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6:50 AM ET, August 16, 2025

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
New York Times:
Trump Returns to Washington After Putin Talks Yield No Ukraine Deal  —  President Trump spoke with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he would visit Washington on Monday.  Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia offered vague statements about progress after they met.
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Putin.  He Got Little in Return.  —  Alaska meeting between president and Russian leader appears to yield no breakthroughs  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska—President Trump welcomed his Russian counterpart to Alaska with the former showman's signature extravagance …
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
Trump's Self-Own Summit with Putin  —  Even the puffery-prone President couldn't alchemize his non-deal with Russia into Trumpian gold.  —  Nothing says standing up to Russian aggression quite like welcoming the aggressor on a red carpet and applauding him.
The Kyiv Independent:
Trump, Putin conclude high-stakes summit on Ukraine in Alaska  —  Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.  —  U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Alaska on Aug. 15 for a high-stakes summit, part of Washington's effort to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
Jonathan Lemire / The Atlantic:
Well, What Did You Think Would Happen?  —  So what was that all for?  —  President Donald Trump emerged today from his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin without a deal and without much to say.  Trump rarely misses a chance to take advantage of a global stage.
Farrah Tomazin / The Daily Beast:
Trump Leaves Alaska With Nothing Except a Lecture From Preening Putin  —  NYET  —  Both leaders said they made progress toward ending the Ukraine war, but gave little detail.  —  President Donald Trump has ended his high-stakes Russia summit without announcing a deal to end the war in Ukraine …
Reuters:
Trump says Putin agrees with him US should not have mail-in voting  —  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agrees with him that letting voters send in ballots by mail puts honest elections at risk.  —  “Vladimir Putin, smart guy …
Jasper Ward / Reuters:
Trump says he does not believe Xi will act on Taiwan  —  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.  —  Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks …
Discussion: Bloomberg and The Japan Times
Wall Street Journal:
Trump-Putin Meeting Live: Trump-Putin Meeting Begins in Anchorage for Summit
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill:
Trump: ‘Very nice’ of Hillary Clinton to float him for Nobel Peace Prize
Washington Post:
Where National Guard troops and federal agents are patrolling D.C.  —  The Post mapped locations of law enforcement throughout D.C. in the days since Trump's announcement to deploy the Guard.  —  Across the District, hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents have arrived in the city …
Discussion: New Republic and Axios
RELATED:
Politico:
Trump admin backs down on DC police control after striking deal … U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes indicated at a hearing Friday she would grant the D.C. attorney general's request for a temporary restraining order if the Justice Department did not follow through on rewriting the order by Friday evening.
Liz Crampton / Politico:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott immediately calls second special session for redistricting … “Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans,” the Republican governor said in a statement.  “We will not back down from this fight.
RELATED:
Julia Mueller / The Hill:
Democrats release proposed new California congressional map  —  Democrats on Friday released a proposed new California congressional map as they aim to counter Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas.  —  The proposal was submitted to the state legislature by the Democratic Congressional …
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Redistricting wars spark mad dash of unlikely 2026 candidates
Discussion: NOTUS
Politico:
White House officials turn up the heat on Indiana redistricting
Discussion: NewsMax.com, Mediaite and Off the Kuff
James Hibberd / The Hollywood Reporter:
Tom Cruise Rejected Getting a Kennedy Center Honor From Trump (Report)  —  The ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star has turned down the prestigious arts award, as the president says he plans to personally host this year's ceremony.  —  Getting Tom Cruise on stage with Donald Trump is a real mission impossible.
Eric Berger / Ars Technica:
NASA's acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency … Sean Duffy, the acting administrator of NASA for a little more than a month, has vowed to make the United States great in space.  —  With a background as a US Congressman, reality TV star, and television commentator …
Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech / The Hill:
Inside the fight to stop US from destroying $10M of contraceptives  —  Lawmakers and activists in Europe and the United States are scrambling to stop the State Department from destroying nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
New York Times:
Officers Clear More Homeless People from Sites Around Washington  —  Local police now under federal oversight dismantled encampments, discarding tents and other belongings.  —  Several homeless encampments in Washington were cleared out by Friday, as President Trump's efforts to take control …
Discussion: HotAir and The Daily Caller
Kate Conger / New York Times:
Judge Blocks F.T.C. Investigation of Media Matters  —  The agency began looking into the liberal watchdog group's research critical of Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, in May.  —  A federal judge granted an injunction on Friday blocking the Federal Trade Commission's investigation …
Adam S. Minsky / Forbes:
Department Of Education Publishes New Rules Restricting Student Loan Forgiveness For PSLF  —  Adam Minsky is an attorney and writer focusing on student loans.  —  SaveComment … The Trump administration on Friday released for public inspection new regulations designed …
Discussion: Newsweek and Associated Press
Matt Friedman / Politico:
Judge plans Wednesday ruling on Alina Habba's authority as New Jersey's top prosecutor … And while Brann gave few hints as to what side he'll come down on as to whether Habba is the rightful acting U.S. attorney, he peppered government attorneys with skeptical questions about her appointment …
Dave Zirin / The Nation:
The Dangers and Absurdities of Trump's DC Occupation  —  Trump compels his followers to endorse obvious lies.  It's accelerating the country's descent into authoritarianism.  —  Pocket  —  It was 8 PM, humid, and I was by myself, across the street from where my kids went to elementary school …
Washington Post:
Kristi Noem is living rent-free in home used by Coast Guard commandant  —  A DHS spokesman said Noem must live on the military base because she had been “so horribly doxxed and targeted that she is no longer able to safely live in her own apartment.”  —  Department of Homeland Security …
Isabella O'Malley / Associated Press:
Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US  —  When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small enough to fit on his deck, he was quickly sold.  Solar systems that plug into regular wall outlets have been popular …
Discussion: Washington Examiner
Wall Street Journal:
Nobody's Buying Homes, Nobody's Switching Jobs—and America's Mobility Is Stalling  —  The paralysis has left many people in houses that are too small, in jobs they don't love or shackled with ‘golden handcuffs.’ For everyone, there are economic consequences.  —  Americans are stuck in place.
Discussion: Bloomberg
Brian Beutler / Off Message:
The Bad Math Driving Democratic Infighting  —  Two recent developments from deep inside Democratic politics strike me as important barometers for those of us interested in the future of the party.  —  First, the New York Times opinion writer Mara Gay published a revelatory story …
Kirstin Garriss / The Guardian:
'It's not illegal to be homeless': disquiet as Trump crews clear DC encampments  —  Federal officers swept encampments across DC overnight, leaving many uncertain about where they will find shelter  —  For the past eight months, David Harold Pugh has found his “spot” outside the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library in Washington DC.
 
 
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 More Items: 
Benjamin Weinthal / Fox News:
Exclusive: Whistleblower alleges misconduct by United Nations in Gaza
Tim Miller / The Bulwark:
Hakeem Jeffries: More Is More  —  While Donald Trump delivers chaos, cruelty, and corruption …
Washington Post:
Bessent ousts 3 more IRS executives, asserting greater control
Discussion: The Hill and Axios
Karoun Demirjian / New York Times:
Appeals Court Paves Way for Mass Layoffs at C.F.P.B.
Drew Friedman / Federal News Network:
After months of postponing, OPM opts to fully cancel 2025 FEVS
Emma Colton / Fox News:
DC gun permit wait slashed from months to days as Trump's crime crackdown continues
Discussion: Breitbart and RedState
Aaron Pellish / Politico:
Kennedy dismisses 2028 speculation amid attacks from Loomer
 Earlier Items: 
Ian Millhiser / Vox:
Trump's immigration raids are now before the Supreme Court
Discussion: KVIA-TV
Emily Peck / Axios:
Exclusive: VA cancels employees' unpaid maternity leave
Tom Latchem / The Daily Beast:
Trump Set to Blow Millions on ICE Barbie PR Blitz as Her Roasting Spirals
Discussion: The Independent and Raw Story
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Bloomberg:
Sources: WBD begins exclusive talks with Netflix to sell its film and TV studios and HBO Max; Netflix is offering a $5B breakup fee if the deal isn't approved

The Guardian:
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands exit Eurovision after Israel received an all-clear to compete; the BBC and Germany's SWR plan to participate

James Faris / Business Insider:
Kalshi strikes a deal with CNBC that will integrate Kalshi's prediction data into CNBC's channel, site, and app starting in 2026, days after striking a CNN deal
 
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