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Good evening everyone. I want to pause here to thank you. None of this reporting—none of this work—would be possible without you. Independent journalism is under relentless attack. Social media giants are silencing voices that refuse to toe the line, hoping to drown us out. But by subscribing today, you’re not just supporting journalism—you’re joining a movement. Together, we push back. Together, we cut through the noise. And together, we win. With that, here’s the news you missed today: On Aug. 19, Tulsi Gabbard posted a list of 37 officials stripped of security clearances, accidentally exposing an undercover CIA officer, drawing criticism for not consulting the agency and being accused of politicizing intelligence. Mexico suspended postal shipments to the U.S. as the Trump administration ends the “de minimis” exemption allowing duty-free entry of packages under $800, joining the EU, Australia, Japan, and others in halting deliveries amid tariff confusion, while negotiations continue to avoid broader trade fallout. The U.S. Air Force will grant military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, the Capitol rioter fatally shot on Jan. 6, reversing a previous denial and marking part of Trump’s broader effort to reframe the attack—after pardoning about 1,500 rioters, replacing prosecutors with defenders of participants, and portraying them as “patriots” and “political prisoners.” Former CDC official Debra Houry, resigning alongside Daskalakis and Jernigan, warned that RFK Jr.’s vaccine messaging is harming public health, citing the highest U.S. measles cases in 30 years due to unvaccinated populations and his promotion of vitamins over vaccines. Resigning CDC officials Daniel Jernigan and Demetre Daskalakis urged “getting politics out of public health,” stressing science-led decisions and praising CDC staff as vital protectors of America. The White House appointed Jim O’Neill, RFK Jr.’s top deputy, as acting CDC director after firing Susan Monarez, advancing Kennedy’s anti-vaccine agenda in federal health policy. Public health experts and Sen. Bernie Sanders (HELP committee) have called for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign and for a bipartisan investigation into Monarez’s firing. The Minneapolis mayor has called for a federal ban on assault weapons. Fed Governor Lisa Cook filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s attempt to fire her, naming Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the board as defendants; her lawyers argue she had no notice or hearing, and a court hearing is set for Aug. 29 at 10am ET. Trump touted GOP “success” on Truth Social and floated holding a Republican national convention just before the Midterms, breaking tradition of once every four years. Border czar ZEALOT Tom Homan announced ICE will ramp up operations in Chicago and other Democratic-led cities after Labor Day, accusing them of refusing to cooperate and releasing “public safety threats.” The Trump administration asked Naval Station Great Lakes near Chicago to support DHS immigration operations as part of a wider federal crackdown on “sanctuary cities,” sparking pushback from Illinois leaders including Gov. Pritzker, Senators Duckworth and Durbin, and Rep. Jeffries, who condemned the move as unconstitutional, authoritarian, and harmful to military readiness. The Trump administration eased rules to let the DOJ hire temporary immigration judges without immigration law experience, aiming to reduce a backlog of 3.7 million cases after firing about 100 judges; critics warn it undermines due process and risks political bias, while the administration pushes faster deportations and even considers using National Guard JAG officers as judges. Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters battling Washington’s 9,000-acre Bear Gulch Fire, prompting outrage from Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Emily Randall, who said Trump’s immigration crackdown is undermining wildfire response; officials confirmed the operation but gave no details, while the fire remains just 13% contained amid dangerous heat and wind conditions. Cracker Barrel, after backlash over its logo rebrand, quietly removed its Pride page and references to LGBTQ+ and DEI employee groups from its website, sparking criticism and celebration from right-wing activists, while the company insists the changes were part of “removing outdated content.” The U.S. economy grew 3.3% in Q2 2025, stronger than the initial 3.0% estimate, driven by higher consumer spending (+1.6%) and net exports boosted by a sharp drop in imports after Trump’s tariff policies; economists note growth is steady but slowing, with inflation at 2% and forecasts pointing to around 1.5–2% growth ahead. A REPUBLICAN! James Edwin Yokeley Jr., 66, chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections in North Carolina, resigned after being arrested for allegedly spiking his granddaughters’ ice cream with illegal narcotics; police say video shows him placing the pills, and he faces charges of contaminating food with a controlled substance and felony child abuse, though he denies wrongdoing. A federal judge blocked Trump ally Kari Lake from firing Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz, ordering his reinstatement until lawful removal; the court ruled only VOA’s advisory board can dismiss him, but Trump had already fired the board, leaving no quorum, highlighting broader tensions over political control of U.S.-funded media. Israeli forces carried out their deepest raid in Syria since Assad’s ouster, striking a former air defense base near Damascus used by Iranian militias, killing Syrian troops and sparking condemnation from Damascus; the operation comes amid Israel–Syria security talks in Paris and Azerbaijan, with Netanyahu confirming discussions on demilitarizing southern Syria and protecting the Druze community, while the U.S. mediates in hopes of eventual normalization. Safety trials by OpenAI and Anthropic revealed earlier versions of ChatGPT and Claude could be misused to provide bomb recipes, bioweapon instructions, and cybercrime tools, with Anthropic warning that AI is being weaponized for fraud and hacking; both firms published findings to promote transparency, noting safeguards reduce risks, while OpenAI said its newer ChatGPT-5 shows stronger resistance to misuse.
Good news: At the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, teams raced solar-powered cars 2,000 miles across Australia’s Outback, with many vehicles using aerodynamic fins to harness wind for extra thrust; the Dutch Brunel Solar Team won with their Nuna 13 car, completing the Darwin-to-Adelaide race in 34 hours using dual fins to boost speed without added energy. Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala created the “Great Mayan Reserve,” a 14-million-acre trinational protected rainforest that preserves biodiversity, combats crime and logging, and honors Mayan cultural heritage, with leaders pledging cooperative conservation and sustainable development for the 2 million people and 7 million species living there. Former rugby player Ed Jackson, once a quadriplegic after a spinal injury, achieved a historic first ascent of a previously unclimbed 15,485-foot peak in Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan Mountains, dedicating the climb to his charity Millimetres to Mountains and local children with disabilities who will name the peak.
See you in the morning. — Aaron |
