NYT > U.S. > Politics
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s 75-Country Visa Ban
The ruling from the Southern District of New York found that the policy went beyond Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority.
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Axios
U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse, massive tariffs to take effect
Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada fell apart late Friday night, and both sides said steep new tariffs will go into effect.Why it matters: It's an unprecedented breakdown in relations with the second-largest U.S. trading partner.Catch up quick: Trump last month threatened to invoke Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to hit a slew of Canadian goods with additional 50% duties, including alcohol, hockey equipment, cement and dairy products.No president has ever used Section 338 to impose tariffs since it became law in 1930.The tariffs were scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday. The administration carved out key Canadian exports, including energy, potash and critical minerals, from the new tariffs.On Tuesday, Trump postponed the tariffs for three days, saying the two sides had a deal. Driving the news: They did not. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said late Friday that Canada had made last-minute demands that upset the pact, Bloomberg reported. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a statement posted to X, alleged it was the U.S. that had made late changes to the terms, and said he had decided to suspend the negotiations. Friction point: "Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses," Carney wrote. The exact shape of that retaliation was not immediately clear. By the numbers: Trade between the two countries totaled $376 billion in the first half of the year, per Census data — double China and trailing only Mexico.The bottom line: After more than a year of threatening various stronger tariffs against Canada, the U.S. is making its most aggressive move yet to actually impose them.
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US news | The Guardian
US supreme court lets Trump continue work on White House ballroom for now
Chief justice signs temporary order to permit work while court considers emergency appeal from administrationThe US supreme court has allowed Donald Trump to continue construction of his controversial White House ballroom for now, temporarily pausing a lower court order that would halt much of the project.Supreme court chief justice John Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday, permitting work to continue on the planned White House addition – a top priority of the president – while the court considers an emergency appeal from Trump’s administration. Continue reading...
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Politics
‘I’m on the ballot’: Trump lends a hand to struggling Darline Graham
The president sought to paper over emerging cracks in Graham’s campaign to succeed her late brother.
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US news | The Guardian
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, former US senator from Kansas, dies aged 94
Kassebaum Baker became the first woman elected to the US Senate without following a spouse into officeNancy Kassebaum Baker, a Kansas governor’s daughter who became the first woman elected to the US Senate without following a spouse into office, has died. She was 94.Kassebaum Baker died on Friday of natural causes, according to her son, Bill Kassebaum. Continue reading...
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Article | The Nation
High attention on the left
Natalie Harp Is the High Priestess of the Cult of Trump
Jeet Heer The controversial White House isn’t the only Trump sycophant—merely the most successful. The post Natalie Harp Is the High Priestess of the Cult of Trump appeared first on The Nation.
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TIME
’They Weaponized You Like Nobody’s Ever Been Weaponized’: Trump and Michael Cohen Make Peace
"They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized," Trump told his former lawyer during an appearance on Cohen's radio show.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics
Aisha Wahab Wins California Special Election to Replace Eric Swalwell
Aisha Wahab, a Democratic state senator in California, will fill out the term of Eric Swalwell, who resigned from the House amid accusations of sexual misconduct.
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NBC News Politics
Prince Harry and Meghan will move back to the United Kingdom, source says
The couple has lived in California since 2020. King Charles was informed of the move Sunday, a source said.
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The New Republic
Trump Treasury Secretary Flails as National Debt Passes $40 Trillion
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tried in vain to spin the country’s astronomical $40 trillion debt on CNBC Thursday. Speaking to the network’s Sara Eisen, Bessent admitted that he didn’t know when the Iran war would end, but that things were otherwise going well with the economy despite the soaring national debt and increasing deficit. “This Iran conflict, we will get on the other side of this. We don’t know when,” Bessent said, failing to inspire much confidence. Bessent was even less inspirational when it came to the national debt, telling Eisen, “There’s nothing magic about the 40 trillion number, and we can grow our way out of that,” before blaming tariff refunds for the poor GDP and rising deficit. “One of things that’s temporary here that’s influencing the deficit has been these tariff refunds, and we won’t have to do that again,” Bessent said, adding that the administration was reinstituting tariffs. “I would expect that our 2026 tariff income is going to be roughly what it was in 2025.” Bessent downplays the national debt: "There's nothing magic about the $40 trillion number. We can grow our way out of that." pic.twitter.com/ATQv5pMwid— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2026When Eisen asked if “we have seen peak deficit during this administration,” Bessent replied, “I think there’s a very good chance we have.”“We are going to be laser-focused, as I said. [Office of Management and Budget] Director Vought, myself, the president; that combined with the vice president’s fraud task force, where I think we could save several hundred billion dollars,” Bessent said.Suggesting that the deficit isn’t going to increase beyond current levels doesn’t make sense with how President Trump is spending money on everything from the Iran war to his pet construction projects. There’s no guarantee that Trump’s new tariff approach will survive court challenges either. And Bessent couldn’t help but admit that the Iran war shows no sign of ending anytime soon, meaning that his positive forecast is just a lot of wishful thinking.
Left
Axios
Bernie Sanders backs Angie Nixon after her stunning Florida primary upset
Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon on Thursday, two days after she stunned the party establishment by defeating heavily funded favorite Alex Vindman.Why it matters: Sanders gives Nixon a prominent national progressive ally as she pivots to a difficult general-election race against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody.Sanders also cast Nixon as a model for the Democratic Party's future.What he's saying: "Angie is proof that organized people can take on the organized money of the wealthy and powerful — and win," Sanders said in a statement released by Nixon's campaign.Sanders praised Nixon's support for Medicare for All, canceling medical debt, expanded child care and paid family leave.The intrigue: Nixon won the primary without Sanders' endorsement despite working on his 2016 presidential campaign and running on many of the economic policies he made central to his campaigns.The big picture: The endorsement strengthens Nixon's connection to the national left, but it also gives Republicans another opening to make socialism the centerpiece of the fall campaign.Reality check: Nixon still faces a steep climb against Moody in Florida, a state that has shifted sharply to the right and where Republicans have dominated recent statewide elections.Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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US news | The Guardian
Woman charged with planning IS-inspired attack on New York state capitol building
Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, allegedly planned to deploy explosive before fleeing to IS-controlled territory in SyriaUS authorities arrested and charged a New York woman with planning to carry out an Islamic State-inspired attack on the state’s capitol building in Albany, the justice department said on Thursday.Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, was charged with planning to deploy an explosive device at the state capitol with the intention of killing public officials and destroying “as much of the building as possible” before fleeing to IS-controlled territory in Syria, according to John A Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security. Continue reading...
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