Wednesday, August 20, 2025

August 20, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Democrat Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis . . . The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters long before they even go to the polls. Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in every single one between the 2020 and 2024 elections — and often by a lot. That four-year swing toward the Republicans adds up to 4.5 million voters, a deep political hole that could take years for Democrats to climb out from. The stampede away from the Democratic Party is occurring in battleground states, the bluest states and the reddest states, too. New York Times

Politics

Top Justice Department official warned Biden administration against sweeping autopen pardons . . . A top Justice Department official warned the Biden administration that thousands of last-minute pardons signed by autopen were legally flawed and went against President Biden's intentions by granting clemency to violent offenders who killed children and police officers. Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer criticized "highly problematic" language used in a single warrant, signed by the autopen, that pardoned hundreds of criminals in the final days of the Biden administration, according to a Jan. 18 email. The Washington Times.

'Downright False': Karoline Leavitt Torches Media over Russia-Ukraine Negotiation Coverage . . . In her remarks, Leavitt said, "One thing that has absolutely not changed is the media's negative and downright false coverage of President Trump and his foreign policy accomplishments. From the beginning of this entire process, much of the left-wing media has been actively rooting against the President of the United States in the pursuit of peace." She addressed reports that described Trump as "beholden to Russia" for agreeing to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in the United States. Breitbart

It's worse with Trump, but for every Republican president, the media arrive at the White House every day to hate on him.

Suspicious Ballot-Stuffing Caught on Video in Battleground State . . . A city council member in Michigan was reportedly seen on video helping to drop what appear to be several absentee ballots into a ballot drop box ahead of an August primary election. Abu Musa, a city councilman in the city of Hamtramck, Michigan, was reportedly in the passenger seat handing what appear to be ballots to the driver, who then dropped them in the drop box. Various news reports say they were "bundles" of ballots, another says "stacks." Daily Signal

Trump Vows To Gut Wokeness From Our Museums: 'We Are Not Going To Allow This' . . . President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to gut all "woke" nonsense from our museums, specifically calling out the Smithsonian. The president criticized our museums for downplaying American greatness, and instead promoting "woke" ideology that denigrates our nation. "The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of 'WOKE,'" Trump declared in a Truth Social post. Daily Wire

Loomer flexes influence, racks up wins with Trump . . . Far-right activist Laura Loomer is flexing her influence with the White House as she racks up policy and personnel wins from the outside. The State Department's decision to halt the issuance of visitor visas to people from Gaza marked the latest instance of Loomer seeing results for a cause she has championed using her large social media following and connections with the administration. Loomer is an outspoken and controversial supporter of President Trump. The Hill

Justice Barrett teases new memoir

Newsom's Trump act wins raves from Democrats . . . California Gov. Gavin Newsom has figured out the best way to get under President Trump's skin. Act like him. In an effort to egg Trump on — and rally his own troops in the Democratic Party — Newsom has taken a page from Trump's playbook, mirroring everything from the president's rants to his social media habits. In recent days, the California governor has touted his own "beautiful" midterm redistricting proposal and his "beautiful" rally to boot — needling Trump's braggadocious ways. The Hill

Unfortunately for Newsom, Americans are very good at recognizing political charatans.

Culture

Education Department Acts Against Loudoun County as School Punishes Boys for Attacking Trans Policy . . . A Northern Virginia school district will suspend two boys who complained when a girl, who identifies as a boy, used their locker room at school—and the district will also force the boys to work out a "corrective action plan" with school administrators. "We will be on guard for any attempts to create a plan of indoctrination into the district's denial of reality and science," Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation, told The Daily Signal. Daily Signal

National Security

U.S. Is Prepared to Use Air Power to Support Planned European Force in Ukraine . . . President Trump signaled on Tuesday that the U.S. is prepared to use air power to support a European security force in Ukraine but ruled out deploying American ground troops. Planning of the multination force to be sent to Ukraine if a peace settlement is reached accelerated on Tuesday, a day after Trump discussed the idea at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders. Wall Street Journal

Tulsi Yanks Security Clearances Of 37 Intel Officials Over Russiagate: 'Abused The Public Trust' . . . Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday stripped security clearances from dozens of current and former intelligence officials who "abused the public trust." Gabbard announced the move in a post on X, releasing a memo that names 37 current and former intelligence officials, some with ties to an Obama-era intelligence assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Daily Wire

Noem says Trump wants border wall painted black so it's hotter to climb . . . Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on Tuesday that the "entire" border wall will be painted black at the behest of President Donald Trump to deter illegal immigrants from climbing the barrier along the southern border. Noem said "technology, cameras, sensors" will be added to the border wall in addition to the new paint job. Washington Examiner

International

Israel calls up 60,000 reservists ahead of planned Gaza City offensive . . . The Israeli military says it is calling up about 60,000 reservists ahead of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City. A military official said the reservists would report for duty in September and that most of the troops mobilised for the offensive would be active-duty personnel.

They added that troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas as part of the preparations for the plan. BBC

Money

Target has picked a lifelong employee to lift the company out of its funk . . . The retailer's chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke, will become Target's new chief executive officer in February. Fiddelke will take over a company that is in a prolonged sales slump, losing out to such rivals as Walmart and Amazon.com. Among shoppers' complaints: Target's prices seem too high, its products aren't as exciting as they once were, and its stores are messy and understocked. Wall Street Journal

It's true. Going into a target can seem like entering a Soviet-era Moscow department store, complete with characterless decor and unhelpful employees who are not familiar with their own products.

You should also know

Justice Department investigating D.C. police over alleged fake crime data . . . The Justice Department is investigating whether Washington, D.C., police manipulated data to make crime rates appear lower, escalating tensions between the Trump administration and local officials who have repeatedly cited drops in violent crime to protest the need for a federal takeover of law enforcement. The criminal probe — being run out of the D.C. federal prosecutor's office, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro — is expected to examine the actions of multiple police officials. Washington Post

DC Police Misclassified Deaths as 'Accidental' To Drive Down Murder Numbers, Homicide Cop Allege . . . A veteran Metropolitan Police Department officer alleged in an ongoing lawsuit that law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., misclassified apparent murders in an effort to artificially deflate the district's homicide numbers, according to documents reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, presenting a "danger to public safety" by "allowing murderers to remain on the street." Washington Free Beacon

Hypocrisy of the secret celebrity smokers: All the 'wellness-loving' stars who can't resist lighting up

Guilty Pleasures

Rhode Island Prosecutor Goes Full Karen, Cuffed on Camera, Warns Cop: YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS!!! . . . A Rhode Island prosecutor tried to school the police on the law ... but she got schooled herself and slapped with handcuffs for trespassing and creating a wild scene outside a restaurant with her friend, according to body cam footage. Devon Hogan Flanagan -- a Special Assistant Attorney General -- even had the audacity to tell the arresting officer that he would "regret this" as he cuffed her and put her in the back of a patrol car. TMZ