Good morning, and Happy Labor Day. To every worker reading this: you are the heartbeat of America. Your labor, your dedication, your sacrifices are not just valued—they are indispensable. America’s workers are the true backbone of this nation, and today is a powerful reminder that we must stand shoulder to shoulder to defend workers and their rights.
Even on this holiday, the work does not pause. I’m closely tracking several critical stories: questions about Donald Trump’s health, India’s fierce response to Trump’s punishing tariffs, and the major immigration enforcement surges set to begin after Labor Day. These are the kinds of issues that demand clear-eyed reporting and accountability.
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With that, here’s the news:
On the first Labor Day of Trump’s second term, labor advocates say his administration has been “brazenly anti-worker,” slashing pay and protections, gutting unions by ending collective bargaining for 1 million federal employees, weakening safety rules, and rolling back wage increases, while the White House insists Trump is putting “American workers first” through job gains, tax breaks, and lower inflation.
After social media rumors claiming Donald Trump had died went viral—amassing over a million engagements on X—the president dismissed them by posting “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE” on Truth Social; speculation was fueled by his brief absence from public view and photos of bruising on his hand, but Trump was seen golfing in Virginia.
One day later, this morning, Donald Trump does not have any public events for Labor Day marking the sixth straight day the President has not appeared at a sanctioned event or spoken to the United States press corps.
At Nagpur’s annual Marbat Utsav, locals paraded and burned a giant effigy of Donald Trump to protest his administration’s new 50% tariffs on Indian goods over Delhi’s Russian oil imports; the centuries-old festival, traditionally aimed at warding off evil, has evolved into a venue for voicing social and political grievances, with this year’s symbolism channeling anger at U.S. trade policies.
The Trump administration, through the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, has demanded unredacted voter registration data from states—including names, addresses, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers—sparking pushback from election officials in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and other states who call it an overreach and a threat to voter privacy, while critics fear the data could be used to fuel voter fraud claims ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the Trump administration will expand ICE operations in major U.S. cities, including Chicago, amid reports of possible militarized federal activity; local leaders such as Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’ governor condemned the move as an abuse of power, while Noem insisted deployments are about safety and not politics, leaving open the possibility of National Guard involvement at Trump’s discretion.
The Trump administration has reportedly suspended visa approvals for nearly all Palestinian passport holders, expanding earlier restrictions on travelers from Gaza to now block access to the U.S. for medical treatment, education, and business; the move, which also included revoking visas for Palestinian Authority and PLO members ahead of the UN General Assembly, has drawn criticism for violating U.S. obligations as UN host and further aligns Washington with Israel’s right-wing government in rejecting a Palestinian state.
A federal judge in Washington blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deport nearly 700 unaccompanied Guatemalan children, ordering a 14-day halt after advocates argued the move was illegal and denied due process; the ruling forced planes preparing for departure to return children to federal care, amid broader legal challenges and warnings they could face abuse or persecution if sent back.
A plane carrying European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen reportedly lost GPS navigation over Bulgaria due to suspected Russian jamming, forcing it to circle before landing safely; the incident highlights growing electronic warfare threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as EU states warn of systemic interference with satellite signals while von der Leyen urges stronger defence and continued support for Ukraine.
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde warned that Donald Trump’s efforts to fire Federal Reserve leaders and undermine its independence pose a “very serious danger” to the US and global economy, stressing that politicized control of interest rate decisions would damage credibility, raise borrowing costs, and risk destabilizing the world’s largest economy.
A magnitude-6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing over 800 people and injuring about 2,500, with Kunar province worst hit by landslides and flooding; rescue efforts are hampered by destroyed roads, overwhelmed hospitals, and Afghanistan’s weakened healthcare system, while aftershocks continue and thousands remain trapped under rubble in the mountainous, impoverished region.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March, was returned to the U.S. after a Supreme Court order but now faces new deportation efforts, including a Trump administration plan to send him to Uganda under its “third country” policy; while he pursues asylum and a federal judge has temporarily blocked his removal, he also faces human trafficking charges in Tennessee, which he denies, making his case a flashpoint in Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
