This is the Tangle Sunday Edition, a brief roundup of our independent politics coverage plus some extra features for your Sunday morning reading.
What the right is doodling.
Gary Varvel | Creators Syndicate
What the left is doodling.
Mike Luckovich | Creators Syndicate
Monday, August 18.
The Trump–Putin summit. On Friday, August 15, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met face-to-face for the first time in Trump’s second term at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. While Trump described the meeting as “productive,” he shared minimal details from the discussions, and the White House has not announced any new agreements. Ukraine was not part of the discussions; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday, August 18.
Our take:“Seemingly small things can change the course of history, so it’s possible these current dynamics shift in ways we can’t yet imagine. Trump gave a lot of ground to Putin’s point of view, although he often follows the last voice he hears. Ukraine ceding territory in exchange for a security guarantee seems viable, but I doubt any path is actually viable with Putin.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, August 19.
Trump’s D.C. security takeover. On Monday, August 11, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum mobilizing the District of Columbia National Guard to Washington, D.C. and an executive order placing the city’s police department under federal control. Approximately 800 D.C. National Guard troops were deployed to the city after the announcements. The president said he intended to restore public safety in the capital because the local government had “lost control” of crime. Trump also suggested that he would consider similar actions in other U.S. cities.
Our take:“Trump deploying the military to a major U.S. city was one of the ‘warning signs’ of creeping authoritarianism I mentioned in March. I’m also worried that, in downplaying D.C.’s very real crime problem, Democrats are going to lose the messaging battle to Trump. We’ll be in a very bad place if the president can decide to use the military as a police force as he sees fit.”
Reader Survey:
Wednesday, August 20.
Trump’s nominee for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In a social media post on Monday, August 11, President Donald Trump announced that he was nominating economist E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Earlier this month, Trump fired the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, after the agency released a weaker-than-expected July jobs report and revised May's and June's numbers downwards. Antoni, who worked as chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, has criticized the BLS’s reporting and said the agency must improve its processes for collecting and sharing economic data. The Senate must confirm Antoni before he can take the position, but his confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Our take:“Trump nominated Antoni because he wants a sycophant to publish rosier economic numbers. Yes, the BLS could improve its process, but that’s not the reason Trump gave for firing McEntarfer. There are ways to improve the BLS data collection, and it’s perfectly possible this doesn’t end up a disaster — but it’s not good.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, August 21.
Trump’s potential deal with Intel. On Tuesday, August 19, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed reports that the Trump administration is working on a deal with Intel that would grant the U.S. government a 10% stake in the computer technology company. The possible agreement, first reported on August 14, may involve converting roughly $10.86 billion in federal grants issued to Intel during the Biden administration into equity in the company, though the exact mechanism for doing so is unclear. Under the deal, the government would not have voting or governance power, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and any agreement will likely require approval by Intel’s board of directors. On Friday, Trump announced the government would indeed take a 10% stake in the company.
Our take: “I’m generally pro free-market, but chipmaking is important enough to justify government investment. This deal has risks, like Trump personally profiting or the government coaxing Intel into making bad business decisions. A deal, structured to avoid some obvious pitfalls, would be novel, but could end up being very effective.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, August 22.
Last week, we released a documentary on our three days with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA). In this week’s Friday edition, we answered reader questions about the off-screen action — including how the video came together, why we didn’t see Auchincloss fundraising, what his staff actually does, and more. You can read the piece here.
What just happened.
Here are a few stories that have broken since our last newsletter on Thursday.
On Thursday, a state appeals court in New York voided a civil judgment against President Donald Trump, finding the approximately $500 million penalty was “excessive.” The court left in place a lower court’s finding that Trump had committed fraud. (The ruling)
On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law a congressional redistricting plan after it was approved by the Democratic-led Assembly and Senate earlier in the week. The measure will now appear on the ballot in California’s November election. (The plan) Separately, on Saturday, the Texas Senate approved a new congressional map designed to increase the number of Republican seats in Congress. The plan now goes to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to sign. (The map)
On Thursday, the United States and the European Union (EU) published details on their trade agreement, reached in July, which maintains a 15% tariff on most EU imports. (The agreement)
On Thursday, the Supreme Court voted 5–4 to allow the National Institutes of Health to terminate $783 million in grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. (The decision)
On Thursday, Uganda said it had reached an agreement to temporarily accept deported migrants from the United States, though it will not accept individuals with criminal records or unaccompanied minors. (The agreement) Separately, on Saturday, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from criminal custody in Tennessee; Abrego Garcia's lawyers say the U.S. government may deport him to Uganda. (The latest)
On Friday, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided former national security adviser John Bolton’s home and office as part of an investigation into Bolton’s handling of classified documents. (The raids)
On Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested the central bank was considering a rate cut at its September 17 meeting, highlighting ongoing concerns about inflation and the labor market. (The comments)
On Friday, the Justice Department released audio recordings and transcripts of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's interview with convicted sex offender and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. In the interview, Maxwell denied that she ever saw Donald Trump in “any inappropriate setting.” (The transcripts)
On Friday, the Pentagon said it had fired the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, reportedly due to “a loss of confidence” in his performance. The Defense Intelligence Agency recently drafted a preliminary report that differed with President Trump’s conclusion that U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites had destroyed the facilities. (The firing)
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