NuseReal

Trump and Saudi Arabia announce $600 billion investment deal, including $142 billion in defence (LINK) — ground.news: 338 media reports (LINK) — 14 May 2025.

Trump meets Syrian president in Saudi Arabia before heading to Qatar: hails Islamist leader as 'attractive guy, tough guy' (LINK) — ground.news: 182 media reports (LINK) — 14 May 2025.

Gabbard fires the 2 top National Intelligence Council officials (LINK) 14 May 2025.

Luxury skyscrapers, golf courses and cryptocurrency: the Trump family's business ties to the Middle East have more than tripled since the president's first term in office (LINK) 13 May 2025.

Trump says U.S. will remove all sanctions on Syria: had been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. government since 1979 (LINK) 14 May 2025.

Axios: Trump's executive order to lower drug prices may not do much of that: sets a deadline of 30 days and then will see what happens. (LINK) 13 May 2025.

— The order calls for drugmakers to voluntarily cut prices or face the threat of a "most favored nation" pricing regime that would peg the cost of their medicines to what's paid in other wealthy nations, where they often sell for less. Trump posted on social media Sunday that American consumers would "almost immediately" see their drug prices fall by 30% to 80%. In reality, it would take much longer than that. Trump's 2020 attempt to tie Medicare Part B drugs to the lowest price paid by other OECD countries was blocked by a federal judge after the drug industry sued.

Library of Congress staff mount standoff against new MAGA bosses: Two Justice Department officials who apparently had been appointed into two new top roles at the library were turned away trying to enter the U.S. Copyright Office, including Trump's counsel named acting Librarian of Congress (LINK) 12 May 2025.

People spent an estimated $148 million on Donald Trump's meme coin in a contest to dine with the president at his private golf club in Sterling, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., later this month. (LINK) 12 May 2025.

Dow soars 1,000 points after Trump team and China dramatically lower tariffs (LINK) 12 May 2025.

U.S. Episcopal Church says it won't follow federal directive to help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status in US: cites the church's "commitment to racial justice and reconciliation" (LINK) 12 May 2025.

Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: luxury jumbo jet is to be used as Air Force One (LINK) 12 May 2025.

White House, Qatar discuss transfer of luxury jet for Air Force One: Qatar says a deal for "temporary use" of the plane is under negotiation, amid media reports of a gift (LINK) 11 May 2025.

— Trump referred to the plane as a gift and said it was offered for his use at no cost in a post to his Truth Social website on Sunday.

Trump admin repeats claim in 9 April order that donating to LGBTQ+ rights group undermines national security (LINK) 12 May 2025.

Trump claims 'total reset' in US-China trade relations from continuing tariff talks in Geneva (LINK) 11 May 2025.

Dow Futures rally over 400 points as US, China 'come to agreement' in Geneva trade talks (LINK) 11 May 2025.

First group of White South Africans granted refugee status depart to U.S. (LINK) 11 May 2025.

MLK bust quietly removed from Oval Office (LINK) 11 May 2025.

Brazilian pulp exporter Suzano SA, the world's largest, is warning that supply chain disruptions due to new U.S. tariffs could result in a shortage of toilet paper, although so far, store shelves around the country are well stocked (LINK) 11 May 2025.

Mexico is suing Google over 'Gulf of America' name change for US users: says name change only applies to the US portion of the oceanic basin (LINK) 10 May 2025.

White House considering suspending habeas corpus, Stephen Miller says (LINK) 9 May 2025.

Pentagon directs military to pull library books that address diversity, anti-racism, gender issues — by 21 May (LINK) 9 May 2025.

Tufts student Rumeysa Öztürk out of ICE custody since March after judge orders her release: "Öztürk is free to return to her home in Massachusetts ... because, frankly, I don't find that she poses any risk of flight," the judge ruled (LINK) 9 May 2025.

Trump-linked USD1 stablecoin, issued by World Liberty Finance (WLFI), hits $2.12 billion market cap from $130m on BNB chain with StakeStone cross-chain partnership (LINK) 9 May 2025.

Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to allow him to end humanitarian parole for 500,000 people from 4 countries (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela), setting them up for potential deportation. (LINK) 8 May 2025.

Trump's first new trade deal triples taxes on Americans buying British products (LINK) 8 May 2025.

— According to a chart used by Trump, the new trade deal with the United Kingdom will bring in $6 billion in "external revenue", a term he and his administration use to describe payments collected by U.S. Customs from American importers. The new 10% rate for nearly all goods, which was announced last month for countries all over the world, is three times higher than the 3.4% average rate Americans have paid for goods from Britain and Northern Ireland.

— Trump said he agreed to lower his 25% tax on imported cars to 10% for the first 100,000 cars entering from the U.K. each year to help the British auto industry because it mainly produces high-end luxury cars. "They make a very small number of cars that are super luxury, and that includes Bentley and Jaguar," he said. In return, the U.K. has agreed to open its market to American beef and other agricultural products, Trump said. "We're a very big country. We have a lot of beef." he added.

New Pope, Robert Prevost from U.S., has criticized J.D. Vance and Trump (LINK) 8 May 2025.

None of the objects on the Oval Office mantle were made in the U.S. (LINK) 8 May 2025.

U.S. Senate Democrats, with some Republicans' support, block stablecoin bill as they raise concerns about Trump's crypto ventures (LINK) 8 May 2025.

— It failed 49-48 on a procedural vote Thursday after Democrats said that they needed to see more changes to the legislation before they could back it.

Trump plans to announce next week that the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials say (LINK) 7 May 2025.

A Trump Gold Card Visa is already showing up in immigration forms: (LINK) 8 May 2025.

— A reference to the Trump Card Visa has also been added in the live application form for Global Entry, a program run by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that allows preapproved US citizens, green card holders, and traveplers from certain countries to enter the US through a fast lane, saving them time at the airport. People who apply for Global Entry with a foreign passport are currently given the option to select if they have "submitted an application for a Trump Card Visa," tests by WIRED show.

President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in email from White House: Hayden was the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress: Conservative advocacy group aAF said a few hours before: "The current #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids." (LINK) 8 May 2025.

Trump withdraws surgeon general nominee Janette Nesheiwat after questions about her medical education and criticism of her by conservative gadfly Laura Loomer (LINK) 7 May 2025.

The Hill: Trump "has instead chosen chronic disease entrepreneur Casey Means, a physician with close ties to the 'Make American Healthy Again', or MAHA, movement, as his new pick. Means, a graduate of Stanford Medical School, is the sister of Calley Means, a close ally to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a special government employee at HHS. They are both high-profile proponents of Kennedy's MAHA agenda." — (LINK)

— The president said Nesheiwat will work at the Department of Health and Human Services "in another capacity". She is the sister-in-law of Trump's former national security advisor Mike Waltz. Trump removed Waltz from his post six days before and said he was nominating Waltz to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

— CBS News, citing records it reviewed, last week reported that Nesheiwat, who had said she had a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, actually earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, located in St. Maarten. "A spokesperson for the University of Arkansas confirmed to CBS News she completed her residency through its family medicine program in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but did not obtain her medical degree there," the network reported.

— Loomer criticized Nesheiwat for having previously said that "vaccine hesitancy is a Global health threat", and for using her position at Fox News to promote the Covid-19 vaccine.

Trump administration has shut down CDC's infection control committee (HICPAC) — as of 31 March (LINK) 7 May 2025.

— Four professional societies previously wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on March 26 asking him to preserve the committee amid widespread cuts to federal health agencies.

Top US officials will meet with Chinese delegation in Switzerland at weekend in first major talks of trade war (LINK) 7 May 2025.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent tells Congress the Trump Admin has NOT held any negotiations with China over tariffs (LINK) 6 May 2025.

Friedrich Merz confirmed as German chancellor in second vote following first round humiliation, calls for US to 'stay out' of German politics (LINK) 6 May 2025.

The New Republic: Trump's law firm deals are already falling apart: while the firms had reportedly agreed to provide millions of dollars of pro bono work for specific causes, many asserted that they had total authority over the selection of their clients. (LINK) 6 May 2025.

58 crypto wallets have made millions on Trump's meme coin while 764,000 have lost money, data shows (LINK) 6 May 2025.

White House walks back on Trump call for 100% tariff on foreign films, a day after Jon Voight proposed 'limited' tariffs: "no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made." (LINK) 5 May 2025.

PolitiFact: "It's estimated" that President Donald Trump's tariffs will mean "American families would have to pay about $4,000 more a year": Mostly true (LINK) 5 May 2025.

Heather Cox Richardson: The failures behind Trump's Alcatraz declaration (LINK) 5 May 2025.

President Trump says non-US movies to be hit with 100% levies (LINK) 5 May 2025.

— US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded to the latest announcement, saying "We're on it". BBC: "The details of the move are unclear. Trump's statement did not say whether the tariff would apply to American production companies producing films abroad."

Trump's call to 'reopen Alcatraz': "it was closed in the 1960s because it was three times more expensive to operate than other prisons" (LINK) 4 May 2025.

DOE to cut off billions of dollars' worth of Biden-era green energy projects (LINK) 4 May 2025.

Slate: Trump just issued an Executive Order aimed at decimating the Civil Rights Act of 1964: "Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy" executive order, published last month. (LINK) 4 May 2025.

— Thomas Silverstein: "If a policy harms members of one group much more than others and if there is no good reason for the policy, it violates the law."

— "The executive order calls for the repeal of agencies' disparate impact regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and demands vague 'appropriate action' (presumably dismissal) with respect to pending enforcement proceedings under other laws like the Fair Housing Act. The order proceeds from the baseless assumption that compliance with civil rights laws that allow for disparate impact claims is achieved by taking something away from members of another group."

Mexico's president says she rejected Trump's plan to send US troops across the border (LINK) 3 May 2025.

US federal court halts ruling ordering Voice of America to allow employees back to work and restore funding for Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks (LINK) 3 May 2025.

— The appeals court in a 2-1 decision suggested earlier judge lacked jurisdiction to order the employees to return to work and to require the restoration of $15 million in grants for Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

2 major U.S. scientific societies to do own climate assessment after Trump administration dismissed authors (LINK) 3 May 2025.

Elon Musk's DOGE removes IRS crypto policy officers (LINK) 3 May 2025.

Worker safety agency NIOSH lays off most remaining staff: gutting programmes ranging from approvals of new safety equipment to firefighter health (LINK) 4 May 2025.

Judge permanently blocks Trump's executive order targeting Democratic-tied law firm Perkins Coie (LINK) 2 May 2025.

Trump family's net worth has increased by $2.9 billion thanks to crypto investments, new report says (LINK) 2 May 2025.

National Science Foundation cut off all funding to scientists in 30 April order (LINK) 2 May 2025.

Oil spill off Louisiana's Gulf Coast raises alarm as DOGE cuts may threaten response efforts: a report from the U.S. Coast Guard's National Response Center said "the amount discharged could potentially reach the threshold of a major spill for coastal waters (over 100,000 gallons)". The leak is occurring near the Garden Island Bay area of the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area, a sensitive ecological zone in southeastern Louisiana (LINK) 2 May 2025.

— A study in 2023 identified 14,000 unplugged, abandoned wells in the Gulf.

The Trump administration says it will cut EPA staffing to Reagan-era levels (LINK) 2 May 2025.

Donald Trump's budget "breaks his promise to protect social security" (LINK) 2 May 2025.

— Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works: "It keeps funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA) flat, which is a de-facto cut since SSA's fixed costs, such as field office rents, go up every year by over $600 million. Furthermore, it forces SSA to spend more money on so-called "program integrity" — clawing back money from Americans who have been overpaid through no fault of their own — which creates extreme hardship, including homelessness. The truth is that Social Security is extremely understaffed, which is increasing backlogs and wait times. This budget will make those backlogs and delays worse. It will make mistakes — including the Orwellian nightmare of being inadvertently declared dead when you are not — harder to fix."

President Trump orders Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end federal funding for NPR and PBS (LINK) 1 May 2025.

whitehouse.gov: "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization Of Biased Media" (LINK) — 1 May 2025.

Waltz out as national security adviser and tapped for UN ambassador in the first major staff shakeup since the president took office in January (LINK) — 1 May 2025.

Trump-appointed judge says president's use of Alien Enemies Act is unlawful in first-of-its-kind ruling (LINK) — 1 May 2025.

Mike Waltz, other National Security Council staffers out in latest Trump purge following Signal chat leak (LINK)