Federal grip on DC police may tighten as Trump seeks long-term authority: Unbiased Updates, Aug. 14, 2025

President Trump wants to keep control of D.C. police

Why the federal takeover may not end anytime soon. Plus, Trump's warning to Putin, play ball or pay the price

Friday's high stakes face-to-face that could decide Russia's next move. And a glacier turns into a gusher in Alaska

The Army Corps of Engineers insists they can stop it this time

The stories that matter, clear and credible. from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

President Trump is not just taking over D.C. policing. He wants to keep control

The president says he will push Congress for a long-term extension of his federal takeover

over the Metropolitan Police as National Guard troops and federal agents now patrol the streets around the clock

Protesters gathered Wednesday at a new checkpoint in the U Street corridor

one of the first set up under the president's 30-day order putting D.C. police under federal control

Right now, that order expires in a month, but President Trump says he wants to make it last much longer

So we're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C

It's almost, we're going to use it as a very positive example

and we're going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can't

have 30 days. I don't want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will. But I think

the Republicans in Congress will approve this pretty much unanimously. To extend the takeover

Republicans would need at least seven Democrats in the Senate to sign on. Donald Trump says crime

in Washington, D.C. is, quote, out of control. But the Justice Department says violent crime in

the nation's capital actually fell to a 30-year low last year. The administration touted nearly

two dozen arrests on the first night and police union support in Washington, D.C. This is not the

only fight over federal control of local law enforcement In California a trial has wrapped up over Trump deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this summer Governor Gavin Newsom is suing saying it violated a law which limits the military role in domestic law enforcement

A federal judge pressed the Justice Department on whether there are limits to what he called a national police force

and questioned why hundreds of federalized guardsmen remained there months after the initial threat

No timeline yet for a ruling. President Trump is laying down red lines for tomorrow's high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska

warning the Russian leader of very severe consequences if he refuses to end the war in Ukraine

Before leaving the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, Trump was pressed on exactly what that means

Watch. Will Russia face any consequences if Vladimir Putin does not agree to stop the war after your meeting on Friday

Yes, they will. There will be sanctions, tariffs. There will be. I don't have to say there will be very severe consequences

Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance met virtually with Ukrainian President Zelensky and European allies on Wednesday

agreeing on five key red lines, including a ceasefire before any further talks and security

guarantees for Ukraine outside of NATO. Still, he acknowledged that he does not believe he can stop Putin from targeting civilians

casting doubt on the chances for a quick truce. Trump referring to Putin as President Putin

also blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the war in Ukraine instead of the Russian leader

Again, this is Biden's war. This isn't my war. He got us into this thing and should have never happened

This war would have never happened if I were president. But it is what it is and I'm here to fix it

The White House says if Friday's talks go well, Donald Trump wants a quick second meeting

this time with Putin and Zelensky at the same table. Local officials, military personnel and businesses in Anchorage are scrambling to prepare for Friday's meeting

In addition, Alaska's tourist season is at its peak. Hotels are nearly full and rooms that are left are going for top dollar In the Middle East Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing his call for Palestinians to voluntarily leave Gaza And now there are reports his government is discussing

resettling them in another conflict zone. The Associated Press says Israeli officials are now

in talks with South Sudan about accepting Palestinians from Gaza, though it's unclear

how advanced those discussions are. Netanyahu has floated similar proposals to other African nations

The news comes as Israel faces outrage over an attack Wednesday that reportedly killed more than two dozen people who were lined up for humanitarian aid

Palestinians and human rights groups call any forced relocation a violation of international law

A record-breaking glacier flood slammed Alaska's capital this week. But for the first time in years, most homes along Juneau's Mendenhall River were spared

The water surged out of Suicide Basin. Look at this. A giant pool dammed by the receding Mendenhall Glacier, sending the river to its highest level ever

But two miles of Hesco barriers, which are giant sandbag walls put up by the Army Corps of Engineers, held back the worst of it

In past years, floods have wiped out riverbanks, swept away homes and damaged hundreds more

This time, officials say without the walls, nearly 1,000 structures could have been hit again

Some roads, trails and a bridge were damaged and floodwaters did get into a few spots

But compared to 2023 and 2024, city leaders call it a relief

A Texas judge has cleared the way for InfoWars to be sold to help pay the $1 billion Alex Jones owes the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims

The judge ordered that InfoWars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, be handed over to a court-appointed receiver

That receiver can seize everything from cash and equipment to the Infowars name itself and sell it off to satisfy Jones's debts

The move reopens the door for satirical outlet The Onion to revive its bid for the conspiracy-driven platform

A civil jury found Jones guilty of defamation in 2022 for falsely claiming the 2012 massacre which left 20 children and six educators dead in Newtown Connecticut was a hoax

But he has not paid one cent of the damages. On the show, Jones said he's, quote, pissed off, his words, but resigned to Infowars shutting down

and promised to keep broadcasting under a different brand. Attorneys for the families call the order a major step toward holding Jones accountable for years of cruel harassment

Finally this morning, President Trump is putting his stamp on Washington's biggest night for the arts

announcing his first class of Kennedy Center honorees. Sylvester Stallone still ready to go the distance like Rocky

Disco legend Gloria Gaynor, who's been living her hit, I Will Survive, for decades

Rock icons Kiss, bringing their Detroit Rock City vibe to the nation's capital

Also being honored, country superstar George Strait and Michael Crawford, the original Phantom of the Opera

The president, now chairman of the Kennedy Center, says he was very involved in selecting the honorees

after overhauling a process he felt had gone too woke. The gala is set for December, with Trump himself hosting

It will air on CBS. Now, I'm interested to see if Kiss gets all dressed up

You know, costumes, face paint, blasting their guitars. That would be very different for that type of crowd, right

Got to watch, I guess. Perhaps no tux is required that night, at least not for Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley

All right, before we head out, here's what we're tracking today. At 11 o'clock, Justice Department officials will announce charges against top drug cartel leaders

At 1, President Trump gives remarks from the Oval Office. At 2.30, California Governor Gavin Newsom, alongside lawmakers and advocates, will make what's being called a major announcement on Texas redistricting

No spin, no drama, just the news you need. Our Unbiased Updates newsletter lands in your inbox every weekday morning

Sign up at san.com slash newsletters. Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Thursday

We'll see you back here tomorrow, Friday. We love that. For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelly

Have a great day