Trump says he could meet with Putin to discuss Ukraine 'soon'
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Trump also told European leaders on a call today that he plans to meet Putin in person soon, a European official briefed on the call told NBC News.
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What to know today ...
- RUSSIA TALKS: President Donald Trump could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week if Putin agrees to also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a White House official told NBC News. Trump also told European leaders on a call today that he plans to meet Putin in person soon, a European official briefed on the call told NBC News.
- JEFFREY EPSTEIN: Vice President JD Vance denied reports that he, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior Trump administration officials were meeting tonight to discuss the Jeffrey Epstein case. NBC News and other news outlets reported that the meeting would address Epstein and other pressing matters.
- APPLE INVESTMENT: Trump held an event at the White House this afternoon with Apple CEO Tim Cook to announce the company's manufacturing investment in the United States.
- BOMB THREAT: Democratic legislators from Texas who fled the state to block a vote on a GOP redistricting plan were evacuated from their Illinois hotel after it received a bomb threat this morning.
- BLACKBURN RUNNING: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., announced this morning that she’s running for governor. Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said he is considering running for her Senate seat in light of her announcement.
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New tariffs snap into effect, raising import taxes to highest level since Great Depression
After months of delays and extensions, Trump’s comprehensive and sweeping tariffs slate took effect just after midnight ET, shifting his global trade reset into high gear.
Most imports into the United States will now face a baseline 10% duty, with the overall average effective tariff rate rising to more than 17% — the highest since 1935, during the Great Depression — thanks to higher duties on some of the biggest U.S. trading partners, according to the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab think tank.
A wide variety of products will be hit. Tariffs will be collected on everything from European Union appliances and Japanese cars to food, furniture and toys from China and TVs from South Korea. Selected oil and gas imports, along with some smartphones and a suite of goods covered by a pre-existing trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, are not affected.
Together, the duties are the most significant move yet by a president set on tilting the global economy even more in favor of the United States.
Trump administration to scale back annual human rights reports
The Trump administration is scaling back the State Department’s annual Human Rights Report and placing a new focus on restrictions on freedom of expression by U.S. allies, as well as adversaries.
The reports, which are widely anticipated and read around the world, have been composed by U.S. diplomats under congressional mandate for almost 50 years as a measure of countries’ adherence to internationally recognized human rights. The report for last year, which normally would have been released in the spring, has already been delayed by months.
“The 2024 Human Rights Report has been restructured in a way that removes redundancies, increases report readability and is more responsive to the legislative mandates that underpin the report,” a senior State Department official said today in a briefing to reporters.
Why redistricting is so important, in 3 charts
Texas Republicans’ move to redraw their congressional map mid-decade and Democrats’ retaliatory redistricting efforts have captured national attention for a very simple reason: How House districts are drawn can shape American politics for years.
Gerrymandering generally reduces the number of competitive races, and it can lock in nearly immovable advantages for one party or another. Under the new map proposed in Texas, no district’s presidential vote would have been decided by single digits in 2024, and Republicans would have a path to pad their narrow congressional majority in the 2026 midterm elections. That means more people could reside in congressional districts under solid control of one party.
NBC News analyzed how the question of who draws the maps — and how they do it — can shape elections for years afterward.
Immigrants seeking green cards may be placed in removal proceedings, USCIS says
Immigrants seeking green cards through marriage could be vulnerable to deportation, according to a new Trump administration policy.
Federal immigration authorities may begin removal proceedings for immigrants who lack legal status and apply to become residents through spouses, according to new guidance U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued Monday. The policy, which went into effect immediately, also applies to immigrants who seek lawful permanent residency through other family members.
Immigrants and the spouses or families who sponsor them “should be aware that a family-based petition accords no immigration status nor does it bar removal,” USCIS’ policy manual said. USCIS said in a statement to NBC News that the change applies both to pending requests and those filed on or after Aug. 1.
GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy criticizes RFK Jr. for canceling $500M in mRNA contracts
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chided Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tonight for terminating $500 million in government contracts to develop mRNA vaccines.
“It is unfortunate that the Secretary just canceled a half a billion worth of work, wasting the money which is already invested. He has also conceded to China an important technology needed to combat cancer and infectious disease. President Trump wants to Make America Healthy Again and Make America Great Again. This works against both of President Trump’s goals,” Cassidy said on X.
Cassidy, a physician by training, was a key GOP vote to confirm Kennedy as health and human services secretary after Kennedy pledged to protect “the public health benefit of vaccination.”
Cassidy lambasted Kennedy in June after he dismantled a vaccine advisory committee that he replaced with new members, including vaccine skeptics.
Texas AG Ken Paxton announces investigation into Beto O'Rourke's PAC over funding Texas Dems' scatter
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, announced today that his office has launched an investigation into Democratic former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s group Powered by People over work to finance state Democrats’ trip to Illinois in an effort to break a quorum in the state House.
Paxton said he will investigate the group for “unlawful activity, including potentially operating an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum.”
He further alleged that the group “may have violated bribery laws” by providing the lawmakers with funds to leave the state and “may have also violated other Texas laws, including, but not limited to, those governing campaign or officeholder contributions and expenditures, coercion of a public servant, and abuse of office.” His office has filed a request demanding documents and communications from the group related to the Democrats’ exit.
Paxton announced a run for Senate in April, in which he seeks to win the GOP nomination over Sen. John Cornyn.
O’Rourke reacted to Paxton’s investigation on social media, referring to Paxton’s 2023 impeachment by the Texas state House.
“The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats,” he wrote. “Let’s stop these thugs before they steal our country.”
Congress doesn’t want to talk to Alex Acosta, Epstein’s ‘sweetheart deal’ maker
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform yesterday listed former attorneys general, a former FBI director, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as people all subject to subpoenas for matters tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
However, not named in the news release was Alex Acosta — who was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida whose secret non-prosecution agreement with Epstein created a spark that has turned into an inferno of controversy nearly 20 years later.
Acosta also was Trump’s labor secretary during his first term. Acosta left the role in 2019 after he faced scrutiny over the Epstein plea agreement.
Victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse are unhappy that Acosta was not among those subpoenaed.
Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents over objections from CIA, sources say
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard decided to declassify a document on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election last month over the objections of CIA officials who argued that more details should remain secret to protect sensitive spying sources and methods, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Washington Post first reported the disagreement.
Some former intelligence officers said they were alarmed at the detail revealed in the declassified document. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, of Virginia, has warned that the move could put intelligence-gathering efforts at risk.
The intelligence director’s office and the CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Protesters asked to leave Rep. Nancy Mace's town hall in South Carolina
Protesters at a town hall tonight for Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., were asked to leave the event.
Attendees with anti-Trump signs said they were asked to leave, with a protester wearing a shirt with the words “love is love” saying she was asked to leave, as well.
Two people, Kathi Hunt and David Hunt, told NBC News they left of their own accord because they did not think the town hall was a space to disagree with Mace or the crowd, which they described as seemingly being in agreement with Mace.
The event, held outside Mace’s district in Myrtle Beach, is nominally a town hall — but it has assumed the feel of a campaign event as Mace stands at the podium with signs that read “Nancy Mace for Governor.”
Mace announced her intention to seek the governor’s office this week.
Mace said she will take questions from the packed room for only 10 minutes but vowed to stay to shake everyone’s hands.
“Even if you’re a Democrat in the room, I will take your question. Just don’t tackle me. I’ll take any question,” she said.
Trump says he may bring National Guard into D.C.
Trump told reporters he's weighing taking over the Washington, D.C., police and said he could also bring in the National Guard.
"We’re considering it, yeah, because the crime is ridiculous,” Trump said when he was asked whether he planned to take control of the police department.
"We have a capital that's very unsafe," Trump said, pointing to the recent assault of "a beautiful, handsome guy who had the hell knocked out of him." Trump appeared to be referring to Edward Coristine, an original DOGE staffer known for his online name, “Big Balls.” "I'm going to call him now," Trump said.
"He went through a bad situation," and there's "too much of it. We're going to do something about it," such as "federalize" the city, he said.
"We're going to beautify the city," Trump said, before he again complained about the crime rate. "We're not going to let it — that includes bringing in the National Guard, too, maybe very quickly," he said.
"This has to be the best-run place in the country, not the worst-run place in the country."
The remarks come one day after Trump posted on social media, “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run.”
Trump says he hasn’t been briefed on DOJ interview with Ghislaine Maxwell and calls Epstein situation 'total bulls---'
Trump says he has not been briefed on what Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during their two-day interview last month, after which Maxwell was transferred to a minimum-security prison in Texas.
Vice President JD Vance chimed in to deny reports that he, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top Trump administration officials are meeting to discuss the Epstein situation.
“I saw it reported today, and it’s completely fake news," Vance said. "We’re not meeting to talk about the Epstein situation."
Three sources told NBC News that the group would meet to discuss several pressing matters, including the Epstein situation. CNN was first to report the news.
Trump went on to call attention over the Epstein fallout “total bulls---,” calling it a “hoax” by Democrats to divert attention from what Trump called “the most successful six months in the history of our country.”
Trump declines to specify when and where a potential meeting with Putin could take place but says it could happen 'soon'
After he took questions at an Oval Office event about Apple's U.S. manufacturing investment, Trump did not elaborate on when and where a potential meeting with Putin could take place. However, he said that the high-level talks between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin today went well and that “there’s a very good chance that we could be ending — ending the round.”
“The end of that road was long and continues to be long, but there’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump added.
Trump said he would not characterize the talks today or the new possibility of a direct meeting with Putin a “breakthrough,” because “we’ve been working on this a long time.”
Tennessee GOP Rep. Fleischmann takes a look at Blackburn's Senate seat
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., told NBC News that he's eyeing a possible Senate bid after Sen. Marsha Blackburn launched her campaign for governor today.
Fleischmann, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Energy, who was first elected in 2010, said that if Blackburn wins the governor’s office, he would be open to being appointed to the Senate until a special election is held.
He would then run for a full six-year term after that, he said, adding that he wouldn’t be interested in serving in the Senate as a caretaker.
“If I were considered by whichever governor would appoint me, I would certainly consider that and look at that. I’ve got $4 million in the bank, and I’m a very prolific fundraiser," Fleischmann said in a phone interview. "I’m the senior member of the Republican delegation. I am an appropriator and have helped the whole state. I would certainly look at that, but if I remained in the House as a cardinal and as a senior appropriator, I’d be fine with that, as well.”
Fleischmann joins Rep. Tim Burchett in expressing interest in running for the Senate if Blackburn vacates her seat.
Fleischmann noted that he endorsed Blackburn for governor back in March — five months before she announced her candidacy.
“I’ve known Marsha for a long period of time prior to my professional entry into politics. She literally almost single-handedly, as a state senator, defeated a Republican move to create a state income tax in Tennessee,” he said. “So she’s very well versed in state government. She was very successful as a federal legislator."
“I really believe that she would work very hard in the tradition of our last two governors to be a commonsense conservative and continue our unprecedented growth in Tennessee," he said.
Trump tells European allies he plans to meet Putin in person
Trump told European leaders on a call today that he plans to meet Putin in person soon to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine, a European official briefed on the call told NBC News.
The European official said Trump did not give a detailed timeline for when the planned meeting would happen or details of what he hoped to achieve in it. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte were on the call.
News of Trump’s intention to meet Putin was reported earlier today by The New York Times.
Trump could meet with Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
Trump could meet with Putin as early as next week if Putin agrees to also meet with Zelenskyy, a White House official told NBC News.
Witkoff briefed Trump on his lengthy talks with Putin in Moscow and relayed that Putin would like to meet, according to a White House official. Trump responded that he was open to that but that he also would want for Putin to meet with Zelenskyy to discuss a ceasefire, the official said.
It’s unclear whether Putin will agree to that. It’s also unclear when and where the talks would take place.
The official said a summit could take place as soon as next week but stressed that the timing could slide. The official also added that no location has been secured and that multiple options are being evaluated.
Earlier today on Truth Social, Trump himself wrote that Putin and Witkoff made “great progress” in their meeting, but he didn’t provide more details beyond that.
After Witkoff's meeting in Moscow, White House reiterates Trump's willingness to meet with Putin and Zelenskyy
Trump is open to meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement this afternoon.
"As President Trump said earlier today on TRUTH Social, great progress was made during Special Envoy Witkoff’s meeting with President Putin," Leavitt said in a statement.
She continued: "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end."
Trump has previously expressed that he would be willing to meet with both leaders to try to resolve their conflict. The White House said earlier that secondary sanctions on Russia are still expected to be implemented Friday.
Missouri and California state Democrats address fighting — or advancing — redistricting schemes in their own states
Speaking at a protest event on the steps of the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Missouri Democratic legislators pledged today to fight possibly imminent Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in their own state.
State legislators from across the United States have gathered in Boston this week for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit — but the bipartisan conference became a venue for Democrats to rally around their fellow legislators who’d fled Texas to prevent Republicans from moving forward with mid-decade redistricting.
The broader conversation among Democrats supporting their colleagues in Texas included concerns that Republicans in other states could move forward in the coming weeks and months with their own mid-decade redistricting schemes as part of a broader effort to help pad the GOP’s narrow majority in the U.S. House in next year’s midterms.
“They’re coming to Missouri next,” Missouri Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck told his fellow Democratic legislators at the Boston rally. “We are going to fight in Missouri, just like they’re doing in Texas.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, said this week that he’s receptive to the idea of calling a special legislative session intended for mid-decade redistricting. Currently, Missouri’s congressional makeup has six Republicans and two Democrats. Missouri politicos have speculated that a proposed redraw would add one pickup opportunity for Republicans.
Beck told NBC News that he’d heard a September special session was being considered. Beck vowed to fight any such efforts, saying, “We’re not going to quietly,” and acknowledged that Missouri legislative Democrats lacked the power of Texas Democrats.
Because Missouri Democrats are in the super-minority in both chambers, leaving the state Capitol is “not an option,” because Republicans don’t need any Democrats to have a quorum.
Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune said at the Boston rally that the GOP effort in Texas amounted to “a canary in a coal mine” and that Missouri Democrats’ “best bet is to get the message out to voters right now as loud as we can to piggyback off of Texas’ messaging.”
Meanwhile, California Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, a Democrat, echoed what her state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has said in recent days about moving forward with his own mid-decade redistricting efforts intended to counter the ones in Texas.
“We are exploring all the options. Everything is on the table to respond,” she said.
“We’re proud of our independent system for picking districts,” she added, referring to the state’s independent redistricting commission, “but we can’t roll over while the Republicans cheat.”
Newsom hopes to work with the Democratic-dominated Legislature starting this month to set up a special election for a statewide ballot measure on Nov. 4. It would offer a newly drawn map if Texas moves forward with its new maps, NBC News reported.
In Boston, dozens of Democratic legislators stand behind Texas’ runaway lawmakers
Texas legislators who’d traveled to Boston, fleeing Republican efforts in their state to draw new congressional maps, held a protest event today on the steps of the Massachusetts State House, where dozens of their fellow Democratic lawmakers expressed solidarity.
Flanked by Democratic legislators from 35 states, Texas Democrats pledged to continue their fight and remain out of state as long as they are able to.
“What is happening in Texas isn’t just a state injustice; it is a national alarm bell,” Missouri Senate Democratic leader Carol Alvarado said. “If it can happen in Texas, the second-largest state in the country, it will happen elsewhere. This is not a one-off; it’s a blueprint.”
“If we do not stop it now, they’ll copy and paste it across the country,” she said. “This is our line in the sand.”
Legislators from across the United States were in Boston for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit. But the bipartisan event quickly became a venue for Democrats to rally around Democratic legislators who’d fled Texas to prevent Republicans from moving forward with mid-decade redistricting — a move that would give them additional pickup opportunities in next year’s midterm elections.
One such lawmaker, Democratic North Carolina Sen. Sophia Chitlik, addressed the crowd, speaking of past efforts of Republicans in her state to draw maps.
“Come to North Carolina and witness what you can still prevent. We love our state and we love our country, and we will continue fighting for them alongside you,” she said.
Meet the Republican Senate candidate in Kentucky who could be the next JD Vance
Nate Morris grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, with a single mother, an absent father and grandparents who schooled him in Appalachian culture and the ways of the working class.
After an elite education that included a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and an MBA from Oxford, he built an innovative waste management company that attracted money from big-name investors and comparisons to Uber.
Now Morris is positioning himself as the outsider in a Republican Senate primary that will determine whom the party nominates next year to succeed Mitch McConnell. Since he launched his campaign in June, Morris has relentlessly attacked McConnell, whose name graces the state GOP’s headquarters, while characterizing his two rivals, Rep. Andy Barr and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, as squishy extensions of McConnell’s legacy.
Morris’ biography and anti-establishment pitch, tailored to Trump’s right-wing populist base, are reminiscent of the formula that sent JD Vance from the private sector to the Senate — and, most recently, to the vice presidency.
“Nate’s life story is strikingly similar” to Vance’s, Charlie Kirk, an influential figure in Trump’s MAGA movement who has campaigned with Morris, wrote last month on X.
Zelenskyy says he spoke to Trump after Witkoff's meeting with Putin
Zelenskyy said on X that he spoke to Trump today after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow.
"Our joint position with our partners is absolutely clear — the war must end," Zelenskyy said. "And it must be done honestly. European leaders were on the call, and I am grateful to each of them for their support. We discussed what was spelled out in Moscow."
"Ukraine will definitely defend its independence," the statement continued. "We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine."
Vance headed to Indiana tomorrow
Vance is heading to Indiana tomorrow in a visit that comes just days after Trump said he’d consider redistricting plans in other states besides Texas.
"Vice President Vance will visit Indianapolis on Thursday, where he will be headlining an RNC fundraiser," Vance's communications director, William Martin, said in a statement. "He will also meet with Governor [Mike] Braun and other state officials to discuss a variety of issues."
Braun had told reporters that he expected Vance tomorrow that they’d discuss many issues. He told reporters that if the topic of redistricting comes up, "it’s exploratory" and that "there’s been no commitments made."
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett is considering a Senate run in Tennessee
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told NBC News that he’s considering a run for Marsha Blackburn's Senate seat should she win her race for governor.
Burchett, first elected to Congress in 2018, is one of the most conservative members of the House.
U.S. still plans to hit Russia with secondary sanctions after Putin meeting, White House says
The Trump administration is planning to move forward with secondary sanctions on Russia on Friday, a White House official said today after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.
"The meeting with Russia and special envoy Witkoff went well," the official said about today's meeting. "The Russians are eager to continue engaging with the United States. The secondary sanctions are still expected to be implemented on Friday."
Trump said in a Truth Social post that Witkoff had a "highly productive meeting" with Putin. "Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked earlier today if the sanctions will still take effect later this week, and he said, "We’ll have more to say about that later on today."
"Ambassador Witkoff is on his way back now. Just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago," he told reporters. "We’ll have some other discussions throughout the day and hopefully there will be some announcements here fairly soon. Maybe positive, maybe not."
Trump recently moved up the deadline he had set for Russia to show progress in trying to end its war in Ukraine or face the secondary sanctions.
JD Vance, Pam Bondi and other senior officials to discuss Epstein case tonight
Senior Trump administration officials are expected to gather at Vice President JD Vance’s residence this evening to discuss several pressing matters, including the Jeffrey Epstein case, three sources familiar with the meeting confirmed to NBC News.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles have all been invited to attend, the sources said. The administration has come under fire from Democrats and members of Trump's base over its handling of the case amid calls for greater transparency.
The group will also discuss other topics, the sources said, with one person downplaying the idea that the agenda was driven solely by the Epstein controversy.
CNN first reported that Vance and senior officials will be discussing the Epstein case at the meeting.
Vance spokesperson William Martin called CNN's reporting "pure fiction" in a statement to NBC News.
"There was never a supposed meeting scheduled at the Vice President’s residence to discuss Epstein Strategy,” Martin said.
Administration officials often convene at Vance’s residence, and the vice president frequently has used the venue to host colleagues and lawmakers, one of the sources said.
Trump's former surgeon general says cuts to mRNA research will 'cost lives'
Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as the surgeon general during Trump's first term, criticized the current administration's move to cut about $500 million in mRNA vaccine development contracts.
"I’ve tried to be objective & non-alarmist in response to current HHS actions — but quite frankly this move is going to cost lives," Adams said in a post to X last night. "mRNA technology has uses that go far beyond vaccines … and the vaccine they helped develop in record time is credited with saving millions."
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a history of anti-vaccine advocacy, announced the cuts yesterday.
Texas state lawmakers in Illinois evacuated from their hotel after threat
Democratic state legislators from Texas were evacuated from their suburban Chicago hotel Wednesday morning following a threat at the property, and a news conference set to feature Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin was canceled.
Durbin was to join the Illinois Democratic voices who have rallied behind the Texas Democrats, who traveled to the state in an effort to block the passage of a new Republican-drawn congressional map. Because the members are absent, the Texas state House does not have a quorum to move forward with legislation.
Trump hikes India tariffs to 50% for buying Russian oil
Trump said today that he is doubling tariffs on India from 25% to 50%.
“I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” and due to those purchases, imports of Indian goods into the United States “shall be subject to an additional ... rate of duty of 25%,” the president wrote in an executive order.
The order said the new 25% duty is in addition to the 25% tariff that Trump plans to hit India with on Wednesday night, when his sweeping global tariffs go into effect on most U.S. trading partners.
Texas lieutenant governor says Republicans in his state 'deserve more representation'
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick claimed on Fox News last night that Republicans from Texas "deserve more representation" in Congress because the state leans red.
"Come back and do the right thing. Don't run and hide because you've lost touch with the voters," he said of Texas' Democratic legislators who left the state in order to block a vote on a GOP redistricting plan.
Patrick claimed the Democrats' problem was not the redrawn congressional map, which could help Republicans pick up five U.S. House seats next year if approved; rather, he said, the Democrats had "lost the minds of their voters who are moving towards the Republican Party all over the country."
Patrick added that he thought the Texas Senate would pass the map next week, calling it their "legal right."
Apple to announce additional investment in U.S. as it seeks to avoid tariffs
Apple will announce a $100 billion investment in the United States today in an event with Trump, the White House confirmed to NBC News.
The announcement will bring Apple's general investment pledge in the U.S. to $600 billion. In February, Apple announced a $500 billion U.S. investment over the next four years. That came on the heels of a $430 billion pledge in 2021.
Bloomberg first reported the latest Apple investment.
Apple has made a number of these announcements in recent years, but it is unclear exactly how many jobs are created or how much money is actually spent.
Apple's suppliers build some semiconductors in the U.S., but today's announcement will not bring manufacturing of any of the company's major products, such as the iPhone, iPad or MacBook, to the U.S.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said on the company's earnings call that iPhones sold in the U.S. are now primarily sourced from India, whose goods Trump said he would hit with 25% tariffs, plus an additional punitive duty of 25% because of that country's purchase of Russian oil.
The iPhone and some other Apple products are currently exempt from most tariffs due to a Section 232 investigation by the Commerce Department, which aims to determine the effect of the imported devices on national security.
Trump denies playing role in transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell
NBC News has learned the Trump administration is considering publicly releasing transcripts of Ghislaine Maxwell’s two-day interview with the Department of Justice, according to a source familiar with the matter. It comes as the president is denying he played any role in the transfer of Maxwell from a Florida prison to a minimum security federal prison camp in Texas that typically does not hold sex offenders. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez reports for "TODAY."
Kremlin calls Putin’s meeting with Trump envoy ‘useful and constructive’
Russian officials put a positive spin on Putin’s meeting with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff today, days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil.
The talks were “very useful and constructive,” Putin’s longtime foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said of the meeting, adding that they had covered Ukraine and U.S.-Russia relations.
“Our side has forwarded some signals, in particular on the Ukrainian issue, and corresponding signals were received from President Trump,” Ushakov added in the statement to Russian state media.
GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn announces a run for governor of Tennessee
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced this morning that she plans to run for governor of Tennessee next year, the third sitting senator to launch a gubernatorial bid.
In a video launching her campaign, Blackburn capitalized on Trump's presidency and policies, making clear that her values align with the MAGA movement.
"Trump is back. America is blessed, and Tennessee is better than ever," she said at the beginning of the video.
"Tennessee is the greatest place in the world to rear a family, make a life and a living, and together, we can make our great state even better," she continued. "We'll honor the Constitution, we'll value life, and we'll define our boys and girls the way God made them. I love Tennessee. I believe in Tennesseans, and I'm ready to deliver the kind of conservative leadership that will ensure our state is America's conservative leader for this generation and the next."
Blackburn, 73, was not up for re-election until 2030 as she was just re-elected to her Senate seat last year. She has served in the upper chamber since 2019 and previously served in the House from 2003 to 2019. GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville is also running for governor in his home state of Alabama, while Democratic Sen. Michael Bennett announced a run for governor of Colorado.
NBC News recently reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has privately discussed the possibility of running for elected office in Tennessee next year, specifically mentioning a campaign for governor.
Josh Shapiro is getting presidential buzz, but a battleground re-election campaign beckons first
Doug Mastriano is teasing another bid for governor in Pennsylvania. After his double-digit defeat last time, Democrats there are plotting to run against him regardless of whether he gets into the race.
The will-he-won’t-he intrigue around Mastriano, who lost to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in the 2022 contest by 15 points, has intensified recently. Last week, he published a refreshed version of his Doug4Gov.com campaign website and hit back on a Politico report detailing concerns Trump’s political team felt about him entering the contest.
And in an interview with conservative commentator John Fredericks, he implored state party leaders not to put a thumb on the scale for state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is widely expected to launch her own gubernatorial campaign. Mastriano has also promoted polling that shows he would enter a race up big on Garrity.
Gov. Abbott asks Texas Supreme Court to fire Democratic leader
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove the state’s House Democratic Leader Gene Wu from office. It comes as Trump is hinting the FBI may get involved in the effort to return Texas Democrats to their state Capitol after they fled the state in an effort to stall the push to create five more Republican districts in Texas. NBC’s Ryan Chandler reports for "TODAY."
Trump administration considering releasing transcript of DOJ’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell
The Trump administration is considering publicly releasing the transcript of a Justice Department official’s two-day interview with Ghislaine Maxwell last month, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News yesterday.
“We’re leaning toward transparency,” the source said.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator and confidant, for nine hours of interviews over two days in July. Former prosecutors told NBC News last month that it was highly unusual for the Justice Department’s second-in-command to personally interview a witness.
Democrats draw up plans to retaliate if Republicans gerrymander Texas — but they face legal hurdles
Democrats in America’s two biggest blue states are hatching plans to respond in kind to a mid-decade move by Texas to draw a friendlier House map for Republicans.
Retaliation threats have come from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who lead states where Democrats control large legislative majorities. Two can play at this game, they say, vowing to similarly eliminate GOP-held seats in their states.
But that’s easier said than done.
Trump’s envoy meets Putin ahead of Russia-Ukraine peace deadline
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today, the Kremlin said, days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil.
The Kremlin did not immediately provide more details of the meeting. Earlier, Witkoff took an early morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation, footage aired by TASS showed.
