Trump vows 100% tariff on chips, unless companies are building in the U.S.

-President Donald Trump said he will impose a 100% tariff on imports of semiconductors and chips, but not for companies that are “building in the United States.”

-Specifics about the plan, such as how much U.S. manufacturing a company needs to do in order to qualify for the tariff exemption, were not immediately clear.

-The remarks came after Trump touted a commitment by Apple to invest another $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will impose a 100% tariff on imports of semiconductors and chips, but not for companies that are “building in the United States.”

The announcement of new sector-specific tariffs shows Trump ratcheting up his efforts to pressure businesses to manufacture their products in the U.S.

But specifics about the plan, such as how much U.S. manufacturing a company needs to do in order to qualify for the tariff exemption, were not immediately clear.

“We’re going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon.

“But the good news for companies like Apple is if you’re building in the United States or have committed to build, without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge,” he said.

“So in other words, we’ll be putting a tariff on of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors. But if you’re building in the United States of America, there’s no charge.”

Trump had previously signaled that the duties on chips and semiconductors, which have become key components in virtually every industry, could come as soon as next week.

The remarks came after Trump touted a commitment by Apple

to invest another $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, on top of the $500 billion the tech giant has previously pledged.

Several top chipmakers, including Taiwan Semiconductor, Nvidia

and GlobalFoundries, have already pledged to manufacture some of their products in the U.S.

They’re not alone: More than 130 projects in the U.S. totaling $600 billion dollars have been announced since 2020, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip company, has pledged to invest a total of $165 billion in U.S. manufacturing.

Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, said in April that it plans to spend $500 billion on AI infrastructure in the U.S. over the next four years.

GlobalFoundries pledged $16 billion in June to expand its semiconductor manufacturing at facilities in New York and Vermont.

Also in June, Texas Instruments announced a $60 billion boost to seven chip fabs in the U.S. The company counts Apple, Ford, Medtronic, Nvidia and SpaceX as customers.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/06/trump-tariffs-chips-companies.html

UCLA has more than half a billion dollars in funding suspended by Trump administration

UCLA is at risk of losing more than half a billion dollars in federal research funds as the Trump administration continues to pressure the school to address allegations of antisemitism on campus.

The $584 million dollars in frozen funds that UCLA officials announced Wednesday is the first official tally of what is at stake for the school. The sum is far more than what was initially estimated when the Department of Justice announced last week it was investigating the school for violations of civil rights laws stemming from allegations it has failed to protect Jewish students and faculty from antisemitism.

In a school-wide letter sent Wednesday morning and shared with POLITICO, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk confirmed the grant money, which is meant to fund hundreds of research projects in a wide array of fields, is “suspended and at risk.”

“If these funds remain suspended,” he wrote, “it will be devastating for UCLA and for Americans across the nation.”

James Milliken, who recently took over as president of the University of California system, remained tight-lipped about how defiant or conciliatory a posture UC officials plan to take in upcoming talks with Justice officials over the government’s allegations.

In a statement, Milliken reiterated that the school had agreed “to engage in dialogue with the federal administration.”

“Our immediate goal,” he went on, “is to see the $584 million in suspended and at-risk federal funding restored to the university as soon as possible.”

Milliken did push back somewhat against the threat to cut research funding and the idea that UCLA has allowed antisemitism to fester unchecked on campus. “These cuts do nothing to address antisemitism. Moreover, the extensive work that UCLA and the entire University of California have taken to combat antisemitism has apparently been ignored,” he wrote.

Frenk also remained non-committal, saying in his letter that “We are doing everything we can to protect the interests of faculty, students and staff — and to defend our values and principles… as we actively evaluate our best course of action.”

Looming over the school’s strategy going forward are the fates of other high-profile universities the Trump administration has targeted with similar cases in the wake of tumultuous student protests last year over Israel’s war against Hamas. Columbia University, which faced the loss of $400 million in research grants, opted to negotiate with the administration, eventually agreeing to pay $200 million and make some changes to oversight. Brown University recently took a similar path, agreeing to pay $50 million, while Harvard University, which at first forcefully rebuked the government’s claims, has yet to resolve its case.

UCLA came into the Trump administration’s crosshairs after the university agreed last week to a $6.5 million settlement in a lawsuit with Jewish students and a professor, who alleged that the university did not do enough to protect them from harassment and discrimination by pro-Palestinian protesters last year.

On the same day, the Department of Justice announced its allegations against the school with Attorney General Pam Bondi threatening that “DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk and continue our ongoing investigations into other campuses in the UC system.”

In an earlier statement, Frenk, whose father was Jewish and fled Nazi Germany, said, “Antisemitism has no place on our campus, nor does any form of discrimination.” He added, “We recognize that we can improve, and I am committed to doing so.”

Through the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump and his administration officials have used the power of the federal government to target his perceived critics and enemies. In addition to going after major universities, the administration has launched investigations into former government officials from past administrations and attacked law firms that have represented clients the president dislikes.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/06/ucla-has-more-than-half-a-billion-dollars-in-funding-suspended-by-trump-administration-00495071

Republicans could gain net 42 seats from redistricting

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1953475641166196968

Defiant Arizona Lawmaker Could Face Charges After Tipping Off Illegals To ICE Presence

A Democratic Arizona state senator, Analise Ortiz, is facing backlash and potential federal charges after she publicly warned her community about active ICE operations via social media. Ortiz posted real-time alerts in both English and Spanish, including the exact locations of ICE agents, urging people to avoid those areas. She defended her actions as a way to protect her community, stating, “Yep. When ICE is around, I will alert my community to stay out of the area”.

Federal officials, including DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, have condemned Ortiz’s actions, suggesting they may constitute obstruction of justice and endanger law enforcement. McLaughlin accused Ortiz of siding with cartels and criminals over American citizens and cited a dramatic 830% increase in assaults on ICE officers, blaming “sanctuary politicians” for the surge.

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen has referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney for possible prosecution, emphasizing that public officials should uphold the law rather than undermine federal enforcement efforts.

https://thefederalist.com/2025/08/07/defiant-arizona-lawmaker-could-face-charges-after-tipping-off-illegals-to-ice-presence/

Arizona Senate President Condemns Remarks by Senator Ortiz, Calls for Federal Investigation of Potential Unlawful Actions

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen issues the following statement in response to recent comments made by Senator Analise Ortiz regarding Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE):

"The comments made by Senator Ortiz are deeply troubling and do not reflect the position of the Arizona State Senate," said President Petersen. "I spoke with the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona and referred this matter to his office to investigate, as it appears she may be in violation of federal law. Arizona Senate Republicans stand firmly in support of ICE and the important work they do to uphold our nation's immigration laws and protect our communities."

"Senator Ortiz is fortunate the Legislature is not currently in session, as her remarks would no doubt face significant scrutiny from her colleagues," added President Petersen. "Public servants have a duty to uphold the law and respect those who enforce it, not undermine them."

Senate Republicans reaffirm their commitment to supporting law enforcement at all levels and ensuring Arizona remains a state that upholds the rule of law. We are grateful President Trump has delivered the most secure border in the history of America.

https://www.azsenaterepublicans.gov/post/arizona-senate-president-condemns-remarks-by-senator-ortiz-calls-for-federal-investigation-of-poten

Maricopa County Republican Committee | MCRC

@MaricopaGOP

In her own words — ‘No one is illegal on stolen lands.’

— Approx. 2 Weeks Ago —

— #AZLeg —

https://x.com/MaricopaGOP/status/1953108808898867278

Maricopa County Republican Committee | MCRC

@MaricopaGOP

In her own words — ‘No one is illegal on stolen lands.’

— Approx. 2 Weeks Ago —

— #AZLeg —

https://x.com/MaricopaGOP/status/1953108808898867278

Bannon’s WarRoom

@Bannons_WarRoom

TEXAS REP. BRIAN HARRISON: The left continues to cry about redistricting in Texas.

Meanwhile, Republicans are erased from the map in California, Connecticut, Maryland, and beyond.

The double standard is glaring.

@brianeharrison

https://x.com/Bannons_WarRoom/status/1953471561811255306

All 93 U.S. medical schools are dramatically lowering standards for minorities

Twenty-three medical schools have answered my request, including flagship institutions in states like Tennessee, Wisconsin, Missouri, New Mexico, and Colorado. The data they provided make it clear that schools are at least skirting the Supreme Court’s decision, if not violating it outright.

Accepted black applicants had lower average MCAT scores than accepted white or Asian students at all but one school, Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Thirteen schools accepted black students with average MCAT scores lower than the score of the average rejected Asian or white applicant. That suggests black applicants receive significant preferential treatment.

In fact, at two schools—Eastern Virginia Medical School and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health—black applicants were about ten times likelier to be accepted than were Asian and white applicants with similar grades and test scores. And Asian students face a conspicuously difficult road to acceptance, despite significantly better credentials on average. At Eastern Virginia, only 3 percent of Asian applicants were admitted in 2024, compared with 11 percent of blacks. At Wisconsin, the divide was even starker: 15 percent of black applicants were admitted, but only 2 percent of Asians were. The rejected Asian students had an MCAT score about 17 percentage points higher than accepted black students, on average.

It’s reasonable to ask whether the 23 medical schools that responded to my request are indicative of all 93 public medical schools in America. The answer is likely yes. At least 34 medical schools have publicly released demographic data that broadly show little change in the racial composition of their student bodies since the Court’s ruling. At nine, the shares of “under-represented” students have actually increased. That, too, is a sign that affirmative action continues in medical education.

Why wouldn’t medical schools give up on affirmative action? Because they claim a moral imperative to discriminate by race. One of the fundamental tenets of the modern medical establishment is that black doctors are essential to treating, and even saving the lives of, black patients.

This belief compels medical schools to admit less qualified black students, but it’s factually baseless. The systematic reviews of the evidence are either deeply flawed or show no benefit to physician-patient race-matching, as a colleague and I have shown. And last year, building on our hypothesis, the Manhattan Institute debunked the foundational study that medical schools have relied on since 2020.

That study purported to show that black newborns in Florida were likelier to survive when they had black physicians—a phenomenon the authors attributed to potential “spontaneous bias” from physicians of other races. But the Manhattan Institute’s Robert VerBruggen and George Borjas found that the authors never considered a crucial variable: the newborns’ very low birth weight. Once that was accounted for, the supposed benefits of race-based care disappeared.

The evidence hasn’t stopped medical schools from producing results that look like racial discrimination. The Trump administration should immediately investigate every medical school to stop potential violations of federal civil rights laws. States should enact legislation requiring admissions transparency and specific standards at taxpayer-funded schools. That could include mandatory admission for applicants who clear a specific bar on MCAT tests, forcing schools to set the bar high.

And the federal courts must enforce complete compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admission. My organization is committed to holding any violators accountable, including through our class-action lawsuit against UCLA’s medical school, filed earlier this year, on behalf of students denied admission on race-based grounds.

Two years after the Supreme Court formally ended affirmative action, medical education seems to be in open revolt against the ruling. Racial discrimination should be eliminated and merit-based education restored, once and for all.

https://archive.is/UBrjD#selection-513.0-573.230

Amazon Web Services gives the Trump admin $1 billion coupon

Amazon Web Services is giving the Trump administration a $1 billion coupon to use their services for the federal government’s digital transformation and artificial intelligence capacity. On Thursday, the General Services Administration announced a sweeping “OneGov” agreement with Amazon Web Services that would yield up to $1 billion in cost savings for federal agencies shifting to cloud services.

The deal, set to run through 2028, is being framed by administration officials as a cornerstone of both the administration’s AI strategy and its broader effort to modernize government IT systems.

The agreement is expected to accelerate cloud adoption across dozens of civilian agencies, support workforce training in AI tools, and establish the technical infrastructure needed to power large language models and machine learning applications. It’s the second major OneGov cloud services deal since President Donald Trump’s executive order on procurement consolidation earlier this year.

Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner and DOGE staffer Josh Gruenbaum, who has played a leading role in negotiating the deal, called it “a foundational piece to help implement President Trump’s AI Action Plan.”

The deal provides $1 billion in credits that federal agencies can draw down on for core AWS cloud services — which will account for the majority of the $1 billion in value — as well as helping agencies shift from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud and training resources for federal employees.

The AWS deal is not exclusive. Similar OneGov agreements are in the works with other major cloud providers, including Microsoft and Google, said a senior administration official familiar with the conversations granted anonymity to discuss them. Oracle also recently signed a deal giving government agencies a 75% discount on Oracle technology.

“We’re just getting started,” the senior GSA official said. “This is a first-of-its-kind agreement, and there’s a lot more to come both in the cloud space and across other high-impact industries.”

For the administration, it’s a chance to solidify Trump’s AI legacy by laying the groundwork for a long-term transformation of government operations.

“Through this new agreement with AWS, federal agencies will be able to enhance delivery of critical services, leverage cloud and advanced AI technologies, and dramatically reduce costs,” said GSA acting Administrator Michael Rigas.

For AWS, the partnership deepens its presence in the federal government and provides access to a huge addressable market of $80 to $100 billion dollars in moving government IT infrastructure still stored on their premises to third party cloud-providers.

“This landmark agreement marks a significant milestone in the large-scale digital transformation of government services,” said AWS CEO Matt Garman. “As federal agencies adopt advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, AWS is positioned to not only help them achieve immediate operational efficiencies, but also to build the foundation for a more secure and innovative government of tomorrow.”

A notable feature of the deal is its attempt to bypass value-added resellers, encouraging direct contracts between agencies and AWS.

“There is a twofold benefit,” Gruenbaum explained. “First, you’re building a direct relationship with the provider, so you can actually pick up the phone and innovate. Second, you save taxpayer dollars by avoiding the 5-7 percent lift in costs that comes from unnecessary middlemen.”

The Amazon Web Services partnership includes built-in incentives to favor direct procurement over system integrators, a structural design that reflects the Trump administration’s broader vision of creating “market tension within the federal government itself” by wielding centralized purchasing power.

“We wanted to have a deep partnership that has durability and horizon to it, they jumped at it and they set this deal to basically live through this administration,” Gruenbaum said.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/07/amazon-trump-admin-1-billion-coupon-00497009

Feds to begin patrolling Washington DC starting at midnight

The Trump administration is increasing the federal law enforcement presence in Washington, DC, starting Thursday night, the White House said. It comes just days after a well-known former Department of Government Efficiency staffer was assaulted in DC.

“President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C. President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

CNN previously reported that the Trump administration had been making plans to increase federal law enforcement in the nation’s capital.

A White House official confirmed to CNN that Thursday’s mobilization will include federal officers in “marked units, and highly visible.”

The increased presence begins at midnight as part of a seven-day effort, with the option to extend, the official added.

The effort will be led by US Park Police, with participation from US Capitol Police, FBI, US Marshals Service, DC Police, DEA and other agencies.

It “will be focused on high-traffic tourist areas and other known hotspots,” according to the official.

CNN has reached out to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office for comment.

In announcing the increase, the White House pointed to several high-profile crimes in DC, including the killing of two Israeli Embassy staff members in May.

But according to a preliminary year-to-date crime comparison from DC Police, 2025 crime numbers are lower than last year’s. As of Thursday, violent crime is down 26%, according to the DC Police.

The White House official added that the actions being taken Thursday night are “in compliance” with the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order the president signed in March.

That order aims to ensure that “all applicable quality of life, nuisance, and public-safety laws are strictly enforced,” including crimes involving assault, battery, larceny, graffiti, public intoxication and more.

On Wednesday, the president said he is considering having his administration take over the DC Police Department and might deploy the National Guard to DC over recent crime.

It was not immediately clear if the National Guard is a part of the Thursday mobilization.

“We’re going to beautify the city. We’re going to make it beautiful. And what a shame, the rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings and everything else. We’re not going to let it, and that includes bringing in the National Guard maybe very quickly too,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Earlier this year, Trump said that the federal government should “take over” DC.

“I think that we should govern District of Columbia. It’s so important, the DC situation. I think that we should run it strong, run it with law and order,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in February.

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/08/07/politics/federal-law-enforcement-dc-trump

Gina Carano Settles with Disney After Mandalorian Firing, Thanks Elon Musk, a 'Man I've Never Met', for Funding Lawsuit

Carano praised Musk "for backing my case and asking for nothing in return" while the Walt Disney Company said they "look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future"

-The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm have settled a years-long legal dispute with Gina Carano, with both parties sharing statements

-Carano sued the company in 2024 for wrongful termination and discrimination over her firing from The Mandalorian amid backlash to her controversial social media posts

-In her statement following the news, Carano thanked Elon Musk for backing her lawsuit, despite never meeting him in person

The years-long legal dispute between former The Mandalorian star Gina Carano and the Walt Disney Company is finally over.

On Thursday, Aug. 7, a spokesperson for Lucasfilm, whose parent company is Disney, confirmed that the legal back-and-forth over Carano's firing from the Star Wars Disney+ series has been settled.

"The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies," the spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE.

"Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect," the statement continues. "With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future."

"I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved." she began. "I hope this brings some healing to the force."

"I want to extend my deepest most heartfelt gratitude to Elon Musk, a man I've never met, who did this Good Samaritan deed for me in funding my lawsuit," she continued, thanking Musk "for backing my case and asking for nothing in return."

Carano went on to thank her lawyers, God, and her followers for sticking by her side.

"I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter," she went on to say. "My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me. Yes, I’m smiling.

Earlier in the day, Carano took to the social media platform with a cryptic message, writing, "… and the truth shall set you free."

The major inciting incident saw Carano sharing a post from another account that seemingly compared the treatment of conservatives in the U.S. during the COVID pandemic to that of Jewish people during Nazi-era Germany.

This came after the actress changed her social media bio to read "beep/bop/boop" — which some believed was an insensitive reference to preferred pronouns, which are often included on profile pages.

Carano reiterated in multiple posts that she was "not against trans lives at all" and that including "beep/bop/boop" had "zero to do with trans people."

Because of these instances, there were calls for Carano to be removed from the Star Wars franchise, with the hashtag "#FireGinaCarano" trending.

Lucasfilm confirmed in February 2021 that Carano was "not currently employed … and there are no plans for her to be in the future."

"Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable," the company added at the time.

Disney, the parent company of Lucasfilm, argued in a motion filed in April 2024 that the company had a First Amendment right to fire Carano, stating in the filing — which called for the dismissal of Carano's lawsuit — that Disney has "a constitutional right not to associate its artistic expression with Carano's speech."

Elsewhere in the filing, Disney said it fired Carano due to her social media posts "blaming pandemic-related closure orders and vaccine mandates for causing widespread suicides and murders, attacking the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election, and mocking people who identify their pronouns to show support for transgender rights."

The company's "final straw," however, was a repost in which they accused Carano of having "publicly trivialize[d] the Holocaust by comparing criticism of political conservatives to the annihilation of millions of Jewish people," according to the filing.

Disney argued, citing a past court decision, that "a state cannot force an employer engaged in speech to speak through an employee whose own views or public profile could compromise the employer’s own message."

"Disney has confirmed what has been known all along, they will fire you if you say anything they disagree with, even if they have to MISREPRESENT, MALIGN, and MISCHARACTERIZE you to do it," she wrote.

"They are now on record letting everyone who works for them know that Disney will take any chance they get to control what you say, what you think or they will attempt to destroy your career. Glad we cleared that up," she continued. "The First Amendment does not allow Disney to wantonly DISCRIMINATE, which is what they have done in my case and frankly have now admitted they did. If you ever wanted to know what today’s 'Disney values' are, they just told you."

https://people.com/gina-carano-settles-lawsuit-disney-mandalorian-firing-thanks-elon-musk-11787322

Major hotel chain faces backlash for allegedly outsourcing check-ins — to India

A Miami hotel is facing backlash over a viral video that claims the front desk was staffed by an outsourced worker to welcome new guests during the check-in process.

In the video, a guest who booked a stay at a La Quinta by Wyndham was welcomed by a tall screen displaying a virtual front-desk employee — who allegedly was in India.

“Do you need one room key or two room key?” the worker can be heard asking in the video, which has more than 2 million views since being posted on Saturday.

The guest replies: “Two, just in case I lose one.”

The hotel customer then signs a form on the screen using their finger.

The interaction led social media users to slam the hotel chain for outsourcing jobs to overseas workers.

“More American jobs outsourced overseas. At some point this should just become illegal. If you make money in America, you should hire Americans,” one user wrote in a post on X.

Another sniped: “What hotel, so I can be sure to avoid it?”

Some frustrated users even called on President Trump to target the practice by slapping tariffs on US-based companies that outsource jobs to overseas staffers.

A spokesperson for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which owns La Quinta Inn, told The Post that it just learned about the matter and is actively investigating the situation.

“This is a franchised location, meaning the hotel is independently owned and operated, and as such, we don’t control staffing. That said, this franchisee’s use of this equipment is not brand approved nor is it being marketed to other franchisees,” a spokesperson told The Post in a statement.

“Further, our brand standards require hotels to have a team member physically stationed at the front desk at all times.”

The chain has several La Quinta locations in the Miami area.

It’s unclear how widespread the practice of outsourced virtual front-desk employees is at La Quinta hotels and other chains.

Wyndham does offer mobile check-in for some guests, according to its website.

A video posted to YouTube in February appears to show the same large tablet screen being used by an outsourced worker in a Wyndham hotel in Bonita Springs, Fla.

“I checked into a hotel by talking to a man on a screen in the entryway. I scanned my ID, swiped my credit card, and the machine provided me a key,” the user who posted the video wrote in the caption.

Another social media user said they had a similar experience with a virtual front-desk employee at a hotel in Dublin.

“Honestly, it was a lot quicker than dealing with front desk staff, and it prints out your keycard,” the hotel guest wrote in a post online.

Meanwhile, a hotel in Amsterdam allegedly used a fully automated check-in process, where guests fill out a form on an iPad, take a key card from a pile and tap it on a reader to activate it, according to another user on X.

“There’s really no reason for these jobs at all in today’s age,” they added.

https://nypost.com/2025/08/05/business/major-hotel-chain-faces-backlash-for-allegedly-outsourcing-check-ins-to-india/

https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/1951498719767183812