[Thursday, August 07] US News Headlines from r/politics

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DAILY BRIEFING

1. Executive Branch: Sweeping Policy and Personnel Overhauls

The administration has initiated a wave of transformative actions through executive orders and personnel changes, impacting immigration, national policy, the federal workforce, and the economy.

1.1 Immigration Overhaul: New Census and Aggressive Enforcement

The administration is aggressively reshaping national immigration and citizenship policies. President Trump has ordered the Commerce Department to begin planning a new U.S. census with an unprecedented directive: to exclude “for the first time” non-citizens and people with “no legal status” from the official count, a move with profound implications for congressional redistricting [1]. This legal strategy is unfolding as the DOJ has informed a judge it intends to ask the Supreme Court for an expedited ruling on the constitutionality of President Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order [2].

Enforcement has been significantly ramped up. Dozens of FEMA staffers have been involuntarily reassigned from disaster relief to support mass deportation logistics [3], and new policies are reportedly leading to a return of “family separation in a new form” that is worsening a nationwide “caregiving crisis” [4, 5]. To fuel its personnel drive, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has eliminated age restrictions for agent recruitment and is offering incentives like $50,000 bonuses and debt relief [6, 7]. Meanwhile, new guidance states that married immigrants applying for green cards could now face deportation [8].

Citations:
[1] Trump calls for U.S. census to exclude for the first time people with no legal status, https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5265650/new-census-trump-immigrants-counted
[2] DOJ tells judge it will ask Supreme Court to quickly rule on constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship order, https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/politics/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-trump
[3] Dozens of FEMA staffers involuntarily reassigned to support deportations, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/08/06/fema-ice-mass-deportations-dhs/
[4] Family Separation Returns in a New Form, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/08/trump-news-immigration-family-separation-daca-stephen-miller-ice-arrest-quotas.html
[5] Mass Deportations Are Worsening the Caregiving Crisis, https://prospect.org/health/2025-08-07-mass-deportations-worsening-caregiving-crisis/
[6] ICE Is Extremely Desperate for You to Work for Them | The latest move? Eliminating age restrictions to become an ICE agent., https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/08/ice-is-extremely-desperate-for-you-to-work-for-them/
[7] Trump Dangles $50,000 Bonuses, Debt Relief in ICE Staffing Push, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-07/trump-dangles-50-000-bonuses-debt-relief-in-ice-staffing-push
[8] Married immigrants trying to get green cards could be deported, new Trump-era guidance says, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-uscis-green-card-deportations-married-immigrants-b2803296.html

1.2 Major Reversals in Health, Science, and Environmental Policy

Significant policy reversals are being enacted across health, science, and the environment. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to reject and pull all federal funding for mRNA vaccine technology has been labeled a “huge miscalculation” by public health experts, who warn it not only thwarts scientific progress but also threatens national security by undermining bioterrorism response capabilities [1]. An Associated Press fact-check stated that Secretary Kennedy’s reasoning for the cuts is “not supported by evidence” [2]. He has also reportedly revived a “failed program” to scrape Americans’ personal data to track autism, a move that has drawn concern from the Senate [3]. Separately, the Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it will end abortion services in cases of rape and incest [4].

On the environmental front, President Trump has moved to shut down key NASA missions that monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide and global plant health [5]. This occurs as Energy Secretary Chris Wright suggests the administration is actively altering—or “updating”—previously published government climate reports, a plan that drew a sharp rebuke from scientists, with one prominent critic comparing it to the historical revisionism of Joseph Stalin [6]. In another development, the National Weather Service is reportedly beginning to rehire workers let go during deep budget cuts executed by the former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) [7].

Citations:
[1] Kennedy’s rejection of mRNA vaccines thwarts scientific progress — and threatens national security, experts say: The technology is seen as a critical first-line tool in the event of bioterrorism, https://www.statnews.com/2025/08/07/kennedy-mrna-vaccines-national-security
[2] Fact Focus: RFK Jr.’s reasons for cutting mRNA vaccine not supported by evidence, https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-rfk-mrna-vaccines-effective-76633aadedfad3bec9a77e524c7ce6f7?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-08-07-Fact+focus
[3] RFK Jr. Has Revived a Failed Program to Scrape Americans’ Data and Track Autism, Senate Suggests, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/hhs-has-revived-a-failed-program-to-scrape-americans-data-and-track-autism-senate-suggests
[4] VA to end abortion services in cases of rape and incest, https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/08/va-end-abortion-services-cases-rape-and-incest/407194/?oref=ge-skybox-post
[5] Trump moves to shut down NASA missions that measure carbon dioxide and plant health, https://apnews.com/article/trump-nasa-climate-satellites-34f533a1d28db954e30b2101d0ae186c
[6] Scientists decry Trump energy chief’s plan to ‘update’ climate reports: ‘Exactly what Stalin did’, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/07/climate-assessments-chris-wright-trump
[7] NWS to rehire workers after deep DOGE cuts, https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/nws-rehire-workers-deep-doge-cuts-rcna223684

1.3 New Mandates for Federal Workforce, Education, and the Economy

The administration is implementing major changes to federal employment and financial regulations. The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun terminating union contracts, stripping protections from over 400,000 workers, while a pro-Trump group campaigns to purge “subversive” federal employees [1, 2]. In the military, a new U.S. Air Force directive will deny retirement pay to transgender service members being purged, reversing a previous commitment to allow them to retain their benefits [3].

In education, President Trump is set to sign an executive order requiring universities to submit comprehensive data on the race of all applicants, a move viewed by some as an escalation in a “war on higher education” [4]. On the economic front, the President has also signed an order easing the path for “alternative assets,” such as private equity and cryptocurrencies, to be included in 401(k) retirement plans [5]. This comes as Christopher Waller reportedly emerges as a favorite to be the next Fed Chair and President Trump names Stephen Miran to a seat on the Federal Reserve Board [6]. Meanwhile, the President has publicly called for the “highly conflicted” CEO of Intel to resign over his ties to China, a move that preceded a drop in the company’s stock price [7].

Citations:
[1] Trump Administration Begins to Strip Federal Workers of Union Protections | The Department of Veterans Affairs appeared to be the first agency to begin terminating union contracts, affecting more than 400,000 workers., https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/us/politics/trump-federal-workers-unions.html
[2] Pro-Trump group wages campaign to purge “subversive” federal workers, https://www.reuters.com/investigations/pro-trump-group-wages-campaign-purge-subversive-federal-workers-2025-08-07/
[3] Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members kicked out by Trump. The Air Force had previously said trans service members being purged from the military by Trump would be able to keep the benefits., https://www.advocate.com/news/air-force-transgender-retirement
[4] Trump to Require Universities to Submit Data on Applicants’ Race, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/politics/trump-schools-race-data.html
[5] Trump to Sign Order Easing Path for Private Assets in 401(k)s, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-07/trump-to-sign-order-easing-path-for-private-assets-in-401-k-s
[6] Waller Emerges as Favorite for Fed Chair Among Trump Team, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-07/waller-emerges-as-favorite-for-fed-chair-among-trump-team?srnd=homepage-americas
[7] Trump calls on ‘highly conflicted’ Intel CEO to resign over China ties, https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-calls-highly-conflicted-intel-ceo-resign-over-china-ties-2025-08-07/

2. Legal System and Investigations

The nation’s legal landscape is marked by high-profile investigations, explosive new evidence, and direct judicial interventions checking government power.

2.1 FBI/DOJ Shake-Up and “Bombshell” January 6th Revelations

A dramatic and controversial reorganization is underway at the highest levels of federal law enforcement. Multiple reports confirm the ouster of senior FBI officials, including a former acting director, Brian Driscoll, described as a “champion of rank-and-file staff” [1]. One senior agent who helped oversee the FBI’s response to the January 6th riot was reportedly pushed out for resisting administration demands to provide the names of agents who investigated the attack [2].

This personnel turmoil is compounded by a “bombshell” development from the January 6th attack itself. Newly surfaced video footage reportedly shows a then-serving DOJ adviser, identified as Jared Wise, in the midst of the mob screaming for rioters to “kill ’em” as they engaged with police [3]. In a subsequent and highly contentious move, the Department of Justice hired this same individual after he was pardoned by President Trump [4].

Citations:
[1] Trump administration fires ex-acting FBI director seen as champion of rank-and-file staff, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5441161-fbi-fires-acting-director-driscoll/
[2] AP report: More FBI leaders forced out, including ex-director who resisted turning over Jan. 6 agents’ names, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-report-more-fbi-leaders-forced-out-including-ex-director-who-resisted-turning-over-jan-6-agents-names
[3] New Vid Shows DOJ Adviser Telling Jan. 6 Rioters to Kill Police | Jared Wise stood at the middle of the mob screaming: “kill ‘em, kill ‘em, get ‘em, get ‘em.”, https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-vid-shows-doj-adviser-telling-jan-6-rioters-to-kill-police/
[4] He told Jan 6 rioters to ‘kill’ cops. After Trump’s pardon, he got hired at the Justice Department, https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/jared-wise-jan-6-justice-department-b2803755.html

2.2 The Epstein Case: Renewed Focus and Calls for Transparency

The Jeffrey Epstein case has re-emerged as a major focus in Washington. Top Trump administration officials, including Vice President Vance, reportedly held a dedicated meeting on the matter at the White House [1]. This internal focus coincides with a U.S. House panel issuing subpoenas for all Epstein-related files from both the Trump administration and the Clintons [2]. Public pressure is also mounting, with an Epstein accuser making a televised appeal for the release of government files and Rep. Ayanna Pressley calling for a congressional hearing with survivors, stating, “they deserve this transparency” [3, 4]. Meanwhile, a poll shows President Trump receiving “low marks” for his handling of the case, as voters blame him for “hiding information” [5].

Citations:
[1] Top Trump officials discussed Epstein at White House meeting Wednesday night, https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/politics/epstein-meeting-vance-bondi-patel
[2] US House panel subpoenas Epstein files from Trump administration, Clintons, https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/8/5/us-house-panel-subpoenas-epstein-files-from-trump-administration
[3] Watch: Epstein accuser urges U.S. government to release investigation files, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-epstein-accuser-urges-u-s-government-to-release-investigation-files
[4] ‘They deserve this transparency’: Rep. Ayanna Pressley calls for hearing with Epstein survivors, https://19thnews.org/2025/08/democrats-ayanna-pressley-letter-hearing-epstein-survivors/
[5] Trump’s handling of Epstein case gets low marks as voters blame him for hiding information, https://keprtv.com/news/nation-world/president-donald-trumps-handling-of-jeffrey-epstein-case-gets-low-marks-as-voters-blame-him-for-hiding-information-ghislaine-maxwell-transcript-epstein-files

2.3 Judiciary Checks Government Power as Misconduct Allegations Surface

Federal courts have intervened to block government actions. In Arkansas, a federal judge barred a state law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, calling the law “obviously unconstitutional” and likely part of a “coordinated strategy to inject Christian religious doctrine into public schools” [1]. In a separate case, a judge ruled that previous cuts to federal humanities grants were “unlawful” [2]. In Florida, a judge ordered a temporary halt to all construction at the controversial migrant detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” amid “horror allegations” of beatings and gropings of detainees [3]. In Congress, Florida Representative Cory Mills is facing serious allegations, with a former partner accusing him of a “revenge porn threat” after their relationship ended [4].

Citations:
[1] Federal judge bars Arkansas public schools from displaying the Ten Commandments. The federal judge called the law ‘obviously unconstitutional’ and said passing it was likely part of a coordinated strategy to inject Christian religious doctrine into public schools., https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/08/06/arkansas-ten-commandments-federal-judge/85539110007/
[2] Federal judge rules cuts to humanities grants were ‘unlawful’, https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5495365/neh-national-endowment-for-the-humanities-lawsuit
[3] ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant detention camp in Florida must temporarily halt construction, judge rules, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alligator-alraz-migrant-detention-camp-florida-must-temporarily-hal-rcna223630
[4] US Rep. Cory Mills accused of threatening to release intimate videos after breakup, https://apnews.com/article/florida-congressman-cory-mills-allegations-intimate-videos-f10824748d1cf1704930edac22d6403a

3. Domestic Political Battlefield and International Affairs

Aggressive partisan maneuvering over electoral maps is creating major political confrontations at home, while the administration pursues a disruptive global trade policy and engages in high-stakes diplomacy abroad.

3.1 Texas Redistricting Fight Escalates into National Crisis

The political standoff over a GOP-led redistricting plan in Texas has escalated dramatically. After state House Democrats fled Texas to deny a quorum, Texas Attorney General Paxton launched an investigation into Beto O’Rourke’s political group for allegedly funding their travel [1]. The conflict has now drawn in federal law enforcement, with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) confirming his request for FBI assistance in locating the lawmakers has been granted [2]. The traveling Democrats are now reportedly facing bomb and FBI threats, igniting what analysts fear could become a “national fire” [3]. The push is part of a broader national strategy, with Vice President JD Vance publicly urging Indiana Republicans to redraw their state map to tighten the GOP’s U.S. House grip, and Florida establishing a committee to join a “national redistricting push” [4, 5].

Citations:
[1] Paxton launches investigation into Beto O’Rourke’s political group for funding Democrats who left state, https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/06/ken-paxton-beto-orourke-investigation-democrats-texas/
[2] Cornyn Says F.B.I. Will Help Find Texas Lawmakers Who Fled State, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/politics/texas-redistricting-cornyn-fbi.html
[3] Texas redistricting feud escalates as Democrats face bomb and FBI threats, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1jn5wpyg1jo
[4] Vance urges Republicans in Indiana to redraw map to help tighten House grip, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/07/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-midterms
[5] Florida moves toward joining national redistricting push, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/07/florida-moves-toward-joining-national-redistricting-push-00498573

3.2 Escalating Trade War as Sweeping New Tariffs Take Effect

The administration has dramatically intensified its global trade war, with “staggering” new tariffs officially taking effect that raise U.S. import taxes to their highest levels since the Great Depression [1]. The policy targets dozens of countries, including new tariffs on India for its purchase of Russian oil [2]. In a specific measure aimed at reshoring manufacturing, President Trump has threatened a “roughly 100%” tariff on foreign-made semiconductors unless companies build in U.S. facilities [3]. The tariffs are hitting major trading partners, who are responding with “defiance and concern,” while at least one Republican official claims their state’s GDP has plunged by 6% as a result [4, 5].

Citations:
[1] New tariffs snap into effect, raising import taxes to highest level since Great Depression, https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-tariffs-latest-round-takes-effect-thursday-august-7-2025-rcna223461
[2] Donald Trump hits India with tariffs over Russian oil, https://thehill.com/newsletters/5439811-trump-tariffs-india-over-russian-oil/
[3] Trump threatens roughly 100% tariff on foreign-made semiconductors — unless companies build in U.S., https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-threatens-100-tariff-foreign-made-semiconductors-unless-companies-build-in-us/
[4] Trump’s higher tariffs hit major US trading partners, sparking defiance and concern, https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/trumps-higher-tariffs-hit-major-us-trading-partners-sparking-defiance-concern-2025-08-07/
[5] Republican says state’s GDP has plunged 6% due to trade war—‘Troubled time’, https://www.newsweek.com/republican-trump-tariffs-hurting-gdp-growth-2108946

3.3 High-Stakes Diplomacy and Shifting Alliances

The Kremlin has confirmed that President Trump is scheduled to meet with President Putin in the coming days [1]. Simultaneously, Secretary of State Rubio announced an individual named Witkoff is returning with a “Russia-Ukraine ceasefire proposal” [2]. A significant policy pivot is underway, with the administration planning to ease human rights criticism of El Salvador, Israel, and Russia [3]. In a concrete example, the U.S. has announced its backing for the “indefinite reelection” of El Salvador’s President Bukele, a move prompting an international “democracy debate” [4].

A significant strategic divergence on the future of Gaza is also apparent between the U.S. and Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly declared a plan for Israel to “take over all of Gaza” to destroy Hamas [5]. This stands in stark contrast to the White House, where President Trump reportedly “does not oppose” this plan but independently intends to launch a “big Gaza aid expansion” with unclear funding [6, 7]. This policy divergence comes as polls show U.S. public support for Israel continues to deteriorate [8].

Citations:
[1] Trump to meet Putin in coming days, Kremlin says, https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poll-trump-sanctions-deadline-7cefb2df66f494f58a16b684a2c76687
[2] Rubio says Witkoff returning with Russia-Ukraine ceasefire proposal, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5440331-rubio-witkoff-returning-with-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-proposal
[3] U.S. plans to ease human rights criticism of El Salvador, Israel, Russia, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/06/trump-human-rights-el-salvador-israel-russia/
[4] US sides with El Salvador on eliminating presidential term limits, prompting democracy debate, https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/world/el-salvador-eliminating-presidential-term-limits-intl-latam
[5] Netanyahu says Israel plans to take over all of Gaza in bid to destroy Hamas, https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-hostages-gaza-08-07-2025-b92e0e4947061ed8bfc6782c4067896
[6] President Trump does not oppose Netanyahu’s plan to launch a new military operation to occupy the entire Gaza Strip and has decided not to intervene and to let the Israeli government make its own decisions, https://www.axios.com/2025/08/06/trump-netanyahu-plan-occupy-gaza-strip-israel
[7] Trump intends to launch big Gaza aid expansion, but funding is unclear, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/07/gaza-ghf-expansion-sites-trump/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com
[8] Support for Israel continues to deteriorate, especially among Democrats and young people, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/support-for-israel-continues-to-deteriorate-especially-among-democrats-and-young-people/

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