politics News

WIRED Roundup: The 5 Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

In today’s episode of “Uncanny Valley,” we dive into five stories—from AI to DOGE—that encapsulate the year and give us clues as to what might unfold in 2026.

The Week: The State of British Politics in 2025

Chris Mason wraps up the political year of 2025

Newscast

Minister orders probe into foreign interference in politics.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman confirmed as new head of NASA

The Senate confirmed Jared Isaacman's appointment as the head of NASA on Wednesday, a decision that comes just months after President Donald Trump pulled his nomination before picking him yet again in November, as reported earlier by CNBC. Isaacman, the found…

The Verge’s 2025 in review

The year 2025 has been, to put it mildly, eventful. If you’re like me, you’ve felt as if it’s pretty much impossible to keep up with things; every day brings something new, much of it baffling or enraging. But that’s not the case for everything — and so, as w…

Apple will reportedly refuse India’s order to preinstall a government app

Apple is not planning to comply with an order from the Indian government directing phone manufacturers to preload a state-backed cybersecurity app, according to Reuters. Industry sources tell Reuters that Apple plans to tell India’s government that they don’…

Trump is recruiting Big Tech workers for the government

President Donald Trump will recruit workers from Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and other tech giants to form the US Tech Force, a new program that aims to "modernize the federal government," according to an announcement on Monday. Under the new prog…

Apple fined $116 million over app privacy prompts

Apple has been fined more than €98 million (about $116 million) by Italy's antitrust regulator over the "excessively burdensome" privacy rules it imposes on third-party apps. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) says that Apple abused its dominant app sto…

X cuts off the European Commission’s ad account after being fined €120 million

Friday, the EU slapped X with a €120 million fine (about $140 million) for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). It was the first time that a company had been hit with a penalty for running afoul of the law. Elon Musk responded with his trademark tact and…

Apple opens iOS to third-party app stores in Japan

Apple has announced the changes it's making to the iOS App Store in Japan in order to comply with recent legislation in the country. It will allow third-party app stores and payment processing options, though is introducing new commission fees for those trans…

Trump Media is merging with a nuclear fusion company

Trump Media, the company that runs social network Truth Social, is pivoting to nuclear fusion. It has announced a merger with California-based fusion power company TAE Technologies, and plans to start construction on a fusion power plant in 2026. Trump Media …

U.S. ski resorts are bracing for a steep drop in international travel due to politics

Canadians usually head south for the skiing, shopping and nightlife in American ski towns. But due to cross-border politics, tourism to the U.S. is down, and some resorts are worried.

The new reality of study abroad: Higher costs, more politics, fewer Aperol spritzes

American students going abroad are facing higher tuition, more expenses, more awkward conversations, and fewer fun drinks.

The Donald Trump v Zohran Mamdani show

How long can the US president and next mayor of New York continue to get on?

Trump news at a glance: president hints at abandoning Ukraine, rambles about ‘weak’ Europe

Trump’s sometimes incoherent Politico interview featured recycled far-right tropes about European immigration – key US politics stories from Tuesday 9...

David Hogg to Democratic Establishment: Get the Message or Get Voted Out

At WIRED’s Big Interview event, the activist and organizer said he doesn’t “think the Chuck Schumers of the world understand” what’s coming for the party.

Big Four promotions depend more on politics and your boss having your back than your performance, researchers found

Promotion reviews often end up as "political arenas" where managers lobby, trade favors, and defend their protégés, a multi-university study found.

House overhauls KOSA in a new kids online safety package

The House Energy and Commerce Committee released a package of 19 bills aimed at protecting kids on the internet, teeing Congress up for a chance at passing some of the most substantive internet regulations in recent history, alongside a fight over online spee…

Trump administration bars former EU official and anti-disinformation and hate researchers from US

On Tuesday, the Trump Administration followed through on a threat of retaliation targeting foreigners who are involved in content moderation. The State Department announced sanctions barring US access for former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, as well as four…

Elon Musk is on a racist posting spree again

Billionaire Elon Musk — who’s long used his X (formerly Twitter) platform to stoke anger at immigrants and support antisemitic conspiracy theories — has spent the past day spreading and praising claims that “White people are on the verge of extinction,” Somal…

Republican Insider Reveals Exact Moment Trump’s Party Will Abandon Him

A former top Republican official has reportedly predicted the exact moment the party could abandon President Donald Trump. Politico’s politics bureau chief...

Trump defends his criticism of killed Hollywood director Rob Reiner

Reiner was a longtime Democrat, liberal activist and outspoken opponent of the US president.

Isaac Chotiner Sums Up Politics in 2025

On The Political Scene Podcast: The idea that Donald Trump is acting from a governing strategy or a conception of national interest “seems completely disconnected from reality.”

The Newscast Review of the Year 2025

The biggest events of the year and what it was like on the inside as they happened.

Trump’s Vile Post About Rob Reiner Has Some Republicans Breaking Ranks

President Trump blamed the acclaimed director for his own murder.

The Signal Is the Noise

The politics of prediction markets.

The year the government broke

The first crack showed right before Inauguration Day. The year before, Congress had overwhelmingly passed a bill banning TikTok unless it broke ties with its Chinese parent company. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld it, and it was clear what needed to happ…

The 60 Minutes report on CECOT that Bari Weiss censored is now internet contraband

Yesterday, Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, censored a segment of its newsmagazine 60 Minutes about men who had been deported to an El Salvador prison. Today, it's popping up online. 60 Minutes had already begun promoting the now-censored segm…

Jeffrey Epstein, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the Future of American Politics

Jay Caspian Kang on what the future of American politics will look like after Donald Trump’s Presidency.

Billionaire Charlie Munger Said If Politics Keeps You Angry, 'Welcome To The House Of Misery' And 'Pretty Low Worldly Achievement'

Charlie Munger understood a very human pattern: the quickest way to ruin your judgment is to let anger run your life. It's one reason people are taught to...

Japan's Takaichi is winning fans not with politics but with her style and 'work, work, work' mantra

The pledge by Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year. The...

The Latest Thing AI Is Accelerating Is How Much U.S. Elections Suck

AI super PACs are threatening to drown out the rest of politics.

Sir Andreas Whittam Smith, co-founder of the Independent, dies aged 88

The Independent was the first paper not to have a permanent allegiance to a political party.

The Americast Awards 2025… on 5 Live!

What were the biggest moments of the year for America?

Ban harmful content from social media instead of us, say Australian teens

From 10 December, social media firms must ensure Australians aged under 16 cannot have accounts.

“Landman” Goes Down Like a Michelob Ultra

Taylor Sheridan’s oil-industry drama trades in gender stereotypes, reactionary politics, and blatant product placement. Why, then, is it so damn satisfying?

A nationwide internet age verification plan is sweeping Congress

For years, lawmakers at the state and federal levels have tried a variety of measures aimed at making kids safer on the internet, from kids-tailored design standards to age verification for individual websites. More recently, a new model has caught on in the …

Brendan Carr doesn’t regret his threats to broadcasters

A defiant Brendan Carr testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday in his first public appearance before lawmakers since threatening broadcasters who aired comedian Jimmy Kimmel's show. Over the course of nearly three hours, the Federal Commun…

MTG Loses It After ‘60 Minutes’ Host Calls Her Out

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene sparred with 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl in a heated back-and-forth after she was confronted about her inflammatory rhetoric...

‘Non-Political’ Creators Have Outsized Influence on Audience’s Politics, Study Finds

Measuring the Joe Rogan effect.

New York’s new law forces advertisers to say when they’re using AI avatars

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Thursday that will require advertisers to identify if an ad includes AI-generated people. Hochul's announcement said the bill, S.8420-A/A.8887-B, was the first of its kind in the US, describing it as a "common sense" l…

Sultana claims new Corbyn party carrying out 'witch hunt' against activists

Zarah Sultana boycotts the first day of Your Party's founding conference after several members were expelled.

UK criticises Gaza aid delays as tents take year to arrive

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the situation remains "dire" as the United Nations warned 1.5 million people are in need of urgent shelter.

William and Kate greet German president on first state visit in 27 years

Germany's president will receive a ceremonial welcome from the King and a state banquet in Windsor Castle.

English mayors will get new powers to levy tourist taxes

Mayors will be given the power to charge tourists a tax for staying overnight in their towns and cities.

Farage's racism denials are dishonest, says ex-classmate

Peter Ettedgui tells the BBC Nigel Farage targeted antisemitic abuse at him when they were teenagers.

Watch live: Netflix and Paramount fight over Warner Bros. Discovery

Hollywood's new clash of the titans is Netflix versus Paramount. BI's team will unpack the key details in a Thursday Q&A at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Corbyn and Sultana will not lead new left-wing party

Your Party delegates vote to be led by a panel of members - avoiding a potentially explosive leadership race.

Historian criticises BBC for removing Trump line from Radio 4 lecture

Rutger Bregman says he is "genuinely dismayed" after a line about the US president was edited out.

What could’ve been Google’s worst year turned into one of its best

2025 could have been a pretty disastrous year for Google. The company came in knowing it had three major legal battles to fight, increasing competition in the burgeoning AI market, and a new US president to adapt to. It looked possible - perhaps likely - that…

What 1,000 pages of documents tell us about DOGE

Months after staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency were found in the Federal Communications Commission directory, the FCC is being accused of slow-walking demands for information about what they did there. On February 24th, advocacy group Freq…

Microsoft is quietly walking back its diversity efforts

Microsoft has been publishing data about the gender, race, and ethnic breakdown of its employees for more than a decade. Since 2019 it's been publishing a full diversity and inclusion report annually, and at the same time made reporting on diversity a require…

US senator from Wyoming won't seek reelection in 2026 in Republican stronghold

First-term U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming announced Friday that she won't seek reelection in 2026, but she said she's committed to retaining Republic...

You're Not Burnt Out. You're Existentially Starving

“Those who have a ‘Why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘How’.” ― Viktor Frankl quoting Friedrich Nietzsche, Man’s Search for Meaning Let me guess: Viktor Frankl calls this feeling the “existential vacuum” in his famous book Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl…

Getting stuck in the mental health section of the TikTok algorithm

The Washington Post analyzed TikTok usage, finding what topics the algorithm nudges users towards more: TikTok’s algorithm favors mental health content over many other topics, including politics, c…

'Boycotting the US': Economic blow from lack of Canadian tourists hits

Canadian snowbirds usually pack Arizona this time of year. Due to Trump's insults, they're boycotting. Here's how it's affecting Arizona's economy.

Netflix deal puts Gary Lineker in podcast super league - but can he succeed?

In a big money move, Lineker will go head-to-head with his old employer with The Rest Is Football.

15 "Hidden Gem" Entry-Level Jobs That Can Set You Up For Long-Term Career Success

"There's no coworker drama or office politics, I can choose who I want to work for, and I work part-time hours but make the same amount I was making when I worked 40 hours a week at an office job."View Entire Post ›

Jafar Panahi Sentenced to Prison in Absentia in Iran

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Mike Johnson’s Got the Work of a Firefighter, the Mind of a Therapist, and the Brain of a Waffle

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Robert Pattinson and Zendaya Awkwardly Plan a Wedding in First The Drama Teaser

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Trump on Venezuelan Oil Tanker Seizure: 'Well, We Keep It, I Guess'

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American Mockumentaries Somehow Got Both Nicer and More Realistic This Year

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Charli xcx Takes Aim At brat Brand In First Full The Moment Trailer

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Trump Unable To Flip Coins; Overturns Accessibility Instead

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The Only Thing Worse Than Bad AI Music Is Good AI Music

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Chicago Launches a Naming Contest for Ice-Abolishing Vehicles

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Natasha Lyonne Left Poker Face To "direct some movies"

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438 Reasons to Doubt that David Sacks Should Work for the Federal Government

His investments may expose him to conflicts of interest. They also probably distort common sense.

Democrats Have a Chance to Flip Sen. Marsha Blackburn's Old District

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Screw it, Scarlett Johansson Will Star in the Latest "Radical New Take" on The Exorcist

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Pantone Announces White As Color Of 2026

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Trump Admin Plans to Use U.S. Aid as a Bargaining Chip in its Anti-Abortion Agenda

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Jim Caviezel to give Jair Bolsonaro the Jesus treatment

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Josh O'Connor recedes pleasantly in his Saturday Night Live debut

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Taylor Swift: The End Of An Era, Like Its Titular Tour, Prioritizes Maximalism and Joy

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When Did Young, Ambitious TV Characters Stop Trying to Be Artists?

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FCC Chair Says the FCC Is Not Independent

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Elevated-Trash TV Found Its Footing in 2025

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Political Symbols Are Everywhere Now—On Our Streets and Our Screens

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Gaza Death Toll Continues to Mount Under Israeli Ceasefire

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Cynthia Erivo offers her interpretation of Elphaba's sex cardigan in Wicked: For Good

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Cynthia Erivo offers her interpretation of Elphaba's sex cardigan in Wicked: For Good

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John Cameron Mitchell Is Oh, Mary!'s Next Mrs. Lincoln

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Jim Caviezel to give Jair Bolsonaro the Jesus treatment

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Josh O'Connor Thinks We Deserve The Truth In First Trailer For Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day

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James Cameron Hits Matt Damon with a Fact Check About Purported Avatar Role

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Watch Darlene Love Continue 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' Tradition on Fallon

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Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara link up in first look at Imperfect Women

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"It Honestly Seems Exhausting": 17 Honest Things Foreigners Think About The US — And Whew, It's Kinda Brutal

"America is either the promised land or the evil empire."View Entire Post ›

Ministers insist plans to absorb council Send debts won't hit school budgets

Ministers say the Office for Budget Responsibility's projections do not take into account upcoming reforms.

Australian move to fast-track new gun and protest laws after Bondi shooting draws criticism

Civil liberties advocates say laws 'damage our democracy' while others say they scapegoat gun owners.

Trump's 'A+++++' economy collides with the reality in a Pennsylvania city critical to the midterms

When Idalia Bisbal moved to this Pennsylvania city synonymous with America's working class, she hoped for a cheaper, easier life than the one she was leaving...

Why politics is ruining how we watch movies

One Battle After Another is, perhaps, too on the nose. Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic depicts past and present revolutionaries fighting back against a heavily militarized, white-supremacist regime that seemed to mirror reality in the United States when the movie…

Putin rules out return to G7

Russia is not looking to rejoin the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to India on Thursday...

Georgia families say expiring health care subsidies are ‘life and death’

Thousands of Georgians are facing a dramatic increase in their insurance premiums.

Main parking area at Holland State Park closed 'until further notice'

The main parking lot at Holland State Park is closed "until further notice" following "ongoing illegal activity."

Former OSU football star Maurice Clarett gets new role with Franklin County

Former OSU football star Maurice Clarett is serving the central Ohio community in a new way with his appointment to a county board.

JD Vance Just Said Something Very... Interesting About Race In America That's Making People Wonder If He Lives In The Same Reality As The Rest Of Us

Vance spoke about Christianity as "an anchor of the United States of America" and encouraged people to join ICE, but one part of his speech is going viral because, well, see for yourself.View Entire Post ›

Appeals court hands Trump a victory, OK'ing firing of two independent agency heads

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that President Trump's firings of Democratic members of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the National Labor Relations Board were lawful.