Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to campaign against a partisan gerrymandering plan that current officeholder Gavin Newsom is hoping to place on the November ballot, Politico reports.
Said a Schwarzenegger spokesman: “He calls gerrymandering evil, and he means that. He thinks it’s truly evil for politicians to take power from people. He’s opposed to what Texas is doing, and he’s opposed to the idea that California would race to the bottom to do the same thing.”
“The magnitude of the cash savings from this summer’s federal tax legislation is starting to take shape at America’s biggest companies,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“In short, changes like allowing upfront depreciation of assets and immediate expensing of research-and-development expenses will bring swift windfalls to American corporations but also lasting tailwinds. This in turn has provided incremental fuel to stock markets, a counterweight to risks from tariffs and other policy uncertainty.”
Wall Street Journal: “Investors have long parsed economic reports on the labor market or inflation to help determine prices for stocks and bonds. But after weak jobs data on Friday prompted President Trump to fire Erika McEntarfer, the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official, the sacrosanct importance of U.S. government data to investors suddenly came into doubt.”
“Banks have fielded calls from clients, anxious that they may need to rethink how they invest if inflation and employment statistics tied to U.S. investments can’t be trusted.“
“President Trump’s tariff threats have turned into a play for cold, hard cash as he tries to leverage U.S. economic power to cajole other nations to make multibillion-dollar investments in order to maintain access to America’s market,” the New York Times reports.
“The financial promises give Mr. Trump the opportunity to flex his negotiating prowess in relatable terms and show off the splashy sums he is pulling into America, adding to the reality show intrigue of his trade agenda.”
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s acting chief of staff tried and failed to oust a senior White House liaison assigned to the Pentagon, detailing an unusual dispute that marks the latest instance of infighting among a staff plagued by disagreement and distrust,” the Washington Post reports.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation into accusations that members of the Obama administration manufactured intelligence about Russia’s 2016 election interference,” CNN reports.
“A grand jury would be able to issue subpoenas as part of a criminal investigation into renewed allegations that Democratic officials tried to smear Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign by falsely alleging his campaign was colluding with the Russian government.”
“It could also consider an indictment should the Justice Department decide to pursue a criminal case.”
“Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will announce expedited plans this week to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, the first major action by the former Fox News host as the interim NASA administrator,” Politico reports.
“Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for allegedly leading a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election,” the AP reports.
“Prosecutors accuse Bolsonaro of heading a criminal organization that plotted to overturn the election, including plans to kill President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and a Supreme Court justice. Monday’s order followed one from the top court last month that ordered Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle monitor and imposed a curfew on his activities while the proceedings are underway.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered the arrest of the Democrats who fled the Lone Star State in an effort to halt the advancement of new congressional maps that could benefit Republicans in next year’s midterms, The Hill reports.
Said Abbott: “Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans. By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for major expansion of war in Gaza, Jewish Insider reports.
“Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is interviewing campaign managers for a 2026 comeback bid, a clear indication that he’s preparing to jump into the race to defeat Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH),” Axios reports.
“While Ohio has been viewed as a stretch target for the party next year, Brown’s entrance into the race would immediately boost Democratic chances.”
“The Trump administration is backing away from a widely cited immigration enforcement target, telling a federal appeals court there is no formal policy requiring agents to arrest 3,000 people a day,” Bloomberg reports.
“Justice Department lawyers have long enjoyed a professional benefit when they appear in court. As a general rule, judges tend to take them at their word and assume they are telling the truth,” the New York Times reports.
“But in the past several months, as members of President Trump’s Justice Department have repeatedly misled the courts, violated their orders and demonized judges who have ruled against them, some jurists have started to show an angry loss of faith in the people and the institution they once believed in most…”
“Ultimately, legal experts say, the doubts that judges have begun to express about the department and those who represent it could have a more systemic effect and erode the healthy functioning of the courts.”
The U.S. will propose some tourist and business visa applicants post a bond of up to $15,000 as part of an effort to clamp down on visitors who overstay their authorization, the Financial Times reports.
The Department of State said the year-long pilot program would begin on August 20 and would target individuals from countries where a high number of people overstay their visas.
“U.S. states and cities that boycott Israeli companies will be denied federal aid for natural disaster preparedness, the Trump administration has announced, tying routine federal funding to its political stance,” Reuters reports.
“Interest rates will be higher over the next decade because of the GOP’s megabill and drive up borrowing costs even for the federal government, Congress’ nonpartisan scorekeeper predicts in a new report released Monday,” Politico reports.
“In a final “dynamic” analysis of the bill President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the measure will increase the federal deficit by $4.1 trillion over a decade.”
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) is introducing legislation to block all 50 states from redrawing congressional maps before the 2030 census and “stop a damaging redistricting war from breaking out across the country,” Fox News reports.
Of course, Kiley’s district would likely be up for grabs if California enters the redistricting war.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.