President Trump threatened Apple with at least a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the U.S. unless they are manufactured domestically, not in India or elsewhere. This directly opposes Apple’s plan to shift iPhone production to India to diversify its supply chain and reduce reliance on China. Trump’s statement caused Apple’s shares to drop and disrupts Apple’s goal of sourcing most of its U.S. iPhone supply from India by the end of next year. Despite this, Trump claims Apple will increase US production.
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President Trump, angered by Reps. Warren Davidson and Thomas Massie’s votes against his bill, believes they should face primary challenges. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed this, characterizing their actions as grandstanding and questioning their priorities. Massie, a fiscal conservative, opposed the bill due to insufficient spending cuts, a position shared by Davidson. Trump’s public criticism of Massie predates this incident, highlighting a longstanding tension between the two.
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Approximately 100 protesters demonstrated outside a Trump golf course against a secretive dinner for investors in Trump’s cryptocurrency, $TRUMP. Access to the dinner, costing attendees an average of $1.78 million, was granted via a competition to purchase the most $TRUMP tokens; 80% of the meme coin’s supply is controlled by the Trump Organization. Critics, including Senator Jeff Merkley, condemned the event as a blatant conflict of interest, highlighting the participation of numerous anonymous foreign investors and the lack of White House transparency regarding the guest list. The White House dismissed concerns, claiming the event was personal and not profiting the presidency.
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ProPublica’s investigation reveals that over a dozen Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, strategically divested themselves of substantial stock holdings shortly before President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs negatively impacted the market. These preemptive sales, totaling millions of dollars, occurred within days of the market downturn, with some officials repurchasing shares at reduced prices afterward. Examples include a State Department official’s $50,000 sale and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s sale of shares in nearly 36 companies. This pattern raises concerns about potential insider trading.
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The 2026 World Cup, hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico, poses significant safety risks for international visitors due to the Trump administration’s policies. Statements from President Trump and Vice President Vance, interpreted as veiled threats, suggest increased crackdowns on immigrants and potential harassment of visitors. Numerous countries have issued travel warnings, and a boycott movement, “Boycott USA 2026,” has formed due to concerns over the potential for human rights violations. Therefore, attending the World Cup in Canada or Mexico is strongly advised over the United States.
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The FDA announced a significant policy shift, ending routine annual COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy younger adults and children. Future COVID-19 vaccine approvals will require extensive studies, prioritizing high-risk individuals (adults 65+ and those with underlying health conditions). This new framework, published in the *New England Journal of Medicine*, marks a departure from the previous “one-size-fits-all” approach and raises concerns about vaccine accessibility and insurability. The decision follows criticism of the U.S.’s aggressive booster recommendations compared to other nations.
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During a meeting with South African President Ramaphosa, President Trump falsely presented a Reuters image from the Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence of white South African killings. The image, from February 2023, actually depicted humanitarian workers handling bodies after clashes between M23 rebels and the Congolese army. Trump obtained the image from a conservative online magazine article that, while referencing South African racial tensions, misidentified the picture’s origin. The Reuters journalist who filmed the original footage confirmed its context and expressed shock at its misuse.
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During a White House meeting, President Trump presented evidence of alleged white South African genocide, including images from the Democratic Republic of Congo misrepresented as burial sites of white farmers and video footage of a memorial site falsely portrayed as mass graves. The video also featured inflammatory rhetoric from South African opposition politician Julius Malema, which Trump misleadingly presented as official government policy. These claims, which have circulated among far-right groups, fueled Trump’s offer of refuge to white South African farmers, a proposition that angered the South African government. The South African delegation strongly refuted the accusations.
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Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the Department of Homeland Security revoked the university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effectively barring international students. This action, deemed unlawful and unwarranted by Harvard President Alan Garber, jeopardizes the futures of thousands of students and represents a significant escalation in the conflict between the university and the administration. The lawsuit alleges a retaliatory campaign against Harvard, highlighting the potential destabilization of the university’s operations by restricting international student enrollment. Harvard’s swift legal response underscores the critical role international students play in its academic community.
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President Trump’s spending bill passed the House by a narrow 215-214 margin, thanks in part to the recent deaths of three House Democrats. Had these Democrats been alive and voted, the bill would have failed. The absences highlighted concerns about the aging Democratic leadership and the party’s image as out of touch, prompting criticism regarding the lack of generational change within the party. This issue is further exacerbated by the significant number of older House Democrats planning to seek reelection.
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John Q. Hosedrinker