CAPITAL COUP: National Guard troops have deployed in the streets of Washington and the Metropolitan Police are under control of the Justice Department with orders to “do whatever the hell they want” to curb crime. The police command, however, say they are still in charge.

  About 800 guardsmen are expected to deploy.

   White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said yesterday, “ Ultimately the chain of command is as such: The president of the United States; the attorney general of the United States; our DEA administrator, Terry Cole,” who she said “is in charge of” the police department and is “working with the chief to ensure that law enforcement officers are allowed to do their jobs in this city.”

  The Washington Post reports that DC police are on the job as usual but they’re confused about “whether and how their jobs would change.”

  President Trump ordered the takeover of Washington Law enforcement saying he would save the city “from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor, and worse.”

  The NY Times notes that Trump called the January 6th rioters who tried to overthrow the government, “very special.” Trum did not call out the National Guard when the Capitol was under assault.

   Washington has a crime problem but Trump distorted it. He said DC has the highest murder rate of any national capital  and that is flatly not trued. DC is topped by Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Cape Town, South Africa, Kingston, Jamaica, Caracas, Venezuela, and Guatemala City … among others.

  House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted that, “The crime scene in D.C. most damaging to everyday Americans is at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” 

HISTORY TEST: The White House is conducting a review of exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum and its associated museums under orders to Smithsonian Institution secretary Lonnie Bunch III,  “to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”

  According to a White House letter sent to Bunch, the examination will include  “A review of exhibition text, wall didactics, websites, educational materials, and digital and social media content to assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.”

  Notably, the letter orders that, “Museums should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.”

ENOUGH ABOUT ME: President Trump caught the Kennedy Center staff by surprise announcing on his Truth Social “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,” an allusion to a bill before Congress  that would rename the performing arts venue after him. Trump went on, “Tremendous work is being done, and money being spent, on bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment.”

  Of course, Trump always delivers the best like nobody’s ever seen before. Let’s see if Lee Greenwood is on the honoree list.

THE MESS WITH TEXAS: The Texas Senate yesterday approved new congressional districts in a rare mid-decade redrawing designed to assure Republicans of five more seats in the US House in the 2026 elections. The vote was 19-2, with nine Democrats absent after leaving the Senate floor moments before the vote in what they called  a “corrupt process.”

  “This mid-decade redistricting isn’t about fair representation—it’s about politicians picking their voters instead of voters choosing their leaders,” the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus said in a statement. 

  The Texas House has been unable to vote on redistricting because Democratic members left the state to deny the Republicans a voting quorum. The special legislative session is about to end,  but Gov. Greg Abbott says he’ll “immediately” call lawmakers back to the state Capitol for another special session.

  Abbott said in a statement; “There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.”

THE WAR ROOM: Russian forces continue to attack into Ukraine on the eve of talks in Alaska on Friday between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The Russians in the past 24 hours have advanced 15 miles in a narrow front.

  The continued attack shows at the least that Putin is taking as much territory as he can either to keep it or use for bargaining.

  The Institute for the Study of War reports that, “Several Russian milbloggers urged caution on August 12, noting that Russian forces have yet to consolidate their positions and that the penetration is not a full-scale breakthrough yet.” 

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: In haste yesterday we said that inflation might bring lower interest rates while in fact the opposite is true. Current economic trends could cause the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, which would infuriate President Trump.

THE SPIN RACK: The Los Angeles public schools open tomorrow deploying volunteers, staff, and school police to protect children amid federal immigration enforcement sweeps.  — The wife of South Korea’s jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested on suspicion of bribery, stock manipulation, and meddling in the selection of a candidate. A court ordered the arrest saying Kim Keon Hee posed a risk of destroying evidence. Her husband, former president Yoon, has been in legal trouble since briefly ordering martial law last December. 

BELOW THE FOLD: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he “can’t stand” the new helmet he has no wear because the model he wore for 20 years has been banned. The 20-year NFL veteran says his new helmet “Looks like a damn spaceship.”

  Rodgers has been playing since shortly after the age of leather helmets.

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