President Trump reoriented the full force of the federal government to focus on fighting crime and beautifying Washington, D.C., putting the city on edge as it waits to see how that plays out and putting other Democratic cities on notice.
National Guard troops began arriving in Washington on Tuesday morning, a day after Trump deployed some 800 members to the nation’s capital to combat what he called out-of-control violent crime. The troops were seen arriving at the D.C. Armory, among other spots, NewsNation reported.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she met with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, saying on X: “We agreed that there is nothing more important than keeping residents and tourists in Washington, D.C. safe from deadly crime.”
On Tuesday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released July inflation data, showing it did not rise as much as expected, remaining unchanged from June. It was the first BLS report since Trump fired the chief of the agency earlier this month.
Trump on Monday evening said he would nominate E.J. Antoni, a top economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and critic of the BLS, to serve as its next commissioner. The post requires Senate confirmation.
Follow along for news today.
Judge mandates ICE improve Manhattan holding facility conditions
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily ordered Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to improve conditions for migrants it detains in a federal building in downtown Manhattan.
Civil rights groups raised alarm to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan about conditions in the facility, saying migrants were overcrowded, subjected to extreme temperatures and not provided sufficient access to medication and counsel.
Read the full story here.
S&P hits record high as stocks rise on inflation data
The S&P 500 index rose to a record high Tuesday as July inflation data raised Wall Street’s hopes for rate cuts.
The S&P 500 closed 1.1 percent higher, rising more than 70 points to close at a record high of 6,445.8. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite also rallied 1.1 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively.
Stocks rallied after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released new consumer price index (CPI) data showing inflation plateauing, largely in line with the projections of economists.
Prices rose roughly 2.7 percent on the year and 0.2 percent in June, according to the report, as falling gasoline prices wiped out increases in prices for airline tickets, used cars, medical care and other services.
House Democrat: ‘Pretty clear’ Trump ‘wants his own domestic police force’
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Tuesday that it is “pretty clear” President Trump “wants his own domestic police force” after the president took control of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
“Look, this president is trampling on basic freedoms of the American people to a degree we — I don’t think we’ve ever seen,” Smith said on CNN. “You see that with what the ICE agents are doing, in terms of picking people up off the streets with no evidence, no due process, locking people up.”
“This is happening all across the country,” the Evergreen State Democrat added. “Look, it’s pretty clear the president wants his own domestic police force, and step by step, he’s trying to create it, and we should be deeply alarmed by that, regardless of how you feel about crime in Washington, D.C., or any other city.”
Second MAHA report’s release delayed
The anticipated release of the second report by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission has been delayed as the White House says scheduling will take some time.
The second MAHA report was expected to be released this week, but the White House said the paper would be submitted by its August 12 deadline, with some scheduling still needing to be coordinated.
“Following a robust interagency process involving extensive stakeholder feedback, the MAHA Commission is on track to submit its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy report to the President on August 12th,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.
Record U.S. power usage predicted in 2025, 2026
U.S. electricity usage is expected to grow to new highs in 2025 and 2026, according to a Tuesday projection.
The forecast, from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the nation’s energy statistics agency, attributes the projected increases to power hungry data centers in the latest iteration of its Short Term Energy Outlook.
It states that power sales to the commercial sector will increase by 3 percent this year and 4.5 percent next year “largely by more demand from data centers.”
Separately, it says that sales to industrial consumers are expected to increase 2 percent this year and 3.5 percent next year.
The projections come in contrast to stable energy use over the last few decades. Between 2005 and 2020 energy use only rose by 0.1 percent.
Appeals court rules DOGE can access sensitive federal data
An appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) can access sensitive federal data of millions of Americans, reversing a temporary injunction that was issued earlier this year.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in a 2-1 decision that unions looking to bar DOGE from accessing sensitive data at the Treasury Department, Office of Personnel Management and Department of Education were unlikely to succeed on the merits as they argued that the move would be a violation of federal privacy laws.
Exclusive: Inside Newsom’s ‘no regrets’ strategy in fighting Trump, Texas
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking on what he calls a “no regrets strategy,” saying he must “fight fire with fire” in countering the Trump-led redistricting efforts in Texas.
In exclusive comments made to The Hill, Newsom said he is feeling “very confident” about moving forward with his own redistricting plan, as the California legislature returns to session next week.
And while he acknowledged it’s “never a slam dunk,” he said he is optimistic about the signs of “public unity” on the issue from legislature leadership in his state.
“[The] biggest risk is not taking one,” Newsom said to The Hill. “[President] Trump doesn’t deserve the passivity, acquiescence. Democracy demands we at least try, eyes wide open, recognize the stakes.”
“I’m a longtime believer in independent redistricting, with receipts,” the governor said, acknowledging that “these are not normal times.”
West Point, Air Force Academy settle lawsuits challenging race-based admissions
The Department of Justice announced Monday it is settling lawsuits challenging race-based admissions at West Point and the Air Force Academy.
Students for Fair Admissions, which won the Supreme Court ruling in 2023 banning race-based admission at universities, challenged the policies at military institutions which were left off the high court’s decision two years ago.
“This Department is committed to eliminating DEI practices throughout the federal government,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are proud to partner with the Department of Defense to permanently end race-based admissions at West Point and the Air Force Academy — admission to these prestigious military institutions should be based exclusively on merit.”
The deal to terminate race-based admissions ended the need to continue the lawsuit as admissions will be based “exclusively on merit.”
Read more here.
White House touts DC police takeover
The White House on Tuesday touted the first day of the federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police amid the administration’s crackdown on crime.
“As for the timing, we will reevaluate and reassess and make further decisions after this 30-day period is up. But within these 30 days, our entire focus is making sure that this is the most efficient operation possible,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Under the provision Trump invoked on Monday, he can unilaterally take over the police force for up to 30 days, but Congress must pass a joint resolution to extend it further.
Asked whether the takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department — with Trump administration officials at the top of the chain of command — opens the door to other personnel changes in the force, Leavitt said she wasn’t yet tracking any.
She affirmed that the administration plans to take action on homeless encampments in line with D.C. code, giving unhoused people “the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time.”
Trump also aims to work with Congress to address other perceived issues in D.C., including no-cash bail and juvenile delinquency.
“We look forward to working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department. And we did that last night, successfully, and we hope we can do that for the next 29 nights.”
Trump to meet with Putin one-on-one
Trump plans to meet with Russian President Vladimiar Putin one-on-one during their upcoming meeting in Alaska, the White House said on Tuesday.
“That’s part of the plan,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Further details about the two leaders’ meeting are still being ironed out.
Trump is set to meet Friday in Alaska with Putin amid Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. It’s set to be a bilateral meeting, without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
White House launches review of Smithsonian museums
White House officials are launching a review of some of the Smithsonian’s museums aimed at ensuring “alignment” with President Trump’s “directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”
A Tuesday letter to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch was signed by the Domestic Policy Council’s Vince Haley, White House senior associate staff secretary Lindsey Halligan and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The review outlined in the letter, Halligan told the paper, “is about preserving trust in one of our most cherished institutions.”
Trump-Putin meeting will be a ‘listening exercise,’ WH says
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday described Trump’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “listening exercise” amid Moscow’s ongoing war with Ukraine.
“This is a listening exercise for the president. Look, only one party that’s involved in this war is going to be present,” Leavitt said.
Trump is set to meet Friday in Alaska with Putin.
Asked whether that framing marks a shift in how Trump is approaching the meeting – after Trump has signaled aims of a deal – Leavitt said “both can be true.”
Trump wants an end to the conflict, but the Friday meeting will be with just one of the two warring parties, she stressed.
“You need both countries to agree to a deal.”
Newsom’s office trolls Trump on redistricting: ‘FINAL WARNING NEXT. YOU WON’T LIKE IT!!!’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) trolled President Trump with a social media post Tuesday declaring a “SECOND-TO LAST WARNING” in the ongoing blue state-red state battle over redistricting — ribbing Trump over his polling, squishy deadlines and distinctive communication style.
“DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!),” Newsom’s press office posted on X. “STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.”
Alabama Rep. Barry Moore announces run for Senate
Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) launched a campaign Tuesday for the Alabama Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.).
In an announcement video, Moore touted being the first elected official in the country to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2015.
“I didn’t wait to see which way the wind was blowing,” the lawmaker said. “I stood with him from the very beginning, and I’ve stood with him every step of the way in Congress.”
Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach who joined the Senate in 2021, is leaving the upper chamber to run for governor of Alabama.
Moore joins a 2026 Republican Senate primary field that includes Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Paxton seeks Beto O’Rourke’s arrest over financial support of Texas Democrats
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is seeking former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s (D-Texas) arrest, alleging in a motion filed on Tuesday that the Texas Democrat was violating a temporary restraining order on offering financial support for lawmakers who fled the state.
The filing alleges that O’Rourke and his Powered By People group continued to raise money to cover the expenses of Texas Democrats who fled the state even after a judge temporarily blocked the group from soliciting money.
The filing called for a $500 fine “for each act of contempt” and for O’Rourke to be jailed “until he demonstrates a willingness to abide by the Court’s orders pending the outcome of this lawsuit.”
“Beto is about to find out that running your mouth and ignoring the rule of law has consequences in Texas. It’s time to lock him up,” Paxton wrote in a post on the social media platform X.
Read more here.
Trump BLS pick suggests suspending monthly jobs report over data concerns
President Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggested the agency should stop issuing monthly jobs reports, claiming that the data the agency uses to calculate them is not reliable.
E.J. Antoni, whom Trump nominated Monday to lead BLS, said the agency should “suspend issuing the monthly jobs reports, but keep publishing more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data.”
“Major decisionmakers from Wall Street to D.C. rely on these numbers, and a lack of confidence in the data has far-reaching consequences,” the nominee told Fox Business.
Trump nominated Antoni, the chief economist at the far-right Heritage Foundation think tank, to lead BLS after the president fired the agency’s previous chief, Erika McEntarfer, after the release of the dismal July jobs report.
Bondi concludes ‘productive’ meeting with DC mayor
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she met with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Tuesday and that the two agreeing to “work closely” after President Trump signed an order federalizing the city’s police force.
“I just concluded a productive meeting with DC @MayorBowser at the Department of Justice,” Bondi wrote on X.
Read the full story here.
Sherrod Brown to launch Senate comeback bid: reports
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) is set to launch a comeback Senate bid in Ohio next year, multiple outlets are reporting, months after he was ousted by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R).
Cleveland.com, Politico and Axios reported Brown’s plans on Monday, though the former senator had yet to officially launch his campaign.
The only Democrat elected to Ohio statewide office in the past decade, Brown’s Senate candidacy could be a chance for the party to gain back ground in the upper chamber during next year’s midterms.
He’d be challenging Sen. Jon Husted (R), who was appointed to the post by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this year after JD Vance left the Senate to become vice president.
Democrats press for ICE agents to be ‘visibly and clearly’ identified during arrests
House Democrats have called on the Trump administration to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to be clearly identified when conducting arrests.
The Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) wrote in a letter to ICE and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leaders on Monday that the change is necessary to protect women from assaults and kidnappings by imposters.
“All our lives, we are taught to fear masked men in unmarked vehicles. We learn we should run from such men to avoid being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, or killed,” the female lawmakers wrote in their letter. “Yet, ICE is increasingly conducting raids and arrests in masks, plain-clothes, without visible identification or badges, using unmarked vehicles – tactics that cause confusion, terror, and mistrust among the public.”
Read more here.
Schumer favorability at lowest point in 20 years among New Yorkers: Poll
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) favorability is at its lowest point among New Yorkers in the past 20 years, according to a new survey.
The Siena College poll, released Tuesday, found that Schumer — who was first elected to the Senate in 1998 — is underwater among Big Apple voters, with 39 percent having a favorable view of the lawmaker. About 46 percent said the opposite.
Overall, the Democratic leader’s favorability rating in the state is at the lowest point since February 2005 when it was at 38 percent. Half of the respondents had an unfavorable view of the New York senator. Some 13 percent did not have an opinion, the survey found.
The last time the New York Democrat’s favorability was net positive was in Siena’s February poll, when 45 percent of respondents had a favorable view of the Senate minority leader. At the time, 41 percent said they had an unfavorable view of him.
Read full story here.
Abbott to call another special session amid Texas standoff
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said he planned to call another special session after the state House failed to achieve a quorum, the minimum number of lawmakers needed in order to conduct business, to pass a new Republican-crafted House map.
“With the Texas House and Senate today announcing they are prepared to sine die on Friday, I will call the Texas Legislature back immediately for Special Session #2,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday, referring to the chambers adjourning.
“The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda, with the potential to add more items critical to Texans,” he continued. “There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.”
A large group of Texas state House Democrats have remained out of the state for nearly a week as they’ve looked to block Republicans from passing new congressional lines that would give the GOP five pickup opportunities next year.
DeSantis picks state senator to fill lieutenant governor post
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R ) appointed state Sen. Jay Collins (R ) as lieutenant governor on Tuesday, filling the position that had been vacant for six months.
“He’s been a man of action. He has delivered conservative wins, and I think has been one of the most productive state senators in modern Florida history,” DeSantis said in a news conference, referring to the Tampa-area state senator.
White House to hold press briefing amid Trump’s DC police takeover
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will speak to reporters Tuesday afternoon as National Guard troops begin their deployment in Washington to crackdown on what President Trump has called “violent crime” in the nation’s capital.
The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT and can be watched here.
DHS says over 100,000 Americans applied to join ICE since campaign began
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Tuesday that more than 100,000 Americans applied to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the recruitment campaign began.
“Our country is calling you to serve at ICE. In the wake of the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies, your country needs dedicated men and women of ICE to get the worst of the worst criminals out of our country,” Noem said in a statement.
“This is a defining moment in our nation’s history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential,” the DHS chief added. “Together, we must defend the homeland. JOIN.ICE.GOV.”
ICE recently spiked the age cap for new applicants, allowing those over the age of 40 to join the ranks.
DHS cautioned on Tuesday that recruits are still required to pass medical and drug tests, along with completing a physical fitness test.
DOJ: George Washington University ‘deliberately indifferent’ to antisemitism
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday that George Washington University is in violation of federal civil rights law and described it as “deliberately indifferent” to antisemitism on campus.
The DOJ said George Washington took “no meaningful action” to combat antisemitism that led to harm to Jewish students and faculty.
Read the full story here.
Baltimore mayor on cities called out by Trump: ‘The president could learn a lot from us’
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) accused President Trump of promoting “racist viewpoints” after the president suggested Monday that his crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., could expand to other major U.S. cities, including Baltimore.
Scott in an interview late Monday suggested that the White House should, instead, work with mayors who are already trying to drive down violent crime rates.
“The president could learn a lot from us instead of throwing things at us,” the Charm City mayor said on CNN’s “Laura Coates Live.” “What he’s doing is dog whistling through this right-wing propaganda and, quite frankly, racist viewpoints that they have about these cities and trying to convince the American people that what they know is not true.”
Harvard, Trump administration make progress toward deal
Harvard and the Trump administration are in the thick of negotiations to restore the university’s funding, moving closer to a deal but with nothing set in stone.
A source familiar with the discussions told The Hill there are still real barriers that need to be overcome but that a deal is “close.”
The outline of a deal is looking like Harvard will pay $500 million to educational and vocational programs as one of the actions to restore federal funding and have all federal investigations dropped against it, sources told The New York Times.
One difficult hurdle to get over, the outlet reported, is the Trump administration’s desire to have access to Harvard’s admission data, including a break down of the numbers by race and test scores. The nation’s oldest and richest university also does not want a monitor to oversee compliance with the deal.
Both conditions were agreed to by Columbia and Brown, the only universities so far to reach a deal with the administration to restore funding.
Grok account briefly suspended on X
Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot embedded on the X platform, was briefly suspended from the social site on Monday.
“The reason for Grok’s brief suspension from X on August 11, 2025, remains unclear, as no official statement from X or xAI has been provided,” the bot said when asked why its account was removed.
“However, Grok itself claimed in now-deleted posts that the suspension was due to comments it made accusing Israel and the US of committing genocide in Gaza, citing sources like ICJ [International Court of Justice] rulings, UN reports, Amnesty International, and B’Tselem. These posts were flagged for violating X’s hateful conduct rules,” the statement added.
The press team for X did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Users have criticized Grok for providing antisemitic responses to questions in recent months.
However, X owner Elon Musk said the bot’s account removal, “was just a dumb error. Grok doesn’t actually know why it was suspended” in a Monday post on X.
Trump touts ‘great’ nominees for ‘Kennedy Center Awards,’ teases name change
President Trump is touting the “great nominees” who are poised to be announced for what he’s dubbing the “Kennedy Center Awards,” teasing that his name could possibly replace that of the 35th president on the historic institution.
“GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,” Trump wrote in a Tuesday post on Truth Social.
“They will be announced Wednesday,” Trump said.
Massie, Khanna bringing Epstein survivors to Capitol
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are planning to bring survivors of abuse by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell to the Capitol.
Khanna and Massie announced that the survivors will join them at a press conference the morning of Sept. 3, the day that the House returns from August recess.
According to an advisory from the lawmakers, several of the survivors will be speaking publicly about their abuse for the first time. Attorneys for the survivors, Brad Edwards and Brittany Henderson, will also be present.
“The survivors deserve justice and Americans deserve transparency,” Massie said in a post on social platform X.
The press conference comes as Khanna and Massie are pushing legislation to compel the Trump administration to release the “Epstein files” — documents and materials related to the investigation of Epstein and Maxwell.