Good morning. I’ve just spent the morning walking the streets of Washington, D.C. — barely 24 hours after Donald Trump announced the mobilization of the National Guard and the federal takeover of our city’s police force.
Here’s the truth: the streets are quiet. Business is proceeding as usual. I’ve seen no surge in police presence, no checkpoints, and not a single member of the National Guard on patrol.
But I will keep looking. I will keep reporting. And I will not stop. Not now. Not ever.
If you value firsthand, unfiltered reporting from the ground — not from billionaire-backed newsrooms or corporate talking points — then subscribe today. My work is funded only by you, and every subscription keeps the truth alive.
With that, here’s the news:
The Trump administration is considering creating a “Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force” of 600 National Guard troops stationed in Alabama and Arizona, ready to deploy to U.S. cities within an hour to respond to unrest, a plan raising legal, political, and operational concerns over militarizing law enforcement, straining Guard resources, and lowering the threshold for domestic troop deployments. This, according to The Washington Post.
Donald Trump ordered the national guard to Washington DC and seized control of the city’s police force for 30 days, calling it a “liberation day” to address crime, a move condemned as “unsettling and unprecedented” by DC’s mayor and criticized as an assault on the city’s political independence despite violent crime being at a 30-year low.
The Democratic Mayors Association criticized Donald Trump’s crime policies, stating that crime is down in most major cities, including Washington, DC, “in spite of” him, and accusing him of making unprecedented cuts to effective public safety programs.
July’s CPI inflation rose 2.7% year-over-year, slightly below expectations, with monthly inflation up 0.2% as falling gas prices offset increases in airline fares, recreation, furnishings, and used cars; core inflation reached 3.1%, its highest since February, signaling tariffs are beginning to modestly impact consumers.
The Teamsters, led by General President Sean O’Brien, are increasingly donating to Republicans after decades of mostly backing Democrats, giving $5,000 to the NRCC, $62,000 to GOP congressional candidates, and $50,000 to the Republican Attorneys General Association this year, signaling a strategic shift as union members grow more open to supporting the GOP and Donald Trump works to position Republicans as a working-class party.
Texas Democrats again blocked a Republican-led effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps favored by Donald Trump by denying the legislature a quorum, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to warn Trump against fueling a nationwide “redistricting arms race” and threaten retaliatory map changes in California unless other states abandon partisan redistricting plans.
President Donald Trump nominated conservative economist EJ Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after firing commissioner Erika McEntarfer earlier this month following a weak jobs report he claimed was “rigged.”
Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa faced taunts and jeers at two California town halls over his support for Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” fielding criticism on tariffs, cuts to social programs, climate change skepticism, and redistricting, while defending Trump’s trade approach and rejecting both Texas and California partisan map-drawing efforts.
Trump announced another 90-day delay on implementing sweeping tariffs on China, signing an executive order to extend the deadline for higher tariffs until 10 November.
A federal judge in San Francisco began hearings on whether the Trump administration violated federal law by deploying national guard soldiers and US marines to Los Angeles after protests over immigration raids, despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and city leaders.
Trump referred to the Kennedy Center as the "TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER"
Taylor Swift announced her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, at 12:12 a.m. on August 12 after a cryptic countdown and hints on social media, revealing the news on her partner Travis Kelce’s podcast; while the release date is unconfirmed, her website says it will ship before October 13, following her record-breaking Eras Tour and her recent purchase of the master recordings for her first six albums.
Trump previewed his upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, saying he will know “probably in the first two minutes” if a peace deal is possible, and confirmed he would call Volodymyr Zelenskyy if a “fair deal” for a ceasefire emerged; he also left open the possibility of future trade with Russia.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is preparing new offensive operations, urged partners to maintain unity and increase pressure on Moscow, and voiced support for Donald Trump’s planned summit with Vladimir Putin, emphasizing “peace through strength” and accountability if Russia refuses to end the war.
European Union leaders urged President Donald Trump to protect their security interests at his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, as Putin appeared poised for a territorial grab; Trump has suggested Ukraine may need to cede some Russian-held territory and floated land swaps, disappointing US allies.
A federal judge rejected a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the Ghislaine Maxwell criminal investigation, ruling that public release would undermine the secrecy essential to grand jury proceedings.
A gunman opened fire outside a Target store in Austin, Texas, killing at least three people and injuring a fourth before stealing two cars and being arrested; police identified the suspect as a 32-year-old white man with a history of mental health issues, though no motive or victim details have been released.
Eastman Kodak, the 133-year-old photography company, warned it may not survive much longer due to lacking the liquidity to cover $500 million in upcoming debt, prompting a more than 7% drop in shares; despite past dominance in film and cameras, a failed pivot to digital led to bankruptcy in 2012, and while it later expanded into pharmaceutical ingredients and continues producing films and chemicals, the company now plans cost-cutting measures including halting pension payments.
Former youth pastor Thomas Pinkerton Jr., 52, was arrested on 24 counts in Maryland for allegedly sexually abusing at least six teens between 2006 and 2010 while working at Central Christian Church, part of the Assemblies of God denomination; additional allegations have since emerged from other states, and Pinkerton, who pleaded not guilty, is being held without bond pending a September 5 hearing.
A July inflation report is expected to show rising consumer prices amid signs Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs are straining the U.S. economy, with economists warning of potential stagflation; analysts estimate consumers could bear up to 67% of tariff costs by year’s end, complicating Federal Reserve policy and adding to pressures from record-high beef, electricity, and insurance prices.
Good News:
Members of Bangor Rugby Club in Wales carried wheelchair-bound fan Phil Thompson to the 3,650-foot summit of Snowdon, fulfilling his lifelong dream and raising over $2,100 for the club after funding cuts, with a custom frame built by a local welder just days before the climb.
Researchers validated a new portable, non-invasive ultrasound device called Neosonics that can detect meningitis in babies with about 94% accuracy, potentially replacing risky spinal taps; developed by New Born Solutions and tested in Spain, Mozambique, and Morocco, the tool uses AI to analyze cerebrospinal fluid through a newborn’s fontanelle and could expand early diagnosis and treatment in underserved areas.
A tiny runt goat named Lil, rejected at birth on a Wiltshire, England farm, was rescued and nurtured by two border collies, Luna and Nya, who now act as her surrogate parents and are even teaching her sheepdog skills, helping her grow strong and bond more with the dogs than the other goats.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
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