Live Updates | US Administration | What to Know Today – August 5, 2025

A joint town hall in Johnston, Rhode Island, featuring Rep. Seth Magaziner and Sen. Jack Reed, turned tense as attendees repeatedly pressed the lawmakers on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Audience members demanded they label the conflict a “genocide” and sever ties with AIPAC. Reed’s description of the war as “complicated” drew laughs and pushback, while Magaziner called the Gaza scenes “horrific” and distanced both himself and Reed from Israeli PM Netanyahu.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), now running for governor, told a town hall in Durango he's “incredibly angry” at Democrats for losing the 2024 election to Trump, calling it a “catastrophic” failure.

“We should never have lost this election,” he said, criticizing the party’s unclear messaging on education, healthcare, and immigration.

Bennet pledged to fight “to the death” to protect Medicaid from GOP cuts, slamming Trump's tax policies and what he called a “cult of personality” in the Senate.

His decision to run for governor, he said, was “a matter of conscience” — not a resignation, but a shift in battle lines.

Sean “Diddy” Combs' defense team has reached out to President Trump for a pardon following the hip-hop mogul’s July conviction on two counts of interstate prostitution, a source close to the legal team confirmed.

In a Newsmax interview, Trump acknowledged, “They have talked to me about Sean,” but made no commitment.

Combs faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing set for October.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court today seeking to remove Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic caucus, from office.

The move comes after Wu and over 50 Democrats fled the state to block GOP-led redistricting plans.

“They’ve abandoned their duty to Texans,” Abbott said, arguing Wu’s absence violates the state Constitution and deprives the House of a quorum.

Wu has yet to respond publicly.

Abbott had warned on Sunday that he would pursue removal if Democrats failed to return when the House reconvened.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) called on Democrats to “go nuclear” in response to GOP-led redistricting pushes in Texas and other red states.

“If they’re going to do that and go nuclear, so am I,” she told NBC News after her first town hall of the August recess.

Slotkin urged blue states like California and Illinois to fight fire with fire—despite her preference for nonpartisan map-drawing.

The freshman senator has been a rising star, having delivered the Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s address to Congress earlier this year.

Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) faced boos, jeers, and even middle fingers from a rowdy crowd at a town hall in Lincoln yesterday.

Despite the backlash, Flood said he has no regrets and would do it again.

“Every member of Congress has to do it the way they see fit... you should be able to stand on the town square and be accountable for those votes,” Flood told reporters.

Trump said today that federal authorities, including the FBI, “may have to” get involved in finding and arresting Texas Democrats who fled the state to stall GOP redistricting plans.

“You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out,” Trump told reporters, backing efforts to compel the return of the more than 50 lawmakers.

The comments come a day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered arrests of the Democrats under state authority, following a House vote to bring them back “under warrant of arrest, if necessary.”

The General Services Administration (GSA) has partnered with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, allowing federal agencies to immediately adopt AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for government use. “These transformative AI projects are available for agencies to procure immediately,” said Federal Acquisition Services Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum. The AI tools will support a range of tasks—from back-office automation to real-time translation, cybersecurity, and large-scale data analysis. GSA claims early adoption has already saved 365,000 staff hours this year. While privacy advocates may raise concerns, the agency says it’s taking a “security-first approach”—though ”specifics were not disclosed. For AI companies, the deal opens the door...

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey welcomed nine Texas Democratic legislators who fled GOP-led redistricting efforts in their home state, calling the move a “partisan, craven power grab” by Trump, Gov. Abbott, and AG Ken Paxton.

At a press conference, Healey offered “support” to the visiting lawmakers but ruled out mid-decade redistricting in her own state—unlike New York and California. “We just did that,” Healey said of the post-2020 Census maps, calling them “fair.”

Texas Rep. Ana Hernandez dismissed threats of arrest back home: “We left to make sure our constituents have a voice.”

President Trump suggested today that Vice President JD Vance would “probably be favored” to lead the MAGA movement after Trump’s second term ends.

Asked if Vance is his "heir apparent," Trump replied, “Well, I think most likely… he’s the vice president.” He also named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a possible figure in the mix.

The comments came after Trump signed an Olympics-related executive order at the White House.

The State Department will launch a new pilot program starting Aug. 20 requiring travelers from certain countries to post bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for B-1 or B-2 visas for business or tourism.

The rule, published today in the Federal Register, will remain in effect until Aug. 5, 2026, and is aimed at curbing visa overstays.

The B-1/B-2 visas allow stays of up to six months, with limited options for extension.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with President Trump at the White House today, marking her third visit this year and fourth overall.

In a statement, Whitmer said she raised concerns about tariffs hurting Michigan’s auto industry, Medicaid changes, and recovery efforts from this year’s ice storm in Northern Michigan.

“I’ve always said that I’ll work with anyone to get things done for Michigan,” she said.

Whitmer has faced pushback from some Democrats over her engagement with Trump, but her office points to tangible outcomes like new federal support for Selfridge Air Base and Great Lakes protection.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Moscow tomorrow for meetings with Russian leadership, according to a source familiar with the trip.

Details of the agenda remain undisclosed, and the State Department has not yet commented.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas, has triggered backlash in a private Facebook group of current and former federal prison staffers.

The facility—typically reserved for low-risk inmates—is rarely used for sex offenders serving long sentences like Maxwell, 63.

“This makes me sick,” wrote one former staffer.
“She’s a damn human trafficker,” another added, questioning the decision.

The Bureau of Prisons has not publicly responded to the criticism.

The Trump administration has officially scrapped the “5 Things” program, a policy introduced by Elon Musk requiring federal employees to submit five weekly work accomplishments to HR.

OPM Director Scott Kupor confirmed the decision, saying the agency will no longer manage or use the process internally.

“Managers have many other tools to stay informed,” he noted.

Since its launch in February, many agencies had already begun phasing out the program at their discretion.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows gaveled the chamber in and out of session today after failing to reach a quorum, with only 94 members present, short of the 100 needed, due to a Democratic walkout protesting the GOP’s redistricting bill.

Burrows criticized absent Democrats for abandoning their duties, especially amid flood recovery efforts after deadly storms near San Antonio.

“All elected members should be here representing their districts,” he said, highlighting pending legislation on disaster preparedness.

Democrats argue the Republican focus on redistricting, rather than flood relief, is the real issue.

Democratic state legislators in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania introduced bills today to ban law enforcement officers—particularly ICE agents—from wearing face coverings that hide their identities. The move comes amid heightened ICE raids under President Trump’s immigration crackdown, where agents increasingly wear masks resembling “masked militia,” according to New York Sen. Pat Fahy, a bill sponsor. Massachusetts Rep. Jim Hawkins emphasized the need for transparency and rebuilding trust between law enforcement and communities. Pennsylvania Rep. Paul Friel noted that other officials don’t operate anonymously and questioned why ICE should be different. While Democrats control legislatures and governorships in New York and Massachusetts, the...

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported today that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated the Impoundment Control Act by withholding funds appropriated by Congress. The GAO emphasized that the President does not have “unilateral authority to withhold funds,” and that resuming grant review meetings does not guarantee compliance with the law. The report stated any changes to NIH funding must go through Congress via rescission proposals or new legislation. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the NIH, has yet to comment. This follows May reports that the Trump administration cut over $1.8 billion in NIH grants, a move currently challenged...

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block a contentious redistricting plan with national stakes.

The House Speaker also issued civil arrest warrants for the missing legislators, but these are largely symbolic since they cannot be enforced outside Texas, and no criminal or civil charges are expected.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said today he is considering a special session to reopen the state’s congressional maps amid growing concerns over redistricting fairness. Calling out Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Texas Republicans as “cheaters,” Pritzker warned of the broader threat to democracy. “If they’re going to cheat, then all of us have to take a hard look at what the effect of that cheating is on our democracy... everything’s on the table,” he said. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin echoed the sentiment, urging Democrats to use “all tools at their disposal” to counter GOP redistricting efforts in states like Ohio...

The U.S. and Rwanda have reached an agreement that could see the African nation accept up to 250 migrants deported from the U.S., as the Trump administration ramps up its hardline immigration policies.

“Nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement,” said government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, citing reintegration and rehabilitation as core national values.

Data disruptions are surfacing across federal agencies, with key public information either halted, scrubbed, or delayed under President Trump’s administration.

Among the affected: weather balloon data, CDC statistics on transgender HIV cases, and even basic workforce numbers. The issue drew fresh attention Friday after Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, escalating concerns over political interference in critical datasets.

Researchers and economists warn the moves could severely impact scientific analysis and public policy.

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to "show some leadership" and address what he describes as redistricting "chaos" in states like California and Texas.

“Voters should choose their representatives; representatives shouldn’t choose their voters,” Kiley told MSNBC, warning the current process is damaging to democracy.

Kiley has introduced a bill to nullify any new redistricting maps adopted before the 2030 census, arguing the ongoing reshuffling hurts voters, lawmakers, and both parties.

He also urged Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to step in.
The Speaker’s office has not responded to requests for comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone today, in what Zelenskyy described as a “productive” conversation focused on sanctions against Russia, European aid, and continued defense cooperation with the U.S. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed joint strategies that could bolster Ukraine’s defense and tighten pressure on Moscow. “Of course, we spoke about sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Their economy continues to decline, and that’s exactly why Moscow is so sensitive to this prospect and President Trump’s resolve. This can change a lot.” Zelenskyy added that joint European decisions were also on...

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) has formally requested the FBI's assistance in locating or arresting Texas Democratic legislators who fled the state over the weekend in protest of a Republican-led redistricting plan. In a letter sent today to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cornyn argued that federal resources are warranted because the lawmakers may have violated state or federal law by crossing state lines to block legislative proceedings. “The FBI has tools to aid state law enforcement when parties cross state lines, including to avoid testifying or fleeing a scene of a crime,” Cornyn wrote, adding that some lawmakers may be “guilty of bribery...