Tuesday, August 12, 2025

August 12, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Trump takes control of DC police — and warns NYC could be next . . . President Trump announced a sweeping crime crackdown in DC on Monday, placing the city's police department under federal control and deploying the National Guard to patrol the streets — while warning New York City could be next. "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people. And we're not going to let it happen anymore. We're not going to take it," he said.

DC Police Union Backs Trump's Capital City Crime Crackdown . . . The union in a statement said it "acknowledges and supports the President's announcement … to assume temporary control of the MPD [Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia] in response to the escalating crime crisis." Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton said in a statement that the nation's capital "cannot continue on" its current trajectory with crime "out of control" and its police officers "stretched beyond their limits." Daily Caller

DC Mayor Responds To Trump Crackdown By Calling For Statehood

Oh, that will solve the problem.

Congress Holds The Key To Extending Trump's D.C. Police Takeover . . . Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act and declared a public emergency on Monday. Trump is allowed to direct the D.C. mayor to deliver him control of the Metropolitan Police Department. However, the Home Rule Act says the president is allowed to initially use this power for up to 48 hours. If the president wants to extend that authority for 30 days, relevant committees in Congress must be notified with an explanation of the need. Daily Wire

Politics

Democrat whistleblower told FBI that Schiff okayed leaking classified intel to hurt Trump . . . A career intelligence officer who worked for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee for more than a decade repeatedly warned the FBI beginning in 2017 that then-Rep. Adam Schiff had approved leaking classified information to smear then-President Donald Trump over the now-debunked Russiagate scandal. The intelligence staffer considered the classified leaking to be "unethical," "illegal," and "treasonous," but was told not to worry about it because Schiff believed he would be spared prosecution under the Constitution's speech and debate clause. Just the News

EPA's Climate 'Justice' Grant Promoted 'Grassroots' Climate Activity, Until DOGE Stopped It . . . The Environmental Protection Agency canceled a $3 million "climate justice" grant for Florida with a description that included "training grassroots leaders." The EPA terminated the grant to the Palm Beach County Office of Resilience, a local office that focuses on emergency response and "addressing the physical, social, and economic challenges of a changing climate," according to the office's website. Daily Signal

This is the kind of problem DOGE was created to address: US taxpayer money flowing to prop up liberal activist groups and other left-wing causes.

Kamala Wouldn't Let Vance Kids Tour The Veep's House Before Inauguration, VP Says . . . Former Vice President Kamala Harris "rebuffed" a request from the Vance family to allow their children a tour of the vice president's residence ahead of the inauguration, according to Vice President JD Vance. Vance revealed the apparent snub during an appearance on the inaugural episode of the Katie Miller Podcast that aired on Monday. Harris, branded as "Momala" during the presidential campaign, reportedly denied the Vance children an early chance to see the house they would live in for the next four years. Daily Wire

Witch.

Trump Names Pick To Take Charge Of Jobs Data . . . E.J. Antoni, chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, received President Donald Trump's nod to take over the role former Bureau of Labor Statistics head Erika McEntarfer on Monday. "E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE. I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations E.J.!" Trump posted on Truth Social. Daily Wire

Crockett: Republicans Trying to 'Systemically' Get Rid of 'Black Electeds' . . . Monday on CNN's "The Lead," Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) accused Republicans of trying to systemically "get rid" of black representatives in Congress. Discussing redistricting, Crockett said, "When it comes to our base, they want to see a fight. They don't want to see us just lay down and say, OK, well, the Republicans want to do whatever they want to do. They want to minimize voices. They want to systemically get rid of those black electeds." Breitbart

We will never rise beyond race as a nation because leftists like Crockett will always keep injecting it into the conversation, no matter the topic.

Culture

Hundreds of attacks on churches in 2024 . . . Although the backlash to the overturning of Roe v. Wade appears to have subsided, vandals, arsonists, and worse targeted hundreds of churches in 2024, according to a new report. Travis Weber, vice president for policy and government affairs at the Family Research Council, which released the report Monday, said most Americans would be surprised to hear that 383 churches suffered 415 attacks in 2024. Daily Signal

Trump Admin Considers Reclassifying Cannabis as a Less Dangerous Drug . . . President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that his administration will consider reclassifying cannabis as a less dangerous drug. The president revealed his consideration during a press conference in the White House briefing room. "We're looking at reclassification, and we'll make a determination over the next — I would say over the next few weeks," Trump said. Breitbart

National Security

Two Chinese ships collide during harassment operation . . . A Chinese warship collided with one of its coast guard vessels in the South China Sea on Monday as both ships pursued a Philippine coast guard vessel. Dramatic video of the incident near the disputed Scarborough Shoal posted on social media showed that the Chinese coast guard cutter sustained a crushed bow. Philippine coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela called the Chinese collision "reckless." Washington Times

lol

International

Russia breaks through main Ukrainian defensive line ahead of Alaska meeting with Trump . . . Russian troops achieved one of the biggest breakthroughs of the war in eastern Ukraine, with some units making it through Kyiv's primary defensive line just days ahead of President Donald Trump's peace summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Russian forces achieved one of the largest breakthroughs of the war, advancing nearly 10 miles, past Ukraine's main line of defenses in Donetsk oblast. Washington Examiner

Russia Has High Hopes for Trump-Putin Summit. Peace Isn't One of Them . . . Expectations in Russia are running high ahead of Friday's planned summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Trump. Moscow sees an opening to reset relations with Washington, with Kremlin officials hinting at the potential for deals with the U.S. on infrastructure and energy in the Arctic and beyond, as Russia's state media plays up what it bills as a looming entente between two equal great powers. Wall Street Journal

Trump knocks Zelensky for resisting 'land swap' with Russia

Money

Tech job being decimated by AI as graduate, 21, expecting six figure salary could only get interview at Chipotle . . . Aspiring computer scientists are sinking in a job market overtaken by AI, as a recent graduate who expected to make six figures could only land an interview at Chipotle. Manasi Mishra, 21, was under the impression that if she worked hard in school and mastered coding, she'd have a prestigious tech job with a cushy salary lined up straight from college. Daily Mail

Well, she's safe for now, until robots start making tacos.

Trump extends China trade truce, setting stage for more ambitious talks

You should also know

Nearly half of self-service kiosks IRS set up to be customer friendly don't work, watchdog finds . . . While the Internal Revenue Service promised a more customer-friendly experience with self-serving kiosks, roughly half of the machines don't work, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported Monday. The investigative report by the chief IRS watchdog revealed that out of the 100 kiosks set up in April 2024, 55 were functional, 40 were inoperable and that the status of five was unknown. Just the News

Hi, I'm with the government, and I'm here to help.

Delivery drones are coming to more US neighborhoods after getting off to a slow start . . . Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight. Associated Press

Elon Musk's AI Chatbot Grok Briefly Suspended from X After Going 'Unhinged'

Guilty Pleasures

Bravo star says Trump voters should be barred from Chinese restaurants . . . Bravo star Jennifer Welch is getting dragged on social media for suggesting that Trump supporters should be barred from dining at Chinese, Indian, and Mexican restaurants, but should instead be forced to bring their "fat asses over to Cracker Barrel." "I've had it with white people that triple Trumped, that have the nerve and the audacity to walk into a Mexican restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, go to perhaps their gay hairdresser," the mom of two said in anger. Daily Wire

What about Mexicans who support Trump? They can't eat their own food? Has she thought this through?

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