President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that he is “playing with fire.” In response, Russia alluded to the potential for a third world war.
Plus, Elon Musk played a significant role in Trump’s cost-cutting efforts. So why is he now criticizing the president’s substantial new spending proposal?
Additionally, SpaceX’s Starship launched successfully, but the landing featured a chaotic spin and a dramatic descent to Earth. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Russian forces take border villages in Ukraine’s Sumy region
Russian troops have taken control of four villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region. This action follows President Vladimir Putin’s request for a so-called buffer zone along the Russian border with Ukraine, indicating that, despite appearances of engaging in peace talks, Moscow’s invasion is far from over. Even while President Donald Trump advocates for a deal, the war only intensifies.
Overnight, Russia launched a wave of drones into Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. The attack killed one person and injured seven more, according to emergency officials.
I held an extended meeting with the military leadership. The agenda included planning our actions, readiness to respond to Russian strikes, and taking preventive measures, which means increasing the production of our own drones and missiles.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 27, 2025
We are also preparing new agreements… pic.twitter.com/hSHlqcnPMS
In response, Ukraine fired back with one of its largest drone attacks since the war began, targeting multiple sites across western Russia with nearly 300 drones. One of those drones struck a machine-building plant in Dubna — a key hub for Russian missile and aviation technology.
In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to ramp up production of Ukraine’s own drones and missiles, calling it a “preventative measure” against future strikes.
Meanwhile, Trump posted to Truth Social, warning Putin. He said the Kremlin was “playing with fire,” claiming that “really bad things” would’ve already happened to Russia if not for him.
That drew a terse response from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who posted: “I only know of one really bad thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”
Regarding Trump's words about Putin "playing with fire" and "really bad things" happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII.
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 27, 2025
I hope Trump understands this!
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to lift ban on migrant deportations
The Trump administration has requested that the Supreme Court allow deportations to proceed without offering ousted migrants an opportunity to contest them. This emergency appeal comes in response to a federal judge’s ruling that halted the deportation of seven men, all of whom have serious criminal convictions.
The migrants were on the verge of being sent to conflict-ridden South Sudan with just hours to spare.
The judge ruled that the men weren’t given enough time to raise concerns that they might face torture or death. However, the Justice Department has argued that it is under no obligation to ask, even when deporting convicted criminals.
US suspends new visa interviews for international students
The Trump administration has stopped all new visa interviews for international students, just days after suspending Harvard’s capacity to enroll foreign nationals.
A judge has temporarily halted that order; however, the White House remains in a standoff with Harvard regarding campus protests and the institution’s unwillingness to comply with Trump’s requests for policy changes.
Now, the administration is stepping up screening, including plans to evaluate what prospective students share on social media.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that studying in the U.S. is a privilege, not a right. He also promised that new guidelines regarding the use of online activity in visa decisions will be announced soon.
Elon Musk slams Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ spending bill
Elon Musk hit Trump’s “big, beautiful” spending bill with a not-so-beautiful reality check. In a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning released late Tuesday night, May 27, Musk slammed the House-passed package as a bloated mess and said it wiped out the work his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team did to cut government waste.
“I was like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not decreases it, and undermines the work the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said.
He continued, “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”
The bill still requires Senate approval before going to Trump’s desk, but at a price tag of $3.8 trillion, even some conservatives are experiencing sticker shock.
This marks Musk’s strongest public break from Trump since stepping away from his DOGE role.
SpaceX Starship successfully reaches orbit, but makes uncontrolled re-entry
SpaceX launched its ninth test flight of the Starship rocket on Tuesday, May 27. It started off strong but ended with a bang. The Super Heavy booster exploded just before splashdown, and fuel leaks caused the upper stage to spiral out of control.
Still, it’s being called a step forward. Unlike the last two flights, which ended in total destruction, this one successfully reached orbit, marking a key milestone for the program.
As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 28, 2025
With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s…
“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary,” SpaceX wrote in a statement.
Trump to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley after fraud convictions
Todd and Julie Chrisley, the reality stars behind “Chrisley Knows Best,” are about to walk free. Trump announced he’s issuing full pardons for the couple.
A jury in California convicted them of defrauding banks out of more than $30 million and hiding income from the IRS. A judge sentenced them in 2022: Todd to 12 years and Julie to seven. Prosecutors alleged that their lavish lifestyle was funded by deception, including the use of fake documents, fraudulent loans and tax evasion.
BREAKING!
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) May 27, 2025
President Trump calls @_ItsSavannah_ to inform her that he will be granting full pardons to her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley!
Trump Knows Best! pic.twitter.com/j5WPMOOQ7L
In a call from the Oval Office on Tuesday, May 27, Trump told their daughter Savannah that the couple’s prison time was coming to an end.
“Your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we’re going to do it by tomorrow,” Trump said.
Savannah Chrisley spoke at the 2024 Republican National Committee convention, defending her parents and campaigning for Trump. The president said the pardon is a “correction of political bias in the justice system.”
