Nick Anderson. Raw Story
August 25, 2026
Nick Anderson/Raw Story
Nick Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist.
Wednesday, September 02, 2026
'Incredible spike': CNN anchor marvels at scourge blamed on Trump cuts
Travis Gettys
August 31, 2026
RAW STORY
Taylor Farms products are displayed for sale, amid reports of slumping consumer confidence in lettuce and other fresh produce during the current cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands across the U.S., at a grocery store in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 24, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo
Federal health officials say they are confident that all iceberg lettuce linked to a nationwide cyclospora outbreak has been removed from U.S. markets, even as the case count from the summer-long outbreak continues to rise.
More than 11,000 people have been sickened this summer in an outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms of Mexico, CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell reported. Nearly 500 have been hospitalized, and two people have died — a rare outcome for cyclospora infections. Both deaths occurred in Michigan, which has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak.
"It's pretty incredible when you see when you see that spike there in Michigan," said CNN's John Berman, reacting to her reporting. "Yeah, that's just an incredible spike."
The recall was issued July 17, and the lettuce's sell-by dates ran through Aug. 3. The most recent reported illness began Aug. 15, and the Food and Drug Administration says it remains confident that all recalled product has been pulled from shelves. Officials are urging anyone who still has Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce that expired around that date to discard it.
Illnesses in Michigan peaked in early July, before the recall took effect, but new cases continued to be reported into early August. Tirrell noted that cyclospora symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear after exposure, and it can take as long as six weeks for a case to be confirmed and linked back to the outbreak, which helps explain the lag in reported illnesses. The outbreak has now been tied to 20 states, with the Midwest hit hardest.
Food safety experts say the contamination has been isolated specifically to Taylor Farms' shredded iceberg lettuce, and that consumers should not stop eating produce more broadly.
The Trump administration is shutting down two of the three U.S. Department of Agriculture research projects dedicated to studying cyclospora after Congress defunded them earlier this year, according to Politico.
The third is being moved from Maryland to Iowa this fall as part of USDA reorganization, but every scientist studying the parasite has declined to relocate, and the upheaval is expected to hamper food safety research as public concerns mount.
'Whoa!' Bottom drops out for Trump as decisive midterm voting bloc flees in droves
Travis Gettys
August 31, 2026
RAW STORY
(Screengrab via CNN)
The decisive voter bloc in this year's midterm elections has dramatically shifted away from President Donald Trump and the Republican Party on the issue that helped elect him, according to CNN's Harry Enten.
In August 2024, independents trusted Trump over then-Vice President Kamala Harris on inflation by 12 percentage points, a margin Enten described as a key factor in Trump's victory. That advantage has since collapsed, and Trump's net approval rating on inflation among independents now stands at 64 points underwater – marking a swing of 76 points in a little over two years.
"Whoa!" Enten said. "You don't see changes like this. But the key issue that got him elected, now he's way down there in the Gulf of Mexico.
A similar reversal has occurred at the party level. In August 2022, ahead of that year's midterms, independents trusted Republicans over Democrats on inflation by 27 points, a margin that helped the GOP retake the House, but independents now say they trust Democrats more on the issue, by 18 points — a 45-point swing from four years ago.
Enten said such large shifts in voter trust on a single issue are unusual, and noted that the change matters because inflation remains the top concern for independent voters heading into November.
According to the data presented, 38 percent of independents named inflation as their top issue, followed by 14 percent who cited the broader economy and 10 percent who pointed to the conflict with Iran, which Enten said is also closely tied to economic concerns. Combined, more than half of independents identified inflation or the economy as their most pressing issue.
Gas prices, a visible driver of inflation concerns, may not offer Republicans relief before Election Day.
Enten said the combination of persistently high gas prices and the sharp erosion of trust on inflation, the very issue that fueled Republican gains in both the 2022 and 2024 elections, could pose a significant risk for the party in this year's midterm contests, given how central the issue clearly remains to independent voters' concerns.
Travis Gettys
August 31, 2026
RAW STORY
(Screengrab via CNN)
The decisive voter bloc in this year's midterm elections has dramatically shifted away from President Donald Trump and the Republican Party on the issue that helped elect him, according to CNN's Harry Enten.
In August 2024, independents trusted Trump over then-Vice President Kamala Harris on inflation by 12 percentage points, a margin Enten described as a key factor in Trump's victory. That advantage has since collapsed, and Trump's net approval rating on inflation among independents now stands at 64 points underwater – marking a swing of 76 points in a little over two years.
"Whoa!" Enten said. "You don't see changes like this. But the key issue that got him elected, now he's way down there in the Gulf of Mexico.
A similar reversal has occurred at the party level. In August 2022, ahead of that year's midterms, independents trusted Republicans over Democrats on inflation by 27 points, a margin that helped the GOP retake the House, but independents now say they trust Democrats more on the issue, by 18 points — a 45-point swing from four years ago.
Enten said such large shifts in voter trust on a single issue are unusual, and noted that the change matters because inflation remains the top concern for independent voters heading into November.
According to the data presented, 38 percent of independents named inflation as their top issue, followed by 14 percent who cited the broader economy and 10 percent who pointed to the conflict with Iran, which Enten said is also closely tied to economic concerns. Combined, more than half of independents identified inflation or the economy as their most pressing issue.
Gas prices, a visible driver of inflation concerns, may not offer Republicans relief before Election Day.
Enten said the combination of persistently high gas prices and the sharp erosion of trust on inflation, the very issue that fueled Republican gains in both the 2022 and 2024 elections, could pose a significant risk for the party in this year's midterm contests, given how central the issue clearly remains to independent voters' concerns.
GOP Senate alarms blare as Trump now in 'serious trouble with farm country'
Travis Gettys
August 31, 2026
Farm-state Republicans point to a combination of tariffs, expensive diesel and fertilizer, and administration moves to ease tariffs on imported beef as driving frustration among agricultural voters who have historically backed the party.
Cramer said the beef issue in particular has infuriated producers. "The one ag producer making money for a change and you shrink his revenue," he said.
Democratic candidates say they're hearing similar frustration on the trail. Josh Turek, running for Senate in Iowa against Rep. Ashley Hinson, has described conditions facing farmers as a second farm crisis. Adam Hamilton, a former pastor challenging Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, said many Republican voters are reluctant to criticize Trump directly but expect their senators to push back on policies hurting them.
Iowa, which Trump carried three times but which hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 2008, is considered a bellwether for whether the discontent extends beyond reliably blue territory. Republicans are also watching unusually competitive polling in Kansas, Nebraska and parts of the South, along with Maine and Alaska, states with economies tied closely to trade and fuel prices.
Adding to the frustration is the hundreds of millions of dollars sitting in GOP-aligned groups, much of it controlled by Trump, that officials say hasn't been deployed to help endangered incumbents. Republicans have privately complained the president is focused more on personal priorities than defending the party's majorities.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she has urged Trump to reconsider his approach toward Canada, a major trading partner for border states. "I would remind him that Canada is our friend, our closest ally and our biggest trading partner," Collins said, adding that damaging that relationship would hurt Maine and other states along the border.
Republican strategists have compared the environment to 2006 and 2018, both rough midterms for the party in power, with uncertainty over which precedent fits this November.
Travis Gettys
August 31, 2026
RAW STORY
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND). (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)
Republican senators are increasingly convinced the battle for Senate control will be decided in the Midwest, and that agricultural voters angered by tariffs, fuel costs and beef imports could hand Democrats the majority
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to flip the chamber, and strategists say that becomes attainable if they capture Republican-held seats in Ohio and Iowa while holding Michigan, then find a fourth seat in North Carolina or a longer-shot state, reported Politico.
"He's in serious trouble in farm country," Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said of President Donald Trump. "He being Trump — and Trump is us. I'm not very optimistic."
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND). (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)
Republican senators are increasingly convinced the battle for Senate control will be decided in the Midwest, and that agricultural voters angered by tariffs, fuel costs and beef imports could hand Democrats the majority
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to flip the chamber, and strategists say that becomes attainable if they capture Republican-held seats in Ohio and Iowa while holding Michigan, then find a fourth seat in North Carolina or a longer-shot state, reported Politico.
"He's in serious trouble in farm country," Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said of President Donald Trump. "He being Trump — and Trump is us. I'm not very optimistic."
Farm-state Republicans point to a combination of tariffs, expensive diesel and fertilizer, and administration moves to ease tariffs on imported beef as driving frustration among agricultural voters who have historically backed the party.
Cramer said the beef issue in particular has infuriated producers. "The one ag producer making money for a change and you shrink his revenue," he said.
Democratic candidates say they're hearing similar frustration on the trail. Josh Turek, running for Senate in Iowa against Rep. Ashley Hinson, has described conditions facing farmers as a second farm crisis. Adam Hamilton, a former pastor challenging Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, said many Republican voters are reluctant to criticize Trump directly but expect their senators to push back on policies hurting them.
Iowa, which Trump carried three times but which hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 2008, is considered a bellwether for whether the discontent extends beyond reliably blue territory. Republicans are also watching unusually competitive polling in Kansas, Nebraska and parts of the South, along with Maine and Alaska, states with economies tied closely to trade and fuel prices.
Adding to the frustration is the hundreds of millions of dollars sitting in GOP-aligned groups, much of it controlled by Trump, that officials say hasn't been deployed to help endangered incumbents. Republicans have privately complained the president is focused more on personal priorities than defending the party's majorities.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she has urged Trump to reconsider his approach toward Canada, a major trading partner for border states. "I would remind him that Canada is our friend, our closest ally and our biggest trading partner," Collins said, adding that damaging that relationship would hurt Maine and other states along the border.
Republican strategists have compared the environment to 2006 and 2018, both rough midterms for the party in power, with uncertainty over which precedent fits this November.
Internal revolt as 'nuts' Apple execs appease Trump: 'There is not a soul who is for it'
Tom Boggioni
September 2, 2026
Tom Boggioni
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
Apple executive Tim Cook speaks with Donald Trump (Photo via Leah Millis for Reuters)
Apple executives' decision to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America" on its Maps app is setting off a firestorm inside the tech giant, with employees furious that leadership caved to President Donald Trump out of fear of his wrath, according to a new report.
Employees are furious that the company is rolling over because of higher-ups' fear of the wrath of President Donald Trump who demanded the name change in an executive order, media watchdog Status reported Wednesday.
At the same time the public is rejecting the “deeply stupid” name change, which Google has also agreed to follow, Apple was late to the game and employees are not happy.
The controversy intensified after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared on Fox Business on Monday, telling host Maria Bartiromo, "I know that the president reached out to Apple directly, so I'm sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America."
According to Oliver Darcy at Status, "While Apple had likely always planned to update its map to reflect the executive order—it had, after all, also swapped Gulf of Mexico for 'Gulf of America'—Status has learned that executives at the company were irked by Burgum’s comments. By disclosing that Trump had personally phoned Cupertino, the White House had framed any decision Apple made as one in which it 'was capitulating to the president’s demands.'"
Inside the company, Status reported it would be difficult to find a single employee who genuinely supports the change.
"There is not a soul who is for it," one person familiar with the matter told Darcy, adding that "everyone considers it f-----g nuts."
Still, Apple's leadership and most of its rank-and-file are described as "resigned" to these kinds of concessions under Trump's second term, understanding "that Trump will f--- with the company if the company doesn't do what he wants," the person said.
The dispute over Lake Ontario's name has become one of the more visible flashpoints in Trump's escalating trade dispute with Canada, whose officials have mocked the renaming effort as absurd. Like Google's version, Apple's change applies "only to Maps for users located in the United States." Canadian users and much of the rest of the world still see the lake listed under its original name.
Apple executive Tim Cook speaks with Donald Trump (Photo via Leah Millis for Reuters)
Apple executives' decision to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America" on its Maps app is setting off a firestorm inside the tech giant, with employees furious that leadership caved to President Donald Trump out of fear of his wrath, according to a new report.
Employees are furious that the company is rolling over because of higher-ups' fear of the wrath of President Donald Trump who demanded the name change in an executive order, media watchdog Status reported Wednesday.
At the same time the public is rejecting the “deeply stupid” name change, which Google has also agreed to follow, Apple was late to the game and employees are not happy.
The controversy intensified after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared on Fox Business on Monday, telling host Maria Bartiromo, "I know that the president reached out to Apple directly, so I'm sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America."
According to Oliver Darcy at Status, "While Apple had likely always planned to update its map to reflect the executive order—it had, after all, also swapped Gulf of Mexico for 'Gulf of America'—Status has learned that executives at the company were irked by Burgum’s comments. By disclosing that Trump had personally phoned Cupertino, the White House had framed any decision Apple made as one in which it 'was capitulating to the president’s demands.'"
Inside the company, Status reported it would be difficult to find a single employee who genuinely supports the change.
"There is not a soul who is for it," one person familiar with the matter told Darcy, adding that "everyone considers it f-----g nuts."
Still, Apple's leadership and most of its rank-and-file are described as "resigned" to these kinds of concessions under Trump's second term, understanding "that Trump will f--- with the company if the company doesn't do what he wants," the person said.
The dispute over Lake Ontario's name has become one of the more visible flashpoints in Trump's escalating trade dispute with Canada, whose officials have mocked the renaming effort as absurd. Like Google's version, Apple's change applies "only to Maps for users located in the United States." Canadian users and much of the rest of the world still see the lake listed under its original name.
Susan Collins' re-election bid haunted by exposed Oath-Keeper hire
Tom Boggioni
September 2, 2026
Now she is about to face questions about her hiring of Piscataquis County Commissioner Wayne Erkkine, 81, as her town chair in Greenville, which "puts him in charge of grassroots campaigns and voter outreach."
According to the report, Erkkinen's name popped up in the Oath Keepers' leaked membership rolls of more than 38,000 names and has been identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a member of the group behind the January 6 Capitol attack.
Erkkine told the Beast he quit "years ago," before the riot, claiming, "It wasn't what I thought it would be.
Nonetheless, his ties to the Collins campaign has reportedly given Democrats "fresh ammunition," by linking the embattled GOP lawmaker to extremists who took part in the assault on Washington, D.C., as part of a Trump-inspired insurrection.
Tom Boggioni
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) walks in Capitol Hill, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Republican Sen. Susan Collins' hold on her Maine Senate seat is slipping as Democrats pounce on her ties to a member of the far-right Oath Keepers organization.
It's been one headache after another for Collins as she fights to defend a seat targeted by Democrats for a November flip, the Daily Beast reported Wednesday.
Those headaches include billionaire donors with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, gas-money pleas to voters to fuel her re-election tour, and President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada, according to the Beast.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) walks in Capitol Hill, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Republican Sen. Susan Collins' hold on her Maine Senate seat is slipping as Democrats pounce on her ties to a member of the far-right Oath Keepers organization.
It's been one headache after another for Collins as she fights to defend a seat targeted by Democrats for a November flip, the Daily Beast reported Wednesday.
Those headaches include billionaire donors with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, gas-money pleas to voters to fuel her re-election tour, and President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada, according to the Beast.
Now she is about to face questions about her hiring of Piscataquis County Commissioner Wayne Erkkine, 81, as her town chair in Greenville, which "puts him in charge of grassroots campaigns and voter outreach."
According to the report, Erkkinen's name popped up in the Oath Keepers' leaked membership rolls of more than 38,000 names and has been identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a member of the group behind the January 6 Capitol attack.
Erkkine told the Beast he quit "years ago," before the riot, claiming, "It wasn't what I thought it would be.
Nonetheless, his ties to the Collins campaign has reportedly given Democrats "fresh ammunition," by linking the embattled GOP lawmaker to extremists who took part in the assault on Washington, D.C., as part of a Trump-inspired insurrection.
'Palpable fear': Overlooked story flagged as Trump 'holds a gun' to federal workers' heads
Daniel Hampton
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
An official portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump hangs in the Hall of Nations at the Kennedy Center, which the Trump administration argued in a court filing could eventually face demolition if major repairs are not undertaken, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Fear has grown so suffocating inside federal agencies that whistleblowers now feel they have a "gun to their heads," former Trump Homeland Security official Miles Taylor warned this week, saluting a U.S. Postal Service employee who braved that climate to expose the administration's rushed effort to police the nation's mail ballots in defiance of a court order.
The complaint, released Tuesday by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), warns that the Postal Service built an "untested" barcode system to carry out President Donald Trump's order restricting voting by mail. As designed, the whistleblower said, if a single barcode in a batch of 10,000 ballots fails to scan, the entire batch is bounced back to state officials, potentially stopping millions of ballots from reaching voters. Work began in June and continued despite a court injunction, according to the disclosure, which was prepared with Whistleblower Aid.
The revelations set off alarm among election lawyers and Democrats days ahead of mail voting for the November midterms. A federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump's order, which 23 states and Washington, D.C. are challenging in court. The White House disputed the whistleblower's account, with spokesperson Lauren Bis calling the software "neither complex nor unique," and USPS said it is "carefully reviewing" the concerns.
For Taylor, the missed story was the person who stepped forward.
"The fear is palpable inside federal agencies," he wrote in a Tuesday essay for his anti-Trump group Defiance, which has partnered with the nonprofit representing the whistleblower. He pointed to a Partnership for Public Service survey in which the share of federal employees confident they could report wrongdoing without retaliation fell from about 75% to roughly 22% since Trump returned to office. Taylor also noted the administration has fired at least 17 inspectors general and floated a governmentwide gag rule that critics have said would silence potential whistleblowers.
Taylor himself blew the whistle on Trump years ago, and said the disclosure is already bolstering the legal fight against the mail voting order.
"Somewhere out there in America, a public servant looked at a plan to sabotage your vote. Over their own self-doubt and the daunting consequences of self-sacrifice, he or she decided their oath to the Constitution mattered more than their own safety. That’s what saving a democracy actually looks like, friends. It’s rarely the famous people swinging their fists at the dictator. It’s almost always someone like this," he concluded.
Daniel Hampton
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
An official portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump hangs in the Hall of Nations at the Kennedy Center, which the Trump administration argued in a court filing could eventually face demolition if major repairs are not undertaken, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Fear has grown so suffocating inside federal agencies that whistleblowers now feel they have a "gun to their heads," former Trump Homeland Security official Miles Taylor warned this week, saluting a U.S. Postal Service employee who braved that climate to expose the administration's rushed effort to police the nation's mail ballots in defiance of a court order.
The complaint, released Tuesday by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), warns that the Postal Service built an "untested" barcode system to carry out President Donald Trump's order restricting voting by mail. As designed, the whistleblower said, if a single barcode in a batch of 10,000 ballots fails to scan, the entire batch is bounced back to state officials, potentially stopping millions of ballots from reaching voters. Work began in June and continued despite a court injunction, according to the disclosure, which was prepared with Whistleblower Aid.
The revelations set off alarm among election lawyers and Democrats days ahead of mail voting for the November midterms. A federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump's order, which 23 states and Washington, D.C. are challenging in court. The White House disputed the whistleblower's account, with spokesperson Lauren Bis calling the software "neither complex nor unique," and USPS said it is "carefully reviewing" the concerns.
For Taylor, the missed story was the person who stepped forward.
"The fear is palpable inside federal agencies," he wrote in a Tuesday essay for his anti-Trump group Defiance, which has partnered with the nonprofit representing the whistleblower. He pointed to a Partnership for Public Service survey in which the share of federal employees confident they could report wrongdoing without retaliation fell from about 75% to roughly 22% since Trump returned to office. Taylor also noted the administration has fired at least 17 inspectors general and floated a governmentwide gag rule that critics have said would silence potential whistleblowers.
Taylor himself blew the whistle on Trump years ago, and said the disclosure is already bolstering the legal fight against the mail voting order.
"Somewhere out there in America, a public servant looked at a plan to sabotage your vote. Over their own self-doubt and the daunting consequences of self-sacrifice, he or she decided their oath to the Constitution mattered more than their own safety. That’s what saving a democracy actually looks like, friends. It’s rarely the famous people swinging their fists at the dictator. It’s almost always someone like this," he concluded.
Trump’s 'hilarious' new gold desk phone sparks swift backlash: ‘The dumbest stuff’
Erik De La Garza
September 2, 2026
Erik De La Garza
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright delivers remarks to reporters about the Trump administration's support for coal energy production, flanked by West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 4, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump’s flashy new desk phone sparked stunned and mocking reactions after it was spotted Wednesday inside the Oval Office.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins shared a photo captured by Fox News correspondent and pool reporter Peter Doocy. The black Cisco phone features gold-colored trim, the presidential seal and an image of the White House. The words “THE PRESIDENT” appear above the keypad, while “Donald J. Trump” is written underneath.
“Our taxes are being spent on the dumbest stuff,” Vanity Fair special correspondent and “Fast Politics” host Molly Jong-Fast wrote.
British infectious disease physician Dr. Neil Stone added: “This phone is hilarious.”
“Americans can’t afford to gas up their cars, but they’re paying for the President to get a gold-plated new phone,” wrote J.J. Abbott, a Pennsylvania-based media strategist.
Other users mocked the phone's resemblance to a toy.
“Fisher-Price really knocked it out of the park with this one,” the popular X account @aintscarylarry posted to its over 100,000 followers.
“Was it made in China?” another user asked.
Democratic strategist Chris D. Jackson accused Trump of wasting money on “frivolous” items, while political commentator Kevin Walling summed up his reaction in one word: “Priorities!”
Reuters correspondent David Shepardson confirmed to his social media followers that the phone was manufactured by Cisco.
“I've asked all the major US phone companies who gave @POTUS the phone,” he wrote, later adding, “The phone companies don't make handsets -- this is from @Cisco.”
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright delivers remarks to reporters about the Trump administration's support for coal energy production, flanked by West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 4, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump’s flashy new desk phone sparked stunned and mocking reactions after it was spotted Wednesday inside the Oval Office.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins shared a photo captured by Fox News correspondent and pool reporter Peter Doocy. The black Cisco phone features gold-colored trim, the presidential seal and an image of the White House. The words “THE PRESIDENT” appear above the keypad, while “Donald J. Trump” is written underneath.
“Our taxes are being spent on the dumbest stuff,” Vanity Fair special correspondent and “Fast Politics” host Molly Jong-Fast wrote.
British infectious disease physician Dr. Neil Stone added: “This phone is hilarious.”
“Americans can’t afford to gas up their cars, but they’re paying for the President to get a gold-plated new phone,” wrote J.J. Abbott, a Pennsylvania-based media strategist.
Other users mocked the phone's resemblance to a toy.
“Fisher-Price really knocked it out of the park with this one,” the popular X account @aintscarylarry posted to its over 100,000 followers.
“Was it made in China?” another user asked.
Democratic strategist Chris D. Jackson accused Trump of wasting money on “frivolous” items, while political commentator Kevin Walling summed up his reaction in one word: “Priorities!”
Reuters correspondent David Shepardson confirmed to his social media followers that the phone was manufactured by Cisco.
“I've asked all the major US phone companies who gave @POTUS the phone,” he wrote, later adding, “The phone companies don't make handsets -- this is from @Cisco.”
THE GRIFT
Trump becomes first sitting US president to appear on a coin as Mint releases $1 piece
Copyright US Mint
Published on
The US Mint has issued the 2026 US President Donald J. Trump $1 coin, marking the first time a serving American president has featured on a coin made for everyday use, with the Mint saying the pieces are already in circulation and rolls and bags going on sale from midday Eastern time.
American money now carries the current US president's face.
The US Mint confirmed on Thursday that the "golden dollar" featuring the likeness of US President Donald Trump has been released, urging people to check their pocket change while collectors can buy it in rolls and bags sold exclusively through its own channels.
The products are priced at $61 for a 25-coin roll and $154.50 for a 100-coin bag.
In practice, finding one in everyday change may take patience, since dollar coins have caught on widely with American shoppers and circulate far more sparsely than notes
Collectors also have another detail to chase as the US Mint struck 250,000 of the coins on 4 July carrying a special "July 4th" privy mark, dispersed through the rolls and bags.
Despite its colour, the coin contains no gold, being 88.5% copper with smaller quantities of zinc, manganese and nickel.
The coin was struck in Philadelphia and carries no mint mark.
Chief Engraver Joseph Menna designed the obverse from an official White House photograph, showing Trump facing almost directly forward beneath the inscriptions "LIBERTY", "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the dual date 1776 to 2026.
The reverse carries the Presidential Seal, originally sculpted by former chief engraver Frank Gasparro, with the numeral 250 added to the eagle's shield to mark the country's 250th anniversary.
There is one precedent for this initiative, though an imperfect one.
Calvin Coolidge appeared alongside George Washington on a 1926 half dollar marking 150 years of independence, making him the first living president on American coinage.
However, that was a commemorative issue rather than a coin intended for daily use. The legal basis for placing a Trump coin in circulation has been contested.
US law generally bars portraits of living people from coins, and the administration has relied on the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed by Trump during his first term, which permits $1 coins bearing designs emblematic of the anniversary throughout 2026.
The design process also drew criticism.
The US Commission of Fine Arts had recommended a profile portrait and a different eagle design, neither of which was adopted, while the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, which normally reviews Mint designs, declined to consider it.
Deathly design gaffe spotted as Trump coin goes on sale to deluge of derision
Daniel Hampton
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
(Photo courtesy of US Mint website)
The U.S. Mint began selling its new $1 coin stamped with President Donald Trump's face on Wednesday, and the internet instantly ridiculed the launch.
The coin, gold-colored but struck from base metal, sells in 25-coin rolls for $61 and 100-coin bags for $154.50 as part of the Mint's series marking America's 250th birthday. The Mint told buyers to "check your pocket change," noting the dollars are "also in circulation."
But internet detectives quickly zeroed in on the fuzzy economics of the coin, as well as the ominous implication etched into it.
"Deal of the century right here folks," wrote The Bulwark's Sam Stein. "You can purchase 25, $1 Trump coins for the price of.... $61."
The Bulwark's Catherine Rampell homed in on the "1776 ~ 2026" dual date.
"I like that this design appears to show the birth date of liberty as 1776, and its death as 2026," she quipped. Progressive media group MeidasTouch quote-posted the Mint's announcement with a one-word review: "Accurate," also pointing to the curious birth and death dates of liberty.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) used the rollout to bash the administration's economic record, ticking off rising gas, grocery and utility costs.
"[T]rump and Republicans have mismanaged the American economy," he wrote, pointing to prices at the pump and the checkout line. "So what are trump and Republicans focused on? See below. November is coming." He added a jab at the portrait: "(Also, why is trump wearing a wig)?"
Conservative writer David Frum pointed out a glaring historical comparison.
"The Caesars and Napoleon won some wars before stamping their images on the coinage of their fallen republics," he wrote.
Trump is only the second U.S. president depicted on a coin during his lifetime, after Calvin Coolidge on a 1926 commemorative half dollar. Critics have decried that the design flouts federal law barring living people from U.S. currency, but a federal court declined to block it. The administration said the 2020 law authorizing the 250th-anniversary coins makes it legal.
(Photo courtesy of US Mint website)
The U.S. Mint began selling its new $1 coin stamped with President Donald Trump's face on Wednesday, and the internet instantly ridiculed the launch.
The coin, gold-colored but struck from base metal, sells in 25-coin rolls for $61 and 100-coin bags for $154.50 as part of the Mint's series marking America's 250th birthday. The Mint told buyers to "check your pocket change," noting the dollars are "also in circulation."
But internet detectives quickly zeroed in on the fuzzy economics of the coin, as well as the ominous implication etched into it.
"Deal of the century right here folks," wrote The Bulwark's Sam Stein. "You can purchase 25, $1 Trump coins for the price of.... $61."
The Bulwark's Catherine Rampell homed in on the "1776 ~ 2026" dual date.
"I like that this design appears to show the birth date of liberty as 1776, and its death as 2026," she quipped. Progressive media group MeidasTouch quote-posted the Mint's announcement with a one-word review: "Accurate," also pointing to the curious birth and death dates of liberty.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) used the rollout to bash the administration's economic record, ticking off rising gas, grocery and utility costs.
"[T]rump and Republicans have mismanaged the American economy," he wrote, pointing to prices at the pump and the checkout line. "So what are trump and Republicans focused on? See below. November is coming." He added a jab at the portrait: "(Also, why is trump wearing a wig)?"
Conservative writer David Frum pointed out a glaring historical comparison.
"The Caesars and Napoleon won some wars before stamping their images on the coinage of their fallen republics," he wrote.
Trump is only the second U.S. president depicted on a coin during his lifetime, after Calvin Coolidge on a 1926 commemorative half dollar. Critics have decried that the design flouts federal law barring living people from U.S. currency, but a federal court declined to block it. The administration said the 2020 law authorizing the 250th-anniversary coins makes it legal.
Trump official buried in mockery for downplaying corruption as 'minor stuff'
Travis Gettys
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to examine a review of broadband deployment funding at the Department of Commerce, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 10, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was criticized for downplaying concerns about his family's corruption as "minor stuff."
President Donald Trump's commerce secretary appeared Wednesday morning on CNBC's "Squawk Box," where host Joe Kernan pressed him to explain possible conflict-of-interest concerns involving his sons, Brandon and Kyle Lutnick, who took over top leadership roles at Cantor Fitzgerald after their father joined the cabinet.
"The perception is you're sitting at Commerce, and you're able to control what Cantor is getting in terms of fees with your sons running that company," Kernan said. "It looks like a conflict of interest. How do you respond to that?"
Lutnick insisted there was no conflict and there was no reason for concern, despite questions from Democratic lawmakers about how the firm he led for 30 years and handed off to his sons, who have since benefited from government contracts.
"I had no idea that Cantor was involved at all; it never came up to me," Lutnick said.
"I didn't put my companies in a trust," he added. "My kids bought my companies, so I'm no longer involved in my own companies at all. My kids bought it from me; they own it, and I had nothing to do with that decision, and this is minor stuff anyway."
Critics pounced on his claims and served reminders of Lutnick's ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
"The second term Trump presidency ranks among the biggest heists in the history of the world," argued conservative writer David Frum.
"Committing Minor Corruption is now on my bucket list," snorted popular X account PoliticsOhMyGawd.
"That's a limp answer," observed writer Bruce Wilson.
"Many such corruptions," joked writer Kirk Rudell.
"Lutnick is as crooked as a $3 bill," quipped newsman Bruno J. Navarro.
"Minor stuff," insinuated widely followed X user Jo from Jerz. "He knows all about 'minor' stuff doesn’t he?"
"Said the guy who brought his family to Epstein Island and lied about it," recalled X user Robert Boone.
"So his answer to clear conflict of interest questions is not really, not strongly that there is no conflict," noted retired journalist Andrew Meacham. "No, the only strong, passionate statement he made was, 'I don’t care.'"
Travis Gettys
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to examine a review of broadband deployment funding at the Department of Commerce, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 10, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was criticized for downplaying concerns about his family's corruption as "minor stuff."
President Donald Trump's commerce secretary appeared Wednesday morning on CNBC's "Squawk Box," where host Joe Kernan pressed him to explain possible conflict-of-interest concerns involving his sons, Brandon and Kyle Lutnick, who took over top leadership roles at Cantor Fitzgerald after their father joined the cabinet.
"The perception is you're sitting at Commerce, and you're able to control what Cantor is getting in terms of fees with your sons running that company," Kernan said. "It looks like a conflict of interest. How do you respond to that?"
Lutnick insisted there was no conflict and there was no reason for concern, despite questions from Democratic lawmakers about how the firm he led for 30 years and handed off to his sons, who have since benefited from government contracts.
"I had no idea that Cantor was involved at all; it never came up to me," Lutnick said.
"I didn't put my companies in a trust," he added. "My kids bought my companies, so I'm no longer involved in my own companies at all. My kids bought it from me; they own it, and I had nothing to do with that decision, and this is minor stuff anyway."
Critics pounced on his claims and served reminders of Lutnick's ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
"The second term Trump presidency ranks among the biggest heists in the history of the world," argued conservative writer David Frum.
"Committing Minor Corruption is now on my bucket list," snorted popular X account PoliticsOhMyGawd.
"That's a limp answer," observed writer Bruce Wilson.
"Many such corruptions," joked writer Kirk Rudell.
"Lutnick is as crooked as a $3 bill," quipped newsman Bruno J. Navarro.
"Minor stuff," insinuated widely followed X user Jo from Jerz. "He knows all about 'minor' stuff doesn’t he?"
"Said the guy who brought his family to Epstein Island and lied about it," recalled X user Robert Boone.
"So his answer to clear conflict of interest questions is not really, not strongly that there is no conflict," noted retired journalist Andrew Meacham. "No, the only strong, passionate statement he made was, 'I don’t care.'"
Bulldozer for beloved Kennedy Center artwork amid Trump's takeover tantrum
Tom Boggioni
September 2, 2026
Donald Trump, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Photos by Yuri Gripas, Elizabeth Frantz for Reuters)
President Donald Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center Board has decided to remove a popular and whimsical piece of outdoor artwork without notice and explanation, according to a new report.
The towering sculpture "Blue," by artist Joel Shapiro, was removed from the Kennedy Center's grounds this week, the latest apparent move to remake the arts venue under Trump's stewardship, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The "cobalt-colored, stick-figure sculpture" was installed in September 2019 at the Reach expansion overlooking the Potomac River, its mid-kick pose designed to shift depending on the viewer's position. Shapiro described the piece as being "about action and risk and performance and energy" — "a celebration of possibility." He died in June 2025.
The Kennedy Center "gave no advance notice of the removal and offered no explanation," when pressed by the Post, nor did it immediately respond to requests for comment. A former curator told Artlyst that internal documents showed the work had been "earmarked for elimination" early in Trump's takeover, criticizing the secrecy around removing art "held in trust for the American people."
The sculpture's removal marks the latest controversy at the venue since Trump took it over in February 2025. His reshaped board of trustees voted to make him chairman and rename the center after him; a judge initially blocked efforts to install his name on the building, ordering the letters removed, before the board revived the plan by voting to add his name as an inscription. Ticket sales and fundraising have since collapsed, the Post has reported.
Advocacy group Hands Off the Arts, which has campaigned against the changes, responded to the sculpture's removal on social media: "First they came for the facade, and now they come for the grounds."
Tom Boggioni
September 2, 2026
RAW STORY
Donald Trump, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Photos by Yuri Gripas, Elizabeth Frantz for Reuters)
President Donald Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center Board has decided to remove a popular and whimsical piece of outdoor artwork without notice and explanation, according to a new report.
The towering sculpture "Blue," by artist Joel Shapiro, was removed from the Kennedy Center's grounds this week, the latest apparent move to remake the arts venue under Trump's stewardship, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The "cobalt-colored, stick-figure sculpture" was installed in September 2019 at the Reach expansion overlooking the Potomac River, its mid-kick pose designed to shift depending on the viewer's position. Shapiro described the piece as being "about action and risk and performance and energy" — "a celebration of possibility." He died in June 2025.
The Kennedy Center "gave no advance notice of the removal and offered no explanation," when pressed by the Post, nor did it immediately respond to requests for comment. A former curator told Artlyst that internal documents showed the work had been "earmarked for elimination" early in Trump's takeover, criticizing the secrecy around removing art "held in trust for the American people."
The sculpture's removal marks the latest controversy at the venue since Trump took it over in February 2025. His reshaped board of trustees voted to make him chairman and rename the center after him; a judge initially blocked efforts to install his name on the building, ordering the letters removed, before the board revived the plan by voting to add his name as an inscription. Ticket sales and fundraising have since collapsed, the Post has reported.
Advocacy group Hands Off the Arts, which has campaigned against the changes, responded to the sculpture's removal on social media: "First they came for the facade, and now they come for the grounds."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)