“We’re fighting fire with fire, and we’re gonna punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.”
— Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), on The Siren Podcast.
Appeals Court Throws Out $500M Penalty Against Trump
“An appeals court on Thursday threw out a more than $500 million judgment against President Trump and his business empire in a sharply splintered ruling that paves the way for further proceedings before New York’s highest court,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The decision from a five-judge panel provides a significant legal boost for Trump in the case, which was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.”
Trump Portrays Cities as Chaotic Dystopias
Washington Post: “As Trump ramps up the military presence in Washington — and hints that he may move to take over other cities — his crackdown punctuates a frequent Republican message that American cities embody chaos, lawlessness and immorality, despite widespread recent drops in violent crime.”
“With cities increasingly liberal and rural stretches ever more conservative, Republicans have a growing incentive to attack urban areas as the epitome of all that is wrong with America.”
Enshittification
Coming soon: Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow.
“It’s not just you―the internet sucks now. Here’s why, and here’s how we can disenshittify it.”
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It
- Hardcover Book
- Doctorow, Cory (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages - 10/07/2025 (Publication Date) - MCD (Publisher)
Deportations Reach New High After Summer Surge
“President Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations may be coming closer to reality. Until June, deportations had lagged behind immigration arrests and detentions. By the first week of August, deportations reached nearly 1,500 people per day, according to the latest data, a pace not seen since the Obama administration,” the New York Times reports.
“With an infusion of cash from Mr. Trump’s domestic policy bill signed in July — an extra $76 billion that Immigration and Customs Enforcement can spend over a little more than four years — the agency appears poised to scale its operations even further.”
Eric Adams Aide Indicted for Bribery Schemes
“The former top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged in four separate bribery schemes, according to indictments released this morning by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office,” Politico reports.
Democratic Darling Showered with GOP PAC Money
“Texas Democrat James Talarico has built a national profile railing against GOP billionaires in politics — but has quietly accepted funds from a PAC backed by one of the wealthiest donors in the Republican Party,” Politico reports.
“The single biggest donor to Talarico’s state House reelection bid last year was a group funded by casino mogul Miriam Adelson, according to state campaign finance data.”
Countries Are Strategizing How to Please Trump
Bloomberg: “Governments have made an array of concessions and overtures to notch a better deal with Washington, or to simply please Trump…”
“That coveted Nobel is a common approach. Several leaders have nominated Trump for the award, including those in Pakistan — amid its dispute with India — and in Cambodia, after its clash with Thailand. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used it to cement his bond with the US president during a meeting last month.”
Bernie Sanders Sees Eye-to-Eye with Trump on Intel
“There’s at least one senator supportive of President Donald Trump’s negotiations to take a government stake in chip maker Intel: Bernie Sanders (I-VT),” Punchbowl News reports.
“The Trump administration revealed this week that it is working to turn CHIPS Act grants Intel received into equity in the company. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC such a move will ensure the federal government gets ‘a good return for the American taxpayer instead of just giving grants away.'”
“Here’s the thing, though: this idea was first proposed by Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).”
CBS News Loses a Lot of Money
CBS News is losing around $50 million a year, Puck reports.
How Tiffany Trump’s Husband Has Benefited Financially
New York Times: “Michael Boulos was an aspiring businessman, just a few years out of college, when he knelt in the White House Rose Garden in January 2021 and asked President Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump to marry him.”
“Almost immediately after she said yes, Mr. Boulos, his family and their associates were benefiting financially from his proximity to his soon-to-be in-laws.”
Chip Roy to Run for Texas Attorney General
“Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) announced a run for Texas attorney general Thursday, joining a crowded Republican primary field vying to replace Ken Paxton,” the Texas Tribune reports.
“A conservative but often rebellious member of Congress, Roy served as Paxton’s top deputy for two years before becoming an outspoken critic of his former boss.”
This is the best news Speaker Mike Johnson will likely hear today.
U.S. and Europe Announces Details of Trade Pact
“The United States and European Union have agreed on a ‘joint statement’ providing additional details of the trade deal that they announced last month, but the two sides still face weeks or months of additional negotiations to iron out their remaining issues,” the Washington Post reports.
“The three-and-a-half page statement confirms that the U.S. will impose a 15 percent tariff on most European products. The U.S. now has agreed to lower its 25 percent tariff on imported cars to 15 percent for European vehicles once the E.U. introduces legislation to eliminate its already-low tariffs on American industrial products and to provide greater market access for some American farm goods.”
Can Mike Rogers Win Without Trump on the Ballot?
“Former Michigan GOP Rep. Mike Rogers lost his Senate race last year by just 19,000 votes, even as President Donald Trump captured the Wolverine State,” Punchbowl News reports.
“Rogers is seeking a do-over in 2026 and has some wind in his sails this time. Senate GOP leaders quickly backed Rogers following his April announcement, and he easily cleared the field while securing the crucial Trump endorsement.”
“But Trump won’t be on the ballot to help juice turnout. Yet while even that wasn’t enough to push Rogers across the finish line last November, he still sees a clear path to victory.”
The Never-Ending Obituaries for America’s Political Parties
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Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push Is Like an Immigration Raid
Wall Street Journal: “When Trump announced on Aug. 11 that he would deploy hundreds of National Guard members and federalize the local police to ‘take back’ the capital, he framed the mission as a crackdown on violent crime..”
“In practice, the most visible impact of Trump’s federal takeover has been the immigration-enforcement effort… Authorities have pulled delivery drivers off mopeds, arrested construction workers and demanded proof of legal status from vendors selling mangos and watermelons. Vehicle checkpoints have sprung up nightly, and ICE vans have parked outside daycare centers and churches that tend to employ immigrants.”
RFK Jr. Slashed Funding for Autism Research
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised to identify the causes of autism but has eliminated parts of his agency actively investigating them and has cut millions in funding for autism research, ProPublica reports.
And once an ardent environmentalist who took on big polluters, Kennedy has been silent on Trump’s dismantling of efforts to combat climate change and pollution.
Majority of Democrats Back New Maps to Counter Texas
A new Politico-UC Berkeley Citrin Center survey found that 70 percent of Democrats believe gerrymandering is “never acceptable.”
But a strong majority of Democratic voters across the country think California Democrats should “fight back” and create more favorable House districts if Texas Republicans do, embracing the exact idea likely to go before California voters.
