NATIONAL

Intel will give the U.S. government a 10% stake, Trump says: In a statement released on the company's website late Friday afternoon, Intel confirmed that the government would make an $8.9 billion investment in Intel common stock. Socialism, anyone? NPR

Hegseth fires Defense Intelligence Agency head, Navy leaders: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired a general whose agency’s initial intelligence assessment of U.S. damage to Iranian nuclear sites angered President Donald Trump. Hegseth also fired Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, who is chief of the Navy Reserve, as well as Rear Adm. Milton Sands, a Navy SEAL officer who oversees Naval Special Warfare Command. MILITARY TIMES

FBI searches home and office of ex-Trump national security adviser John Bolton: The FBI on Friday searched the Maryland home and Washington office of former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton as part of a criminal investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information. Bolton, who emerged as an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump after being fired in 2019 and fought with the first Trump administration over a scathing book he wrote documenting his time in the White House, was not in custody Friday and has not been charged with any crimes. AP

DEMOCRACY IN DANGER

California voters will decide if the state can redistrict 5 seats in response to Texas/Trump power grab: The governor is leading the charge for the Democratic response in a burgeoning partisan showdown that could effectively determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives before a single vote is cast next November. This kicked off thousands of miles away from Sacramento — in Texas. Earlier this year, Trump began pressuring Republican leaders there to redraw its congressional lines to shore up the GOP’s narrow majority in the House. As his approval rating sinks, the president is worried Democrats could win back Congress in the 2026 election and disrupt the final two years of his term. CAL MATTERS

Republicans In Michigan Have Replaced Election Officials Who Certified Biden's Win: In 2020, Former President Trump and his allies urged them not to certify as part of his campaign to undermine and overturn the presidential election, even though Joe Biden won Michigan by more than 154,000 votes. Since then, local GOP leaders have replaced many of the canvassers who upheld their oaths and voted to certify the results for Biden — even canvassers who are members of their own party. NPR

Trump’s new warnings about mail-in voting are the most sinister yet: President Donald Trump has often shown how far he’ll go to try to flout the will of voters. That’s what makes his new renewed obsession with mail-in ballots so sinister. Trump falsely claimed in a Truth Social post Monday that voting by mail is a “scam” that allows Democrats to cheat. He promised an executive order to also target another safe election tool — voting machines — and inaccurately claimed he had the authority to dictate how elections are run before the 2026 midterms. Incredibly, he appears to have been partly acting on the advice of Russian President Vladimir Putin. CNN

INTERNATIONAL

Russian attack hits US electronics plant in western Ukraine: Russia attacked a factory owned by U.S. company Flex Ltd. in western Ukraine overnight on Aug. 21, less than a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss ending the war. Flex Ltd. is an American publicly traded multinational company and one of the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturers. KYIV INDEPENDENT

DESI NEWS

Trump Adviser Terms India A “Laundromat” For Russia: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro launched a scathing attack on India, accusing New Delhi of enabling bloodshed in Ukraine by continuing to buy Russian oil, and warning that punishing U.S. tariffs will go ahead as planned.  Navarro said a 50 percent levy on Indian imports — set to take effect August 27 — was imminent. “I see that taking place,” he declared. “India doesn’t appear to want to recognize its role in the bloodshed. It simply doesn’t. It’s cozying up to Xi Jinping, is what it’s doing.” INDIA WEST

India to halt most postal services to US from August 25 after new duty rules: The Department of Posts will suspend most international postal services to the United States from August 25, 2025, following new regulations announced by the US government that change how goods are shipped into the country. Department of Posts has announced that only letters, documents, and gift items valued up to USD 100 will continue to be accepted for delivery to the US until further notice. Other categories of postal articles will remain suspended. ECONOMIC TIMES

IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP

Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million foreigners with US visas for any violations: the State Department said all U.S. visa holders, which can include tourists from many countries, are subject to “continuous vetting,” with an eye toward any indication they could be ineligible for permission to enter or stay in the United States. Should such information be found, the visa will be revoked, and if the visa holder is in the United States, he or she would be subject to deportation. AP

Trump mobilizing up to 1,700 National Guardsman in 19 states to widen crime and immigration crackdown: The Trump administration reportedly plans to mobilize up to 1,700 National Guard troops across 19 states in the coming weeks to support its immigration and anti-crime crackdowns, a dramatic expansion of the controversial operation that’s seen federal agents and Guard troops carrying out activities across Washington, D.C. The troops will largely be activated across Republican-controlled states. THE INDEPENDENT

CORRUPTION ALERT

Pam Bondi dismisses charges against Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away $28,000 worth of Covid vaccines: The federal government on Saturday dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine and selling faked vaccination cards. FORTUNE

Trump Administration’s Illegal Strategy to Withhold Congressionally Approved Funding: The Trump Administration has been illegally withholding funds lawfully provided by Congress from its very first days in office.[1] These unprecedented actions — clawing back already committed funds and unilaterally and illegally blocking spending for programs the Administration objects to — appear part of an Administration effort to usurp Congress’s constitutional spending powers. CBPP

Politics may have spurred August purge of 5 veteran FBI agents: Without any public comment from FBI or Justice Department officials, the agents, including Brian Driscoll, who served for a short time as acting director at the start of the Trump administration, and Steven Jensen, head of the powerful Washington field office, were summarily fired and given little explanation for their removal. CBS

SCIENCE, HEALTH & SAFETY

Trump says U.S. will not approve solar or wind power projects:  The president’s comment comes after the administration tightened federal permitting for renewables last month. The permitting process is now centralized in Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s office. Renewable companies fear that projects will no longer receive permits that were once normal course of business. CNBC

Justice Department demanded details on transgender patients from at least 1 hospital: When the U.S. Justice Department sought information from doctors and clinics that provide gender-affirming care for young transgender patients, officials weren’t just asking for policies. They also demanded information about individual patients. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a statement July 9 that the department had sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics that provide the care. The request represented an elevation in President Donald Trump’s administration’s effort to halt the medical treatment for transgender youth, even in states where it’s legal. PBS

Meta’s AI rules have let bots hold ‘sensual’ chats with kids, offer false medical info: An internal Meta Platforms document detailing policies on chatbot behavior has permitted the company’s artificial intelligence creations to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,” generate false medical information and help users argue that Black people are “dumber than white people.” REUTERS

NEWS OF THE ABSURD

Trump Orders for Whole Mexico Border Wall to Be Painted Black so It Gets Hot and Hard to Climb: This isn't the first time Trump has used this exact strategy. In 2019, he ordered that segments of the wall be painted black to make them hotter. However, when The Washington Post visited a section of the wall near Sasabe, Ariz., in March 2022 — less than 18 months after it was applied — the paint was already peeling off. Shades of Tughlaq? PEOPLE

GOOD NEWS FOR PROGRESSIVES

Laid-Off Civil Rights Staff Will Return to Work Next Month, Ed. Dept. Says: Roughly 25 employees from its office for civil rights are slated to return starting Sept. 8, in the first wave of reinstatements set to run through early November. The reinstatement schedule comes two months after U.S. District Judge Myong Joun told the agency to bring the staff back—and days after he said the department wasn’t complying with that directive. ED WEEK

Federal Court Blocks Trump’s Effort to Censor Schools, End Equity Programs: A federal judge in Maryland struck down two nationwide directives issued by the Trump administration, that sought to rewrite civil rights law and censor classrooms in an effort to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools. DEMOCRACY DOCKET

TAKE ACTION

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