Trump Halts Healthcare Subsidies, U.S.-China Tariff Reductions – 5/12/2025

The Trump administration announced significant policy shifts, including halting healthcare subsidies for foreign nations and reducing U.S.-China tariffs to foster trade negotiations. Meanwhile, domestic issues like rising home affordability challenges and international developments, such as ceasefire efforts in Ukraine, dominate global attention.

United States

  • Trump declares the U.S. will halt healthcare subsidies for foreign nations and end Big Pharma’s price gouging, per President Trump
  • Russell Vought appointed to lead DOGE following Elon Musk’s resignation, per WSJ
  • Americans now require 70% higher earnings than six years ago to afford a median-priced home, per Realtor.com
  • Trump administration and Homeland Security probe California for allegedly providing federal benefits to illegal immigrants, per DHS
  • 23andMe files for bankruptcy after a hack exposed 7 million users’ DNA data, urging customers to file claims by July 14, per TechCrunch
  • RFK Jr. praises Trump as a courageous, unbought leader standing for Americans, per Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
  • Trump to relaunch plan tying U.S. drug prices to lower costs in other countries, per The Washington Post
  • Trump administration reportedly undermines IRA projects, risking clean energy jobs, per Media Matters for America
  • Trump administration cuts child care programs as Republicans propose policies to support stay-at-home parents, per The New York Times
  • Republican rebukes threats to arrest Democrats visiting ICE detention centers, calling them “drastic,” per The Daily Beast
  • Trump to sign executive order Monday to lower prescription drug costs, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Data reveals immigrants’ key role in U.S. food supply chain, experts tell FOX5’s Caresse Jackman, per FOX5 Las Vegas
  • Tech billionaires’ proposed California city could skip voter approval, raising concerns, per FastCompany
  • Apple allegedly plans to increase prices for upcoming iPhone models, per TechCrunch
  • Google’s I/O developer conference adopts a unique two-part format this month, per PCMag
  • Yahoo integrates AI-driven content discovery into its revamped news app, per FastCompany
  • Rising AI-driven fraud pushes more people to verify online interactions, per Wired
  • Tech stocks poised to rise as U.S. and China halt reciprocal tariffs, per TechCrunch
  • Apple earned over $10 billion in U.S. App Store commissions last year, per PCMag
  • Hacker used stolen WIRED X account to promote fake crypto, leaving reporter to face fallout, per Wired
  • Google’s AI image-to-video generator debuts on Honor’s latest smartphones, per Verge
  • Adafruit warns of price hikes on some DIY computer parts due to new Chinese import costs, per PCMag
  • Panasonic, Match Group, and CrowdStrike among firms announcing layoffs in May 2025, per FastCompany
  • U.S. Siri users from 2014-2024 may claim part of Apple’s $95M settlement, per PCMag
  • American VC’s rare bet on European defense tech signals shifting trends, per TechCrunch
  • Google Keep introduces text formatting for web users, enhancing note-taking, per Verge
  • $5 Mac scratchpad app outshines Apple Notes, per DigitalTrends
  • Elon Musk’s Grok AI reportedly responds to explicit image requests on X, per PCMag
  • Young online daters prioritize sincerity, but emotional caution may hinder true love, per Wired
  • Trump discussed China tariff rollback with Apple CEO Tim Cook, per CNBC
  • Speeding driver kills 4-year-old child after running red light in Indianapolis, per FOX5 Las Vegas

Western States

  • Shots fired during an attempted armed robbery at a Raising Cane’s in central Phoenix overnight, per Arizona’s Family 3TV & CBS 5
  • Driver injured in suspected road rage shooting on I-10 near Sarival Avenue in Goodyear early Sunday, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Two arrested in Southern California for child abduction and other charges tied to a missing minor, per KTLA 5
  • California Governor Newsom to intensify efforts to ban and clear homeless encampments statewide, per The New York Times
  • Massive fire destroys Salt Lake County home despite efforts by Bluffdale Fire Department crews, per KUTV2News
  • One killed in Los Angeles Westlake crash after vehicle veers onto sidewalk Sunday night, per KTLA 5
  • Carlyn Barlow, expelled from FLDS at 15, graduated college this spring while working full-time, per KUTV2News
  • Gallego’s plan emerges as Trump pushes mass deportation promises three months into his term, per Arizona’s Family 3TV & CBS 5
  • Phoenix tree trimmer dies after rescue from 50-foot palm tree on May 10, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • DNA identifies Northern California woman missing since 1987 from 1993 skeletal remains, per KTLA 5
  • One person killed in Chandler crash near Dobson and Warner roads on May 11, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Bryce Fire in Graham County burns 2,900 acres, 25% contained; Coyote Fire in Apache County scorches 1,000 acres, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Family mourns Jaime Yipiz-Solis, Phoenix tree trimmer who died after May 10 accident, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Activists and a lawsuit fight to save two Los Angeles Zoo elephants amid rumors of their secret transfer, per KTLA 5
  • Glendale family narrowly escapes disaster due to hidden danger in Amazon delivery package, per KUTV2News
  • Trial expected to run 8-10 weeks, Monday through Friday, per KUTV2News

International

  • China disregarded trade commitments under Biden due to perceived weakness, says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
  • China reduces tariffs on U.S. goods to 10% from 125%, while the U.S. cuts tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from 145% for 90 days to spur trade talks
  • Trump claims he averted nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan by leveraging trade, saying, “they said, ‘I think we’re gonna stop,'” per President Trump
  • China commits to blocking fentanyl trade to the U.S., with Trump stating, “they’re going to stop it—and they weren’t doing that for anybody else”
  • UK government admits wrongly denying nature funding to 3,000 English farmers, per The Guardian
  • Ex-UK special forces allege colleagues committed war crimes, including child murders, in Iraq and Afghanistan, per The Guardian
  • Iran’s foreign minister warns UK, France, Germany of “irreversible escalation” if U.N. sanctions mechanism is triggered, per Reuters
  • Trump administration grants refugee status to white Afrikaner South Africans while most refugee admissions remain halted, per NPR
  • Kim Kardashian will reportedly testify in Paris this week in a trial over a 2016 Fashion Week robbery where millions in jewelry were stolen, per virginmedianewsireland, TheNextGenBusiness
  • President Trump embarks today on his first foreign trip of his second term to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, aiming to foster a prosperous Middle East, per virginmedianewsireland, TheNextGenBusiness
  • France, Germany, Poland, and the UK push for a 30-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire starting today, with Trump calling.Write failed: Broken pipe