Trump seized direct control of D.C.’s police Monday—the first time any president has done so—and deployed the National Guard, despite local data showing crime is at historic lows.

The big question, though: Is it legal?

SOME BACKGROUND: Washington, D.C., has had partial self-governance only since 1973, when Congress passed the Home Rule Act.

However, no president, Democrat or Republican, has used that authority—until Trump.

THE FUTURE: The police takeover expires after 48 hours unless extended, and cannot exceed 30 days without Congress.

BIG PICTURE: Civil liberties groups say this is a dangerous precedent — giving the federal government power to override local democracy whenever it chooses.

Courts have so far allowed that deployment to continue.

WHAT’S NEXT: The D.C. takeover is almost certain to be challenged in court.

This isn’t just about D.C. It’s about whether any American city run by progressives is safe from Trump’s power grabs.

GO DEEPER: Why Trump’s latest made-up ‘emergency’ power grab should worry you

A sweeping New Yorker exposé details how Donald Trump and his family have turned the presidency into a personal cash machine, raking in billions through foreign real estate deals, crypto schemes, luxury gifts from Gulf monarchs, and access-for-sale ventures. The report portrays a presidency functioning like a monarch’s fiefdom—where public office is leveraged for private gain on a staggering scale—eroding democratic norms while normalizing kleptocratic behavior in plain sight. Full story from The New Yorker (unlocked for you!).

More than 30 Democratic congresswomen are demanding that Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stop wearing masks, plain clothes, and using unmarked vehicles—tactics they say embolden predators posing as ICE officers to kidnap, assault, and extort women. The lawmakers warn these secretive raids echo the paramilitary policing of authoritarian regimes, turning immigration enforcement into a weapon of fear while leaving women—especially immigrants—uniquely vulnerable to violence. Full story from Common Dreams.

Defying Donald Trump’s threats of military action against drug cartels, Mexico’s progressive President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed that U.S. soldiers will never operate on Mexican soil, calling her nation “free, sovereign, independent.” While Washington escalates pressure and flirts with drone strikes, Sheinbaum’s firm rejection—rooted in Mexico’s long history of resisting U.S. intervention—has bolstered her sky-high approval ratings and drawn a sharp line against American militarism in Latin America. Full story from the Financial Times.

Once a bedrock of labor’s alliance with Democrats, the Teamsters are now funneling significant PAC money to Republicans—many with anti-union records—under the guise of “diversifying” political support. The shift, cemented after union president Sean O’Brien’s RNC speech, signals a dangerous erosion of organized labor’s political solidarity, handing the billionaire-backed GOP a propaganda win while betraying the very workers the union claims to champion. Full story from Politico.

In a historic shift, the Democratic Socialists of America voted to make opposing the Palestinian-led BDS movement or aiding Israel an expellable offense, while formally endorsing the Palestinian right to resist and return “from the river to the sea.” The move cements the group’s break from its liberal Zionist origins, aligning with global labor and student campaigns to block arms shipments to Israel amid what human rights groups call a genocidal war on Gaza. Full story from Middle East Eye.

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Yesterday we asked, is Bernie Sanders right about Democrats losing Appalachia?

Brenda voted yes and said, “I am second generation Appalachian. I have seen this since the Reagan years. Voting for the cult of personality instead of for their own interests. The Democrats need a MAJOR overhaul, focusing on creating jobs, the dignity of work. Also the corporate ones need primaried out.”

Mags voted no: “Fox News is removing the truth from the airwaves and feeding the underlying racism already ingrained in poor people's minds 😢“

Shell voted yes: “As I always do, I’ll share this quote attributed to Edmund Burke, ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’”

Here are some stories the algorithms may be keeping out of your feed.