABC News

A drone captured stunning footage of lava flowing from a fissure on Italy's Mount Etna on New Year's Day.

Bitfinex crypto thief who was serving five years thanks Trump for early release

Jessica Lyons, Theregister.com

Netflix documentary part 2 in the works? Ilya Lichtenstein, who pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges tied to the 2016 theft of about 120,000 bitcoins from the Bitfinex exchange and was sentenced to five years in prison, has been released after roughly 1…

John Roberts Finished Out 2025 With One More Shameful SCOTUS Flop

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

The past year was remarkably notorious for the Supreme Court. Its conservative supermajority tore and tore into the very fabric of the Constitution, siding...

Trump Signs Defense Bill Prohibiting China-Based Engineers in Pentagon IT Work

msmash, Slashdot.org

President Donald Trump signed into law this month a measure that prohibits anyone based in China and other adversarial countries from accessing the Pentagon's cloud computing systems. From a report: The ban, which is tucked inside the $900 billion defense pol…

People Spent the Holidays Asking Grok to Generate Sexual Images of Children

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

Elon Musk's xAI has largely been silent on the matter, but some authorities have noticed.

ICE Is Targeting a New Demographic for Recruitment: The Manosphere

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic

The powers that be at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are planning on a massive recruitment drive in 2026—but the people they’re hoping to attract aren’t your typical feds.The deportation agency has earmarked $100 million for online advertisements ov…

Trump’s ‘Operation Iranian Freedom’

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

How many foreign wars does the “America First” president intend to start?

Trump Keeps Posting About Dead Birds After Story on His Rapid Decline

Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic

Just one day after a bombshell Wall Street Journal story on the president’s growing signs of aging, Donald Trump went on a bizarre posting spree about dead birds and wind turbines.Throughout Friday, Trump posted several different photos on Truth Social of dea…

US authorities arrest 18-year-old accused of plotting ISIL-inspired attack

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Officials announced the suspect has been charged with attempting to provide 'material support' for 'terrorism'.

DHS pauses immigration applications for an additional 20 countries

Ximena Bustillo, NPR

The Department of Homeland Security is pausing immigration applications from 20 additional countries following increased scrutiny on people who seek legal pathways for immigrating to the U.S.

Trump is planning to revamp the ‘president’s golf course’

Associated Press

President Donald Trump has spent much of his two-week vacation in Florida golfing. But when he gets back to the White House, there’s a military golf course that he’s never played that he’s eyeing for a major construction project. Long a favored getaway for…

Stephen Schwartz Says He Won’t Participate In Planned Kennedy Center Event After Trump’s Changes

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Stephen Schwartz said that he will not be part of a planned May event at the Kennedy Center after its board voted last month to add Donald Trump’s name to the venue. Schwartz, the composer/lyricist of Wicked, had been on the bill to host the Washington Nation…

WATCH: Ohio police search for suspect after dentist, wife found murdered at home

ABC News

Ohio authorities are searching for a suspect after a dentist and his wife were found murdered inside their home earlier this week.

Trump In-Law Responds to President’s Health Bombshell in Most Cringe Way Possible

Yahoo Entertainment

WATCH: Woman dies in suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado

ABC News

Officials are investigating what's believed to be the state's first deadly mountain lion attack in more than 25 years.

Elon Musk’s Grok AI Tool Admits It Posted Explicit Photos of Children

Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic

Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot admitted on Friday that it has been posting sexualized images of children on X, blaming “lapses in safeguard” for the content.“We’ve identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them—[Child sexual abuse material] is ille…

Trump’s Travel Bans Threaten US National Security

Brahma Chellaney, Project Syndicate

For all Donald Trump’s talk about security, he proves far more interested in lining his own pockets. No country that hosts a major Trump-branded property or strikes a high-profile business deal with a member of Trump’s inner circle – including some with well-…

Mamdani revokes Israel-related executive orders signed by Adams, directs team to focus on housing in first acts as mayor

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, CNN

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used his executive powers to revoke a handful of orders put into place by his predecessor after the former mayor was...

Five things you need to know about protests in Iran

Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera English

Mass protests are spreading across Iran, but what's driving them and where could they lead? Here's what we know.

Meta’s New Privacy Policy Opens Up AI Chats for Targeted Ads

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

If Meta can use a feature for targeting ads, Meta will use a feature for targeting ads.

French Government Defends George and Amal Clooney Citizenship: ‘They Contribute’ to ‘International Influence and Cultural Outreach’

Elskes, Variety

Not everyone is happy about George Clooney and his family becoming French citizens. At the start of the year, news of Clooney’s French citizenship sparked criticism from Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior deputy to the interior minister, who argued in a radio in…

Another country makes call to cancel all visas for Americans

Veronika Bondarenko, TheStreet

After President Donald Trump expanded the travel ban he put in place during his first term in the White House to 20 more countries and the Palestinian...

David Sacks sparks debate by predicting Miami will 'replace' NYC as the finance capital — and Austin will overtake San Francisco

Melia Russell, Business Insider

Ultrawealthy tech investors like David Sacks and Peter Thiel are weighing their options ahead of California's proposed billionaire wealth tax.

Trump Administration Shutters NASA's Goddard Library

Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE

The Goddard Space Flight Center Library in Greenbelt, Md. reportedly closed on Friday, Jan. 2

Barron Trump’s “Awkward” Moment At NYE Bash Reignites Paternity Conspiracy Theories

Rocio Corsi, Boredpanda.com

“He’s obviously the real father of Barron Trump, which makes Barron Fidel Castro’s grandson.”

MAGA Loses Its Collective Mind Over Zohran Mamdani’s Inauguration

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic

Conservatives are already fuming about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plans to bring the Big Apple together.Right-wing commentators blasted Mamdani’s inaugural pledge to bring “the warmth of collectivism” to city residents Thursday, claiming that the ma…

2026 Is Poised to Be the Year of the Tech IPO. Will It Also Be the Year the AI Bubble Bursts?

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic are all allegedly planning to raise eye-watering figures in market debuts.

Trump’s Boasts About Jobs for U.S.-Born Workers Hit by Humiliating Reality Check

Isabel van Brugen, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump’s bold claims that his policies delivered an unprecedented jobs boom for American-born workers are at odds with data showing a weaker ...

“America is no longer a democracy. That doesn’t mean authoritarianism has won....

Jason Kottke, kottke.org

“America is no longer a democracy. That doesn’t mean authoritarianism has won. But merely restoring the pre-Trump stat

Tesla loses its crown as world's biggest electric vehicle maker to Chinese rival BYD

CBC News

Tesla lost its crown as the world's bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday, as a customer revolt over Elon Musk's right-wing politics and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row.

Democrats return to democracy messaging in NJ special election

Madison Fernandez, Politico

In one of the first major races of 2026, some candidates are focusing on an issue that has proven to motivate their base but has not been as effective with...

The CIA Is Manipulating Trump Against Putin

Yves Smith, Nakedcapitalism.com

Quelle surprise! The CIA is yet again up to no good.

Trump Rings In New Year With Threats of War and George Clooney Feud

Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic

President Donald Trump has rung in 2026 by threatening war on two fronts—and picking a bizarre fight with American actor George Clooney and his wife Amal.Trump on New Year’s Eve trashed the actor’s decision to leave the United States and obtain French citizen…

‘Wicked’ Composer Stephen Schwartz Cancels Kennedy Center Event After Trump Name Change

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone

'Wicked' composer and Oscar-winner Stephen Schwartz has canceled an appearance at the Kennedy Center in protest of the Donald Trump name change.

The Truth About Europe’s Regulation of Digital Platforms

Bertrand Badré, Project Syndicate

US President Donald Trump claims that Europeans are engaging in "censorship" when they require digital platforms to be transparent about their algorithms and to remove already illegal content. With the US recently barring entry to five Europeans it accuses of…

Trump Throws a Fit After WSJ Publishes Story on His Decrepit Health

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic

A damning new report on Donald Trump’s health has stirred the American public, and even roused the president himself.Practically nothing irks Trump more than stories about his age and his natural deterioration. But a Wall Street Journal article published Thur…

US Government demands access to European police databases and biometrics [video]

Matthias Monroy, Media.ccc.de

The USA is demanding from all 43 countries in the "Visa Waiver Programme" (VWP), which enables visa-free travel, to conclude an "Enhanced...

Trump says he takes more aspirin than recommended: Is that dangerous?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Revelations about Trump's use of the blood thinner emerge during a newspaper interview.

Buckle up: Trump is not putting on the brakes

Brian Karem, Salon

Even as he falters, 2026 will be a make-or-break year for the president — and the country

'Locked and loaded':Trump warns Iran

Sarah Roderick-Fitch, The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Following days of civil unrest in Iran, President Donald Trump issued a warning to the Iranian regime that the U. S.

Tesla Has Lost the Title of World's Biggest EV Maker

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

The Chinese company that Elon Musk once mocked for their electric car designs is now the world's biggest EV manufacturer, passing Tesla.

WATCH: Inside the search for diamonds in Arkansas

ABC News

"GMA" takes you inside Arkansas' famous Crater of Diamonds State Park, one of the state’s top attractions.

Splinter: What Will It Take for You to Quit X?

Jacob Weindling, Jezebel

If you remain unconvinced up to this point and still want to stay on the MechaHitler site that publishes CSAM and removes women and girls' clothing for an audience of millions without their consent, I ask, what will it take for you to quit a site that only ab…

“Locked and Loaded”: Trump Threatens Iran in 3 a.m. Post

Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic

President Donald Trump threatened to intervene in Iran if the regime hurts protesters, warning the United States is “locked and loaded.”“If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to th…

Trump and Iran start 2026 exchanging new threats on social media

The Associated Press, NPR

President Trump warned Iran not to kill protesters. A top Iranian official fired back to stay out of it, alleging the U.S. and Israel were stoking the economic protests sweeping parts of Iran.

"I Will Govern as a Democratic Socialist": Watch Zohran Mamdani & Bernie Sanders at NYC Inauguration

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

Zohran Mamdani hailed “a new era” for New York on Thursday, promising in his inaugural address to deliver on the ambitious agenda that electrified progressives in the city and saw him defeat the political establishment in both the Democratic primary and the g…

Zohran Mamdani Supporters Celebrate "Politics of Optimism" at His Inauguration

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

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers braved freezing temperatures and police barricades to be part of Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration as mayor on New Year’s Day. Democracy Now! spoke with many Mamdani supporters, including a high school student and Palestinian acti…

The Mar-a-Lago NYE Bash Was Everything Wrong With 2025

Danielle Han, Jezebel

And, unfortunately, it could be a weather vane for 2026.

Trump wants to overhaul the 'president's golf course.' He hasn't played there yet

WILL WEISSERT, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump has spent much of his two-week vacation in Florida golfing. Long a favored getaway for presidents seeking a few hours’ solace from...

Somali day care centers face threats. And, how Trump could save Obamacare subsidies

Brittney Melton, NPR

Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota report receiving threats following a viral video that accused them of fraud. And, how Trump could play a role in extending ACA subsidies.

Links 1/2/2026

Conor Gallagher, Nakedcapitalism.com

Our plugged in daily links, including Iran protests, CIA in Ukraine, financialization collapse, and Bahrain butt plugs.

Dawn of the Mamdani era...

Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press

Zohran Mamdani is reveling in what he calls a “new era” for New York City. He was officially sworn in just after midnight Thursday, but politicians and other supporters gathered at City Hall in the afternoon for a larger ceremony. Mamdani is the city’s first …

How Mexico Tripled Its (Nominal) Minimum Wage in Eight Years Without Triggering the Economic Disaster Many Had Predicted

Nick Corbishley, Nakedcapitalism.com

Yet more evidence that improving the lot of those at the very bottom of the income ladder does not necessarily produce unemployment or runaway inflation.

The Post-2025 World Order

Ana Palacio, Project Syndicate

Last year will be remembered as one of global reckoning. The future of the international order remains unknown, but now we know which countries are best prepared to adapt to the loss of what came before.

WATCH: New car tech to watch in 2026

ABC News

ABC News' Danny New looks at what’s ahead for drivers, including some surprising old-school features.

Marjorie Taylor Greene bets the Republican troll era is over

Amanda Marcotte, Salon

It's not like she anything else to offer

WATCH: Extreme weather slams both coasts in US

ABC News

A storm is drenching Southern California, creating a wet start to the new year and raising flooding concerns.

Trump warns Iranian authorities against killing protesters

BBC News

The US president says "we are locked and loaded and ready to go", amid continuing mass unrest in Iran.

WATCH: Flying overseas for hair transplants a growing trend

ABC News

A new wave of people are traveling overseas to places like Turkey for the procedure. ABC News' Lionel Moise reports.

Why are some Black conservatives drawn to Nick Fuentes?

George Michael, Salon

The white nationalist influencer has some unlikely fans.

How Protesters Became Content for the Cops

Dell Cameron, Wired

The tactics behind protest policing are changing—from one of cooperation to intentional antagonism for political marketing purposes.

AI’s Imperial Agenda

The Intercept Briefing, The Intercept

“Empire of AI” author Karen Hao on how Silicon Valley’s young AI companies parallel colonial empires of old. The post AI’s Imperial Agenda appeared first on The Intercept.

This Is the Real SNAP Fraud

Timothy Noah, The New Republic

When Republican politicians complain about “food stamp fraud,” they generally mean that some welfare cheat is ripping off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by falsely claiming eligibility. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, for instan…

The Right-Wing Justices Know Their Favorite Legal Theory Is Bunk

Simon Lazarus, The New Republic

The media’s takeaways from the December oral arguments in the Trump Justice Department’s bid to the Supreme Court to invalidate multi-member “independent agencies,” were unanimous: It was a big win for Trump and for legal conservatives’ decades-long drive to …

How China’s Overinvestment Helped Produce Africa’s Deindustrialization

Yves Smith, Nakedcapitalism.com

An in-depth article from a leftist vantage on China's extensive involvement in Africa finds that it has been a net negative for development

Trump and top Iranian official exchange threats over protests in Iran

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

US president says Washington will intervene if Tehran violently suppresses protests over high prices.

It’s now 2026, and I still don’t have my Trump phone

C. Scott Brown, Android Authority

I pre-ordered Trump Mobile's T1 phone (also known as the Trump phone) in June 2025, and I still don't have it. Where's my phone?

Wildfire smoke is a national crisis, and it’s worse than you think

Matt Simon, Grist

Greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from fires around the world may be 70 percent higher than once believed.

Over 400,000 Russians killed, wounded for 0.8 percent of Ukraine in 2025

John T Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera English

Ukraine’s General Staff estimated the tally - but Russian President Vladimir Putin appears bent on avoiding peace talks.

The Trump phone just missed another release date

Dominic Preston, The Verge

Where's the Trump Phone? We're going to keep talking about it every week. We've reached out, as usual, to ask about the Trump Phone's whereabouts. As usual, we're still waiting for a response. In the meantime, it's missed yet another of its promised release d…

Samsung adds much needed brightness to its Freestyle projector

Thomas Ricker, The Verge

The Freestyle Plus all-in-one portable projector features 430 ISO Lumens, or "nearly twice the brightness of the previous generation," according to Samsung. Great! But also a little strange since both the original and second generation Freestyle projectors li…

LLMs and a chipmaking boom: Here's what Xi Jinping said about China's AI wins in his New Year's address

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

Xi Jinping said AI models and breakthroughs in local chip development have boosted China "in a race to the top."

Maduro says Venezuela open to talks with US, remains mum on dock attack

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Venezuela leader strikes conciliatory tone while renewing claim US wants to topple government for vast oil reserves.

Handshake in Dhaka: Can India and Pakistan revive ties in 2026?

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

An unexpected handshake in Dhaka has prompted debate on whether India and Pakistan might restart talks in 2026.

Israeli hostage released from 2 years of captivity in Gaza struggles to rebuild his life

MELANIE LIDMAN, Yahoo Entertainment

During the two years he was held captive in Gaza, Segev Kalfon had a recurring dream: slowly walking through a supermarket, browsing each aisle for his...

After watching X’s ownership issues play out, marketers brace for TikTok whiplash in 2026

Kimeko McCoy, Digiday

TikTok's ownership drama has echoes of X (formerly Twitter), but ad performance has kept marketers for fleeing—for now.

WATCH: Vigil held for victims of New Year's bar fire in Swiss Alps resort town

ABC News

Mourners held a vigil Thursday for victims of a fire that ripped through a popular bar in a resort town in the Swiss Alps early on New Year's Day.

Maduro says Venezuela open to US talks on drug trafficking

BBC News

In an interview with state TV, the Venezuelan president also evaded a question about an attack in his country claimed by the US.

Trump says health is 'perfect' amid aging concerns

BBC News

In an interview about his health, Trump talked about using hand makeup, getting by on little sleep and taking lots of aspirin.

Tiger Woods' Former Mistress Rachel Uchitel Is Married

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Rachel Uchitel, known for her headline making past with Tiger Woods, is now a married woman ... TMZ has confirmed. Wedding guests tell TMZ ... the "Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel" podcast host wed her fiancé, businessman Dan Donovan in a…

White House aiming to get final approval for Trump-backed ballroom by March

Arden Farhi, CBS News

The Trump administration is aiming to move a planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom through the federal government's review process at a rapid clip,...

Kennedy Center Defends Trump-Hosted Telecast After All-Time Low Nielsen Viewership, Points To $23 Million Raised

Ted Johnson, Deadline

The Kennedy Center is defending this year’s Kennedy Center Honors after the Donald Trump hosted telecast delivered all-time low viewership for CBS. The Dec. 23 telecast averaged 3.01 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Dat…

Russia asks US to end pursuit of oil tanker: Report

Kellie Meyer, Newsnationnow.com

Last month, the Bella 1 was on its way to Venezuela to get oil when the U.S. military tried to board it in the Caribbean.