5 months ago
Updated Aug. 5, 2025, 9:24 AM EDT
What to know today
- TOWN HALL CHAOS: Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., posted to X last night that “violence” broke out at a chaotic town hall event of his, which he said was intentionally disrupted. At another event with constituents, Rep. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., was booed and heckled while answering questions about the release of files in the Jeffrey Epstein case and President Donald Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner.
- TEXAS TURMOIL: Republican state lawmakers in Texas voted yesterday to approve civil arrest warrants for Democrats who left the state to block a vote on the GOP's congressional redistricting plan that would give the party five more House seats.
- LEGISLATIVE PUSHBACK: The Texas redistricting effort and in-kind responses by Democratic governors in some blue states has prompted some Republican congressmen in competitive districts to push back with legislation.
- RUSSIA PROBE REVIEW: Attorney General Pam Bondi has launched a grand jury investigation of the Obama administration's assessment of Russia’s actions during the 2016 election — a move that former officials say has no basis and is motivated by politics.
Swiss leaders travel to the U.S. to discuss tariffs
Steve Kopack and Megan Lebowitz
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Vice President Guy Parmelin will travel to the U.S. today to discuss tariffs, the country's government said in a news release.
The Trump administration announced previously that imports from Switzerland would face a 39% tariff.
The Swiss leaders will "facilitate meetings with the US authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland," the news release said.
State Department unveils plan for travelers from certain countries to pay thousands before entering the U.S.
The State Department unveiled plans that will make travelers from certain countries to pay a $5,000 to $15,000 bond in order to visit the U.S.
The one-year program, which targets people from countries with “high visa overstay rates” and other factors, aims to prevent people from overstaying visas, according to the documented published today in the Federal Register.
Travelers would have the funds returned if they leave the U.S. on time and comply with travel permission rules.
Most affected people will be expected to pay a $10,000 bond, although the amount can be set at $5,000 or $15,000 depending on travelers’ circumstances. The program is set to go into effect on Aug. 20, and the State Department will announce affected countries on its website.
The program is “intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals when traveling to the United States for temporary visits, and to encourage countries to improve screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship,” the document said.
The first Trump administration also initiated a temporary bond program, but the plan was not fully implemented because of the impact of Covid-19 on travel.
Trump says he'd 'like to run' for president again but will 'probably not'
Trump said he'd "like to run" for president again, though it is prohibited by the Constitution.
Asked on CNBC if he would run for president again despite the Constitution, Trump said, "no, probably not," chuckling.
"Probably not," he continued. "I'd like to."
"I'd like to run," he repeated, going on to claim he has "the best poll numbers I've ever had," and noting he won the popular vote in 2024.
Polling averages place Trump's job approval rating at 43% in recent weeks, a few percentage points higher than at the same point in the first year of his first term.
Trump says 'we are entitled to five more seats' in Texas
Trump said on CNBC that Republicans were "entitled" to more congressional seats in Texas, where the state GOP is pushing to redistrict the state in a way that would give an advantage to the party in next year's election.
"We are entitled to five more seats," Trump said.
The president pointed to gerrymandering in blue states as well, claiming that Republicans should have more seats in Congress.
Trump says EU imports to face 35% tariff if the EU does not invest $600 billion in U.S.
Trump said that if the European Union did not invest $600 billion in the U.S. as he previously announced, imports from the EU would face 35% tariffs.
The tariff rate will be set at 15% for imports from the EU after Trump announced a trade agreement last month.
Trump takes Scott Bessent off the shortlist for Federal Reserve
Trump said in an interview on CNBC that he's taking Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent off the shortlist for the open Federal Reserve governor role. The person chosen for that open role could also become the Federal Reserve chair, Trump said.
Trump said Bessent wants to remain at the Treasury Department.
"I asked him just last night, is this something you want? 'Nope. I want to stay where I am,'" Trump said Bessent told him.
For Fed chair, Trump said he was considering current Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller, former Fed official Kevin Warsh, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and at least two other unnamed people.
Current Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term will end in May. Powell has come under continual criticism from Trump for not moving quicker to lower interest rates.
U.S. bans travelers from Burundi, citing 'repeated' visa violations
U.S. visas for travelers from Burundi are temporarily banned, the U.S. embassy in the East African country said, citing “repeated violations” of visa rules.
“Every Burundian who travels carries the hopes of their family and community. Respecting visa rules isn’t just personal, it is national,” the embassy said yesterday in a post on X. “Sadly, due to repeated violations, U.S. visas for Burundians are temporarily banned.”
Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world, was among seven countries whose citizens were partially blocked from entering the U.S. in a June proclamation by Trump. The proclamation cited a U.S. government report saying Burundi had an overstay rate of more than 15% for business and tourism visas.
Nebraska Republican faces rowdy town hall with questions about Epstein files and fired BLS chief
Raquel Coronell Uribe and Syedah Asghar
Rep. Adam Smith says an aide was ‘physically assaulted’ at his town hall
Syedah Asghar and Megan Lebowitz
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a post to X last night that one of his staff members was “physically assaulted” during his town hall, calling it “an act that crosses every line of civil discourse.”
“Today’s town hall was intentionally disrupted to attempt to silence a democratic conversation between a Representative and his constituents,” Smith said in the post. He emphasized that while peaceful protest is protected, “violence and coordinated efforts to shut down public dialogue are not.”
Kshama Sawant, a socialist running for Smith’s seat, posted a video on X of what appeared to be individuals being handcuffed. Sawant called them “3 peaceful anti-genocide activists” who she said were merely chanting at Smith's event.
Smith and Sawant did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for further comment.
Workers Strike Back, which Sawant co-founded, shared her post, saying the activists were from their group.
Switzerland says it will make U.S. a ‘more attractive’ trade offer
Switzerland, which was surprised to find itself facing one of the highest U.S. tariff rates in the world, says it is determined to continue talks and that it is ready to make a “more attractive” trade offer to the Trump administration.
“Switzerland enters this new phase ready to present a more attractive offer, taking U.S. concerns into account and seeking to ease the current tariff situation,” its government said in a statement yesterday.
Trump said last week that he would impose a 39% tariff on imports from Switzerland, below only Laos (40%), Myanmar (40%) and Syria (41%). Swiss officials said the rate is far higher than those on comparable U.S. trading partners such as the E.U. (15%), Japan (15%) and Britain (10%).
Switzerland said over 99% of U.S. goods have entered the country tariff-free since the start of last year and that its trade surplus with the U.S. is not the result of any unfair trade practices. It said it was not considering any retaliatory measures.
Pam Bondi orders grand jury probe of Obama administration review of 2016 election
+3
Michael Kosnar, Dan De Luce, David Rohde and Vaughn Hillyard
Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed Justice Department prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation of whether Obama administration officials committed federal crimes when they assessed Russia’s actions during the 2016 election, a senior Trump administration official said.
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard claimed at a White House news conference last month that top Obama administration officials carried out a “treasonous conspiracy” against Trump. Gabbard said she was sending criminal referrals to the Justice Department.
A former senior Justice Department official condemned the move as “a dangerous political stunt.” And a former senior national security official pointed out that multiple past reviews, including ones conducted by Republicans, found no such crimes.
Read the full story here.
English (US) · 
Indonesian (ID) ·