FOUR-MINUTE READ | UNBIASED COVERAGE OF TOP POLITICAL NEWS
Federal Level
Trump Announces Leavitt Departure as Press Secretary
On Wednesday, President Trump announced that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of the month. Trump made the announcement in a social media post, calling Leavitt “one of my most trusted aides” and saying she would become a top outside adviser and an influential voice within the Republican Party heading into the midterm elections. Leavitt, 28, who recently returned from leave after the birth of her second child, said the decision to depart was “bittersweet” and that she could not devote the time the job requires while raising two young children. The White House did not name a replacement. 1
Trump Asks Court to Fast-Track Mail Ballot Case
On Wednesday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to fast-track its review of a court order that has blocked the president’s plan to tighten mail-in ballot rules ahead of the November elections. Solicitor General John Sauer’s filing followed a ruling a day earlier by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who found that the executive branch lacks authority to regulate how states conduct elections. Sauer urged the justices to act quickly, arguing that the case must be resolved before ballots go out this fall. Talwani’s June ruling already blocks the order in 23 states that sued, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. 2, 3
Rubio Says Task Force Revoked 600 Birth Visas
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a State Department task force created last month to combat “birth tourism” has revoked visas for more than 600 people suspected of traveling to the U.S. to give birth so their children could gain citizenship. Rubio said in a social media post the task force would “dismantle illegal birth tourism networks” as the administration continues pursuing limits on birthright citizenship after the Supreme Court rejected its first attempt in June. The announcement came as Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the United States would resume a leadership role in an international coalition opposed to abortion. 1
Trump Signs Memo on Cyber Crime Tools Use
On Wednesday, President Trump signed a national security memorandum directing federal agencies to use cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations operating from foreign countries. The White House said the directive targets ransomware attacks, financial fraud and other crimes carried out by foreign-based groups against Americans. The memo creates a framework encouraging private companies to share threat information and coordinate cyber operations with federal, state, local and tribal agencies, all under government direction and control. The White House cited a rise in such crimes as the reason for the new authority, adding that it builds on existing partnerships with the private sector. 4
DOJ Defends National Guard Presence in DC
On Wednesday, the Justice Department sent a letter to the District of Columbia Council disputing the council’s argument that National Guard troops are no longer needed in the capital because crime has fallen. The letter responded to an earlier message from council members asking governors to withdraw troops supporting the deployment, which began a year ago under a crime emergency declaration and was recently extended through January 2029 at an estimated cost of $1.4 billion. The department wrote that “D.C. is a much safer place no matter what you say,” defending the continued use of federal forces in the city. 1
State Level
Hochul, Mamdani, James Oppose ICE Enforcement
On Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James appeared together to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions in the state. The three officials reminded New Yorkers of their legal rights during encounters with federal agents and reaffirmed the state’s position that local police will not assist federal immigration enforcement. The joint appearance came the same day Hochul’s office announced $7.25 million in state funding to provide legal representation for 1,400 unaccompanied migrant children facing deportation proceedings in New York courts, following the expiration of a federal contract. 5
Crowley Pitches Unity After Wisconsin Primary Win
On Wednesday, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, fresh off his narrow victory in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, told supporters he intends to build a broad coalition to defeat Republican nominee Tom Tiffany in November. “The biggest difference between me and the congressman is I’m loyal to the people of Wisconsin. I’m not loyal to MAGA,” Crowley said, referring to Trump’s movement. Tiffany, a congressman who has voted in line with Trump’s position on every recorded vote, responded that there is “not a dime’s worth of difference” between Crowley and the more progressive candidate he defeated, Francesca Hong. 1
NC Attorney General Rejects Duke Energy Deal
On Wednesday, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said he would not sign a proposed settlement in a Duke Energy Progress rate case that would raise residential electric bills by about 6.8 percent over the next two years. Jackson’s office said the increase would hit families already struggling with rising costs across the eastern half of the state and the Asheville region, which Duke Energy Progress serves. Jackson, a Democrat, has separately sued the federal government over tariffs he says are costing North Carolina households an additional $1,100 a year, positioning affordability as a central theme of his early tenure. 6
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Article Sources
1. The Boston Globe, “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave at month’s end, Trump said. See how today unfolded.,” Aug. 12, 2026.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/12/nation/trump-presidency-live-updates/
2. MoLawyersMedia (BridgeTower Media), “Trump administration again urges U.S. Supreme Court intervention on mail ballot ruling,” Aug. 12, 2026.
https://molawyersmedia.com/2026/08/12/trump-administration-supreme-court-mail-ballot-ruling/
3. Daily Signal, “Trump Asks Supreme Court to Fast-Track Mail-In Ballot Case,” Aug. 12, 2026.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/12/trump-supreme-court-mail-in-ballot/
4. WMBD Radio (Reuters), “Trump signed memo to allow use of cyber tools to target transnational criminal orgs, White House says,” Aug. 12, 2026.
https://wmbdradio.com/2026/08/12/trump-signed-memo-to-allow-use-of-cyber-tools-to-target-transnational-criminal-orgs-white-house/
5. Governor Kathy Hochul Press Office, “Standing Up to ICE Overreach,” Aug. 12, 2026.
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news
6. NC Department of Justice, “Attorney General Jeff Jackson Won’t Sign Second Duke Energy Settlement That Will Cost Families 6.8% in Rate Hikes,” Aug. 12, 2026.
https://ncdoj.gov/category/featured/