Edward Hopper Office in a Small City 1953
GOP
— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) August 16, 2025
VDH
https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1956886209898086544
gerry
I didn't realize how bad it was. pic.twitter.com/Jq22cvb3Z4
— Fight With Memes (@FightWithMemes) August 16, 2025
First Lady Melania Trump sends a powerful letter to Putin:
“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation's rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.”
“As parents, it… pic.twitter.com/AjbA3s9wKY
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 16, 2025
https://twitter.com/IndycarpenterSR/status/1956806616134701078
I was wondering how Trump will want to go about demilitarizing Ukraine, one of Russia’s demands. At least the EU won’t have to pay for, and send, more arms, there’ll be nobody left to use them.
Even more I wonder what practical steps they would take to denazify Ukraine. You can’t very well keep Zelensky in place, he’s led an Azov regime for 3 years.
Russia will have good and clear answers to these questions.
Good luck this afternoon…
• Zelensky Refuses Trump’s Push For Peace Deal (RT)
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev, reiterating that a truce has to be implemented before discussing details of a possible settlement. Zelensky made the statement on Sunday during a joint press-conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who will accompany him to Washington for talks with Trump on Monday. The Ukrainian leader claimed that Moscow had made “many demands” on the settlement of the conflict and that Kiev needs to be made aware of them. “If there are really as many as we have heard, then it will take time to go through them all,” he said.
According to Zelensky, it is “impossible” for Ukraine to negotiate “under pressure of weapons.” “It is necessary to ceasefire and work quickly on a final deal,” he insisted. Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukraine’s demands for a ceasefire, saying that a pause in the fighting would be exploited by Kiev to rearm and regroup its forces. The Ukrainian leader also rejected the possibility of making territorial concessions to Russia as part of a peace deal, saying that trading land is forbidden by the country’s constitution.
Von der Leyen insisted that “Ukraine must become a steel porcupine, indigestible to potential invaders,” repeating a metaphor that she has used before. She promised that the EU would keep working to strengthen the Ukrainian defense industry, especially when it comes to drone production. The European Commission head insisted that decisions regarding territory “belong only to Ukraine, and cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table.” The EU will continue trying to apply diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, with its 19th sanctions package against Moscow currently in preparation, Von der Leyen said.
“Moscow has insisted that any settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, along with recognition of the new territorial reality..”
• Kiev Fears Repetition Of Oval Office ‘Disaster’ – WaPo (RT)
The upcoming meeting between Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump could replicate the “disastrous” Oval Office confrontation earlier this year, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. The Ukrainian leader, joined by senior EU officials, is set to meet Trump on Monday for what was widely reported as a discussion on a potential peace settlement. Zelensky’s February visit to Washington ended in a PR debacle. His talks with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance collapsed into a confrontation, with Trump accusing him of disrespect and “gambling with World War III.” A joint press conference was scrapped, Zelensky was ushered out, and the US briefly froze military aid. US media, including the Washington Post, called the session “disastrous” and a major diplomatic setback for Kiev.
“Foremost in Ukrainians’ minds is avoiding a repetition of a contentious meeting in the Oval Office,” the newspaper wrote. “Unfortunately, there is such risk indeed” of a repeat, Nikolay Beleskov, a research fellow at the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies, told the Washington Post. Beleskov added that Zelensky must tread carefully during the Washington visit, stressing that the Ukrainian leader needs to “strike a balance between being non-provocative” and pushing his agenda. The concern comes just days after Trump held his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday was described by Trump as “warm” and by Putin as “frank” and “substantive.”
After the Alaska talks, Trump said Washington and Moscow were “pretty close to the end” of the conflict. He is reportedly drafting a plan requiring Kiev to cede parts of Donbass still under its control, in exchange for a Kremlin halt to hostilities elsewhere. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any territorial concessions. Moscow has insisted that any settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, along with recognition of the new territorial reality covering Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye, all of which voted to become parts of Russia. Putin expressed cautious optimism after the summit, saying the talks had brought Russia and the US “closer” to ending hostilities.
“President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight..”
• ‘No Going Into NATO by Ukraine’ – Trump (Sp.)
Volodymyr Zelensky can end the conflict “almost immediately, if he wants to,” by recognizing Crimea as part of Russia and agreeing to Ukraine’s non-entry into NATO, US President Donald Trump said. “President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social — blasting Zelensky ahead of White House talks with him and NATO allies. Top EU and NATO leaders — von der Leyen, Starmer, Merz, Macron, Stubb, Meloni and Rutte — are all rushing to Washington to prop up Zelensky. Trump makes it clear: it is Zelensky’s choice — war or peace.
Sounds cute and all, but I think it smells far too much like entering NATO without entering NATO.
Ukraine faces no threats other than Russia, and Article 5 doesn’t apply there. Russia won’t leave until and unless its demands have been met, and they won’t come back unless these are broken.
• Witkoff: US Pushing To Extract ‘Article 5-Like’ Protections For Ukraine (ZH)
Update(1918ET): It appears that the White House is ready to push for Europe’s consensus – at least at the moment (or as a starting negotiating tactic) – which is to provide non-NATO “article 5 style security guarantees” for a post-peace settlement Ukraine. The only problem is that of course it would be NATO countries themselves enforcing such a rule, which will be seen as a non-starter for the Kremlin. According to the latest from Trump’s top envoy: Special envoy Steve Witkoff says the White House extracted critical wins from its Friday summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, even as President Donald Trump failed to walk away with the ceasefire he loudly advocated for. Security guarantees offering Ukraine “Article 5-like protections” are the real prize, Witkoff told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday. They’re “game-changing,” he said.
But his wording is perhaps an acknowledgement that even the US adminstration knows it’s mearly a goal and unlikely to be the realistic outcome. He explained Sunday in the aftermath of the Alaska summit, “We didn’t think that we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article Five protection from the United States in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified.” Witkoff contineud on CNN’s State of the Union, “We got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee.”
But whether the Kremlin actually sees it this way is another quesiton entirely. Naturally the Trump adminsitration is going to start from its own ‘maximalist’ position – but at least the sides are talking and are engaged. If Moscow agrees, it will certainly seek nothing less than significant territorial concessions and political recognization of at least some of the Donbass. Still, based also on Rubio’s latest media comments, the hawks in the Western alliance are continuing to run the show: “Territories will have to be discussed, it’s just a fact,” says the Secretary of State.[..]
The US and Russia have agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine, but the next steps depend on Kyiv, Trump’s envoy Witkoff said. He added that territorial issues will be discussed with Zelensky on Monday, and that Moscow has made concessions on five Ukrainian regions. pic.twitter.com/IjW2enmd6G
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) August 17, 2025
What would this look like on the ground in Eastern Europe? Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia will never accept NATO country troops on the ground in Ukraine, so certainly the provervbial devil will be in the details, and there’s yet a long way to go for the negotiating sides. Much might also depend on the temperature in the room of the Oval Office on Monday, when Trump meets leading European leaders and Zelensky in the Oval.
* * *
Ahead of the planned Monday meeting between President Trump and Ukraine’s Zelensky in the Oval Office, which will also have the attendance and participation of a growing list of European and NATO leaders, there’s increasing talk of seeking American-supported “Article 5-style” security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any broader peace deal with Russia. According to CNN, citing a senior European official, the proposed plan wouldn’t involve NATO directly – and would effectively remove the question of membership in the military alliance – but would aim to offer Ukraine protections similar to NATO’s collective defense clause. The specifics of the proposal remain undisclosed and unclear, and there’s also the practical reality and major hurdle of just how such ‘guarantees’ would be enforced. The Kremlin would likely balk at such a condition, given Russian leadership has said it would never allow any Western troop deployment or NATO-style force in Ukraine.There has actually for years throughout the grinding war been talk among European capitals of the idea of deploying a “reassurance force” in Ukraine. One thing that all the Western allies agree on at this early stage is that the initiative would never get off the ground without the United States officially backing and supporting it. And yet if the European leaders going to the White House lobby hard for this, it’s almost certain this would break the negotiating process with Russia. For Moscow, assurance of permanent Ukrainian neutrality remains a top priority, and so talk of an Article-5 style system which would ‘protect’ Ukraine in the instance of future Russian attacks is likely to a complete non-starter as an option.
But it’s especially the hawks which are pushing this, and likely Moscow is going to see it as simply NATO placing its security blanket over Kiev under a different guise, or just under the cover of differing semantics.On Sunday, more and more European leaders have confirmed they will be joining Ukrainian President Zelensky on his trip to the White House on Monday.
Maybe Zelensky can bring all 27 EU members with him. And claim that shows strength.
• Ukraine’s European Backers ‘In Panic’ After Alaska Summit – Putin Envoy (RT)
Ukraine’s backers in the EU and UK are “in a panic” after the Alaska summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, according to Russian economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Putin and Trump met in Anchorage on Friday in their first face-to-face encounter since 2018, with ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict topping the agenda. The Russian president described the talks as “frank” and “substantive,” while Trump said they were “warm.” Dmitriev, who is CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and was among his country’s delegation in Alaska, wrote on Telegram on Sunday that “European and British supporters of the conflict are in panic” because of the diplomatic efforts by Moscow and Washington.
He added links to a report by Politico, which stated that Western European leaders are “anxious” ahead of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s planned meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday. According to the outlet’s sources, they plan to send Finnish President Alexander Stubb to Washington in hopes that he “can help prevent any flare-ups between Trump and Zelensky and convince the US president to include Europe in any further talks.” Dmitriev also referenced an article by Bild claiming that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are considering traveling to Washington to support Zelensky.
Zelensky’s previous trip to the White House in February culminated in a shouting match in front of the cameras with Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance, who accused the Ukrainian leader of being ungrateful for American aid and being uninterested in peace. Trump told Fox News on Friday that Zelensky should “make the deal” to resolve the conflict with Russia, stressing that Putin “wants to see it done” and urging Western Europe to “get involved a little bit.” According to Axios, Trump told Kiev’s European backers that he wants to arrange a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky “as soon as next Friday.” Putin reiterated on Saturday that any settlement of the Ukraine conflict should eliminate its root causes. Moscow insists that for lasting peace to be achieved, Ukraine should renounce its NATO ambitions, demilitarize, and recognize the current territorial realities.
“..robust security guarantees”
• Trump Envoy Reveals Major Concession From Putin (JTN)
European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, and Trump’s special envoy revealed Sunday a major concession that Vladimir Putin has made in hopes of reaching a peace accord. The leaders joining Zelensky include French President Emmanuel Macron, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the BBC. On Friday, Trump met with Putin in Alaska to discuss how the three-year-old war could end.
The U.S. has been engaging in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing war that began in 2022. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN Sunday that Putin agreed to “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine from the U.S. as part of a possible peace deal. “We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” Witkoff told Jake Tapper. Trump on Sunday morning wrote on TRUTH Social that there was “BIG PROGRESS” on Russia and to stay tuned.
So far Russia’s the only party making concessions.
• Russia Made Concessions On ‘Land Swaps’ With Ukraine – Witkoff (RT)
Russia is now ready to make certain concessions as part of “land swaps” with Ukraine, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has claimed. Trump will be meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders at the White House on Monday, in a bid to work out a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev. On Friday, Trump held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, with the presidents expressing cautious optimism that progress was made towards a resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Witkoff told CNN on Sunday that during the Alaska summit, the Russian delegation “made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions,” apparently referring to Crimea, the Donetsk and the Lugansk People’s Republics, and Zaporozhye and Kherson regions – all former Ukrainian territories which became part of Russia after referendums.
According to the US official, the Kremlin appears ready to conduct “land swapping” with Kiev, with the current front line serving as the starting point in at least some areas. Witkoff said that Moscow’s demands had undergone a “significant” shift toward “moderation.” On Saturday, the New York Times and Fox News, citing anonymous European officials, claimed that Trump endorsed a peace plan that envisages Ukraine ceding the whole of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics to Russia, with Moscow agreeing to cease hostilities along the current front line in Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
The Kremlin has yet to comment on any such conditions. Officially, Moscow continues to insist that Ukraine recognize Crimea, the DPR and LPR as well as and Zaporozhye and Kherson regions as Russian territory in their entirety. In his CNN interview, Witkoff further touted a “game changing” agreement by Russia to “robust security guarantees” akin to NATO’s Article 5 being provided to Ukraine by the US and unnamed European nations. Explaining Trump’s endorsement of a comprehensive peace deal as opposed to a temporary ceasefire, Witkoff said it was due to the significant headway achieved during the Alaska summit.
“Witkoff outlined a major set of concessions..”
• Special Envoy Steve Witkoff Outlines Some Unexpected Russian Concessions (CTH)
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is interviewed by Furrowed Brow. Within the first question, Tapper asks for an example of a concession that Russia agreed to. Witkoff outlined a major set of concessions, leaving surprised Furrowed to say “huh.”
Sundance had three Rubio interviews yesterday. I picked the one witn the interviewer Sundance despises most.
Note: Rubio of course was in Alaska with Trump and Putin. Flies home, sleeps a few hours(?!) and spends the day going from network to network. Sounds like Trump.
Note 2: This is incredibly dumb: “MARGARET BRENNAN: Isn’t the root cause the fact that Russia invaded in the first place? SEC. RUBIO: Well, ultimately, yeah.”
If you don’t know what Putin means by root causes, ask him. He was in the room with ypu, Marco.
• Secretary Marco Rubio -vs- Margaret Brennan (CTH)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin did not give President Trump the ceasefire he sought. And now Putin says the root causes of the conflict have to be resolved in a peace agreement. Isn’t the root cause the fact that Russia invaded in the first place?
SEC. RUBIO: Well, ultimately, yeah. But I mean, what he means by root causes is this long historical complaints that we’ve heard repeatedly. This is not a new argument, he’s been making this for a long time, and it’s the argument that it’s Western encroachment. I don’t want to get into- it’s just so long. But the bottom line is that all of- you know, we’re not going to focus on all of that stuff. We’re going to focus on this: are they going to stop fighting or not? And what it’s going to take to stop the fighting. And what it’s going to take to stop the fighting, if we’re being honest and serious here, is both sides are going to have to give, and both sides should expect to get something from this.
And that’s a very difficult thing to do. It’s very difficult because Ukraine obviously feels, you know, harmed, and rightfully so, because they were invaded. And the Russian side, because they feel like they got momentum in the battlefield, and frankly, don’t care, don’t seem to care very much about how many Russian soldiers die in this endeavor. They just churn through it. So I think what the President deserves a lot of credit for is the amount of time and energy that his administration is placing on reaching a peace agreement for a war that’s not a war that started under him. It’s half, you know, it’s on the other side of the world.
That said, I mean, it’s relevant to us. But there are a lot of other issues he could be focused on. So tomorrow, we’ll be meeting with President Zelenskyy. We’ll be meeting with European leaders. We just met with Putin. He’s dedicated a lot of time and energy because he has made it a priority of his administration to stop or end war- stop wars or prevent them. And right now, this is the biggest war going on in the world. It’s the biggest war in Europe since World War Two. We’re going to continue to do everything we can to reach an agreement that ends the dying and the killing and the suffering that’s going on right now.
What plans did Trump thwart? “EU leaders have insisted that a ceasefire come first, and have rejected territorial concessions, as has Zelensky..” Well, yeah, that’s 0 for 2.
“Macron said the goal of the talks in Washington was to “present a united front” between Ukraine and the EU, and warned against showing “weakness” towards Russia…”
You show weakness by … trying not to show weakness. ‘Trying not to show weakness’ means hiding it. It’s not a problem if you’re strong.
• EU Leaders To Join Zelensky In US After Trump ‘Thwarted’ Their Plans – Bild (RT)
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky will arrive in Washington on Monday for talks with US President Donald Trump, accompanied by EU top brass, German outlet Bild has reported. Joining Zelensky will be German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the tabloid wrote on Sunday. The trip follows Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, resolving the Ukraine conflict topping the agenda.
Following the summit, Trump signaled that he now favors a full peace settlement over a ceasefire, and that he may be open to a recognition of Russia’s new territories, consistent with Moscow’s position. Trump’s shift has “thwarted” the EU’s plans for Ukraine, Bild stated on Sunday. EU leaders have insisted that a ceasefire come first, and have rejected territorial concessions, as has Zelensky. Following the summit, Macron said the goal of the talks in Washington was to “present a united front” between Ukraine and the EU, and warned against showing “weakness” towards Russia.
Merz said the EU would continue to support Kiev, and that any negotiations needed to begin with a ceasefire. Von der Leyen rejected any notion that Ukraine should cede territory to Russia and threatened more sanctions on Moscow. Stubb is going to Washington to “help prevent any flare-ups between Trump and Zelensky and convince the US president to include Europe in any further talks,” Politico reported earlier. Zelensky’s previous visit to Washington ended in a heated exchange between the Ukrainian and Trump. Ukraine’s backers in the EU are “in a panic” following the Alaska summit, Russian economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who was part of Moscow’s delegation, has said.
Sacrilege. How dare he?
• Trump In Favor of Territorial Concessions By Ukraine – Media (RT)
US President Donald Trump has endorsed a peace plan that envisages Ukraine ceding the whole of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics to Russia, the New York Times and Fox News have claimed, citing anonymous European officials. Moscow would then supposedly agree to cease hostilities elsewhere. The reports came in the wake of Trump’s meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday. Following the talks, the two presidents expressed hope that progress had been made toward a resolution of the Ukraine conflict. On Saturday, the NYT quoted its sources as saying that during the upcoming meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders at the White House on Monday,
Trump will propose that Kiev relinquish the areas of the new Russian territories in Donbass still under Ukrainian control. The Kremlin, in turn, would agree to cease hostilities along the current front line in Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, which also became part of Russia after referendums in 2022. Around the same time, Fox News quoted an unnamed European diplomat as suggesting that the arrangement had been proposed by President Putin during the Alaska summit, and that “President Trump supports the terms.” Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out any territorial concessions to Moscow.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, claimed that Moscow had “made some [territorial] concessions” in what he described as a “significant” shift toward “moderation.” According to the US official, the current front line would serve as the basis for “land swapping” in at least some areas. The Kremlin has yet to comment on the supposed new territorial arrangements. As of Sunday, Moscow still officially insists that Ukraine recognize Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions as Russian territory in their entirety, and withdraw its troops from their administrative borders.
Looking at how complex it all is, i’d say: bring in DOGE.
• Average American Gets $3,752 Tax Cut In 2026 From Big Beautiful Bill (JTN)
The White House is touting a new economic analysis that estimates taxpayers will see an average $3,752 tax cut in 2026, due to provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation report, taxpayers in every state will see reduced federal taxes next year and though there is “considerable geographic variation” in tax benefits. “President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is the largest, most consequential tax cut on the middle class ever,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Friday. “Between lower inflation, massive investments, and historic tax cuts, all Americans are reaping the benefits of the Trump Economy – and the Golden Age has just begun.” Republicans’ multitrillion-dollar OBBBA, among other things, made permanent the expiring 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s across-the-board reduced tax rates; $15,000 standard deduction; $2,000 Child Tax Credit; 20% QBI deduction for small businesses; and $750,000 home mortgage interest deduction cap.
Three key business tax credits were made permanent as well – full reimbursement for new capital investments like machinery and equipment, an expanded deduction for corporation’s interest on debt, and immediate deductions for companies’ research costs. The OBBBA also implemented a host of temporary tax provisions set to expire in 2030, including a quadrupling of the $10,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap; a $6,000 deduction for seniors; and temporary tax deductions for tips and overtime pay, capped for single filers at $25,000 and $12,500, respectively. Taken together, the Tax Foundation analysis estimates that the OBBBA’s tax provisions will lower individuals’ taxes in every state and create 938,000 full-time jobs in the long run.
Individuals in Wyoming, Washington, and Massachusetts will see the largest average tax cuts in 2026 – hovering around $5,100 – while residents of West Virginia and Mississippi will see the smallest average tax cuts that year, around $2,400. On a more local level, taxpayers in mountain resort towns will receive the highest average tax benefits while taxpayers in rural counties will receive the lowest tax benefits. Once the temporary tax provisions expire, however, the average tax cut will fall to $2,505 in 2030, then climb to $3,301 by 2035 due to inflation. Although individual households will benefit from the tax cuts, the country’s fiscal health likely won’t, according to budget watchdogs like the Congressional Budget Office. CBO estimates that the trillions in lost federal revenue will add an extra $4.1 trillion to the national debt by 2034.
They won’t make it easy. But every American living in these places should love this.
• Amid DC Takeover, Trump Eyes Crime in Other Cities (ET)
While federalizing the local police and deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump has suggested he could flex his authority to fight violent crime elsewhere. “We have other cities also that are bad, very bad,” the president said during an Aug. 11 press conference. He listed Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Baltimore among the cities of concern. Although homicide and other violent crimes have recently dipped across America, the numbers from big cities are still high—in some cases, higher than they were before surges one to two decades ago. Trump’s power to deploy the National Guard outside the nation’s capital is also under debate. A federal judge is deciding whether his deployment of troops to Los Angeles was lawful. Here is what you should know.
The President’s Powers
Trump federalized D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department after declaring a crime emergency. He did so under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which lets him control the district’s police for up to 30 days without Congressional authorization. He wants Congress to extend that power, suggesting a national emergency declaration could be a means of sidestepping the legislature if it does not act. There is no equivalent to the D.C. Home Rule Act in the other big cities Trump named. There, state and local authorities have control over law enforcement. The National Guard is a trickier question. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer is assessing whether Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and nearby municipalities violated the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA).In Washington, the president has deployed the District of Columbia National Guard, which is under clear presidential control. He did so while keeping them under Title 32 duty status. That shields the president from allegations of violating the PCA. It also leaves them under local authority as they back up the police who are making arrests. Trump highlighted other possible solutions involving Congress, which is currently in its August recess. “We’ll count on the Republicans in Congress and the Senate to vote” to end no-cash bail, he said, referencing a legal reality in many cities and states that have drawn his ire. Illinois, Chicago’s home state, eliminated cash bail in 2023. Los Angeles County did so too for almost all offenses. New York State made a similar change in 2019. “Maybe they’ll self-clean up, and maybe they’ll self-do this and get rid of the cashless bail thing and all of the things that caused this problem,” Trump said.
Although his local authority outside Washington may be limited, Trump has floated interventions against crime outside the capital. The Second City seems to be first in his mind. “If we need to, we’re going to do the same thing in Chicago,” he said during his Aug. 11 press conference. The Chicago Police Department recorded 573 homicides in 2024, more than any other U.S. city. That is down from 620 in 2023. Shootings and the number of shooting victims also fell, though both still numbered in the thousands. Vehicular hijackings have declined, too. There were 188 homicides during the first half of 2025, marking a 32 percent decrease from the same period in 2024. Chicago’s homicide rate stood at more than 21 per 100,000 in 2024. That homicide rate, though high, has trended down from even higher rates during the 1990s. Yet, rates were lower than today during the 2000s and early 2010s, according to an analysis from the University of Chicago Crime Lab. An Illinois Policy Institute analysis found that the arrest rate for homicides has also fallen, declining from 42 percent a decade ago to 27 percent from June 2024 through June 2025.
New York City
“I’m going to look at New York in a little while,” Trump said. Though rates and numbers differ, New York City’s violent crime trends resemble Chicago’s. Homicides and other serious felonies have recently trended down, but, in some cases, remain higher than they were 10 or 15 years ago. In 2024, for example, there were 382 murders and non-negligible manslaughters in the Big Apple, according to city data on crime complaints. That is below a recent peak in 2021, which saw 488 such cases, and well below much higher totals decades ago, like in 2000, when there were 673 murders and non-negligible manslaughters.
“..they struggled to find a person of color who would agree to be on the list.”
• The Left Melts Down Over Gloria Gaynor Kennedy Center Honor (Margolis)
There was a time when talent and perseverance meant something in this country—when artists were celebrated for what they accomplished, not sidelined for failing to check the right ideological boxes. But today, cultural recognition is too often twisted into another battleground of partisan resentment. Rather than applauding decades of influence, the media all too eagerly tears down those it deems politically inconvenient. Case in point: the left’s reaction to Gloria Gaynor’s Kennedy Center honor. On Thursday, for example, Ana Navarro of “The View” went so far as to plead with Gaynor to reject her upcoming award simply because it will be bestowed by President Donald Trump. “Look, the woman is a goddess and deserves all the flowers that come her way. But I wish she wouldn’t accept an award from the hands of a man who has attacked the rights and history of women, people of color, and LGBTQ,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
In other words, Navarro was triggered by the fact that the award undermined the “Trump is racist” narrative. While some called on Gaynor to reject the award, others claimed she didn’t deserve it. During a segment on CNN’s “This Morning Weekend,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Tia Mitchell, who is black, criticized the Kennedy Center’s decision to honor Gloria Gaynor, implying the selection was politically motivated. “There was a robust conversation during the break about the selection of Gloria Gaynor,” anchor Victor Blackwell noted before turning to Mitchell for her perspective. Mitchell argued, “I just, I do believe as much as the Trump administration has attacked DEI, I think they wanted a person of color on the list of Kennedy Center honorees. And to me, the fact that Gloria Ga- Gloria Gaynor is the one person of color on the list indicates that they struggled to find a person of color who would agree to be on the list.”
She also dismissed Gaynor’s accomplishments: “Because she doesn’t have a huge body of work, which is what the Kennedy Center usually picks, is people who are icons in their genre of, um, of the arts, and she’s basically a one-hit wonder.” Mitchell’s critique couldn’t be further from the truth. Gaynor may be before my time, but it took no time at all for me to research her career and debunk the claim that Gaynor is a one-hit wonder who didn’t deserve to be awarded. She began her professional career in the 1960s with the jazz and R&B band the Soul Satisfiers and signed with Columbia Records in 1975. Her album “Never Can Say Goodbye” produced multiple hits, including “Honey Bee” and the title track, showcasing her versatility and helping define the disco sound.
Her 1978 album “Love Tracks” featured “I Will Survive,” which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980. Beyond disco, Gaynor shifted into gospel music with her 2019 album “Testimony,” which won the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album and earned her a nomination for Best Gospel Performance/Song for the track “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus.” Her influence has been recognized with inductions into both the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as a groundbreaking artist who has inspired generations of performers and audiences alike. Mitchell’s attempt to frame Gaynor’s honor as a political stunt ignores decades of achievement, cultural impact, and recognition. Reducing her to a “one-hit wonder” not only misrepresents her career but also undermines the significance of the Kennedy Center’s honor.
The real lens through which Mitchell’s criticism should be viewed is clear: Trump Derangement Syndrome. Her insistence that the selection of Gaynor was politically motivated reflects a broader pattern of left-wing media hostility toward anything even remotely connected to the Trump administration. Gaynor’s decades-long contributions to music are ignored, minimized, or dismissed simply because the honoree list exists under a political climate Mitchell opposes. This reflects a media culture that increasingly evaluates cultural achievements not on talent or legacy, but through the lens of left-wing gatekeeping. From urging Gaynor to reject the award to dismissing her as a “one hit wonder” and framing her honor as a political token, the left shows how Trump Derangement Syndrome has seeped into every corner of its worldview.
Imagine going to jail for life because a prosecutor used an AI bot.
• Australian Lawyer Apologizes For AI-Generated Errors In Murder Case (AP)
A senior lawyer in Australia has apologized to a judge for filing submissions in a murder case that included fake quotes and nonexistent case judgments generated by artificial intelligence. The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world. Defense lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who holds the prestigious legal title of King’s Counsel, took “full responsibility” for filing incorrect information in submissions in the case of a teenager charged with murder, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday. “We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred,” Nathwani told Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, on behalf of the defense team.
The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwani’s client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental impairment. “At the risk of understatement, the manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory,” Elliott told lawyers on Thursday. “The ability of the court to rely upon the accuracy of submissions made by counsel is fundamental to the due administration of justice,” Elliott added. The fake submissions included fabricated quotes from a speech to the state legislature and nonexistent case citations purportedly from the Supreme Court. The errors were discovered by Elliott’s associates, who couldn’t find the cases and requested that defense lawyers provide copies.
The lawyers admitted the citations “do not exist” and that the submission contained “fictitious quotes,” court documents say. The lawyers explained they checked that the initial citations were accurate and wrongly assumed the others would also be correct. The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didn’t check their accuracy. The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI. “It is not acceptable for artificial intelligence to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified,” Elliott said. The court documents do not identify the generative artificial intelligence system used by the lawyers. In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.
” ‘Long Covid’ and ‘Long Vax’ is essentially a disease called ME/CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It’s been around for decades.”
• System Failing CV 19 Vax Injured – Dr. Pierre Kory (USAW)
World renowned CV19 critical care and pulmonary expert Dr. Pierre Kory was one of the first to call for Ivermectin (IVM) and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to treat Covid in the early days of the pandemic. Instead, Big Pharma, the CDC and FDA trashed the effective and safe drugs to push a CV19 vaccine. That was the first big Covid lie. Dr. Kory was worried about the “Calamitous Suppression of Early CV19 Treatment.” Nearly a million Americans died for lack of treatment. The second big lie was the CV19 vaccines. We were told they were “safe and effective,” and they turned out to be deadly and debilitating bioweapons. Many millions around the world have been killed or disabled by the CV19 vax bioweapon. More than 270 million Americans and more than 5.5 billion people worldwide have gotten the CV19 vax.
This bioweapon is powered by many toxic ingredients, including but not limited to mRNA. Now, instead of sounding the alarm on the huge death and disability problem caused by the CV19 vax, there is more coverup and withholding of lifesaving treatment. The third big lie is a lie by coverup and omission. Dr. Kory has been on the cutting edge of vax injury treatment since the beginning of the pandemic and has long said, “the CV19 vax is a humanitarian catastrophe being turbocharged without treatment.” Treatment is only offered by relatively few doctors. Dr. Kory is one them, and he says, “It’s really destructive to the human body. . .. In my practice, we see what we call ‘Long Vax’ or ‘Long Covid.’ They have so many organ system symptoms and huge high rates of disabilities.
When they come to me, they are really sick, and they have been failed by the system. . .. The media is complicit in all of this. Every catastrophe I talk about is fueled by the media in complicity with medical journals. I don’t think we talk about that enough. Medical journals are the biggest censors of ‘inconvenient science,’ especially the high impact ones. You can find good information in peripheral journals, but those are ignored. . .. I think the information sphere is a big driver of a lot of this catastrophe.”
What is Dr. Kory seeing in his CV19 injured patients? Dr. Kory says, “They go to their system doctors where they are offered little except for extensive workups, testing, imaging and referrals to psychiatry or physical therapy. By the way, physical therapy is the worst thing for them. ‘Long Covid’ and ‘Long Vax’ is essentially a disease called ME/CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It’s been around for decades. Historically, it’s caused by things like Mononucleosis and Lyme Disease, but Covid and the CV19 vaccine are huge drivers of ME/CFS. In my practice, 70% of my patients and maybe a bit higher, their ME/CFS was triggered by the CV19 vaccine. Only about 30% or less was triggered by Covid. With the CV19 vaccine, there are insanely high rates of ME/CFS.”
Has Dr. Kory’s practice peaked in terms of new patients that need treatment from CV19 injuries? Dr. Kory says, “The answer is NO. That’s what is crazy. I did have concerns when I first started because I opened a practice that focuses on studying and treating CV19 vax injury and Long Covid. We are still getting new patients at pretty good rates.” Dr. Kory says there are many symptoms for CV19 vax injury. Some of them include constant fatigue, brain fog, memory problems and comprehension issues. Shedding from the vaxed to the unvaxed can make some people sick, but most problems Dr. Kory sees are from people who have been CV19 vaxed. Dr. Kory also says, “Do not get any Covid boosters. . .. Paxlovid does not work,” and “I would not inject any mRNA in my body–ever.” Dr. Kory is also treating cancer triggered by the CV19 vaccine.
“The Onion offered $1.75 million in actual cash for Infowars assets. First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements bid $3.5 million, but somehow The Onion still won the auction.”
• Judge Puts Alex Jones’ Infowars Up For Sale Again (ZH)
The establishment media has long argued that the Sandy Hook lawsuits against Alex Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, are about “justice” for grieving parents suffering from harassment. However, the actions of the plaintiffs and others involved in the civil case suggest that their goals are highly political and have little to do with compensating for alleged pain caused by Jones voicing his opinions on the event. If the suit was simply about reparations for hardship of the “victims” caused by defamation, then the payout would have been based on an amount Jones could realistically produce. Instead, judges awarded 15 plaintiffs $1.5 billion in damages; an insane punishment designed to bury Jones forever. Because a bankruptcy judge in Connecticut ruled Jones’ behavior was “willful and malicious” in spreading “false information” about the Sandy Hook shooting, his debt to the families cannot be erased through bankruptcy proceedings and Jones could be required to continue to pay on all future income until the the plaintiffs receive the full amount.
Meaning, the political left wants to make Jones into a pauper or a slave for the rest of his life and a cautionary tale to others in the alternative media. Furthermore, officials in charge of the initial auction allegedly rigged the outcome in favor of a sale to leftist propaganda rag, The Onion. The Onion did not have the cash on hand to service their $7 million bid for the sale, instead they relied on a deal that would have tapped into Jones’ future payments to the plaintiffs, as if Jones’ wallet could be treated as a bank account in control of The Onion (otherwise known as a “contingency bid”). The Onion offered $1.75 million in actual cash for Infowars assets. First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements bid $3.5 million, but somehow The Onion still won the auction. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez blocked the sale and criticized the auction process as flawed. He said the outcome “left a lot of money on the table” for families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
In other words, this suggests that the plaintiffs were willing to sacrifice part of their damages just to see The Onion take control of Infowars and humiliate Jones. But again, the lawsuits weren’t politically motivated at all… A new decision by Texas Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in a Wednesday hearing orders that Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, will once again be turned over to a court-appointed receiver, who will be responsible for selling the assets and using the proceeds to pay Jones’ debts to the Sandy Hook families. Numerous progressive legacy outlets jumped on the story this week, all of them hoping that The Onion will still be able to buy the brand and turn it into a “parody of itself”. Of course, this would require that they have more cash on hand than any competing buyers. It also requires a level of comedy talent that doesn’t exist at The Onion, which means readers would be few and the Infowars parody website would likely fade into obscurity.
Leftists have been salivating over the possible dismantling of Alex Jones’ media empire for years, believing that the selling of his assets will represent a massive “victory” for their side and remove one of their most popular enemies from the culture war chessboard. Of course, even if they were to get exactly what they want, Jones has already essentially won. The leftists are on the run and the national shift has been dramatic since the Sandy Hook suit was decided. Jones has helped to accomplish a primary goal – The defeat of woke ideology in America. By extension, the sale of Infowars is not looked upon as an act of “justice being served” by most of the public. It is regarded as a petty sabotage by a fearful, shrinking political minority desperate to prevent the voices of their ideological opponents from being heard. It is not the kind of win that the woke club thinks it is.
copper
Who remembers drinking from copper cups?👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/P9EOjL7134
— Fred’s Farm | Herbs (@FredsFarm247) August 16, 2025
cockatoo
https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1956960696526077984
The never ending alarm
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) August 17, 2025
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