Donald Trump orders US attorney general to 'produce' more Epstein documents (LINK) 18 July 2025
— It's unclear whether Trump is authorising the public release of these documents or when that could come — though such action would typically require the approval of a court.
Crypto market cap nears $4 trillion as Bitcoin and altcoins surge following key US legislation (LINK) 18 July 2025
Trump's son Donald just went public with his company and it flopped spectacularly: GrabAGun (LINK) 17 July 2025
PBS, NPR and public media set to lose federal funding as package of spending cuts clears Congress (LINK) 17 July 2025
DeSantis under fire for using disaster funds to build migrant detention jail: analysis of $20m spent on 'Alligator Alcatraz' shows some contracts went to governor's donors or allies (LINK) 17 July 2025
RFK Jr. fires two top staffers in leadership shakeup: chief of staff and deputy chief of staff of policy both ousted. No reason given. (LINK) 16 July 2025
U.S. Senate votes to claw back $1.1 billion to PBS, NPR and public media allocated over the next two years (LINK) 15 July 2025
— Vice President JD Vance had to break a tie, 51-50, to move the rescissions package to the floor. Three Republicans — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — joined with all Democrats and independents against it. A final vote is expected in the next couple of days.
Top crypto exchanges made $172 million from TRUMP memecoin listing (LINK) 15 July 2025
Trump admin to incinerate 550 tons of emergency food meant for children: enough to feed every child in Gaza for a week (LINK) 15 July 2025
— Part of its ongoing purge of USAID. The "high-energy biscuits", intended for children under five living in war and disaster zones, are currently being stored in a warehouse in Dubai and were meant to be shipped out this year, but will instead go to waste due to cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effectively halting nearly all forms of foreign aid. Despite repeated assurances from the administration not to eliminate food aid, U.S. warehouses around the world currently house 60,000 tonnes of food, including peas and cereal originally bound for famine-stricken Sudan, which the administration is now unable to deliver even if it wanted to after gutting USAID and firing logistical experts.
US President Donald Trump drafted a letter firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and showed it off to a small group of House Republicans during a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday night. The president reportedly hinted that he would probably send the letter. (LINK) 15 July 2025
— Trump has been urging Powell to cut interest rates, but had said that he wouldn’t fire the Fed chair before his term is over in May 2026. It remains to be seen whether Trump will actually oust Powell early, but such a move would be unprecedented, and would roil global markets long accustomed to the political independence of the US’ most powerful financial official.
What Trump said about Putin, a short history: "fooled" or "not fooled"? (LINK) 15 July 2025
Trump to supply missiles to Ukraine, gives Russia 50-day ultimatum: seismic policy shift with major implications (LINK) 14 July 2025
U.S: ICE may deport migrants to countries other than their own with just six hours notice, as long as the person has been provided the chance to speak with an attorney, memo says (LINK) 13 July 2025
— The Supreme Court in June lifted a lower court's order limiting such deportations without a screening for fear of persecution in the destination country. Following the high court's ruling and a subsequent order from the justices, the Trump administration sent eight migrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam to South Sudan. The administration last week pressed officials from five African nations — Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon — to accept deportees from elsewhere, Reuters reported.
U.S. Senate report details "preventable failures" surrounding Butler assassination attempt against Trump (LINK) 13 July 2025
— The Secret Service denied requests for additional security resources during Trump's campaign, a report found: a "disturbing pattern of communications failures and negligence" that led to the death of a rally-goer. The report, citing USSS documents, said the agency's headquarters denied or left unfulfilled at least 10 requests from "the Donald Trump Division" for resources during his campaign, including for counter-unmanned aerial system assets and counter-sniper personnel. Six USSS agents were suspended in connection with their conduct on the day of the attempted assassination, and the agency has implemented numerous reforms in the wake of the shooting.
Macron calls on EU to 'defend European interests resolutely' from Trump tariffs: French president says bloc should be ready for trade war after 30% tariff threat but other EU leaders call for calm (LINK) 13 July 2025
— The bloc declared a pause on €21bn of retaliatory tariffs until 1 August, dovetailing with the US president’s new deal deadline. At the same time, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, announced a "political agreement" on a free trade deal on Sunday, ending nine years of negotiations.
Overtime pay now tax-deductible in U.S.: Details on Trump's new tax break (LINK) 13 July 2025
Trump announces new tariffs of 30% on Mexico and the European Union (LINK) 12 July 2025
The EU and Mexico criticise Donald Trump for proposed 30% tariff — (LINK)
Trade war explainer: check full list — (LINK)
Florida lawmakers allowed into 'Alligator Alcatraz' after lawsuit say detainees packed into cages and makeshift tents: sweltering heat, bug infestations and meagre meals (LINK) 12 July 2025
— Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials defend [facility] as offering higher detention standards than many US prisons.
U.S. State Department began firing more than 1,300 people on Friday as part of a dramatic overhaul of the agency: the firings will affect 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers in Washington, DC (LINK) 11 July 2025
Politico backgrounder — (LINK)
Trump announces 50% tariff on Brazil in retaliation for Bolsonaro trial, trade deficit (LINK) — ground.news: 218 media reports (LINK) 9 July 2025
— Brazil is the largest supplier of unroasted coffee to the United States, providing about one-third of imports, and also contributes over 80% of the orange juice consumed in the U.S., with both commodities facing environmental challenges that affect their availability.
Brazil's Lula pledges reciprocity after Trump tariff announcement — (LINK)
Trump issues up to 30% tariff letters to six more countries: Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, Philippines (LINK) 9 July 2025
Linda Yaccarino steps down as CEO of Elon Musk’s X (LINK) — ground.news: 457 media reports (LINK) 9 July 2025
The Supreme Court backed President Donald Trump's effort to carry out mass firings and reorganizations at federal agencies, putting on hold a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the president from taking those steps without approval from Congress (LINK) 8 July 2025
Trump announces new tariffs of up to 40% on a growing number of countries: Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Myanmar, Laos, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia and Thailand (14 in all) (LINK) 7 July 2025
Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on countries that align with 'Anti-American' BRICS policies (LINK) 7 July 2025
RFK Jr. promoted a food company he says will make Americans healthy. Their meals are ultraprocessed (LINK) 7 July 2025
— Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raved in social media posts on Monday about the $7-a-pop meals that are delivered directly to the homes of Medicaid and Medicare enrollees.
US revokes foreign terrorist designation for Syria's Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (LINK) 7 July 2025
Migrants who were sent to CECOT mega-prison are the responsibility of US, El Salvador tells UN: appears to contradict what U.S. officials have been saying (LINK) 7 July 2025
Tesla loses $68 billion in value after Elon Musk says he is launching a political party (LINK) 7 July 2025
Musk says he is forming new political party after fallout with Trump (LINK) 5 July 2025
Trump administration deports 8 migrants to South Sudan (LINK) 5 July 2025
CNN: Trump falsely claims his highly unpopular big bill is the 'single most popular bill ever signed' (LINK) 4 July 2025
Trump signs his huge tax and spending bill into law: A signing ceremony at the White House on Friday afternoon kicked off celebrations for 4 July (LINK) 4 July 2025
7 little-known items in Trump's big agenda bill (LINK) 4 July 2025
— Car buyers' loan deduction, tax break for whaling captains, gun silencer fees eliminated, Kennedy Center renovations, bad news for gamblers, space launch fees, space shuttle Discovery moves from Virginia to Houston.
Trump says he 'didn't make any progress' with Putin on Ukraine after call: Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv hours after presidents' phone call; US company Techmet to bid in first pilot project of US-Ukraine minerals fund — day 1,227 (LINK) 3 July 2025
EPA puts 139 employees on leave after they sign a 'declaration of dissent' (LINK) 3 July 2025
— Letter from workers, which EPA claims is 'unlawful', says agency is no longer living up to its mission.
Trump's Big Bill achieved what conservatives have been trying to do for decades: Republican fantasy of lower taxes and hard-to-access social safety net programs will now be a reality: Trump plans to sign Friday (LINK) 3 July 2025
Federal judge strikes down Trump's order suspending asylum access at the southern border (LINK) 2 July 2025
— The proclamation to deny entry to asylum seekers at the southern border was issued by President Trump on his first day in office.
Trump's "Alligator Alcatraz" is already flooding: the immigrant detention center is underwater within a day of opening (LINK) 2 July 2025
Trump says U.S. struck trade deal with Vietnam that imposes 20% tariff on its imports (LINK) 2 July 2025
— Vietnam, whose exports to the U.S. reportedly comprised 30% of its gross domestic product last year, is especially vulnerable to Trump's tariffs.
Dr Phil's anti-woke TV network files for bankruptcy a year after launch (LINK) 2 July 2025
— The TV doctor, real name Phil McGraw, launched Merit Street Media in April 2024 with the ambition for it to become "one of the most widely distributed startup networks in modern history". The Fort Worth, Texas-based network and streaming service was designed to take on the "cultural 'woke' assault" that McGraw thinks American families are suffering. However, just weeks after laying off 40 employees in a second round of job culls after a round of redundancies in August last year, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection on Wednesday.
Trump inaugural impersonators scammed donors out of $215K crypto, feds say (LINK) — ground.news: 8 media reports (LINK) 2 July 2025
Trump hits back after Musk criticizes megabill as 'insane': suggests he could direct DOGE to probe subsidies awarded to the billionaire's companies (LINK) 1 July 2025
— Musk "may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!"
TRUMP token now accepted for official Trump merchandise (LINK) 1 July 2025
— The range includes everything from distinctive fragrances to stylish sneakers and elegant watches, linking the vibrant world of political memecoins directly to tangible consumer goods. It's a bold step that challenges conventional notions of how digital currencies are perceived and utilized.
Donald Trump's crypto portfolio loses 78% of value in first half of 2025 (LINK) 1 July 2025