From Trump’s new executive orders reshaping education, banking, and investment rules… to tariffs shaking global trade, a mass shooting at Fort Stewart, and leaked details of a Ukraine-Russia truce proposal — today’s news spans policy shifts, geopolitical deals, and breaking crises.
🎥 Watch my livestream breakdown of today’s top stories — plus behind-the-scenes context you won’t get elsewhere — on YouTube and Substack.
NATIONAL NEWS
Overview of Executive Orders Signed on August 7, 2025
Higher Education Admissions Transparency: Trump’s order instructs the Education Department to expand and tighten university admissions reporting, with stricter checks and penalties for non-compliance by 2025–26. It aims to ensure no school uses race or related DEI factors to favor applicants.
Fair Banking for All Americans: Trump’s order directs regulators to stop banks from denying services based on political or religious beliefs, and to reinstate affected clients within 120 days. It specifically calls for review of denials involving references to “MAGA” or “Trump.”
Alternative Assets in 401(k)s: Trump is issuing an executive order to fast-track access to alternative assets in retirement plans by directing the Labor Department and SEC to ease regulatory barriers. The move aims to expand investment options like private equity and real estate in 401(k)s within 180 days.
Improving Federal Grantmaking: Trump is ordering agencies to streamline federal grants, enforce stricter accountability, and align funding with national policy priorities. Each agency must appoint a senior official to oversee grants — with the move also targeting certain DEI programs.
Tariff Time: Trump’s Global Trade Shake-Up Begins
President Trump’s sweeping new tariff policy takes effect today, replacing the previous 10% minimum rate with a tiered system based on country.
New Rates: Bolivia and Nigeria face 15%; Brazil tops the list with 50%. (See full global breakdown below)
Negotiations: The EU, Japan, and South Korea secured reduced rates. Switzerland, now subject to the highest tariff among developed nations, left Washington yesterday without a deal.
What’s Next: Trump plans to double India’s tariff to 50% over its continued Russian oil imports and has threatened 100% tariffs on foreign semiconductors.
Despite a deal limiting U.S. tariffs on Japanese cars to 15%, automakers like Toyota and Nissan expect steep losses. China’s July exports surged as companies rushed shipments through Southeast Asia ahead of the new tariffs.
Trump Warns of More Sanctions on Russian Oil Buyers
On Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% tariff on India (effective Thursday) and warned that more penalties are coming for countries purchasing Russian energy.
“You’re going to see so much more secondary sanctions,” he said in the Oval Office.
Mass Shooting at Fort Stewart
A shooting at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Wednesday began with a personal dispute.
Suspect: Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, allegedly followed a coworker to a maintenance area and opened fire with a personal firearm.
Victims: Five soldiers were shot; all are in stable condition.
Aftermath: Radford, who joined the Army in 2018 and had a recent DUI arrest, was subdued by fellow troops. Charges are pending.
Federal Judiciary Hacked: Sensitive Case Files Exposed
Politico reports a massive cyberattack on the U.S. judiciary’s case management systems (CM/ECF and PACER), compromising sensitive data including sealed indictments and warrants. Intelligence officials suspect foreign espionage, given the system's long-standing vulnerabilities.
QUICK HEADLINES
Union Busting: The VA begins terminating labor contracts, part of broader efforts to end federal worker union protections.
Trump Eyes NYC Race: The president is reportedly weighing involvement in New York’s mayoral race to block Democrat Zohran Mamdani.
Olympics Travel Ban: Athletes can enter for the 2028 Games, but fans may be barred under current restrictions.
Aldi’s Expansion: The discount grocery chain plans to open 200 stores across the U.S. this year — more than any competitor.
Air Force Wants Cybertrucks: Officials plan to use Tesla’s armored trucks as future missile targets.
United Airlines Grounded: A tech outage grounded flights last night; 1,000 delays and dozens of cancellations followed.
Armenia & Azerbaijan at the White House: Leaders to meet tomorrow for U.S.-led talks.
FBI to Track Down Texas Democrats: Sen. John Cornyn says the FBI has agreed to help locate Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to block a vote on redistricting.
DC Crime: Trump Threatens to Take Over City Police
Trump is considering federal control of the DC Police and deploying the National Guard, citing rising crime. However, local stats show violent crime is down 26% from last year. The move comes after an attempted carjacking of a former federal employee, allegedly by two 15-year-olds.
BUSINESS NEWS
AI for $1: OpenAI, Anthropic Target Federal Workers
OpenAI is offering ChatGPT to federal employees for just $1/year. Rival Anthropic is expected to offer Claude under similar terms.
Other Business Headlines
Mars Goes Gene-Edited: Mars partners with biotech firm Pairwise to engineer cocoa crops.
Coffee by Drone: The DOT proposes rules allowing UAVs to fly beyond the operator’s line of sight to be used for delivery.
Claire’s Bankruptcy: The accessory chain files for Chapter 11 again — its second since 2018.
Disney Earnings: Q3 revenue missed estimates ($23.65B vs. $23.73B), but earnings beat forecasts ($1.61 vs. $1.47 per share). Streaming rose 6%.
Disney & ESPN Overhaul
Hulu App Ending: It will merge with Disney+ next year and replace Star globally.
New ESPN App: Launches Aug. 21 at $29.99/month. Includes all ESPN channels and expanded features.
ESPN-NFL Deal: ESPN gets 10% NFL stake, gains control of NFL Network, RedZone, and fantasy products.
WWE Joins ESPN: A $1.6B, 5-year deal gives ESPN exclusive rights to major WWE events starting in 2026.
GLOBAL NEWS
Ukraine-Russia: Details of U.S. Truce Proposal Leaked
Polish news site Onet published contents of a U.S. truce proposal reportedly delivered by White House envoy Witkoff to Vladimir Putin:
No peace deal — just a truce between Ukraine and Russia.
De facto recognition of Russian territorial gains by postponing the issue for 49 or 99 years.
Lifting most sanctions on Russia.
Long-term resumption of Russian oil and gas imports.
No guarantees of NATO non-expansion.
No promise to suspend military support to Ukraine.
Russia allegedly accepted such “terms”.
Critics argue a deal that does not return Ukrainian children or hold Russian war criminals accountable is less about peace and more about appeasement.
Also:
A virtual meeting today brought together national security advisors from Ukraine, the U.S., and European nations to align positions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed support for Ukraine’s air defense under the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative.
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed met Putin in Moscow and offered to host a Trump-Putin summit. The UAE has also recently mediated prisoner swaps.
Trump says he “intends” to meet Putin next week and hopes to follow up with a three-way summit including Zelensky. It’s unclear if the other leaders are on board.
Putin on meeting Zelenskyy: “I don’t oppose the idea, but it requires clear agreements and conditions — and we’re still far from that.”
On meeting Trump: He said it could happen soon and be hosted by “one of Russia’s friends.”
Ushakov: According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the United States has made an offer that the Russian side considers acceptable.
The reported terms include:
A temporary truce
De facto recognition of Russia’s territorial gains
Lifting of most sanctions imposed on Russia
Resumption of imports of Russian gas and oil
The version of the U.S. offer described by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov differs notably from the one reported by a Polish news agency.
Key differences include:
Lack of any mention of NATO expansion in Ushakov’s statement
No reference to continued Western military aid for Ukraine
Inclusion of a “temporary truce” in the Russian version
Brazil Rejects U.S. Tariff Pressure
Faced with Trump’s 50% tariffs, President Lula told The New York Times:
“At no point will Brazil negotiate as if it were a small country up against a big country.”
He accused Trump of violating Brazil’s sovereignty.
Vice President JD Vance to Meet with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on August 8
On Friday, August 8, Vice President JD Vance will meet with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss a range of issues concerning the U.S.-UK relationship.
The meeting will be held at Chevening House in Kent, England.
Netanyahu Announces Plan for Israeli Control and Transition in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans for Israel to take full control of Gaza, emphasizing the move is temporary and security-focused.
“We intend to take full control,” Netanyahu said. “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”
He added, “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly, without threatening us, and [to give] Gazans a good life.”
China Battles Chikungunya Virus
Over 7,000 chikungunya cases — spread by mosquitoes — have been reported in southern China, prompting a U.S. travel advisory. Extreme heat and rain have worsened the outbreak. Measures include insecticide spraying, drone surveillance, and fines for failing to remove standing water.
Lebanon Moves to Curb Hezbollah Arms
The Lebanese government has directed the army to develop a plan to bring all weapons under state control. Hezbollah opposes the move. The U.S. and Israel are pressuring Lebanon to act.
Sudan Downs UAE Plane Carrying Mercenaries
Sudanese forces reportedly shot down a plane carrying Colombian mercenaries en route to fight with the UAE-backed RSF. Dozens were killed. The UAE has denied involvement and banned Sudanese aircraft from its airspace.
Congo: July Saw Deadliest Month in Years
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians in eastern DRC last month — the deadliest toll since 2022. A DRC-Rwanda peace deal was signed in Washington, and talks with M23 are ongoing.
Cambodia-Thailand Truce to Be Monitored by ASEAN
The two nations agreed to allow ASEAN military observers to oversee their border ceasefire. Malaysia will lead the monitoring mission.
Pakistan’s Floods Intensified by Climate Change
New analysis finds last month’s deadly monsoon floods in Pakistan were made 10–15% worse by climate change. The country — which emits less than 1% of global greenhouse gases — continues to suffer disproportionately from climate impacts.
