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Good evening, everyone. I hope you all have an amazing weekend. Before diving into what you may have missed, a quick note: if you value this work, I’d love for you to consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Your support makes this reporting possible and sustainable—and there’s some exciting content on the horizon that I can’t wait to share.
Thank you, truly, for being here. Your support is what makes it possible for me to do this full-time. Let’s get into it. Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in “appropriate regions” in response to “highly provocative statements” from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who warned the US president to remember Moscow’s Soviet-era nuclear capabilities. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Trump and Medvedev over Russia’s war in Ukraine and threats of US sanctions. Trump ordered the firing of Erika McEntarfer, the federal official in charge of labor statistics, just hours after job growth data showed a summer stall. In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump accused, without evidence, her of faking employment figures before last year’s election to help Kamala Harris, and manipulating current numbers for political reasons. He announced her immediate firing, calling her a “Biden Political Appointee” and stating she would be replaced with someone “more competent and qualified,” adding that “important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released revised figures showing the US added only 73,000 jobs in July. The BLS also sharply revised down job gains for May (from 144,000 to 19,000) and June (from 147,000 to 14,000), removing a combined 258,000 jobs from previous reports. These adjustments come amid worries over Trump’s intensifying trade war. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s labor secretary, said she “wholeheartedly” supports the firing of Erika McEntarfer to restore public trust in Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Trump ordered McEntarfer’s removal just hours after weak summer job growth figures were released. Chavez-DeRemer cited a “string of major revisions” that raised concerns about decisions made under the Biden-appointed commissioner. William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, will serve as acting commissioner while a replacement is sought. Trump reiterated his demand for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to be removed, continuing to argue that the US economy is thriving and urging the Fed to lower interest rates. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will shut down after President Trump successfully pushed a rescissions bill that eliminated $1.1 billion in federal funding for the organization over the next two years. CPB President Patricia Harrison said the closure, effective September 30, is the result of a long campaign by Trump and GOP lawmakers who have accused public media of liberal bias. While some larger stations may survive on donations, officials warn that rural PBS and NPR affiliates could go dark. Public media advocates mourned the loss as a blow to democracy and civic journalism. Federal Reserve Governor Adriana D. Kugler will step down early from the Fed Board on 8 August, months before her term was set to expire in January. Her early departure allows Donald Trump to accelerate appointing a potential successor to Jerome Powell as chair. Earlier this month, Kugler said the Fed should not cut interest rates “for some time” due to the inflationary effects of tariffs, according to the New York Times. The FBI redacted Trump’s name from the Epstein files shortly before senior officials stated last month that releasing the documents “would not be appropriate or warranted.” Ghislaine Maxwell has been “routinely moved” to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas due to safety concerns, according to a senior official. The official dismissed claims of special treatment, citing standard procedures for prisoner safety. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. Ghislaine Maxwell was technically ineligible for transfer to a minimum-security federal prison camp, but the Bureau of Prisons waived a rule to allow the move, according to public records and a federal prison expert. The family of Virginia Giuffre condemned the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to a lower-security prison, stating: “President Trump has sent a clear message today: Pedophiles deserve preferential treatment and their victims do not matter.” They expressed “horror and outrage” over what they called “preferential treatment” for Maxwell, calling her a “sexual predator” who assaulted minors and insisting she should “never be shown any leniency.” The scheduled congressional deposition of Ghislaine Maxwell has been indefinitely postponed, after committee chair Rep. James Comer agreed to delay the August 11 hearing following a request from Maxwell’s legal team, while “good‑faith negotiations” about the terms of her testimony continue. Vladimir Putin said he wants a “lasting and stable peace” in Ukraine but offered no concessions, as Russian missile and drone strikes continue to kill civilians—31 people, including five children, died in a recent Kyiv apartment block attack. His comments came a week before Donald Trump’s 8 August deadline for Russia and Ukraine to agree on ending the war or face US economic sanctions. Despite previous promises to resolve the conflict quickly, Trump has shifted his tone, calling Russia’s civilian attacks “disgusting” and expressing disappointment with Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine criticized Russia’s delegation to peace talks as unserious and reiterated willingness to meet Putin directly, with Trump or Turkey’s Erdoğan as mediator. A Florida jury has ordered Tesla to pay $329 million in damages over a deadly 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system, ruling the company bore 33% responsibility. The verdict marks a major legal setback for Tesla, potentially opening the door to further lawsuits and undermining Elon Musk’s push to roll out a driverless taxi service. The crash killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and injured her boyfriend, after a distracted driver relying on Autopilot ran a stop sign. The plaintiffs accused Tesla of overstating Autopilot’s capabilities and hiding key evidence, which was later recovered by forensic experts. Tesla plans to appeal, calling the verdict “wrong” and harmful to automotive safety progress. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he may call a special election in early November to allow voters to approve changes to the state’s redistricting process in response to Republican-led efforts, particularly in Texas, to redraw congressional maps mid-decade. Newsom said the move would help counter Donald Trump’s push to expand GOP control in the House by creating more Republican-leaning districts. While reaffirming support for California’s independent redistricting commission, Newsom argued the state must act to preserve fairness amid what he called “the rigging of the system” by Trump and Republican governors across the country. Law enforcement is responding to a shooting involving multiple victims at a business in Anaconda, Montana, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he is “closely monitoring” the situation, which remains active and under investigation.
Good News: For the first time in over 80 years, tall and robust quaking aspen saplings are thriving in northern Yellowstone National Park—a resurgence scientists attribute to the reintroduction of gray wolves in 1995. Without wolves, elk populations had exploded and overgrazed young aspens, preventing regeneration. A new study from Oregon State University found a 152-fold increase in sapling growth since wolves returned, illustrating a powerful “trophic cascade” effect. Researchers say this long-term ecological recovery is boosting biodiversity and restoring balance to the Yellowstone ecosystem. Within just 10 minutes of a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, UNESCO’s Pacific Tsunami Warning System issued alerts that helped millions in East Asia prepare for possible tsunami threats. The system, developed after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, uses a vast network of seismographs, tide gauges, and sea-level monitors to rapidly assess risk. It enabled countries like Japan, China, Indonesia, the U.S., and others to issue national warnings and begin evacuations. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay praised the global scientific cooperation behind the system, calling it a vital tool for protecting lives and promoting coastal resilience.
See you in the morning. — Aaron
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