In anti-crime push, Trump aims to end cashless bail

In his latest anti-crime push, President Trump is taking aim at cashless bail. The president argues that cashless bail, the policy of allowing people to be released from jail without paying any money before trial, leads to more crime. His executive order will stop it in Washington, DC, where he has federal authority. He is also threatening to withhold or revoke federal funding to local and state governments that offer cashless bail.

After Bolton raid, WSJ editorial board cites Trump’s acts of revenge

A conservative editorial board is concerned about President Trump’s acts of revenge. Last week, the FBI raided the home of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton just days after the president complained about Bolton. The Wall Street Journal editorial board said “it’s hard to see the raid as anything other than vindictive.” The conservative board members wrote that Donald Trump “seems to think he can use the power of his office to run vendettas.” Writing on social media, the president suggested former Governor Chris Christie could be the next target.

Trump order bans flag burning despite free speech protection

President Trump has signed an order to ban flag burning, even though it’s protected free speech. The president’s order directs the Justice Department to investigate instances of flag burning. He said flag burners should receive a one-year jail sentence. However, in 1989 the Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag constitutes “symbolic speech” that’s protected by the First Amendment.

Trump threatens expanding military takeover in other U.S. cities

President Trump is thinking about overriding law enforcement in other U-S cities after deploying National Guard troops in Washington, DC. Over the weekend, the president threatened to expand his military deployments to more Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, New York, and Baltimore. The president claimed on social media that “after only one week there is no crime or violence in DC. Meanwhile, some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital are now carrying firearms

Trump says TikTok concerns “overrated,” no plans to shut it down

President Trump says there are no plans to shut down TikTok. The president calls national security and privacy concerns related to TikTok and its Chinese parent company “highly overrated.” He used to have concerns, but doesn’t anymore. Congress passed a ban on the popular video-sharing platform, but the president says he’ll keep extending the shutdown deadline until there’s a buyer.

Trump eyes Chicago as next city to launch anti-crime plan

President Trump is eyeing Chicago as the next city to launch his anti-crime plans. After ordering a federal takeover of the Washington, DC police department and deploying National Guard troops to the streets here in the nation’s capital, the president says Chicago could be his next target. The president claimed that people in Chicago are “screaming for us to come.” After that, he says he’ll try and help New York.

Trump is seeking peace in Ukraine in order to go to heaven

President Trump apparently says he’s pursuing peace between Russia and Ukraine in order to get to heaven. The president told Fox News that his efforts to end the Russia Ukraine war are driven, at least in part, by the afterlife. He said “I want to try and get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well.” His press secretary said the president wasn’t joking. Donald Trump suggested that getting into heaven is based on good works. However, the New Testament book of Ephesians makes clear that salvation is the result of grace through faith, not by works.

Trump unhappy with pace of Russia-Ukraine peace efforts

President Trump continues to express frustration that Putin-Zelensky talks haven’t been scheduled yet.
Several days after announcing he had begun making arrangements for Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky to meet, the president is unhappy with the pace of peace efforts. On Friday, Russia’s top diplomat made clear that Putin won’t sit down with Zelenskyy until Ukraine agrees to certain concessions.

Trump wants to fire Federal Reserve Governor Cook

Trump says Russia-Ukraine meeting should be known in 2 weeks

President Trump says he’s “not happy” with Russia’s ongoing military strikes against Ukraine as he pushes for face-to-face Putin-Zelensky talks. The president is frustrated that Russia’s Vladimir Putin has yet to confirm a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky. He said he’ll have to make an important decision in two weeks if no talks have been scheduled. Earlier this week, the president announced he had begun making arrangements for a Putin-Zelensky sit-down.

Trump says TikTok concerns “overrated,” no plans to shut it down

President Trump says there are no plans to shut down TikTok. The president calls national security and privacy concerns related to TikTok and its Chinese parent company “highly overrated.” He used to have concerns, but doesn’t anymore. Congress passed a ban on the popular video-sharing platform, but the president says he’ll keep extending the shutdown deadline until there’s a buyer.

Trump threatens removal of Washington, DC mayor

President Trump is threatening to remove the mayor of Washington, DC. After ordering a federal takeover of the DC police force, the president is boasting about a safer nation’s capital. And he has a warning for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser: “Mayor Bowser better get her act straight or she won’t be mayor very long because we take it over with the Federal Government running it like it’s supposed to be run.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon has ordered National Guard troops patrolling the streets of DC to start carrying firearms.

Judge: former Trump lawyer serving unlawfully as NJ prosecutor

A judge says former Trump lawyer Alina Habba has been unlawfully serving as US attorney in New Jersey. Habba’s term as the interim U-S attorney ended on July 26th, but the Trump administration took steps to keep her in the role without getting Senate confirmation. And now, a federal judge says Habba, who once served as Donald Trump’s personal defense attorney, has been serving unlawfully as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor. The judge put his order on hold pending an appeal.

Court dismisses huge penalty in Trump’s NY fraud case

An appeals court has dismissed a massive civil fraud penalty against President Trump in New York.
Donald Trump will not have to pay the more than 515 million dollars in penalties even though an appeals court upheld a judge’s finding that he engaged in fraud. The five-judge panel said the monetary penalty was “excessive.” The president, who had argued the case was politically motivated, declared victory after learning the news. However, the court upheld other punishments, including banning the president and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years.

Trump threatens California school funding over trans policies

President Trump is threatening to cut off funding for all California schools over transgender policies. In a post on his social media platform, the president said any California school district that does not adhere to his administration’s transgender policies will not receive federal funding. He gave no other details. In July, the Trump administration sued California over its policy to allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ school sports, alleging that it was a violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

US-EU trade deal includes 15% tariffs on most European goods

The U-S and European Union have announced some details of their trade deal, including tariff rates. According to a joint statement from both sides, the US-EU trade deal imposes a 15 percent import tax on most European goods exported to the U-S. And those goods will include pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. That’s noteworthy because President Trump had threatened tariffs on those industries as high as 250 percent. The trade document is a “first step” as the two sides continue talks about wine, spirits, and steel.

Trump calls on Federal Reserve governor to resign

White House launches TikTok account despite nat’l security concerns

The Trump White House has created a TikTok account despite national security concerns about the video-sharing app. President Trump once supported a TikTok ban, but he embraced the technology during his 2024 campaign. Here in his second term, the president has signed three executive orders this year delaying a TikTok ban, even though it was approved by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the White House launched its own TikTok account featuring a video from Donald Trump declaring “I am your voice.”

Ukraine urges security guarantees as Russian missiles hit

Ukraine’s president says the latest Russian air strikes show the need for “strong security guarantees.”
As Russia continues to carry out missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, President Zelensky said the attacks “only confirm the need for pressure on Moscow.” He wants new “sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy works to its full potential.” As President Trump tries to arrange a face-to-face meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, NATO defense chiefs are discussing possible future security guarantees that could lead to a peace agreement.

White House says Putin promised Trump to meet with Zelensky

The White House says Russia’s Vladimir Putin promised President Trump he would have a direct meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky. The Kremlin has not yet said whether Putin signed off on face-to-face talks with the Ukrainian leader. But the White House says Putin promised Donald Trump.
After meeting with European leaders on Monday, the president spoke to Putin by phone. The Trump administration is now arranging a Zelensky-Putin meeting, followed by three-way talks if necessary.

Trump is seeking peace in Ukraine in order to go to heaven

President Trump apparently has an eye on the afterlife as he pursues peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The president told Fox News that he’s trying to end the Russia Ukraine war, at least in part, because he wanted to go to heaven. And White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt doesn’t think he was joking. She said the president was serious. However, the New Testament book of Ephesians makes clear that salvation is the result of grace through faith, not by works.

Trump will not send U.S. ground troops to secure Ukraine

President Trump says he will not send U-S troops to Ukraine. At Monday’s summit with Ukraine’s president and European leaders, Donald Trump said the U-S will help the European effort to secure Ukraine. And he did not rule out sending American troops. That promise of support was praised by European and NATO leaders. But during a Fox News interview on Tuesday, the president offered his assurances that U-S forces won’t be defending Ukraine’s border.

After Ukraine-EU talks, Trump arranging Putin-Zelensky meeting

President Trump is making plans for the Russian and Ukrainian leaders to meet face-to-face. After hosting White House talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky and a contingent of European leaders, the president said he called Russia’s Vladimir Putin and “began the arrangements” for a Putin-Zelensky meeting. The president also said he would attend a three-way meeting with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders after their one-on-one talks.

European leaders urge ceasefire, security guarantees for Ukraine

European leaders told President Trump they want a ceasefire in the Russia Ukraine war and they welcome U-S support for security guarantees. During high-level White House talks with NATO and European leaders, President Trump said ending the Russia Ukraine war is within reach. Ukrainian President Zelensky welcomed a meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, while German Chancellor Merz emphasized the need for a ceasefire. The NATO secretary said Europe views U-S support for Ukrainian security guarantees as a “breakthrough.”