Happy Friday! Who else wants to have a Honey Deuce with Jessie Pegula?
In today’s issue:
- Weak August jobs report
- White House calls for interest rate cut
- Republicans grow weary of RFK Jr.
- Trump’s ‘Department of War’ announcement
- NYT reports on 2019 North Korea mission
📰 NEWS THIS MORNING
Gulp…:
The U.S. economy added just 22,000 jobs in August, well below economists’ expectations. The unemployment rate also rose from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent. This is a clear sign that the economy has lost steam during the first spring and summer of President Trump’s second term.
For context: Economists had expected a job gain of roughly 75,000, similar to July.
🚨 Plus, the economy lost jobs for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic: “Revised data also showed that employment fell by 13,000 jobs in June, the first net loss since December 2020.” (The New York Times)
➤ HOW THE WHITE HOUSE IS HANDLING THIS:
Well, first, Trump tried to manage expectations ahead of time. He told reporters Thursday evening that the “real” jobs numbers will come next year.
^ Specifically: Trump said that when “huge, beautiful places, the palaces of genius” open, job numbers will improve. He didn’t specify what projects that meant.
And after the jobs report came out: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. “Clearly, President Trump is implementing the most aggressive pro-growth agenda in our country’s history, but this agenda continues to be held back by Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell’s foolish refusal to admit that President Trump is right about everything,” Leavitt posted on X.
➤ TIDBIT — TRUMP IS GOING TO FLUSHING MEADOWS:
The Athletic reports Trump will attend the U.S. Open men’s singles final Sunday.
The last time Trump attended was in 2015. He was booed.
🪖 IN THE WHITE HOUSE
The Department of ⚔️WAR ⚔️:
President Trump is expected to sign executive orders this afternoon. The Hill’s Brett Samuels confirmed he will rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
Yes, that would change Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s title to secretary of War.
What about congressional approval?: “It’s unclear if Congress, which has the authority to establish federal executive departments, will need to step in to issue final approval on the move. However, Trump previously has voiced confidence that he doesn’t need approval from lawmakers and that they will get on board if necessary.” (Fox News)
Fox News also pointed out: This will be Trump’s 200th executive order since retaking office in January.
Related read, via The New York Times: ‘The Return of the ‘War Department’ Is More Than Nostalgia. It’s a Message.’
⏱️ ON CAPITOL HILL
It wasn’t just Democrats who thought that RFK Jr. hearing was alarming:
“Republican senators are sending clear signs of disapproval and unhappiness with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., making it plain to President Trump that they want the administration to address the chaos Kennedy has caused by trying to rewrite the nation’s vaccine policies,” The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.
Are Republicans calling for Kennedy to resign?: No, they’ve stopped short of calling for his resignation — or even saying they regret voting him in.
What do Republicans want?: They want Kennedy to back off when it comes to trying to change vaccine recommendations without scientific backing.
From Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso (Wyo.), an orthopedic surgeon: “I support vaccines. I’m a doctor. Vaccines work. … Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.”
Plus: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) grilled Kennedy over vaccines. And Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) challenged him for not sticking to his earlier promises to senators.
^Remember: Cassidy was originally on the fence about confirming Kennedy due to the now-secretary’s anti-vaccine rhetoric. Ultimately, Cassidy ended up voting for him.
This may be becoming a political liability for Republicans: “Polls show that Kennedy’s management of the nation’s health agencies is becoming a bigger political problem for Republicans.”
Read more reactions from Republicans— they’re not exactly glowing.
➤ A FORMER CDC OFFICIAL POKED HOLES IN KENNEDY’S CLAIMS:
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, spoke with CNN about Kennedy’s claims.
“He lied to Congress,” Daskalakis said, standing by his claim that Kennedy never consulted CDC experts about infectious diseases or their related vaccines, contrary to Kennedy’s testimony. Read Daskalakis’s full reaction
Daskalakis appeared on The Hill’s new morning show, “Sunrise on the Hill,” today to discuss Kennedy’s testimony. 📹 Watch the segment
The Epstein file vote may get new life:
House Democrats have been trying to advance legislation to force the release of all files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. They’re two votes shy of reaching the threshold.
However, there are currently four vacant House seats in the House. Three of those seats are comfortably Democratic. Two of those special elections will happen this month. That means Democrats may reach the magical 218 votes to force a vote, according to The Hill’s Mike Lillis.
Read more: ‘The Epstein discharge petition is headed for success — with a nudge from Dems’
🌏 OTHER NEWS
This is a wild story:
The New York Times published exclusive reporting on how in 2019, President Trump ordered a group of Navy SEALs to plant a listening device in North Korea. The military chose the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden.
During the mission, the crew thought they were spotted by a North Korean boat, so they opened fire, killing everyone on board. The SEAL team then sunk the bodies.
Yikes, this excerpt: “The shore team swam to the boat to make sure that all of the North Koreans were dead. They found no guns or uniforms. Evidence suggested that the crew, which people briefed on the mission said numbered two or three people, had been civilians diving for shellfish. All were dead, including the man in the water. Officials familiar with the mission said the SEALs pulled the bodies into the water to hide them from the North Korean authorities. One added that the SEALs punctured the boat crew’s lungs with knives to make sure their bodies would sink.”
This is a big deal if true: The Times says Congress was never alerted to this operation or its findings, which may have violated federal law.
This report is worth reading: ‘How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart’
➤ QUICK HITS:
- The New York Times reports President Trump’s team is considering nominating New York City Mayor Eric Adams to be the ambassador to Saudi Arabia to end his mayoral reelection bid.
- “Federal immigration authorities raided a Hyundai electric vehicle (EV) plant in Georgia on Thursday, arresting more than 400 ‘unlawful aliens’ as part of the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.” (The Hill)
- A new study suggests artificial sweeteners may accelerate cognitive decline.
- Rising energy prices are becoming a political liability for Republicans, The Hill’s Rachel Frazin reports.
COMING UP
The House and Senate are both out. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST)
Noon: Trump participates in an ambassador credentialing ceremony.
2 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders.
4 p.m.: Trump makes an announcement from the Oval Office. 💻 Livestream
7 p.m.: Trump hosts a dinner.
3 p.m. Monday: The Senate returns. 📆Monday’s agenda
🐝 INTERNET BUZZ
🍕 Celebrate: Today is National Cheese Pizza Day and National Chianti Day!
🎾 Love this friendship: 45-year-old tennis legend Venus Williams and 22-year-old rising star Leylah Fernandez played doubles together at the U.S. Open.
👑 Kate Middleton went blonde: Kate, the Princess of Wales, 📸 debuted her new dark blonde hair color. The internet has a lot of opinions about it. What do you think?
🧓 This is fascinating: The Wall Street Journal’s Amy Dockser Marcus spent a day in an MIT AgeLab suit that is meant to replicate doing activities while elderly. It’s worth reading: ‘My Day as an 80-Year-Old. What an Age-Simulation Suit Taught Me.’
^ Excerpt: “They added a harness around my waist, and a bungee cord system that attached to different body parts including the back of the ankles and my wrists. The cords reduced my ability to reach up and shortened my stride. The get-up made it even more difficult to stand without a slouch. They put a padded neck collar on to limit my rotation and goggles to distort my vision. Foam-padded Crocs on my feet challenged my balance.”
👋 AND FINALLY…
Because it’s almost the weekend and we want the vibes to be good, have you ever seen an otter play basketball?
