Knives are Out for Kash Patel and Iowa Official Defies Order to Lower Flags for Charlie Kirk
The knives are out for Kash Patel as calls for his firing grow, an Iowa official refuses to lower flags for Kirk, Trump moves closer to a complete takeover of DC, and Trump may let TikTok die soon
Good morning and Happy Monday. Let’s kick off the week with a packed news update: the knives are out for FBI Director Kash Patel as pressure mounts for his resignation after the botched Kirk shooter investigation. In Iowa, a top official is openly defying the governor’s order to lower flags for Kirk. Meanwhile, Trump may finally let TikTok die, and in Montana, the FBI burned meth inside an animal shelter — forcing a mass evacuation of staff and animals. And that’s only scratching the surface.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
The knives are out. Today, FBI Director Kash Patel is facing mounting scrutiny after communication blunders during the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin and a lawsuit accusing him of unlawfully firing senior agents, with critics claiming the White House may be preparing to replace him with new co-deputy Andrew Bailey.
Though AG Pam Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche, and the White House deny plans to oust him, tensions have grown over Patel’s clashes with DOJ leadership and his social media missteps. Patel’s allies insist he retains Trump’s support, while opponents argue his actions could expose the administration to legal risks over presidential authority.
Johnson County supervisor Jon Green refused Governor Kim Reynolds’s order to lower flags for Charlie Kirk, saying: “I will not grant Johnson county honors to a man who made it his life’s mission to denigrate so many of the constituents I have sworn an oath to protect – and who did so much to harm not only the marginalized – but also to degrade the fabric of our body politic.” Green condemned Kirk’s killing but criticized Reynolds for not issuing similar honors after other shootings, sparking sharp political debate and divided reactions across Iowa.
When asked about Venezuela’s president condemning a U.S. strike on a boat as illegal, Trump replied with a false claim: “What’s illegal is the fact that 300 million people died last year from drugs.”
Kari Lake reacted to the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect’s background by blaming universities for “brainwashing” students, claiming the 22-year-old was once a Trump supporter and urging mothers not to “send your children into these indoctrination camps.”
Fourteen staff members and 75 animals were evacuated from the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter in Billings, Montana, after the FBI used the shelter’s furnace to burn seized meth, filling the building with smoke; employees required hospital treatment in hyperbaric chambers, while several animals are under veterinary care. Shelter director Triniti Halverson, who said she was unaware of the drug burn, called the incident “heartbreaking” and is seeking donations as the facility undergoes weeks of decontamination.
Adeeb Nasir, 58, of Magna, Utah, was arrested on terrorism charges after a lit but failed incendiary device was found under a news media vehicle in Salt Lake City, with the FBI later discovering hoax WMDs, firearms, and narcotics at his home; he is being held without bail while investigators probe a possible motive and ties to a second suspect.
Donald Trump threatened to declare a national emergency and federalize Washington DC after Mayor Muriel Bowser refused to have city police cooperate with ICE, taking control of the Metropolitan Police Department on 11 August, deploying federal officers and the National Guard in what he called a crime crackdown but critics saw as federal overreach, despite DC’s violent crime rate being at a 30-year low and below many red states.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is “very close” to a deal with China over TikTok, after Congress approved a ban unless ByteDance sells its controlling stake; though the law was set to take effect before Trump’s 2025 inauguration, the president has repeatedly delayed enforcement, citing his fondness for the app, while ongoing talks with Beijing have also paused escalating tariffs between the two countries.
After a US immigration raid in Georgia led to the arrest of about 475 South Korean workers at a Hyundai-LG battery factory, sparking outrage over images of detainees in chains, the South Korean government announced it will review possible human rights violations; while Trump said foreign workers are “welcome” to avoid scaring off investors, Seoul repatriated the workers and reported allegations of poor detention conditions, with officials pledging a joint review with US authorities and the companies involved.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in his run for NYC mayor, calling the choice “extremely serious” in a New York Times op-ed and praising the need for state–city partnership; Hochul said Mamdani would “stand up to Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers,” giving a major boost to Mamdani’s campaign.
Trump threatened to cut federal funding from New York following the endorsement from Hochul:
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, is targeting the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), calling it “broken” and vowing to “fix it” by adding conditions like autism to its list and altering vaccine recommendations—moves experts warn could flood the system with claims, push lawsuits into traditional courts, and drive drug companies to stop producing vaccines.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won its first Emmy for outstanding talk series just months before CBS cancels it; in his acceptance speech, Colbert thanked his team, reflected that the show was really about “loss,” said “I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America,” and paraphrased Prince: “if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Steve Cohen reintroduced a bill to ban employers from using credit checks in hiring, arguing the practice unfairly blocks applicants—especially people of color and women—from jobs.
Conor McGregor withdrew from Ireland’s presidential race, calling the nomination rules a “straitjacket” favoring establishment candidates; despite backing from Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and far-right commentators, he struggled to secure required endorsements, polling at just 7% support, while critics like deputy PM Simon Harris said he “represents the very worst of us.”
Flint, Michigan’s Rx Kids program, the first universal community-wide cash transfer for new families in the US, gives expectant mothers $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month for the baby’s first year; new studies show it reduced postpartum depression, prevented evictions, improved infant outcomes, and saved millions in NICU costs.
China’s market regulator said Nvidia violated anti-monopoly law in relation to its 2020 Mellanox acquisition and will continue its probe, sending Nvidia shares down 2% in premarket trading. The move adds pressure amid U.S.–China trade talks in Madrid, as Beijing also launched new semiconductor investigations into U.S. firms.
