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9:45 PM ET, August 12, 2025

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Meridith McGraw / Wall Street Journal:
White House to Vet Smithsonian Museums to Fit Trump's Historical Vision  —  Top White House officials will scrutinize exhibitions, internal processes, collections and artist grants ahead of America's 250th anniversary  —  The White House plans to conduct a far-reaching review …
RELATED:
President Donald J. Trump / The White House:
Letter to the Smithsonian: Internal Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions and Materials  —  The Honorable Lonnie G. Bunch III  —  We wish to begin by expressing our appreciation for the brief tour you gave us recently of the National Museum of American History and the National Museum …
New York Times:
White House Announces Comprehensive Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions  —  The Trump administration is giving museums 120 days to replace “divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.”  —  The Trump administration said on Tuesday …
Discussion: Raw Story
NBC News:   White House reviewing Smithsonian exhibits to make sure they align with Trump's vision
Washington Post:
Pentagon plan would create military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest  —  Documents reviewed by The Post detail a new National Guard mission that, if adopted, would require hundreds of troops to be ready around-the-clock.  —  Just now  —  The Trump administration is evaluating plans that would establish a …
RELATED:
Matt Brown / Associated Press:
Trump's rhetoric about DC echoes a history of racist narratives about urban crime
David A. Fahrenthold / New York Times:
The rollout of Trump's D.C. crackdown included Fox News stars and charts.
Ian Millhiser / Vox:
There's a big, important limit on Trump's power to seize control of DC's police
Amanda Macias / Fox Business:
Trump's pick to lead labor stats agency could pause monthly jobs report over accuracy concerns  —  ‘Major decision-makers from Wall Street to DC rely on these numbers, and a lack of confidence in the data has far-reaching consequences’  —  E.J. Antoni, the economist tapped by President Donald Trump …
RELATED:
Halina Bennet / Slow Boring:
SB PM: A government-data skeptic with a history of economic errors  —  The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is historically a low-profile, apolitical agency known for its trusted economic reporting.  That changed two weeks ago when President Donald Trump abruptly fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer …
Discussion: Salon, Axios, Raw Story and GovExec.com
Josh Dawsey / Wall Street Journal:   Trump Advisers Consider Changes to How Government Collects Jobs Data
Tom Abrahams / ABC13:
Texas Democrats to return home for second special session, ABC13 sources confirm  —  After breaking quorum, Texas House Democrats will return to the Lone Star State for another special session, according to sources.  —  AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — ABC13 has confirmed with multiple sources that House Democrats will return to Texas.
RELATED:
ABC News:
Texas Democrats to return after governor ends special session that included redistricting, sources say
New York Times:
Russia Is Suspected to Be Behind Breach of Federal Court Filing System  —  Federal officials are scrambling to assess the damage and address flaws in a sprawling, heavily used computer system long known to have vulnerabilities.  —  Investigators have uncovered evidence that Russia is at least …
Jeremy Pelzer / Plain Dealer:
Sherrod Brown to run for U.S. Senate in 2026, challenging Jon Husted  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio—Democrat Sherrod Brown has decided to run in 2026 for U.S. Senate, attempting a return to the office that he lost last year after a savagely fought reelection campaign, according to Ohio labor leaders Brown told of his thinking.
RELATED:
Politico:
Sherrod Brown to run for Senate
Discussion: PoliticusUSA and NBC News
Jo Yurcaba / NBC News:
Minnesota teen says server forced her to prove her gender in restaurant bathroom  —  The 18-year-old high school student alleged the server would not let her exit the Buffalo Wild Wings restroom until she unzipped her hoodie and showed she had breasts.  —  A Minnesota teen filed a charge …
Discussion: Raw Story
Kayla Guo / The Texas Tribune:
Ken Paxton asks judge to jail Beto O'Rourke for fundraising Texas Dems' walkout  —  Paxton sued O'Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, last week, arguing that the group was deceptively fundraising for and illegally supporting Texas Democrats' walkout.  —  Editor's note: This story contains profanity.
RELATED:
Texas Attorney General:
Attorney General Ken Paxton Takes Action to Hold Robert Francis O'Rourke in Contempt for Violating Court Order and Scamming Texans
Farrah Tomazin / The Daily Beast:
White House May Award ‘Big Balls’ Same Medal as Rosa Parks  —  BALLS UP!  —  The move would appeal to Trump's MAGA base.  —  An ex-DOGE staffer known as “Big Balls” could end up receiving the highest civilian honor in the United States, placing him in the company of luminaries such as Rosa Parks …
Analisa Novak / CBS News:
Dana White says UFC will host first-ever White House fight on July 4: “It is definitely going to happen”  —  The Ultimate Fighting Championship will stage a historic fight at the White House on July 4, 2026, marking America's 250th birthday with what would be the first professional mixed …
David Edwards / Raw Story:
Ghislaine Maxwell cleared to leave prison on work release: report  —  Convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has reportedly been cleared to leave prison on work release.  —  Podcast host Allison Gill obtained information about Maxwell's security score, sex offender waiver …
Siena Research Institute:
Hochul Approval & Favorability Ratings Up a Little; Hochul Lead Over Stefanik In 2026 Race Falls to 14 Points, 45-31%, from 23 Points, 47-24%, in June; Voters Say if Stefanik Runs & Is Elected Gov, It Would Be Bad for NY,49-37%  — If BBB Cuts Federal $ to NY, 36% Say Reduce Services, 24% …
CNN:
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's relationship: A visual timeline  —  They flew together on a private jet, partied side by side at Mar-a-Lago, appeared at Victoria's Secret runway shows, and reportedly dined with royalty at a luxury Upper East Side townhouse.
RELATED:
Richard Luscombe / The Guardian:
‘Petri dish for disease’: attorney raises alarm of possible Covid outbreak at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’  —  A respiratory disease is running rampant through Florida immigration jail, according to attorney of a detained person  —  An outbreak of a respiratory disease, possibly Covid-19 …
Discussion: Miami New Times
Layla A. Jones / Talking Points Memo:
Courts Let Trump Strip Collective Bargaining Rights From Huge Number of Federal Workers  —  Just days after a federal appeals court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to yank dozens of agencies and government offices out of their contracts with federal labor unions …
Ewan Palmer / The Daily Beast:
Ashley Biden Reveals She is Ending 13-Year Marriage With Shady Post  —  ‘FREEDOM’  —  The former first daughter met Dr. Howard Krein in 2010 and the pair got married two years later.  —  Ashley Biden, the daughter of former president Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden …
Zach Montague / New York Times:
Appeals Court Allows DOGE Access to Sensitive Data at Several Agencies  —  The decision cited a Supreme Court order in June granting DOGE analysts sweeping access to other data stored at the Social Security Administration.  —  A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed teams affiliated …
Hansi Lo Wang / NPR:
Trump official tells census workers Congress has final say over the count, not Trump  —  Less than a week after President Trump said he has ordered a “new” census," the cabinet official who oversees the Census Bureau acknowledged Tuesday that Congress, not the president …
Discussion: The Hill
Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
The Ministry of Truth Is Real Now  —  E.J. Antoni's nomination isn't designed to reassure markets, the Fed, or the business community.  It's designed to provoke them.  And force them to submit.  —  ∙ Paid  —  I realize I promised you Russia-Ukraine today.  It'll have to wait.
Discussion: Heritage Foundation
Tess Owen / Wired:
The Trump Administration Is Using Memes to Turn Mass Deportation Into One Big Joke  —  Memes shared by the White House, DHS, and ICE have used catchy TikTok tunes to normalize mass deportation and Christian nationalist narratives.  Experts say that's the point.
Discussion: MeidasTouch News
Ben Glickman / Wall Street Journal:
Trump Calls on Goldman to Replace Economist Over Tariff Stance  —  Bank's economists had predicted tariffs could cause inflation and slow economic growth  —  President Trump on Tuesday appeared to call for Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon to replace the bank's top economist …
Rick Hasen / Election Law Blog:
Supreme Court Fast-Tracks Potential Demolition of Section 2 of Voting Rights Act by Setting Argument October 15 in Louisiana Case, Possibly in Time to Affect 2026 Midterm Elections  —  We know the Supreme Court dallied a long time in setting the Louisiana case for reargument …
Discussion: Democracy Docket
Dakota Smith / Los Angeles Times:
ICE processing center is all but empty when California Congress members arrive to inspect  — Democratic Congress members visited an ICE processing center that has been criticized for crowding, food scarcity and lack of medical attention for detainees.  — Only two people were in the center …
Dominic Pino / National Review:
Trump Wants a Bureau of MAGA Statistics  —  President Trump has nominated an unqualified economist to take over one of America's most important statistical agencies.
Discussion: Raw Story
Toluse Olorunnipa / The Atlantic:
Kari Lake's Attempt to Deport Her Own Employees  —  After rushing to shut down the government-funded media outlets she was tapped to lead, Kari Lake has launched on a mission so strange that it is perhaps unprecedented: She is trying to force her own employees out of the country.
Discussion: Raw Story and American Greatness
Jessie Blaeser / Politico:
DOGE-flation: DOGE's actual savings are a fraction of what it claims … The Trump administration's claim that it is saving billions of dollars through DOGE-related cuts to federal contracts is drastically exaggerated, according to a new POLITICO analysis of public data and federal spending records.
Discussion: South Shore Press
 
 
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 More Items: 
Hans Nichols / Axios:
Scoop: Beshear wows Democrats at Jeffries' big donor fundraiser
Beege Welborn / HotAir:
Pro-Hamas Protester Vandalizes State House, MIT and Now They Mention the IEDs on Boston Commons
Jay Bhattacharya / Washington Post:
Why the NIH is pivoting away from mRNA vaccines
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
Other Nations Move Toward Making Their Own Vaccines as US Cuts Funding
Discussion: KVIA-TV, VTDigger and New York Times
Mehdi Hasan / Zeteo:
Should Jon Stewart Run for President in 2028?
 Earlier Items: 
Nikki McCann Ramirez / Rolling Stone:
New Analysis Finds Trump Family Has Raked in $3.4 Billion Off the Presidency
Discussion: The Independent
Laura Barrón-López / MSNBC:
Trump's moves are making immigration courts dysfunctional
Discussion: The UnPopulist
NPR:
State Department slashes its annual reports on human rights
Molly Olmstead / Slate:
We Asked Pete Hegseth if Women Should Have the Right to Vote. The Answer Was ... Unsettling.
Discussion: OutsideTheBeltway and The 19th
Jacob Richards / The Revolutionist:
GJPD Cameras Accessed Five Times During Goncalves Incident
Meghann Cuniff / Legal Affairs and Trials …:
Judge rejects DOJ's post-sentencing dismissal request in police civil rights case
Discussion: MyNorthwest.com
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
Consumer prices rise 2.7% annually in July, less than expected amid tariff worries
 

 
From Techmeme:

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta is considering deep budget cuts to its metaverse efforts in 2026, potentially as high as 30% and most likely including layoffs as early as January

Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Apple says general counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson will retire, and Jennifer Newstead, Meta's former chief legal officer, will replace Adams

Will Oremus / Washington Post:
Two studies suggest AI chatbots can shift political views more effectively than TV campaign ads, especially by presenting many claims, regardless of accuracy
 
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