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Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Trump Prepares to Meet Putin; “I think it’ll be good, but it might be bad”

The meeting is set for Friday in Alaska. CNN: “I think it’ll be good,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. “But it might be bad.” It was the clearest picture yet of what Trump hopes to accomplish Friday in Alaska, where urgent preparations are now underway for the first US-Russia leaders summit in more than four years. Trump, who once promised to end the war in Ukraine within a day of taking office, said he would know within two minutes during Friday’s meeting whether such a resolution is even possible (CNN). Albert Mohler: Ukraine, very bravely, has stood up against the Russian invasion, has stood up against Russian aggression, and Ukraine is even as it has been more tilted to the West, that is to say western civilization in recent years, it is the front line right now for what is not only a battle of aggression when it comes to Russia versus Ukraine, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is also a battle of ideas and it is a battle of world stagecraft. And that’s what makes any representation of stagecraft thus of extreme importance. And so there’s an awful lot at stake when the American president meets the Russian president on American soil. And by the way, we are told that that was at the request of the Russian president and the White House evidently agreed. And again, the details are not yet available about even where in Alaska this is going to happen. You would think on the one hand, the options would not be all that many where you’re talking about after all two presidents of the United States and Russia meeting together in one place (Mohler).

Ukraine Signals Willingness to Cede Territory to Russia

A key prerequisite for any ceasefire. Telegraph U.K. reports: Ukraine could agree to stop fighting and cede territory already held by Russia as part of a European-backed plan for peace. Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders that they must reject any settlement proposed by Donald Trump in which Ukraine gives up further territory – but that Russia could be allowed to retain some of the land it has taken. This would mean freezing the front line where it is and handing Russia de facto control of the territory it occupies in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea. The softening of the negotiating position comes ahead of talks between Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. “The plan can only be related to the current positions held by the militaries,” a Western official said, characterising a frantic weekend of diplomacy between Kyiv and its allies…. Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, described the decision as a challenge of “how to deal with the factual situation that the Russians are holding, at this moment, Ukrainian territory”. Crucially important here is that when it comes to this holding of Ukrainian territory, that there might be a factual situation that they are doing this, but that we can never accept that in a legal sense, in, as this is called, a de jure sense,” he told CBS. “A part of Ukraine has to be on the table, that any discussion going forward from there will be with Ukrainians deciding on what they want to do in terms” (Telegraph).

Trump Announces Plan to Take Over DC Police Department

Issuing an executive order, “Restoring Law and Order in the District of Columbia” (White House). Wall Street Journal reports: “This is Liberation Day in D.C., and we’re going to take our capital back,” Trump said during a news conference at the White House, where he was flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior administration officials. Trump deployed roughly 800 D.C. National Guard troops to the city, and he said he would consider calling in active-duty military troops if needed. He also suggested he might attempt to exert more federal control over other U.S. cities, mentioning Baltimore, New York and Oakland, Calif. The president compared the homicide rate in Washington with capitals around the world, including Bogotá, Colombia…. Under the Home Rule Act, which established the district’s governing body, Congress has the power to challenge laws passed by the Washington city council and must approve the budget, although it rarely gets involved. The president can deploy the district’s National Guard, but has limited ability to intervene in day-to-day matters (Wall Street Journal). Charles Lipson: President Trump’s initiative to restore law and order to the streets of the nation’s capital is a smart political move. All Americans consider Washington “our city,” and we want it safe. We can see on the nightly news that it is not, and we’re not happy about it. If Trump can turn that around, he will get well-deserved credit, not from the legacy media but from the public. Trump and his party will reap a second major benefit, as well. If he can lessen the muggings, car jackings and armed robberies, if he can move the homeless off downtown streets, he will highlight the difference between his approach and the painful failures in Chicago, New York, Los Angles and other major cities, all of them governed by Democrats. That’s a huge political benefit, if he can secure it (Spectator).

DC Police Union Backs Trump Effort: “Immediate Action Is Necessary”

D.C. PoliceUnion Chairman Gregg Pemberton: “We completely agree with the President that crime in the District of Columbia is out of control and something needs to be done with it” (Rapid Response). From Fox 5 in D.C.: “The DC Police Union, representing over 3,000 officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), today acknowledges and supports the President’s announcement this morning to assume temporary control of the MPD in response to the escalating crime crisis in Washington, DC. The Union agrees that crime is spiraling out of control, and immediate action is necessary to restore public safety. However, we emphasize that federal intervention must be a temporary measure, with the ultimate goal of empowering a fully staffed and supported MPD to protect our city effectively” (Fox 5). Nick Arama at Red State: I think they just blew up the Democratic narrative about low crime statistics. They surely don’t think it’s getting better; indeed, they’re saying it’s “out of control” and can’t continue on this way. They know they need help and are desperate to get it. They’ve been handcuffed for a long time. Now, finally, they’re getting the help they need from Trump (Red State).

Democratic Socialists Know They’ve Got Control of Democrats

That’s the message from the recent meeting in Chicago of the Democratic Socialists of America: We’re in charge now. Zohran Mamdani’s surprise win wasn’t an anomaly, delegates said, but rather the start of the DSA’s rise to power over the Democratic Party. Roughly 1,200 DSA members gathered over the weekend at McCormick Place, Chicago’s convention center, to solidify the party’s platform…. “We need to run campaigns that win. Campaigns like Zohran Mamdani, which put forward a bold vision of a socialist society,” Nate K., a delegate from Atlanta, said during a speech Saturday morning debating a resolution on whether to put forth a socialist candidate in 2028. “Zohran shows that Palestine is a winning issue. That socialism is a winning issue. The time for protest campaigns and messaging is over. The time for winning is now,” he continued. “We can win the Democratic primary in 2028. There’s polls now that show that a majority of the Democratic primary electorate supports Palestine and would want a Democratic socialist to win the presidential primary in 2028.” Another delegate, Jesse B. from central Indiana, suggested during a speech on the same motion that the DSA has the opportunity to seize power with the Democratic Party’s favorability ratings in the tank. “The Democratic Party is dying. They have less support than the Republican Party,” he said (Free Beacon). Andy Ngo: The DSA is a communist group allied with America’s enemies. They claim they are fighting “fascism” and function as the political mainstream arm of violent Antifa. The media has failed in describing their members as the communists they are (Ngo).

Who’s in Charge in Los Angeles?

The mayor—of course—is Karen Bass. But her dearth of competence and her continued embrace of her socialist/marxist fantasy has left residents and leaders wondering who is in charge. Politco: Many of Los Angeles’s leaders had hoped to spend 2025 preparing the city to host the next summer Olympics and instead found themselves engulfed by a series of unanticipated crises, from devastating wildfires to a destabilizing immigration crackdown. But rather than working together, the city’s leading pressure groups are at each other’s throats in a spiraling grudge match. After Mayor Karen Bass enacted a new minimum wage that would guarantee tourism workers $30 per hour in time for the 2028 games, airline and hotel companies began working to repeal the law via referendum…. Bass, a longtime state and federal lawmaker who was elected in 2022 on promises to be a “locking arms” coalition-builder, has done little to build consensus between business and labor. She signed the minimum-wage bill into law, and a prominent member of her administration warned last week that forcing voter approval on large event centers might jeopardize use of five planned Olympic venues. But she has remained largely mum about the intensifying conflict since (Politico). Trump revisited the incompetence in Los Angeles on Monday during his comments on the federal takeover of the D.C. police force: The purpose of the press conference was to announce the federalization of the Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of the National Guard in the Capitol due to what Trump described as “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.” But he couched federal action in D.C. in the context of swift federal efforts in the wake of the fires, calling local leaders “incompetent” for not doing moving as fast. While fielding questions from the media, Trump brought up Los Angeles and claimed residents who want to rebuild are not receiving the necessary permits. “The mayor’s incompetent and Gavin Newscum is incompetent,” Trump said (OC Register).

Israel Kills Hamas Cell Leader Who Doubled as Al Jazeera Journalist

Israel has been roundly criticized, but IDF reps remain resolute: Al-Sharif was leader of terror cell. All Israel News: Al-Sharif was with four other journalists at the time of the strike, who were also killed. Shortly before his death, Al-Sharif posted a last message on 𝕏, describing “non-stop bombing” in Gaza City. The IDF had previously found and published documents, including rosters of Hamas militants, indicating that Anas Al-Sharif served as head of a terrorist cell in the Jabaliya battalion and was responsible for rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and Israeli troops. Those documents – part of previously disclosed intelligence – along with others found in the Gaza Strip, confirmed his membership in Hamas’ military wing. In a statement, the IDF said the evidence “once again confirms his involvement in terrorist activities, from which the Al Jazeera network has attempted to disassociate itself” (All Israel News). New York Sun: The IDF pointed to documents that the military published in October that they say “prove he was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera.” The documents include rosters, terrorist training lists, and salary records. The IDF identifies al-Sharif as a member of Hamas’s East Jabaliya Battalion who enlisted in 2013. Most major media outlets ran headlines on Monday morning that omitted the IDF’s claims, describing the incident instead as an Israeli strike on “Al Jazeera journalists.” The BBC updated its coverage on Monday to note, “The BBC understands Sharif worked for a Hamas media team in Gaza before the current conflict.” International condemnations of Israel soon followed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that he was “gravely concerned” about Israel’s “repeated targeting of journalists.” The UN Human Rights Council called the killings a “grave breach of international humanitarian law.” The Foreign Press Association said that it was “outraged” by Israel’s attack, claiming that the Al Jazeera employees “were carrying out their duty as journalists and reporting on events as they occurred” (New York Sun). Hillel Fuld: “Israel killed an Al Jazeera journalist!!” Here is that journalist. Anas Al-Sharif. Here he is with the founders of Hamas and you see that bottom right picture? That’s what Mr. “Journalist” wrote on his Telegram on October 7th. Some journalist. But the media will believe anything if Israel is the bad guy, won’t they? (Fuld).

France Stops Renewing Work Visas for El Al Security Guards

As France and other western European leaders seek to isolate the Jewish state: Over the past six months, French authorities have quietly stopped renewing work visas for El Al flight security personnel employed in Paris as ITAN workers (Israeli citizens supporting diplomatic missions) through the Israeli embassy, sources familiar with the situation told Ynet on Monday, explaining that the decision stems from rising tensions between Israel and France over the Gaza war and attributing it to anti-Israel motives within Parisian authorities. The work visas previously granted to the Israeli security staff allowed them to live and work legally in France. Now, with the visa renewals halted, some of these workers find themselves residing in the country illegally. While some remain in France without valid permits, others have been forced to obtain diplomatic visas through the Israeli embassy, granting them temporary status to continue their stay…. Speaking at a press conference Sunday night, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned plans presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take over the Gaza Strip, calling it a “disaster waiting to happen, and a step toward an endless war.” Speaking to reporters during a briefing from his office, he warned, “The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will be the first victims of this strategy. The government in Israel needs to stop the war now with a permanent ceasefire.” Macron also proposed the formation of an international coalition under the United Nations aimed at combating terrorism in Gaza and stabilizing the region. Last month, Macron announced on his X account that France would officially recognize a Palestinian state. He said he plans to make a “ceremonial declaration” to this effect at the UN General Assembly in September. His announcement sparked a wave of similar moves, with several countries expressing readiness to recognize Palestinian statehood. Australia announced Sunday night it would move in a similar direction, while New Zealand stated it was “considering the move” (YNET).

Executive Orders That Would Help American Agriculture

Hugh Hewitt: Three executive orders from President Trump would greatly assist the farmers, ranchers and landowners who have been shut down from using their land in whole or part because of the listing of one or more of the 1,300 species and subspecies listed as “endangered” or “threatened” by the USFWS and NOAA. The first EO would direct Secretary Burgum to immediately remove from the list of “endangered” or “threatened” species and subspecies all mammals, birds, crustaceans and insects that were added to the list because of the application of the criteria that looks at the “projected decline” in “critical habitat” or “occupied or potentially occupied habitat.” This criteria for declaring a species or subspecies on the basis of “projected decline” of its habitat is guesswork, not “science,” and the application of this criteria has been repeatedly abused by bureaucrats for the past three decades…. If President Trump orders these removals from the ESA list be done immediately, he will focus the energy and budget of the bureaucracy on truly endangered and threatened species, and stop environmental extremists within the USFWS and NOAA and outside of those agencies from manipulating the list. The second executive order from President Trump should declare that private property impacted by ESA listings has been “taken” by the federal government and the owner must thus be compensated the fair market value of the land in question. The Constitution protects private property from uncompensated “takings,” and the vast cost imposed by the ESA should be born by all taxpayers, not the few thousand landowners slammed by the Act. Finally, President Trump should order Secretary Burgum and USFWS Director Brian Nesvik to downsize both the USFWS and NOAA and do so on the basis of merit. Too many activists have infiltrated these agencies and use the ESA to block development, not protect species. They are also among the least responsive and most inefficient members of the federal workforce. It is long past time to clean house, beginning with new regional and area directors who are committed to the Constitution’s explicit protection of private property, not their own private agendas or stopping development (Fox News).

10.

Looking Ahead to 2026, GOP Candidates Not Letting Dems Off the Hook: It’s “They/Them” All Over Again

The proponents who advocated for the denial of biological reality may be on the ropes, but Republican candidates continue to pound the message home. New York Sun: In Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff, who has raised more than $21 million this election cycle as the most vulnerable incumbent Democrat in next year’s election, was among the first to be targeted. In an ad produced by a Republican advocacy group founded in 2010 by Senator Mitch McConnell’s former chief of staff, One Nation, a male basketball player in one television ad knocks over a female player as the female narrator chides Mr. Ossoff for voting against banning male players from girls’ sports. “Man-to-man defense isn’t woke enough for Ossoff. He’s playing for they/them,” the ad says…. In Virginia as well, the off-year gubernatorial election, often an indicator of following election-year sentiment, has focused on trans issues, which consumed much of the 2021 state race that propelled Virginia’s lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Seares, into office. In the state’s first all-female race for governor, Ms. Earle-Seares, a military veteran, in a recent X post castigated her competitor, Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman, for supporting biological boys in girls’ locker rooms while in Congress. Ms. Spanberger voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would have limited participation in girls’ sports teams based on biological sex, not gender identity (New York Sun).

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