Abbott threatens to try to expel Democrats who fled Texas, escalating tensions  —  The Texas state House is set to reconvene at 3 p.m. CT Monday.  Democrats have left the state to try to stop Republicans from moving ahead with enacting a new congressional map that would give the GOP five more safe seats.

The looming Trumpcession  —  🗣️ Paid subscribers keep Public Notice free.  If you appreciate our fiercely independent coverage of American politics, please sign up and support us.  👇  —  The July jobs numbers, released last Friday, could not have been much bleaker.

Tesla board awards $30bn of shares to Elon Musk  —  Billionaire chief executive threatened to leave electric-vehicle maker if he was not given more stock  —  Tesla's board has approved the award of 96mn shares worth about $30bn to Elon Musk as part of a new pay deal after the billionaire …

Firebrand GOP Rep. Nancy Mace launches bid for South Carolina governor  —  The congresswoman joins a crowded field to succeed GOP Gov. Henry McMaster, who cannot run again due to term limits.  —  Rep. Nancy Mace, who has at times broken with her own GOP leaders and often courted controversy …

The 3 biggest problems with the new and unwarranted investigation into Jack Smith  —  For years, Team Trump treated the Hatch Act like a joke.  To target former special counsel Jack Smith, it's apparently changed its mind.  —  It's a serious enough problem when Donald Trump publicly endorses investigations …

Harvard President Garber Tells Faculty He Is Not Considering a $500 Million Deal With Trump  —  Harvard President Alan M. Garber '76 has told faculty that a deal with the Trump administration is not imminent and denied that the University is considering a $500 million settlement …

All major Las Vegas Strip casinos are now unionized in historic labor victory  —  When Susana Pacheco accepted a housekeeping job at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip 16 years ago, she believed it was a step toward stability for her and her 2-year-old daughter.

China Is Choking Supply of Critical Minerals to Western Defense Companies  —  Beijing's tightened controls are a sign of the leverage it has over the U.S. military supply chain  —  China is limiting the flow of critical minerals to Western defense manufacturers, delaying production …

New Firm Seeks to Confront Trump on Executive Power  —  The Washington Litigation Group is the latest nonprofit group to join the legal challenges against the president, with a strategy of focusing on appeals early in the case.  —  Cathy A. Harris learned she was fired for a third time during her daughter's high school graduation.

Community Colleges Have Been Hit by Trump's War on Elite Universities  —  Measures intended to punish elite universities are inflicting collateral damage on the nation's two-year colleges, which educate 40 percent of all undergraduates.  —  A welding class at Delta College, a community college near Saginaw, Mich.

From Triumph in Iran to Starvation in Gaza: Netanyahu Squanders His Moment to Halt the War  —  Six weeks after Benjamin Netanyahu scored a victory over Iran, the Israeli leader is now pushing for an “all or nothing” deal with Hamas.  But he has not made the compromises needed to make it happen.

Kremlin Calls for Restraint After Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines  —  The Kremlin on Monday urged caution following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines in response to online comments by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

Speaker Johnson visits Israeli settlement in occupied West Bank  —  House Speaker Mike Johnson visited a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Monday as part of a private visit to Israel organized by a pro-Israel advocacy group, according to two Israeli officials.

Trump is Getting Desperate  —  We're in an extremely dangerous moment  —  Last week's big non-Epstein news was Friday's very bad jobs report and Donald Trump's immediate reaction — which was not to rethink his policies but to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

EU-US trade pact causes peak confusion in Brussels  —  Deal risks flouting World Trade Organization rules  —  Welcome to Trade Secrets, summer edition.  Filling the inimitable Alan Beattie's shoes is a tall ask, but I will do my best to bring you some perspectives from Brussels on the EU-US trade deal signed by leaders last month.

Schumer, Jeffries push for ‘Big 4’ talks on spending … The outlook for a government-funding deal is pretty poor right now.  A shutdown or CR - or both - is a real possibility heading into the Sept. 30 deadline.  Or potentially a hybrid situation where Congress passes some spending bills …