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Trump’s Jaw-Dropping Ignorance Exposed During Putin Meet: Author The president’s comments left his lieutenants “basically helpless,” Trump’s biographer says. Donald Trump displayed a stunning ignorance of the Cold War during last week’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to his biographer. Author Michael Wolff told the Daily Beast podcast Inside Trump’s Head on Tuesday that, in the president’s telling of the decades-long 20th century engagement, “it would appear that the U.S. and USSR are on the same side.” Wolff, who said his sources are “twice removed” from the principals, said Trump began the meeting with “a combination of flattery” and “a combination of things that he’s just pulled out of somewhere...observations, it’s both inconsequential and incoherent.” When either Special Envoy Steve Witkoff or Secretary of State Marco Rubio interrupted him to lay out an agenda, Wolff said, Trump just talked over them. “Again, we’re nowhere in this meeting. We’re probably now, you know, 20 minutes in. Nothing is clear about what anyone is doing there except that Putin is totally impassive,” he said. When Putin did speak, Wolff said, he gave a “history lesson” about ”why [Russia] should conquer Ukraine." “Trump, not to be outdone, as this is relayed to me, goes into his own history lesson, and this is a history of the Cold War,” he said. “And as this is described to me, in Trump’s history of the Cold War, it would appear that the U.S. and USSR are on the same side.” In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung called into question Wolff’s credibility. “Michael Wolff is a lying sack of s--t and has been proven to be a fraud,” Cheung said. “He routinely fabricates stories originating from his sick and warped imagination, only possible because he has a severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his peanut-sized brain.” Trump, who has been attacking “woke” history museums for not talking about “the future,” then seemed to go along with Putin’s statement resisting a ceasefire, Wolff said. “And Trump seems to accept this and seems to agree with this,” according to the author. “Yes, let’s just move on to the peace.” Witkoff and Rubio, meanwhile, are “basically helpless.” “They sit there occasionally trying to interject, but you can’t really interject because Trump just talks all the time,” he continued. “And this is then to... Putin’s advantage, because rather than any discussion of the details of what might happen here, what territory—what are you going to give for that, what are the trade offs—I mean, that level of detail Trump is not interested in, probably not capable of following the logical sequences that would be necessary there.” What’s important to Trump, Wolff said, “is to keep talking” and “to have people listen to him.” Trump regarded Friday’s meeting as a “great and very successful day in Alaska!” in a Truth Social post the following morning. “The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO,” he wrote. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.” Trump then met with Zelensky and fellow European leaders on Monday to continue talks, which the president applauded as a “very good meeting.” Putin and Zelensky are set to meet next, before a trilateral summit with Trump. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-jaw-dropping-ignorance-exposed-during-putin-meet-author/?

9 Things You Can Do to Avoid Fibromyalgia Pain and Fatigue Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on June 19, 2025 https://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/ss/slideshow-pain-fatigue?

Signs of Dementia What Is Dementia? Dementia is a term for a group of symptoms that affect your ability to think and remember things. It can also cause changes in the way you act and your mood. These symptoms are often bad enough to impact your daily life. https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/signs-dementia?

Trump's Fed up Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images and Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images. President Trump's new attacks against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook are part of a sophisticated, multifront war to install loyalists atop the country's central bank, Axios' Neil Irwin writes. 🏡 Catch up fast: The country's top housing finance regulator posted a criminal referral this morning, accusing Cook of mortgage fraud. She allegedly has mortgages on two separate homes, each of which she claims is her primary residence. There's no accusation or evidence that Cook has defaulted on either loan. 🤳 "Cook must resign, now!!!" Trump posted this morning on Truth Social. The president is considering firing Cook for cause, the WSJ reports. The Cook headlines follow claims that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell lied to Congress and/or violated the law through changes and cost overruns on the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation project. 📉 Meanwhile, Trump is seeking a lightning-fast Senate confirmation for White House economist Stephen Miran as a Fed governor — in time for him to push for Trump's desired interest rate cuts at an upcoming meeting. The big picture: Trump and his allies are aiming to fire Fed governors for cause so they can install picks who will deliver looser monetary policy — and act with less independence. 😖 In the meantime, they're making life as unpleasant as possible for Powell, Cook and other Biden appointees. The Trump administration is increasingly lobbing mortgage fraud allegations to target perceived enemies, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. What's next: If Cook is ousted, Trump's appointees would move even closer to operational control of the Fed's powerful Board of Governors. 🗓️ Cook's term doesn't expire until 2038, so her successful early removal would advance that goal far ahead of what the calendar would normally allow. Go deeper.

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists for the first time have spotted the insides of a dying star as it exploded, offering a rare peek into stellar evolution. https://apnews.com/article/supernova-explosion-dying-star-9924d1cbfb8d8e5d9548defe38d7105a?

Texas can’t put the Ten Commandments in certain school districts’ classrooms, judge says Texas cannot require public schools in Houston, Austin and other select districts to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, a judge said Wednesday in a temporary ruling against the state’s new requirement. https://apnews.com/article/ten-commandments-bill-texas-school-classrooms-e272529440c0500e9102c590e68420a6?

Admittedly the Catholic typology on the Last Supper is different than most protestant understandings other than Lutheran. This video explains some interesting points about the 4th cup of the Seder meal that Jews of Jesus' time would have observed. It also explains a perspective many protestant Christians have never heard of. To understand it properly one would need to be aware of Jewish Liturgy - overlaying what Jesus did between the Last Supper and death on the cross is nothing short of jaw dropping. It's worth the listen.

Poland calls a drone crash in the country’s east a Russian provocation amid peace talks WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s defense minister said that a flying object that crashed and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland early Wednesday was identified as a Russian drone, calling it a provocation by Russia. https://apnews.com/article/poland-crash-explosion-unidentified-flying-object-84f14e0b36271ad64cc4929751602f2b?

Live updates: Texas GOP poised to vote on new gerrymandered district map The first domino in a growing national redistricting battle is likely to fall Wednesday as the Republican-controlled Texas legislature is expected to pass a new congressional map creating five new winnable seats for the GOP. Read more. Texas’ Republican-controlled House approves new maps to create more winnable GOP congressional seats August 20, 2025 The approval by the Texas House of Representatives came at the urging of President Donald Trump, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps to give his party a better chance at holding onto the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s election. The maps need to be approved by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott before they become official. Read more

Paris residents fight overtourism and the ‘Disneyfication’ of their beloved Montmartre neighborhood The cobbled streets of Paris' once-bohemian Montmartre district are becoming the latest flashpoint in European cities' pushback against overtourism. Residents say locally focused shops are disappearing in favor of stalls selling trinkets and hordes of people shooting selfies. Urban planners warn that historic neighborhoods risk becoming what some critics call “zombie cities” — picturesque but lifeless. Read more.

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. ‌ In today's edition: MLB scoop, biggest winning bets in U.S. history, Olson passes Rose, Auburn adds four titles, John Wall calls it quits, and more. ‌ Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ‌ Let's sports… 🚨 ICYMI headlineS ⚾️ Yankees bash nine homers (again): The Yankees hit nine home runs in their 13-3 rout of the Rays, matching a franchise record set earlier this year. There have been only four times in MLB history that a team has hit at least nine HR in a game; the 2025 Yankees have half of them. ‌ 🏀 Liberty avoid the sweep: The Liberty beat the Lynx, 85-75, to avoid the four-game season sweep in their finals rematch after dropping the first three games to Minnesota. ‌ 🏈 Jones named QB1: The Colts named newcomer Daniel Jones as their starting QB over Anthony Richardson, who's struggled with health and consistency since Indy drafted him fourth overall in 2023. ‌ 🏀 Guilty as charged: Former Heat security guard Marcos Thomas Perez pleaded guilty to stealing and selling nearly $2 million worth of memorabilia when he worked for the team from 2016-21. He faces up to 10 years in prison. ‌ ⚽️ Record transfer: The Orlando Pride are finalizing a deal to sign Mexican forward Lizbeth Ovalle from Tigres UANL for a $1.5 million transfer fee — the largest in women's soccer history. 📺 MUSICAL CHAIRS SCOOP: MLB MEDIA DEALS Could Apple be getting out of the MLB business? Could NBC soon have "Sunday Night Baseball" to add to "Sunday Night Football" and "Sunday Night Basketball"? That's what I'm hearing, according to trusted sources. ‌ Plus: MLB.TV appears to be headed to ESPN, which would give Disney an intriguing new asset (all out-of-market games) to potentially add to its DTC offering that launches tomorrow. Sources say Netflix will be the new home of the Home Run Derby, which would help the event reach a more global audience. Bloomberg first reported Netflix's potential involvement last week. Bottom line: Nothing has been finalized, so things could still change. Apple's deal runs through 2028 and they may not be going anywhere; the Friday night package is the part I've gotten the least clarity on. But sources say the MLB.TV and Netflix deals are all but certain and could be announced in the coming days. 💵 SPORTS GAMBLING TOP 3 BIGGEST WINNING BETS IN U.S. HISTORY (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) The U.S. now has legal sports betting in 40 states (with Missouri set to come online later this year) thanks to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018. The increase in available outlets for big bettors and the prevalence of social media has led to an increase in large wagers reported by different sportsbooks. Previously, those wagers could (legally) be made only in Nevada, and speaking with many veteran Vegas bookmakers for this story, there certainly were plenty of seven-figure wagers made before legalization. However, there's little doubt that we hear more about them in the present era of sports betting. And there have been plenty of seven-figure parlay wins off of smaller wagers, as well. For this article, though, we're focusing on the largest reported winning wagers in U.S. sports betting history — all of which have happened since 2018. And wouldn't you know it, the largest of all comes from just a few months ago. 1. $8 million on Thunder (-700) to win 2024-25 NBA championship ‌ Date: June 5, 2025 Sportsbook: BetMGM State placed: Ohio Bet won: $1.14 million How it happened: Placed a few hours before tipoff of Game 1, a bettor in Ohio had serious conviction on the Thunder — and with good reason, as Oklahoma City was one of the largest NBA Finals favorites since 1968. This bettor had a much bigger sweat than anticipated, as Indiana pushed the series to the limit before the Thunder prevailed, 103-91, in Game 7. ‌ 2. $3.46M on Buccaneers +3.5 (-127) in Super Bowl LV ‌ Date: Feb. 3, 2021 Sportsbook: DraftKings State placed: Colorado Bet won: $2.72 million How it happened: Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale — the Houston furniture salesman known for placing large sports bets as hedges for promotions — flew into Colorado Springs, logged onto the DraftKings mobile app and wagered a cool $3.46 million on Tom Brady's Buccaneers to beat Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. McIngvale paid a little extra juice to move the line from Bucs +3 to +3.5, which didn't end up mattering. Final score: Bucs 31, Chiefs 9. ‌ 3. $3.1M on Eagles ML (-700) to beat Panthers in Week 14 ‌ Date: Dec. 5, 2024 Sportsbook: Circa Sports State placed: Kentucky Bet won: $442,857 How it happened: One bettor plopped down $3.1 million on Jalen Hurts' Eagles (10-2 record at the time) on a Thursday to simply defeat Bryce Young's Panthers (3-9 record at the time) on that Sunday. It's thought to be one of the biggest wagers ever on a regular-season NFL game. The Eagles closed as 13.5-point favorites, but were winning only 14-10 at halftime and actually were losing 16-14 heading into the fourth quarter. They ended up winning, 22-16. ‌ New on Yahoo Sports: We just launched to a new content hub dedicated to sports betting news and analysis. ⚾️ IRON MAN OLSON PASSES ROSE (Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) Braves 1B Matt Olson played in his 746th consecutive game on Tuesday, passing Pete Rose for the 12th-longest streak in MLB history. ‌ Cal Ripken Jr: 2,632 games (1982-98) Lou Gehrig: 2,130 games (1925-39) Everett Scott: 1,307 games (1916-25) Steve Garvey: 1,207 games (1975-83) Miguel Tejada: 1,152 games (2000-07) Billy Williams: 1,117 games (1963-70) Joe Sewell: 1,103 games (1922-30) Stan Musial: 895 games (1952-57) Eddie Yost: 829 games (1949-55) Gus Suhr: 822 games (1931-37) Nellie Fox: 798 games (1955-60) Olson: 746 games (2021-present) Catch him if you can… Just how crazy was Ripken's streak? Olson, whose own streak began in May 2021, would need to play every game from now until the middle of the 2037 season (when he'll be 43) to catch the Orioles legend. 🏈 WAR EAGLE AUBURN CLAIMS FOUR NEW TITLES The 2004 Auburn Tigers walk onto the field before the SEC title game. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images) Auburn will now recognize itself as a nine-time football national champion, adding four new titles (1910, 1914, 1958, 2004) to the five the Tigers already claimed (1913, 1957, 1983, 1993, 2010). ‌ From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: Auburn can justify the new rings on two fronts: first, because pre-21st-century college football was a chaotic nest of competing rankings and ad hoc justifications, and second, because Alabama already went there. Back in the 1980s, an Alabama sports information director went diving in the record books and in one swoop, awarded Alabama five pre-Bear Bryant-era titles. Now, granted, there's the question of an incredibly slippery slope here. If Auburn is going to claim a national title for 2004, why can't Utah — which also went undefeated at 12-0 that year — also claim one? Why couldn't 2017 Central Florida or 2023 Florida State, which, like 2004 Auburn, were both left out of the postseason dance despite going undefeated? Yes, Auburn's ring-grab could well set off a new wave of schools retroactively seeking to claim national titles won by their great-grandfathers. We could see new banners hanging in stadiums all across the country as enterprising researchers whip up dissertation-length justifications for why their school deserves titles from the days before cars or TV. But so what? We now have in place a means of determining, once and for all, a season's indisputable national champion. And as college football sins go, a bit of reapportioned valor ranks pretty low on the list. We've got to hold onto something to argue about, after all. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20 Errani and Vavassori celebrate during their first-round win on Tuesday. (Elsa/Getty Images) 🎾 US Open, Mixed Doubles | 7pm ET, ESPN2 ‌ Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori — the only traditional mixed doubles team in the field — made it back to the semifinals, where they'll face Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison. The other semifinal pits Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper against Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud, with the final rounding out the evening. ‌ ⚾️ LLWS | 1pm, ESPN ‌ The winner of Venezuela and Taiwan (1pm) advances to the international championship, while the loser faces the winner of Aruba vs. Japan (5pm) tomorrow for the other spot. Likewise, the winner of Nevada vs. Connecticut (3pm) advances to the U.S. championship, while the loser faces the winner of South Dakota vs. South Carolina (7pm) tomorrow for the other spot. ‌ More to watch: ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Inter Miami vs. Tigres UANL (8pm, FS1); Toluca vs. Orlando City (9pm, Apple); Seattle Sounders vs. Puebla (11pm, FS1); LA Galaxy vs. Pachuca (11:45pm, Apple) … Quarterfinals. 🎾 U.S. Open: Qualifying (11am, ESPN2) … Former Top 25 stars Zhang Shuai, Daniel Evans, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Christian Garin are among the seeds in the play-in tournament. 🏀 WILDCATS NBA TRIVIA (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) John Wall announced his retirement on Tuesday after 11 NBA seasons. Question: In 2010, Wall became the first of three players drafted No. 1 overall out of Kentucky. Can you name the other two? ‌ Hint: Bigs. ‌ Answer at the bottom. 🍿 JERRY'S WORLD NOW STREAMING: "AMERICA'S TEAM" (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Photo) "America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys" premiered Tuesday on Netflix, and the eight-part docuseries is already being compared to "The Last Dance." ‌ From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: "America's Team" is, in so many ways, the embodiment of Jerry Jones' outsize ego and persona. It begins with the vibe of a Taylor Sheridan series like "Yellowstone" or "Landman" — sweeping billionaire's-eye views from the window of a helicopter. Jones craftily recounts his early days as an Arkansas oilman: "I was really good at drilling oil wells, and I was really good at borrowing money." Something to consider: Would you want Jones to own your football team? Trivia answer: Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities in Oregon are trying to extinguish a fire that is burning in one of the world’s tallest trees near the state’s southern coast. https://apnews.com/article/historic-tall-tree-oregon-fire-02164e2aae89e6f065c3c23b4ed4e395?

Walmart recalls frozen shrimp over potential radioactive contamination Walmart has recalled frozen, raw shrimp sold in 13 states because federal health officials say it could have potential radioactive contamination. https://apnews.com/article/walmart-frozen-shrimp-radioactive-cesium137-e001de4193ad435bfa8f3c126b8cb3b2?

Israel to mobilize 60,000 reservists ahead of an expanded Gaza City operation JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military said Wednesday it will call up 60,000 reservists ahead of an expanded military operation in Gaza City. Many residents have chosen to stay despite the danger, fearing nowhere is safe in a territory facing shortages of food, water and other necessities. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-08-20-2025-f6d9abdbfd503e0d2bc06a10a9b3aad5?

Kim’s sister says North Korea will never see the South as a diplomatic partner North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister yet again taunted South Korean efforts to improve ties, state media reported Wednesday, saying her country will never accept Seoul as a diplomatic partner. Read more. Why this matters: Kim Yo Jong’s remarks fit a longstanding pattern of aggressive language during ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills, which the North has repeatedly denounced as invasion rehearsals, but the comments also reflect a change in Pyongyang’s approach to its rival. Her brother has shifted his focus to Moscow and last year declared North Korea was abandoning long-standing goals of a peaceful unification with South Korea. He ordered the constitution rewritten to declare the South a permanent enemy. Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s new liberal president, has pushed to revive dialogue between the Koreas since taking office in June. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ California man who admitted shipping weapons to North Korea is sentenced to 8 years in prison South Korean and US militaries begin annual drills to cope with North Korean threats US seeks shipbuilding expertise from South Korea and Japan to counter China

Interesting: https://enewspaper.denverpost.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=9677f2e9-e321-44df-b91a-f243f31657c3&share=true

August 20, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Clearances: President Trump revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, many of whom analyzed foreign threats to U.S. elections. Smithsonian: Trump accused the Smithsonian Institution of focusing too much on “how bad slavery was.” His administration is reviewing the institution’s museum exhibits. Texas: Republicans in the State House are preparing to approve an aggressively redrawn congressional map today, overcoming Democratic protests. More news is below. But first, a look at how Trump is trying to change the way we vote. Kristian Thacker for The New York Times Register this By Nick Corasaniti I’ve covered the way we vote for seven years. President Trump may have won the presidency twice, but he still thinks the electoral system is rigged. In his view, the safest way to run a democracy is to vote at your local precinct, and only on Election Day. He believes without evidence that two popular methods are rife with fraud: mailed ballots and voting machines. This week, he said he would aim to eliminate them. He’s planning an executive order. This effort is years old — and based largely on conspiracy theories that emerged during the pandemic. (I covered them, alongside voting tech, extensively at the time.) But a change to how we vote could have a huge impact on elections, discarding decades of settled election law. Today’s newsletter gives you the basics. Can he do this? Probably not. The Constitution gives authority over elections to the states. They set the “times, places and manner” of elections; they decide the rules; they oversee voting and try to prevent fraud. Congress can also pass election laws or override state legislation, as it did with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped enfranchise minority groups. But the president’s authority is limited. Last month, a federal judge blocked his executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship to vote. “The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections,” the judge wrote. How many people vote by mail? You could vote absentee for decades, but many more people began casting their ballots this way during the 2020 election. It was a way to pick your leaders while avoiding Covid. It remains popular, presumably for convenience: You don’t have to call out of work or brave bad weather to exercise your civic right. In the 2024 election, nearly 40 million people voted by mail, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida. How many use voting machines? Nearly every voter in the country. Some states use a wholly digital interface, like a large iPad. These tabulate the results and create a paper receipt for backup. Other states use machines to scan paper ballots, including those sent by mail. Some states use machines to sort incoming mail ballots. In Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Hannah Beier for The New York Times Are they safe? Or prone to fraud? Voter fraud in the United States is extremely rare across all forms of voting. Countless studies on the topic have found cases of voter fraud to be well below a fraction of a percent. Across six swing states in 2020, there were about 475 potential cases of fraud out of 25.5 million votes cast, according to a study by The Associated Press. Mail: There have been isolated instances of fraud in mail voting, including recently in a mayoral election in Connecticut and two elections in New Jersey. But neither instance involved large numbers of ballots. They were contained to small geographic areas. Trump says bogus mail ballots flood elections. There is no evidence for this. Machines: Despite claims by Trump and his allies that machines have been hacked, or results altered, there has never been any evidence. Does mail-in voting give either party an advantage? It used to be dominated by Republicans, who saw it as an efficient way to turn out rural voters. But since the pandemic, Democrats have embraced the method more widely. In part that’s because Trump disparaged voting by mail ahead of the 2020 election. In that race, 58 percent of Democrats voted by mail, compared with 29 percent of Republicans, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the 2024 race, Trump changed his tune. He encouraged his supporters to vote by mail, and they listened: Republicans made large gains, though they still trailed Democrats in many states. If Trump can’t mandate a change, will Republican-led states do it themselves? Mail: They’ve been adding new restrictions to voting by mail ever since the 2020 election. Several eliminated the ability to submit mail ballots in drop boxes, while others have added identification requirements and shortened the window when you can send ballots in. Still, plenty of Republican-led states (Florida, Ohio, Utah and others) use mail voting, and it remains popular with older and rural voters. Machines: No state has looked to outlaw voting machines, but some Republican-led counties attempted hand counts of paper ballots in recent elections. It didn’t go well. Some efforts were abandoned when they took too long — or officials used machines to double-check their work. More on elections The Democrats are hemorrhaging voter registrations. In all 30 states that track registration by party, they lost ground to Republicans between 2020 and 2024 — often by a lot. A Texas lawmaker slept in the State Capitol to avoid the police surveillance that Republicans imposed after the Democratic walkout over redistricting. California Republicans filed a lawsuit to block Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine Trump suggested that Vladimir Putin would be fine with European troops in Ukraine as part of a security guarantee. Russian officials have repeatedly rejected that idea. Trump also said that Putin had agreed to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia’s foreign minister downplayed the prospect. (Analysts say Putin would probably only meet to accept a capitulation.) After the recent meetings, diplomats are scrambling to prepare detailed proposals. Work like that usually happens before a summit, Zolan Kanno-Youngs writes. Where the border goes is central to a peace deal. Here’s a look at Russia’s advances into Ukrainian territory since it invaded Crimea in 2014. Maggie Haberman, who has covered Trump for years, explains how the president has struggled to convince Putin to go along with his plans. Click the video below to watch. D.C. Takeover The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington is investigating whether city police officials falsified crime data, widening the feud between federal and local authorities. More National Guard troops are in the city — mostly in tourist areas. The U.S. attorney there, Jeanine Pirro, has instructed prosecutors to maximize charges against anyone arrested in the administration’s crackdown. Education Trump has used negotiations with elite universities to extract money and power for his administration. Critics call it extortion. The administration’s policies mean many international students won’t make it to campus this fall: Some can’t get visa appointments; others are simply scared. Ask The Morning: Do you have questions about the start of the new school year? Send them here. We’ll answer some in a future newsletter. International The New York Times It’s hard to know how much damage U.S. bombs inflicted at Fordo, the Iranian nuclear facility buried in a mountain. The Times examined some clues. People in Pakistan used to look forward to monsoon rains as a source of renewal. This year, floods devastated large parts of the country, killing more than 700 people. Other Big Stories Eric Adams, New York’s mayor, demanded that the federal government stop arresting people at the city’s immigration courts, a rare break with Trump on immigration. Inflation is up and job creation is down, but the U.S. economy could still pull through without too much pain. New York City beaches will close to swimmers today and tomorrow as Hurricane Erin brings deadly currents. REORIENTATION The New York Times The Mercator map of the globe is what many of us were taught in school. It was created by a 16th-century German cartographer to help European explorers to navigate the seas. But the map distorts reality. It makes Europe and Africa appear to be roughly the same size; in fact, Africa is three times as big. Now African leaders are pushing to replace the Mercator map with a more accurately proportioned alternative, called Equal Earth: The New York Times “It is more than geography, it’s really about dignity and pride,” an African civic society leader told The Times. “Maps shape how we see the world, and also how power is perceived. So by correcting the map, we also correct the global narrative about Africa.” THE MORNING QUIZ This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.) Ronnie Rondell, a stuntman, died last week at 88. He appeared in a burning suit on an album cover for which band? Kiss Queen Pink Floyd Earth, Wind and Fire OPINIONS The warming planet is dividing American workers into two classes: the cooled who work inside and the cooked who work outside, Jeff Goodell writes. Here are columns by Thomas Friedman on Trump’s diplomatic style and M. Gessen on the real meaning of the Ukraine talks. A new listening experience, now in The Times app. Make sense of the news. Gain new perspective. All in the Listen tab. Download app MORNING READS In Carlingford, Ireland. Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times Leprechaun whisperer: Kevin Woods, who lives in rural Ireland, says he talks to magical creatures. Your pick: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about the end of the Air Canada strike. Here’s what travelers need to know. Trending: The actress Aubrey Plaza spoke about her husband’s suicide for the first time publicly on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Variety reports. Pot proselytizer: Richard Lee, who has died at 62, turned to marijuana to control his pain after a paralyzing accident — and found his life’s mission in promoting its medical use and legalization. He helped kick-start the movement that has changed cannabis laws in 40 states. SPORTS Boxing: The boxer Julio César Chávez Jr., whose father was a world champion in multiple weight divisions, is being held in Mexico after the Department of Homeland Security deported him from the U.S. Chávez Jr. was wanted in Mexico on a variety of charges, the department said. M.L.B.: Aaron Judge is unlikely to throw normally again in 2025, the Yankees’ manager said. Judge is recovering from a flexor strain in his right arm. INTERNET SPEAK Advertisers are increasingly turning to generative A.I., creating visuals and voice-overs for commercials for a fraction of what they once cost. Some companies are embracing the change: In Britain, a TV network has helped create A.I.-generated spots for small businesses that had never made commercials before. But there are risks: Marketers warn that some customers bristle at the sight of A.I. imagery and question the ethics of replacing human writers and artists with machines. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou. Bake mustardy sheet-pan salmon with greens. Travel with a great duffel bag. Make soda at home. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were mezzotint, monetize and timezone. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch

Covid-19 With Covid-19 levels on the rise in the US, and transmission increasing in at least 45 states, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its updated recommendations for vaccines on Tuesday, including Covid-19 shots. The AAP's guidance is a break from the current CDC recommendations and defies HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced in May that the CDC would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women. The AAP, on the other hand, recommends that all children, ages 6 months through 23 months, should receive a Covid-19 vaccine unless they have allergies to the vaccine or its ingredients. It also recommends a single dose of the vaccine for children ages 2 through 18 years if they are at high risk of Covid-19, residents of long-term care facilities, have never been vaccinated against Covid-19 or live in a household with people who are high risk for Covid-19.

Smithsonian President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric about the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday, alleging that its museums were too focused on the negative aspects of US history, including “how bad slavery was.” The comments, which he posted on his social media site, came a week after the White House ordered a review of the Smithsonian’s museums and exhibits “to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” If the Smithsonian refuses to purge materials that conflict with Trump’s political directives, it could suffer a fate similar to the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities. Both organizations lost tens of millions of dollars in federal funding earlier this year, which has affected small museums, libraries, arts programs and research projects across the country. Trump calls on Federal Reserve official to resign after ally accuses her of mortgage fraud President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to gain control over the central bank. The Federal Reserve declined to comment on the accusation. Read more. Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts August 20, 2025 The ruling in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request. Read more

Israel approves settlement project that could divide the West Bank TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-e1-settlements-8a713939ee6f6552381246dacc8a1301?

📊 Scoop: Newsom sees big backing for new districts Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid to redraw California's congressional seats to create more Democrat-friendly districts has a 22-point advantage in support among the state's voters, Newsom's longtime pollster writes in an internal memo obtained by Axios' Alex Thompson. Why it matters: Democrats likely would gain several California seats in the 2026 midterms — and boost their odds of winning back control of the House — if voters in the liberal state pass the measure, which is a response to Republican efforts to gain seats by redistricting in Texas. 🧮 By the numbers: David Binder, a prominent Democratic pollster who has long worked for Newsom, found that 57% of California voters backed the redistricting measure, while 35% opposed and 8% were undecided. Voters' support appears to have increased as they've learned more about the measure, Binder said: A July survey had found that 51% favored Newsom's redistricting push.

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Summit hits Kremlin hurdle Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios The White House insists Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will soon meet for peace talks. The Kremlin seems far less certain, Axios' Dave Lawler and Josephine Walker write. Why it matters: Putin has shown no interest in sitting down with Zelensky through 3½ years of war. President Trump claims that's now changed, and that a presidential meeting is the key to unlocking peace. 🔬 Zoom in: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared yesterday that Putin had agreed to move to the "next phase" of the peace process — a bilateral meeting with Zelensky. Trump wants that meeting to take place by the end of August, ideally much sooner. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sang a very different tune yesterday. Any presidential summit should be preceded by a "step-by-step" process of lower-level talks, he told state media. Go deeper: Two big sticking points.

💰 Companies start to buckle under tariffs Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The corporate price dam is cracking — companies are raising them, or signaling that increases are coming, to absorb some of the costs of the Trump administration's tariffs, Axios' Emily Peck and Joann Muller write. Why it matters: Americans are already under strain from rapidly rising prices during the Biden administration. Another bout of hot inflation — at a time when the labor market is slowing down — will hurt. 🖼️ The big picture: President Trump's announcement of steep tariffs in April triggered widespread worries of higher prices. But the process took time. There were delays and back-and-forth between the White House and other countries over rates. Companies, fearful that high prices could spook their customers, held the line in the meantime. They stockpiled goods before tariffs kicked in. Now reality is biting. At the beginning of the month, the U.S. started levying tariffs of about 15% on dozens of countries. That was on top of tariffs of 30% on goods from China. Zoom in: Home Depot had been able to maintain prices on imported products because they'd stockpiled before tariffs took effect. But now, the company expects "modest price movement in some categories" (corporate speak for price increases), an executive said on a call with investors yesterday. Last month, Procter & Gamble, maker of toothpaste, laundry detergent, etc., said that it would raise prices in August on about a quarter of its products as a result of tariffs. 👀 What to watch: The auto industry could be next. New vehicle prices have been mostly flat as automakers have eaten the cost of tariffs.

🚀 Musk prepares to back Vance in '28 Elon Musk is already pumping the brakes on his vow last month to start a new political party, and may spend big to back Vice President JD Vance's expected presidential run in 2028, The Wall Street Journal reports (gift link). Why it matters: Musk's moves could help lock in other political and financial support for Vance long before he signals his plans. Vance, the RNC finance chair, is holding high-dollar party fundraisers coast to coast. "Musk has told allies that he wants to focus his attention on his companies and is reluctant to alienate powerful Republicans by starting a third party that could siphon off GOP voters," the Journal's Brian Schwartz says. "Musk has stayed in touch with Vance in recent weeks, and he has acknowledged to associates that if he goes ahead with forming a political party, he would damage his relationship with the vice president."