Happy Friday! “Nobody Wants This” is returning for another season on Oct. 23! What a great year this has been for television.
In today’s issue:
- Trump is en route to Alaska, chats on Air Force One
- How will the high-stakes summit go?
- D.C. sues Trump to stop police takeover
- Kristi Noem’s highly unusual rent-free living
- D.C. restaurant week begins Monday
🐻 IN ALASKA
The meeting at the Dragonpit:
President Trump is currently on Air Force One, flying to Alaska for his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in years. The stakes are incredibly high. This summit could determine the next phase of Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump has given Putin a tight deadline to agree to a peace deal — or else.
Trump’s goal: If today’ meeting goes well, Trump hopes to organize a follow-up meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Though, many U.S. leaders are skeptical of Putin’s intentions.
What does Trump expect?: He spoke with reporters this morning, saying he expects to know very quickly into the meeting whether it is going well or not. Other key lines from Trump:
- He said Putin would take all of Ukraine if he weren’t president: “Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasn’t president, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine, but he’s not going to do it,” Trump said.
- Trump is not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine: “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine,” Trump said, arguing his mission is to get Ukraine to “the table.”
- What does Trump think about territory swaps?:Trump said it’s ultimately up to Ukraine to decide. For context: Putin has suggested Ukraine ceding land to Russia as part of a peace agreement, but Zelensky said “no.”
- Trump says Putin is bringing businesspeople: Trump noted on Air Force One that Putin is bringing several businesspeople along for the trip. However, Trump said the U.S. is “not doing business until the war is settled.”
The New York Times’s David E. Sanger breaks down the three ways this meeting could unfold: “A sudden feud, an impasse or a first step toward a cease-fire are all possible.” Read: ‘How Trump’s Meeting With Putin Could Unfold’
Today’s timing: The leaders are expected to meet one-on-one around 3:30 p.m. EDT, followed by a joint press conference.
The Hill’s Brett Samuels is in the White House press pool and has a front-row seat to watch today unfold. Follow him!
🗨️ Follow today’s live blog— I find this particularly useful on days like today with a lot of moving parts.
➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:
📸 Trump boarding Air Force One
🏒📹Putin stopped in far eastern Russia to meet with young hockey players
📝List of people traveling with Trump
➤ BACK AT HOME:
“Republicans are starting to acknowledge Ukraine will need another major military aid package from Congress, despite Vice President Vance’s pledge last year that Congress would not approve another assistance package on the scale of what lawmakers passed in 2024,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.
How lawmakers are feeling about today’s meeting: “There is broad skepticism among Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill that Putin is serious about a deal or could be counted on to uphold his end of any bargain.”
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘GOP momentum for Ukraine aid package grows as Trump sits down with Putin’
➤ MORE READS:
Axios: Putin visits U.S. for Trump summit as a peer, not a pariah
The Atlantic: The U.S.-Russia Summit Is Already a Win for Putin
Foreign Policy: How Putin Tricked Trump
CNN: How Trump and Putin’s relationship has evolved since they first met eight years ago
The Washington Post: How Putin, ex-KGB officer, will seek to sway Trump at Alaska summit
🚓 IN DC
DC is fighting back:
Washington, D.C., is challenging President Trump’s attempted takeover of its police department.
What happened today?: D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) sued the Trump administration after it installed the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head to lead the city’s police force.
Schwalb’s argument: The DEA administrator’s appointment as “emergency commissioner” exceeds the limitations of the D.C. Home Rule Act. (That’s the act Trump has invoked to take over the D.C. police department.) Read more on the lawsuit
Tidbit: CBS’s Scott MacFarlane noted, “Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Dept is now referring media inquiries to the White House Press Office. That is….. quite a change … for a major American police force.”
➤ ANOTHER UPDATE:
Attorney General Pam Bondi signed an order late Thursday to end D.C.’s “sanctuary policies.”
📰 OTHER NEWS
Happening this afternoon:
“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced a second special session on Friday after state lawmakers gaveled out their first special session earlier that morning amid the ongoing redistricting fight,” reports The Hill’s Caroline Vakil.
For context: “Texas Democrats are expected to return to the state soon, noting that two conditions had to be met before arriving back to the Lone Star State: Texas Republicans adjourning their first special session and California’s introduction of new congressional lines aimed at neutralizing the expected gains from Texas’ proposed House map.”
Read more: ‘Abbott announces second special session as Texas Democrats plan return’
Kristi Noem’s ‘highly unusual’ living arrangement:
The Washington Post published exclusive reporting late this morning — “Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem is living for free in a military home typically reserved for the U.S. Coast Guard’s top admiral, officials familiar with the matter said.”
Why?: “She did so because of concerns over her safety after the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, published photographs in April of the area around Noem’s residence in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said … McLaughlin described Noem’s time at the commandant’s residence as temporary. She did not specify how long the setup would last or how long Noem has lived there.”
This is turning some heads: “The highly unusual arrangement has raised concern within the agency and from some Democrats, who describe it as a waste of military resources.”
Read the report: ‘Kristi Noem is living free of charge in Coast Guard commandant’s home’
📚 FRIDAY READS
The Wall Street Journal: Nobody’s Buying Homes, Nobody’s Switching Jobs—and America’s Mobility Is Stalling
The New York Times: SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.
The Hill: Trump signals push to finish Biden’s marijuana reform
The Washington Post: ICE documents reveal plan to double immigrant detention space this year
Op-ed in The Hill: Stephen Miller’s revenge? Duke is now in the crosshairs
^ This has been our most-read article this morning.
COMING UP
The House and Senate are out. 🌴President Trump is en route to Alaska. (All times EST)
3:30 p.m.: Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
9:45 p.m.: Trump leaves Alaska and flies back to the White House.
🐝 INTERNET BUZZ
🍋 Celebrate: Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day.
🐮 Americans are really into cows rn: Beef tallow, bone broth, bovine collagen and other cow-based products are all very trendy right now.
Excerpt — omg, this is a lot: “You can buy cow-placenta pills for postpartum healing, or powdered bull testicle for testosterone support. The slightest interaction with clean-beauty Instagram can fill your feed with ads for beef-tallow lip balms, cleansing creams, sunscreen, and deodorants.” Read The Atlantic’s reporting: ‘Americans Are All In on Cow-Based Wellness’
🍜 D.C. foodies, gear up!: Summer Restaurant Week starts Aug. 18! 🍽️ List of participating restaurants and their menus
🪥 What made me lose my appetite: The Washington Post’s Mark Johnson writes, “The potential key to upgrading toothpaste? Sheep’s wool and human hair.”
👋 AND FINALLY…
To leave you with some good vibes, please enjoy this video of a golden retriever puppy getting a bath.
