This afternoon, I’m bringing you an exclusive interview with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — and we cover it all. From his push to redistrict New York in response to what Texas Republicans are doing… to his blunt reaction when Donald Trump told him to “go to hell”… to the most urgent of all: Schumer’s answer to Trump’s push in Congress to extend the time he could control the Metropolitan D.C. police department. Would Congress allow it or even consider eliminating Home Rule in Washington, D.C.? Schumer’s answer: “No fucking way.”
Meanwhile, we are expecting a major increase of National Guard troops this evening in Washington, D.C. I will be on the ground covering it live. Please subscribe to support my work.
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With that, here’s the news you missed:
Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a major press conference tomorrow where he will announce his push for new Congressional maps in California to counter Texas Republicans. The post announcing the press conference said that America will be liberated from the Trump Presidency when Democrats take back the House of Representatives:
Trump says he will seek extensions to the 30-day federal takeover limit of DC’s metropolitan police, expressing confidence Congress will approve it without declaring a national emergency, and dismisses DC statehood as “ridiculous” and “not going to happen.” Schumer says “no fucking way.”
The White House says National Guard presence in Washington, DC, will expand to a 24/7 deployment starting Wednesday night as Trump’s federal takeover of the city’s police enters its third day, with troops assisting but not arresting, and the president signaling he may seek to extend control beyond the 30-day limit while also ordering a review of Smithsonian exhibits to remove “divisive” narratives.
A White House official reported 43 arrests in DC on Tuesday night—double the previous night’s total—with over 1,450 officers involved, half from the city’s police department, and just 30 of the 800 expected National Guard troops deployed.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser urged residents to “protect our home rule” and elect a Democratic House to counter what she called an “authoritarian push” from Trump.
New research shows Planned Parenthood clinics handled over 1.5 million Medicaid visits in 2024 for non-abortion care, but this role is threatened by a Trump-backed law banning Medicaid reimbursements, which is temporarily blocked in court; experts warn that if the ban takes effect, it could severely damage the U.S. healthcare safety net.
At the Kennedy Center, Donald Trump announced he will personally host this year’s Honors in December, with honorees including Sylvester Stallone.
Trump warned of “very severe consequences” for Vladimir Putin if no ceasefire is reached at their Friday meeting in Alaska, and suggested a possible trilateral summit with Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon after.
Trump criticized Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell as “truly incompetent” and said he would announce Powell’s replacement “within the next week,” narrowing the choice to “three or four names.” Powell’s term ends in May.
Trump participated in a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders, described by the German chancellor as “very good” and “constructive.” Zelenskyy said Trump will call him after his Friday meeting with Putin.
A federal appeals court lifted an injunction requiring the State Department to keep paying foreign aid contractors, granting the Trump administration the ability to cut billions in congressionally approved foreign assistance.
The U.S. State Department has approved potential sales of munitions, precision bombs, and precision rockets to Nigeria, valued at an estimated $346 million, according to the Pentagon.
Joseph Humire, newly appointed head of Western Hemisphere policy at the U.S. Defense Department, previously led a think tank accused by InSight Crime of publishing fabricated and exaggerated reports on the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang; despite U.S. intelligence skepticism, he has promoted claims that President Nicolás Maduro directs the gang’s crimes, a narrative embraced by the Trump administration to justify its terrorist designation of TdA, mass expulsions under the Alien Enemies Act, and broader escalations against Venezuela.
Over 400 suspected heat deaths have been recorded in Maricopa County, Arizona, during a record-breaking August heatwave, with climate change, housing insecurity, and reduced federal support worsening risks as wildfires spread statewide.
The Los Angeles school district will deploy police, staff, and community volunteers to form protective perimeters around at least 100 schools after immigration agents, in a case of mistaken identity, reportedly handcuffed, detained, and drew guns on a student with disabilities outside Arleta High School.
Juneau, Alaska, has ordered evacuations as record flooding from the Mendenhall Glacier’s Suicide Basin threatens homes, with scientists attributing the intensifying annual glacial lake outburst floods to climate change, which has warmed Alaska twice as fast as the rest of the U.S. and driven rapid glacier retreat.
U.S. adult alcohol consumption has fallen to a record low of 54%, with a Gallup poll showing that for the first time, a majority of Americans (53%) view even moderate drinking as harmful, as health warnings grow and average weekly intake drops to its lowest level since 1996.
Climate scientists are mobilizing a coordinated public comment and the National Academies of Sciences has launched a rare self-funded fast-track review to counter a Department of Energy report backing the Trump administration’s push to overturn the EPA’s “endangerment finding,” amid broader efforts by the administration to remove climate data and weaken environmental regulations.
A federal judge voiced skepticism over the Justice Department’s unprecedented lawsuit against all 15 Maryland federal judges, which challenges a court rule temporarily halting fast-track deportations; the case highlights tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary over immigration, with legal experts warning the approach could undermine judicial independence nationwide.
Air Canada will lock out its flight attendants starting August 16 after strike action was approved by 99.7% of union members, prompting the airline to wind down operations and cancel flights beginning August 14; the dispute centers on wages, unpaid work, and cost-of-living increases, with federal mediators urging both sides to reach a deal.
See you this evening from D.C.!
— Aaron
