Vance to go to Indiana to debate redistricting amid Trump strain on GOP states
Good morning and welcome to our dwell protection of US politics as JD Vance prepares to go to Indiana on Thursday to debate redistricting with Republican leaders.
The vice chairman’s journey comes as Donald Trump ramps up strain on GOP states to redraw congressional boundaries and provides the social gathering extra winnable seats within the 2026 midterm elections. In Texas, Democrats who left the state in an effort to dam a brand new congressional map from being applied say they experienced a bomb threat at their Illinois hotel on Wednesday morning amid the standoff.
Vance is scheduled to carry non-public conferences with Gov. Mike Braun and others earlier than attending a GOP fundraiser on Thursday night time within the solidly Republican state. Braun had earlier instructed reporters he expects to debate a number of issues with the vice chairman — together with redistricting — however mentioned no commitments have been made.
“It appears prefer it’s going to occur throughout many Republican states,” Braun mentioned. As Related Press studies, Indiana is staunchly Republican, outnumbering Democrats in Indiana 7-2, limiting the probabilities of compacting out one other seat.
Opponents of any redistricting try are planning to make their objections identified on Thursday with protests and a information convention by the 2 Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation. The constitutionality of the transfer would additionally nearly definitely be challenged in court docket.
We’ll deliver you all of the developments all through the day. In different information:
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Donald Trump has claimed “nice progress was made” throughout talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine between his particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Vladimir Putin within the Kremlin on Wednesday. The three-hour talks got here two days earlier than a deadline the US president set for Russia to achieve a peace deal within the conflict or face recent sanctions.
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The White Home is inserting an extra 25% tariff on imports from India, bringing complete tariffs as much as 50%, in retaliation for the nation’s buy of oil from Russia, in line with an executive order signed on Wednesday morning. India has 21 days to answer the potential tariffs earlier than they go into impact. The tariffs will likely be tacked on to a 25% tariff on India Trump set final week as a “penalty” for the nation’s buying and selling relationship with Russia.
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A brand new report has discovered a whole bunch of reported circumstances of human rights abuses in US immigration detention facilities. The alleged abuses uncovered embrace deaths in custody, bodily and sexual abuse of detainees, denial of entry to attorneys, and baby separation.
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Trump on Wednesday celebrated a dedication by Apple to extend its investments in US manufacturing by an extra $100bn over the following 4 years. Apple’s plan to up its home funding comes because it seeks to keep away from Trump’s threatened tariffs, which might improve the tech large’s prices because it depends on a fancy worldwide provide chain to provide its iPhones.
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South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa held a phone name with US president Donald Trump on bilateral commerce issues, Ramaphosa’s workplace mentioned in assertion.
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Switzerland’s authorities will maintain an emergency assembly on Thursday to determine its subsequent transfer after its president returned house empty-handed from an Eleventh-hour journey to Washington geared toward averting a crippling 39% US import tariff on Swiss items. An pressing assembly of the seven-member Federal Council – Switzerland’s governing cupboard – will happen in Bern within the early afternoon, the federal government mentioned a publish on X. Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter left Washington on Wednesday with no new deal and didn’t meet with Donald Trump or any of his prime commerce officers, two sources instructed Reuters.
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The person charged with killing the highest Democrat within the Minnesota Home and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his spouse, is anticipated to plead not responsible when he’s arraigned in federal court docket on Thursday, his lawyer mentioned. Vance Boelter, 58, of Inexperienced Isle, Minnesota, was indicted 15 July on six counts of homicide, stalking and firearms violations. The homicide fees may carry the federal loss of life penalty, although prosecutors say that call is a number of months away.
Key occasions
Trump to signal govt orders on 401k selection and ‘debanking’
A White Home official tells the Guardian that the president will signal two finance-related govt orders immediately.
The primary will likely be an motion that enables 401k holders to “to entry different property” resembling non-public fairness, in line with particulars shared with the Guardian.
The second order will concentrate on Trump’s claims of banks discriminating towards conservatives. This could punish banks for the method of “debanking” – which entails limiting monetary companies primarily based on non secular or political opinions.
Extra particulars emerge about capturing at Georgia army base
We’ve gotten extra particulars in regards to the capturing on a military base in Georgia on Wednesday. A reminder that an active-duty soldier opened hearth at Fort Stewart army base yesterday, wounding 5 different troopers earlier than being taken into custody.
Officers mentioned the alleged shooter was 28-year-old Sgt Quornelius Radford, who was assigned to Fort Stewart.
Brig Gen John Lubas, commander of the third infantry division and Fort Stewart-Hunter military airfield, mentioned troopers within the space who witnessed the capturing “instantly and with out hesitation tackled the soldier, subdued him. That allowed legislation enforcement to then take him into custody.”
The bottom mentioned in a Fb post that the capturing occurred within the 2nd Armored Brigade Fight Group space. “All troopers have been handled on-site and moved to Winn Military Group Hospital for additional therapy,” the bottom mentioned.
Lubas confirmed the shooter didn’t use a army weapon. “We imagine it was a private handgun,” he mentioned.
Based on reporting from The New York Occasions, Radford despatched a textual content message to his aunt on Wednesday morning which mentioned that he “beloved everyone, and that he’ll be in a greater place as a result of he was about to go and do one thing”.
The Occasions additionally spoke with Radford’s father, who mentioned he hasn’t seen something uncommon about his son’s habits lately, and didn’t know what might need led him to assault his fellow troopers.
Donald Trump is on the White Home immediately. His day is trying quiet till midday EDT, when he’ll signal govt orders. Then at 4pm EDT he’s ship remarks within the East Room.
We’ll be watching and bringing you the most recent.
President Donald Trump on Thursday referred to as for the Intel new CEO Lip-Bu Tan to instantly resign, saying he’s “extremely conflicted” after questions arose about his ties to Chinese language corporations.
“There is no such thing as a different resolution to this downside,” he mentioned in a Fact Social publish.
It comes as Republican senator Tom Cotton despatched a letter to Intel’s board chair on Wednesday with questions on Tan’s ties to Chinese language corporations and a current prison case involving his former firm Cadence Design.
Writing to “categorical concern in regards to the safety and integrity of Intel’s operations and its potential impression on US nationwide safety”, Cotton requested within the letter to Intel chairperson Frank Yeary whether or not the corporate’s board was conscious of the subpoenas despatched to Cadence throughout Tan’s time there as CEO earlier than Intel employed him.
Cotton requested what measures have been taken to deal with these considerations.
Sam Levin
US border patrol brokers carried out a raid outdoors a Dwelling Depot in Los Angeles on Wednesday, with officers leaping out of an unmarked rental truck and chasing and arresting greater than a dozen individuals.
Movies of the operation, and federal officers’ statements boasting in regards to the detentions, have raised questions on whether or not the US authorities was complying with a federal court docket order halting indiscriminate raids within the area resulting from proof of racial profiling. That ruling, upheld final week by an appeals court docket, adopted reports of Latino US residents getting swept up in LA raids and accounts of undocumented individuals being targeted primarily based on their look and whether or not they spoke Spanish.
Clips of the early morning raid by Dwelling Depot within the Westlake neighborhood, close to MacArthur Park, showed masked, closely armed officers leaping out of a yellow truck from Penske, a non-public rental firm, and other people fleeing. Day laborers usually collect outdoors Dwelling Depot shops on the lookout for work and have been topic to aggressive immigration raids in southern California.
Sooner or later-laborer current for the Wednesday raid told the Los Angeles Times that the Penske truck pulled as much as the car parking zone round 6.45am, with the motive force telling individuals gathered in Spanish that he had work to supply. Somebody then rolled up the again of the truck, and masked brokers, together with one in a cowboy hat, jumped out as individuals scattered, the witness mentioned.
Dara Kerr
Donald Trump mentioned he would impose a 100% tariff on international laptop chips, possible elevating the price of electronics, autos, family home equipment and different items deemed important for the digital age.
“We’ll be placing a tariff on of roughly 100% on chips and semiconductors,” Trump mentioned within the Oval Workplace whereas assembly with Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner. “However for those who’re constructing in america of America, there’s no cost.”
The Republican president mentioned corporations that make laptop chips within the US can be spared the import tax. In the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, a scarcity of laptop chips elevated the worth of autos and contributed to an total uptick in inflation.
Trump and Cook dinner have been assembly on Wednesday to debate an settlement for Apple to invest $100bn in manufacturing within the US over the following 4 years. That comes after the iPhone maker already pledged to take a position $500bn domestically earlier this 12 months. With Apple’s new funding, the overall determine is now at $600bn.
Trump directs Commerce Division to create new US Census
President Donald Trump mentioned on Thursday that he has instructed the Division of Commerce to start creating a brand new Census “primarily based on modern-day information and figures” and that makes use of the outcomes and knowledge from the 2024 presidential election.
“People who find themselves in our Nation illegally is not going to be counted within the census,” he mentioned in a Fact Social publish.
He added:
I’ve instructed our Division of Commerce to instantly start work on a brand new and extremely correct CENSUS primarily based on modern-day information and figures and, importantly, utilizing the outcomes and knowledge gained from the Presidential Election of 2024.
Nick Robins-Early
Donald Trump on Wednesday celebrated a dedication by Apple to extend its investments in US manufacturing by an extra $100bn over the following 4 years.
Apple’s plan to up its home funding comes because it seeks to keep away from Trump’s threatened tariffs, which might improve the tech large’s prices because it depends on a fancy worldwide provide chain to provide its iPhones. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, warned during an earnings call in May that the tariffs may price the corporate as much as $900m that fiscal quarter alone.
After Cook dinner gifted Trump a US-made memento with a pure gold base on the Oval Workplace on Wednesday, the president praised the company, telling reporters: “Corporations like Apple, they’re coming house … It is a vital step towards the last word aim of making certain that iPhones offered in America are also made in America.”
Cook dinner mentioned many elements of the iPhones are already made domestically, together with glass, semiconductors and face ID, however that last meeting of the gadgets would stay abroad “for some time”. In an earlier assertion, Cook dinner had mentioned the brand new investments contain work with 10 corporations throughout the US that produce elements utilized in Apple merchandise.
Apple had beforehand mentioned it supposed to take a position $500bn domestically, a determine it would now improve to $600bn. Apple additionally claimed that it might immediately rent 20,000 US staff over the following 4 years.
Stephanie Kirchgaessner
JD Vance’s staff had the military corps of engineers take the bizarre step of adjusting the outflow of a lake in Ohio to accommodate a current boating tour on a household vacation, the Guardian has discovered.
The request from the US Secret Service was made to “assist secure navigation” of the US vice-president’s safety element for an August outing on the Little Miami River, in line with a press release by the US military corps of engineers (USACE).
Vance was noticed within the south-western Ohio space on 2 August, his forty first birthday, in line with social media posts that famous he was seen canoeing on the river, a tributary that Caesar Creek Lake feeds into.
One supply with information of the matter who communicated with the Guardian anonymously alleged that the outflow request for the Caesar Creek Lake was not simply to assist the vice-president’s Secret Service element, but additionally to create “perfect kayaking situations”. The Guardian couldn’t independently affirm this particular declare.
The information raises questions on whether or not Vance’s workplace was probably exploiting public infrastructure assets for his private recreation at a time when the Trump administration has minimize billions of {dollars} in international support, scientific analysis and authorities jobs as a part of its “effectivity” drive.
The vice-president’s workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark.
David Smith
Main Democrats are sounding the alarm over Donald Trump’s reported plan to divert funds from the US nuclear arsenal to transform a luxurious jet gifted by Qatar into a brand new Air Power One.
The US president provoked an outcry in Might when it emerged that he would accept a $400m Boeing 747-8 jet as a free present from the Qatari royal household. Stripping down and securing the airplane so it may well transport Trump for a couple of years will price taxpayers an estimated $1bn.
Now Democrats are seizing on media reports that the retrofit will likely be half funded by cash redirected from Sentinel, a nuclear missile modernisation programme already operating years not on time and mentioned to be 81% over price range.
In a letter obtained by the Guardian, senators Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Ed Markey and Adam Schiff, together with representatives John Garamendi and Jamie Raskin, demand solutions from Troy Meink, the secretary of the air drive.
The letter reminds Meink that, in testimony to the Senate armed companies committee, he acknowledged the Qatari airplane wants “vital modifications” to fulfill Air Power One requirements. These are prone to embrace defences towards threats starting from surface-to-air missiles to a nuclear blast, safe and dependable communications methods and protections towards counterintelligence.
The Democrats write: “In June, you instructed Congress that the price of retrofitting the Qatari Boeing 747-8 ‘wouldn’t be wherever close to’ the reported $1 billion estimate. Do you continue to imagine this to be the case?”
Switzerland’s authorities will maintain an emergency assembly on Thursday to determine its subsequent transfer after its president returned house empty-handed from an Eleventh-hour journey to Washington geared toward averting a crippling 39% US import tariff on Swiss items.
An pressing assembly of the seven-member Federal Council – Switzerland’s governing cupboard – will happen in Bern within the early afternoon, the federal government mentioned a publish on X.
Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter left Washington on Wednesday with no new deal and didn’t meet with US president Donald Trump or any of his prime commerce officers, two sources instructed Reuters.
Her proposal for a ten% tariff charge was rejected by US officers, one of many sources added.
Negotiations between Switzerland and america over tariffs will proceed, however extra time is required to strike a deal, in line with a Swiss supply accustomed to the discussions.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday mentioned he could use the Nationwide Guard to police the streets of Washington, DC, and a White Home official mentioned federal legislation enforcement would improve its presence within the metropolis this week.
The risk – and the transfer to comply with by on it – is the most recent step by Trump and his administration towards taking on operating the town that serves because the seat of the US authorities.
“We now have a capital that’s very unsafe,” Trump instructed reporters on the White Home. “We now have to run DC This needs to be the best-run place within the nation.”
A White Home official instructed Reuters that operational particulars in regards to the elevated federal presence have been nonetheless being finalized.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa held a phone name with US president Donald Trump on bilateral commerce and the 2 nations’ commerce negotiating groups could have extra detailed talks, Ramaphosa’s workplace mentioned on Thursday.
South Africa tried for months however failed to barter a commerce cope with Washington forward of Trump’s deadline. US imports from South Africa now face a 30% obligation.
“The 2 leaders undertook to proceed with additional engagements, recognising the assorted commerce negotiations the US is at the moment concerned in,” Ramaphosa’s workplace mentioned in a press release.
“Respective commerce negotiating groups will take ahead extra detailed discussions.”
Kremlin aide says Putin-Trump assembly is prone to happen subsequent week, RIA studies
A gathering between Russian President Vladimir Putin and United States president Donald Trump is prone to happen subsequent week, Russian state information company RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying on Thursday.
Extra on this growth as we get it.
Trump’s larger tariffs hit main US buying and selling companions
The US Customs and Border Safety company started amassing the upper tariffs of 10% to 50% at 12.01am EDT after weeks of suspense over Trump’s last tariff charges and frantic negotiations with main buying and selling companions that sought to decrease them.
The leaders of Brazil and India vowed to not be cowed by Trump’s hardline bargaining place, even whereas their negotiators sought a reprieve from the best tariff ranges.
The brand new charges will take a look at Trump’s technique for shrinking US commerce deficits with out inflicting large disruptions to world provide chains or upsetting larger inflation and stiff retaliation from buying and selling companions, Reuters reported.
After unveiling his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs in April, Trump has ceaselessly modified his plan, slapping a lot larger charges on imports from some nations, together with 50% for items from Brazil, 39% from Switzerland, 35% from Canada and 25% from India. He introduced on Wednesday a separate, 25% tariff on Indian items, to be imposed in 21 days, over India’s purchases of Russian oil.
“RECIPROCAL TARIFFS TAKE EFFECT AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!,” Trump mentioned on Fact Social simply forward of the deadline. “BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, LARGELY FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE UNITED STATES FOR MANY YEARS, LAUGHING ALL THE WAY, WILL START FLOWING INTO THE USA. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP AMERICA’S GREATNESS WOULD BE A RADICAL LEFT COURT THAT WANTS TO SEE OUR COUNTRY FAIL!”
US nationwide parks employees in ‘survival mode’ to maintain parks open amid Trump cuts
Oliver Milman
Throughout the US’s fabled however overstretched nationwide parks, uncommon scenes are taking part in out this summer season following price range cuts by Donald Trump’s administration. Archeologists are staffing ticket cubicles, ecologists are masking customer facilities and the superintendents of parks are even cleansing the bogs.
The Nationwide Park Service (NPS), chargeable for sustaining cherished wildernesses and websites of cultural significance from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, has lost 1 / 4 of its everlasting employees since Trump took workplace in January, with the administration in search of to intestine the service’s budget by a 3rd.
However the administration has additionally ordered parks to stay open and accessible to the general public, which means the NPS has needed to scramble remaining employees into public-facing roles to take care of appearances to the crowds of tourists. This has meant a lot of the behind-the-scenes work to guard endangered species, battle invasive vegetation, repair crumbling infrastructure or plan for the long run wants of the US’s trove of pure wonders has been jettisoned.
“It’s practically unattainable to do the management position anticipated of me,” mentioned one superintendent who heads a park within the western US who didn’t need to be named for concern of retribution from the administration.
“I’m doing every thing now. Meaning I usually have to ensure the doorways are open, I’ve to run the customer middle, I’ve to scrub the bogs. I’d say I’m cleansing the lavatory on a weekly foundation now as a result of there’s nobody else to do it.”
This kind of triage scenario is happening throughout the 433 websites and 85m acres – together with 63 nationwide parks and an array of battlefields, monuments and cultural websites – that make up the nationwide park system within the US, a number of present and former NPS employees have instructed the Guardian, risking long-term degradation of prized parks.
Vance to go to Indiana to debate redistricting amid Trump strain on GOP states
Good morning and welcome to our dwell protection of US politics as JD Vance prepares to go to Indiana on Thursday to debate redistricting with Republican leaders.
The vice chairman’s journey comes as Donald Trump ramps up strain on GOP states to redraw congressional boundaries and provides the social gathering extra winnable seats within the 2026 midterm elections. In Texas, Democrats who left the state in an effort to dam a brand new congressional map from being applied say they experienced a bomb threat at their Illinois hotel on Wednesday morning amid the standoff.
Vance is scheduled to carry non-public conferences with Gov. Mike Braun and others earlier than attending a GOP fundraiser on Thursday night time within the solidly Republican state. Braun had earlier instructed reporters he expects to debate a number of issues with the vice chairman — together with redistricting — however mentioned no commitments have been made.
“It appears prefer it’s going to occur throughout many Republican states,” Braun mentioned. As Related Press studies, Indiana is staunchly Republican, outnumbering Democrats in Indiana 7-2, limiting the probabilities of compacting out one other seat.
Opponents of any redistricting try are planning to make their objections identified on Thursday with protests and a information convention by the 2 Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation. The constitutionality of the transfer would additionally nearly definitely be challenged in court docket.
We’ll deliver you all of the developments all through the day. In different information:
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Donald Trump has claimed “nice progress was made” throughout talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine between his particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Vladimir Putin within the Kremlin on Wednesday. The three-hour talks got here two days earlier than a deadline the US president set for Russia to achieve a peace deal within the conflict or face recent sanctions.
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The White Home is inserting an extra 25% tariff on imports from India, bringing complete tariffs as much as 50%, in retaliation for the nation’s buy of oil from Russia, in line with an executive order signed on Wednesday morning. India has 21 days to answer the potential tariffs earlier than they go into impact. The tariffs will likely be tacked on to a 25% tariff on India Trump set final week as a “penalty” for the nation’s buying and selling relationship with Russia.
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A brand new report has discovered a whole bunch of reported circumstances of human rights abuses in US immigration detention facilities. The alleged abuses uncovered embrace deaths in custody, bodily and sexual abuse of detainees, denial of entry to attorneys, and baby separation.
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Trump on Wednesday celebrated a dedication by Apple to extend its investments in US manufacturing by an extra $100bn over the following 4 years. Apple’s plan to up its home funding comes because it seeks to keep away from Trump’s threatened tariffs, which might improve the tech large’s prices because it depends on a fancy worldwide provide chain to provide its iPhones.
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South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa held a phone name with US president Donald Trump on bilateral commerce issues, Ramaphosa’s workplace mentioned in assertion.
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Switzerland’s authorities will maintain an emergency assembly on Thursday to determine its subsequent transfer after its president returned house empty-handed from an Eleventh-hour journey to Washington geared toward averting a crippling 39% US import tariff on Swiss items. An pressing assembly of the seven-member Federal Council – Switzerland’s governing cupboard – will happen in Bern within the early afternoon, the federal government mentioned a publish on X. Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter left Washington on Wednesday with no new deal and didn’t meet with Donald Trump or any of his prime commerce officers, two sources instructed Reuters.
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The person charged with killing the highest Democrat within the Minnesota Home and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his spouse, is anticipated to plead not responsible when he’s arraigned in federal court docket on Thursday, his lawyer mentioned. Vance Boelter, 58, of Inexperienced Isle, Minnesota, was indicted 15 July on six counts of homicide, stalking and firearms violations. The homicide fees may carry the federal loss of life penalty, although prosecutors say that call is a number of months away.
