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Trump police takeover will create ‘speedy, devastating, and irreparable hurt’ for DC, federal lawsuit says
In keeping with the federal lawsuit filed by the DC authorities at this time, the Trump administration has engaged in “a brazen usurpation of the District’s authority over its personal authorities”.
The swimsuit says that the president’s transfer to federalise the DC police, and lawyer basic Pam Bondi’s order to put in DEA administrator Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner”, each “exceed the slim delegation that Congress granted the President in Part 740”.
A reminder, earlier this week the president invoked Part 740 of the DC Dwelling Rule Act, which grants him a 30-day interval to manage the district’s native legislation enforcement if he declares a security emergency. To get an extension, the president would wish Congress’s approval.
The president has mentioned that violent crime in DC – which the justice division says skilled a 30-year low in 2024 – is “the worst it’s ever been”.
The lawsuit additionally states that Part 740 solely requires that the DC mayor “present providers” of the Metropolitan police division (MPD) to federal authorities, however “doesn’t allow the President to grab management of MPD. Nor does it authorize the President to direct MPD within the policing of native crime.”
Key occasions
California Democrats set to unveil new map that might give them 5 extra seats in Congress
Sam Levine
California Democrats are set to unveil a brand new map at this time that would permit the celebration to say as much as 5 extra seats in Congress, in keeping with a number of reviews.
The brand new map would rework the districts at present held by Republican representatives Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, Ken Calvert, and Doug LaMalfa into Democratic pleasant districts, the Washington Put up reported. It will additionally add extra Democratic voters to the districts at present represented by Republican David Valadao. Valadao gained the district by about 7 factors in 2024 and Donald Trump carried it by a fair smaller margin.
Not less than two of the districts, those at present represented by Issa and Valadao, may nonetheless be aggressive in November, in keeping with Punchbowl Information.
Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to maneuver forward with the hassle yesterday, which would require California voters to approve a constitutional modification. Beneath the California structure, redistricting is dealt with as soon as per decade by an impartial fee.
The referendum, if accredited, would permit California to undertake new maps in response to different states, like Texas, altering their district traces. Redistricting would revert again to the fee after the 2030 census.
A whole lot of demonstrators have gathered exterior the Metropolitan police headquarters in Washington DC, listed here are some photos:

David Smith
in Anchorage, Alaska
I’m now sitting in a press tent the place TVs are displaying what’s presumably the stage for a post-summit press convention.
The stage has a blue backdrop with the phrases “pursuing peace” printed in white a number of occasions. There are two lecterns with microphones on a beige ground in addition to US and Russian flags. Employees are finishing up sound checks.
Redistricting combat continues as Texas governor Abbott calls second particular legislative session
As we previewed earlier, Texas governor Greg Abbott referred to as a second particular legislative session this afternoon, in an effort to hike strain on Democratic lawmakers who’ve fled the state to stymie Republican plans to redraw political maps on the behest of Donald Trump.
Trump needs to make use of redistricting to assist preserve the GOP’s slim management of Congress in subsequent yr’s midterm elections, however the plan has sparked sturdy opposition from Democrats who’ve threatened to retaliate.
Abbott mentioned in a written assertion that the second session would start at midday native time at this time and that producing new maps that would give Republicans 5 extra seats in Congress was on the agenda.
Yesterday, California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a redistricting plan in his state that he says would give Democrats there 5 extra Congressional seats, probably offsetting Republican positive factors in Texas.
Democratic members of the Texas Home left the state earlier this month to disclaim Republicans the quorum wanted to vote on laws. Republicans have maintained management over Texas politics for greater than twenty years, and Democrats within the state have damaged quorum a number of occasions, attempting largely in useless to halt deeply conservative laws.
Abbott mentioned that redistricting plans, laws to extend flash flood security within the wake of devastating flooding final month, and different legislative work stays undone as a result of Democrats had refused to point out up.
“We won’t again down from this combat,” Abbott mentioned. “That’s why I’m calling them again at this time to complete the job.”
Most of the greater than 50 Texas Democrats who fled the state have been staying in Illinois, out of attain of civil arrest warrants that may very well be acted on inside Texas.
When the Democrats would possibly return stays unknown.
The Texas Home Democrats mentioned in a written assertion yesterday that they may solely return to Texas if their state’s particular laws is ended and as soon as California’s redistricting maps have been launched.
Congressional Democrats introduce decision to finish Trump’s ‘uncooked energy seize’ in DC
Home and Senate Democrats launched a joint decision at this time to terminate Trump’s federalization of the DC Metropolitan Police Division.
Consultant Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the nonvoting delegate from the District of Columbia, and consultant Robert Garcia of California are main the hassle within the Home, whereas senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland launched the laws within the Senate.
The decision, which has little probability of advancing beneath the Republican-controlled Congress, says the president “has did not establish particular circumstances of an emergency nature that compel using the Metropolitan Police Division for Federal functions within the District of Columbia”.
Beneath the District of Columbia Dwelling Rule Act, a president can order DC’s mayor to offer him non permanent management of the police, however Congress can terminate that authority.
Of their resolutions, the lawmakers cite statistics displaying that violent crime is at a 30-year low in DC as proof that there is no such thing as a emergency to justify the president’s actions.
“The one emergency right here is a lawless president experiencing a rising public relations emergency due to his shut friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his cussed refusal to launch the Epstein file regardless of his promise to take action,” mentioned Raskin, the highest Democrat on the judiciary committee.
“Trump was AWOL when the District of Columbia really wanted assist from the Nationwide Guard to guard it from an insurrectionist mob on January 6,” Van Hollen mentioned.
He referred to as Trump’s strikes “an abuse of energy” and a “uncooked energy seize”. “It’s a direct assault on the flexibility of the folks of the District of Columbia to manipulate their very own affairs,” he mentioned.

David Smith
in Anchorage, Alaska
Greetings from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a chilly war-era army set up on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, that may play host to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at this time.
I’m amongst an estimated 700 journalists from everywhere in the world. We have been greeted on the Anchorage worldwide airport by the sight of an impressive brown bear slain by Governor Mike Dunleavy and displayed as a trophy in a glass case.
The media gathered downtown at 5.30am native time at this time and have been bused to the air pressure base beneath an enormous sky with picturesque mountains. The airbase is sort of a small metropolis with housing, youngsters’s playgrounds, nondescript three-storey lodgings, a church with stained glass home windows and nice grassy expanses. The temperature is a crisp 50F.
Earlier, Reuters reported: “The Kremlin press pool was housed in an Alaska Airways Middle, the place a semi-open-plan room was subdivided by partitions and a few reporters have been seen making their very own camp-style beds. They have been fed at no cost at a close-by college campus, Russian reporters mentioned.”
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was essential to countering the Soviet Union through the chilly warfare. It continues to play a job at this time, as planes from the bottom nonetheless intercept Russian plane that recurrently fly into US airspace. Putin’s international minister, Sergei Lavrov, arrived in a sweatshirt with “CCCP” – the Russian letters for USSR – throughout the entrance.
In the present day’s assembly may show a win-win for the 2 leaders. Putin, an alleged warfare legal who had been a world pariah, will get to satisfy the US president on American soil. Trump, for his half, will get to play world statesman in an enormous media spectacle the place nobody is speaking about Jeffrey Epstein (nicely, virtually nobody).
Trump says he needs ‘to see a ceasefire quickly’, including he is ‘not going to be pleased if it isn’t at this time’
Donald Trump was requested earlier what would make his summit with Vladimir Putin a hit. He informed reporters aboard Air Pressure One:
I can’t inform you that.
I don’t understand it’s there’s nothing set in stone. I need sure issues. I need to see a ceasefire.
This isn’t to do with Europe. Europe’s not telling me what to do, however they’re going to be concerned within the course of, clearly, as nicely Zelenskyy, however I need to see a ceasefire quickly.
I don’t know if it’s going to be at this time, however I’m not going to be pleased if it’s not at this time. Everybody mentioned it might probably’t be at this time, however I’m simply saying I need the killing to cease.
I’m on this to cease the killing. You understand, we’re not placing up any cash. We’re making a living. They’re shopping for our weapons, and we’re sending them to Nato, and Nato is sending us massive, lovely checks.
However that I don’t care about … However what I do care about is that they misplaced final week 7011 folks, virtually all troopers; 36 folks in a city which received hit by a missile.
Over 7,000 troopers. It’s loopy.
You possibly can watch the clip right here.
Trump says he ‘would stroll’ if Putin assembly does not go nicely
Donald Trump has informed Fox Information’s Bret Baier that if his assembly with Vladimir Putin doesn’t go nicely at this time, he would stroll.
“We’re going for a gathering with President Putin in Alaska. And I feel it’s going to work out very nicely, and if it doesn’t I’m going to move again residence actual quick,” Trump mentioned.
Requested by Baier if which means he would stroll if it doesn’t go nicely, the president replied: “I might stroll, yeah.”
Trump earlier confirmed his menace of “extreme” penalties for Russia if it fails to point out willingness to significantly discuss concerning the finish of warfare in Ukraine.
He informed reporters on Air Pressure One:
Economically extreme. It will likely be very extreme. I’m not doing this for my well being, okay, I don’t want it. I’d prefer to concentrate on our nation, however I’m doing this to avoid wasting loads of lives. Yeah, very extreme.
US assist cuts to Ukraine increase danger of waste and fraud, say watchdogs
USAID is worried that the Trump administration’s cancellation of impartial assist monitoring contracts for Ukraine has elevated the chance of waste, fraud and abuse, in keeping with three US watchdog businesses.
“The termination of third-party monitoring contracts has additional restricted USAID’s capability to supervise packages,” the state division, Pentagon and USAID inspectors basic mentioned in a report issued at this time.
The US Company for Worldwide Growth was the principle American company that administered civilian international assist for greater than 60 years. It’s being dismantled by the Trump administration – which claims to be tackling waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending – and is scheduled to be closed on 2 September.
The three inspectors basic submit quarterly reviews to Congress on their oversight of US civilian assist for Ukraine in its combat towards Russia’s full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
In January, Donald Trump froze all US international help packages pending a evaluate of their alignment along with his “America first” insurance policies, and ordered the dismantling of USAID, which stopped disbursing funds in July.
As a part of this choice, Elon Musk’s so-called “division of presidency effectivity” oversaw the termination of 83% of USAID packages, together with some that supported Ukraine.
The watchdogs’ report mentioned that USAID managed $30.2bn in direct assist for the Ukrainian authorities’s finances, and offered a assure that secured a $20bn mortgage for Kyiv.
It mentioned that within the three months ending 31 June, 25 civilian assist packages for Ukraine have been terminated, whereas 29 lively packages, 5 beneath stop-work orders and 4 of unknown standing have been transferred to the state division.
The terminated packages included contracts with third events that offered impartial monitoring of USAID funds to make sure that they have been spent as supposed and that helped “inform each present and future decision-making”, it mentioned.
“USAID mentioned that with out impartial monitoring, it can not confirm that packages are being carried out in keeping with award phrases, rising the chance of waste, fraud and abuse,” the report mentioned.
That is very true in conflict-affected areas “the place there’s a heightened potential for diversion of funds”, it warned.
White Home defends federal takeover of police in Washington
A federal decide will maintain a listening to at this time on the lawsuit filed by the DC authorities – difficult the Trump administration’s federal takeover of the DC, together with Pam Bondi’s transfer to put in the DEA chief Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner”. Decide Ana Reyes will maintain at this time’s listening to at 2pm ET.
In response to the lawsuit, White Home spokesperson Abigail Jackson mentioned the next in a press release to the Guardian:
The Trump Administration has the lawful authority to claim management over the D.C. Police, which is important as a result of emergency that has arisen in our Nation’s Capital on account of failed management. The Democrats’ efforts to stifle this super progress are par for the course for the Defund the Police, Criminals-First Democrat Occasion.