The Latest: Trump departs for high-stakes meeting with Putin in Alaska
Washington, D.C.'s police department now potentially in open conflict with federal forces over the terms of Trump's takeover of security in the nation's capital, with the DEA administrator now named 'emergency police chief,' a declaration that city leaders say has no basis in law. The attorney general's declaration came after a dispute over how much help police would provide in arresting immigrants.
The Latest:
Macron and Zelenskyy huddled ahead of the Alaska summit
The office of President Emmanuel Macron says the French leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke Thursday and again Friday before the Trump-Putin summit. The two have agreed to meet each other after the U.S.-Russia summit, when 'it will be most useful and effective.'
The brief readout of the exchanges didn't detail any specifics of what Macron and Zelenskyy discussed.
Several Cabinet members will accompany Trump on Air Force One
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the Trump administration officials joining the president for his flight to Alaska.
Trump will also be accompanied on Air Force One by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and top White House aides, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Monica Crowley, a former Fox News commentator serving as Trump's chief of protocol, also are making the trip.
The Washington police department seeks to assure its citizens
With the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department potentially in open conflict with the federal government over the terms of Trump's departmental takeover, the police department is looking to address public concerns.
'What's most important for our community to know is that MPD remains committed to delivering high-quality police service and ensuring the safety of everyone in our city,' a Friday morning statement from an MPD spokesperson.
The city appears poised to fight back against the federal takeover, particularly Thursday's attempt by Attorney General Pam Bondi to install DEA chief Terry Cole as 'emergency police commissioner.'
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a declaration that Bondi's order was 'unlawful' and the MPD was under no obligation to comply.
Trump: 'HIGH STAKES!!!'
Trump made his first public comments on the day as he prepares to meet with Putin.
'HIGH STAKES!!!' he posted on Truth Social as his motorcade idled outside the White House shortly after sunrise in Washington.
He left the White House for Joint Base Andrews, the home base for Air Force One, at 7:32 a.m. ET.
It's a cool and rainy day in Anchorage
An early morning rain storm hit Anchorage, Alaska, just before 3 a.m. on Friday, and the streets leading to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson were sopping wet. The temperature was hovering right about 53° F early Friday morning.
Media from all over the world have descended on Anchorage for the top-level summit.
There was not much activity outside the base's main gate early Friday morning except for media setting up for the day or sending live images back to the networks.
Eyeing Texas, California will hold vote on partisan redistricting
Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a Nov. 4 special election as the state moves toward redrawing congressional maps in an attempt to pick up five more Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
The move is in direct response to a Republican-led effort in Texas pushed by Trump, as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority after the midterm elections.
Judge rules against Trump's efforts to end DEI programs
U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland ruled that the Education Department violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that continued with diversity initiatives.
The case centers on two Education Department memos ordering schools and universities to end all 'race-based decision-making' or face penalties up to a total loss of federal funding.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for White House meeting with Trump
KYIV (AP) — European leaders will join Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his crucial meeting with President Donald Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday. The move in relation to the key White House meeting on Monday is an apparent effort to prevent a repeat of the heated encounter Zelenskyy faced when he met Trump in February.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for White House meeting with Trump
KYIV (AP) — European leaders will join Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his crucial meeting with President Donald Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday. The move in relation to the key White House meeting on Monday is an apparent effort to prevent a repeat of the heated encounter Zelenskyy faced when he met Trump in February. The European leaders' presence at Zelenskyy's side, demonstrating Europe's support for Ukraine, could potentially help ease concerns in Kyiv and in other European capitals that Zelenskyy risks being railroaded into a peace deal that Trump says he wants to broker with Russia. Von der Leyen, head of the European Union's executive branch, posted on X that 'at the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump's takeover of Washington law enforcement faces anger, pushback and protests
WASHINGTON – Members of the United States National Guard stood near the Washington Monument on Saturday amid escalating tensions in the U.S. capital as President Donald Trump ramped up the presence of law enforcement in the mostly Democratic city. Tourists walking by the uniformed troops in Washington's blistering weekend heat were confused about their presence, with a group from Kentucky asking why the troops were even there. Some families requested photos with the troops and the National Guard members obliged. The sight of army-fatigued National Guard members and face-covered police agents has increased in Washington throughout the week after Trump signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency in the nation's capital. Many residents of Washington are outraged by Trump's overreach, with scores taking to the streets on Saturday to protest the president's takeover. People held signs that read 'Hands off DC' and 'Dump Trump' while chanting 'Trump must go' as they walked toward the White House. Autumn Tustin, holding a sign that said 'No ICE! No National Guard!' said it was important to show up for the demonstration outside the White House because other people don't feel safe coming out to push against Trump's agenda to take over the capital. 'Being part of a movement feels like the best thing we can do at this point,' she told The Canadian Press. Tustin said sometimes it feels like 'frogs in a boiling pot of water,' where there are a lot of ongoing changes that have huge consequences down the road. She has seen several National Guard members in tourist areas, describing it as 'bizarre' and a 'waste of talent and money.' On Saturday, West Virginia, Ohio and South Carolina authorized hundreds of additional National Guard members to head to Washington. 'West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. Hundreds of federal law enforcement officers from agencies such as the Secret Service and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement have also fanned across the city. Social media platforms have since filled with videos and pictures of federal agents descending on neighbourhoods — apprehending delivery drivers, dismantling homeless camps and approaching people on the city's public transportation system and in local parks. One viral video showed a man hurling a sandwich at a federal law-enforcement official. Following the incident, sandwich-thrower Sean Charles Dunn was fired from his job in the U.S. Justice Department and charged with a felony. Trump's takeover has caused outrage from Washington residents but there's little city leaders are able to do to stop it. The District of Columbia is uniquely controlled by the federal government and local leaders are obliged to co-operate with Trump's order. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, in a letter to residents, said the city's 'limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now.' Trump on Monday claimed he had to take the action because crime 'is getting worse, not getting better,' even as police data shows that violence in the capital city is falling. Washington has been plagued by violent crime, particularly during drug epidemics of the 1980s and early 1990s. There was a spike in violent crime again in 2023 but it plummeted the following year and has declined again so far in 2025. Much of the National Guard presence in Washington appears symbolic, with members roasting in the summer heat near national monuments and museums. Other law enforcement agencies, however, have descended throughout the city, evoking anger and fear in many local residents. There's been a clear increase in police presence in neighbourhoods like the dense and diverse Columbia Heights, and on Friday night in entertainment districts like U Street, 14th Street and 16th Street, north of the White House. It's less clear how much, if any, policing has increased in areas in the southeast that have higher crime rates. Trump was at his Virginia golf club Saturday. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025.
