In today’s issue:
- 2 children killed in Minneapolis shooting
- Trump’s big fundraising haul
- President’s crime-fighting plan
- GOP leery of Trump’s Fed push
- Duffy announces takeover of Union Station
🚨 BREAKING
Minneapolis shaken by deadly shooting:
At least two children were killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis early Wednesday morning.
Police said a gunman opened fire while children were seated in pews during Mass. Federal, state and local authorities have responded to the attack, with local leaders condemning the act of violence.
“There are no words that can capture the horror and all the evil of this unspeakable act,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during a news conference. “These kids were literally praying — they were in their first week of school, they were in a church.”
“I’m so deeply saddened and I’m so sorry to the families that I know are suffering right now,” Frey continued. “These families have forever been changed and we’ve all been changed with them.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the suspected lone shooter, a male in his 20s, opened fire through the windows of a church during an all-grades Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School, a private K-8 school on the city’s southwest side.
Authorities said the school shooting was not believed to have been related to a shooting near a different school in Minneapolis on Tuesday that left one person dead.
What we know:
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in Wednesday’s shooting, according to police. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children, with two of them in critical condition as of midday Wednesday.
O’Hara said the preliminary investigation determined the shooter had three firearms — a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol — on him and is believed to have fired rounds from each, shooting through the windows of the church from the outside.
The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the parking lot, O’ Hara said.
The suspect has not yet been identified by name, and police said they were unaware of any extensive criminal record for the shooter.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping,” O’Hara said.
Dozens of students were in attendance at the Mass, and those who were not injured were released to their families.
Officials respond:
President Trump posted on Truth Social that he had been fully briefed on the situation and asked for prayers for those affected.
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” he wrote. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation.”
Vice President Vance wrote on X that he was also closely monitoring for updates.
“We’re at the WH monitoring the situation in Minneapolis. Join all of us in praying for the victims!” he wrote.
Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D) and Tina Smith (D) each released statements on X shortly after reports of the school shooting emerged.
“My prayers are with the students, teachers, and families, and I am grateful for the first responders who are on the scene,” Klobuchar wrote.
Smith wrote: “It’s the first week of school. These kids should not be fearing for their lives.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.): “We are heartbroken over the tragic violence that has occurred at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, and we send our gratitude to law enforcement and the first responders who are on the scene.
Our prayers are with the children, families, civilians, law enforcement, and all those impacted by this evil attack.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) wrote online: “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) was holding its summer meetings in Minnesota this week.
“At this moment, we are praying for the families, the students, and the teachers at Annunciation. We are praying,” DNC chair Ken Martin said. “What we know is that emergency responders are on the scene, and while we wait for more details about what happened this morning, we are sending our support to all the first responders, law enforcement officers, hospital and medical workers, and anybody who is supporting the response.”
Follow live updates from The Hill on the developing story here.
🚓 IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Trump’s next legislative lift — crime:
President Trump says he is working with House and Senate GOP leaders on anti-crime legislation amid his sweeping crackdown in the nation’s capital.
The president posted on Truth Social early Wednesday that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) are supporting the effort to pass a “Comprehensive Crime Bill,” though he didn’t provide details about what the legislation may entail.
“Speaker Mike Johnson, and Leader John Thune, are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill. It’s what our Country need, and NOW! More to follow,” Trump said on Truth Social.
What else is new: Congress returns from its monthlong August recess next week with a full plate and mounting tensions. Lawmakers will have less than a month to prevent a government shutdown, and the House abruptly left last month amid a battle over the Jeffrey Epstein saga.
Trump successfully pushed his tax and spending agenda through Congress earlier this summer via his One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
He has aggressively pursued his immigration crackdown with thousands of arrests and deportations with no signs of slowing, leaving some wondering what would be next on his radar with months left in the first year of his second term.
Eyes on crime: The president launched his Washington crime-fighting effort with a public safety emergency declaration earlier this month that allowed the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers.
Trump has indicated that he wants to spread his anti-crime agenda to other areas, primarily Democratic-led cities. He signed an executive order Monday directing the Pentagon to take a larger role in domestic law enforcement efforts.
Democrats have accused the president of politicizing the issue and exaggerating crime in major cities, but they have also struggled to form a message to counter Trump’s push.
Trump vs. Dem leaders: Trump again struck at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, Tuesday, escalating their ongoing feud over Chicago crime just days after threatening to send National Guard troops to the city.
“Panic stricken Governor Pritzker says that crime is under control, when in fact it is just the opposite. He is an incompetent Governor who should call me for HELP,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
📰 ON CAPITOL HILL
GOP concerned about Trump’s Fed maneuvering:
Republican lawmakers are leery of Trump’s attempts to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors, but they’re not willing to cross the president over the issue.
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that even Senate Republicans who didn’t support Cook’s nomination for the Fed job under then-President Biden are skeptical of Trump’s “for cause” firing claim.
“If he has cause to fire her over an allegation of malfeasance from before she was even confirmed by the Senate, there’s a million other ways you could then cook up a definition of ‘cause,’” one senior Senate GOP aide told Bolton.
“This is clearly aimed at Powell. They’re trying to box Powell in,” the source added, referring to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whom Trump has openly criticized over his hesitance to cut interest rates.
More from Bolton on GOP lawmakers’ concerns here.
➤ BARASSO IS NOT HAPPY:
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) penned a piece in The Wall Street Journal calling for a major overhaul of Senate confirmation rules.
Excerpt: “Through dilatory warfare, Democrats have broken their ‘advice and consent’ responsibilities. This drastic a slow-roll has never happened under a modern president … For decades, noncontroversial nominees moved through the Senate in a timely manner. Democrats destroyed this tradition by treating every Trump nominee as controversial.”
Read Barrasso’s op-ed: ‘Chuck Schumer’s Unprecedented Blockade’
📰 ELSEWHERE
Duffy announces Union Station takeover:
Before jumping on the inaugural ride on Amtrak’s new NextGen Acela from Union Station to New York City’s Penn Station this morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced this morning the federal government will take a more forceful position in oversight at Union Station, just blocks from the Capitol.
“With these new Acela trainsets, Amtrak will provide more reliable service and lower prices for the American people – all while increasing the organization’s profitability,” Duffy said. “But we’re not stopping there. Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair. By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost.”
The federal government owns the station, but it has ceded some control to local government over the years.
Details on the Acela: The new features of the “elevated” high-speed trains include 5G Wi-Fi, contoured seating, bigger windows and USB ports at each seat.
Trump goes after NBC over Meyers:
President Trump swiped at Seth Meyers, the host of NBC’s “Late Night,” claiming in a Truth Social post he heard a “sick rumor” that Meyers’s contract was being extended:
“There is a sick rumor going around that Fake News NBC extended the contract of one of the least talented Late Night television hosts out there, Seth Meyers. He has no Ratings, Talent, or Intelligence, and the Personality of an insecure child. So, why would Fake News NBC extend this dope’s contract. I don’t know, but I’ll definitely be finding out!!!”
The jab comes after the president went after the Peacock Network (and fellow broadcaster ABC) just days ago over their polling and coverage of his administration.
Meyers’s contract was extended last year and runs through 2028 — a move that was widely reported last May.
Trump’s complaints over NBC and ABC notably follow CBS’s decision last month to cancel “The Late Show” with host Stephen Colbert, a frequent critic.
➤ OTHER READS:
NOTUS: Forget Retirement: Older Lawmakers Want to Stay in Congress.
The Wall Street Journal: ICE Has Fined Immigrants $6 Billion. Now It’s Coming to Collect.
The Washington Post: Swatting hoaxes on college campuses spark panic and an FBI probe.
The Texas Tribune: Environmental laws waived to build border wall in Texas wildlife refuge.
🗳️ ELECTION NEWS
Bringing in the big bucks:
President Trump announced early this morning that he has raised more than $1.5 billion “in various forms and political entities” since the November presidential election.
Trump, 79, can’t legally seek a third presidential term, but his massive campaign coffers could boost Republicans as they aim to hold control and cushion their majority margins in the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms.
*Corn* you even believe it?:
^badum tss
Democrats are celebrating Catelin Drey’s victory in an open Iowa state Senate race Tuesday — a continuation of the left’s recent successes in special elections as it hopes to regain footing in Congress.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) made a major play to flip the seat and break up the GOP’s state Senate supermajority by sending in some 30,000 volunteers to woo voters.
Trump won the district in last fall’s presidential election by more than 11 points.
DNC Chair Ken Martin linked the party’s win to the president’s sagging popularity.
“Iowans are seeing Republicans for who they are: self-serving liars who will throw their constituents under the bus to rubber stamp Donald Trump’s disastrous agenda — and they’re ready for change,” Martin said in a statement. “They are putting Republicans on notice and making it crystal clear: any Republican pushing Trump’s unpopular, extreme agenda has no place governing on behalf of Iowa families.”
The Hill’s Jared Gans has more insight on what the win means for Democrats hoping for a comeback in the second Trump era.
➤ MEANWHILE:
While Democrats are looking to regain their footing in state capitals, the MAGA movement has already turned its attention to governors’ mansions across the country.
Some prominent Trump allies are pursuing gubernatorial bids, viewing the statewide route as a way to expand Trump’s agenda beyond Washington and position themselves for higher office.
“I think it’s like the next stage of the movement,” one GOP operative close to the White House told The Hill’s Brett Samuels. “A lot of people who came up in the movement are looking to build off of that and understand it’s not staying in Congress another 20 years, it’s running a state.”
COMING SOON
The House and Senate are out. 🍽️ President Trump is in Washington and having lunch with Vice President Vance. (All times EDT)
Today: The Democratic National Committee wraps up its summer meetings in Minneapolis.
2:30 p.m.: Health and Human Services SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr. joins Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and other officials to promote the Lone Star State’s MAHA-inspired law that goes into effect Monday. 💻 Livestream
5:30 p.m.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Washington.
🐝 INTERNET BUZZ
🍌 B-A-N-A-N-A-S: It’s National Banana Lovers Day!
💍Maybe you heard? Pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce announced their highly anticipated engagement Monday afternoon, and EVERYBODY weighed in, including President Trump. Here are all the details (and fan theories) about the event that has everybody buzzing.
🏈 Football season reminder: Don’t harass college athletes for money to cover sports betting losses. Apparently, it’s become such a big problem that the NCAA is teaming up with Venmo to combat the harassment players face from users of the popular payment app.
🎵 Spotify is sliding into the DMs. The music streaming powerhouse says it wants to become more social with the launch of a new direct messaging feature expected later this week.
🌿 Something smells at the U.S. Open. Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud sparked a debate this week about the whiff of weed that has been looming over this year’s tennis tournament.
👋 AND FINALLY…
Because you made it this far, get inspired by this pup, who’s trying to perfect his swimming form before hitting the water over the upcoming long weekend.
