Hong Kong’s Independent Media Tax Check, Ruining America’s Education Supremacy, And A Change In Tone On Israel

A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 20 of 2025 featuring source material from Jentry Chau Vs The Underworld, Lower Decks, No. 7 West Mars Street, and Hailey’s On It!

May 25, 2025

The Trump Show: Series 2 - An Ambush Against Ramaphosa And An Escalation Against Harvard

Guess what, the Air Force One “bribe” wasn’t a gift offered by the Qataris! According to CNN, sources tell reporters that the administration first approached Qatar to inquire about acquiring a Boeing 747 that could be transformed into an Air Force One plane years later. In a win for Trump’s mass deportation plans, the Supreme Court allowed the president to cancel Temporary Protected Status for nearly 350,000 Venezuelans instituted under the Biden administration. Hours later, the Supreme Court ordered the administration to allow access between a deported Venezuelan man currently in El Salvador and his lawyers in a notable first under the Alien Enemies Act. Meanwhile, the first flight under Trump's $1,000 "self-deport" deal took off from Houston early Monday, providing a rare incentive for illegal immigrants to leave the country without facing terrible consequences. By midnight, the House Budget Committee approved Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after changing the spending bill to appease fiscal hawks. Kicking off the prosecution against opposition politicians, acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced criminal charges against Representative LaMonica McIver for assaulting law enforcement officers over the recent ICE facility scuffle. Meanwhile, Trump posted a long and deranged Truth Social post, re-litigating American pop stars like Beyoncé and Oprah for endorsing Kamala Harris, writing that “I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter." This comes as Trump ranted against Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen for their support for Harris, as well as vocal opposition against the current president by some famous celebrities. In other headlines, a federal judge ruled that Trump lacked the authority to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace, Trump’s son-in-law’s father Charles Kushner was confirmed to be the ambassador to France, while the Trump government prepares to pay $5 million to the family of January 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt in part to settle a lawsuit brought by the estate of the Trump supporter who was killed that day. Finally, even as conspiracy theories about the former president’s prostate cancer diagnosis were running rampant on social media, Biden tweeted on his social media page: “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

When asked by Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan what habeas corpus was, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrongly responded that by saying, “Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country.” Hassan then corrected Noem, “That's incorrect. Habeas corpus is the legal principle that requires the government to provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people. If not for that protection, the government could simply arrest people, including American citizens, and hold them indefinitely for no reason. It is what separates America from police states like North Korea.” In a bid to steamroll opposition to Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” the president personally visited Congress and told GOP lawmakers “Don't f**k around with Medicaid.” Hours later, House Speaker Mike Johnson nears a last-minute SALT (state and local tax) deduction deal with blue state GOP holdouts. Trump then unveiled plans for a "Golden Dome" missile defence system, which they hope can be operational by the time Trump ends his second term. Concerning immigration, attorneys for Vietnamese and Burmese migrants reported that the Trump administration has deported them to war-torn South Sudan, in brazen defiance of a federal court order. During a video link talk at the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), Elon Musk said he wants to stay as Tesla CEO for the next five years, and plans to spend “a lot less” on political donations in the future. Speaking of Elon Musk, South Africa tried to curry favor with the American government by offering a Starlink deal to the billionaire before a scheduled meeting with Trump, who is prepared to criticize his South African counterpart and “loudly condemn politicians who promote genocidal rhetoric.” Trying to attach themselves to popular and bipartisan tax priorities, Senate Democrats were attempting to pass "No Tax on Tips,” leading to a surprising unanimous vote that passed the bill. In other headlines, Trump officials set new requirements for COVID vaccines in healthy adults and children, while the Justice Department began investigating New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo over his 2024 testimony to Congress regarding his state's handling of the coronavirus pandemic from when he was governor.

Somehow outdoing himself when it comes to Oval Office ambushes, Donald Trump launched an extraordinary confrontation against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa by pushing false claims of “white genocide” and unfair land seizures. Originally planned as a meeting to build a better relationship between the two countries, the meeting came against the backdrop of the Trump government claiming there was a “genocide” against White people in South Africa, cut all foreign assistance to South Africa, imposing tariffs during “Liberation Day,” dissatisfaction against South Africa’s genocide case against Gaza, and allowing Afrikaner refugees to be flown into the US. Ramaphosa thought he came into the meeting prepared, bringing two White South African professional golfers and the country’s White agriculture minister, telling the US leader: “If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here.” Moreover, Ramaphosa brought a “really fantastic golf book” that weighs 14 kilograms, in a bid to bond with the US President over his favourite sport. Taking the cue to deploy the trap, Trump ordered the White House to dim the lights and showcased video footage of Black activists calling for seizing the land of white farmers, with the most notable one being the firebrand South African opposition leader Julius Malema chanting “kill the Boer (Farmer)” which Trump claimed was an explicit call to murder Afrikaners. Malema’s Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) later put out a statement noting was "a song that expresses the desire to destroy the system of white minority control over the resources of South Africa” and a “part of African Heritage." Another clip allegedly showed a long line of white crosses on the side of a highway, which were billed as “burial sites” for White farmers. Ramaphosa asked where this video is located, and groups like MeidasTouch verified that this location is the controversial private monument called the Witkruis Monument. Located in Limpopo province, there are no graves of dead farmers, and the site is just a field with white-painted metal crosses meant to represent victims of farm attacks. Seeing a visibly shocked Ramaphosa, Trump went in for the kill by paging through articles from the "last few days" while repeating, "death, death, death." Despite attempts by Ramaphosa to push back against Trump’s lies, the US President continued to push baseless claims on South African politics. Trump proclaimed there is a genocide of white farmers in South Africa, a conspiracy theory pushed by prominent figures like Elon Musk, pointing towards the murders of white farmers in remote rural parts of the country as proof of ethnic cleansing. The South African government has strongly denied claims that they are turning a blind eye to farmer killings. South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, with most victims being Black. Trump also claimed the South African government is expropriating land, including the use of violent land seizures, from white farmers without compensation to distribute it to Black South Africans. No land has been expropriated, and white farmers were encouraged to sell their land willingly. Trump is likely pointing to a law signed by Ramaphosa in 2024, allowing the state to expropriate land "in the public interest” in rare cases without compensating the owner. Meanwhile, the Pentagon officially accepted the luxury Qatar jet for Trump to use as a new Air Force One plane, which became the punchline for Ramaphosa, who said: “I am sorry I don't have a plane to give you.” Then, Trump made a jaw-dropping response: I wish you did. I'd take it. If your country offered the US Air Force a plane, I would take it.” Following that, when asked about the issue by NBC News’ Peter Alexander, Trump launched into a mad tirade. “NBC is trying to get off the subject of what you just saw,” Trump yelled. “You are a terrible reporter. Number one, you don’t have what it takes to be a reporter. You are not smart enough.” After repeatedly praising Qatar for doing a “very nice thing” by gifting the jet, Trump threatened NBC’s parent company, Comcast, and its chief, Brian Roberts, to “be investigated” for its news coverage. After the ambush, South African Presidency spokesman Vincent Magwenya said in an interview that the “video and those articles had no credibility whatsoever. But from here onwards, we can now deal with substantive issues, because they’ve made the point, they will feel good they’ve made the point, and we can now focus on what needs to be done to take the relationship forward.” In a sense of how bad the White House meeting is, CNN correspondent Larry Madowo said: "This was, overall, a very good day for white supremacists in South Africa because they got the validation they could've never imagined from the highest office in the land... these are the talking points that President Trump repeated.” After reports of deportations to South Sudan, the Trump administration said it had removed 8 people convicted of crimes, which was quickly ruled by a federal judge as a court order violation concerning deportations to third countries. Meanwhile, a federal judge criticized the DOJ for its “worrisome” and “embarrassing” blunders in the “hasty arrest” of New Jersey mayor Ras Baraka at an ICE facility. In Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson said House Republicans reached a deal on Trump’s $3 trillion budget bill, overcoming key tax sticking points. And yet, there was a last-minute rebellion from conservatives on the megabill, leading to some appeasement and ending with House Republicans sending their tax and spending package for floor debate. Representative Gerry Connolly, who was the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee that beat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez despite having cancer, died on Wednesday, aged 75. Meanwhile, disgraced former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz flirts with a run for Florida governor. When asked in the Qatar Economic Forum, Donald Trump Jr. hinted that he may run for political office by saying, "I don't know, maybe one day.” At the local level, the Justice Department said that it would abandon efforts to force police reforms in more than half a dozen cities with a history of civil rights violations. In Florida, prosecutors began to investigate a nonprofit linked to Hope Florida Foundation, an initiative led by Casey DeSantis and championed by her husband, Governor Ron DeSantis.

With Trump having dinner with the largest shareholders of Trump’s memecoin on Thursday night, that costs more than $1 million per seat, one of the attendees is Justin Sun, who famously spent $6.24 million on a banana duct taped to a wall, once avoided coming to the US due to legal concerns, and his crypto platform, Tron, is linked to illicit crypto activity. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump "gold card" site will launch within a week. On the subject of bribing, the Trump Organization broke ground on a $1.5 billion golf club in Vietnam, with Eric Trump meeting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. On Thursday morning, the House passed Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by one vote. The new bill, if implemented and approved by the Senate, would slash taxes, reduce social spending, and increase the federal debt. In a busy day for the Supreme Court, the justices upheld the fraud conviction of a government contractor, and surprisingly upheld a lower court’s decision that blocks Oklahoma from building the nation’s first taxpayer-funded religious charter school due to a 4-4 vote. On the theme of education, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's executive order to shut down the Education Department through mass layoffs, while another federal judge blocked immigration authorities from revoking the legal status of international students. Then, in a stunning bombshell in higher education, the Department of Homeland Security blocked Harvard from enrolling international students. Legal violations aside, the new announcement would force current foreign students to transfer or risk losing their legal status. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem terminated Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, claiming the institution allowed “anti-American, pro-terrorist” foreigners to harass and physically assault individuals,” and alleged the university is working with the Chinese Communist Party by hosting and training members of its paramilitary group. According to the MAHA Report by RFK Jr, the WSJ first reported that Kennedy scrutinized the production of ultraprocessed foods, attacked lobbyists, and called for larger clinical trials of vaccines. Still, he did not go harder on pesticides in farming. Finally, the US Treasury is phasing out production of the penny,

On Friday morning, Trump threatened to slap Apple with 25% tariffs on iPhones not made in the US, and recommended a 50% tariff on the European Union starting on June 1 (Trump backed off and delayed the imposition date to July 9 on Sunday evening). European stocks fell by 2%, while the Dow fell by 400 points. Under 24 hours since the DHS announcement, Harvard sued the Trump regime for the foreign student ban, and won just hours later when a federal judge barred the administration from enacting the measure. In other legal news, an appeals judge blocked mass layoffs that happened in many federal agencies, a federal judge struck down Trump's executive order targeting the Jenner & Block law firm, and Boeing and the DOJ reached a deal to avoid prosecution over the deadly 737 Max plane crashes. By late Friday night, another federal judge orders the administration to pursue the return of an improperly deported Guatemalan man dubbed O.C.G., saying his removal likely “lacked any semblance of due process.” During the latest Oval Office signing session, Trump signed new executive orders that eased regulations and expanded nuclear energy production. In a sudden reorganization move, the White House abruptly dismissed members of the National Security Council, as part of a plan to downsize the coordinating body by Trump and Marco Rubio. In a Laugh Out Loud worthy headline, Trump’s most exclusive crypto dinner serves up bad-looking “prison” food and terrible wine. Ending on a high note from the UK’s Independent newspaper, “Trump gives rambling speech about trophy wives, golf and the ‘great late’ Al Capone in politically-charged West Point address” before leaving without shaking the hands of any graduate.

China Watch - Tax Authorities Investigate Indie Media

In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said the city’s independent news sector, which includes companies, staff, and families, is facing simultaneous tax audits and backdated demands since November 2023 as part of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) inspections. Saying the situation reflects a worsening press freedom environment in the city, HKJA head Selina Cheng said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prompt most of the tax investigations: “Journalists in Hong Kong do not have a very high income. Other than having to pay these claims of taxes, they also need to spend money, time, and energy to prove in reverse that they were innocent.” The agency itself and six independent news outlets (Including their founders) were under such scrutiny, including the Hong Kong Free Press. In a statement, the independent English news outlet stated it was “randomly selected” for an audit in 2024, adding that they have “always met its tax obligations” and “have cooperated fully.” HKFP founder Tom Grundy told the New York Times’ Tiffany May: “I’m having to act as a one-man compliance department instead of a journalist. It’s just not what I expected from the world’s freest economy when I chose to set up a business here a decade ago.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), two international media watchdogs, have criticized such moves as “intimidation tactics.” The CPJ’s international coordinator, Beh Lih Yi, said Hong Kong was “taking a page out of the playbook of authoritarian regimes elsewhere that are using similar intimidation tactics,” adding that “Targeting journalists with tax audits without sufficient evidence not only rings alarm bells for press freedom, but also raises concerns more broadly about Hong Kong as a safe and reliable location to do business.”

Amid US President Donald Trump’s assault on higher education, including banning Harvard from enrolling international students, which affects many Chinese students who study there, Hong Kong universities were eager to exploit the benefits for them. In an interview with local media, the University of Hong Kong’s head Zhang Xiang said Trump’s cuts present an “‘opportune moment” for the city to attract talent. Hours after Trump restricted Harvard from accepting international students, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) said it will provide "unconditional offers" for international students studying at Harvard to come to the Chinese institution. In the university’s press release, HKUST said they will also provide “streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition for interested students.” A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry stated that “China has consistently opposed the politicization of educational collaboration,” adding that Trump’s decision “will only tarnish its own image and reputation in the world.” On the governmental level, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau (EDB) head Christine Choi wrote in a statement that they have “appealed to all universities in Hong Kong to provide facilitation measures for eligible students.”

On trade, China announced its economy is resilient this Monday, despite Trump’s tariff impacts. China’s industrial output beat estimates as it rose by 6.1% in April, while domestic retail consumption is slightly below expectations as it is only up by 5.1%. By Tuesday, China cut its benchmark lending rates for the first time in 7 months to boost economic growth. During a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, they agreed to counter China’s trade practices and address “economic imbalances.” Then on Friday, the US and China held their first call since the Geneva meeting to further trade talks, ending on a positive note as both sides agreed to maintain communication.

Meanwhile, as the Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te marks the end of his first year of being in power, there was a stunning gaffe from the Chinese state media broadcaster CCTV. The anchor Hu Die accidentally referred to Taiwan and China as "two countries," a big violation of the Chinese government’s official stance that Taiwan is a part of China. It led to Chinese censors blocking shares of the video clip on social media, and CCTV’s website has cut off the part when it posted the entire news show online.

War Watch - Gaza Under Starvation

After Trump’s two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin and later with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the US President declared that both sides would hold ceasefire talks “immediately” and added that the Vatican had offered to host the talks. What was notable from Trump’s phone call stemmed from the absence of a breakthrough on Ukraine as Russia didn’t respond to budging, and the fact that both the American and Russian leaders had backed off from a meeting with each other. Hours after the call, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of launching drone strikes. Taking time off from the war, the Russian government outlawed Amnesty International as an “undesirable organization,” forcing the renowned NGO to stop its work inside the country. On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that Trump's proposal to leverage US foreign assistance accounts in a bid to return migrants to conflict-afflicted nations, including Ukrainians and Haitians, would use foreign aid funds that were supposedly affected by spending cuts. Meanwhile, the UK and EU slapped dozens of new sanctions on Russia, targeting the country’s military and Moscow's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers. On Wednesday, Putin visited the Kursk region for the first time since Ukrainian troops were ejected from the region, while the Russian-linked Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov was shot dead in Spain. In the meantime, based on reports by multiple media sources, Trump is abandoning peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, leaving the Vatican to hold a potential Putin-Zelensky meeting. On Friday, Russia and Ukraine each handed over 390 soldiers and civilians, marking the first part of the largest prisoner swap to date. By the weekend, the EU is weighing whether to cut off 20 banks from SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) as part of a new sanctions package. Meanwhile, Ukraine faced the largest air attack by Russia to date and killing 13 people, leading to Trump saying, "I'm not happy with Putin. I don't know what's wrong with him. He's killing a lot of people, I'm not happy about that."

When the week began, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to “take control” of all of Gaza, a day after authorities promised to let aid trickle into the Strip. Britain, France, and Canada condemned the “intolerable” and “egregious” escalation, vowing to take “concrete action” if the carnage continues. Escalating the war effort, Israel started Monday by bombing Nasser hospital amid intense raids on Khan Younis, killing 50 people. Calling the Gaza aid blockade “cruel,” the UK suspended its trade deal talks with Israel and summoned its ambassador. The British government also sanctioned settlers and key groups linked to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, as the UN noted no aid had yet been distributed in Gaza because of restrictions imposed by Israel’s army, warning 14,000 kids were at risk of dying if more aid doesn’t arrive in 24 hours. Meanwhile, Israel’s domestic politics were rocked when opposition party leader Yair Golan said Israel is “killing babies as a hobby” in Gaza. Following Britain’s lead, the EU announced it is reviewing the pact governing its political and economic ties with Israel, citing the "catastrophic" situation in Gaza. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers fired warning shots at a group of diplomats from the EU, UK, China, Russia, and other countries who were visiting Jenin. As Israel says it would prepare to swiftly strike Iran if Trump's nuclear talks break down, Netanyahu announced the IDF has killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar and vowed “all areas of the Strip will be under Israeli security control.” On Thursday, two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, DC, were fatally shot near the Capitol Jewish Museum. The victims were Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a couple that was days away from being engaged. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, was reportedly shouting “Free, Free Palestine” multiple times during the murder. After being apprehended by the authorities, he was charged with the murder of foreign officials and other charges. Concerning the war, the Palestinian Authority health minister said 29 children and the elderly have died from starvation in two days, as there were conflicting accounts on whether aid has arrived in the desperately needed places in the Gaza Strip. In Netanyahu’s first public statement since the death of two Israeli embassy members, he accused Starmer, Macron, and Carney of siding with "mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers.” Describing the current aid flowing into Gaza only amounts to a "teaspoon,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned more people will die (On top of at least 66 people who were killed on Friday, and one Israeli strike that hit the home of a doctor and killed nine out of her 10 children) unless there is "rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access.”

Because I’m Too Busy For Memeing: Some Other Important News From The Rest Of The World

Dateline Canberra, Australia:

Following the defeat of the Coalition in this month’s Australian election, Tuesday saw a dramatic breakup between the Liberal Party and the Nationals. After 80 years of partnership, one form or another, Nationals leader David Littleproud announced the end of an era, citing issues like nuclear policy and a $20bn regional Australia future fund as the key sticking points leading up to the decision. According to members of the Liberal Party, the newly chosen opposition leader, Sussan Ley, received the decision warning just hours before it went public.

Dateline London, UK:
It was a busy week for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who kicked off the week by hailing new relations with the European Union five years after Brexit. Starmer met with senior EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in London. The UK PM hailed the deal as “a win-win,” while the EC President called the talks a “historic moment” that benefits both sides. The new trade deals include cutting red tape on food trade, a new security and defense partnership, boosting youth mobility, as well as a fishing rights deal that angered many fishermen and their supporters. The Conservative Party and the far-right Reform UK have heavily criticized the deal, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch saying it is a “surrender” to the EU. Days later, the Labour government decided to make a screeching U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts, a controversial move last year which included a £11,500 threshold, which made many pensioners ineligible for the allowance. On Thursday, the UK agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite a British court blocking the government from transferring sovereignty hours before the agreement was due to be signed.

Dateline Warsaw, Poland:

Last Sunday, Polish voters went to the polls for the first round of voting in their country’s presidential election. The election happened against the backdrop of security concerns from two sides: One from Russia amid the war in Ukraine, and another from Trump’s America and the growing worry about weakening commitment to Europe's security. The frontrunner, and the man who narrowly won the first round of voting, is Rafal Trzaskowski. Warsaw's liberal mayor is a close ally of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and a member of the incumbent centrist Civic Platform (PO) party. The man challenging Trzaskowski is Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian with no prior political experience who is backed by the hard-right nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party. Although centrist and liberal left parties scored a lower vote count than expected, far-right voters might be the deciding electorate when the run-off arrives on June 1.