Trump’s Harvard Ban and Global Defense Moves – 5/24/2025

The Trump administration’s ban on Harvard enrolling international students was blocked by a federal judge, citing constitutional concerns, while global tensions rise with Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile defense system. Domestic issues, including voter verification changes and a fatal jailbreak in Louisiana, alongside international developments like a French power outage and Ecuador’s presidential pledges, mark a busy news cycle.

United States

  • President Trump simplifies voter verification, allowing states to use Social Security numbers via the SAVE program to confirm U.S. citizenship for federal elections
  • A Trump-appointed judge terminates Biden-era mandate requiring employers to provide time off for abortions
  • Biden White House press office allegedly mistreated reporters questioning the president’s condition, per Fox News
  • Senate Republicans plan to revise the 1,116-page House-passed bill to align with Trump’s agenda, eyeing key changes to the “big, beautiful bill”, per News Nation
  • Florida Keys’ safety director faces sleepless nights over hurricane preparedness, as the region remains the most vulnerable in the U.S., per Associated Press
  • Ten inmates fled Orleans Parish Justice Center in a major Louisiana jailbreak, exploiting previously cited security failures, per NBC News
  • A sewage treatment worker perished in a boat explosion on the Hudson River near Upper Manhattan, per The New York Times
  • Linda Clary found closure as her son’s murderers, linked to a 2021-2022 drug-induced robbery scheme in NYC gay bars, were sentenced, per NBC News
  • A Kansas ex-officer, uncharged in a 2022 fatal sh–ting of a man with mental health issues, received valor awards for the incident, per NBC News
  • A record 6,618 Americans applied for UK citizenship or residency since Trump’s January inauguration, per The Guardian
  • Private jet crashes into San Diego neighborhood after hitting power line in fog, devastating alternative music community, per AP News
  • Montel Williams co-authors book on USS Intrepid’s journey from wartime ship to museum, per News Nation Now
  • Steven Pinker says Harvard faces outsized criticism from Trump in NYT op-ed, per News Nation Now
  • StubHub eyes public listing this summer after three years of planning, per WSJ
  • Keith McNally’s memoir “I Regret Almost Nothing” reveals his trendsetting yet turbulent career, per WSJ
  • Democrats reportedly claim Jake Tapper is covertly supporting MAGA, per USA Today
  • Senator Marco Rubio places over 100 National Security Council staffers on leave, per CNN
  • Supreme Court grants immigrants deadline flexibility for voluntary departure amid Trump’s crackdown, per AP News
  • Anthropic CEO Dario Amatica predicts the first billion-dollar company with one employee by 2026, driven by AI advancements, per FastCompany
  • Valve CEO Gabe Newell’s Neuralink rival plans to implant its first brain chip this year, per The Verge
  • Scent training kits may help reduce cognitive decline by improving our sense of smell, linked to neurological health, per New Scientist
  • GM lobbied to end California’s gas car sales ban, despite its 2035 all-electric goal, raising legal concerns, per FastCompany
  • A new dwarf planet, 2017 OF201, suggests our solar system may lack a hidden “Planet X” due to its unique orbit, per New Scientist
  • Naukri reportedly exposed recruiter email addresses, raising privacy concerns, per TechCrunch
  • The Dwarf 3 smart telescope, priced at $600, offers beginners a high-tech solution for wildlife and astrophotography, per CNET
  • The $TRUMP meme coin dinner at Trump’s Virginia golf club featured $100,000 watches and a Marriott afterparty, per The Verge
  • A federal judge blocks Trump’s ban on Harvard’s international students, citing “irreparable injury” and constitutional issues, per FastCompany
  • Trump’s proposed Golden Dome defense system, with space-based missile interceptors, could cost billions and spark a space arms race, per New Scientist
  • Paramount’s potential settlement with Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview could be a “bribe,” warns Freedom of the Press Foundation, per Wired
  • General Motors cuts electric vehicle costs with new batteries, betting on growing U.S. demand, per WSJ
  • House Republicans urge Senate GOP to preserve Trump’s agenda bill without changes, per KOIN 6 News
  • Smart questions can simplify finding Memorial Day outdoor furniture deals, reducing shopping stress, per CNET

Western States

  • Police seek public help to identify two persons of interest in a deadly Halloween party sh–ting in Phoenix, Arizona, per ABC15 Arizona
  • Juvenile charged with murder after allegedly k-lling a man with a flare gun in Orange County, California, per KTLA 5
  • Plane crash in San Diego likely k-lls six, including music executive Dave Shapiro, California, per KOIN 6 News
  • Manhunt underway for four men who escaped a minimum-security correctional facility in Columbus, Ohio, per KUTV2News
  • Rep. David Schweikert admits missing a key House vote on Trump’s agenda bill because he fell asleep: “It’s embarrassing”, Arizona, per ABC15 Arizona
  • St. George man, 72, arrested for allegedly stabbing his caretaker in an unprovoked attack, Utah, per KUTV2News
  • Swiss company introduces all-electric commercial plane service with a stop at Scottsdale Airport, Arizona, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Deputies rescue five ducklings trapped behind Tillamook County Jail fence, Oregon, per KOIN 6 News
  • Starlux Airlines to launch nonstop flights from Phoenix to Taipei in 2026, Arizona, per ABC15 Arizona
  • Oregon man quits corporate job, cashes out 401K to sail the world with his cat: “I’m just gonna live life”, Oregon, per FOX5 Las Vegas
  • Tempe mom Cookie Jacobson’s disappearance remains unsolved, leaving mystery for her kids, Arizona, per ABC15 Arizona
  • California woman sentenced for stealing $2.2M from elderly victims, spent on luxury cars and homes, California, per KTLA 5
  • Man steals concealed weapon, fatally sh-ts gun owner in Las Vegas business, Nevada, per FOX5 Las Vegas
  • Inmate’s wife raises safety concerns at Arizona prison after video shows armed inmate fight, Arizona, per FOX 10 Phoenix
  • Two arrested after robbing postal worker at gunpoint in Palos Verdes Estates; USPS keys still missing, California, per KTLA 5
  • Man k-lled in Gramercy Park sh–ting involving four to five suspects, California, per KTLA 5

International

  • A major power outage hits southeastern France, disrupting traffic and briefly halting Cannes Film Festival events, per Associated Press
  • Pope Leo XIV offers to mediate global peace talks, but Moscow dismisses the proposal as “unrealistic”, per Euronews
  • President Trump rejects EU deal, vows to impose 50% tariffs
  • Arsenal clinched the Women’s Champions League title, with Stina Blackstenius’s goal upsetting Barcelona, per The Guardian
  • Ecuador’s President Noboa, sworn in for a full term, pledged to curb murders and spur economic growth, per Reuters
  • Hamburg police reported stable conditions for 18 victims stabbed by a woman at the central train station, motive still under investigation, per The New York Times
  • Israel’s IDF investigates soldiers allegedly using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, a practice “strictly prohibited,” per The Guardian
  • UN chief urges Israel to boost Gaza aid access as Hamas-run health ministry reports 60 k-lled in recent strikes, per Virgin Media News Ireland
  • Rahul Gandhi visits Poonch, meets victims of Pakistan’s cross-border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir, per NDTV
  • Xi Jinping’s image of absolute authority stems from his roots as a revolutionary hero’s son, per WSJ
  • Shenzhen’s 21st ICIF showcases Chinese intangible cultural heritage, drawing global crowds, per CGTN
  • German Chancellor Merz inaugurates first permanent foreign troop deployment in Lithuania since WWII, per NDTV
  • Zhejiang’s water town reflects traditional Chinese culture with white-walled houses and serene rivers, per CGTN
  • Kiribati, straddling the equator, welcomes the world’s first sunrise across its 33 coral atolls, per CGTN
  • French court convicts thieves who stole Kim Kardashian’s $4 million ring in 2016 r-bbery, per NDTV
  • Monaco’s Prince Albert faces corruption and infidelity allegations as reign nears 20 years, per WSJ
  • Ningbo blends historic heritage with modern innovation, showcasing its unique cultural charm, per CGTN
  • Buy-and-hold investors face tough reality: “The only way to get ahead is to play the long game,” per WSJ
  • Court cites “burden of fidelity” in case of two Army majors’ extramarital affair, per NDTV
  • Kyiv faces massive Russian drone and missile attack with explosions across the city, per KUTV2News
  • Alex Garland will write and direct an Elden Ring live-action film with A24, tackling the game’s vast world, per Digital Trends
  • Mark Lynas urges proactive steps to avoid nuclear war, warning we can’t rely on luck forever, per New Scientist
  • China claims Trump’s ban on Harvard’s international students harms U.S. global standing, per FastCompany
  • York’s sharp parking fee hike aims to cut car use, a model for broader urban sustainability, per New Scientist
  • Brazilian meat giant JBS plans NYSE listing on June 12, despite past corruption allegations, per FastCompany
  • Five must-watch movies are leaving Netflix in May 2025, so catch them now, per Digital Trends
  • Fear Street: Prom Queen director discusses crafting the perfect slasher k-ll scene, per Digital Trends
  • Google’s tools can help travelers save significantly on hotels and flights with the right approach, per FastCompany
  • Pope Leo XIV aided victims of an abusive Catholic group, despite scrutiny: “He helped when others didn’t”, per KOIN 6 News
  • Power outage disrupts Cannes Film Festival; police probe possible arson, per KOIN 6 News