Amidst Talk of Security Guarantees for Ukraine, Trump Emphasizes: No US Troops on the Ground

In the wake of Monday’s meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelensky and European leaders, the conversation centered on next steps and the shape of security guarantees for Ukraine. Wall Street Journal: President Trump signaled on Tuesday that the U.S. is prepared to use air power to support a European security force in Ukraine but ruled out deploying American ground troops. Planning of the multination force to be sent to Ukraine if a peace settlement is reached accelerated on Tuesday, a day after Trump discussed the idea at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders (Wall Street Journal). Financial Times: Speaking the morning after White House meetings with Ukraine’s president and European leaders, Trump told Fox News that American forces could assist Kyiv’s allies in deterring future Russian attacks. “When it comes to security, [the Europeans are] willing to put people on the ground,” Trump said. “We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably talk about by air, because there’s nobody [who has the] kind of stuff we have,” he added. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.” It was unclear whether Trump was referring to the use of fighter jets or capabilities such as airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (Financial Times).

Trump Approval at 54 Percent After Meeting With Putin

From Insider Advantage: Survey conducted August 15-17; MOE 3.09% What is your opinion of President Trump’s Job Performance? Approve: 54% Disapprove: 44% Undecided/ No Opinion: 2% …. Donald Trump now has an advantage among every age group other than the most senior of voters. He has improved his numbers among African-Americans and Hispanic-Latinos. White voters are at a near record 64%. Voters under 65 years of age now approve of his job performance by wide margins. Only the nation’s oldest voters disapprove of his job performance, which is consistent with our prior surveys. Overall, his approval numbers are surging upwards post-summit (Insider Advantage).

Traders Betting on Whether/Not Fed Chair Powell Will Cut Interest Rates

As the Fed chair travels to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to deliver speech at the Federal Reserve’s August summit. Bloomberg: Traders are piling into one specific options wager that relies on a dovish Federal Reserve slashing interest rates by over a quarter-point next month. The intensifying bet comes days ahead of the central bank’s annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Fed Chair Jerome Powell is set to deliver pivotal remarks that could validate or nullify investors’ expectations for monetary easing. It also follows a hotter-than-expected read on inflation that caused some traders to dial back their rate-cut expectations (Bloomberg). Financial Times: Jay Powell’s speech at the Federal Reserve’s August summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is always a high-stakes moment. This year, the central bank’s chair takes the podium under fire — facing fierce attacks from Donald Trump and a growing insurgency within his own institution. Trump has engaged in a months-long assault on Powell, calling him a “stubborn mule” and “numbskull” for refusing to cut borrowing costs this year over concerns that the president’s tariffs will inflame inflation…. “We are in this uncomfortable equilibrium, where we don’t know where things go next,” said Gennadiy Goldberg, chief rates strategist at TD Securities. “The market wants a bit of confirmation from Powell on Friday as to whether he is open to cutting rates” (Financial Times).

Suspended: Two Male High School Students Who Complained About a Girl in the Boys’ Locker Room

Townhall: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is suspending two male high school students for complaining about a trans-identified girl using boys’ locker rooms….  The father of one of the boys told 7News in May that he was “concerned” about the matter. He stated that the district was investigating his son and another boy to find out whether they had committed sexual harassment by complaining about the female who was using the boys’ locker room. “And other boys were uncomfortable [with a female in the boys’ locker room],” he told the news outlet. “There were other boys asking the same question. They [LCPS] created a very uncomfortable situation. They’re young, they’re 15 years old. They’re expressing their opinions, and now they’re being targeted for expressing those opinions” (Townhall). Fox News: The Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is suspending the Stone Bridge High School students for 10 days following a Title IX investigation into the incident earlier this year, attorney Josh Heltzer, who represents the boys’ families, told 7News. Heltzer said that LCPS found the boys to be responsible for sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination in a case that has sparked a furious response from parents the boys’ parents as well as Virginia’s attorney general, who has argued that the school agency’s process was biased and retaliatory (Fox News). David Strom of Hot Air: In any sane world, the adults entrusted with the health and well-being of children would be sensitive to the concerns of boys and girls–particularly those in the range where puberty naturally occurs, about mixing the sexes. They also, you would think, strictly prohibit the filming of children in locker rooms–an action that is not only deeply troubling in any case, but particularly so when underage kids are involved. But not in Loudoun County. In Loudoun County, there is a policy that students who identify as transgender can invade the locker rooms reserved for members of the opposite sex, and they can even film other students should they so choose. And if a student objects, it is they who are punished (Hot Air).

Trump Sets His Eye on the Smithsonian

And the distorted picture of America it pushes, calling it “out of control.” Katie Pavlich: President Donald Trump is vowing to take wokeness out of national museums in Washington D.C., including the Smithsonian. “The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of “WOKE.” The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon. “We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made,” he continued. “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the “HOTTEST” Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.” The Smithsonian is infected with woke language, especially on immigration, race and sports displays (Townhall). The Hill: The White House last week launched a review of the Smithsonian museums to bring them into “alignment” with Trump’s directive to “celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions” (The Hill). The Smithsonian even gets science wrong. Stephen Meyer: American history isn’t the only domain where the Smithsonian, with an ideological ax to grind, advances misinformation. Thanks to a groundbreaking paper in the journal Nature, we know just how wrong they are in science too (Meyer).

Bolivia May Well Be Done With Socialism; “People have generally stopped believing in socialism”

The South American nation elected socialist Evo Morales in 2006. He served to 2019. Today Luis Arce—also a socialist—is president. But the ongoing presidential election has signaled a decisive shift. Semafor: A centrist and a center-right candidate made it through the first round of Bolivia’s presidential election, which was marked by voters’ rejection of the ruling left-wing party. The Movement Toward Socialism has ruled Bolivia for almost two decades since Evo Morales became president in 2006: It initially benefitted from a commodities boom that fed a surge in government spending, but as energy prices fell and state coffers dried up, the government piled up debt in a failed bid to revive economic growth. The two successful candidates, who will face each other in an October runoff, have both vowed to slash spending. “People have generally stopped believing in socialism,” a former Morales voter told The Wall Street Journal (Semafor). National Review: In the first round of this year’s presidential election, which concluded on Sunday, the Movement for Socialism candidate received just 3 percent of the vote. The party could potentially lose all of its seats in the Bolivian legislature. On a per capita basis, Bolivia is the poorest country in South America besides Venezuela. Bolivia’s 1990 GDP per capita of $5,124 was about $1,000 behind neighboring Peru’s. Today, Peru is more than $5,000 ahead, and Peru’s growth hasn’t been exactly stellar either. Inflation is about 25 percent (National Review).

Tough Choices for Israel as They Weigh Invasion of Gaza City

Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu are facing enormous domestic and international pressure not to enter Gaza City—under fears it could be a quagmire and result in even deeper isolation of Israel diplomatically. Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren weighs in. After considering complete withdrawal first and then assurances of not annexing territories second, he considers: There remains one out-of-the-box proposal. Rather than climbing down, Israel should ascend even higher. Hamas believes that the tsunami of international condemnations of Israel, combined with the domestic pressure generated by the protest of nearly half a million Israelis this week, will force Netanyahu to back down. But what if he weathers the storm and pushes forward with the invasion plan? What if, by doing so, he shows Hamas that no amount of international and Israeli domestic intervention can save it? Faced with certain destruction, Hamas may then accept a ceasefire-for-hostages deal. As the offensive begins, tellingly, Hamas is reportedly saying it is ready to make a deal. Ultimately, there is no cost-free way to bring this war to an end. Every path is filled with obstacles and abysses. Whichever policy the government adopts must be clear, strong, and effectively communicated. Whether Israel climbs up or down the ladder or the tree, it must do so courageously and responsibly all the way (Oren).

At Qatar’s Summer Camp Youngster’s Learn: “There Is No Israel,” “The Zionist Entity Is an Enemy,” “Resistance Is Honor”

Qatar seems to have done between little and nothing to moderate their radical Islamism. MEMRI: The State of Qatar continues to inculcate an ideology that rejects Israel’s existence and condones the struggle against it, including in children’s summer camps. At a girls’ summer camp this August, sponsored by the Qatari Ministry of Sports and Youth, participants were given a gift with a card that read: “There is no Israel,” “The Zionist entity is an enemy,” and “Resistance [such as Hamas’s terror operations] is honor.” Another card distributed to the participants featured an image of a rifle and praise for armed struggle against the enemy. The activities at the camp, which was held by the Youth Leaders Academy at the Barzan Youth Center, north of the capital Doha, also featured maps of Palestine from the river to the sea, painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag and including cities located within the state of Israel, such as Nazareth, Acre, Tiberias, Haifa and Beersheba – all of which negates Israel’s existence. It should be mentioned that messages of this kind are routinely inculcated by the Qatari education system, and are in line with Qatar’s overall policy of rejecting Israel’s  existence and providing unconditional support for Hamas’s terrorist activities (MEMRI).

Border Wall Will Now Be Painted Black; “harder for people to climb”

Resources from the Big, Beautiful Bill have allowed for construction at about a half mile a day. Axios: The “entire” U.S.-Mexico border wall will be painted black at the request of President Trump to deter illegal immigrant crossings, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday. What they’re saying: “There will be more added to it as far as technology, cameras, sensors — we’re also going to be painting it black,” Noem said during a briefing in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. “That is specifically at the request of the president. When something is painted black, it gets even warmer, making it even harder for people to climb,” she said. “We had an incredible amount of resources allocated to us in the big beautiful bill, because that’s going to allow us to continue construction,” Noem added. “Construction right now is at the pace of a little bit less than a half a mile a day. And the border wall will look very different based on the topography and the geography of where it is built” (Axios). Meanwhile: Border numbers for July were record-setting: Illegal crossings in July dropped to the lowest level ever recorded – just a fraction of what they were under the previous administration. • 24,628 total encounters nationwide — the lowest monthly total in CBP history for the second consecutive month • 6,177 U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions nationwide — 23% lower than the previous record low in June of 8,018, and 90% down from July 2024 with 59,655 illegal aliens • 4,601 southwest border apprehensions — 24% lower than the previous record low in June of 6,070, and 92% down from July 2024 with 56,400 illegal aliens • 116 apprehensions on July 20 — the lowest single-day total in agency history. • Zero parole releases — compared to 12,365 released by the Border Patrol under the Biden Administration along the southwest border in July 2024 (CBP).

More Accessible Marijuana Will Make America Look More Like San Francisco; “The president should ignore the well-funded cannabis lobby”

Daniel McCarthy of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute: Will more marijuana use make America a better place? Not many who’ve seen and smelled what legalizing the drug has done to cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco would say so. Yet President Trump is contemplating a change to marijuana’s federal classification that would make it easier to buy and more profitable to sell. The pot industry is extensively invested in getting its product recategorized from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 3 drug, and industry leaders ponied up for a $1-million-a-plate Trump fundraising dinner earlier this month to hear what the president had in mind, the Wall Street Journal reports. The president should ignore the well-funded cannabis lobby. What matters is what more and cheaper marijuana will mean for ordinary Americans.  Twenty-four states have legalized recreational use of the drug, despite the revealing results experienced by the first state to do so…. A new study by the South Korean scholar Sunyoung Lee in the International Review of Law and Economics examines what’s happened to crime levels in American states that have legalized pot. Mr. Lee writes that his findings “do not yield conclusive evidence supporting a reduction in crime rates after legalizing recreational marijuana. Rather, they underscore notable positive associations with property crimes and suggest potential correlations with violent crimes …” (New York Sun).